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Sicily By Car founder under police protection after arson attacks
Tommaso Dragotto said in a?interview on Friday that he was given a police escort following a?series of attacks?on?his business. The latest incident that prompted the decision to put the 88 year old under protection was the burning of a car depot for a Sicilian company in Palermo in the early morning hours of Thursday. Eleven vehicles were destroyed. In the past three months there have been two other arson incidents, and in March Italian media reported that shots were fired near the entrance of a company site. "Three (arson attacks) in 80 days is just too much." I didn't want to be escorted because it would have changed my freedom, my movements, and daily life. Dragotto said to La Stampa that he was told he could not refuse the escort. He said that he was never asked to pay money for protection to the mafia and that he refused any such request. "I will never pay and I won't start now", he added. After the attack on Thursday, Palermo's anti-mafia prosecutors, and police, said that eight people were arrested for extortion, and attempted murder, which was aggravated through mafia tactics. The Cosa Nostra Mafia in Sicily, which was a major force during the 1980s and 1990s, lost its influence after arresting their senior leaders. It remains a formidable organisation. Mayor Roberto Lagalla stated that the city had suffered in recent months from "a worrying increase of acts of intimidation and arson attacks against business owners, shopkeepers and citizens." (Reporting and editing by Alvise Armillini and Gavin Jones, with reporting by Mirko Moirelli)
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India opens the way for safety cars and self-driving technology to reduce road fatalities
India has removed licensing requirements for radio frequency used in crash-avoidance systems and self-driving cars. This removes a commercial barrier to automakers, as the country seeks safer roads. India, which is the third-largest car market in the world, has reported over 177,000 road deaths in 2024. The government announced on Thursday that it would waive the licence requirements for radar sensor in the frequency range 77GHz-81GHz, allowing businesses to use spectrum without a separate allocation from authorities. Separate notices were issued for systems operating in the 5.9 GHz range, which allow vehicles to 'communicate' with one another and with roadside infrastructure. INDIA ALIGNS ITS STANDARDS WITH GLOBAL STANDARDS This aligns India with the standards in use in the United States. The European Union and India allow carmakers to use standardised hardware instead of building more expensive local versions. This lowers costs and speeds up adoption. Mercedes-Benz, BMW and other luxury carmakers that offer radar-based assistance to drivers abroad can now introduce the same system in India. Maruti Suzuki and Mahindra & Mahindra, domestic players, could introduce advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) more easily. This would allow them to push premium?safety?features into cheaper models. Also, suppliers such as Germany's Bosch, Continental, and Qualcomm chipmaker will benefit. Radar sensors are used to measure safe distances. They also enable features like emergency braking, adaptive cruising control, and blind-spot alerts. This is the foundation for autonomous driving. Vehicle-to-everything (V2X) ?systems warn drivers of hazards beyond their line of sight, such as a car braking around a blind curve or an approaching ?ambulance. According to a 2023 government panel, the majority of traffic problems are caused by these situations. V2X is a good alternative to most sensors in such situations. The panel recommended that V2X be added to India's voluntary Bharat ncap safety ratings, which evaluate crash performance instead of mandating?specific features. India's roads are crowded and drivers face many hazards, from pedestrians to cattle. Lane discipline and speed limits, however, are often ignored and poorly enforced. Reporting by Munsif Vegattil, Aditi Shah. Clarence Fernandez, Mark Potter and Clarence Fernandez edited the report.
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Hamburg Airport: Delays and cancellations after evacuation due to security concerns
A spokesperson for the airport said that there would be significant delays on Friday at Hamburg Airport after a terminal was evacuated because of a security issue. "The federal police's precautionary measure has now ended, and passengers are passing through security again." The spokesperson confirmed that flight operations have resumed. "However, there will be a number of delays, some significant, all day long. "Flights will be cancelled all day long," she said without specifying the number of cancellations. A federal police spokesperson confirmed that the incident took place at 0945 local time (0745 GMT), when a man accidentally pressed an "emergency" button that opened escape routes and allowed unauthorised entry into a'security hazard area. The man was likely to have simply lost his way, said the spokesperson. (Reporting and editing by Linda Pasquini, Thomas Seythal - Additional reporting).
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UK Tax Authority wins dispute with Bolt which could affect Uber
The British tax authority won an appeal on Friday?in a dispute with Estonian 'ride-hailing' and food delivery company Bolt. This ruling could impact Uber's case, which is worth more than PS1 billion ($1.3billion). Bolt argued that in its PS190million dispute with HM Revenue and Customs, it was liable to charge a 20% value added tax on its'margin' rather than the total fare charged by customers. The London Court of Appeal, however, ruled in HMRC’s favor and overturned two lower tribunal decisions. Bolt was told by the court that it could not use a tax system originally intended for tour operators and travel agents called Tour Operators Margin Scheme (TOMS). Uber also has a case that is pending. It was put on hold as Bolt's case progressed. In a ruling issued last year, a London tribunal said that Uber had paid disputed tax amounts of PS1.446 billion. Bolt's spokesperson stated that the company is disappointed with the ruling, and will "consider all options available to us". Uber and HMRC didn't immediately respond to our requests for comment. ($1 = 0.7457 pounds) (Reporting by Sam Tobin. William James, Mark Potter and William James edited the article.
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Families of victims mark anniversary of Air India crash with prayers and tributes
Families of those 260 people who were?killed in an Air India 'Boeing 787 crash that occurred in Ahmedabad one year ago?will gather this Friday to pray and pay tribute by candlelight to mark the anniversary. Some of the relatives attended a commemoration earlier in the day at B.J. Some of the relatives who attended the memorial ceremony earlier that day, near the site where the plane crashed in a student hostel, were joined by politicians, government officials, and foreign dignitaries. The damaged hostels, which bear the scars from the crash of June 12, 2025 remain closed. The state government of Gujarat has announced that the damaged hostel will be demolished, and replaced by a new building with funding from Tata Group. Tata Group owns 75% of Air India. PAINFUL REMEMBERANCES The first anniversary of the crash in Ahmedabad has brought back painful memories for the families who lost loved ones and the local residents. Suresh patni's family, whose son was a tea vendor and died?in this disaster, is still deeply in mourning. "I can't imagine it's been a whole year," he said. He added that the family survived thanks to compensation from Tata Trusts. Investigators are still trying to determine the cause of this crash. It was the deadliest air disaster the world has seen in the last decade. The preliminary report published last year revealed that the Boeing 787 engine fuel control switches switched almost?simultaneously between 'RUN" and 'CUTOFF", starving both engines with fuel shortly after Air India Flight AI171 left for London. How can you blame him? According to the US, a cockpit recording of the dialogue between?two pilots confirmed that the captain had cut off the fuel flow to the plane's engines. Last year, officials' initial assessment was reported. India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau stated at the time that it was "too soon to draw any conclusions". Pushkar Raj Sabharwal rebuffed suggestions in an interview with the BBC that his son, Sumeet, the captain of the Air India flight, could be held responsible for the crash. He said that his son had been flying the plane for years and was incident-free. How can you blame him? He said. Pushkar Raj Sabharwal, the Indian Supreme Court's Chief Justice, has requested that an independent investigation be conducted to examine other causes than pilot actions.
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Source: India summons top US diplomat a second time in protest of strikes on ships near Oman
India summoned U.S. Deputy?chief of Mission in Delhi to protest against U.S. Military strikes on commercial'vessels' off the -coast of Oman on Friday, a?Indian source said. This is the second time New Delhi has voiced its displeasure in the last three days. Jason Meeks, the U.S. deputy head of mission in the country, was summoned to India by the government for the first-time on Wednesday. This followed a U.S. Navy attack on the Palau flagged oil tanker Settebello that resulted in the deaths of three Indian sailors. The attack on Thursday was a similar one, but this time there were no reported deaths or injuries. The Indian source stated that "MEA summoned meeks to lodge protests against attacks on commercial ships?off of the Coast of Oman", referring to the Indian Foreign Ministry, which is called the Ministry of External Affairs. Source: "Yesterday another vessel with twenty Indian crew members on board was attacked," source adds. The U.S. Embassy at New Delhi didn't respond to a request for comment immediately. New Delhi and Washington developed a strategic partnership in the past two decades. It is rare for India to summon a U.S. ambassador to lodge a protest. Washington's tariffs, and its engagement with New Delhi’s rivals Pakistan or China have put pressure on the strong ties that exist between these two countries. The death of Indian sailors occurs just days before a possible meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Trump at the Group of 7 Summit in France. Reporting by YP. Rajesh, Saurabh. Sharma and Tanvi. Mehta. Ahmed.
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Fire disrupts flights at Wellington Airport in New Zealand
On Friday morning, a fire broke out at Wellington Airport in the capital of New Zealand. Flights were diverted and passengers evacuated from the main terminal. Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokeswoman said that crews attended the fire "alongside" the airport's fire brigade. Five?fire apparatus, two ladder trucks, and a command center were said to be?at scene. Wellington Airport said that the main terminal and southwest pier had been evacuated, and that no injuries were reported. It said that "Flights to Wellington have temporarily been diverted, and passengers are advised to contact their airline for specific information about specific flights." Air New Zealand, Wellington's largest airline, has said that its flights into and out of Wellington have been halted until further notice. According to Fire & Emergency New Zealand, the fire was reported around 7:15 pm (0715 GMT). Reporting by Lucy Craymer and Christine Chen, both in Sydney. Editing by Aidan Lewis.
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Air France-KLM is 'possibly' interested in easyJet but not actively searching
Ben Smith, CEO of Air France-KLM said that the company would not be opposed to a deal involving easyJet. However, it hasn't studied the issue closely. Smith said at the Paris Air Forum, that Castlelake of the United States, which had stated it was considering an offer for easyJet, hadn't contacted Air France KLM about a possible transaction. Smith described the partnership between Air France-KLM, Castlelake and Scandinavian carrier SAS as a positive one. "We haven't had any discussion with Castlelake about joining them in an offer. We haven't been asked. As far as I know, they haven't asked Lufthansa nor IAG. Would we be interested to do something with them then? "Perhaps," he said at the La Tribune conference. EasyJet is a great airline with some incredible assets. I think that any airline would want to look at them. Are we actively looking at easyJet, or not? No." Castlelake stated last month that it was "in the early stages" of evaluating a possible easyJet offer. The price would be over 403.23 pence a share. However, no approach has been made to the board. It has until the 26th of June to either'make a firm offer or walk away. EasyJet said a possible takeover bid from the U.S. Investment firm would be 'highly opportunistic.
Channel Tunnel owner threatens to take legal action against UK for tax hike
The Channel Tunnel's owner announced on Friday that it would "challenge" the British government by all means possible after its business rates had tripled in the past three years, resulting in a decision to no longer invest in the UK.
Eurotunnel, owned by Getlink of Paris which operates car and lorry trains through the tunnel between England & France.
* Yann Leriche, CEO of the FT, told them that they are facing a rise from PS40million a yearly to PS118million a yearly increase in their rateable value.
* In a press release, the company stated that it had "no justification" for its near-tripling of its business rates over the past three years, which is a property tax.
Leriche, a BBC Radio presenter, said: "We will use all legal options available to us to contest that."
The company said, "At the current level of uncertainty we will not invest in the UK."
Leriche claims that Getlink, between corporate taxation and business rates, will pay 69 cents for every new pound in revenue generated within the UK.
* A number of business and employer groups warned the government that costs are rising and higher taxes would lead to inflation.
Rain Newton-Smith, CEO of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), said earlier in June that "business is not like a cash faucet which can be opened?without consequences".
The British tax office stated that its methods of valuing properties were well-established and reflected "the specific facts" of each property.
A HMRC (tax office spokesperson) said: "If ratepayers believe their valuation is wrong, they can challenge it, and if necessary, appeal to an independent Valuation Tribunal."
(source: Reuters)