British Airways is facing a fresh wave of strikes after its cabin crew union won a dramatic court victory, clearing the way for 15 days of industrial action, commencing on Monday.
New Transport Secretary Philip Hammond, who held separate talks with both sides, said the judgement was good news for passengers.
Conservative leader David Cameron took over as Britain's new Prime Minister on Tuesday after Queen Elizabeth II invited him to form the new government following the resignation of incumbent Gordon Brown.
The Tories and Liberal Democrats edged closer to a deal on coalition formation that might result in Conservative Party leader David Cameron enter Downing Street, even as reports emerged that United Kingdom Premier Gordon Brown had launched a last-minute bid to woo kingmaker Nick Clegg. Cameron appeared confident of winning Lib Dem leader Clegg's support after continued negotiations on Sunday night for a belt-tightening economic plan.
The Tories and Liberal Democrats worked overtime to reach consensus on thorny issues blocking the formation of the first coalition government in Britain since World War II, with the hard bargain over make or break issues running into the third day.
Most of the European nations, including the United Kingdom and Germany, reopened their air space on Wednesday after an unprecedented six-day lockdown due to the Icelandic volcanic ash that stranded tens of thousands of passengers globally and caused airlines a loss of $1.7 billion.
Fourteen thousand flights, approximately half of all Europe's air traffic, were back in the air on Tuesday, as harried air passengers braced for further delays after warnings that a new ash cloud was heading towards Britain. However, more ash from Iceland's erupting volcano threatened to stall plans to reopen United Kingdom airspace, including at London's Heathrow, one of the world's busiest airports.Britain's Air traffic control company Nats said the situation was worsening.
European Union transport ministers who met on a video link on Monday reached a deal to resume some flight operations, dividing northern European skies into three zones -- a 'no-fly' zone, a caution zone and a open zone.
Mumbai-born Noon has donated 200,000 pounds and raised another 250,000 pounds from other Muslim businessmen since taking up the post a month ago.
European skies were a virtual no-fly zone for a fourth day on Sunday, with volcanic ash drifting from Iceland reaching as far as Russia, stranding tens of thousands of people as over 17,000 flights were cancelled.
In a statement, Amit Kapadia, executive director of the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme Forum said the changes effected from Tuesday were unfair. "The three-fold increase in the fees for settlement visas of dependent relatives is unjustified and very unfair," he said.
The fees for the students' visa was raised from 145 pounds to 199 pounds while the dependent relative visa would be charged 1680 pounds. The increased fees will come into from April 6.
The 78-year-old NRI industrialist announced earlier this week that he had been cleared by the police of allegations that he had wrongly claimed Parliamentary expenses and that he had decided to give up his non-domicile status, which means that he will have to pay taxes in this country on his overseas expenses also.
Paul, Chairman of the Caparo Group of industries, said he was delighted to announce that the police "has informed me that after due consideration, it will no longer be proceeding with any investigation or inquiry in relation to my House of Lords expenses."
A key suspect in the 1993 Surat bombing, hunted by police worldwide for over 17 years, was arrested from a north England grocery store and a London city court will decide over his extradition to India. 49-year-old Mohammed Hanif Umerji Patel alias Tiger Hanif was traced to the grocery store in Bolton by Scotland Yard and later arrested from a house in Astley Street in Halliwell on February 16, a spokesman of the Metropolitan Police said on Wednesday.
The keenly-contested presidential polls in Sri Lanka did not 'fully meet' key benchmarks for democratic elections and the arrest of opposition candidate Sarath Fonseka has increased tension in the country, according to a Commonwealth report.
A top court in the UK has ruled in favour of an Indian businessman that he can continue his claim of damages for $330 million against HSBC, which had refused to transfer money in his account to another bank on suspicion of money laundering.
"I have to come through the political process, through the process of elections. But I think it's very good - it's very good because I think I will have that legitimacy which I never had."
Bt brinjal is a genetically-modified vegetable which is infused with Cry1Ac gene from a bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis to make the plant resistant to the fruit and shoot borers and certain pests.
India and the United Kingdom have agreed on the text of a landmark civil nuclear agreement and a formal pact may be signed within a week, Britain's Business Secretary Lord Peter Mandelson announced on Thursday. "The civil nuclear deal text has been agreed to and it will be signed soon, may be within a week after ministerial approvals," Lord Mandelson told a joint press conference with Commerce Minister Anand Sharma.
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