UK police arrest seven protesters near RAF base used by US
The activists were protesting the alleged use of the RAF base as a departure point for US aircraft involved in the US-Israel war on Iran. Published On 5 Apr 20265 Apr 2026 British police have arrested seven people on suspicion of supporting the banned group Palestine Action at a protest near a Royal Air Force (RAF) air base in eastern England used by United States forces. The five men and two women arrested at a peace encampment just outside the Lakenheath airbase had gathered with other activists on Sunday to protest the alleged use of the base as a departure point for US aircraft involved in the US-Israeli war on Iran. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list The Lakenheath Alliance for Peace, which organised the protest, said the seven had been arrested wearing clothing with the message: “We oppose genocide, we support Palestine Action.” Police said the protesters had been arrested “on suspicion of supporting a proscribed organisation”. Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour government banned Palestine Action as a “terrorist” organisation last year, making it a criminal offence to belong to or support the group. In February, a court ruled the ban was “disproportionate” and interfered with the right to free speech. But the government has appealed, and the ban remains in effect in the meantime. More than 2,700 people have been arrested and hundreds charged over rallies in support of the group, according to protest organisers Defend Our Juries. Police said in a statement on the latest arrests that they had a duty to enforce the law “as it currently stands, not as it might be in the future”. Two protesters were also arrested on Saturday at Lakenheath and charged with obstructing public thoroughfares, police said. Advertisement US President Donald Trump has railed against Starmer for what he calls insufficient support in the US-Israel war on Iran, straining the countries’ longtime alliance. The United Kingdom has authorised the US to use British military bases to carry out “defensive” operations against Iran and protect the vital Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20 percent of the world’s oil passes in peacetime. Adblock test (Why?)
Iran war live: Tehran rejects Trump’s Hormuz deadline; 2 killed in Haifa
blinking-dotLive updatesLive updates, Iranian officials dismiss Trump’s ultimatum and condemn the latest threats as ‘incitement to war crimes’. Published On 6 Apr 20266 Apr 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)
Vietnam’s gig workers slammed by rising fuel costs amid fallout of Iran war
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam – After a long day of ferrying passengers to and fro recently, e-hailing driver Nguyen was dejected to find he had spent half of his earnings on fuel. “I drove for around seven or eight hours, making around 240,000 Vietnamese dong [$9.11] and then I paid 120,000 Vietnamese dong [$4.56] on petrol,” Nguyen, a motorcyclist who connects with passengers via the locally developed super-app Be, told Al Jazeera, asking not to be identified by his real name. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list “I can’t survive with this amount of money in the city.” In Vietnam, the ripples of the US-Israel war on Iran are hitting many gig workers hard. The Southeast Asian country normally sources about 80 percent of its crude oil from Kuwait, but shipments have dried up amid Iran’s effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, driving up fuel prices. Diesel prices have more than doubled, while petrol prices have risen almost 30 percent, making getting from point A to point B an increasingly expensive proposition in cities such as Ho Chi Minh City, home to more than 7 million motorcycles. “Because the petrol price is so high, so many drivers are turning off the app, going home and just not working,” Nguyen said. “After today, I will turn off the app and stop working for a few days to see if the price goes down or if the government is helping in any way.” A Be driver picks up a passenger at Thu Duc Metro Station in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, on March 30, 2026 [Govi Snell/Al Jazeera] Vietnam’s government has rolled out a series of emergency measures to cushion the blow for citizens. Advertisement Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh last month announced that an environmental tax on diesel, petrol, and aviation fuel would be suspended until April 15 to help stabilise prices. Nguyen Khac Giang, a Vietnamese-born visiting fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore, said authorities had been forced to act to stave off rising disgruntlement among citizens. “There are a lot of complaints and frustrations about rising living costs, because gas prices are everything in Vietnam,” Giang told Al Jazeera. “It’s not only necessary in terms of making the population feel relief about the rise of gas prices, but at the same time, it will keep the macroeconomic stability intact, given the turbulence outside Vietnam.” Despite the government sacrificing an estimated $273m in revenue via the tax cut, signs of strain are mounting across the economy. Public transportation is stretched to capacity in major cities, while domestic carriers such as Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet Air have slashed flights. “As a very, very open economy, Vietnam is super vulnerable to international shocks,” Giang said. Gig workers have been particularly exposed due to the double whammy of heavy fuel consumption and minimal labour protections. “Their income is changeable due to factors beyond their control,” Do Hai Ha, a research fellow at the University of Melbourne who has studied Vietnam’s gig platforms, told Al Jazeera. “They have no chance to negotiate with the platforms.” Many drivers have had no choice but to work longer hours as they are “excluded from labour protection, so there’s no guarantee in terms of minimum wages or overtime pay”, Do said. A commuter refuels at a petrol station in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, on March 27 [Govi Snell/Al Jazeera] Companies, too, are feeling the crunch. Anh Dao, who collects fares on Ho Chi Minh City’s bus route 13, said the bus operator has been losing money due to the surge in fuel prices, despite raising ticket prices by 3,000 Vietnamese dong ($0.11). “As we already signed the contract, we cannot just stop running the buses,” she told Al Jazeera. For one fisherman in the coastal region of Binh Thuan, about 200km (124 miles) from Ho Chi Minh City, rising fuel costs have prompted a frantic search for cheaper options to power his basket boat. “Now that fuel prices are rising, it’s having a big impact,” the fisherman told Al Jazeera, asking not to be identified by name. The middlemen he does business with have been citing weak demand to justify offering lower prices for his catch, he said. Advertisement “What I was usually able to sell for 800,000 Vietnamese dong [$30] is now only selling for 650,000 Vietnamese dong [$24],” he said. Families kept apart For some low-income families, the rising costs are reshaping daily life in other ways. After a weeklong trip to the Mekong Delta region, Uyen Pham, a communications manager for the Saigon Children’s Charity, said she has seen the strain firsthand. “Several parents noted that the cost of bottled cooking gas has nearly doubled,” Pham told Al Jazeera. “Most of our beneficiary families have always relied on wood-fired stoves or a hybrid of wood and gas to save money. With the recent price hike, they are now strictly limiting their gas usage even further, relying almost entirely on wood to cut every possible expense.” For many parents, the rising fuel costs have also meant less time with family. “Many parents in remote areas must leave their children with grandparents to work in cities,” Pham said. “Rising fuel prices directly increase their commuting costs, while manual labour wages remain stagnant. This pinches their take-home pay and, in some cases, reduces how often they can afford to travel home to see their children.” For the government in Hanoi, the price volatility has intensified the focus on greater energy independence, Giang, the visiting fellow, said. “The longer-term question this crisis has enacted is a very important question about the strategic autonomy of Vietnam in terms of energy dependencies, especially when we are a net importer of oil,” he said. Policymakers will need to “more aggressively accelerate Vietnam’s energy independence by building more refineries,” Giang said, “because now we only have two refineries, which is not enough for the Vietnamese market.” With long-term solutions likely to take years to come
US-Israel-Iran war: How LPG crisis is forcing migrant workers to leave cities and return home
The LPG crisis has been triggered by the war in Iran, which began in late-February and is now in its fifth week. The conflict has significantly disrupted global energy supplies as the vital waterway Strait of Hormuz remains largely blocked.
Assam Election 2026: Who is Kunki Chowdhury and why CM Himanta Sarma used photo of ‘eating beef’ to target her
CM Sarma told reporters that Chowdhury’s mother, Sujata Gurung Chowdhury, had shared pictures of “eating beef” on social media, and also flashed one such purported photo.
Delhi to Dehradun in just 2.5 hours: This new Rs 12000 expressway to reduce travel time between these two cities, inauguration to take place soon; Check date, timing, route and more
The distance between Delhi and Dehradun has been reduced by 22 kilometers, making it a more efficient route. The expressway is designed for speeds of 100 km/h or more, ensuring a smooth and fast journey.
West Bengal Election 2026: PM Modi, Amit Shah, Yogi Adityanath, Himanta Biswa among BJP star campaigners for first phase
The list includes top national and state leaders of the BJP who are expected to campaign extensively across West Bengal in the run-up to the elections. West Bengal will go to the polls in two phases on April 23 and 29 and votes will be counted on May 4.
Assam Election 2026: Congress-BJP war of words escalates over Himanta Biswa Sarma’s wife’s alleged foreign assets
Khera further questioned why the Assam CM had allegedly concealed details of overseas properties linked to his wife in official disclosures ahead of Assam polls.
Tax day is next week: Avoid these 5 common mistakes that can cost you money
Tax season is stressful enough, but avoidable mistakes can turn a routine filing into an expensive headache. With Tax Day just 10 days away, even small errors can mean the difference between a smooth refund and frustrating delays. In some cases, they can even trigger IRS notices or unexpected penalties. Here are five common filing missteps to watch out for and how to avoid them: Your filing status is one of the most important choices on your tax return because it helps determine your tax rate, your standard deduction and which credits you may be eligible to claim. Pick the wrong one, and you could end up paying more than you owe, getting a smaller refund or triggering delays if the IRS flags the return for review. For many taxpayers, the confusion comes from life changes that happened during the year, like getting married or divorced, having a child, moving in with a partner, supporting an aging parent or sharing custody. Even if your situation feels straightforward, the IRS rules can be less intuitive, especially for taxpayers who aren’t sure whether they qualify as “head of household” or whether they can still file as “qualifying surviving spouse” after a spouse has died. RETIRED? HERE’S WHEN THE IRS MIGHT TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT YOUR FINANCES Head of household, in particular, can be costly to get wrong. It typically comes with a larger standard deduction and more favorable tax brackets than filing as single – but it has strict requirements tied to paying more than half the cost of keeping up a home and having a qualifying dependent. If you don’t meet the rules and claim it anyway, you may have to pay back tax benefits later, plus penalties and interest. When in doubt, the IRS has an online filing-status tool, and many tax software programs will walk you through the questions to help you choose the right category. One of the biggest and most expensive tax-season mistakes is failing to claim every credit or deduction you qualify for. That can mean a smaller refund or a higher bill. “I think the top mistake people make is not fully understanding or taking the time to really research what are all the different deductions and the ways that you can put a little bit of extra money in your pocket that are available to you,” said Bill Sweeney, senior vice president of government affairs at AARP. AVERAGE TAX REFUND TOPS $3,700 MIDWAY THROUGH FILING SEASON, TREASURY SAYS Sweeney also warned taxpayers not to rely on last year’s return as a blueprint for filing because of recent changes to the tax code from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. “This would be a good year given that there are these changes to the tax code, to make sure not to assume that what you did last year will convey over to this year. Really take a fresh look at your tax situation and see if there’s money that you’re leaving on the table,” he said. 3. Missing key deadlines An extension can buy you time to file your paperwork, but it doesn’t give you extra time to pay. For most taxpayers, the IRS deadline to pay what you owe is April 15, 2026 – even if you request an extension to file later. “Remember that even if you claim an extension, the money is owed on April 15,” said Mike Faulkender, co-chair of American Prosperity at the America First Policy Institute. WHAT TRUMP’S NEXT PICK TO LEAD THE FEDERAL RESERVE MEANS FOR YOUR WALLET Faulkender, a former Treasury official and IRS commissioner, said taxpayers who need more time should still estimate their bill and pay by the filing deadline to help avoid added costs. “You have to actually send in a check or have the payment deducted from your account by the filing deadline,” he said. If you can’t pay in full by April 15, pay what you can to help limit penalties and interest on top of your tax bill. If you choose direct deposit for your refund, the IRS relies on the routing and account numbers you provide. One wrong digit can lead to delays. If you pay what you owe by direct debit, incorrect banking details can also lead to a rejected payment and potentially result in penalties and interest. Timing matters when it comes to filing your taxes. Submitting your return before you’ve received all your key paperwork, like W-2s or 1099s, can lead to errors, missing income or a return you have to amend later. Faulkender said there’s a simple way to double-check what’s been reported under your name before you file. “One of the things that I learned last year when I was IRS commissioner, was that if you create an account on irs.gov, you can see everything that’s been filed under your tax ID,” he said. “We’re supposed to receive all of our W-2s and our 1099 forms in the mail in January and February. But if you’re missing one, or you misplaced it rather than requesting it again, you can actually go and see what was filed under your taxpayer identification number if you create an account on IRS.gov.” Filing late can also cost you extra money, especially if you owe. The goal is to wait until you have what you need, then file as soon as you’re ready.
Trump admin urges restoring ballroom construction in emergency motion: ‘Time is of the essence’
The Trump administration filed an emergency motion to restore White House ballroom reconstruction, warning “time is of the essence” and saying President Donald Trump and his staff’s “security and safety” are at risk by the judge’s “untenable” ruling. In the filing, Justice Department lawyers said the partially built project includes “deep Top Secret excavations, foundations, and structures” that must be completed quickly to protect sensitive construction and security features from exposure. “This order is untenable and must be stayed in that the building is under construction, with deep Top Secret excavations, foundations, and structures, already built, and ready to receive heavily fortified, for security reasons, steel, bullet, ballistic, and blast proof glass, and drone proof roofing materials, which must be finished quickly, and not allowed to be exposed to the conditions and elements of an open construction site,” Friday night’s motion urges. “Time is of the essence!” JUDGE WARNS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION AGAINST ‘IRREVERSIBLE’ WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM CONSTRUCTION WORK The appeal asks the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to stay U.S. District Judge Richard Leon’s order halting the project, which Leon ruled cannot proceed without congressional approval. The administration argues the judge himself acknowledged that work needed to secure the White House grounds and protect the president and staff can continue. “In granting this shocking, unprecedented, and improper injunction, one that could have been sought long ago, prior to the start of construction (in that there was full knowledge, through large scale media attention and publicity, that the White House ballroom was planned to be built, and there would have been a great deal of time for them to object, long before the start of construction, even though their objection would likewise have been baseless and frivolous), the district court took the erroneous, sweeping view that Congress did not authorize the ballroom construction at the White House — yet correctly allows construction ‘necessary to ensure the safety and security of the White House and its grounds, including the ballroom construction site, and provide for the personal safety of the President and his staff,’” the DOJ argued. WHITE HOUSE FIRES BACK AT CRITICS CALLING TRUMP’S MASSIVE ARCH ‘TOO BIG’ Also, the lawyers wrote, the judge ignored the administration’s overtures to have him visit the site to see the privately funded $400 million project. “The judge was given an opportunity to see the construction taking place at the site, but surprisingly, never responded to our invitation,” Trump Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate wrote. Preservationists challenging the construction say the administration unlawfully bypassed federal review and authorization requirements, but the DOJ rejected the judge’s claims that congressional approval is needed for a privately funded ballroom. WHITE HOUSE TOUTS TRUMP’S ‘BOLD VISION’ FOR TOWERING INDEPENDENCE ARCH FOR AMERICA 250 “For decades, Congress has vested the President with overlapping statutory authorities that allow the President to make the improvements he deems necessary to White House grounds and structures,” Shumate wrote. “Yet, a district judge ordered the President to halt ongoing reconstruction of the East Wing of the White House by April 14, leaving a massive excavation and structurally completed site adjacent to the now open and exposed Executive Mansion and threatening grave national-security harms to the White House, the President and his family, and the President’s staff.” “Almost 400 Million Dollars of private donations and contributions (No taxpayer dollars are being used to build this long sought, and desperately needed, ballroom!) have already been committed, or spent, in the purchase of heavy, large scale, and other types of building materials. The path to this injunction confirms its unfairness, untenability, and danger to the White House and the people working and living within its walls,” he added. TRUMP PAUSES OIL EXEC SUMMIT TO PEEK AT WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM’S PROGRESS The new motion filed by the National Park Service said the federal district court lacks the constitutional authority “to entertain this suit, which rests on a single pedestrian’s subjective architectural feelings.” The initial lawsuit against the construction was brought by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, a nonprofit organization, alleging Trump exceeded his authority when he razed the historic East Wing and launched construction on the new building. Friday’s motion argues the claims are “legally baseless” and “no Trust member has standing.” TRUMP ADMIN DEFENDS WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM AS NATIONAL SECURITY MATTER “The President has complete authority to renovate the White House,” Shumate concluded. The East Wing was originally built in 1902 and expanded four decades later during Franklin D. Roosevelt’s presidency. The ballroom is part of Trump’s broader push to reshape Washington’s monumental core, which also includes plans for a 250-foot (76-meter) arch and changes at the Trump Kennedy Center. TRUMP ADMIN FIGHTS IN COURT TO KEEP WHITE HOUSE EAST WING DEMOLITION, $300M BALLROOM BUILD ON TRACK “I would like to thank the hardworking Commissioners and Staff of the National Capital Planning Commission, who just voted overwhelmingly, 8-1, to approve the magnificent White House Ballroom now rising on this Hallowed Ground,” Trump wrote Thursday night on Truth Social. “I am pleased to announce that even Board Member Senator Rand Paul, known as an extraordinarily difficult vote, voted a strong YES,” Trump said. “For more than 150 years, every President has dreamt about having a Ballroom at the White House to accommodate people for Grand Parties, State Visits, and even, in the Modern Day, Inaugurations.” WARREN-LED INQUIRY DRAWS NEW DETAILS ON TRUMP BALLROOM DONATIONS FROM MAJOR CORPORATIONS “I am honored to be the first President to finally get this much-needed project, which is on time and under budget, underway,” the president added. “When completed, it will be the Greatest and Most Beautiful Ballroom of its kind anywhere in the World, and a fabulous complement to our Beautiful and Storied White House!” Trump has lamented legal challenges to his administration’s agenda, rebuking “rogue judges” siding with “baseless” Democrat lawyers and lawsuits. “In the Ballroom case, the Judge said we have to get Congressional approval,” Trump wrote this week on Truth Social. “He is WRONG! Congressional