Global News Roundup: From Tax Lists to Political Tensions
Several significant events unfolded across the globe, ranging from revelations about top taxpayers in the UK to political developments in Japan, Bangladesh, and Australia.
In the United Kingdom, the Sunday Times Tax List revealed the country's top taxpayers, with Fred and Peter Done, founders of Betfred, leading the list after paying an estimated £400.1 million in taxes over the past year, according to BBC Business. The list, which totaled £5.758 billion paid by the top 100 taxpayers, up from £4.985 billion the previous year, also included notable figures such as Harry Styles, Anthony Joshua, and JK Rowling. Manchester City's Erling Haaland, at 25, was the youngest person on the list, projected to pay £16.9 million in taxes, while Liverpool's Mo Salah was believed to have a £14.5 million tax bill.
Meanwhile, in Japan, a deep-sea test mission in the Pacific Ocean retrieved sediment containing rare earth elements from depths of 6,000 meters (approximately 20,000 feet), Al Jazeera reported. The Japanese government stated that this discovery was part of an effort to reduce its dependence on China for these valuable minerals. Separately, The Guardian highlighted the ongoing plight of individuals lured from Japan to North Korea decades ago under the promise of a "paradise on Earth." Eiko Kawasaki, who was among tens of thousands of people with Korean heritage who had been lured to the communist state, was part of a court case where North Korea was ordered to pay each plaintiff 20 million yen in compensation. Plaintiffs in the case said they were exploited for labour and cut off from families for generations.
In Bangladesh, former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her niece, Labour MP Tulip Siddiq, were sentenced to jail in a corruption probe, Sky News reported. The country's corruption watchdog alleged that Hasina colluded with government officials to illegally secure six plots for herself and her family in a development near Dhaka. Hasina received a 10-year jail sentence, and Siddiq was sentenced to four years, along with another niece, Azmi. Both women condemned the verdicts, with Sheikh Hasina branding the special tribunal that tried her "a kangaroo court."
Australian politics also saw a shift as the Liberals and Nationals were set to sit apart in parliament after Nationals leader David Littleproud and Sussan Ley failed to reach an agreement to reform their coalition, according to The Guardian. The Nationals leader met with Liberal counterpart less than two weeks after spectacularly blowing up the Coalition.
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