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At ICJ hearing, India slams developed nations for climate crisisPrime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has joined a chorus of critics in expressing concern over the Finance Ministry's proposal to double the level of value-added tax (VAT) from the current rate of 7%. Asked for her thoughts on the proposed new rate of 15%, she said: "I understand [the plight of the people if VAT were to be raised]." She said Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira would release more details about the plan shortly. Mr Pichai said on Wednesday that the ministry is merely studying the possibility of raising the rate. "We are studying the global tax trend. We are looking at the potential benefits and drawbacks to ensure the best benefits for the public," said Mr Pichai, who also serves as a deputy prime minister. VAT, a major source of government revenue, has remained at 7% since 1992. Several administrations have suggested increasing it to 10%. Rather than giving a specific figure, Mr Pichai said public feedback must be sought first. "We need to gather opinions from various sectors because a VAT increase would have an impact on people," he said. Mr Pichai was elaborating on the remarks he made at the Sustainability Forum 2025 in Bangkok on Tuesday. At the forum, he also addressed global tax trends, noting the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) introduced tax guidelines stating that everyone engaged in business should pay a 15% corporate income tax. He said Thailand should also comply and consider reducing it from the current 20%. Regarding personal income tax, Mr Pichai said there is fierce global competition to attract skilled workers. Many countries have cut their tax rates, but Thailand still collects 35%. However, he said that Thailand's personal income tax base remains low while its consumption tax base is quite high, requiring some adjustment. Thailand's VAT rate is 7%, with a ceiling of 10%. Globally, VAT rates range from 15-25%. "Consumption taxes are considered a sensitive issue. However, if we increase the rate in a reasonable and appropriate manner, it could serve as a tool to help low-income individuals. The gap between rich and poor would narrow because we would collect taxes based on the same base for everyone," said Mr Pichai. "If we set the rate low, it means everyone pays less, and the total revenue collected would be lower. If the rate is increased, wealthier individuals would pay more according to their spending, and the overall revenue would increase. This money could be used for measures to assist low-income people and for building infrastructure to enhance the country's competitiveness." He said the government must also consider increasing savings. As a society with an ageing population, even though Thailand has savings from social security and provident funds, these will deplete quickly once people retire. Lavaron Sangsnit, permanent secretary for finance, said overhauling the taxation structure would require a strong political will, and it is important to consider whether the economy has made enough of a recovery first. "Good timing is important," he said. People's Party deputy leader Sirikanya Tansakun posted comments on X opposing a VAT increase. "Is the 15% VAT increase too much? Those who will be hit hardest are salarymen and the middle class," she said. Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana, deputy leader of the United Thai Nation Party, also spoke out against the proposal, saying it would result in higher prices of goods and services. On Sept 17, the cabinet approved an extension of the 7% VAT reduction for another year, aiming to alleviate the impact of the rising cost of living and boost consumer spending. Government spokesman Jirayu Houngsub said the cabinet extended the reduction in the VAT rate of 6.3% (excluding local taxes) or 7% (including local taxes) till Sept 30, 2025. The extension aims to mitigate the impact of rising living costs, stimulate consumer spending and boost business confidence in the Thai economy, the spokesman said.Trump has promised again to release the last JFK files. But experts say don’t expect big revelations

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AP Sports SummaryBrief at 6:29 p.m. ESTGaetz withdraws as Trump's pick for attorney general, averting confirmation battle in the Senate WASHINGTON (AP) — Matt Gaetz has withdrawn as Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general following scrutiny over a federal sex trafficking investigation. The Florida Republican made the announcement Thursday. Gaetz’s withdrawal is a blow to Trump’s push to install steadfast loyalists in his incoming administration and the first sign that Trump could face resistance from members of his own party. Trump said in a social media post that Gaetz “did not want to be a distraction for the Administration.” Gaetz said “it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work" of the transition team. He added, “There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle.” Warrants put Israeli PM and others in a small group of leaders accused of crimes against humanity Arrest warrants issued for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his former defense minister and a Hamas leader put them in a small group of leaders to be accused of crimes against humanity. The International Criminal Court in the Hague issued the warrants Thursday for Netanyahu, his former defense minister, Yoav Gallant, and Mohammed Deif, a Hamas leader Israel claims it killed. The court says Hamas committed murder, rape and torture in the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks that triggered the Israel-Hamas war. The court also says Israel used starvation as a method of warfare and committed murder, persecution and other inhumane acts. Several of Trump's Cabinet picks — and Trump himself — have been accused of sexual misconduct WASHINGTON (AP) — Former congressman Matt Gaetz has withdrawn his name as President-elect Donald Trump's choice for attorney general in the face of sexual misconduct allegations. He's not the only member of Trump’s chosen staff and Cabinet accused of some form of misconduct. Others include: Elon Musk, his choice to help lead a new outside panel seeking to boost government efficiency, Health and Human Services nominee Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Trump’s choice for defense secretary Pete Hegseth and Linda McMahon, his choice to lead the Department of Education. They all deny the claims. Elon Musk's budget crusade could cause a constitutional clash in Trump's second term WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump has put Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy in charge of finding ways to cut government spending and regulations. It's possible that their efforts will lead to a constitutional clash. This week, Musk and Ramaswamy said they would encourage the Republican president-elect to refuse to spend money allocated by Congress, which would conflict with a 1974 law that's intended to prevent presidents from blocking funds. If Trump takes such a step, it would quickly become one of the most closely watched legal battles of his second administration. Musk and Ramaswamy also aim to dramatically reduce the size of the federal workforce. Death toll in Gaza from Israel-Hamas war passes 44,000, Palestinian officials say DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Palestinian health officials say the death toll in the Gaza Strip from the 13-month-old war between Israel and Hamas has surpassed 44,000. The Gaza Health Ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count, but it has said that more than half of the fatalities are women and children. The Israeli military says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence. The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting another 250. Around 100 hostages are still inside Gaza, at least a third of whom are believed to be dead. Most of the rest were released during a cease-fire last year. Putin touts Russia's new missile and delivers a menacing warning to NATO The new ballistic missile fired by Russia struck a military-industrial facility in the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro, but its real mission was delivering a deadly new message to NATO. Hours after Thursday’s strike touched off a debate over whether the Ukrainian plant was hit by an intercontinental ballistic missile, President Vladimir Putin cleared up the mystery in a rare and surprise appearance on Russian television. He described it as a new, intermediate-range ballistic missile that raced to its target at 10 times the speed of sound and couldn't be stopped by modern anti-missile systems. One Western expert said it was the first time that such a missile was used in the war — and perhaps in any conflict. Brazilian police indict former President Bolsonaro and aides over alleged 2022 coup attempt SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil’s Federal Police have indicted former President Jair Bolsonaro and 36 other people on charges of attempting a coup to keep him in office after his electoral defeat in the 2022 elections. The findings are to be delivered Thursday to Brazil’s Supreme Court, which will refer them to Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet, who will either formally charge Bolsonaro and put the former president on trial or toss the investigation. The former right-wing president has denied all claims he tried to stay in office after his narrow electoral defeat in 2022 to his rival, leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Bolsonaro has faced a series of legal threats since then. Jussie Smollett’s conviction in 2019 attack on himself is overturned SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — The Illinois Supreme Court has overturned actor Jussie Smollett’s conviction on charges that he staged a racist and homophobic attack against himself in 2019 and lied to Chicago police. The state’s highest court ruled Thursday on Smollett’s argument that a special prosecutor should not have been allowed to intervene after the local state’s attorney initially dropped charges. The 5-0 decision did not address Smollett's claims of innocence. The Black, gay actor claimed two men assaulted him, spouted slurs and tossed a noose around his neck. Smollett was on the television drama “Empire,” which filmed in Chicago. Testimony at his trial indicated Smollett paid $3,500 to two men to carry out the attack. SEC Chair Gary Gensler, who led US crackdown on cryptocurrencies, to step down Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Gary Gensler will step down from his post on January 20. Since taking the lead at the SEC, the commission has been aggressive in its oversight of cryptocurrencies and other regulatory issues. President-elect Donald Trump had promised during his campaign that he would remove Gensler, who has led the U.S. government’s crackdown on the crypto industry and repeatedly called for more oversight. But Gensler on Thursday announced that he would be stepping down from his post on the day that Trump is inaugurated. Bitcoin has jumped 40% since Trump’s victory. US towns plunge into debates about fluoride in water NEW YORK (AP) — Fights are cropping up nationwide over fluoride in drinking water. Communities in Florida, Texas, Oregon, Utah, Wyoming and elsewhere have debated the idea in recent months. And several have decided to stop adding it to drinking water. In August, a federal agency for the first time reported that there is a link between high levels of fluoride exposure and lower IQ in kids. And in September, a federal judge ordered the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to further regulate it in drinking water. The decision to add fluoride to drinking water rests with state and local officials, but advisers to Donald Trump have suggested he would push to remove it.NFL will consider replay assist for facemask penalties and other plays

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday described the results of the Maharashtra Assembly elections as “unexpected,” following a disappointing performance by the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). The Mahayuti alliance emerged victorious, securing over 200 seats, while the MVA failed to reach the 50-seat mark. “The results of Maharashtra are unexpected, and we will analyse them in detail,” Gandhi, the Congress MP, said in his reaction to the outcome. Turning to the Jharkhand elections, where the INDIA alliance secured a decisive win, Gandhi expressed his gratitude to the people of Jharkhand. “Heartfelt thanks to the people of Jharkhand for giving a huge mandate to INDIA alliance. Hearty congratulations and best wishes to Chief Minister Hemant Soren ji, and all the workers of Congress and JMM for this victory,” he said. He went on to describe the Jharkhand victory as one that champions the protection of water, forests, and land, alongside the Constitution. Gandhi also thanked the voters and workers in Jharkhand for their support and hard work. The Congress party, however, continued its streak of poor performances, posting its worst-ever result in Maharashtra and securing a diminished position in Jharkhand, where it remained a junior partner to the JMM. This weak performance further reduced the Congress’s standing within the opposition bloc as other allies fared better. Although the INDIA bloc's win in Jharkhand provided some consolation, the loss of a major state like Maharashtra, coming after the setback in Haryana, is likely to weaken the Congress’s bargaining power in coalition politics. The Congress’s strength in the Lok Sabha also took a hit, with its seats reduced to 98 after the BJP won the Nanded bypoll. The MVA's poor performance in Maharashtra dashed any hopes of securing future Rajya Sabha seats from the state, while the NDA’s resounding victory has set it up to dominate the Upper House in the upcoming biennial elections. Despite being the largest party in the opposition MVA, the Congress failed to shoulder the bloc’s burden, standing devastated in the face of an NDA wave. The party contested 101 of the 288 assembly seats in Maharashtra but was winning or leading in just 16, with a strike rate of only 16 per cent. The worst strike rate in Maharashtra came from Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), which managed a mere 11.6 per cent (leading or winning in 10 out of 86 seats contested). Shiv Sena (UBT) had a strike rate of 22 per cent, leading or winning in 21 seats out of 95 contested. On the other hand, the BJP posted the highest strike rate of 88.6 per cent, leading or winning in 132 out of the 149 seats it contested. The BJP also garnered 26.46 per cent of the vote share, followed by Shiv Sena with 12.47 per cent and NCP with 9.35 per cent. Among the MVA partners, Congress secured the highest vote share with 11.89 per cent, followed by NCP (SP) at 11.25 per cent and Shiv Sena (UBT) with 10.28 per cent. Interestingly, other parties collectively garnered a larger vote share of 13.84 per cent, surpassing each of the individual MVA partners. Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from Elections and around the world.

ICC arrest warrants for Israel's Netanyahu, Gallant a 'turning point': Turkish parliament speaker