• Uber Technologies announced plans to launch robotaxi services in 28 cities starting next year, driving shares up 4.2% on March 18, 2026.
• The expansion marks a major step in autonomous vehicle deployment, building on partnerships with self-driving tech firms amid rising AI integration in mobility.
• This development intensifies competition in the US ride-hailing market and could reshape urban transportation, with implications for jobs and infrastructure.
Progressive and green groups join call for tax on major fossil-fuel companies to help offset rising living costsWith big oil companies poised to reap billions of dollars in profits from the war in Iran, Democratic lawmakers and progressive groups are calling for a windfall tax on major fossil fuel companies.The US-Israeli strikes on Iran have triggered the largest ever disruption to fuel supply, according to the International Energy Agency, sending crude costs surging over $100 per barrel in recent days. Those high prices have hit US pocketbooks, with average domestic gas prices topping $3.70 a gallon, and Americans spending more than an additional $2bn to fill their tanks in the past fortnight according to one estimate. Continue reading...
Chancellor seeks to tackle centralised and ‘geographically unequal’ country in ‘a genuine break with the past’Business live – latest updatesRachel Reeves has announced that the Treasury will draw up plans to give regional leaders a share of national tax revenues as part of a radical plan to rebalance the economy of England.Setting out her intention of creating “investment-led growth”, the chancellor promised “a genuine break with the past” that would shift spending power away from Westminster. Continue reading...
Report reveals the Howard-era settings are helping fuel intergenerational inequality in Australia’s housing marketFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastLabor has given one of its strongest signals yet the capital gains tax discount will be reworked in the May budget, with a parliamentary inquiry finding the Howard-era settings are helping fuel intergenerational inequality in Australia’s housing market.A Greens-led parliamentary inquiry said the 50% discount “skewed the ownership of housing away from owner-occupiers and towards investors”. Continue reading...
Reform UK’s deputy leader comments came as he was responding to questions raised about his own tax affairsAll Britons should do their best to pay the minimum tax possible, Reform UK’s deputy leader has argued as he dismissed a newspaper investigation over his own tax affairs as a smear.Richard Tice, who was presenting a press conference on Monday about Reform’s claims to have saved large sums of money in the English councils it runs, faced questions about a Sunday Times story which detailed a scheme the paper said had helped him avoid nearly £600,000 in corporation tax. Continue reading...
National Audit Office highlights benefits of state rescue for jobs and orders but warns of continuing high cost The cost of keeping the UK’s last remaining blast furnaces going at British Steel’s Scunthorpe plant could exceed £1.5bn by 2028 if it continues at its current rate, according to the government’s spending watchdog.Ministers took the plant into public control in April last year, after its Chinese owner – industrial firm Jingye – threatened to shut down the loss-making site. Continue reading...
• Lawmakers cut severance taxes on metallurgical coal and attempted similar for natural gas, prioritizing fossil fuel industries amid energy cost hikes.
• They passed data center rules maintaining developer secrecy but requiring water use disclosures to affected landowners.
• These moves support AG Morrisey's $300M Hope Scholarship while diverting public school funds, sparking education debates.
U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) joined colleagues to introduce the Working Americans' Tax Cut Act on March 13, 2026, aimed at reducing taxes for millions of working Americans through targeted relief measures. The bipartisan bill seeks to provide immediate financial relief amid rising living costs, focusing on wage earners in key sectors. Supporters emphasize its potential to boost disposable income for over 100 million taxpayers. Next steps include committee review and potential floor votes as midterm elections approach.
Uber announced a partnership with autonomous vehicle startup Motional to deploy commercial robotaxis in Las Vegas starting this year, marking a major expansion in US self-driving technology. The service will initially operate with safety drivers before progressing to fully driverless rides, integrating with Uber's ride-hailing app for seamless user access. This launch positions Las Vegas as a key testing ground for robotaxi scalability amid competition from Waymo and Cruise. Industry observers anticipate broader US rollouts by 2027 as regulatory hurdles ease under the Trump administration.
House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) announced a full committee markup on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, at 10:00am ET, to consider multiple bills aimed at protecting taxpayer dollars and improving government accountability. The legislation includes reforms to the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA) requiring annual reporting on unreported funds, including national security spending, and mandates federal agencies to publish settlement agreement details like dates, payments, and attorney fees in public databases. These measures address long-standing concerns over inefficient federal spending and lack of transparency, potentially saving billions by ensuring accurate data on USAspending.gov. The Special District Fairness and Accessibility Act would also define special districts in law and require OMB guidance for their eligibility for federal grants.
High-net-worth residents of UAE heading to Ireland and France to wait out missile attacks before tax year endsWealthy UK nationals fleeing war in the Gulf are seeking sanctuary in countries such as Ireland and France to avoid hefty tax bills back home.In the face of possible demands from HM Revenue and Customs, high-net-worth individuals who had been living in the United Arab Emirates and neighbouring countries are hoping to wait out the missile and drone attacks elsewhere rather than return to the UK. Continue reading...
This blog is now closedAustralia to release nearly 20% of fuel stockpile as Bowen insists country ‘nowhere near’ running outGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastJoyce says surge in support for One Nation reflects will of the people, not political jostlingBarnaby Joyce spoke to RN Breakfast this morning about One Nation’s targets in the next federal election.We want to win seats wherever they are. We have no real target against National seats or Liberal seats, but we want to give people the option to vote for us in Labor seats, in National seats, and Liberal seats, and in teal seats.If people choose to vote for One Nation, then you must respect that choice. You must understand. You do not own their vote. You earn their vote. Continue reading...
