🗞️ Weekly Political Round-Up

Aaryan Bora, Political Reporter

UK Airport Expansion Raises Concerns Over Climate Targets:

The UK Government has approved plans for a second runway at London Gatwick, which could add 100,000 more flights per year. Similar projects are also underway at Heathrow and Luton. The UK Climate Change Committee (UKCCC) has expressed concerns that increasing air traffic could jeopardise the UK’s legally binding target of achieving net zero emissions by 2050.

In 2021, international flight emissions were included in the UK’s carbon budgets for the first time, meaning that airport expansion now directly impacts climate progress. While some emissions can be mitigated through advancements in aircraft technology and sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs), experts caution that current SAF production is costly, limited, and insufficient to meet the rising demand.

In the context of the above conflicting goals, it remains to be seen what creative and effective measures the Government will come up with in the days to come, when illegal immigration and employment issues have already become hard to grapple with.

Trump’s H-1B Visa Fee Hike Prompts Global Reaction:

Last Saturday, the US President, Donald Trump, stunned the world when he announced a sudden increase in the H-1B visa fee, raising it to around $100,000 for new applicants who had cherished the dream of following their pursuits in the land of opportunities. This announcement has caused much panic among the international workers and employers. Though the White House clarified that the fee would be a one-time charge for new applicants only, this new policy has created a significant barrier for skilled foreign workers.

Indians, who account for around 70% of H-1B applicants, are expected to be the most affected. Tech companies, hospitals, and universities in the US have expressed concerns about potential labour shortages and the negative impact on innovation and competitiveness. Industry leaders and immigration experts warn that this move could lead to reduced hiring, offshoring of work, and a decline in international student enrolment at US universities.
Well, many watching the evolving scenario are of the view that the consequences of the unexpected announcement could be seen from a positive perspective. Though big corporations might face initial hiccups in terms of domain expertise being filled by a foreign workforce, in the long run, it is likely to benefit the US as its own citizens would be able to fill in void. Besides addressing the challenge of unemployment, the tech industry and healthcare might find its citizens willing to work for a little less.

On the other hand, the Indian workforce will be able to work in their homeland if the foreign companies can be persuaded to set up their industries in India, which would come at much better investment. That way, the development can perhaps have a win-win impact for all the stakeholders.

Super Typhoon Ragasa Hits the Philippines, Triggers Regional Alerts:

Super Typhoon Ragasa, one of the strongest storms of 2025 so far, made landfall in the northern Philippines on Monday, bringing wind gusts up to 285 km/h (177 mph). Thousands of people were evacuated to safety from the Babuyan Islands and nearby provinces. The storm is moving west toward southern China, where Shenzhen authorities have already planned to evacuate 400,000 people. In Hong Kong, over 500 flights have already been revoked, even as Taiwan has closed nature trails and ports along the east coast. This typhoon struck while the Philippines was still recovering from weeks of flooding and recent protests highlighting the country’s insufficient flood control infrastructure.

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