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UK government needs stronger response to VW emissions scandal: Committee The British government should take a tougher stance against   Volkswagen   (VW) after its emissions fraud, as well as increase the use of electric cars and reduce air pollution from transport, a parliamentary environment committee said on Thursday. Almost a year after US regulators found that VW had cheated in diesel emissions tests, the British government has yet to decide what action to take against Europe's largest automaker, even though it faces criminal investigations in the United States, South Korea and elsewhere. The worldwide scandal, dubbed "Dieselgate", has hurt VW's reputation and business, and already cost it billions of dollars. VW last September admitted to using a sophisticated secret software in cars to cheat on exhaust emissions tests. The Environmental Audit Committee, whose conclusions are not binding on the government, said VW had only just started to recall cars ...

Britain's Theresa May launches bid to succeed PM Cameron post Brexit Interior minister   Theresa May   vowed to unite   Britain   as she launched her bid to succeed   David Cameron   as prime minister with a letter to   The Times , the newspaper has reported. The Conservative leader resigned in the wake of Britain's vote to leave the European Union in a June 23 referendum that sent shockwaves through the continent. Like Cameron, May supported remaining in the bloc but played a low-key and conciliatory role in the campaign that has seen her tipped as a unifying figure. In her letter to   The Times , May announced a "mission to make Britain a country that works for everyone," according to the broadsheet yesterday. "If you're from an ordinary, working-class family, life is just much harder than many people in politics realise," May wrote. The appeal to working-class voters by the vicar's daughter was aimed at her main rival for the le...

Brexit impact: 10 things to know about the political storm in UK Even as   Britain   is coming to terms with its electorate’s vote to exit the   European Union (EU), political turmoil in the UK has escalated too. While the European Union has asked UK to initiate the exit process swiftly, Scotland could throw a spanner in the works as it had voted to ‘remain’ in the EU. Meanwhile, the Labour Party is facing a revolt from its senior leaders, even as uncertainty prevails over Prime Minister David Cameron’s successor. Cameron quit the day the results of the   Brexit   referendumcame in, leaving it to his successor to deal with what will likely be a messy exit. Here are 10 things to know about the political crisis that has hit the UK. Scotland's threat Scotland is said to be considering a referendum to be independent from UK if Britain actually manages to exit the EU. The move is said to be under consideration after the nation voted to ‘remain’ in the E...

NSG to take up Pakistan, India's membership requests this week The Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) 2016 annual plenary, which begins in   Seoul   on Monday, will take up membership requests from both   India   and   Pakistan   on June 23-24. According to   Dawn , Pakistan submitted its membership application on May 19, a week after India, which applied on May 12. With massive global support, India stands as a favourite to join the 48-nation group, with an active support from the United States, Russia, Britain, France and other world powers. China, however, stands as an obstacle to India's application, arguing that it would enhance a nuclear competition in South   Asia   by isolating Pakistan. China   wants   NSG   to admit Pakistan as well, pointing out that both India and Pakistan possessed nuclear weapons and had not signed the NPT. While China may not force the NSG to admit Pakistan, it can block India as new m...

Islamic State (ISIS) technicians are working to develop a   Google-style driverless car   that could navigate itself into a crowded area before detonating an explosive device, aNATO security expert has warned. ISIS' research and development department in the terror group's de facto Syrian capital, Raqqa, is believed to be producing the vehicles at the same time as US Internet giant Google attempts to perfect the same technology. If successful, the invention could prove to be a major headache for security services in Britain and throughoutEurope and North America, where self-driving cars are expected to become commonplace, Daily Express reported. Thousands of driverless cars are expected to be on Britain's roads within the next few years and there is a very real prospect jihadis could prey on the new technology to launch attacks in the UK. Jamie Shea, NATO's deputy assistant secretary general for emerging security threats, said the Islamic extremists were u...