disappears

While this road doesn’t sound real – it certainly is, there are a dozen over the world but for the UK – there is only one which leads to the ‘Holy Island’ – but some get stuck

For many, this sounds like a made up road, something you may hear about but never see.

But for some living on the northeast coast of England – this isn’t a fairytale but the only road connecting to ‘Holy Island’. The Lindisfarne causeway is swallowed by the north sea twice every day and at certain parts of the day – you may not even be able to tell where it is located.

It sure is magical – but is very dangerous. For visitors, the disappearing act is part of the allure. The drive itself feels surreal: a strip of road gliding over glistening sands, marked by wooden poles that guide you towards the island.

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At low tide, it looks like an open invitation; at high tide, it’s as if the road never existed. And it happens fast, the sea doesn’t creep in politely, it races across the sand and covers the tarmac in minutes.

“The Lindisfarne Causeway is unlike any other road in the UK. If you’re planning to drive it, always check the official tide timetable first – don’t rely on sat-navs. The sea comes in quickly, and once the water starts covering the road, it’s already too late, said experts at Show Plates World.

Why do people choose to go?

With Holy AIsland having so much history and charm – many run to the opportunity to visit and the tidal road is the only way. The island is home to the haunting ruins of Lindisfarne Priory which is birthplace to Lindisfarne Gospels and the well known castle.

Pilgrims travelled to the island for centuries and today, visitors are continuing the tradition – some travel by car while others walk across the tidal sands at a low tide.

However, besides the history of the island – it also offers sandy beaches that stretch on for miles, attracting huge flocks of migrating birds and the village pubs serve Northumberland seafood.

The island even produces its own mead, first brewed by monks hundreds of years ago. But for a lot of people, it’s just for the thrill the tidal road brings.

How long do you have before the road disappears?

The causeway is only safe to cross during low tide, usually for around seven hours between each high tide. That means two “safe windows” every day, published by Northumberland County Council. Locals swear by it, tourists sometimes ignore it and that’s when trouble strikes.

Each year, unlucky or overconfident drivers end up stuck in the refuge box halfway across, waiting for the tide to drop or at worst, the coastguard to pluck them to safety.

It’s certainly a road trip you can never forget and one of the most unforgettable drives in Britain, but if you are travelling to Holy Island, make sure you check low tide times, otherwise you could end up stranded for a few hours

Washington, DC – A measure known as the “nonprofit killer” has been removed from an enormous tax bill being advanced in the United States Congress, according to the bill posted online by the House of Representatives.

The provision, which no longer appeared on the President Donald Trump-backed “One Big, Beautiful Bill” on Monday, would have given the executive branch the authority to strip the tax-exempt status of nonprofits that it deems supportive of “terrorism”.

Advocates have warned that the legislative effort – which failed to pass as a stand-alone bill last year – could be abused to crack down on groups that the administration does not agree with, particularly nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) that support Palestinian rights.

Israel has given little indication that it is relenting after more than 19 months into its war on Gaza. The past week has seen an intensification of violence across the besieged Palestinian territory, which has killed hundreds of people.

The reason for the disappearance of the NGO provision remains unclear, and experts warned it may yet reappear in the bill before the final vote in the House, expected later in the week.

The office of Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson did not immediately respond to Al Jazeera’s request for comment.

With a razor-thin majority in the House, Republicans need every vote to pass the tax bill, which Trump has put at the top of his agenda in Congress.

Kia Hamadanchy, senior policy counsel with the American Civil Liberties Union, said the section may have been removed to avoid putting the must-pass bill at risk, especially because the House parliamentarian, a nonpartisan office that oversees procedures, may have rejected it for violating the rules.

“It’s possible that this is a hiccup that they didn’t want, given that it wasn’t even likely to go through,” Hamadanchy told Al Jazeera.

“I can’t tell you that is the reason for sure. What I can tell you is that we continue to be very vigilant in case it comes back, either later this week or in the future.”

For weeks, Trump has been calling on Congress to pass the bill, which extends his 2017 tax cuts, a key component of his economic plans.

But the proposal has faced some opposition from conservative budget hawks, who have argued it does not cut spending enough and would add to the nation’s $36.2 trillion debt. So Republicans can ill-afford unnecessary issues that could derail the passage of the legislation.

‘Chill free speech’

Rights groups have been rallying against the “nonprofit killer”, saying it violates free speech and the right to due process.

The proposal would have granted the secretary of state power to unilaterally declare an NGO “terrorist supporting” and make it ineligible for tax exemptions.

It also said the government would not have to reveal the reason behind the designation if “disclosure of such description would be inconsistent with national security or law enforcement interests”.

Under the current rules, organisations certified to be nonprofits by the government get breaks on their federal income taxes. The status also makes donations to such groups tax deductible for donors.

While the withdrawn measure would have allowed a targeted NGO to challenge the secretary of state’s decision in court, losing the tax exempt status, even if temporarily, could have proven costly for nonprofits, especially smaller organisations.

Hamadanchy said being accused of supporting terrorism could also have prompted banks to close down the accounts of the groups.

“And then you have legal costs fighting off the designation because even if you might win in court, it’s going to take time to get there, and it’s going to cause a lot of damage to your organisation through that process,” he said.

“And that’s sort of the point because they want to chill speech.”

Hamadanchy noted that existing laws already make material support for a designated “terrorist” group a criminal offence with severe penalties.

The legislative push coincided with the Trump administration’s crackdown on Palestinian rights supporters, especially on college campuses.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has revoked the student visas of several Palestine advocates – who have not been charged with a criminal offence – over allegations of “support for terrorism”.

Some advocacy groups have portrayed the “nonprofit killer” as part of a broader push to muzzle voices critical of Israel.

“This bill is designed to silence dissent, especially from Muslim, Palestinian and civil rights organizations that speak out against injustice and genocide,” the Council on American Islamic Relations said in a statement last week.

“It threatens every nonprofit that engages in advocacy, educates the public, or challenges government policy.”

The apparent setback for the nonprofit provision came nearly two weeks after House leaders cancelled a vote on a bill to restrict boycotts of Israel after a backlash from right-wing legislators who voiced opposition to the measure on free speech grounds.

Lara Friedman, president of the Foundation for Middle East Peace, said it would be “interesting” to see how Republican leaders would deal with staunchly pro-Israel measures like the “nonprofit killer” going forward.

“They on the one hand likely see this as a fun opportunity to embarrass Democrats – whose opposition will be framed as anti-Israel or enabling terror and antisemitism – and on the other hand they have to worry about principled opposition from within their own ranks,” Friedman told Al Jazeera in a statement.