Putin defiant after Trump sanctions Russian oil companies over Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin remained defiant on Thursday after U.S. President Donald Trump imposed sanctions on Russia’s two largest oil compan...
Israel's parliamentary finance committee approved the 2025 state budget late on Sunday, paving the way for a final parliamentary vote before the March 31 deadline, crucial to preventing the government's collapse.
The approval came after a lengthy 13-hour debate, during which opposition lawmakers criticised the government for a lack of transparency regarding spending. The Finance Ministry clarified that some expenditures were pending government decisions, hence not reflected in the budget yet.
The 2025 budget totals 756 billion shekels ($203.5 billion), with spending excluding debt set at 620 billion shekels—an increase of 21% from 2024. Defence spending alone reaches a record 110 billion shekels, driven by increased military expenditure following conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon, which cost Israel $31 billion in 2024.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich initially aimed to finalise the budget by the end of 2024, but coalition disputes delayed proceedings. Despite these setbacks, the government's survival seems secure.
To manage the budget deficit, set at 4.9% of GDP, the proposal includes several tax increases. This aims to prevent further deterioration of Israel's fiscal standing, following a deficit of 6.8% in 2024 which triggered credit rating downgrades.
Finance committee chair Moshe Gafni acknowledged the complexity of the budget, emphasising efforts to reduce tax burdens on citizens amid challenging circumstances.
A date for the final parliamentary vote remains unconfirmed.
At least 69 people have died and almost 150 injured following a powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Cebu City in the central Visayas region of the Philippines, officials said, making it one of the country’s deadliest disasters this year.
A tsunami threat was issued in Chile after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck the Drake Passage on Friday. The epicenter was located 135 miles south of Puerto Williams on the north coast of Navarino Island.
The war in Ukraine has reached a strategic impasse, and it seems that the conflict will not be solved by military means. This creates a path toward one of two alternatives: either a “frozen” phase that can last indefinitely or a quest for a durable political regulation.
A shooting in Nice, southeastern France, left two people dead and five injured on Friday, authorities said.
Snapchat will start charging users who store more than 5GB of photos and videos in its Memories feature, prompting backlash from long-time users.
Kazakhstan has announced its readiness to take part in the creation of a Turkic large language model, a joint initiative designed to unite the scientific and technological potential of Turkic-speaking nations in the field of artificial intelligence.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has rejected the resumption of nuclear negotiations with the United States saying Washington is laying “excessive and illogical” conditions which have stalled the talks.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Israel on Thursday with the goal of implementing U.S. President Donald Trump's 20-point Gaza peace plan, according to the U.S. State Department.
A delegation of ambassadors from NATO member states will visit Azerbaijan on 6–7 November, according to Report. The group will include envoys from 15 NATO countries.
On Wednesday, Türkiye President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held an official meeting with Sultan Haitham bin Tarik in Muscat, the capital of Oman, marking the final stop of his three-day Gulf tour.
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