live U.S. to impose measures "never seen before" on Iran, Treasury secretary says
The U.S. will impose unprecedented measures on Iran in order to economically isolate the country, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said...
The U.S. Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has released its latest forecast on the budgetary and income distribution impacts of the tax reform bill dubbed “The Great Beautiful Bill,” approved on 22 May in the House of Representatives under President Donald Trump.
According to the CBO analysis, if the bill is enacted, average disposable income for U.S. households is expected to increase over the 2026–2034 period. However, this increase will not be evenly distributed across all income groups. Households in the lowest income bracket are projected to see a decrease in resources, while those in the middle and higher income brackets will experience income growth.
The analysis shows that the lowest 10% income group is expected to face an average annual decline of $1,589 (about 3.9%), whereas the highest 10% income group is projected to see an annual increase of $12,044, equivalent to roughly a 2.3% rise.
The CBO noted that the loss of resources among poorer households mainly stems from cuts to Medicaid and food assistance programs, while tax cuts drive income gains in the higher-income groups.
In a separate report, the CBO also forecasted that the bill would increase the federal budget deficit by $2.4 trillion through 2034.
The bill was passed in the House by a narrow margin of just one vote. Introduced by Republicans to implement the tax cuts promised during Trump’s election campaign, the bill passed with 215 votes in favour and 214 against, and has now been sent to the Senate.
The bill includes provisions to increase state and local tax deductions, eliminate taxes on tips and overtime pay, and extend the duration of tax cuts enacted in 2017.
Disruption in the Strait of Hormuz has increased the strategic importance of Bab al-Mandab, raising fears that instability in both waterways could trigger a wider global energy and trade crisis.
Flights at Catania airport in Sicily will remain suspended until early Friday as ash from Mount Etna continues to disrupt air travel, following hundreds of cancellations and diversions over the past week.
Iran says the Strait of Hormuz remains under its control, rejecting U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim of “total control” over the strategic waterway and insisting it will not reopen until Washington fulfils its commitments under an interim deal.
Iran and the United States remain at loggerheads over efforts to agree a permanent end to the war in the Gulf, according to a senior Iranian source who said there had been no progress in talks to revive the interim deal agreed in June and define a timeframe to implement it.
Russia has accused Ukraine of threatening global grain supplies after recent strikes on Black Sea agricultural infrastructure, while Moscow carried out a new overnight attack on Ukraine’s major Danube port of Izmail.
The suspension of two major grain terminals in Russia’s Black Sea port of Novorossiysk could increase pressure on Kazakhstan’s agricultural market if Russian exporters divert supplies to Central Asia at discounted prices.
Georgia’s Prime Minister says the EU’s inclusion of a major Black Sea cable project on a key infrastructure list is fresh evidence of the country’s importance to regional energy and digital connectivity.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has dismissed Security Council Secretary Armen Grigoryan and appointed former parliament speaker Alen Simonyan as his replacement.
Central Asia’s economy has surpassed $543 billion, driven by Kazakhstan’s economic weight, strong exports and foreign investment, while growing trade across Asia points to an increasingly connected region.
The United Nations refugee agency is planning a settlement and carpet-weaving workshop for Afghan returnees in Kabul as the country grapples with large-scale returns and growing pressure on housing, jobs and basic services.
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