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Israeli occupier attacks threaten historic Christian presence in West Bank town

In Taybeh, one of the few Palestinian communities with a Christian majority in the occupied West Bank, fears are growing that Israeli occupier attacks on farmland and property could push more families to emigrate, threatening the town’s demographic character and historic Christian presence. Local officials and clergy warned of the impact of rising violence by Israeli occupiers, which has coincided with worsening living and economic conditions in the town. Taybeh, east of Ramallah, is one of the few Palestinian towns in the West Bank that still has a Christian majority, according to church and local accounts. Residents say the town’s Christian roots go back thousands of years. Residents say the attacks have deepened fears in the town, even as they stress their determination to remain on their land. Also Read: Pakistan raises red flag over illegal settlements in West Bank, calls for Israel accountability In recent years, Israeli occupiers have established several ill...

Modi's post-election budget includes $24 Bn jobs drive

India's government will spend $24 billion on employment and training, it said Tuesday, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi looks to address uneven economic growth and mollify disgruntled voters after a surprising election setback last month. The funding will be used over five years for a package of five schemes and initiatives to "facilitate employment, skilling and other opportunities" for more than 40 million young people, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in her annual budget speech. Some will go on "employment-linked incentives" for companies, which the government hopes will create jobs. "The global economy, while performing better than expected, is still in the grip of policy uncertainties," Sitharman said. "In this context, India's economic growth continues to be the shining exception and will remain so in the years ahead," she added. Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) fell short of an outright majority in the recent national elections, forcing it into a coalition with regional partners, after its strident Hindu nationalist campaign stumbled over multiple local issues including a jobs crisis and high food inflation. Modi has overseen India's ascent to become the world's fastest-growing major economy. But his administration has struggled to create enough well-paying jobs for the world's most populous country, with the International Labour Organization estimating 29 percent of India's young university graduates were unemployed in 2022. Sitharaman's speech also had specific concessions to the BJP's regional allies, including highways in the eastern state of Bihar and facilitating "special financial support" for a new state capital in Andhra Pradesh, in the south. Robust economic growth in India has driven a tax windfall, allowing the government to increase spending while still reducing debt. Despite new spending plans, Sitharaman said India will lower its fiscal deficit to 4.9 percent of gross domestic product this financial year, lower than the 5.1 percent projected during an interim budget in February. India's benchmark Nifty index fell as much as 1.8 percent during the budget speech, but it pared back some of the losses in afternoon trading.

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At least 32 miners dead after bridge fails at cobalt site in southeast DR Congo

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