Skip to main content

Gaza cancer patients face rising death rate due to Israeli control

Gaza cancer patients are dying at two to three ​times the pace they did before the start of the genocide in the territory, as Israel blocks many from travelling for treatment after destroying the only ‌local specialised facility. Israel blew up Gaza's specialised cancer hospital last year after claiming that troops found a tunnel used by Hamas running beneath it, a claim that they have yet to substantiate. That means that an estimated 17,000 Gazans with cancer have no local option for chemotherapy or other advanced therapy. Practically no Palestinians can afford to travel for treatment, and those who can face Israeli restrictions. The military imposes strict caps on daily crossings to Egypt, despite a 2025 Israel-Hamas ​"ceasefire" deal that requires free movement in and out. Asked for comment, COGAT, the Israeli military agency that controls access to Gaza, said it coordinates medical evacuations with the ​World Health Organisation. To depart, Gazans mus...
Post a Comment

Russian finance ministry proposes VAT hike to fund war in Ukraine

Russia's finance ministry proposed raising the rate of value-added tax on Wednesday to 22% from 20% in 2026 to fund military spending in what would be the fifth year of the war in Ukraine. The proposal comes as US President Donald Trump called Russia a ''paper tiger'' for "fighting aimlessly for three and a half years" and said that President Vladimir Putin and Russia were in "big economic trouble". Putin signalled last week that he was open to raising certain taxes to make financial ends meet during the war, noting that the United States had raised taxes on wealthy people during the Vietnam and Korean wars. Tax hike primarily to fund 'defence and security' The proposal is in line with a Reuters report last week. VAT accounted for 37% of federal budget revenues in 2024 and analysts estimate that the increase would generate about 1 trillion roubles ($11.9 billion) in additional revenue. The finance ministry, which said the tax hikes would be "aimed primarily at financing defence and security," said in a statement that it was also proposing other tax increases, including on gambling businesses. Read: Pakistan urges dialogue, restraint to end Ukraine conflict Putin had pledged no major changes to the tax system before 2030 following the tax hikes introduced in 2025. He asked the government on September 5 to increase revenues through higher productivity, not taxes. After meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform: "Putin and Russia are in BIG Economic trouble, and this is the time for Ukraine to act". The US president's tone was in stark contrast to his red-carpet treatment for Putin at a summit in Alaska last month, part of an ostensible push to expedite an end to the war. 'No such thing as a paper bear' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told RBC radio on Wednesday that there were statements about the Russian economy collapsing before, but said that the economy had adapted to the "special military operation" in Ukraine. Brushing off Trump's "paper tiger" comment, Peskov said Russia was a bear, not a tiger, and "there is no such thing as a paper bear", while adding Putin valued Trump's efforts to resolve the conflict. Read more: Putin proposes one-year extension of US-Russia nuclear arms pact The finance ministry said the draft 2026 budget was "balanced and sustainable". The ministry has so far not released the key figures in the draft budget nor estimates of how much its proposal would generate in revenues. "The strategic priority is to provide financial support for the country's defence and security needs and social support for families of participants in the special military operation," it said in a statement. "The resources planned in the budget will make it possible to equip the armed forces with the necessary weapons and military equipment, pay salaries to military personnel and support their families, and modernise defence industry enterprises." ($1 = 83.7500 roubles)

from Latest World News, International News | Breaking World News https://ift.tt/4J6rvmE
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

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

A bridge collapsed at a cobalt mine in southeast Democratic Republic of Congo killing at least 32 wildcat miners, a regional government official said Sunday. The bridge came down Saturday onto a flooded zone at the mine in Lualaba province, Roy Kaumba Mayonde, the provincial interior minister, told reporters. He said 32 bodies had been recovered and more were being searched for. The DRC produces more than 70 percent of the world supply of cobalt, which is essential for batteries used in electric cars, many laptop computers and mobile phones. More than 200,000 people are estimated to be working in giant illegal cobalt mines in the giant central African country. Local authorities said the bridge collapsed at the Kalando mine, about 42 kilometres (26 miles) southeast of the Lualaba provincial capital, Kolwezi. "Despite a formal ban on access to the site because of the heavy rain and the risk of a landslide, wildcat miners forced their way into the quarry," said Mayonde. He said ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Indian devotees splurge on jets, gold idols as Hindu temple opens

The private jet parking lots at airports near the Indian city of Ayodhya are full and the shops have run out of gold-plated idols, as wealthy devotees prepare for the invite-only opening ceremony of one of Hinduism's holiest temples. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Asia's richest man Mukesh Ambani are among the 8,000 or so attendees at Monday's inauguration event for the Ram Temple, which devotees believe is built on the birthplace of Lord Ram, a sacred Hindu deity. The construction of the temple, which began after the Supreme Court awarded the site to Hindus in 2019 more than two decades after a Hindu mob razed a mosque there, triggering deadly riots, fulfils a key campaign promise of Modi and his Hindu nationalist party. Read BJP-promised temple transforms Ayodhya: Muslims, locals feel neglected The opening ceremony, organised by the trust that built the temple, comes months before a national election which the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party is widely expected to w...
Post a Comment
Read more

Arab countries, Pakistan likely to observe Eid on same day

The International Astronomy Centre confirmed on Wednesday that the crescent moon of Shawwal will be impossible to sight on Saturday, March 29, across all regions of the Arab and Islamic world. This is due to the moon setting before the sun, with the conjunction occurring after sunset. As a result, observing the crescent moon, whether by the naked eye, telescopes, or other means, will be unfeasible on March 29. For countries requiring an actual sighting to mark the start of Shawwal, Ramadan will likely extend to 30 days, with Eid Al Fitr falling on Monday, March 31. However, in some regions where the conjunction occurs before sunset, allowing the moon to set after sunset, some countries may choose to declare Eid on Sunday, March 30, following traditional moon-sighting practices. Notably, a partial solar eclipse will be visible at noon on Saturday in parts of the western Arab world, including Mauritania, Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. This event serves as definitive proof that the cresce...
Post a Comment
Read more