Articles for tag: broad , childhood , cuts , recommendation , vaccines

Pakistan assures IMF of farm input tax hikes, cuts in growth programs

The seal of the International Monetary Fund is seen on the headquarters building in Washington, DC, USA. — AFP/File Selected items for shifting to 18% GST slab. Measures related to the completion of the 2nd review of the IMF program. Islamabad targets $1.2 billion from EFF and RSF. ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has pledged to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to increase tax rates on fertilizers, pesticides and sugar products and move select items to the standard 18% GST slab. The News reported on Friday. These steps are part of Islamabad’s effort to successfully complete the second review and unlock the third

December 10, 2025

Divided Fed cuts rates, signals pause, one cut in 2026 as growth recovers

Fed cuts rates in split vote, but signals pause as inflation remains elevated, labor market uncertain The U.S. Federal Reserve cut interest rates on Wednesday in another divided vote but indicated it would likely hold off on further cuts in borrowing costs as the U.S. central bank seeks clearer signals on the direction of the labor market and inflation that “remains somewhat elevated.” New forecasts issued after the Fed’s two-day meeting showed the median policymaker sees only a quarter-percentage-point cut in 2026, the same outlook as in September, with inflation expected to slow to around 2.4% by the end of

December 8, 2025

UN cuts aid appeal for 2026 despite growing need

A Palestinian woman gestures as she waits to receive food from a charity kitchen, amid a hunger crisis, in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, August 4, 2025. — Reuters The United Nations appealed on Monday for an aid budget just half of what it had hoped for this year, acknowledging a plunge in donor funding at a time when humanitarian needs have never been greater. By its own admission, the UN’s $23 billion appeal will exclude tens of millions of people who urgently need help, as falling support has forced it to prioritize only the most desperate. The funding cuts

December 7, 2025

India cuts air fares due to IndiGo crisis

The country’s largest airline is canceling flights due to a lack of pilots following new rules MUMBAI/BENGALURU: India slashed airfares on Saturday as hundreds of passengers gathered outside Bangalore and Mumbai airports after IndiGo canceled 385 flights on the fifth day of a crisis at the country’s largest airline that has hit air travel. IndiGo canceled thousands of flights this week due to a pilot shortage after it failed to adequately plan for new rules limiting pilot working hours. The government responded on Friday, announcing special relief for the carrier and the operation of additional trains to help clear the

December 6, 2025

India cuts airline fares as IndiGo crisis leaves hundreds stranded for fifth day

Passengers wait outside the IndiGo Airlines ticketing counter at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, after several IndiGo Airlines flights were cancelled, in Mumbai, India, December 6, 2025. — Reuters IndiGo is facing the biggest crisis in its 20-year history Some crisis-hit airline operations are being normalized. IndiGo hopes to be in better shape around December 15. India slashed airline fares on Saturday as hundreds of passengers gathered outside Bangalore and Mumbai airports after 385 IndiGo flights were canceled on the fifth day of a crisis that has hit the country’s biggest airline. Air travel across India was in turmoil this

December 4, 2025

Child deaths to rise this year as aid cuts reverse progress, Gates says

A nurse from Save the Children vaccinates an internally displaced Somali child in Baidoa, Somalia, June 25, 2025. — Reuters LONDON: About 200,000 more children are likely to die before their fifth birthday this year than in 2024, as cuts to international aid undermine decades of progress, the Gates Foundation said on Thursday. The projected increase would mark the first increase in preventable child deaths this century, Gates said, from an estimated 4.6 million in 2024 to 4.8 million this year. Child deaths have halved since 2000. “For decades, the world has made steady progress in saving children’s lives. But

December 4, 2025

Riyadh cuts 2026 deficit forecast to $44bn amid pressure to expand non-oil revenue

This handout photo provided by the Royal Palace of Saudi Arabia shows Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman signing the state budget during a cabinet meeting in the capital Riyadh on December 7, 2022. — AFP 2026 budget projects deficit of 165 billion riyals. Saudi Arabia halfway through its Vision 2030 strategy. The next phase of the Vision 2030 plan will emphasize implementation. Saudi Arabia approved its 2026 state budget on Tuesday, forecasting a narrower fiscal deficit as it shifts spending to priority sectors such as industry and logistics in a push to boost non-oil revenue. The kingdom projected a

November 16, 2025

Trump cuts tariffs as inflation fears rise

Eliminates tariffs on more than 200 products, including beef, coffee and other foods US President Donald Trump looks on as he speaks to members of the media as he flies from Florida to Joint Base Andrews en route to Washington, on Air Force One, US October 19, 2025. PHOTO: REUTERS WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Friday lifted tariffs on more than 200 food products, including staples such as coffee, beef, bananas and orange juice, amid growing American consumer anxiety over the high cost of groceries. The new exemptions, which took effect retroactively at midnight on Thursday, mark a sharp

October 28, 2025