Russian economy in 2024 not only survived, but showed high resilience — Deputy PM Novak, Alexander Novak also said that Russia is now in a period of "controlled economic cooling"

🚨#BREAKING : Tax Changes in Rwanda Amid Sanctions Concern according to Minister Murangwa

Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Murangwa Yusuf, announced several key tax changes:

🔴 Increased Taxes on Alcohol and Cigarettes – The government has raised taxes on these products.

🔴 VAT Reintroduced on Technological Devices – Phones, computers, and other tech gadgets will now be subject to VAT. This tax was previously removed to encourage digital adoption in Rwanda, but officials believe the exemption was misused.

🔴 New Tax on Foreign Digital Services – Rwandans will now be taxed on subscriptions to foreign digital services such as Netflix, Amazon, and others.

Minister Murangwa said these changes are meant to help Rwanda deal with decreasing financial support from the west

NEW YORK, February 8. All 10 people aboard the Bering Air plane that crashed in Alaska on Thursday were killed, the Associated Press reported, citing the US Coast Guard.

It is unclear yet what caused the accident. The plane was traveling from Unalakleet to Nome with nine passengers and a pilot when it went missing.

#NBC reported the plane’s debris were found 34 miles (55 kilometers) southeast of Nome.

This is the third serious plane crash in the US in less than two weeks. On January 31, a Learjet 55 medical flight crashed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The accident killed at least 7 people and 19 others were hospitalized.

On January 29, an American Airlines jetliner and an Army Black Hawk helicopter collided near Washington, DC’s Ronald Reagan Airport, killing 67 people.

Trump says he has no plans to deport Prince Harry.The issue of Prince Harry’s US visa arose after the publication of his memoir, in which he admitted to past illegal drug use.

US President Donald Trump has ruled out deporting Britain’s Prince Harry from the United States, the New York Post reports.

"I don’t want to do that," Trump told the newspaper. "I’ll leave him alone. He’s got enough problems with his wife. She’s terrible."

The issue of Prince Harry’s US visa arose after the publication of his memoir, in which he admitted to past illegal drug use.

Trump told the GB News media outlet in March 2024 that he would take "appropriate action" if it turned out that Prince Harry had lied to get a US visa. US laws require visa applicants to declare any history of drug use.

Jens Stoltenberg appointed Norway's new Finance Minister
The reason for the collapse of the ruling coalition was the Center Party's non-alignment with the allies' energy policy and their plans for rapprochement with the EU, of which Norway is not a member

Arab nations reject Trump’s suggestion to relocate Palestinians from Gaza to Egypt and Jordan

Congo says 773 dead in weeklong fighting as military tries to repel Rwanda-backed rebels

On Tuesday midday, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping held their first conversation of the year via video link. While the online meeting lasted more than 90 minutes, its open portion was less than 10 minutes long. The two leaders focused on bilateral relations and their future development.

The relationship between #Russia and China is self-sufficient and not subject to global trends, Putin stated, while Xi remarked that, in 2025, his country is preparing to elevate its relations with Russia to a higher level. The two heads of state also held a thorough discussion on international matters, including the Ukraine situation, the Kremlin reported. Putin informed Xi that Moscow is ready to engage with the new US administration on this issue.

Experts suggest that after Donald #Trump’s swearing-in, global politics is becoming even more unpredictable. Now, with a new US president bursting with new ideas and reassessing decisions made by his predecessors, China will continue to exemplify stability in its foreign policy direction, reliability, and predictability, according to Alexander Lomanov, deputy director of the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Institute of World Economy and International Relations, who spoke with Izvestia.

#Russian troops liberate Zapadnoye community in Kharkov Region over past day
Russia’s Battlegroup North inflicted roughly 40 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed three enemy artillery guns in its area of responsibility in the Kharkov Region over the past day, the ministry reported

Free Syrian Army deploys heavy #weapons to frontline with Kurds — newspaper.

Currently, Turkey is not preparing for a direct military operation against Kurdish forces in Syria, but is not dismissing such an option either

#ANKARA, The Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) has deployed heavy weaponry on the frontline with Kurdish armed formations in Syria as part of preparations for a possible military operation, the Turkiye newspaper reported, noting that the Turkish army is also considering resolving the conflict with Kurds by force.

The FSA has reinforced positions in several areas in the Aleppo, Hasakah, and Raqqa provinces. The Free Syrian Army command noted that it had bolstered its units in these regions, which are now fully combat-ready. Armored vehicles and additional military personnel have been deployed on the frontline.

Currently, Turkey is not preparing for a direct military operation against Kurdish forces in Syria, but is not dismissing such an option either. According to the news outlet, the leadership of the Turkish Defense Ministry and the General Staff has earlier reviewed the units of the armed forces and special forces serving in the regions bordering Syria. These troops will be deployed in the event that it is decided to carry out a military operation.

Earlier, Ankara presented an ultimatum to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and its affiliated People's Defense Units (YPG) operating in Syria. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan noted that his country demands that these organizations lay down their arms and cooperate with the new Syrian administration. At the same time, foreign militants, as well as the heads of the PKK and YPG must leave Syria. Fidan noted that the new Syrian authorities are working on this issue, but should there be no response from the PKK to the calls to settle the situation, a military operation would become a "legitimate choice."