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Meloni says 'we are making history' as Italy’s FDI reviews progress

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Meloni says 'we are making history' as Italy’s FDI reviews progress

Fratelli d’Italia met to review achievements and prepare for EU-mandated budgetary adjustments amid controversy surrounding culture minister Gennaro Sangiuliano.

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Almost two years in office, the Fratelli d’Italia (FDI) party met on Wednesday for a key council to review the government’s progress and the agenda for the next few months, including the 2025 budget law.

The aim of the gathering was “to assess the work done so far” and “set the agenda for the coming months,” with the budget law being the main item on the table.

The procedure to approve the budget will begin soon, with the submission of a structural plan by 20 September. Approval is crucial as Italy is still under the European Union’s “excessive deficit procedure,” which requires the country to bring its deficit-to-GDP ratio below 3% by 2026.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said the meeting was historic, telling party members “We are making history,” as they tackle Italy’s economic and political future.

Tax cuts, family support, and job growth

“Italy has one of the lowest inflation rates among G7 countries and the employment rate is at record highs, above the European average”, said FDI Senator Lucio Malan, summarising Meloni’s words at the closed-door meeting. “Italy is gaining more international recognition. We will continue on this path with a plan to implement policies that support businesses, families, and workers”. 

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Meloni’s government is under pressure to comply with the EU’s fiscal rules, which require deficit and debt reduction from 2025. The meeting was a key moment to define how Italy will face these challenges.

“The 2025 budget will be focused on tax cuts, Italian families and employment,” an FDI member said.

Culture minister controversy lingers

While the budget was the main item on the agenda, the meeting also touched on other hot political topics, including the ongoing controversy surrounding Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano.

In her opening remarks, Meloni reportedly made a pointed statement, saying: “Breaks are not allowed and mistakes are not permitted,” which many interpreted as a veiled reference to the recent scandal involving the minister.

Sangiuliano has denied Maria Rosaria Boccia’s allegations concerning her appointment as his advisor and the use of public funds to pay her. But the scandal has raised questions about the government’s credibility. For now, Meloni has not asked for the minister’s resignation but has said further investigations are ongoing.

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The Italian Prime Minister, who still has high approval ratings according to recent polls, wants to guide her government through the financial and political obstacles ahead.

“Italy’s international reputation has improved significantly and we will build on this by implementing policies that support businesses and families”, Lucio Malan said.

How Meloni’s administration handles these key issues, including the upcoming budget law and the unfolding political scandal, will be key factors in ensuring she completes the government’s five-year term. 

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Armed men fire on Haiti hospital reopening, killing at least 2

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Armed men fire on Haiti hospital reopening, killing at least 2
At least two people were killed and others injured on Tuesday when armed men opened fire on a group of journalists who gathered for a government press conference set to announce the reopening of Haiti’s largest public hospital, a witness to the attack told Reuters.
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US citizen imprisoned in Russia given new 15-year sentence in wake of espionage conviction

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US citizen imprisoned in Russia given new 15-year sentence in wake of espionage conviction

A Russian-born U.S. citizen who was already behind bars in Russia on a bribery conviction has been handed a second sentence for espionage.

Eugene Spector was sentenced to a new 15-year term for his espionage conviction, according to Russian news agencies. Spector was born and raised in Leningrad, Russia, but later moved to the U.S. and became a citizen.

A Moscow court brought espionage charges against Spector in August of last year, although details surrounding the case were not made publicly available.

RUSSIA ARRESTS US CITIZEN ON ESPIONAGE CHARGES: REPORT

Eugene Spector, a Russian-born U.S. citizen already imprisoned in Russia on a bribery conviction, has been handed a second 15-year jail term for espionage. (AP)

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The U.S. State Department said it was aware of reports of a U.S. citizen in Russia being sentenced and that it was monitoring the situation.

Spector, a former executive at a medical equipment company in Russia, was sentenced in September 2022 to three and a half years in prison for enabling bribes to an aide of former Russian Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich.

WALL STREET JOURNAL’S EVAN GERSHKOVICH REVEALS SHADOWY KREMLIN FIGURE BEHIND IMPRISONMENT IN RUSSIA

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A Moscow court brought espionage charges against Spector in August of last year. (iStock)

The aide, Anastasia Alekseyeva, was sentenced to 12 years in April for accepting bribes of two expensive overseas vacation trips.

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Dvorkovich was a deputy prime minister under former Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev in 2012 to 2018. Dvorkovich is currently head of the international chess federation FIDE.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Passenger plane crashes in Kazakhstan: Emergencies ministry

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Passenger plane crashes in Kazakhstan: Emergencies ministry

BREAKING,

Passenger plane crashed near the city of Aktau.

An passenger plane flying from Azerbaijan to Russia crashed near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan, the Central Asian country’s Emergencies Ministry said in a statement.

Fourteen people had survived the crash and had been hospitalised, according to the local health officials.

“At the moment, 14 survivors have been taken to the regional hospital, including five in intensive care,” the health ministry’s regional department said in a statement. The Emergencies Ministry said fire services had put out the blaze

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Azerbaijan Airlines said the Embraer 190 aircraft, with flight number J2-8243, had been flying from Baku to Grozny, the capital of Russia’s Chechnya, but had been forced to make an emergency landing approximately 3 km (1.8 miles) from the Kazakh city of Aktau.

Russian news agencies said the plane had been rerouted due to fog in Grozny.

Authorities in Kazakhstan said they had begun looking into different possible versions of what had happened, including a technical problem, Russia’s Interfax news agency reported.

More to follow.

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