Another deficit is likely, but it will be in line with EU standards, say Saudi ministers keen to keep investing in the Kingdom's economic diversification away from oil and towards Vision 2030
With subsidies still being paid, the budget deficit has ballooned from $45bn in 2024 to an expected $62bn next year. This largesse worries some, but apparently not the government
Damascus has artificially lowered prices for years, but Syrians today cannot afford basics like fuel without them, meaning its budget has become a delicate balancing act
A big rise in spending in nominal terms says much more about the collapse of the pound than government spending power, as it continues to drop subsidies, including on fuel, deepening poverty rates
After suffering a huge blow militarily, Hezbollah is now forced to show political flexibility. By backing Aoun, it tried to position his win as a victory over Israel's preferred candidate, Geagea.
In his first term, Trump nurtured mutual economic and security interests with Saudi Arabia, but an evolving geopolitical landscape could mean a changed US approach
An army chief who impressed both at home and abroad in recent years was handed a six-year term to fill the void in this important but largely ceremonial role. Who is he, and what is on his to-do list?
During the French Mandate, Syria's women's movement went from grassroots protest to established force, setting up schools, helping the poor, and calling for rights and votes