South Africa’s Treasury has proposed a revised budget with a smaller VAT increase to resolve a political deadlock. The budget’s delay marks the first in 30 years. Meanwhile, trade tensions rise in Europe, and concerns over ‘link rot’ in online information accessibility are investigated.
South Africa’s National Treasury has proposed a revised national budget featuring a smaller increase in value-added tax (VAT) to resolve a political stalemate within the ruling coalition. This revision comes after a historic delay in the budget presentation, the first in three decades, caused by disagreements among coalition members.
In addition to the budget discussions, tensions continue to escalate in Europe regarding trade disputes. The European Commission has announced retaliation measures against President Trump’s imposition of 25 percent tariffs on steel and aluminum, reflecting the ongoing trade war.
Furthermore, there is a growing concern regarding the concept of “link rot,” a phenomenon impacting the reliability of online information. BBC’s Frey Lindsay has been investigating this issue, highlighting how the decay of web links affects access to digital resources.
In summary, South Africa’s Treasury aims to improve its national budget situation by proposing a modest VAT hike to overcome a governmental impasse. Concurrently, the trade war in Europe escalates as the European Commission responds to U.S. tariffs, and concerns regarding the stability of online resources due to ‘link rot’ emerge as a significant issue.
Original Source: www.bbc.co.uk
