The country’s budget deficit rose to 10.5% of gross domestic product in February from 4.2% in January, as revenues contracted even as expenditures were slightly reduced.
Russia’s revenues were hit by lower prices of oil, one of the country’s key exports, along with shrinking revenues from collection of taxes, such as value added tax, according to Vladimir Kolychev, chief economist at VTB Capital.
A faster-than-expected spending of military expenses exacerbated the problem, Mr. Kolychev said. This could be a temporary development and the budget deficit is likely to shrink in the second half of the year, he added.
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The budget pattern underpins the broader economic trend in Russia. Its economy is expected to contract by 3% in 2015 as the key drivers—consumer demand and investment activity—are likely to spend the year in negative territory.
The Truth About Entitlements →
It may not be what you think.
IS accepts Boko Haram pledge of allegiance →
Islamic State militants have accepted a pledge of allegiance by the Nigerian-grown Boko Haram extremist group, a spokesman for the Islamic State movement said Thursday.
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: U.S. Territories (HBO)
Another area for our United States to work on its "democracy".
Happy Pi Day
3.141592653...
3/14/15 9:26:53
(Yes, U.S. date system)
Senators Introduce Bill To End Federal Curbs On Medical Marijuana →
This bill may be less controversial than I realized:
But in 23 states and District of Columbia, where medical marijuana is permitted, patients have been using whole herb and extracts to manage the nausea, vomiting, and wasting syndrome of cancer, the painful spasticity of multiple sclerosis, neuropathic pain, and other disorders. In addition, 12 states have active or pending laws that permit the use of marijuana derived cannabidiol (CBD) oil for children with epilepsy. This non-psychotropic component of marijuana has both anti-anxiety and anti-seizure activity.
Islamic State appears to be fraying from within →
Some potentially very good news here:
The Islamic State appears to be starting to fray from within, as dissent, defections and setbacks on the battlefield sap the group’s strength and erode its aura of invincibility among those living under its despotic rule.
Reports of rising tensions between foreign and local fighters, aggressive and increasingly unsuccessful attempts to recruit local citizens for the front lines, and a growing incidence of guerrilla attacks against Islamic State targets suggest the militants are struggling to sustain their carefully cultivated image as a fearsome fighting force drawing Muslims together under the umbrella of a utopian Islamic state.
The anecdotal reports, drawn from activists and residents of areas under Islamic State control, don’t offer any indication that the group faces an immediate challenge to its stranglehold over the mostly Sunni provinces of eastern Syria and western Iraq that form the backbone of its self-proclaimed caliphate. Battlefield reversals have come mostly on the fringes of its territory, while organized opposition remains unlikely as long as viable alternatives are lacking and the fear of vicious retribution remains high, Syrians, Iraqis and analysts say.
The bigger threat to the Islamic State’s capacity to endure, however, may come from within, as its grandiose promises collide with realities on the ground, said Lina Khatib, director of the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut.
The CIA Campaign to Steal Apple’s Secrets →
What would you call a targeted attack on one of America’s most successful and beloved companies in history in order to break security protections, spy on millions of citizens, intercept their communications, and steal their data?
Unpatriotic? Absolutely. Terrorism? Maybe. But those don’t quite capture what this really is: war.
There's an increasingly necessary debate here about security and privacy on one end, and the ability of law enforcement to do their job on the other. I don't think we've found the right balance yet...