Finance Minister

A member of a panel advising Japan's prime minister said the planned expansion of Japan's defense spending will likely be phased in over many years rather than concentrated in any single year. The adviser added that the increases should not become a source of significant market anxiety annually, aiming to reassure investors as Japan ramps up its defense budget.

Britain's finance minister says 'fiscal discipline' will form the core of the upcoming budget, according to Reuters. The pledge signals an emphasis on keeping public finances in check as the government balances spending commitments against pressure to steady borrowing and reassure markets ahead of the fiscal statement.

India's Finance Minister has identified quantum technology as one of the country's next major infrastructure investment priorities. The move signals that New Delhi intends to treat quantum computing alongside traditional infrastructure sectors as a strategic area for public funding, aligning India with other governments stepping up national quantum programmes.

The European Union is set to remove Panama and Vietnam from its tax haven blacklist, which lists jurisdictions the bloc considers non-cooperative on tax matters. The move means both countries will no longer face the EU's monitoring and potential restrictive measures tied to the list, which is periodically updated by EU finance ministers.

Ukraine's government is freezing budget expenditures across all line items except priority spending, Prime Minister Koretsky said. The reason, he explained, is that part of the international financing planned for the state budget has not yet arrived. The cabinet has therefore set priorities for which expenses will be funded first while awaiting the missing foreign funds.

Israel's Prime Minister's Office and Finance Ministry are opposing the proposed $4.2 billion sale of shipping company Zim. The resistance from two key government bodies puts a major obstacle in the path of the transaction, which would be one of the largest deals in the country's shipping sector. Further details on the buyers and the grounds for the opposition have not been disclosed.