Presidency expresses optimism on 2017 budget implementation

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As the National People's Congress opened this year's session, China set an economic target of "around 5%" — one of the lowest in decades — and announced a 7.2% increase in its defense budget.

Find these stories and much more when you grab a copy of The Guardian on Saturday.⁣

Oxford-educated economist Jakov Milatovic has declared victory over incumbent Milo Djukanovic. His promise is to root out corruption and lead the country to European Union membership.

Moscow will hold the UN Security Council's rotating presidency for the month of April. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has vowed to increase munitions supplies to Russian forces in Ukraine. DW has the latest.

Inside Stuff with Martins Oloja is back and in this installment of the show, the multi-award-winning journalist with The Guardian Nigeria takes a look at why the Buhari-led Presidency is afraid of the Public Procurement Council.

John Mahama — who served as Ghana's president between 2013-2017 — is running for the top job in 2024. His longtime rival, Nana Akufo-Addo, won’t contest next year's vote, which could increase Mahama’s chances of winning.

Nigeria’s President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu is set to begin his first official term in office at the end of this month. Many Nigerians, especially his supporters, hope the incoming president will quickly consolidate power and fulfill his election promises.

Niger Delta Group declares support for Tinubu's Presidency.

US President Joe Biden has announced that an agreement has been brokered with Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to raise the government's debt ceiling This pivotal piece of legislation, now poised for a vote in Congress, requires a simple majority for its enactment. If passed, it would circumvent an unprecedented debt default potentially looming as early as June 5. President Biden characterises the proposed legislation as a "compromise", outlining a two-year budget plan which, in essence, holds non-defence spending steady for 2024.

Talking Europe catches up with Spain’s foreign minister, José Manuel Albares, as Madrid prepares to take over the rotating presidency of the European Union on July 1, 2023. We discuss the poor showing by the ruling Socialist party in May’s regional and municipal elections, in which both the right and the far right made gains.

Find these stories and much more when you grab a copy of The Guardian on Tuesday.⁣