House Republicans are preparing to push their hard-fought package of tax breaks and spending cuts through its next hurdle Friday in the Budget Committee, but conservatives are warning they could vote to halt it unless there are further changes.

Tallying a whopping 1,116 pages, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, named with a nod to President Donald Trump, is teetering at a critical moment. Conservatives are holding out for steeper cuts to Medicaid and other programs to help offset the costs of the tax breaks. But at the same time, lawmakers from high-tax states including New York are demanding a deeper tax deduction, known as SALT, for their constituents.

The United Nations on Thursday forecast slower global economic growth this year and next, pointing to the impact of the surge in U.S. tariffs and increasing trade tensions.

U.N. economists also cited the volatile geopolitical landscape and threats of rising production costs, supply chain disruptions and financial turbulence.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky joined the leaders of dozens of European countries and organizations for a one-day summit in Albania's capital Friday to discuss security and defense challenges across the continent, with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine at the top of the agenda.

On the eve of the summit in Tirana, Russian President Vladimir Putin spurned an offer by Zelensky to meet face-to-face in Turkey to try to secure a ceasefire with Moscow, sending a low-level delegation instead.

An environment conference opened in Nepal on Friday to discuss global climate change, including the impact on the highest Himalayan peaks where snow and ice are melting.

The three-day conference in Kathmandu titled, "Climate Change, Mountains and the Future of Humanity," is expected to include discussions of critical climate issues.

Saudi royalty and American billionaires were in the front row for a speech in Riyadh where President Donald Trump condemned what he called past U.S. interference in the wealthy Gulf states.

Gone were the days when American officials would fly to the Middle East to give "you lectures on how to live, and how to govern your own affairs," Trump said at a Saudi investment forum this week.

U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that Iran has an American proposal over its rapidly advancing nuclear program as negotiations between the two countries go on.

Trump's remarks represent the first time he's acknowledged an American proposal is with Tehran after multiple rounds of negotiations between U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

The man convicted of stabbing Salman Rushdie on a New York lecture stage in 2022, leaving the prizewinning author blind in one eye, is scheduled to be sentenced on Friday.

A jury found Hadi Matar, 27, guilty of attempted murder and assault in February.

Most contestants at the Eurovision Song Contest are seeking as much publicity as possible.

Israel's Yuval Raphael is keeping a low profile.

Israeli strikes across the Gaza Strip on Friday killed at least 64 people, hospitals said, as U.S. President Donald Trump wraps up his Middle East visit that skipped Israel and offered no prospect for a ceasefire in the war-battered territory.

At least 48 bodies were brought to the Indonesian hospital and another 16 bodies were taken to Nasser Hospital, health officials said, as strikes overnight into Friday morning hit the outskirts of Deir al-Balah and the city of Khan Younis.

President Donald Trump said Friday he's moving to set up direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin as soon as he can.

Trump's push for a face-to-face meeting comes after Putin opted to skip talks between Russia and Ukraine set for Friday in Turkey.