Factbox-Crimea Bridge: why is it important and what happened to it

(Reuters) – Traffic on the road-and-rail bridge linking Russia and the Crimean peninsula was stopped early on Monday due to an “emergency situation,” the Russian-backed head of Crimea’s administration, Sergei Aksyonov said. The RBC-Ukraine news agency reported that explosions were heard on the bridge, with Russian military bloggers reporting two strikes. The bridge is a…

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China rolls over medium-term policy loans, rate unchanged

SHANGHAI/SINGAPORE (Reuters) -China’s central bank rolled over maturing medium-term policy loans and kept the interest rate unchanged as expected on Monday, however markets expect authorities will need to unleash more stimulus to support slowing economic growth. The economic recovery has lost momentum after an initial burst in the first quarter, prompting monetary authorities to lower…

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Progressive US Democrat Jayapal apologizes for calling Israel ‘racist’

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Representative Pramila Jayapal, who heads a large group of progressive Democrats in the U.S. Congress, on Sunday apologized for calling Israel a racist state as Democratic leaders in the House of Representatives pushed back against her initial declaration. “I do not believe the idea of Israel as a nation is racist,” Jayapal…

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