Kosovo, Serbia presidents meet under EU pressure to defuse crisis

By Andrew Gray and John Irish BULBOACA, Moldova (Reuters) – The presidents of Kosovo and Serbia held talks on Thursday on resolving a political crisis that has spiralled into violence, with the leaders of France and Germany pressing them to take swift steps to reduce tensions. Kosovo’s Vjosa Osmani and Serbia’s Aleksandar Vucic met briefly…

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US debt ceiling bill passes House with broad bipartisan support

By David Morgan, Richard Cowan and Moira Warburton WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A divided U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill to suspend the $31.4 trillion debt ceiling on Wednesday, with majority support from both Democrats and Republicans to overcome opposition led by hardline conservatives and avoid a catastrophic default. The Republican-controlled House voted 314-117 to…

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Failed Republican candidate charged in shooting spree aimed at New Mexico Democrats

By Kanishka Singh (Reuters) – A failed Republican state candidate in New Mexico was charged by federal authorities on Wednesday for a shooting spree targeting the homes of four elected Democratic officials, the U.S. Justice Department said in a statement. Solomon Pena, 40, lost a state House of Representatives race last November. After his defeat,…

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Republican 2024 field gets crowded with Pence, Christie to announce bids

By Joseph Ax and Tim Reid (Reuters) – Former Vice President Mike Pence and former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie are planning to enter the race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination next week in long-shot challenges to the dominance of front-runner Donald Trump. Christie, who advised Trump’s campaign in 2016 only to become a…

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Senegal president promises fair election as tensions simmer

DAKAR (Reuters) – Senegal’s President Macky Sall on Wednesday said his government would ensure peaceful, free and transparent elections next year following weeks of fresh opposition unrest over fears he might run for a third term and sideline a key rival. Sporadic violent protests have broken out across Senegal since opposition leader Ousmane Sonko was…

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US special counsel probes Trump firing of then-top cybersecurity official -NYT

(Adds dropped word in second paragraph to clarify Krebs was interviewed) WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A U.S. special counsel investigating former President Donald Trump and efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss are examining his firing of a cybersecurity official whose office said the vote was secure, the New York Times said on Wednesday. Special Counsel…

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NATO troops on guard in north Kosovo for third day amid protests

By Fatos Bytyci LEPOSAVIC, Kosovo (Reuters) – NATO peacekeepers guarded town halls in ethnically polarised north Kosovo for a third day on Wednesday as Serbia’s defence minister inspected troops deployed near the border with its former province after violent unrest this week. The disturbances prompted NATO to send additional troops to the area and the…

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US sues West Virginia governor’s coal empire over unpaid mining penalties

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Justice Department has sued West Virginia Governor Jim Justice’s coal empire over allegations it failed to pay around $7.6 million in environmental fines from mining violations. The civil action, filed on Tuesday against the governor’s son and 13 coal companies he owns or operates, seeks to hold them “accountable for…

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