Italy’s Berlusconi sends video message to Forza party from hospital

MILAN (Reuters) – Former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi sent a video message to his Forza Italia party on Saturday in his first appearance since being hospitalised a month ago, saying he is ready to return to work. Wearing a blue shirt and suit and heavy make-up, Berlusconi, 86, appeared sitting at a desk with…

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CDC to scale back data collection as US ends COVID health emergency

By Ahmed Aboulenein WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Friday it would stop reporting or monitoring COVID-19 case data and transmission rates after the government ends the pandemic’s public health emergency designation next week. The agency will stop using its color-coded COVID-19 Community Levels (CCL) system, which…

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White House hopeful Nikki Haley takes a calculated risk on abortion

By Gram Slattery HENNIKER, New Hampshire (Reuters) – While other Republicans running for president assiduously avoid discussing abortion, Nikki Haley, a former U.N. ambassador with 20 years in American politics, is trying a novel approach: talking about it. Days ago, Haley, the only woman in the 2024 White House race, gave a lengthy speech stating…

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North Carolina House passes 12-week abortion ban

(Reuters) – North Carolina’s Republican-dominated House on Wednesday passed and sent to the state Senate a controversial bill limiting most abortions to the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, a sharp drop from the state’s current limit of 20 weeks’ gestation. The bill passed 71-46 along party lines, with one Republican and two Democratic lawmakers not…

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