U.S. House Republicans squirm over Speaker McCarthy’s debt ceiling proposal

By Richard Cowan WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has begun working in earnest to persuade his fellow Republicans to support a $1.5 trillion increase in the nation’s debt ceiling, amid early indications of a possible revolt in his thin majority. McCarthy faces the toughest test of his young speakership with a bill…

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China sees more state-sector funds launched after policy drive

By Jason Xue and Summer Zhen SHANGHAI/HONG KONG (Reuters) – Chinese asset managers are rushing to launch funds to woo investors into state-owned firms, whose shares have surged this year as Beijing pushes the market to revalue the previously overlooked state sector. Shares of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) have risen sharply since November, when top securities…

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Sudan’s paramilitary RSF agrees to 72-hour truce on humanitarian grounds

CAIRO (Reuters) – Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) said it had agreed to a 72-hour truce on humanitarian grounds, effective from 6 a.m. (0400 GMT) Friday, offering a potential respite from a six-day military conflict with the Sudanese army. “The truce coincides with the blessed Eid Al-Fitr (Muslim holiday) … to open humanitarian corridors…

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G7 nations considering near-total ban on exports to Russia -Kyodo

TOKYO (Reuters) – The Group of Seven (G7) countries are considering a near-total ban on exports to Russia, Kyodo news agency reported on Friday, citing Japanese government sources. Bloomberg news on Thursday also reported that the United States and Ukraine’s allies were considering “an outright ban on most exports to Russia”. That report said officials…

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U.N. chief calls for three-day ceasefire in Sudan as thousands flee

By Khalid Abdelaziz and Nafisa Eltahir KHARTOUM (Reuters) – U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed to Sudan’s warring factions to observe a ceasefire over the Muslim Eid al-Fitr holiday to allow civilians to reach safe areas as rival forces battled for a sixth day on Thursday. Thousands of civilians streamed out of the capital Khartoum as…

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Republican-led ban on transgender student athletes passes US House, moves to Senate

By Katharine Jackson WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday passed a Republican bill intended to ban transgender women and girls from competing in women’s and girls’ school sports, delivering at least a short-term victory to social conservatives. The House passed the measure by 219-203 but it has little chance of passing the…

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Trump ally Lindell ordered to pay $5 million to man who disproved voter fraud claims

By Gram Slattery WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Mike Lindell, a prominent ally of former U.S. President Donald Trump, has been ordered to pay $5 million to a man who debunked Lindell’s false claims of election fraud, the plaintiff’s law firm said on Thursday. An arbitration panel ordered Lindell, the founder of pillow manufacturer My Pillow and…

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In meeting with big economies, Biden announces more funds to fight climate change

By Jeff Mason WASHINGTON (Reuters) -President Joe Biden announced plans to increase U.S. funding to help developing countries fight climate change and curb deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest during a meeting on Thursday with leaders from the world’s largest economies. During a virtual meeting of the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate, Biden urged…

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Biden thanks Colombia for hosting Venezuelan refugees, eyes deeper partnership

By Jeff Mason and Julia Symmes Cobb WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden praised Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Thursday for his country’s treatment of refugees from Venezuela and for his commitment to democracy and human rights. During a meeting at the White House, Biden said the United States and Colombia could deepen their…

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