By Richard Cowan and Moira Warburton WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. congressional Democrats are trying to force votes on abortion and gun control bills, which have slim chances of success this year, but could resonate with voters in districts represented by moderate Republicans they hope to oust in the 2024 elections. With only a 51-49 Democratic…
(Reuters) – Russian clinics will soon be staffed with sexologists to help patients “overcome” homosexuality and various sexual “mental disorders”, a health ministry order said, in the latest Kremlin attack on what it calls “non-traditional lifestyles.” The order, which takes effect on July 1, comes amid a clampdown on LGBT rights, which President Vladimir Putin…
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Contracts to buy U.S. previously owned homes fell more than expected in May, dropping to the lowest level in five months as a chronic shortage of houses on the market weighed on activity. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) said on Thursday that its Pending Home Sales Index, based on signed contracts,…
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States on Thursday condemned a vote by lawmakers in Bosnia’s autonomous Serb Republic to suspend rulings by Bosnia’s constitutional court, saying the move undermined the Dayton Peace Agreement. The new law, approved on Tuesday, violates the Bosnia and Herzegovina Constitution and runs counter to the Dayton Peace Agreement, State Department…
By Rami Ayyub WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. lawmakers on Thursday invited Israel’s president to address a joint meeting of Congress on July 19, a top honor aimed at celebrating Israel’s 75th birthday even as tensions rise with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing government. Isaac Herzog’s address will be the first by an Israeli president, a largely…
By Michele Kambas and Renee Maltezou ATHENS (Reuters) – With backing from a politician jailed for leading a party declared a criminal gang, Greek far-right groups swept up over 12% of the vote in Sunday’s election, mirroring the rise of populist and ultra-nationalist politicians across Europe. The surge of three parties with their ultra-nationalist views…
By Tom Hals WILMINGTON, Delaware (Reuters) – A prominent U.S. lawsuit to ban the abortion pill mifepristone has focused on the drug’s safety and approval process. But the outcome may ultimately rest on a different issue: whether Ingrid Skop, an anti-abortion doctor in Texas, and other physicians behind the lawsuit can justify suing in the…
SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Thursday the country’s inflation targets were excessively rigid and renewed criticism of the central bank for high interest rates ahead of a meeting that will set its 2026 inflation goals. Lula’s remarks came as financial markets closely watch the National Monetary Council’s…
(Reuters) – Army General Sergei Surovikin, nicknamed “General Armageddon” by the Russian media for his reputed ruthlessness, is among senior generals who have disappeared from public view since Saturday’s failed mutiny aimed at toppling the top brass. The burly, shaven-headed 56-year-old was last seen on Saturday when he appeared in a video, looking uncomfortable and…
ATHENS (Reuters) -Alexis Tsipras, the one-time leftist firebrand who stormed to power on an anti-austerity agenda in Greece in 2015, stepped down from the helm of the Syriza party after 15 years on Thursday, following a heavy election defeat. At the height of Greece’s deep economic crisis, Tsipras, known for sporting his no-tie look, rode…
