Turkey faces runoff election with Erdogan leading

By Orhan Coskun, Ece Toksabay and Ali Kucukgocmen ANKARA (Reuters) -Turkey headed for a runoff vote after President Tayyip Erdogan led over his opposition rival Kemal Kilicdaroglu in Sunday’s election but fell short of an outright majority to extend his 20-year rule of the NATO-member country. Neither Erdogan nor Kilicdaroglu cleared the 50% threshold needed…

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Thailand opposition crushes military parties in election rout

By Panu Wongcha-um and Panarat Thepgumpanat BANGKOK (Reuters) -Thailand’s opposition secured a stunning election win on Sunday after trouncing parties allied with the military, setting the stage for a flurry of deal-making over forming a government in a bid to end nearly a decade of conservative, army-backed rule. The liberal Move Forward party and the…

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Belarus PM replaces Lukashenko at ceremony, sparks speculation

(Reuters) – Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who has not been seen in public since Tuesday, did not appear on Sunday at a ceremony in the capital, Minsk, triggering speculation that the veteran leader is seriously ill. The BelTA state news agency reported that Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko read a message from Lukashenko during an annual…

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U.S. fighter jets intercept Russian planes near Alaska

(Reuters) – U.S. fighter jets intercepted six Russian aircraft operating in international airspace near Alaska, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) said on Sunday. The Russian planes included TU-95 bombers, IL-78 tankers and SU-35 fighter jets, NORAD said in a written statement. NORAD described the interception as “routine” and said they happen roughly six…

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Biden expects to meet lawmakers Tuesday for debt talks, says he is optimistic

REHOBOTH BEACH, Delaware (Reuters) -U.S. President Joe Biden said on Sunday he expects to meet with congressional leaders on Tuesday for talks on a plan to raise the nation’s debt limit and avoid a catastrophic default. Speaking to reporters in Delaware, Biden said he remained optimistic about agreeing on a deal. Biden had been scheduled…

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Exclusive-G7 leaders to target Russian energy, trade in new sanctions steps -sources

By Trevor Hunnicutt and Andreas Rinke WASHINGTON/BERLIN (Reuters) – Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) nations plan to tighten sanctions on Russia at their summit in Japan this week, with steps aimed at energy and exports aiding Moscow’s war effort, said officials with direct knowledge of the discussions. New measures announced by the leaders…

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