Biden cheers debt ceiling ‘crisis averted’ from Oval Office

By Jeff Mason and Trevor Hunnicutt WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Joe Biden declared a “crisis averted” on Friday in his first address from the White House’s Oval Office, touting the passage of a bill to suspend the U.S. debt ceiling and avoid economic catastrophe. Biden used the moment to plead with Americans to bridge their…

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Counter-offensive on track despite Russian missile barrages, Ukrainian defence official says

By Kanupriya Kapoor and Gerry Doyle SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Ukraine’s plans for a counteroffensive against Russian occupation remain on track, its deputy defence minister told Reuters on Saturday, despite an “unprecedented” wave of missile and drone attacks across the country in recent weeks. Volodymyr V. Havrylov said that alongside cruise missile strikes, Ukraine had faced…

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Turkey’s Erdogan takes oath for new term as president

ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan took the oath of office for a new five-year presidential term on Saturday, extending his rule into a third decade. “I, as president, swear upon my honour and integrity before the great Turkish nation and history to safeguard the existence and independence of the state … to abide…

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Russia warns United States: don’t brandish ultimatums on arms control

By Guy Faulconbridge MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russia warned the United States on Saturday it should stop brandishing ultimatums over the collapse of arms control agreements, saying Moscow would only return to a nuclear arms reduction treaty if Washington abandons its hostile stance. Russia and the United States, by far the biggest nuclear powers, have both expressed…

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Indonesia proposes demilitarised zone, UN referendum for Ukraine peace plan

By Kanupriya Kapoor SINGAPORE (Reuters) -Indonesia’s defence minister on Saturday proposed a peace plan to end the war in Ukraine, calling for a demilitarised zone and a United Nations referendum in what he called disputed territory. Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko dismissed the plan, reiterating Kyiv’s position that Russia should withdraw its troops from…

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