Town Hall News

By Stephanie van den Berg and Anthony Deutsch THE HAGUE (Reuters) – Ukraine on Tuesday called Russia a terrorist state at the top U.N. court, as hearings began in a case over Moscow’s backing of pro-Russian separatists blamed for shooting down Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 in 2014. It was the first time lawyers for Ukraine and Russia met at the International Court of Justice, also know as the World Court, […]

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) -Pope Francis, 86, spent around 40 minutes at Rome’s Gemelli hospital having a check-up on Tuesday before returning to the Vatican, Italian media reported. Francis went to a department in the hospital specialised in treating elderly patients and arrived at 1040 local time (0840 GMT) before being driven away at around 1120, the reports said. There was no immediate comment from the Vatican. Francis spent five days […]

By Chayut Setboonsarng and Panarat Thepgumpanat BANGKOK (Reuters) – Thailand’s prime ministerial frontrunner Pita Limjaroenrat played down an effort to disqualify him over a stock ownership issue on Tuesday, insisting he violated no rules and that rivals were determined to keep him from the top job. Buoyed by massive youth support behind its anti-establishment, anti-monopoly agenda, Pita’s progressive Move Forward party were the surprise winners of last month’s election, which […]

By Michael Holden and Sam Tobin LONDON (Reuters) – Prince Harry said the press had blood on its hands as he gave evidence against a tabloid publisher whose titles he accuses of phone-hacking and other unlawful activities, becoming the first senior royal in a witness box in more than a century. Harry, the fifth-in-line to the throne, briefly smiled as he passed the phalanx of waiting photographers and camera crews […]

By Chayut Setboonsarng and Panarat Thepgumpanat BANGKOK (Reuters) – Thailand’s prime ministerial frontrunner Pita Limjaroenrat played down an effort to disqualify him over a stock ownership issue on Tuesday, insisting he violated no rules and that rivals were determined to keep him from the top job. Buoyed by massive youth support behind its anti-establishment, anti-monopoly agenda, Pita’s progressive Move Forward party were the surprise winners of last month’s election, which […]

SHANGHAI/BEIJING (Reuters) – A Chinese self-regulatory body overseen by the central bank has asked major state-owned banks to lower the dollar deposit interest rates, four people with direct knowledge of the matter said on Tuesday, in the latest move to shore up the weakening yuan currency. Interest rates offered by the banks would be capped at 4.3% for dollar deposits of $50,000 and above, said the people, who declined to […]

By Joseph Ax (Reuters) – Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is expected to formally announce his 2024 presidential campaign on Tuesday in New Hampshire, joining a growing Republican field led by Donald Trump. Christie, who served as an adviser to Trump’s successful 2016 campaign but has since become a vocal critic of the former president over his false claims that the 2020 election was rigged, is scheduled to hold […]

By Abhirup Roy, Hyunjoo Jin and Isla Binnie SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Ford Motor Co’s decision to allow customers to use Tesla’s electric-vehicle charging network has sent ripples through the industry, raising questions about a national U.S. charging standard as well as the fate of charging startups that are struggling. The deal, announced last month, would open more than 12,000 Tesla Superchargers to drivers of Ford vehicles in North America […]

By Richard Cowan WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Republican-controlled House of Representatives this week will take on what some lawmakers see as a burning issue: protecting Americans from new restrictions on gas-fueled stoves. The House is set to vote on two bills preventing regulators from banning the stoves in the future or setting new energy conservation and health standards for new models. Some state and local governments have begun banning gas-fueled […]