Town Hall News

(Reuters) – Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said that if any other country wanted to join a Russia-Belarus union there could be “nuclear weapons for everyone.” Russia moved ahead last week with a plan to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, in the Kremlin’s first deployment of such warheads outside Russia since the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union, spurring concerns in the West. In an interview published on Russia’s state […]

(Reuters) – With a long-promised Ukrainian counteroffensive looming to recapture territory taken by Russia in 15th months of fighting, Moscow launched a series of attacks on Kyiv over the weekend targeting military infrastructure and supplies. AIR ATTACKS * Russia launched air attacks on Kyiv in the early hours of Monday using drones and cruise missiles. Ukrainian officials said defence forces shot down more than 40 targets. * Russia unleashed what […]

KYIV (Reuters) – A Russian drone attack overnight damaged some infrastructure in Ukraine’s Black Sea port of Odesa, which is key for its grain exports, the Ukrainian military said on Monday. “A fire broke out in the port infrastructure of Odesa as a result of the hit. It was quickly extinguished. Information on the extent of the damage is being updated,” the military’s southern command said on Facebook. The military […]

By Alasdair Pal SYDNEY (Reuters) -The leader of Western Australia resigned on Monday in a surprise announcement, citing exhaustion, after guiding the resource-rich state through the COVID pandemic. Premier Mark McGowan, elected in 2017, is a member of Australia’s ruling Labor Party, which also holds a large majority in Western Australia. He will also step down from the state parliament this week, he told a news conference. “I have loved […]

By Rae Wee SINGAPORE (Reuters) – The dollar held firm on Monday supported by growing expectations of further rate hikes by the U.S. Federal Reserve, though news that a debt ceiling deal had been finalised drew some of the safe haven bids away from the greenback. The U.S. dollar notched a fresh six-month high of 140.91 yen in early Asia trade before reversing some of those gains to last trade […]

By Valerie Volcovici (Reuters) – With countries meeting this week to work on a global plastics treaty, debate was emerging between countries wanting to limit the production of more plastics and the petrochemical industry favoring recycling as the solution to plastic waste. Ahead of the talks starting Monday in Paris, many countries have said a goal of the treaty should be “circularity” – or keeping already-produced plastic items in circulation […]

SYDNEY (Reuters) – Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan resigned on Monday in a surprise announcement, citing exhaustion. McGowan, elected premier in 2017, is a member of Australia’s ruling Labor Party, which also holds a large majority in Western Australia. He will also step down from the state parliament this week, he told a news conference. “I have loved the challenge of solving problems, making decisions, getting outcomes, and helping people. […]

(Reuters) – The eastern Canadian city of Halifax declared a state of local emergency late on Sunday after a wildfire caused evacuations and power outages. “Emergency responders are working around the clock to keep people safe and reduce the threats posed by the fires,” the municipal authority in the capital of Nova Scotia province said in a press release. The fire sent a huge pall of smoke over the port […]

By Can Sezer, Ali Kucukgocmen and Huseyin Hayatsever ANKARA (Reuters) -President Tayyip Erdogan extended his two decades in power in elections on Sunday, winning a mandate to pursue increasingly authoritarian policies which have polarised Turkey and strengthened its position as a regional military power. His challenger, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, called it “the most unfair election in years” but did not dispute the outcome. Official results showed Kilicdaroglu won 47.9% of the […]