Town Hall News

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Tuesday he plans to introduce a resolution rejecting former President Donald Trump’s call to defund the Justice Department and FBI. Trump, who is seeking to regain the presidency in 2024, made the plea to his fellow Republicans in Congress one day after being charged in New York with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. He pleaded not guilty. Schumer, […]

(Reuters) – Russian forces pressed attacks on frontline cities in eastern Ukraine, while Ukrainian officials played down a report that Kyiv is amending some plans for a counter-offensive because of a leak of classified U.S. documents. BATTLEFIELD * The Russian-installed head of Donetsk said Russian forces controlled more than 75% of the besieged city of Bakhmut. * Russia said it has destroyed a depot containing 70,000 tonnes of fuel near […]

PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKY, Russia (Reuters) – One of Russia’s most active volcanoes erupted on the far eastern Kamchatka peninsula on Tuesday, shooting a vast cloud of ash far into the sky that smothered villages in drifts of grey volcanic dust and triggered an aviation warning. The Shiveluch volcano erupted just after midnight reaching a crescendo about six hours later, spewing out an ash cloud over an area of 108,000 square kilometres (41,699 […]

BUCHAREST (Reuters) – Romania aims to buy the latest generation U.S. F-35 fighter planes to boost its air defences, the country’s supreme defence council (CSAT) said in a statement on Tuesday. The European Union and NATO state has raised defence spending to 2.5% of gross domestic product this year from 2%, in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The country, which shares a 650-km (400 mile) border with Ukraine, is […]

(Reuters) – Asian champions Al Hilal Coach Ramon Diaz said his team will fight to defend their Saudi Pro League title after a disappointing 2-2 draw against Al Tai on Monday that left them 10 points behind league leaders Al Ittihad. Argentine coach Diaz is also looking to defend his team’s AFC Champions League title when they host Urawa Red Diamonds of Japan in the first leg on April 29. […]

By Alasdair Pal and Dominique Patton SYDNEY/BEIJING (Reuters) – Australia has reached an agreement with China to resolve their dispute over barley imports, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Tuesday, in the latest sign of improving ties between the trade partners. Relations between the two had been strained for years, and worsened after Australia called for an inquiry into the origins of COVID, triggering trade reprisals by Beijing including anti-dumping […]

By Melanie Burton MELBOURNE (Reuters) -Newmont Corp laid down a best and final offer for Australia’s Newcrest Mining Ltd on Tuesday at A$29.4 billion ($19.5 billion) to close a deal that would extend Newmont’s lead as the world’s biggest gold producer. If successful, the deal would lift Newmont’s gold output to nearly double its nearest rival Barrick Gold Corp. The merger is set to be the third-largest deal ever involving […]

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia started fuel exports to Iran by rail this year for the first time after traditional buyers shunned trade with Moscow, according to three industry sources and exports data. Russia and Iran, both under Western sanctions, are forging closer ties in order to support their economies and to undermine Western sanctions which both Moscow and Tehran cast as unjustified. Western sanctions on Russian oil products over what […]

MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russia is poised to introduce electronic military draft papers for the first time in its history in an effort to make it harder for men to avoid being drafted as it seeks to perfect a system it has used to bolster its military forces in Ukraine. The State Duma, the lower house of parliament, is due to consider the move – which requires a change in the law […]