WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will host an event related to the ‘Blue Pacific’ group of countries at the U.N. on Thursday, White House Indo-Pacific coordinator Kurt Campbell said on Monday. The group includes the United …
Russia’s Wagner trying to recruit over 1,500 felons for Ukraine war -U.S. official
By Idrees Ali (Reuters) -The Wagner Group, a Russian private military company, is trying to recruit over 1,500 convicted felons to take part in Russia’s war in Ukraine, but many are refusing to join, a senior U.S. defense official said on Monday. “Our …
Wall Street ends choppy session higher with focus firmly on Fed
By David French (Reuters) – Wall Street’s main indexes ended a seesaw session higher on Monday, as investors turned their attention to this week’s policy meeting at the Federal Reserve and how aggressively it will hike interest rates. Even more so than…
Moscow summons Canada envoy over Russian embassy attacks in Ottawa
MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russia’s foreign ministry has summoned the Canadian ambassador and issued a protest over attacks on the Russian embassy in Ottawa, the ministry said on Monday. It said an unknown person threw a Molotov cocktail – gasoline bomb – onto …
Record 1.8 tons of cocaine seized, Nigeria’s drugs agency says
By Camillus Eboh ABUJA (Reuters) – A record 1.8 tons of cocaine was seized from a warehouse in Lagos with a street value of $278.5 million, Nigeria’s National Drug Law Enforcement Agency spokesman said on Monday. The agency said the drugs, found in a r…
Planned Parenthood, others urge Indiana judge to block abortion ban
By Brendan Pierson (Reuters) – A Planned Parenthood affiliate and other abortion rights groups and providers on Monday urged an Indiana judge to block the state’s ban on most abortions, which took effect last Thursday. Kenneth Falk, a lawyer with the A…
Jan. 6 attack prompts U.S. House to launch makeover of 1887 law
By Richard Cowan WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A 135-year-old federal election law will start getting a makeover in Congress this week in response to the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol by then-President Donald Trump’s supporters trying to stop cert…
Powerful earthquake hits Mexico on fateful anniversary, killing at least 2
By Daina Beth Solomon, Kylie Madry and Lizbeth Diaz MEXICO CITY (Reuters) -A magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck western Mexico on Monday on the anniversary of two devastating temblors, killing at least two people, damaging buildings, knocking out power an…
U.S. school book bans on the rise due to advocacy groups, report says
By Daniel Trotta (Reuters) -Book bans accelerated across the United States during the 2021-2022 school year, largely because of advocacy groups that called on public schools to remove more than 1,600 titles, the writers’ group PEN America said on Monda…
Hurricane Fiona seen intensifying after slamming Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico
By Ivelisse Rivera and Ezequiel Abiu Lopez SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico/Santo Domingo (Reuters) -Hurricane Fiona was churning north on Monday evening after bringing torrential rain and powerful winds to the Dominican Republic and triggering a total power outa…