
Live: House Minority Leader Hakim Jeffries holds press conference ahead of debt ceiling vote
Watch live as Hakim Jeffries, minority leader of the House of Representatives, and other Democrats hold a news conference ahead of a vote on the US debt ceiling on Wednesday evening (31 May). The House is due to vote on a bill to lift the government’s $31.4 trillion debt ceiling, a critical step to avoid a destabilising default that could come early next week without congressional action. Republicans control the House by a narrow 222-213 majority, meaning the bipartisan deal - agreed days ago - will need support from both Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s Republicans and Joe Biden’s Democrats to pass. Mr McCarthy has predicted that the vote will succeed. “It’s going to become law,” he told reporters. Meanwhile, Mr Biden took to Twitter to outline what failure to pass the bill could mean for America. “Our bipartisan budget agreement prevents the worst possible crisis: a default for the first time in our nation’s history – an economic recession, retirement accounts devastated, and millions of jobs lost,” he wrote. Read More Biden and McCarthy’s debt ceiling deal expected to go to full House vote today – live Australian Parliament takes step toward holding a referendum on Indigenous Voice this year Why Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's impeachment fight isn't finished yet
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China’s Close Plane Encounter Shows Need to Talk, Blinken Says
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said a Chinese pilot’s “dangerous action” in a close encounter with an
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Turkmenistan in Talks With US to Tackle Giant Methane Leaks
American officials are negotiating a deal to help Turkmenistan curb its vast methane emissions, potentially sealing a major
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UK castle could be yours for $37,000, but there's a catch
A sprawling Scottish castle is on sale for offers over £30,000 ($37,000), but there is a catch.
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Cargill to Sell China Poultry Business as Meat Margins Fall
Cargill Inc. is selling its poultry farming and processing business in China, the world’s biggest meat market as
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Australia’s House Prices Rise Sharply in May, Driven by Sydney
Australia’s house prices climbed for a third straight month in May, suggesting further interest-rate increases may be needed
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Texas man urges Supreme Court to stay out of major Second Amendment case
A lawyer for a Texas man urged the Supreme Court late Tuesday to let stand a lower court opinion that
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Zimbabwe's Mnangagwa sets election date as Aug. 23
Zimbabwe's national elections will take place on Aug. 23, the country's president announced Wednesday. The vote is expected to be another closely watched affair in a country with a history of violent and disputed elections. The announcement through a government gazette also set Oct. 2 for a presidential runoff vote if required. Opposition parties have already made allegations of violence and intimidation against their supporters in the buildup to the elections, and human rights groups have said President Emmerson Mnangagwa is silencing criticism. The southern African nation has only had two leaders since it gained independence from white minority rule in 1980. Robert Mugabe led Zimbabwe for 37 years until he was removed and replaced by Mnangagwa in a coup in 2017. Mnangagwa had served as a vice president under Mugabe. The last general election was held in 2018, nearly a year after the coup. Once a close ally of Mugabe, Mnangagwa, 80, has tried to present himself as a reformer despite accusations that he is even more repressive than the man he helped remove from power. Mnangagwa is expected to face a strong challenge from Nelson Chamisa, the 45-year-old leader of the main opposition party, Citizens Coalition for Change. Chamisa narrowly lost to Mnangagwa in 2018, with the Constitutional Court dismissing his claims of election rigging. Apart from the presidency, the election will also decide the composition of the 300-seat parliament and close to 2,000 local council positions. Mnangagwa’s ZANU-PF ruling party and the government have denied allegations of violence and intimidation by ruling party activists and security forces. But rights groups have accused Mnangagwa’s government of intimidation and of suppressing any criticism and opposition amid a currency crisis and a sharp rise in food prices. Zimbabwe has faced severe economic problems for years and has been under U.S. sanctions for two decades over human rights abuses. Mugabe died in 2019. Chamisa said this week he is ready for the election, but has made allegations of voting roll irregularities. Compounding that, Chamisa said his party is at a disadvantage because Mnangagwa and ZANU-PF control state–run media and hold sway over the police, other security forces and the judiciary, which are used to clamp down on dissent. On Wednesday, Fadzayi Mahere, spokeswoman for the Citizens Coalition for Change, tweeted: “No govt that’s popular & knows it’s winning behaves like this. They’re terrified cause, like all of us, they know that ZANU PF can never win a free & fair election in Zimbabwe." "That’s why they’re trying to stitch & doctor the voters’ roll but it won’t work. People want change.” Opposition parties had accused Mnangagwa of delaying announcing a date for the election that must take place before the end of August. Mnangagwa's announcement came a day after Zimbabwe's foreign ministry summoned the United States’ deputy ambassador over a series of tweets the embassy sent calling for a peaceful election. The ministry accused the embassy of “election-related social media posts bordering on activism and meddling in Zimbabwe’s internal affairs.” Deputy Ambassador Elaine French was called to a meeting with Zimbabwe foreign affairs acting permanent secretary Rofina Chikava on Tuesday following the posts on the U.S. Embassy's official Twitter account. The Zimbabwe foreign ministry said it had a particular issue with a May 26 tweet that called for Zimbabweans to “Register to vote and make sure your voice is heard.” Another tweet from the embassy said “Zimbabwe’s constitution grants citizens the right to choose their representatives in legitimate, credible, & peaceful elections.” The foreign ministry said the tweet urging people to register to vote was against diplomatic protocols. “We stand by our recent social media posts calling for peace during the election season," U.S. Embassy spokeswoman Meg Riggs said in a statement. “Elections are a part of a functioning democracy.” ___ More AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa Read More Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Zimbabwe releases prisoners in amnesty, reducing overcrowding AOC warns Elon Musk is ‘testing waters’ to interfere in 2024 election Nevada Republican governor approves abortion protections in rare cross-party move
1970-01-01 08:00

Where are the jobs? India's world-beating growth falls short
By Ira Dugal MUMBAI (Reuters) -On a hot summer afternoon, 23-year old Nizamudin Abdul Rahim Khan is playing cricket on
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US Mortgage Rates Rise to Near Seven-Month High of 6.91%
US mortgage rates surged to the highest level since early November last week, stifling demand for home purchases
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This is the Face of Disbelief You Make When You Can't Throw Miguel Cabrera Out at Home
The Texas Rangers beat the Detroit Tigers 10-6 on Tuesday night despite a heroic individual effort by Miguel Cabrera. The future Hall of Famer got it on at the plate and on the base paths as he went 3-for-3 and scored from second on a ball that barely made it into the outfield. Rangers left fielder Travis Jankowski tried to throw out Cabrera, but never stood a chance against the man who most recently lost a footrace to 43-year-old pitcher Rich Hill.
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What’s Trending Today: Djokovic on Kosovo, Musk in China, Iowa Building Collapse, Debt Limit Vote
Welcome to Social Buzz, a daily column looking at what’s trending on social media platforms. I’m Caitlin Fichtel,
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