By Nina Chestney and Joseph Nasr (Reuters) -Russia said on Monday it will not supply gas to Europe for free as it works out methods for accepting payments for its gas exports in roubles but G7 nations refused the demand. At a meeting of European Union …
Israel’s U.S., Arab partners close ranks on Iran, urge Palestinian talks
By Humeyra Pamuk SDE BOKER, Israel (Reuters) -The top diplomats of the United States and four Arab countries convened in Israel on Monday in a display of unity against Iran but also used the rare summit to press their host to revive long-stalled peacem…
Biden’s budget boosts military, raises taxes on billionaires, companies
By Andrea Shalal and Trevor Hunnicutt WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday submitted a $5.79 trillion budget plan to Congress that calls for record peacetime military spending and further aid for Ukraine, while raising taxes for bil…
Kremlin says Biden’s remark on the end of Putin is ‘alarming’
By Guy Faulconbridge LONDON (Reuters) -The Kremlin said on Monday that U.S. President Joe Biden’s remark that Vladimir Putin “cannot remain in power” was a cause for alarm, a guarded response to the first public call from the United States for an end t…
Shanghai locks down as COVID surges in China’s financial hub
By Andrew Galbraith and David Stanway SHANGHAI (Reuters) -China’s financial hub of Shanghai launched a two-stage lockdown of its 26 million residents on Monday, closing bridges and tunnels and restricting highway traffic in a scramble to contain surgin…
Turkey faces risks acting as sanctions ‘safe haven’ for Russians
By Jonathan Spicer ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine sparked a flurry of Western sanctions on Moscow, at least one oligarch and thousands of other Russians have arrived in Turkey, seen as a safe place to stay, invest and hold asse…
Stars bring color, glitter and some skin to Oscars red carpet
By Maria Caspani (Reuters) -Kristen Stewart rocked the Oscars red carpet in shorts and Timothee Chalamet went shirtless on Sunday as stars made a full-fledged return for Hollywood’s big night out after the seismic changes wrought by COVID-19. After las…
Deaf actor Kotsur makes Oscars history, DeBose wins supporting actress
By Lisa Richwine LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -Troy Kotsur made history on Sunday as the first deaf man to win an Oscar for his role in “CODA,” and Ariana DeBose took the supporting actress trophy for “West Side Story” as Hollywood returned to all-out glitz a…
El Salvador invokes emergency powers after surge in homicides
By Nelson Renteria SAN SALVADOR (Reuters) – El Salvador’s Congress approved on Sunday emergency powers that temporarily suspended some constitutional protections after the Central American country recorded a sharp rise in killings attributed to crimina…
Ukraine willing to be neutral, says Russia wants to split nation
By Pavel Polityuk and Oleksandr Kozhukhar LVIV, Ukraine (Reuters) – Ukraine is willing to become neutral and compromise over the status of the eastern Donbass region as part of a peace deal, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Sunday, even as another…