Political news

• Obama defends counterterrorism plan before handover to Trump

  06-12-2016 23:58
  
  TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Closing out two terms as a president at war, Barack Obama staunchly defended his counterterrorism strategy as one that rejected torture, held to American values and avoided large-scale troop deployments, in an implicit effort to shape the strategy his successor might employ.
  
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• The Atlantic Politics & Policy Daily: We're Gonna Need a Smaller Plane

  06-12-2016 23:49
  
  Today in 5 Lines President-elect Donald Trump called for the U.S. Defense Department to “cancel” a contract with Boeing to build future presidential aircraft, saying costs were “more than $4 billion.” Boeing said in a statement that the contract is for $170 million. Trump will attend a rally tonight in Fayetteville, North Carolina, as part of his post-election “thank you” tour, where he is expected to formally announce his pick for secretary of defense. The U.
  
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• Libyan forces clear last Islamic State holdout in Sirte

  06-12-2016 23:38
  By Hani Amara SIRTE, Libya (Reuters) - Libyan forces backed by U.S. air strikes finished clearing the last Islamic State holdout in Sirte on Tuesday after a near seven-month battle for the militant group's former North African stronghold. The forces gained full control over a final patch of ground in Sirte's Ghiza Bahriya district after hours of clashes. Fighters fired in the air chanting "Free Libya" and "The blood of the martyrs was not for nothing." The loss of Sirte is a major blow for Islam
  
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• Trump: Japanese mogul pledges $50 billion US investment

  06-12-2016 23:37
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — After meeting with Donald Trump on Tuesday, Japanese tech billionaire Masayoshi Son said he will invest $50 billion in the United States and would "commit" to creating 50,000 new jobs over an unspecified time period.
  
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• Lucas hat-trick in Basel seals top spot for Arsenal

  06-12-2016 23:34
  (Reuters) - Arsenal's Spanish striker Lucas Perez seized his chance to shine with a Champions League treble as they outclassed Basel 4-1 away to steal the Group A top spot from Paris St Germain on Tuesday. Lucas, making only his fifth start since joining from Deportivo La Coruna for about 17 million pounds ($21.55 million)in August, struck twice from close range inside 16 minutes. Alex Iwobi made it 4-0 after 53 minutes and it could have been even better for Arsenal as Alexis Sanchez rattled the
  
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• Ohio governor tells electors not to vote for him over Trump

  06-12-2016 23:33
  COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio Gov. John Kasich on Tuesday advised state electors not to vote for him in an anti-Donald Trump protest.
  
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• Syrian army pushes into rebel areas of Aleppo Old City - monitors

  06-12-2016 23:28
  BEIRUT (Reuters) - The Syrian army and its allies pushed into rebel-held areas of Aleppo's Old City late on Tuesday, the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported. A rebel official denied government forces had entered those areas but said they were pushing toward the Old City. A military source said government forces had begun to move "in that direction". (Reporting by John Davison, and Kinda Makieh in Damascus; Editing by Chris Reese)
  
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• Grayling downplays fears over rail shake-up

  06-12-2016 23:22
  Vow to put more stress on quality of service than simple financial terms of bids
  
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• Germany’s shift toward a burqa ban

  06-12-2016 23:22
  If anyone can be called the leader of Europe, it is Angela Merkel, the chancellor of Germany. For 11 years, both her strong values and her country’s influence have helped calm the Continent during many crises. Yet after a surge of Muslim migrants in 2015 and a string of terrorist attacks began to boost anti-Islam parties, she has decided to flip-flop on an issue that has gained ground from Bulgaria to Norway. She now supports a ban on face-covering veils in public.
  
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• Theresa May to tell Gulf leaders Iran nuclear deal is 'vitally important'

  06-12-2016 23:19
  
  British PM will underline value of deal in first intervention since election of Donald Trump, who wants to tear up agreementTheresa May will say the Iran nuclear deal is “vitally important” in her first major intervention on the issue since the election of Donald Trump, who has said he plans to tear up the agreement secured by the Obama administration.Speaking on Wednesday, the prime minister will tell Gulf leaders in Bahrain that Iran remains a threat to the stability of the Middle
  
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• Lewandowski's Bayern goal ends perfect Atletico record

  06-12-2016 23:19
  Robert Lewandowski scored a brilliant free kick to give Bayern Munich a 1-0 win over Atletico Madrid in their last Champions League Group D outing on Tuesday, ending the 100 percent record of their opponents. The Poland international curled the ball over the wall and into the corner of the net in the 28th minute but the goal had no impact on the final standings with Atletico guaranteed top spot and Bayern in second place. Visiting coach Diego Simeone made five changes to the team that drew 0-0 w
  
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• Michigan recount expands, Pennsylvania sets federal hearing

  06-12-2016 23:18
  
  DETROIT (AP) — Michigan's presidential recount expanded to several new counties on Tuesday, including its largest one that includes Detroit. Meanwhile, the fate of a statewide recount push in Pennsylvania must wait at least until Friday, when a federal judge has scheduled a hearing on it.
  
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• The Latest: House conservatives push to impeach IRS chief

  06-12-2016 23:12
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on Congress (all times local):
  
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• Oil falls on output cut skepticism, OPEC and Russia output rise

  06-12-2016 23:09
  By Scott DiSavino NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices on Tuesday ended lower for the first time since OPEC agreed on Nov. 30 to cut output, as data showing record high production in the producer group fed skepticism that it would be able to reduce supplies. Brent futures slid $1.01 to settle at $53.93 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures fell 86 cents to $50.93 per barrel. Crude had surged more than 15 percent in the four sessions since the Nov. 30 OPEC meeting.
  
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• Democrats: McConnell fix for miners' health care inadequate

  06-12-2016 23:07
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says he has found a way to protect health care benefits for thousands of retired coal miners whose benefits are set to expire at the end of the year.
  
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• Trump sold all his shares in companies in June - spokesman

  06-12-2016 23:01
  By Emily Stephenson WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump sold all of his shares in companies in June, aides said on Tuesday, a move that likely raised substantial cash ahead of the presidential election and could now ease some concerns about potential conflicts of interest. Trump's stock portfolio included shares of companies including Apple Inc , Microsoft Corp , JPMorgan Chase & Co and a host of others, according to a financial disclosure form filed in May. Trump spokes
  
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• Theresa May sidesteps question about £995 leather trousers

  06-12-2016 23:00
  
  Reporter asks prime minister if expensive clothing worn for photoshoot shows her distance from general public Theresa May has been challenged over her decision to wear a £995 pair of leather trousers for a newspaper photoshoot by a reporter on a flight to Bahrain, but sidestepped the question to insist she was working for everyone in Britain.The prime minister was interrogated after it emerged she wore the trousers and a pair of £295 Burberry trainers when photographed by the Sunday
  
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• Second-string Manchester City held 1-1 by Celtic

  06-12-2016 22:50
  Manchester City ended their Champions League group campaign with a 1-1 draw at home to Celtic on Tuesday, having recovered from an early blow inflicted by one of their own on-loan players. Patrick Roberts, signed by City last year, gave Celtic a fourth-minute lead, but his excellent individual effort was swiftly cancelled out by Kelechi Iheanacho with the remainder of the encounter struggling to live up to its explosive start. With City already confirmed in second place in Group C and safely int
  
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• Liz Truss Says 'Barking Dogs Deter Drones' In Latest 'Viral' Soundbite

  06-12-2016 22:41
  
  Justice Secretary Liz Truss has baffled MPs by suggesting barking dogs could be deployed to prevent drones flying drugs into prisons.
  The Cabinet minister was setting out how Pentonville prison was dealing with the growing number of incidents where prisoners are receiving drugs, mobile phones and other banned products via remote piloted aircraft.
  The Government recently announced “no-fly zones” over prisons to combat the problem - 33 incidents were recorded in 2015, compared with jus
  
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• U.S. courts look ahead to Trump as Obama cases fizzle

  06-12-2016 22:39
  By Lawrence Hurley WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's legal defence of some key initiatives including his signature healthcare law is collapsing as courts put cases on hold until after President-elect Donald Trump, hostile to the policies, assumes office on Jan. 20. The pending conservative legal challenges could undo important elements of Obama's presidential legacy if Trump, as expected, opts not to defend the Obama policies in court or simply ditches the initiatives that are unde
  
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• The Latest: Kasich advises electors against protest votes

  06-12-2016 22:37
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on President-elect Donald Trump (all times EST):
  
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• Obama says his strategy is 'breaking the back' of extremists

  06-12-2016 22:28
  
  TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — President Barack Obama says the fight he's led against the Islamic State group has been relentless, sustainable and multilateral. He says it demonstrates a shift in how the U.S. takes on terrorists around the world.
  
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• Jacklin backs Bjorn but worries about Paris venue

  06-12-2016 22:18
  By Tony Jimenez LONDON (Reuters) - Tony Jacklin has welcomed Thomas Bjorn's appointment as 2018 European Ryder Cup captain but the former skipper is concerned about the Paris venue and the qualification criteria for the 12-man team. Jacklin, the most successful leader in Europe's Ryder Cup history with two wins and a tie from his four matches in charge from 1983-89, believes the 45-year-old Dane, three-times a player in the biennial contest, is the right man for the job. The only reservation I'v
  
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• Djokovic splits with coach Becker

  06-12-2016 22:18
  Tennis world number two Novak Djokovic has split with coach Boris Becker three years after adding the German multiple grand slam winner to his team. Serbian Djokovic, who won six of his 12 major titles after hiring Becker but has suffered a slump in form over the past six months, confirmed their parting of ways on his website on Tuesday. "After three very successful years, Boris Becker and I have jointly decided to end our cooperation," Djokovic, who lost his number one ranking to Andy Murray la
  
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• Chris Grayling demands rail companies roll out smart tickets

  06-12-2016 22:18
  Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has demanded the rail industry makes urgent progress on introducing smart ticketing. The UK's train operators have been talking about the introduction of paperless tickets for years, but most passengers have seen little progress. Mr Grayling said: "In a world where I can even buy my lunch in the House of Commons tea room with my mobile phone, I should not have to queue for a paper ticket at the station in the morning.
  
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• Brexit case sees starkly different views of UK constitution

  06-12-2016 22:15
  
  U.K. Supreme Court judges were presented with starkly contrasting views of Britain's largely unwritten constitution Tuesday, as they considered whether government or Parliament has the power to lead the ...
  
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• Critics worry after Trump security chief fuels conspiracies

  06-12-2016 22:14
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — On issues of national security and intelligence, no one is likely to have more influence in Donald Trump's White House than retired Gen. Michael T. Flynn.
  
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• Poll: Racial vulnerability linked to youth vote choice

  06-12-2016 22:02
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Among the youngest white adult Americans, feelings of racial and economic vulnerability appear to be closely connected to their support for Donald Trump in last month's election.
  
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• Italian president pushes for new voting law before election

  06-12-2016 22:02
  By Giselda Vagnoni and Steve Scherer ROME (Reuters) - Italy's President Sergio Mattarella wants parliament to draft a new electoral law before any ballot is held, a source close to the president said on Tuesday, a move likely to delay any vote after Prime Minister Matteo Renzi resigns. Renzi said he would step down after losing a referendum on constitutional reform on Sunday, but Mattarella asked him to stay on until parliament passes the 2017 budget, a vote scheduled for Wednesday.. The next pa
  
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• U.S. judge throws out emissions fraud lawsuit against Mercedes

  06-12-2016 21:58
  By Erica Teichert (Reuters) - A U.S. judge in New Jersey on Tuesday threw out a lawsuit alleging that automaker Mercedes misled consumers about emissions standards in "BlueTec Clean Diesel" vehicles. U.S. District Judge Jose Linares said the plaintiffs did not have standing to bring the case. (Reporting By Erica Teichert; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)
  
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• Q&A: A look at Trump's call to cancel new Air Force One

  06-12-2016 21:56
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump suggested Tuesday that he would cancel Boeing's contract to build a new fleet of presidential aircraft to replace the aging Reagan-era models that currently shuttle the president around the world. Trump cited "out of control" costs of more than $4 billion in a tweet that ended with "Cancel order!"
  
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• Japan's SoftBank to invest $50 billion in United States

  06-12-2016 21:56
  Japanese telecoms and internet firm SoftBank Group Corp plans to invest $50 billion (39.48 billion pounds) in the United States in businesses and create 50,000 new jobs, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said on Tuesday. The money would come from a $100 billion investment fund that SoftBank Chief Executive Masayoshi Son is setting up with Saudi Arabia’s sovereign-wealth fund and other potential partners, according to the Wall Street Journal. Trump made the announcement in the lobby of Trum
  
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• Lagarde to seek postponement of trial in Tapie case - lawyer

  06-12-2016 21:55
  IMF chief Christine Lagarde will ask for a postponement of a trial aimed at establishing her role in a 400-million-euro (£338.3 million) payout to businessman Bernard Tapie as another investigation of the case is ongoing, her lawyer told Reuters. France's highest appeals court rejected Lagarde's appeal against a judge's order in December for her to stand trial at the Cour de Justice de la Republique (CJR), a special court that tries ministers for crimes in office. Lagarde was France's fina
  
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• Trump interjects himself in Air Force One, business deals

  06-12-2016 21:53
  
  NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump, a political newcomer who touts his corporate skills, turned businessman-in-chief Tuesday, first demanding the government cancel a multibillion-dollar order for new presidential planes and then hailing a Japanese company's commitment to invest billions in the U.S.
  
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• Alaska Air wins U.S. antitrust approval for Virgin deal with conditions

  06-12-2016 21:45
  By Diane Bartz WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Alaska Air Group Inc has won U.S. antitrust approval for its $2.6 billion (2.05 billion pounds) acquisition of Virgin America Inc on condition that it scale back its code-sharing with American Airlines Group Inc , the Justice Department said on Tuesday. The merged company would be the fifth largest U.S. carrier after American Airlines , Delta , United Airlines Inc and Southwest Airlines Co . Alaska Air said in a statement that it was pleased with the approva
  
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• Aide says Trump sold stocks in June, provides no evidence

  06-12-2016 21:44
  
  President-elect Donald Trump sold all of his stocks in June as he plunged into the costly general election campaign, his transition team abruptly announced Tuesday. His advisers provided no proof of the ...
  
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• In age of Trump, GOP learns to embrace government activism

  06-12-2016 21:43
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — After eight years of denouncing President Barack Obama as a big-government activist, congressional Republicans suddenly appear eager to welcome a big-government activist to the White House.
  
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• The Latest: Trump adds to lead in Wisconsin amid recount

  06-12-2016 21:40
  
  LANSING, Mich. (AP) — The Latest on the presidential recount efforts in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin (all times local):
  
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• Gambia high court frees 12 more prisoners jailed for protest

  06-12-2016 21:39
  By Emma Farge BANJUL (Reuters) - Gambia's high court released a further 12 political prisoners on Tuesday, their lawyer said, adding to hopes of an end to years of repression after long-ruling President Yahya Jammeh lost elections last week. Darboe was freed on bail along with 18 other political prisoners pending an appeal of their sentence for "unlawful assembly", the same charge on which the dozen released on Tuesday were jailed. The election result, and Jammeh's decision to accept it on a con
  
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• Wall Street rises, euro down ahead of ECB meeting

  06-12-2016 21:38
  By Sinead Carew NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil futures snapped a four-day rally on Tuesday on signs of higher output while the euro slipped from a three-week high ahead of a meeting of the European Central Bank on Thursday. Wall Street was boosted by financial and telecom stocks while U.S. Treasury yields held in narrow ranges ahead of the ECB meeting. Italian banks rebounded. The euro fell 0.5 percent to $1.071 as currency investors focused on the possibility the ECB may take a hawkish turn, even as
  
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• Sony hack may have inspired Russian election hacking - U.S. lawmaker

  06-12-2016 21:38
  By Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. failure to retaliate strongly for the 2014 cyber attack against Sony Pictures may have helped inspire Russian hackers who sought to interfere in the 2016 U.S. election, a senior congressional Democrat said on Tuesday. "Russia may have concluded that they could hack American institutions and there'd be no price to pay," Representative Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, said at a press breakfast
  
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• Oakland warehouse fire death toll, at 36, not expected to rise

  06-12-2016 21:36
  By Curtis Skinner OAKLAND, Calif. (Reuters) - Authorities in Oakland, California, said on Tuesday they do not expect the death toll from a blaze that engulfed a converted warehouse during a dance party to rise above 36 but could not rule it out as they continued picking through debris. "We're going to continue the process until absolutely every piece of debris is removed from the building (and) every area has been searched," said Oakland Police Department spokeswoman Johnna Watson. The coroner's
  
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• Venezuelans stage protest over political prisoners outside Vatican

  06-12-2016 21:35
  Opponents of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, including the wife and mother of a jailed dissident leader, have begun a sit-in outside the Vatican demanding that the government free political prisoners. Leopoldo Lopez has become a cause celebre among opposition supporters, who accuse Maduro of trampling human rights. The U.S. government, the United Nations and international rights groups have all called for Lopez's release.
  
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• The Latest: Pence will dine with GOP senators Tuesdays

  06-12-2016 21:27
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on President-elect Donald Trump (all times EST):
  
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• Oil falls on output cut scepticism, OPEC and Russia output rise

  06-12-2016 21:22
  By Scott DiSavino NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices on Tuesday ended lower for the first time in a week since OPEC agreed to cut output on growing scepticism that the cartel would be able to reduce supplies as data showed record high production in most major export regions. After rising over 15 percent over the four sessions since the Nov. 30 OPEC meeting, Brent futures lost $1.01, or 1.8 percent, to settle at $53.93 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures fell 86 cents, o
  
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• Donald Trump Slapped Down By Boeing And White House For Wildly Inaccurate Figure

  06-12-2016 21:21
  
  Donald Trump has been slapped down for factually incorrect comments saying the government should cancel contracts to build new Air Force One planes, which hurt Boeing’s stock.
  Trump said costs for the Boeing 747s were “totally out of control”, though the $4 billion figure he cited appeared to be way off. The US Defense Department budgeted $1.65 billion for the two planes, Reuters reported in January when Boeing won the contract.
  Trump told journalists in the lobby of Trump
  
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• Forum: Congress must help Hawaii fishermen confined to boats

  06-12-2016 21:14
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Experts and advocates are urging Congress to improve conditions for hundreds of foreign fishermen working in Hawaii's commercial fleet, following an Associated Press investigation that found the men have been confined to vessels for years without basic labor protections.
  
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• Beyonce leads Grammy nominations as pop, R&B dominates top fields

  06-12-2016 21:07
  
  By Piya Sinha-Roy LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Beyonce got a leading nine Grammy nominations on Tuesday, followed by Drake, Rihanna and Kanye West with eight nods each, as pop, R&B and hip hop took center stage in the contest for the music industry's highest honors. Beyonce's haul included album, song and record of the year, the top three Grammy accolades, for her hit song "Formation" and visual album "Lemonade," a collection of songs about race, feminism and empowerment. The R&B singer, 35,
  
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• Prosecutors: Don't move Aaron Schock case to Peoria court

  06-12-2016 21:05
  SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Federal prosecutors say they don't want former Illinois congressman Aaron Schock's corruption case moved from Springfield to Peoria.
  
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• Brazil Senate to wait until court decision for vote agenda - lawmaker

  06-12-2016 21:02
  BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazil's Senate will only decide on the voting schedule for key legislation after the Supreme Court decides whether to uphold an earlier ruling to remove the head of the upper house, senator Jorge Viana said on Tuesday. Viana would take over the presidency of the Senate if the plenary of the court removes Renan Calheiros on Wednesday. The leftist senator from the jungle state of Acre is a member of the Workers' Party, which opposes austerity reforms proposed by President Mic
  
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