Wednesday June 11th 2014
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Iraqi insurgents 'seize new city'
Islamist insurgents in
Iraq have seized the city of Tikrit, their second major gain after
capturing Mosul on Tuesday, security officials say.
Tikrit, the hometown of former leader Saddam Hussein, lies just 150km (95 miles) north of the capital Baghdad.Iraqi PM Nouri Maliki has vowed to fight back against the jihadists and punish those in the security forces who have deserted.
The insurgents are from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS).
ISIS, which is also known as ISIL, is an offshoot of al-Qaeda.
It controls considerable territory in eastern Syria and western and central Iraq, in a campaign to set up a Sunni militant enclave straddling the border.
There were also reports on Wednesday of fighting further south, in Samarra, 110km north of Baghdad.
Separately, at least 21 people were killed and 45 hurt by a suicide bomber at a Shia meeting in Baghdad, police said.
'Do not give in' As many as 500,000 people fled Mosul after the militants attacked the city. The head of the Turkish mission in Mosul and almost 50 consulate officials are being held by the militants, Turkish officials say.
Ukraine rejects Putin's gas discounts offer
Ukraine rejected Russia's offer of a discount for gas shipments during talks on Wednesday.Russia offered to restore the discounted prices it granted Ukraine under the ousted pro-Russian president, but Ukraine demanded an even better deal and called for arbitration to settle the dispute.
"We believe that our offer is more than in a partnership spirit aimed to support the Ukrainian economy at a rather difficult time," Putin said in televised remarks. "But if our offers are rejected, this means we will enter another stage, this is not our choice. We do not want it."
Ukrainian Energy Minister Yuri Prodan told Russian news agencies on Wednesday that Kiev found the deal unacceptable.
Prodan said Ukraine was seeking a price lower than the $385 per 1,000 cubic meters. The minister said the Ukrainian government now believes that arbitration is the best option to solve the dispute.
Prodan, however, added that Ukraine is open to talks to hammer out a temporary price while arbitration is proceeding.
Putin and Russia's energy minister, Alexander Novak, said Wednesday the government was also ready to guarantee the discounts would remain in place for one year.
It wasn't immediately clear if Russia expected something in return.
Ukraine Tension Prompts Boost Of U.S. Special Forces In Eastern Europe
As NATO refocuses on its eastern borders after Russia's annexation of Crimea, the United States is quietly deploying more troops to train special forces in former Soviet bloc states anxious about Moscow's intentions.
Major exercises began last month in Poland, Slovakia and the Baltic states of Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia involving several hundred personnel from U.S. special forces, the U.S. European Command (EUCOM) said in a statement to Reuters.
Long-term plans include further training drills that will consistently keep about 100 U.S. elite troops on the ground at any one time in NATO states close to Russia, with teams working in several countries, U.S. official said.
The events in eastern Ukraine, where Russian-speaking insurgents using sophisticated weapons threaten to split the country, have put the whole former Soviet bloc region on alert and eager for NATO reassurance.
EUCOM says its Special Operations Command Europe (SOCEUR) increased the size and scope of its planned exercises after Ukraine flared into violence, reinforcing Washington's message to Moscow that it would stand by its allies.
"Training with our partners in their home countries is something that we have always done," said SOCEUR spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Nick Sternberg. "The difference is that now we will maintain a (permanent) Special Operations Forces presence in theater along the eastern front of NATO on this training mission," Sternberg said.
The exercises have involved practicing house-to-house fighting, mock raids in assault boats and coordinating parachute drops and air strikes, the SOCEUR Facebook page shows.
Highly trained and equipped with advanced communications equipment and weapons, special forces are often used in counterterrorism or reconnaissance operations. They can infiltrate enemy lines to tie down much larger numbers of opposition troops.
Karachi airport: Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan claims attack
Uzbek militants fighting
with the Pakistani Taliban say they carried out Sunday's deadly assault
on Karachi's international airport.
The Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan posted photos of 10 men in
black turbans holding AK-47s who had sought revenge for military air
strikes. At least 39 people were killed in the airport raid, including all 10 gunmen.
DNA tests are being conducted on the gunmen, who officials in Karachi said appeared to be of Uzbek origin.
The BBC's Shahzeb Jillani in Islamabad says the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) is a highly trained militant group, with bases in the North Waziristan tribal region.
It works closely with al-Qaeda and Taliban militants and has previously carried out large-scale co-ordinated attacks in Pakistan, including one on Peshawar airport in 2012.
In its statement the group said the Karachi raid was to avenge military air strikes in Pakistani tribal areas last month which it alleged had killed women and children.
Sunday's assault was followed by a second gun attack near the airport on Tuesday, raising tensions in Karachi further. Gunmen shot at a security camp outside the airport perimeter but there were no casualties.
The violence follows a major split in the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) and faltering peace talks between the militants and the government.
Liberia convicts 13 men for cross-border raids targeting neighboring Ivory Coast
MONROVIA, Liberia – A defense lawyer says a court in Liberia has found 13 men guilty of cross-border "mercenary activity" in neighboring Ivory Coast.
Tiawan Gongloe said Wednesday the men were convicted for their role in attacks targeting villages in western Ivory Coast in 2011 and 2012.
Eastern
Liberia became a haven for fighters loyal to former Ivory Coast
President Laurent Gbagbo when he was removed from office in 2011
following postelection violence. In 2012 Human Rights Watch said dozens
of Gbagbo loyalists were staging attacks from the border region.
An attack in western Ivory Coast in June 2012 killed seven U.N. peacekeepers from Niger, sparking international pressure on Liberia to curb mercenary activity.
This week's verdict was the first under the country's mercenary law, which carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang was conspicuous in being the first foreign leader to call Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi following Modi's swearing-in last month. The next day, Li dispatched his top foreign policy adviser to tell India's ambassador that China wanted to boost cooperation in all areas.
On Monday, Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Modi in New Delhi to affirm that past differences between the countries shouldn't affect their current relations. The potential for India-China ties is "just like the emerging tip of a massive buried treasure that awaits your discovery," Wang was quoted as saying in an interview with India's The Hindu newspaper.
Relations between the sides had long been strained amid India's worries about Beijing's rising strength and a decades-old dispute over their shared 6,400-kilometer (4,000-mile) Himalayan border that triggered a brief war in 1962. Modi talked tough while campaigning, saying India didn't want a war with China but would be prepared to deal with any threats.
However, after leading his party to a landslide victory on economic promises, Modi surprised many in India by immediately reaching out to neighboring Asian countries, including traditional archrival — and close Chinese ally — Pakistan.
Beijing, too, has much reason to draw nearer to India, especially as chief rival the United States seeks to strengthen its relationships in Asia after the distractions of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, said Huang Jing, a China expert at Singapore National University's Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.
They say there has been a lack of regulation concerning rival mobile service Uber.
Travellers in France were also hit by a rail strike that stopped two-thirds of trains in some areas.
The biggest taxi associations in the Spanish capital asked their drivers to observe a 24-hour stoppage until 06:00 on Thursday. More than 15,000 licensed vehicles operate in Madrid, Spanish media say.
No taxis were visible at Barajas airport or Atocha station, reports said, despite Uber not yet being available in the capital. At one point, a car suspected of being a private taxi came under attack from demonstrators.
The strike was also being observed in Barcelona, where the mobile app is in operation.
Trafalgar Square Drivers of London's famous black cabs demonstrated in Trafalgar Square, arguing that the Uber mobile app, which originated in the US, was tantamount to a taxi meter, which only black cabs are legally entitled to use in London.
"We're governed by a set of rules and they don't seem to apply to Uber," said Glenn Chapman, a driver parked in a long line of cabs outside Downing Street.
Uber argues it is complying with local regulations.
Transport for London estimated that about 4,000 drivers had taken part and roads were gridlocked around Parliament Square, Whitehall and Trafalgar Square.
China's participation in the rim of the Pacific exercises, beginning on 26 June, will enable Chinese naval officers to rub shoulders with US counterparts as well as those from countries with which it has maritime disputes in the South China and East China seas.
Washington and Beijing have been seeking closer military ties following an incident last December when a US navy cruiser, the USS Cowpens, nearly collided with a ship accompanying China's sole aircraft carrier in the South China Sea – the most serious sea confrontation between the two nations in years.
Twenty-three countries will take part in this year's drills, including Britain, Australia, Canada, France, India, Indonesia and South Korea.
China's defence ministry said four ships – the destroyer Haikou, missile frigate Yueyang, the oiler Yueyang, and hospital ship Peace Ark – departed on Monday. It said the squadron is carrying 1,100 officers and sailors, including a commando unit and diving team, along with two helicopters.
The statement quoted navy deputy chief of staff Hong Xumeng as saying China's participation constituted "an important mission of military diplomacy" and a further step in strengthening China-US relations.
China's move shows a new maturity in its foreign relations whereby it won't allow individual disagreements to upset overall ties, said Ni Lexiong, a military expert at Shanghai's University of Political Science and Law.
"The rule of the game now is that we can argue, we can quarrel, but at the same time, we can work together. And everybody has shown respect for that rule," Ni said.
After fighting for nearly two hours, the Rwandans kidnapped an army corporal and went home, he said.
Clashes resumed when the Congolese learnt the officer had been killed.
The Rwandan authorities have yet to comment on the violence.
The neighbours have had a fractious relationship since the 1994 genocide when those accused of involvement in the killings of an estimated 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus set up a militia in eastern DR Congo.
Pak military presents options to Sharif to deal with Taliban
ISLAMABAD: The military and national security aides to Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif have submitted a "range of options" to crush terrorism with an iron hand in the aftermath of the brazen assault on Karachi airport by the Taliban apparently using Uzbek fighters.
Sharif presided a high-level meeting yesterday with his national security team after the attack on Karachi airport, Dawn reported.
A source claimed that the military urged a sterner response to the attacks by Taliban.
The military's case has been built on the premise that the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan has again started owning up the strikes at key places, which army thought was crossing of the red-line.
Officials were not ready to say if the government agreed to the military demand for more punitive strikes.
"The Prime Minister is looking at a range of options and a final decision may be taken at a meeting of the National Security Committee likely to be held later this week or next week," an official said.
A brief statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office said "matters relating to internal and regional security, including FATA (Federally Administered Tribal Areas), Karachi and Balochistan were discussed" during the meeting.
Those who attended the meeting included Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif, Chief of General Staff Lt Gen Ishfaq Nadeem Ahmad and head of counter-intelligence at ISI Maj Gen Nasir Dilawar Shah.
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"This is a miracle from God," Mr Brat said, as his allies among conservatives cheered the result.
Mr Cantor had been widely favoured to win, having raised significantly more money than Mr Brat.
But the election appears to have exposed dissatisfaction with Mr Cantor, first elected in 2000.
But Mr Brat attacked Mr Cantor's record, including his support for some immigration reforms, and rallied enthusiastic members of the anti-tax, conservative populist Tea Party movement in the low-turnout race.
He also won despite the majority leader raising $5.4m (£3.2m) for his campaign. Mr Brat raised less than $300,000.
The chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, Rep. Buck McKeon, R-Calif., quickly pointed out that Usama bin Laden was also a planner. "Bin Laden didn't pull a trigger, but we went after him," McKeon said.
Hagel, in the first public hearing on the controversial prisoner
swap, said he has no illusions about the five men traded for Bergdahl's
freedom. He acknowledged the possibility that they could rejoin the
fight, but said they would do so "at their own peril."
But in defending the trade, he said they had not been implicated in any attacks against the U.S. and there was no basis to prosecute them.
He said there was "no direct evidence of any direct involvement in their direct attacks on the United States or any of our troops," though they were combatants and "part of planning."
This is the lowest Clinton’s favorability rating has been since August 2008. Throughout her tenure as secretary of state, Clinton’s favorability rating in Gallup polls was consistently higher than 60 percent.
The slip in Clinton’s favorability rating occurred primarily among Republicans, with 21 percent of Republicans viewing her favorably in this poll compared to 29 percent in the February poll. Clinton’s favorability also dropped 7 points since February among independents, with 49 percent of independents viewing her favorably in this most recent poll.
The poll also showed the largest gap between Bill and Hillary Clinton’s favorability ratings since March 2007, with 64 percent of respondents now saying they view Bill favorably.
Not all surveys on Hillary Clinton this year have picked up the same trend. Fox News found her favorability rising 5 points between April and June, while NBC/Wall Street Journal polling gave her a 4-point lift between March and April. HuffPost Pollster's average, which incorporates all publicly available surveys, currently puts Clinton's favorability at just below 52 percent, roughly in line with her ratings since mid-2013.
"Being a US senator representing Texas, it makes sense he should be only an American citizen," aide Catherine Frazier told the Associated Press.
A favourite of the conservative Tea Party movement, Mr Cruz is seen as a prospect for the Republican Party's 2016 presidential nomination.
Ms Frazier provided to the Associated Press a copy of a Canadian document certifying that the senator had "formally renounced Canadian citizenship and pursuant to the Citizenship Act will cease to be a citizen."
Mr Cruz was elected in 2012 and has become a hero among hard-right conservative Republicans who fiercely oppose Democratic President Barack Obama's agenda, including his proposal to establish a path to US citizenship for undocumented immigrants.
In August, the Dallas Morning News reported Mr Cruz was a Canadian citizen by virtue of his birth in Canada.
Mr Cruz, whose birth to an American woman conferred automatic US citizenship and eligibility for the White House, said he had been unaware he was also a citizen of America's neighbour to the north.
Tiawan Gongloe said Wednesday the men were convicted for their role in attacks targeting villages in western Ivory Coast in 2011 and 2012.
An attack in western Ivory Coast in June 2012 killed seven U.N. peacekeepers from Niger, sparking international pressure on Liberia to curb mercenary activity.
This week's verdict was the first under the country's mercenary law, which carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
China Cultivates India Amid Tension With Neighbors
BEIJING (AP) — Amid fierce disputes with Japan, Vietnam and the Philippines, China is reaching out to India in a warming trend that could help ramp up economic exchanges and dissipate decades of distrust between the two giant neighbors.Chinese Premier Li Keqiang was conspicuous in being the first foreign leader to call Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi following Modi's swearing-in last month. The next day, Li dispatched his top foreign policy adviser to tell India's ambassador that China wanted to boost cooperation in all areas.
On Monday, Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Modi in New Delhi to affirm that past differences between the countries shouldn't affect their current relations. The potential for India-China ties is "just like the emerging tip of a massive buried treasure that awaits your discovery," Wang was quoted as saying in an interview with India's The Hindu newspaper.
Relations between the sides had long been strained amid India's worries about Beijing's rising strength and a decades-old dispute over their shared 6,400-kilometer (4,000-mile) Himalayan border that triggered a brief war in 1962. Modi talked tough while campaigning, saying India didn't want a war with China but would be prepared to deal with any threats.
However, after leading his party to a landslide victory on economic promises, Modi surprised many in India by immediately reaching out to neighboring Asian countries, including traditional archrival — and close Chinese ally — Pakistan.
Beijing, too, has much reason to draw nearer to India, especially as chief rival the United States seeks to strengthen its relationships in Asia after the distractions of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, said Huang Jing, a China expert at Singapore National University's Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.
Taxi and rail strikes hit European cities
Transport in major European cities has been disrupted by strikes affecting taxis and rail services.
Taxi drivers blocked roads in Paris, Madrid, London, Milan, Berlin and other cities in protest against the rise of services booked using smartphone apps. They say there has been a lack of regulation concerning rival mobile service Uber.
Travellers in France were also hit by a rail strike that stopped two-thirds of trains in some areas.
The biggest taxi associations in the Spanish capital asked their drivers to observe a 24-hour stoppage until 06:00 on Thursday. More than 15,000 licensed vehicles operate in Madrid, Spanish media say.
No taxis were visible at Barajas airport or Atocha station, reports said, despite Uber not yet being available in the capital. At one point, a car suspected of being a private taxi came under attack from demonstrators.
The strike was also being observed in Barcelona, where the mobile app is in operation.
Trafalgar Square Drivers of London's famous black cabs demonstrated in Trafalgar Square, arguing that the Uber mobile app, which originated in the US, was tantamount to a taxi meter, which only black cabs are legally entitled to use in London.
"We're governed by a set of rules and they don't seem to apply to Uber," said Glenn Chapman, a driver parked in a long line of cabs outside Downing Street.
Uber argues it is complying with local regulations.
Transport for London estimated that about 4,000 drivers had taken part and roads were gridlocked around Parliament Square, Whitehall and Trafalgar Square.
China joins in world's largest naval exercises
Chinese ships headed for waters near Hawaii on Tuesday to participate for the first time in the world's largest naval exercises – a rare opportunity to build trust with the US and regional rivals including the Philippines and Japan.China's participation in the rim of the Pacific exercises, beginning on 26 June, will enable Chinese naval officers to rub shoulders with US counterparts as well as those from countries with which it has maritime disputes in the South China and East China seas.
Washington and Beijing have been seeking closer military ties following an incident last December when a US navy cruiser, the USS Cowpens, nearly collided with a ship accompanying China's sole aircraft carrier in the South China Sea – the most serious sea confrontation between the two nations in years.
Twenty-three countries will take part in this year's drills, including Britain, Australia, Canada, France, India, Indonesia and South Korea.
China's defence ministry said four ships – the destroyer Haikou, missile frigate Yueyang, the oiler Yueyang, and hospital ship Peace Ark – departed on Monday. It said the squadron is carrying 1,100 officers and sailors, including a commando unit and diving team, along with two helicopters.
The statement quoted navy deputy chief of staff Hong Xumeng as saying China's participation constituted "an important mission of military diplomacy" and a further step in strengthening China-US relations.
China's move shows a new maturity in its foreign relations whereby it won't allow individual disagreements to upset overall ties, said Ni Lexiong, a military expert at Shanghai's University of Political Science and Law.
"The rule of the game now is that we can argue, we can quarrel, but at the same time, we can work together. And everybody has shown respect for that rule," Ni said.
Rwanda and DR Congo 'battle over kidnapped soldier'
Rwandan forces and troops
from the Democratic Republic of Congo are fighting each other on the
border, the Congolese information minister says.
Lambert Mende told the BBC the battle began when a unit of
Rwanda soldiers crossed over the border and attacked in early on
Wednesday.After fighting for nearly two hours, the Rwandans kidnapped an army corporal and went home, he said.
Clashes resumed when the Congolese learnt the officer had been killed.
The Rwandan authorities have yet to comment on the violence.
The neighbours have had a fractious relationship since the 1994 genocide when those accused of involvement in the killings of an estimated 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus set up a militia in eastern DR Congo.
Pak military presents options to Sharif to deal with Taliban
ISLAMABAD: The military and national security aides to Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif have submitted a "range of options" to crush terrorism with an iron hand in the aftermath of the brazen assault on Karachi airport by the Taliban apparently using Uzbek fighters.
Sharif presided a high-level meeting yesterday with his national security team after the attack on Karachi airport, Dawn reported.
A source claimed that the military urged a sterner response to the attacks by Taliban.
The military's case has been built on the premise that the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan has again started owning up the strikes at key places, which army thought was crossing of the red-line.
Officials were not ready to say if the government agreed to the military demand for more punitive strikes.
"The Prime Minister is looking at a range of options and a final decision may be taken at a meeting of the National Security Committee likely to be held later this week or next week," an official said.
A brief statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office said "matters relating to internal and regional security, including FATA (Federally Administered Tribal Areas), Karachi and Balochistan were discussed" during the meeting.
Those who attended the meeting included Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif, Chief of General Staff Lt Gen Ishfaq Nadeem Ahmad and head of counter-intelligence at ISI Maj Gen Nasir Dilawar Shah.
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Eric Cantor loses Virginia Republican Party primary
US House Majority Leader
Eric Cantor has lost a Virginia Republican Party primary election to a
challenger from the hard-right Tea Party movement.
Little-known economics professor David Brat defeated the second-ranking House of Representatives member 56%-44%."This is a miracle from God," Mr Brat said, as his allies among conservatives cheered the result.
Mr Cantor had been widely favoured to win, having raised significantly more money than Mr Brat.
But the election appears to have exposed dissatisfaction with Mr Cantor, first elected in 2000.
But Mr Brat attacked Mr Cantor's record, including his support for some immigration reforms, and rallied enthusiastic members of the anti-tax, conservative populist Tea Party movement in the low-turnout race.
He also won despite the majority leader raising $5.4m (£3.2m) for his campaign. Mr Brat raised less than $300,000.
Hagel faces skepticism over claim freed Taliban members were only planners
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel sought Wednesday to justify to skeptical lawmakers the controversial swap of five hardened Taliban leaders for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, claiming the former Guantanamo detainees were planners, and had not directly participated in attacks on Americans.The chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, Rep. Buck McKeon, R-Calif., quickly pointed out that Usama bin Laden was also a planner. "Bin Laden didn't pull a trigger, but we went after him," McKeon said.
But in defending the trade, he said they had not been implicated in any attacks against the U.S. and there was no basis to prosecute them.
He said there was "no direct evidence of any direct involvement in their direct attacks on the United States or any of our troops," though they were combatants and "part of planning."
Poll Finds Slip In Hillary Clinton's Ratings
Just a day after the release of Hillary Clinton's new memoir, “Hard Choices,” a Gallup poll finds that her favorability rating, while still high, has slipped slightly since the beginning of the year. According to the poll, 54 percent of Americans now view Clinton favorably. In February, when Gallup last asked about Clinton’s favorability, 59 percent of respondents expressed a favorable opinion of her.This is the lowest Clinton’s favorability rating has been since August 2008. Throughout her tenure as secretary of state, Clinton’s favorability rating in Gallup polls was consistently higher than 60 percent.
The slip in Clinton’s favorability rating occurred primarily among Republicans, with 21 percent of Republicans viewing her favorably in this poll compared to 29 percent in the February poll. Clinton’s favorability also dropped 7 points since February among independents, with 49 percent of independents viewing her favorably in this most recent poll.
The poll also showed the largest gap between Bill and Hillary Clinton’s favorability ratings since March 2007, with 64 percent of respondents now saying they view Bill favorably.
Not all surveys on Hillary Clinton this year have picked up the same trend. Fox News found her favorability rising 5 points between April and June, while NBC/Wall Street Journal polling gave her a 4-point lift between March and April. HuffPost Pollster's average, which incorporates all publicly available surveys, currently puts Clinton's favorability at just below 52 percent, roughly in line with her ratings since mid-2013.
Senator Ted Cruz renounces Canada citizenship
Republican US Senator Ted Cruz of Texas has renounced his Canadian citizenship, an aide has said.
Mr Cruz, 43, was born in Calgary to an American mother and Cuban exile father."Being a US senator representing Texas, it makes sense he should be only an American citizen," aide Catherine Frazier told the Associated Press.
A favourite of the conservative Tea Party movement, Mr Cruz is seen as a prospect for the Republican Party's 2016 presidential nomination.
Ms Frazier provided to the Associated Press a copy of a Canadian document certifying that the senator had "formally renounced Canadian citizenship and pursuant to the Citizenship Act will cease to be a citizen."
Mr Cruz was elected in 2012 and has become a hero among hard-right conservative Republicans who fiercely oppose Democratic President Barack Obama's agenda, including his proposal to establish a path to US citizenship for undocumented immigrants.
In August, the Dallas Morning News reported Mr Cruz was a Canadian citizen by virtue of his birth in Canada.
Mr Cruz, whose birth to an American woman conferred automatic US citizenship and eligibility for the White House, said he had been unaware he was also a citizen of America's neighbour to the north.
Student loan bill fails in Senate
Senate Republicans have blocked an election-year attempt by Democrats to let people refinance their student loan debt at lower rates.
The 56-38 vote Wednesday fell short of the 60 votes needed to proceed to debate on the measure.
The bill by Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts would have allowed people with student loans
to refinance the debt at today's lower rates. The Obama administration
said it could have helped some 25 million borrowers save $2,000 each.
Republicans said the bill wouldn't have done anything to lower education costs or reduce borrowing. They accused Democrats of looking for a political issue and raising taxes.
The bill would have been paid for with the so-called Buffett Rule, which sets minimum tax rates for people making over $1 million.
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The 56-38 vote Wednesday fell short of the 60 votes needed to proceed to debate on the measure.
Republicans said the bill wouldn't have done anything to lower education costs or reduce borrowing. They accused Democrats of looking for a political issue and raising taxes.
The bill would have been paid for with the so-called Buffett Rule, which sets minimum tax rates for people making over $1 million.
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