Battle for Congress could hinge on North Carolina district
North Carolina’s 13th District has emerged as one of the nation’s few battlegrounds for congressional control. Republican Bo Hines and Democratic state Sen. Wiley Nickel are vying for the seat in a newly redrawn congressional district that includes parts of the state capital of Raleigh. Experts say the race could be a test of former President Donald Trump’s influence in a crucial swing state. Hines says he’s campaigning on “North Carolina values” that include abortion restrictions and a plan to “pause” immigration so the United States could redesign its system. Nickel says he hopes to enshrine abortion protections into federal law and has outlined a 30-point inflation action plan he says offers bipartisan economic solutions.
Koreas exchange warning shots along sea border amid tensions
The rival Koreas have exchanged warning shots along their disputed western sea boundary as animosities rise over North Korea’s recent weapons tests. South Korea said its navy broadcast warnings and fired warning shots to repel a North Korean merchant ship that violated the sea boundary early Monday. North Korea’s military said its coastal defense units fired artillery warning shots toward its territorial waters where a South Korean naval ship had intruded. No clashes have been reported in the area where past naval skirmishes and violence have occurred. North Korea’s recent weapons activity follows what it calls provocative joint military drills between South Korea and the United States. Those exercises end this Friday, and the allies will hold joint air force drills next week.
China’s leader stacks Communist Party top body with loyalists
When China’s leader, Xi Jinping, led six dark-suited men onto a bright red stage Sunday, the scale of his victory became clear, as he introduced the country’s new ruling inner circle. Each was an acolyte of Xi, making his grip over China’s future tighter than ever. Xi’s groundbreaking third term, following a weeklong Communist Party congress, was entirely expected. Xi has stacked the Politburo Standing Committee, the party’s top body, with his loyalists. He has also appointed to the broader leadership a number of domestic security officials, military commanders, ideologues, engineers and technocrats, underscoring his ambition of accelerating China’s rise as a military and technological superpower.
Boris Johnson drops bid to return as UK prime minister
Boris Johnson on Sunday evening pulled out of the race to succeed Liz Truss as Britain’s prime minister, ending a quixotic bid to reclaim a job he lost three months ago amid numerous scandals, and leaving his rival, Rishi Sunak, in a commanding position to be the country’s next leader. The result will not be known until Monday at the earliest, and there is room for further twists. Johnson did not endorse Sunak, and another candidate, Penny Mordaunt, remains in the hunt. But Johnson’s withdrawal removes much of the suspense from a race that was shaping up as an battle between the former prime minister and his onetime chancellor.
As Russia and Ukraine seek gains on front line, US warns Moscow
With winter about to set in, Russia and Ukraine are locked in heavy exchanges of fire across the front line in increasingly urgent attempts to make gains while they still can. Both sides in the south have been striking deep behind each other’s lines, but in recent days, the battlefield positions have not appeared to move much. On Sunday, the top U.S. and Russian military officials held their second discussion in three days. The phone call Sunday between Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Defense Minister Sergei K. Shoigu was intended to make clear the red lines that might provoke Russia to launch a nuclear attack.
After landfall, Roslyn moves inland in Mexico as a tropical storm
Hurricane Roslyn brought damaging winds and storm surge to west-central Mexico on Sunday and killed at least two people before being downgraded to a tropical storm, officials said. The storm had moved inland and was expected to dissipate by early Monday after bringing heavy rains and flash flooding. There were reports of damage in the state of Nayarit, where the storm made landfall early Sunday. Nearly 100,000 people had lost power across the country, and residents of some affected communities faced road blockages from fallen trees or mud, as authorities worked to make repairs and survey further damage.
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