Alabama Asks Appeals Court to Let It Continue Nitrogen Gas Executions

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama is waging a last-minute legal fight to execute a man with nitrogen gas on Thursday night, asking the U.S. Supreme Court to set aside a judge’s findings that the method violates the Constitution’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment. A federal judge on Tuesday ruled that Alabama’s nitrogen protocol is …

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Florida Supreme Court Leaves Republican Congressional Map in Place

June 10 (Reuters) – Florida’s Supreme Court on Wednesday ⁠declined ⁠to block a new Republican-drawn ⁠congressional map ahead of November’s midterm elections, giving the party a ​boost in its effort to retain a narrow majority in the U.S. House of Representatives. The decision all but ‌guarantees that the map, which ‌is aimed at flipping as …

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US Department of Justice Formally Moves to Drop Halkbank Case

By Luc Cohen and Jasper Ward NEW YORK, June 10 (Reuters) – The ⁠U.S. ⁠Department of Justice formally asked a ⁠federal judge on Wednesday to dismiss its criminal case against Halkbank, saying it ​has no intention of prosecuting the Turkish state-run lender. A lawyer for Halkbank did not immediately respond to a request for comment. …

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Iran and US Exchange Fire as Hostiles Escalate in Mideast Region

Iran retaliated against U.S. air and cruise missile strikes as hostilities escalated Thursday with attacks against Kuwait and Bahrain in renewed fighting after U.S. President Donald Trump warned that Tehran would “pay the price” for stalled negotiations. The exchange came shortly after the U.S. launched a second round of airstrikes overnight Thursday. Bahrain is the …

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Trump Lauds Armenia PM’s ‘Decisive’ Election Win in Face of Russian Pressure

June 11 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald ⁠Trump ⁠congratulated Armenian Prime Minister ⁠Nikol Pashinyan on Wednesday for his Civil ​Contract party’s ‘decisive victory’ in weekend elections. Pashinyan’s party won 49.8% of votes ‌from Sunday’s ballot, enough ‌to secure a parliamentary majority under Armenia’s electoral ⁠system, despite ⁠what international election observers called blatant interference by Russia. …

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