US House passes defense bill authorizing record spending; Senate debate next

By Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. House of Representatives passed its version of a sweeping bill setting policy for the Department of Defense on Friday, but the “must-pass” bill’s chances of becoming law were uncertain after Republicans added a series of culturally conservative amendments. The fiscal 2024 National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, which…

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Young Canadian firefighter killed battling blaze in British Columbia

By Nia Williams and Rami Ayyub REVELSTOKE, British Columbia (Reuters) -Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday paid tribute to a young firefighter killed while battling a forest blaze in British Columbia, as wildfires continue to rage across the country and the western province requested an extra 1,000 international firefighters. The B.C. General Employees’ Union…

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Sudan’s paramilitary RSF detained 5,000, some tortured -human rights groups

DUBAI (Reuters) – Sudanese human rights organisations had evidence the Sudanese paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) had detained more than 5,000 people in the capital and were keeping them in inhumane conditions, the group told Reuters on Friday. The RSF has been fighting the Sudanese army for three months, having dominated the Sudanese capital on…

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WHO cancer arm deems aspartame ‘possible carcinogen’; consumption limits unchanged

By Jennifer Rigby LONDON (Reuters) -The sweetener aspartame is a “possible carcinogen” but it remains safe to consume at already-agreed levels, two groups linked to the World Health Organization (WHO) declared on Friday. The rulings are the outcome of two separate WHO expert panels, one of which flags whether there is any evidence that a…

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US IRS chief says budget cuts would reduce ability to pursue tax cheats

By David Lawder WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Internal Revenue Service Commissioner Danny Werfel said on Friday that a Republican plan to cut the agency’s annual budget would reduce its ability to ramp up tax collections on millionaires like it has done in recent months. Republicans on the U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Committee have proposed…

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EU, Mercosur see little trade deal progress at inter-region summit

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Next week’s summit of leaders from the European Union, Latin America and the Caribbean is unlikely to unlock a proposed EU-Mercosur free trade agreement, officials from both sides said on Friday. More than 50 leaders are expected to attend the EU-CELAC (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) summit in Brussels on…

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