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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Venezuelan diplomat jailed in Kenya for 20 years for envoy’s murder

NAIROBI (Reuters) – A Kenyan court on Friday sentenced a former top Venezuelan diplomat to 20 years in jail over the 2012 murder of the Latin American nation’s acting ambassador at her home in an upmarket Nairobi neighbourhood. Dwight Sagaray, who was the first secretary at the embassy, was convicted, along with three Kenyan nationals,…

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EU ministers back more Ukraine aid, but differ on other spending

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – European Union finance ministers on Friday unanimously backed extra funds for Ukraine through a top-up of its long-term budget, although differences persisted over other spending that threaten to delay or block proposed aid to Kyiv. Spanish Finance Minister Nadia Calvino told a news conference that EU finance ministers meeting on Friday had…

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Rupee-UAE dirham trade mechanism may launch during Modi visit Saturday -sources

By Nidhi Verma, Shivangi Acharya and Krishn Kaushik NEW DELHI (Reuters) – India and the United Arab Emirates may announce the start of a rupee-dirham payment mechanism to settle bilateral trade during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Abu Dhabi on Saturday, industry and government sources said. Sources said on Friday that India would use…

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No sign of Russian intent to change tack on Ukraine war, Blinken says

By Kate Lamb and Stanley Widianto JAKARTA (Reuters) – Russia shows no sign of changing direction in its war on Ukraine, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday, as foreign ministers from two dozen countries met in Indonesia’s capital for Southeast Asia’s annual security-focused gathering. Top diplomats from China, the United States and…

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