With 735 million people hungry, UN says world is ‘off track’ to meet its 2030 goal

By Leah Douglas (Reuters) – About 735 million people worldwide faced chronic hunger in 2022, a figure much higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic and which threatens progress towards a global goal to end hunger by 2030, said the United Nations on Wednesday. A multi-year upward trend in hunger rates leveled off last year as…

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US economy shifts into disinflation mode; consumer prices rise modestly

By Lucia Mutikani WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. consumer prices rose modestly in June and registered their smallest annual increase in more than two years as inflation subsided further, but probably not fast enough to dissuade the Federal Reserve from resuming raising interest rates this month. The report from the Labor Department on Wednesday also showed…

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Hollywood studios, actors agree to mediation as strike deadline looms

By Lisa Richwine LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -Negotiators for the SAG-AFTRA actors union agreed late Tuesday to call in a federal mediator to try to forge a last-minute agreement with Hollywood studios and avoid a second simultaneous strike in the entertainment business. The 160,000 members of SAG-AFTRA, Hollywood’s largest union, have authorized a strike if a…

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Cuba condemns EU Parliament resolution calling for sanctions against president

HAVANA (Reuters) – Cuba’s National Assembly said on Wednesday it “strongly condemns” a resolution by the European Parliament, which criticized the country’s human rights record and called for EU sanctions against Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel and other top officials. “The European Parliament lacks the moral, political and legal authority to judge Cuba,” Cuba’s parliament said…

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Texas defers decision on EV charging funds amid industry pushback on Tesla plugs – sources

By Abhirup Roy SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Texas again deferred a vote on grants of federal funds to build electric vehicle chargers to Aug. 16 amid pushback from some charging companies over its plan to include Tesla’s technology in charging stations, according to three sources. A spokesperson at Texas’ department of transportation confirmed that the…

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Colombia says deforestation fell 29% in 2022

By Oliver Griffin BOGOTA (Reuters) – Deforestation in Colombia fell 29.1% in 2022 versus the previous year spurred by sharp decreases in the country’s Amazon region, the government said on Wednesday, marking the lowest level since 2013. The government of leftist President Gustavo Petro says it is prioritizing protecting Colombia’s environment and has called on…

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