Former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson formally announces White House bid

By Tim Reid (Reuters) – Former Republican Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson formally launched his 2024 presidential bid on Wednesday, in a speech that portrayed himself as a more moderate alternative to party frontrunner Donald Trump. Hutchinson, 72, who’s bid is considered a long-shot, had already broken with Trump this year after the Republican former president’s…

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Xi holds first talks with Zelenskiy since Russian invasion of Ukraine

By Dan Peleschuk and Ethan Wang KYIV/BEIJING (Reuters) -Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke to Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Wednesday for the first time since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, fulfilling a longstanding goal of Kyiv which had publicly sought such talks for months. Zelenskiy, describing the hour-long phone call as “long and meaningful”, signalled the importance…

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Tech powers Nasdaq gains; recession fears weigh on cyclicals, dollar

By Stephen Culp NEW YORK (Reuters) – The Nasdaq rose and the dollar weakened on Wednesday as investors weighed solid company earnings against weaker-than-expected economic data and ongoing wrangling in Washington over raising the debt ceiling. While surging tech shares helped the Nasdaq hold positive territory, the S&P 500 and the Dow were weighed down…

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New image reveals violent events near a supermassive black hole

By Will Dunham WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Expanding upon the historic first images of black holes, scientists on Wednesday unveiled the first picture showing the violent events unfolding around one of these ravenous cosmic behemoths, including the launching point of a colossal jet of high-energy particles shooting outward into space. The new image was obtained using…

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Exclusive-US allowed JPMorgan payment route for Russian grain export

MOSCOW (Reuters) -The United States gave JPMorgan permission to process payments for agricultural exports via the Russian Agricultural Bank, but the arrangement was no substitute for reconnecting the bank to the SWIFT system, two Russian sources told Reuters. Access to the SWIFT payment system for the Russian Agricultural Bank is one of Moscow’s main demands…

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US prepares for more migrant crossings as border restrictions set to end

By Ted Hesson and Matt Spetalnick WASHINGTON (Reuters) -President Joe Biden’s administration is devising a strategy for the possible arrival of tens of thousands more migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border after the anticipated end of COVID-19 restrictions next month, scrambling to find holding centers, speed deportations and increase processing of refugees abroad. The administration is…

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New migrant caravan heads for Mexico City to speed up legal route to US

By Lizbeth Diaz TAPACHULA (Reuters) – Thousands of migrants, detained for months in southern Mexico, formed a new caravan in protest on Sunday to head for the capital to speed up their applications for U.S. asylum. The migrants, mostly Venezuelans, started their march north early in Tapachula, the city bordering Guatemala whose detention centers have…

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U.S. DOT says Republican budget plan would cut rail inspections, shut air traffic towers

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) on Wednesday said a Republican budget cut proposal would shut down 375 federally-staffed and contract-run air traffic control towers around the country and result in 7,500 fewer rail safety inspection days. Overall, it said the Republican plan, which would sharply reduce budget spending in exchange for…

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