US farm agency opens applications for $2.2 billion in discrimination payments

By Leah Douglas WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The Biden administration will begin accepting applications for $2.2 billion in financial assistance for farmers who have experienced discrimination at the hands of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the agency announced on Friday. For decades, the USDA’s relationship with farmers of color, women and other under-represented groups in agriculture has…

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Syria brought Wagner Group fighters to heel as mutiny unfolded in Russia

By Suleiman Al-Khalidi, Maya Gebeily BEIRUT (Reuters) -As Wagner mercenaries advanced on Moscow in an attempted mutiny in late June, authorities in Syria and Russian military commanders there took a series of swift measures against local Wagner operatives to prevent the uprising spreading, according to six sources familiar with the matter. The previously unreported crackdown…

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Zimbabwe police block opposition campaign launch

HARARE (Reuters) – Zimbabwean police have blocked the launch of the main opposition party’s election campaign set for Sunday in the latest clampdown on the president’s main rival ahead of presidential and parliamentary polls in August, citing problems with the venue.  Nelson Chamisa, leader of the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), has faced several hurdles on…

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Tesla rolls out customer referral incentive globally as EV price war heats up

By Chavi Mehta (Reuters) -Electric-vehicle maker Tesla rolled out a new program globally allowing buyers to get extra incentives through referrals from existing customers, a strategy long used by traditional automakers to boost sales. The incentive, which Tesla dubbed as “Refer and Earn” on its websites, is equivalent to $500 in cashback for buyers in…

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Analysis-Peru copper miners say red tape snarling red metal production ramp-up

By Marco Aquino LIMA (Reuters) – Copper miners in Peru, already battling political uncertainty and regular protests, say they have another hurdle to revving up stalled production of the red metal: too much red tape. The South American country, the world’s No. 2 copper producer, has seen output plateau in the last five years as…

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Nearly half of US drinking water may contain toxic ‘forever chemicals’

By Rachel Nostrant (Reuters) – Nearly half of U.S. tap water samples contain toxic “forever chemicals,” substances used in hundreds of household items from cleaning supplies to pizza boxes to which broad exposure can carry serious health risks, according to a new study. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) study tested tap water samples from more…

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US FDA grants standard approval of Eisai/Biogen Alzheimer’s drug

By Deena Beasley and Julie Steenhuysen LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -Eisai and Biogen’s Leqembi won a coveted standard approval nod from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday, the first Alzheimer’s treatment to achieve that goal, clearing the way for wider insurance coverage of the drug. The FDA decision marks a new milestone for a…

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However war ends, Ukraine’s diminished population will hit economy for years

By Olena Harmash KYIV (Reuters) – With war dragging on, some of Ukraine’s millions of refugees are beginning to think about settling for good in the countries they find themselves in across Europe, posing a challenge to rebuilding the economy when the guns finally fall silent. Natalka Korzh, 52, a TV director and mother-of-two, left…

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