Russian spy chief says he spoke to CIA boss about ‘what to do with Ukraine’

By Mark Trevelyan (Reuters) -Russian foreign intelligence chief Sergei Naryshkin said on Wednesday that he and CIA counterpart William Burns had discussed “what to do with Ukraine” in a phone call late last month, Russia’s TASS news agency said. The New York Times and Wall Street Journal reported on June 30 that Burns had called…

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US EPA proposes tighter rules for lead exposure in residential buildings

By Kanishka Singh WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Wednesday proposed stricter regulations for lead exposure in residential buildings and childcare facilities. Any amount of lead found in a building will be regarded as hazardous, according to the proposed rule from the EPA that would lower its lead dust hazard level…

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US lawmakers seek to lower biofuel blending compliance costs

By Stephanie Kelly NEW YORK (Reuters) – A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers introduced legislation this week directing the Biden administration to allow oil refiners to purchase compliance credits for U.S. biofuel blending laws at a lower, fixed cost compared to the open market. The proposal would reduce rising compliance costs associated with the U.S….

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Biden to host Italian PM Meloni at White House on July 27

By Angelo Amante and Kanishka Singh VILNIUS/WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Joe Biden will host Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Washington on July 27, and the two leaders will discuss issues including the Ukraine war and transatlantic cooperation regarding China, the White House said on Wednesday. The leaders will also discuss developments in North Africa…

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Wall Street cheers cool CPI with stock rally; dollar, yields decline

By Lawrence Delevingne (Reuters) -Wall Street stocks advanced on Wednesday and the dollar and Treasury yields fell after new U.S. inflation data showed a slowdown in the seemingly relentless rise of consumer prices. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) gained just 0.2% last month, the Labor Department said on Wednesday, lifted by rises in gasoline prices…

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Russian hackers lured embassy workers in Ukraine with ad for a cheap BMW

By James Pearson LONDON (Reuters) -Hackers suspected of working for Russia’s foreign intelligence agency targeted dozens of diplomats at embassies in Ukraine with a fake used car advert in a bid to break into their computers, according to a cybersecurity firm report published on Wednesday. The wide-reaching espionage activity targeted diplomats working in at least…

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Steve Bannon, Michael Flynn must answer questions in Smartmatic US defamation case

By Jack Queen (Reuters) – Steve Bannon and Michael Flynn, two allies of former U.S. President Donald Trump, must answer questions under oath in voting technology company Smartmatic’s defamation lawsuit against right-wing media outlet Newsmax, court records showed on Wednesday. Florida-based Smartmatic served subpoenas on Bannon, who served as a White House strategist under Trump,…

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US dollar stumbles, drops to more than one-year low as inflation eases in June

By Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss NEW YORK (Reuters) – The dollar crashed to its lowest in more than a year on Wednesday after data showed the rise in U.S. consumer prices moderated in June, suggesting the Federal Reserve may have to raise interest rates only one more time this year. The dollar index dropped to as low…

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