(Reuters) – At least five Republican candidates will take part in the third 2024 Republican presidential debate on Wednesday in Florida. Donald Trump is set to skip the event.Here are the candidates expected to be on stage for the debate, which begins at 8 p.m. ET (0100 GMT on Thursday) at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County, and is hosted by NBC News:RON DESANTISAfter a glitch-filled campaign launch in May on Twitter, now called X, DeSantis has positioned himself to the right of Trump on a number of key social issues such as abortion. But his well-funded...…(Reuters) – At least five Republican candidates will take part in the third 2024 Republican presidential debate on Wednesday in Florida. Donald Trump is set to skip the event.Here are the candidates expected to be on stage for the debate, which begins at 8 p.m. ET (0100 GMT on Thursday) at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County, and is hosted by NBC News:RON DESANTISAfter a glitch-filled campaign launch in May on Twitter, now called X, DeSantis has positioned himself to the right of Trump on a number of key social issues such as abortion. But his well-funded...WW…

By Jack QueenNEW YORK (Reuters) – Eric Trump is expected to face a second day of questions on the witness stand on Friday in a fraud trial that threatens to hobble the real-estate empire that vaulted his father Donald Trump to prominence.The former U.S. president’s second son has insisted in sworn testimony in a New York court that he knew nothing about the financial estimates of apartment towers, golf courses and other assets that a judge has already ruled were fraudulently inflated to win favorable terms from lenders and insurers.But emails and other evidence introduced at trial show he...…By Jack QueenNEW YORK (Reuters) – Eric Trump is expected to face a second day of questions on the witness stand on Friday in a fraud trial that threatens to hobble the real-estate empire that vaulted his father Donald Trump to prominence.The former U.S. president’s second son has insisted in sworn testimony in a New York court that he knew nothing about the financial estimates of apartment towers, golf courses and other assets that a judge has already ruled were fraudulently inflated to win favorable terms from lenders and insurers.But emails and other evidence introduced at trial show he...WW…

MADRID (Reuters) – Spanish authorities have evacuated at least 800 people around the coastal town of Gandia in the eastern region of Valencia after a wildfire broke out there and spread quickly overnight amid strong winds, officials said on Friday.The region, and a large swathe of the eastern portion of the Iberian Peninsula, was on high alert for strong winds for the second day in a row as Storm Ciaran smashed into western Europe.Spain has suffered a prolonged drought in the past few years that recent rains have only slightly alleviated. The drought and above-normal temperatures throughout...…MADRID (Reuters) – Spanish authorities have evacuated at least 800 people around the coastal town of Gandia in the eastern region of Valencia after a wildfire broke out there and spread quickly overnight amid strong winds, officials said on Friday.The region, and a large swathe of the eastern portion of the Iberian Peninsula, was on high alert for strong winds for the second day in a row as Storm Ciaran smashed into western Europe.Spain has suffered a prolonged drought in the past few years that recent rains have only slightly alleviated. The drought and above-normal temperatures throughout...WW…

By Max A. Cherney(Reuters) – AMD said on Tuesday it plans to buy an artificial intelligence startup called Nod.ai as part of an effort to bolster its software capabilities.In its race to catch rival chipmaker Nvidia, Advanced Micro Devices plans to invest heavily in the critical software necessary for the company’s advanced AI chips. Through more than a decade of work, Nvidia has built a powerful advantage in the AI chip market through the software it makes, and the software developer ecosystem.AMD has vowed to invest in and build a unified collection of software to power the various chips...…By Max A. Cherney(Reuters) – AMD said on Tuesday it plans to buy an artificial intelligence startup called Nod.ai as part of an effort to bolster its software capabilities.In its race to catch rival chipmaker Nvidia, Advanced Micro Devices plans to invest heavily in the critical software necessary for the company’s advanced AI chips. Through more than a decade of work, Nvidia has built a powerful advantage in the AI chip market through the software it makes, and the software developer ecosystem.AMD has vowed to invest in and build a unified collection of software to power the various chips...WW…

DUBLIN (Reuters) – Ireland detailed on Tuesday how it plans to turn some of Europe’s healthiest public finances into a 100 billion-euro($106 billion) sovereign wealth fund to ease future healthcare, pension and climate costs linked to its growing and aging population.Here is how the fund – which reflects Ireland’s success in attracting major companies with its low corporate tax rate – is going to work:SIZE OF THE SOVEREIGN WEALTH FUND– For each year from 2024 to 2035, the government will be mandated by law to invest 0.8% of nominal gross domestic product, currently equivalent to 4.3 billion...…DUBLIN (Reuters) – Ireland detailed on Tuesday how it plans to turn some of Europe’s healthiest public finances into a 100 billion-euro($106 billion) sovereign wealth fund to ease future healthcare, pension and climate costs linked to its growing and aging population.Here is how the fund – which reflects Ireland’s success in attracting major companies with its low corporate tax rate – is going to work:SIZE OF THE SOVEREIGN WEALTH FUND– For each year from 2024 to 2035, the government will be mandated by law to invest 0.8% of nominal gross domestic product, currently equivalent to 4.3 billion...WW…

By Andrew Chung(Reuters) – The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to hear a bid by a prominent former West Virginia mining company executive to make it easier for public figures to sue for defamation in a case that challenged longstanding and powerful protections for news organizations.The justices turned away former Massey Energy CEO Donald Blankenship’s appeal of a lower court’s decision throwing out his defamation lawsuit against media outlets including Fox News and MSNBC for characterizing him as a “felon” during his unsuccessful 2018 run for the U.S. Senate.Blankenship was...…By Andrew Chung(Reuters) – The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to hear a bid by a prominent former West Virginia mining company executive to make it easier for public figures to sue for defamation in a case that challenged longstanding and powerful protections for news organizations.The justices turned away former Massey Energy CEO Donald Blankenship’s appeal of a lower court’s decision throwing out his defamation lawsuit against media outlets including Fox News and MSNBC for characterizing him as a “felon” during his unsuccessful 2018 run for the U.S. Senate.Blankenship was...WW…

By Sharon Bernstein and Omar YounisLOS ANGELES (Reuters) – California baseball legend Steve Garvey launched a campaign on Tuesday as a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate seat that was held by the late Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein.The 74-year-old Garvey, a former Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres first baseman, brings star power that could distinguish his candidacy in a crowded field.California, which has not elected a Republican to the Senate since 1988, will vote in the November 2024 general election to fill Feinstein’s seat. After Feinstein’s death on Sept. 29,...…By Sharon Bernstein and Omar YounisLOS ANGELES (Reuters) – California baseball legend Steve Garvey launched a campaign on Tuesday as a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate seat that was held by the late Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein.The 74-year-old Garvey, a former Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres first baseman, brings star power that could distinguish his candidacy in a crowded field.California, which has not elected a Republican to the Senate since 1988, will vote in the November 2024 general election to fill Feinstein’s seat. After Feinstein’s death on Sept. 29,...WW…

BAGHDAD (Reuters) – Hadi Al-Amiri, a powerful Iraqi politician close to Iran and a key figure in the cross-party alliance backing Iraq’s government, has threatened to target U.S. interests if Washington intervenes to support Israel in its conflict with Hamas in Gaza.Amiri leads the Badr Organisation, a Shi’ite political group supported by Iran that makes up a big part of Iraq’s Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), the state paramilitary organization that contains many Iran-backed factions.“If they intervene, we would intervene…if the Americans intervened openly in this conflict…we will...…BAGHDAD (Reuters) – Hadi Al-Amiri, a powerful Iraqi politician close to Iran and a key figure in the cross-party alliance backing Iraq’s government, has threatened to target U.S. interests if Washington intervenes to support Israel in its conflict with Hamas in Gaza.Amiri leads the Badr Organisation, a Shi’ite political group supported by Iran that makes up a big part of Iraq’s Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), the state paramilitary organization that contains many Iran-backed factions.“If they intervene, we would intervene…if the Americans intervened openly in this conflict…we will...WW…

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Teams for U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping have an agreement in principle for them to meet in San Francisco in November but important details need to be hammered out, a senior Biden administration official said on Tuesday.The official amplified on remarks by White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre at her daily press briefing, where she said the two leaders are aiming to have a “constructive conversation” on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in San Francisco.“There is an agreement in principle to meet in San...…WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Teams for U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping have an agreement in principle for them to meet in San Francisco in November but important details need to be hammered out, a senior Biden administration official said on Tuesday.The official amplified on remarks by White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre at her daily press briefing, where she said the two leaders are aiming to have a “constructive conversation” on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in San Francisco.“There is an agreement in principle to meet in San...WW…

Symbolic of Sino-American relations, the flag of the United States of America and the flag of the Republic of China fly together on flag poles next to each other on a sunny, windy day.(Reuters) – U.S. authorities have arrested a former U.S. army sergeant and charged him for attempting to pass national defense information to China, the Justice Department said on Friday.Joseph Daniel Schmidt, whose last duty post was Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state, was charged with federal felonies for attempting to deliver national defense information and retention of national defense...…Symbolic of Sino-American relations, the flag of the United States of America and the flag of the Republic of China fly together on flag poles next to each other on a sunny, windy day.(Reuters) – U.S. authorities have arrested a former U.S. army sergeant and charged him for attempting to pass national defense information to China, the Justice Department said on Friday.Joseph Daniel Schmidt, whose last duty post was Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state, was charged with federal felonies for attempting to deliver national defense information and retention of national defense...WW…