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By Jennifer Rigby and Richa Naidu LONDON One of the world's most common artificial sweeteners is set to

The CEO of Anheuser-Busch InBev, the parent company of Bud Light, said the beer should be about bringing people together after it faced months of backlash following its brief partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. In an appearance Wednesday on the programme CBS This Morning, CEO Brendan Whitworth said the company has become entangled in “divisive” conversations it should not be a part of. “I think the conversation surrounding Bud Light has moved away from beer, and the conversation has become divisive,” Mr Whitworth said. “And Bud Light really doesn’t belong there. Bud Light should be all about bringing people together.” At the moment, that is not what’s happening. Bud Light last month lost its spot at the top of the beer sales charts to Modelo as some conservative customers continue to boycott the beer following the advertisements featuring Ms Mulvaney. Mr Whitworth declined to answer directly when asked whether the campaign featuring Ms Mulvaney was a mistake. “There’s a big social conversation taking place right now, and big brands are right in the middle of it and it’s not just our industry or Bud Light,” Mr Whitworth said. “It’s happening in retail, happening in fast food. And so for us what we need to understand — deeply understand and appreciate — is the consumer and what they want, what they care about, and what they expect from big brands.” Despite being given ample opportunity to do so, Mr Whitworth did not directly defend the corporation’s decision to partner with a trans influencer or to support the trans community more broadly at a time when that community is facing a barrage of legislation targeting its rights in states across the country. “Bud Light has supported LGBTQ since 1998, so that’s 25 years,” Mr Whitworth said. “And as we’ve said from the beginning, we’ll continue to support the communities and organisations we’ve supported for decades. But as we move forward, we want to focus on what we do best: which is brewing great beer for everyone.” The controversy over corporations’ politics is not limited to Bud Light. Disney, Target, Nike and a number of other brands have also been the target of the right’s ire in recent years for taking stances on social issues at odds with conservatives. Target recently announced its decision to remove some Pride month merchandise from its stores after facing criticism from conservatives for its relative support of the LGBTQ+ community. The Starbucks Workers Union, meanwhile, accused Starbucks of restricting Pride decorations from certain stores. Read More I came out as a teen in the 90s — there’s still a long road ahead for LGBT+ youth Starbucks workers at 150 stores to strike over alleged ban on Pride decor

A Florida man who has been on the run for almost four decades for a 1984 murder has been caught in California and extradited back to Florida, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said in a news release.

President Joe Biden touted his economic record amid continuing dissatisfaction among Americans with the state of the US economy, by saying his policies have proven effective. Mr Biden delivered a fiery speech on Wednesday in Chicago where he sought to flip a term that the Wall Street Journal has used against him – Bidenomics – into a positive. “I didn’t come up with the name, I really didn’t, I’m not offended by it,” he said. “I’m happy to call it Bidenomics.” The president, who is seeking re-election in 2024, said that the US economy has largely recovered from the recession caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. “Guess what? Bidenomics is working,” he said to applause. “When I took office, the pandemic was raging and the economy was reeling. Supply chains were broken. Millions of people were unemployed.” Despite low unemployment, many Americans continue to see inflation as a top priority. A survey from the Pew Research Center last week showed that 52 per cent of Democrats and 77 per cent of Republicans say inflation is still a “very big problem.” Mr Biden sought to soothe those concerns by saying he continues to prioritise lowering prices and noted how inflation is less than half of what it was one year ago. “Bringing down inflation remains one of my top priorities today,” he said. Mr Biden also mentioned the progress that his signature Inflation Reduction Act has made, such as allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices. “We’ve been trying to get this done for decades and this time we finally beat big pharma for the first time,” he said. Mr Biden also touted how the law is aiding red states like West Virginia, the home of conservative Democratic Sen Joe Manchin, who has vocally criticised the Biden administration’s implementation of the law as he weighs whether to seek re-election in a staunchly Republican state. The president also touted the expansion of rural broadband, specifically naming Sen Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), who opposed the measure previously. “To no one’s surprise, it’s bringing along some converts,” he said. “People strenuously opposed voting against it when we had this going on. This was going to bankrupt America.” Mr Biden’s speech is one of his first outlining his economic doctrine as he seeks to create a contrast between himself and Republican presidential candidates. “This vision is a fundamental break from the economic theory that has failed America's middle class for decades: It’s called trickle-down economics,” he said, describing the economic theory that argues that cutting taxes for the wealthiest individuals and corporations would lead to wealth spreading to the middle-class and low-income Americans. “The trickle-down approach failed the middle class. It failed America.” He also sought to show that he could accomplish what his predecessor and would-be 2024 challenger former president Donald Trump could not achieve by passing the bipartisan infrastructure law. “Remember infrastructure week? Infrastructure week became infrastructure week and week and week and it never happened,” he said, a reference to the fact that the Trump administration regularly touted “infrastructure week.” “We got infrastructure decade done right off the bat.” Mr Biden also planned to continue to shore up cash for his re-election effort and shortly after the event, headed to a fundraiser at the J.W. Marriott’s Grand Ballroom that same day. Read More What next for Biden’s billion dollar broadband expansion? Watch as Biden makes statement on economic policy in Chicago US public debt is projected to reach 181% of American economic activity in 30 years Watch as Biden makes statement on economic policy in Chicago Cambodian leader Hun Sen, a huge Facebook fan, says he is jumping ship to Telegram

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, a devoted and very active user of Facebook — on which he has posted everything from photos of his grandchildren to threats against his political enemies — said Wednesday that he will no longer upload to the platform and will instead depend on the Telegram app to get his message across. Telegram is a popular messaging app that also has a blogging tool called “channels.” In Russia and some of the neighboring countries, it is actively used both by government officials and opposition activists for communicating with mass audiences. Telegram played an important role in coordinating unprecedented anti-government protests in Belarus in 2020, and currently serves as a major source of news about Russia’s war in Ukraine. The 70-year-old year Hun Sen is listed as having 14 million Facebook followers, though critics have suggested a large number are merely “ghost” accounts purchased in bulk from so-called “click farms,” an assertion the long-serving prime minister has repeatedly denied. The Facebook accounts of Joe Biden and Donald Trump by comparison boast 11 million and 34 million followers, respectively, though the United States has about 20 times the population of Cambodia. Hun Sen officially launched his Facebook page on Sept. 20, 2015, after his fierce political rival, opposition leader Sam Rainsy, effectively demonstrated how it could be used to mobilize support. Hun Sen is noted as a canny and sometimes ruthless politician, and has since then managed to drive his rival into exile and neutralize all his challengers, even though Cambodia is a nominally democratic state. Hun Sen said he is giving up Facebook for Telegram because he believes the latter is more effective for communicating. In a Telegram post on Wednesday he said it will be easier for him to get his message out when he is traveling in other countries that officially ban Facebook use. China, the top ally of his government, is also the biggest country with a Facebook ban. Hun Sen has 855,000 followers so far on Telegram, where he appears to have started posting in mid-May. It is also possible that Hun Sen’s social media loyalty switch has to do with controversy over remarks he posted earlier this year on Facebook that in theory could see him get at least temporarily banned from the platform. As the country’s top leader for 38 years, he has earned a reputation for heated rhetoric, and in January, speaking at a road construction ceremony, he decried opposition politicians who accused his ruling Cambodian People’s Paty of stealing votes. “There are only two options. One is to use legal means and the other is to use a stick,” the prime minister said. “Either you face legal action in court, or I rally (the Cambodian) People’s Party people for a demonstration and beat you up.” His remarks were spoken on Facebook Live and kept online as a video. Perhaps because of heightened consciousness about the power of social media to inflame and trigger violence in such countries as India and Myanmar, and because the remarks were made ahead of a general election in Cambodia this July, complaints about his words were lodged with Facebook’s parent company, Meta. Facebook’s moderators declined to recommend action against Hun Sen, judging that his position as a national leader made his remarks newsworthy and therefore not subject to punishment despite their provocative nature. However, the case was forwarded in March to Meta’s Oversight Board, a group of independent experts that is empowered to render an overriding judgment that could limit Hun Sen’s Facebook activities. They may issue a decision in the next few weeks. The case is being closely watched as an indicator of where Facebook will draw the line in countries with volatile political situations. Hun Sen said his Facebook account will remain online but he will no longer actively post to it. He urged people looking for news from him to check YouTube and his Instagram account as well as Telegram, and said he has ordered his office to establish a TikTok account to allow him to communicate with his country’s youth.. ___ Peck reported from Bangkok. Dasha Litvinova contributed from Tallinn, Estonia. Read More Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Cambodian lawmakers approve changes to election law that disqualify candidates who don't vote Trump’s latest defence in the classified documents case: ‘Bravado’ Trump gives ‘bravado’ defence for secret papers tape as he sues E Jean Carroll – live

The US TV personality will begin hosting the iconic game show in 2024 alongside co-host Vanna White.

Despite his large lead in a crowded Republican primary field, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy says he does not know if Donald Trump is the “strongest” candidate to take on President Joe Biden in the 2024 election. In an interview on CNBC, Mr McCarthy said Mr Trump can beat Mr Biden but that he’s not sure another Republican couldn’t do better. Later in the day, the speaker appeared to walk back the remarks by telling Breitbart that the former president is “stronger today than he was in 2016”. On Monday night, bombshell audio revealed the former president apparently bragging about possessing still-classified military documents about Iran after he left the White House. In the recording, from a July 2021 meeting at Mr Trump’s Bedminster golf club and released by CNN, the former president is heard audibly shuffling the documents. Mr Trump took to Truth Social to fume about the tape, railing against “Deranged Special Prosecutor” Jack Smith and baselessly accusing the DOJ and FBI of leaking it. Meanwhile, Mr Trump’s co-defendant in the classified documents case, his aide Walt Nauta, has had his arraignment in Miami postponed after his flight was delayed by bad weather in New Jersey. Read More Trump fumes about ‘illegally leaked’ CNN tape of him boasting about classified documents Donald Trump countersues E Jean Carroll for defamation over rape claims Rudy Giuliani interviewed by special counsel over 2020 election interference attempts, says report Trump wants to keep 'communists' and ‘Marxists’ out of the US. Here’s what the law says Is Trump the best candidate to beat Biden? Kevin McCarthy says ‘I don’t know’

Donald Trump sued E Jean Carroll for defamation on Tuesday after a jury held him liable for sexually abusing her. The former president filed a counterclaim in Manhattan federal court, accusing the author of tarnishing his reputation publicly. He has sought retraction as well as unspecified compensatory and punitive damages. According to the court filing, Mr Trump “has been the subject of significant harm to his reputation, which, in turn, has yielded an inordinate amount of damages sustained as a result”. Last month, a jury of six men and three women found that the former president was liable for sexual abuse, and not liable for rape, before awarding Ms Carroll $5m in damages. He also launched a fresh defamatory attack on Ms Carroll last month just hours after her lawyers formally asked to amend her remaining defamation lawsuit against the ex-president to include his “smears” at a CNN town hall. “Trump’s defamatory statements post-verdict show the depth of his malice toward Carroll since it is hard to imagine defamatory conduct that could possibly be more motivated by hatred, ill will, or spite,” the proposed amended complaint said. “This conduct supports a very substantial punitive damages award in Carroll’s favour both to punish Trump, to deter him from engaging in further defamation, and to deter others from doing the same,” the complaint said. After his statements about her on CNN, Ms Carroll’s lawyers had asked a Manhattan federal court judge for permission to amend the first defamation lawsuit that she filed against Ms Trump in 2019. He later wrote on Truth Social: “I don’t know E Jean Carroll, I never met her or touched her (except on a celebrity line with her African American husband who she disgustingly called the ‘Ape,’),” he wrote. Mr Trump has previously also accused Ms Carroll of calling her husband “ape”, without any evidence. “I wouldn’t want to know or touch her, I never abused her or raped her or took her to a dressing room 25 years ago in a crowded department store where the doors are LOCKED, she has no idea when, or did anything else to her, except deny her Fake, Made Up Story, that she wrote in a book. IT NEVER HAPPENED, IS A TOTAL SCAM, UNFAIR TRIAL!” he added. Meanwhile, Mr Trump’s lawyers said in the court filing on Tuesday: “The interview was on television, social media and multiple internet websites, with the intention of broadcasting and circulating these defamatory statements among a significant portion of the public.” The former president’s court filing on Tuesday is a counterclaim in a separate 2019 defamation lawsuit Ms Carroll filed against him that is set to go to trial in January, it was reported. While Ms Carroll won the first trial, the former president has interpreted the verdict as a victory, of sorts, because of the finding on rape. Additional reporting from agencies Read More Writer's lawyers say Trump is wrong about $5 million sex abuse-defamation jury award Trump's penchant for talking could pose problems as Mar-a-Lago criminal case moves ahead Trump is funneling 10% of 2024 campaign donations to cover his legal bills Rape accuser files new lawsuit as Trump seethes over 2024 flop – live Where do Donald Trump’s family stand on him running in 2024? Trump revealed to have tweeted classified image from spy satellite

Senator Rick Scott posted a video of himself on Tuesday warning “socialists” and “communists” not to travel or move to his home state of Florida. “Let me give you a travel warning: if you’re a Socialist, Communist, somebody that believes in big government, I would think twice – think twice – if you’re thinking about taking a vacation or moving to Florida,” Mr Scott said at the start of his 35-second video message. Mr Scott’s “travel warning” is a play on the travel advisories civil rights groups like the NAACP and the Human Rights Campaign have issued warning immigrants, LGBT+ people, and people of colour to reconsider travel to the state after it passed a number of laws targeting those communities in recent months. It’s also not the first time Mr Scott, an ambitious first-term senator and former governor, has used the gimmick of issuing his own advisory to draw attention to himself. The senator also issued a press release last month warning people with left-wing views to stay away from the state. “We’re the free state of Florida,” Mr Scott continued in his video. “We actually don’t believe in socialism. We actually know people – some people in our state lived under it, we know people lived under socialism, it’s not good. It’s not good for anybody. So, if you’re thinking about it, if you’re thinking about coming to Florida and you’re a socialist or communist, think twice. We like freedom, liberty, capitalism, things like that.” Mr Scott is reportedly considering running for president, where he would be one of a number of longshot candidates attempting to wrest the nomination away from former president Donald Trump. Along with Mr Trump, two other Floridians are already in the race – Ron DeSantis, Mr Scott’s successor as governor, and Miami Mayor Francis Suarez. Of those candidates, it’s Mr DeSantis who can claim the most credit for turning Florida into a state that has become a symbol for far right governance. In Mr DeSantis’s tenure as governor, the state has moved to severely limit abortion rights, limit free speech in schools, end the state’s tenure system, limit gender-affirming care, and more. Mr Scott, a billionaire former hospital executive who unsuccessfully challenged senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky for leadership of the Republican Senate caucus at the start of the current Congress, has reportedly had a strained relationship with Mr DeSantis. He is currently running for re-election to the Senate. Read More Florida senator issues travel warning against ‘socialists’ after NAACP advisory

The United States moved on Tuesday to punish companies accused of doing business with the infamous Russian mercenary army known as the Wagner Group, following the group’s insurrection attempt within Russia’s borders. The move is not thought to be specifically related to the coup, however, instead being a response to Wagner’s participation in some of the bloodiest fighting taking place within Ukraine, where Russian forces launched a full-scale invasion last year. A statement from the Treasury Department faulted companies in Africa and the Middle East for participating in a gold-selling scheme in violation of US sanctions to fund the Wagner Group’s ongoing activities. One executive at Wagner, Andrey Nikolayevich Ivanov, was also slapped with individual sanctions on his financial dealings. “The targeted entities in the Central African Republic (CAR), United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Russia have engaged in illicit gold dealings to fund the Wagner Group to sustain and expand its armed forces, including in Ukraine and Africa, while the targeted individual has been central to activities of Wagner Group units in Mali,” reads Treasury’s press release. The companies are even accused of working with rebel militant groups in the Central African Republic (CAR) as part of the operation. Consequently, an inter-agency task force has issued an advisory highlighting risks for participants in the African gold trade. “Treasury’s sanctions disrupt key actors in the Wagner Group’s financial network and international structure,” added Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson in a statement. “The Wagner Group funds its brutal operations in part by exploiting natural resources in countries like the Central African Republic and Mali. The United States will continue to target the Wagner Group’s revenue streams to degrade its expansion and violence in Africa, Ukraine, and anywhere else,” he said. Wagner Group’s prominence exploded over the weekend after the mercenary soldiers ripped through Russia and seized control of a major city, Rostov, where much of the country’s defence sector is centred. The lightning-fast coup ended as quickly as it began, with leader Yevgeny Prigozhin apparently accepting a deal negotiated by the president of Belarus which saw him exiled to that country. In exchange, participants in the insurrection were granted immunity deals — and other, unknown concessions were thought by many to have been extended to Mr Prigozhin as well. It’s unclear what the insurrection means for the future of Wagner, however, given Mr Prigozhin’s apparent banishment and the souring of his ties with Russia’s leader. Many of the private army’s troops are still deployed in Ukraine, where they are engaged in some of the fiercest combat taking place across the country’s southeast. Read More UN urges Israel and Palestinians to halt West Bank violence in statement backed by US and Russia Fox News host suggests White House ‘drummed up’ Russia coup to distract from Hunter Biden Wagner chief walks free after armed revolt. Other Russians defying the Kremlin aren’t so lucky NATO warns not to underestimate Russian forces, and tells Moscow it has increased preparedness Putin admits Moscow paid Wagner mercenaries £800m in wages in a year – and that his forces ‘stopped civil war’ Pope's peace envoy arrives in Moscow after the short-lived Wagner rebellion

Audio of former president Donald Trump appearing to flaunt his possession of classified military documents has been broadcast by CNN. In the recording, which allegedly came from a meeting at Mr Trump’s Bedminster golf club and estate in July 2021, the former president can be heard audibly shuffling documents and describing his “big pile of papers” to associates. The existence of the tape was already known but this is the first time it has been heard in public. “These are the papers,” Mr Trump says at one point, referring to a military document concerning Iran and US military joint chief of staff Mark Milley. “This was done by the military and given to me.” “They presented me this — this is off the record,” Mr Trump is heard to say at another point in the recording, describing the information he is showing to others as “highly confidential” and “secret”. The audio records Mr Trump speaking to several people and apparently showing them documents relating to a possible attack on Iran that he says were drawn up by Gen Milley and which he himself says are still classified. The former president is heard saying: “Isn’t it amazing? I have a big pile of papers, this thing just came up. Look. [PAPERS SHUFFLING] This was him. They presented me this – this is off the record – but they presented me this. This was him. This was the Defense Department and him.” One of the other people in the room can be heard to say: “Wow.” Another says: “Oh my gosh.” Apparently referring to an ongoing public row with Gen Milley, Mr Trump is then heard to say: “This totally wins my case, you know.” He is then heard saying: “Except it is, like, highly confidential.” His guests are heard laughing as he says this. The former president then says: “Secret. This is secret information. Look, look at this. You attack, and ....” One of his guests then jokes that “Hillary would print that out all the time, you know”, referring to Hillary Clinton’s controversial use of a private email server for which she was criticised but not criminally charged. Mr Trump then says: “See as president I could have declassified it. Now I can’t, you know, but this is still a secret. Isn’t that interesting? It’s so cool. I mean it’s so – look, her and I, and you probably almost didn’t believe me, but now you believe me.” The former president was indicted earlier this month and charged with 37 counts related to his alleged mishandling of classified documents after leaving the White House, including willful retention of national defence secrets in violation of the Espionage Act, conspiracy to obstruct justice, corruptly concealing documents, concealing documents in a federal investigation, scheme to conceal, and making false statements. In May, CNN reported that among the evidence prosecutors used to build their case against the former president was an audio recording of a summer 2021 meeting, in which Mr Trump allegedly acknowledged holding onto a classified Pentagon document detailing potential battle plans against Iran. In an interview with Fox News, Mr Trump denied possessing such a document. “That was a massive amount of papers and everything else talking about Iran and other things,” he said. “And it may have been held up or it may not but that was not a document. I did not have a document per se.” He suggested the papers may have been newspaper and magazine clippings. The Independent has contacted Donald Trump for comment. It was not immediately clear how CNN had come into possession of the recording. Read More Trump news – live: Supreme Court dismisses Democratic lawsuit over Trump hotel documents Trump mocked for bursting into bizarre moaning sounds at Michigan GOP dinner Convicted Jan 6 rioter tells Trump to stop misusing her story: ‘I pleaded guilty because I was guilty!’ Rape accuser files new lawsuit as Trump seethes over 2024 flop – live Where do Donald Trump’s family stand on him running in 2024? Trump revealed to have tweeted classified image from spy satellite

Bombshell audio has revealed Donald Trump apparently bragging about possessing still-classified military documents about Iran after he left the White House. In the recording, from a July 2021 meeting at Mr Trump’s Bedminster golf club and released by CNN, the former president is heard audibly shuffling documents and describing his “big pile of papers” to associates. “These are the papers,” Mr Trump says, refering to a military document concerning Iran. “This was done by the military and given to me.” Mr Trump took to Truth Social on Monday night to fume about the tape, railing against “Deranged Special Prosecutor” Jack Smith and baselessly accusing the DOJ and FBI of leaking it. “The Deranged Special Prosecutor, Jack Smith, working in conjunction with the DOJ & FBI, illegally leaked and “spun” a tape and transcript of me which is actually an exoneration, rather than what they would have you believe. This continuing Witch Hunt is another ELECTION INTERFERENCE Scam. They are cheaters and thugs!” he wrote. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has dismissed a lawsuit from a number of Congressional Democrats who were attempting to get information about the government lease for the Washington, DC hotel previously owned by former President Trump. Read More CNN plays tape of Trump appearing to show off military documents that he says are still classified Judge to weigh whether Trump's New York criminal case should be moved to federal court Trump valet set for arraignment in classified documents case Fox News choose Jesse Watters to replace Tucker Carlson in primetime shakeup