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Trump stops enforcement of US law banning bribery of foreign officials

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The United States of America President, Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday directing the US justice department to stop prosecuting Americans accused of bribing foreign government officials to win business.

The new Trump’s order mandates the US attorney general, Pam Bondi, to pause prosecutions under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 until she issues revised enforcement guidance that promotes American competitiveness.

“Future FCPA investigations and enforcement actions will be governed by this new guidance and must be approved by the attorney general,” the document said.

In a further analysis of the development, according to the White House, the law puts US firms at a disadvantage to foreign competitors because they cannot engage in practices that are “common among international competitors, creating an uneven playing field.”

“American national security depends on America and its companies gaining strategic commercial advantages around the world, and President Trump is stopping excessive, unpredictable FCPA enforcement that makes American companies less competitive,” according to a copy of a White House factsheet cited by Reuters.

Meanwhile, the anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International said the FCPA made the United States a leader in addressing global corruption.

Reacting to the development in a statement, Gary Kalman, executive director of Transparency International US, said Trump’s executive order “diminishes— and could pave the way for completely eliminating— the crown jewel in the US’s fight against global corruption.”.

Recall that in the past weeks, Trump has signed several executive orders, including dismantling US Agency for International Development.

International

US Vice President Vance announces birth of baby boy

The birth marks the latest addition to the Vance family. Vance and Usha got married in 2014 and previously had three children before welcoming their new son.

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United States Vice President JD Vance has announced the birth of his son, saying both the newborn and his wife, Usha Vance, are healthy.

The birth marks the latest addition to the Vance family. Vance and Usha got married in 2014 and previously had three children before welcoming their new son.

Vance made the announcement in a statement shared on Sunday, expressing gratitude to the medical personnel who assisted during the delivery.

Vance also paid tribute to the medical teams at Walter Reed Medical Centre and the White House Medical Unit for their care and support.

“We are excited to announce that our baby boy, Alec Neel Vance, was born this morning.

“Usha and the baby are happy and healthy, and our kids are overjoyed to meet their little brother,“ he said.

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International

Andy Burnham set to become Labour leader before taking over as UK PM

Burnham, who has since become known as the “king of the North,” returned to Westminster in June after securing a huge majority in the Makerfield by-election, comfortably beating out challengers from Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party and Rupert Lowe’s hard-right Restore Britain.

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• Andy Burnham / Euro News

Andy Burnham is set to be announced as the Labour Party’s new leader on Friday.

Euro News reports that the Makerfield MP is scheduled to be unveiled at a special press conference before taking over as the UK’s seventh prime minister in a decade on Monday.

Burnham is expected to deliver a speech during the conference where he will reportedly pledge to be “unashamedly Labour” and vow that his government will have the “courage to fix the big things that politics has neglected.”

Burnham was left with a clear path to Downing Street after his last potential leadership rival ruled out challenging last week.

He received 379 nominations from Labour MPs for the party leadership out of a possible 403.

His uncontested run has sparked concern from some analysts and government insiders, however, and opposition leader Kemi Badenoch has accused Labour of “running scared” of scrutiny.

It comes after Keir Starmer announced he was stepping down as PM last month, as pressure continued to build in the wake of Labour’s disastrous local election results in May.

Who is Andy Burnham?

Born on Merseyside in the northwest of England and raised in the village of Culcheth in Cheshire, Burnham has said he was first inspired to enter politics after watching “Boys From The Blackstuff,” an acclaimed 1982 TV show about five unemployed men in Liverpool navigating life in Margaret Thatcher’s Britain.

He went on to study English at the University of Cambridge before starting out in journalism, working for a number of trade publications.

He soon made the jump into politics, taking a job as a researcher for the late Tessa Jowell, a former MP for Dulwich, while in his early 20s.

He eventually became MP for Leigh in 2001, a position he held until 2017, and served in a number of senior ministerial positions, including as secretary of state for health and chief secretary to the Treasury. He unsuccessfully ran for the Labour leadership in 2010 and 2015, losing to Ed Miliband and Jeremy Corbyn, respectively.

In 2017, he took over as mayor of Greater Manchester, overseeing a period of huge growth and development and gaining a reputation for his loyal defence of the region during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown.

Burnham, who has since become known as the “king of the North,” returned to Westminster in June after securing a huge majority in the Makerfield by-election, comfortably beating out challengers from Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party and Rupert Lowe’s hard-right Restore Britain.

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FAO Adopts New Science Guidelines on ‘May Contain’ Precautionary Allergen Labelling

For millions of consumers, precautionary allergen statements can play an essential role in deciding whether a food is safe to eat.

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The Food And Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has agreed to adopt new international guidelines on the use of precautionary allergen labelling (PAL), marking an important step towards making “may contain” statements more meaningful, science-based and consistent for consumers with food allergies around the world.

The new science-based recommendations promote more consistent use of precautionary allergen labelling, helping consumers make more informed food choices.

This was disclosed in a statement issued by the Food And Agriculture Organisation (FAO) noting that for millions of consumers, precautionary allergen statements can play an essential role in deciding whether a food is safe to eat.

This is as food allergies affect an estimated 4.3 percent of the global population, with reactions ranging from mild symptoms to life-threatening anaphylaxis.

The guidelines were adopted as part of the 49th session of the codex alimentarius commission, held in Geneva, Switzerland, from 6th to 10th July 2026.

FAO noted that the use of labels such as “may contain” varies widely across products and countries and remains unregulated in many parts of the world.

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