Wednesday Briefing: With G7 summit the first stop, Biden embarks on eight-day trip to Europe

The Reuters Daily Briefing Wednesday, June 9, 2021 by Linda Noakes Hello Here's what you need to know. The U.S. eyes a return to global travel, socialist Castillo clings on to a tight lead in Peru, and a world first for bitcoin. Today's biggest stories Police officers are seen in front of Carbis Bay Hotel ahead of the G7 summit in Cornwall, Britain, June 8, 2021. REUTERS/Tom Nicholson U.S. U.S. President Joe Biden departs for Britain today on his first trip abroad since taking office, an eight-day mission to rebuild trans-Atlantic ties strained during the Trump era and to reframe relations with Russia. The Senate voted 68-32 to approve a sweeping package of legislation intended to boost the country's ability to compete with Chinese technology. The Treasury Department has asked law enforcement authorities to investigate the disclosure of tax records cited in a media report that showed that some of America’s richest people paid little to no income taxes. The Biden administration is forming expert working groups with Canada, Mexico, the European Union and the United Kingdom to determine how best to safely restart travel after 15 months of pandemic restrictions. A Pennsylvania man who impersonated Donald Trump's teenage son and other members of the former president's family, and claimed to have once fooled Trump himself, has been charged in Manhattan with defrauding hundreds of supporters of Trump's re-election. Peru's presidential candidate Pedro Castillo addresses supporters from the headquarters of the 'Free Peru' party in Lima, June 8, 2021. REUTERS/Sebastian Castaneda WORLD Peruvian socialist candidate Pedro Castillo held on to a narrow lead in the country’s runoff presidential election, as tensions rose over contested ballots and accusations of fraud, which sparked protests outside the elections office. A Russian court is considering a request to declare organisations linked to jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny "extremist", a move that if approved would ban his allies from a parliamentary election later this year too. Israeli officials said they would allow a right-wing march in Jerusalem’s Old City to go ahead next week under certain conditions, a day after police barred the event’s route fearing it would rekindle conflict between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza. The man alleged to have slapped French President Emmanuel Macron in the face ran a club for enthusiasts of medieval swordsmanship and had no previous criminal record, sources close to the investigation say. BUSINESS El Salvador has become the first country in the world to formally adopt bitcoin as legal tender after Congress approved President Nayib Bukele's proposal to embrace the cryptocurrency. Shares of Clover Health Investments have jumped 18% and are on course to hit an all-time high, with individual traders on online discussion forums pumping up the stock a day after they sent it soaring about 86%. Global solar power developers are slowing down project installations because of a surge in costs for components, labor, and freight as the world economy bounces back from the coronavirus pandemic. Ferrari has turned to technology industry leader Benedetto Vigna to navigate the luxury sports car maker known for its roaring, high-octane engines through a new era of silent, electric powertrains. Vigna, a 52-year-old Italian national, currently runs the biggest division of chip maker STMicroelectronics. Quote of the day "I am trapped in a bureaucratic maze that would even astonish Kafka, and there is no exit" Ernst-Jan de Groot Brexit bureaucracy creates nightmare for Dutch boat captain Video of the day Speed controls slapped on Moscow's rental scooters Authorities are imposing speed limits for electric scooters that whiz across the city, often on pavements, as calls for action grow following a string of accidents. And finally… Pandemic propels Auckland to top of most liveable cities ranking Auckland replaces Vienna, which has crashed out of the top 10 as the island nations of New Zealand, Australia and Japan fare best. More from Reuters COVID-19 Investigations Breakingviews Legal News Thanks for spending part of your day with us. Share your thoughts You are receiving this email because you signed up for newsletters from Reuters. No longer want to hear from us? Unsubscribe from The Reuters Daily Briefing. Terms, conditions, and privacy statement © 2021 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved. 3 Times Square, New York, NY 10036