REUTERS Daily Briefing - May 8 , 2024 - The US pauses some arms supplies to Israel as battles rage around Rafah, Russian attack piles pressure on Ukraine's power grid, and the world's record-breaking temperature streak extends through April.

 

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Daily Briefing

The US pauses some arms supplies to Israel as battles rage around Rafah, Russian attack piles pressure on Ukraine's power grid, and the world's record-breaking temperature streak extends through April.   Plus, in a rapidly ageing China, millions of migrant workers can't afford to retire.   By Edson Caldas

Today's Top News

Ukrainian servicemen use a searchlight as they search for drones. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich

Russian missiles and drones struck nearly a dozen Ukrainian critical infrastructure facilities in a major airstrike, causing damage at three thermal power plants. The attack piles more pressure on the country's beleaguered energy system more than two years since Russia's full-scale invasion. US soldier Gordon Black, who has been detained in the Russian city of Vladivostok until July 2, has been charged with theft causing significant damage, a Russian court said. The detention of Black, who the Pentagon said travelled without authorization, presents yet another diplomatic headache for the US. The US has halted a shipment of powerful bombs to Israel, an official said, as Washington puts pressure on its ally to avoid a full-scale invasion of the Gaza Strip's crowded southern city of Rafah and give more time for ceasefire talks. Follow the latest coverage of the war. Adult firm star Stormy Daniels took the stand to testify in the criminal hush money case against Donald Trump. Reporter Jack Queen joins the Reuters World News podcast to share details of her testimony and the heated exchange between her and Trump's lawyers. Hong Kong's appeals court granted an application by the government to ban a protest anthem named "Glory to Hong Kong", overturning a lower court judgement. The ruling comes amid what critics say is an erosion in Hong Kong's rule of law and individual rights. Serbia welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping with a military guard of honor ahead of a meeting with his Serbian counterpart to discuss China's multi-billion euro investment in the Balkan country and possible new deals. The world just experienced its hottest April on record, extending an 11-month streak in which every month set a temperature record. Including April, the world's average temperature was also the highest on record for a 12-month period at 1.61 degrees Celsius above the average in the 1850-1900 pre-industrial period.

Business & Markets

The generation that flocked to China's cities at the end of last century, building the infrastructure and manning the factories that made the country the world's biggest exporter, now risks a sharp late-life drop in living standards. Millions of migrant workers can't afford to retire. German industrial production declined in March, although less than expected thanks to construction, data from the federal statistics office showed. Industrial production fell by 0.4% compared to February, a smaller decline than the 0.6% fall predicted by analysts polled by Reuters. Toyota forecast a 20% profit decline in the current financial year, citing looming investment in both its suppliers and strategy after it delivered blockbuster fourth-quarter earnings. Meanwhile, BMW expects a slight drop in pre-tax profit due to higher research and development, manufacturing and personnel costs. US President Joe Biden will visit the political battleground state of Wisconsin to announce plans by Microsoft to build a $3.3 billion high-tech data center that will create thousands of jobs, the White House said. TikTok and its parent company ByteDance sued in US federal court seeking to block a law signed by Biden that would force the divestiture of the short video app used by 170 million Americans or ban it. The companies argue that the law violates the US Constitution on a number of grounds.

In Pictures

A drone view of the flooded Beira-Rio stadium in Porto Alegre. REUTERS/Diego Vara

More than 130 people are still missing following devastating floods across the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, which left about 150,000 people displaced. The flooding has also hampered rescue efforts, with dozens of people still waiting to be evacuated by boat or helicopter from stricken homes.  Our photo gallery shows the extent of the crisis.

And Finally...

Sperm whales, the largest of the toothed whales, communicate using bursts of clicking noises sounding a bit like Morse code. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon

A new analysis of years of vocalizations by sperm whales has found that their system of communication is more sophisticated than previously known, exhibiting a complex internal structure replete with a "phonetic alphabet."  The researchers identified similarities to aspects of other animal communication systems - and even human language.