Plus, an African migrant disaster survivor haunted by weeks lost at sea.
By Edson Caldas
Today's Top News
A ship is seen docked alongside a larger vessel at the Zhoushan Xinya Shipbuilding Co wharf in China. Planet Labs PBC/Handout via REUTERS
China is providing moorage for a US-sanctioned Russian cargo ship implicated in North Korean arms transfers to Russia, according to satellite images obtained by Reuters. The ship's presence at the Chinese port underscores the challenges facing the US and its allies as they try to choke off military support for Russia.
Israel's military is poised to evacuate Palestinian civilians from Rafah and assault Hamas hold-outs in the southern Gaza Strip city, despite international warnings of a humanitarian catastrophe. A spokesperson for the Israeli government said the country was "moving ahead" with a ground operation, but gave no timeline.
A third man has been detained in a bribery investigation centering on Deputy Russian Defense Minister Timur Ivanov. The widening scandal has gripped the political and media establishment in the run-up to a government reshuffle that President Vladimir Putin is expected to announce next month.
Australian police charged five teenagers with terrorism-related offences in investigations following the stabbing of an Assyrian Christian bishop earlier this month. Police said the five boys were associates of a 16-year-old boy previously charged in the knifing of Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel.
At least 118 inmates escaped from prison after heavy rains damaged the facility in Suleja near the Nigerian capital, a prison service spokesperson said. The statement gave no details on the identities of the escaped prisoners but in the past members of Boko Haram have been locked up in the Suleja prison.
Business & Markets
Tech companies are now expanding into smaller cities in India to capitalize on cheaper land costs, rents and wages. Some are already finding it easier to hire staff in tier 2 cities, in contrast to before the pandemic when workers largely went from smaller cities into the country's major IT hubs for jobs.
Meta's shares plunged in premarket trading as the social media firm's comments around prolonged spending on AI unnerved investors. It narrowed its forecast for expenses this year in the range of $96 billion-$99 billion from $94 billion-$99 billion to support investments in new AI products and computing infrastructure.
Japan's Toyota will pair up with China's Tencent while Nissan will team up with Baidu. The separate announcements from two of Japan's biggest automakers at the Beijing auto show highlight the importance of AI for carmakers. For more on the industry, sign up to the Auto File newsletter.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on China to provide a level playing field for US businesses as he began a visit aimed at resolving contentious issues that could jeopardize the newly repaired relationship. He heads to Beijing on Friday for talks with his counterpart, and possibly with President Xi Jinping.
Join us for a Reuters NEXT Newsmaker interview with US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen today at 10am EDT/3pm BST. Reuters Editor-in-Chief Alessandra Galloni will speak to Yellen about the Middle East crisis, lingering inflation pressures, reforms at multilateral banks, and the state of US-China relations.
The Wider Image
Fisherman Birane Mbaye walks on a large pirogue which, he says, is being restored for a possible journey to Europe. REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra
Birane Mbaye is one of 101 people who set off from a fishing village on a wild stretch of Senegal's coastline last July hoping to reach Europe. They never made it. Back home in Fass Boye, Mbaye recalled being lost at sea for weeks and explained why he would risk his life again for a chance to better provide for his family.
'Taylor Swift Act' and other efforts target sky-high concert ticket prices. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon
The Taylor Swift concert ticket debacle two years ago is leading state and federal lawmakers to take aim at sales practices that they say are deceptive or predatory to music fans. A main goal of venues and musicians is to outlaw speculative sales when a seller offers a ticket they do not yet have.
Reuters Daily Briefing is sent 5 days a week. Think your friend or colleague should know about us? Forward this newsletter to them. They can also sign up here.
Want to stop receiving this email? Unsubscribe here. To manage which newsletters you're signed up for, click here.
