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Good morning. The US Senate has authorized a $95bn invoice delivering safety assist to Ukraine, Israel and the Indo-Pacific area after it drew overwhelming bipartisan help in a lift to Joe Biden’s high overseas coverage priorities.
The ultimate passage of the laws in Congress yesterday ends a political logjam that had lasted for months and solid doubt on America’s skill to challenge energy world wide.
The approval from Capitol Hill paves the best way for Washington to shortly dispatch new weapons to Ukraine because it battles Russia’s full-scale invasion. US officers mentioned some assist for Kyiv could be forthcoming inside days.
It will even bolster US army help for Israel after it exchanged drone assaults and missile strikes with Iran over the previous 10 days — and comes regardless of mounting tensions between the White House and Israeli leaders over their conduct of the warfare in Gaza towards Hamas and the heavy Palestinian civilian casualties. James Politi has extra from Washington.
Here’s what else I’m conserving tabs on right now:
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Economic information: Germany has the Ifo Business Climate index, whereas Italy releases its shopper and enterprise confidence survey.
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Companies: Abrdn, Boeing, CME Group, Eni, Ford Motor, General Dynamics, Heathrow, Heineken, Lloyds Banking Group, Meta and Reckitt Benckiser report. See the Week Ahead e-newsletter for the total record.
Five extra high tales
1. Senior UN officers have referred to as for an investigation into experiences that a whole bunch of our bodies had been unearthed from mass graves at two hospitals in Gaza amid the warfare between Israel and Hamas. UN human rights chief Volker Türk mentioned he was horrified by the destruction at Nasser hospital in Khan Younis and al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City, and referred to as for an unbiased probe into the deaths of the individuals discovered there. Read the total report.
2. The US Federal Trade Commission has voted to ban non-compete agreements, taking intention at contracts that restrict staff’ freedom to give up for a brand new job at a unique employer. The regulator’s commissioners voted 3-2 yesterday to implement the far-reaching measure first proposed in January 2023 in a bid to keep away from wage suppression and defend innovation. The transfer has sparked fast authorized pushback.
3. Two of Britain’s greatest water corporations have didn’t map giant elements of their sewage networks, underscoring the problem dealing with privatised utilities as they attempt to repair their poor environmental document and cut back spills. Thames Water and Southern Water solely mapped the pipes as they labored on them, leaving a big proportion of the community unchecked, the 2 corporations revealed in responses to freedom of data requests. Read extra concerning the potential monetary implications.
4. Cyber attackers are experimenting with their newest ransomware on companies in Africa, Asia and South America earlier than focusing on richer international locations which have extra subtle safety strategies. Hackers have adopted a “strategy” of infiltrating programs within the creating world earlier than shifting to higher-value targets corresponding to in North America and Europe, in response to a report printed right now by cyber safety group Performanta. Find out extra concerning the latest targets.
5. Tesla has pledged to deliver ahead the launch of “more affordable” fashions of its electrical autos, serving to its inventory recuperate a few of its latest losses regardless of reporting a 9 per cent decline in first-quarter income. In a submitting yesterday, the electric-car maker mentioned it had “updated our future vehicle line-up to accelerate the launch of new models ahead of our previously communicated start of production in the second half of 2025”. Read extra on the carmaker’s plans and market response.
The Big Read
To a lot of the world, Nelson Mandela stays an ethical large. But some younger South Africans born after the top of apartheid need solutions over what went mistaken in a rustic the place each second youth is unemployed, crime is rife and inequality alongside racial strains stays blatant. The proven fact that some individuals are questioning Mandela’s legacy underscores the deep disillusion many voters really feel concerning the state of their nation.
We’re additionally studying . . .
Chart of the day
Two many years in the past the US produced about 7mn barrels a day of petroleum and consumed 21mn. Gulf international locations corresponding to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait had been among the many US’s most necessary overseas suppliers. Now the US produces virtually 20mn b/d of petroleum, roughly on par with consumption. Imports from the Gulf have plummeted, and the US grew to become a internet oil exporter for the primary time in 2019. The strategic benefits are profound, analysts say.
Take a break from the information
Nicolai Tangen, Norway’s “trillion-dollar man”, has opened an epic artwork house within the nation’s most southern reaches. But will Kunstsilo draw the crowds to Kristiansand?
Additional contributions from Benjamin Wilhelm and Nora Redmond
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