Reuters Daily Briefing: April 23, 2024
Iran's Israel strike coincided with crackdown on dissent at home, Ukraine is embarking on a charm offensive to recruit a citizens' army, and the countries where king dollar is causing the most pain.
Plus, Ryan Gosling's new movie is a love letter to stunt performers.
By Kate Turton
Today's Top News
Iranian women walk on a street amid the implementation of the new hijab surveillance in Tehran. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS/File Photo
As Iran launched its first ever direct attack on Israel it also embarked on a confrontation at home, ordering police to take to the streets to arrest women accused of flouting its strict Islamic dress code. Ed Blair joins the Reuters World News podcast to detail the increasing police presence and intensifying crackdowns.
Israel bombarded northern Gaza overnight in some of the heaviest shelling in weeks, causing panic amongst residents and flattening neighborhoods in an area from which the Israeli army had previously down its troops, residents said.
As Ukraine's efforts to conscript enough men to fight Russia are stymied by public skepticism, defense officials and military units are embarking on a multi-pronged charm offensive to recruit a citizens' army to resist the invasion.
At least five people, including a child, died in an attempt to cross the English Channel from France, hours after Britain passed a bill to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda to try to deter the dangerous crossings. What is Britain's Rwanda migrant deportation plan?
Two Malaysian navy helicopters collided in mid-air during a rehearsal for a naval parade, killing all 10 crew members aboard, the navy said in a statement.
UNITED STATES
The judge overseeing Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's criminal hush money trial will decide whether the former president should be punished for violating a gag order that prevents him from criticizing witnesses and others involved in the case.
When Trump's hush money trial began, cable TV news coverage of the case was as divided as America itself. A Reuters review of coverage showed the distinctly partisan approaches of cable news channels.
Seven swing states are likely to decide the outcome of the US presidential election between President Joe Biden and Trump in November. Here is what opinion polls currently show for which candidate is leading in each state.
Business & Markets
A dollar surge propelled by a strong economy, sticky inflation and geopolitical tensions have unnerved policymakers from Tokyo to Beijing and Stockholm.
Elon Musk faces tough investor questions over share drops, price cuts and job cuts at Tesla. Listen to Global Automotive Editor Brian Thevenot as he discusses the challenges facing the electric vehicle maker.
Britain's financial regulator confirmed that its new bespoke rule to combat greenwashing would come into force on May 31 to stop asset managers inflating the green credentials of their investment products.
UPS reported a decline in first-quarter profit as margins came under pressure from subdued demand for small-package delivery and higher costs tied to a new labor contract with the Teamsters union.
Chinese universities and research institutes recently obtained high-end Nvidia artificial intelligence chips through resellers, despite the US widening a ban last year on the sale of such technology to China.
Microsoft announced a cost-effective, small language artificial intelligence model that can perform tasks such as content creation and create social media posts while using smaller amounts of data.
Alzheimer's drug adoption in US slowed by doctors' skepticism
Lyn Castellano receives infusions of Eisai and Biogen's Leqembi at the Missouri Baptist Medical Center Infusion Center. October 16, 2023. Joe Castellano/Handout via REUTERS
Nine months into the US launch of the first drug proven to slow the advance of Alzheimer's, Eisai and Biogen's Leqembi is facing an unexpected hurdle to widespread use: an entrenched belief among some doctors that treating the memory-robbing disease is futile.
Alzheimer's experts had anticipated bottlenecks due to Leqembi's requirements, which include additional diagnostic tests, twice-monthly infusions and regular brain scans to guard against potentially lethal side effects.
And those issues have played a role in slow adoption since the drug was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, according to interviews with 20 neurologists and geriatricians from practices in 19 states.
And Finally...
Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt present during the Oscars show at the 96th Academy Awards in Hollywood, March 10, 2024. REUTERS/Mike Blake
After serving "Kenergy" with "Barbie", actor Ryan Gosling turns the spotlight on the movie-makers whose job is to shine on screen while remaining invisible in "The Fall Guy".
The film is inspired by the popular 1980s TV series of the same name and stars Gosling as Colt Seavers, a top Hollywood stuntman down on his luck after an on-set accident.
