Daily Briefing

Russian sources indicate Putin is ready to halt the conflict on the current battlefield lines, the U.N.'s top court will rule on the request to stop Israel's Rafah offensive, and China stages mock missile strikes on Taiwan.

Plus, the pictures of the week.

By Edson Caldas

Today's Top News

A compound of a printworks hit by Russian missile strikes in Kharkiv. May 23, 2024. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko

Russian President Vladimir Putin wants ceasefire in Ukraine that recognizes the current battlefield lines, four sources told Reuters, saying he is prepared to fight on if Kyiv and the West do not respond. Andrew Osborn discusses Putin's position on today's Reuters World News podcast.
Finance chiefs from the G7 began a two-day meeting in Italy seeking to present a common front on the need to provide a loan to Ukraine and oppose China's "unfair" industrial policies. However, comments from officials ahead of the gathering suggest no hard details will emerge on a US push for the loan.
Judges at the U.N.'s top court will rule on South Africa's request to order Israel to halt its Rafah offensive and withdraw from Gaza, part of a wider case accusing Israel of genocide. Separately, the Israeli military said it recovered bodies of three hostages in Gaza. Follow the latest on the war.
China staged mock missile strikes and dispatched fighter jets carrying live missiles and bombers earlier today, as part of drills Beijing has said were launched to punish Taiwan's new president. China tested its ability to control key areas of the island, which it views as its own territory.
Hundreds are feared dead after a massive landslide flattened dozens of homes and buried families alive in a remote village in northern Papua New Guinea. More than 50 homes, many with people still asleep inside, were buried when the landslide hit Kaokalam village around 3 a.m.

UNITED STATES

Early voting often draws a torrent of vitriol from Donald Trump, who falsely claims it is vulnerable to fraud and cost him the 2020 election. But a number of Republicans are worried that his demonizing of early voting could torpedo his hopes of winning back the White House.
The Louisiana Senate gave final legislative approval to a bill that would make the state the first in the US to reclassify two abortion-inducing drugs as controlled substances that carry the potential for abuse or addiction.

Business & Markets

Japan's core inflation slowed for a second straight month in April, likely signaling that the Bank of Japan will be patient in raising interest rates as consumption remains fragile. The nationwide core consumer price index rose 2.2% from a year earlier after gaining 2.6% in March.
Singapore Airlines has tweaked its in-flight seatbelt sign policies and altered at least one flight route after a turbulence incident this week killed one person and left dozens critically injured. We have an explainer on aircraft turbulence and how common it is.
Nvidia's most advanced artificial intelligence chip it developed for the China market has got off to a weak start, with abundant supply forcing it to be priced below a rival chip from Chinese tech giant Huawei, according to sources familiar with the matter.
European car giants say they need time, not tariffs, to compete with Chinese automakers. Hear all about the West's trade war with China and what it means for consumers and the planet on Econ World, a new weekly podcast from Reuters. Listen now.
The US Justice Department and more than two dozen states sued to break up Live Nation, arguing the big concert promoter and its Ticketmaster unit illegally inflated concert ticket prices and hurt artists. We look at why US concert tickets are so expensive.

The Week Ahead

Spain, Norway and Ireland will recognize a Palestinian state on May 28. They urged other European states to follow their lead.
Closing arguments are expected on Tuesday in Donald Trump's criminal hush money trial in New York. Here is a look at what comes next.
South Africans vote in a national election on Wednesday. Polls suggest the African National Congress party is at risk of losing its majority.
Officials from the 194 member states of the WHO hope to complete negotiations on rules for responding to pandemics in Geneva.
Inflation data from the US, the euro zone and Japan will guide expectations over the scale and pace of interest rate changes in major economies.

In Pictures

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak calls for a general election. REUTERS/Toby Melville

From the 77th Cannes Film Festival in France to a rain-soaked Rishi Sunak in Britain, we bring you a selection of our top photos from around the world this week.

See the photo gallery.

And Finally...

This airline wants all dogs to fly first class. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz

Dogs are ditching the kennels and flying first class. BARK Air, which wants to pamper pets and their owners even before takeoff, made its initial flight from New York to Los Angeles this week.

The dog-first experience starts with a waiting lounge filled with treats and a speedy check-in.

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