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Daily Briefing

All eyes are on the US central bank as it unveils its interest rate decision. Meanwhile, Russia and Ukraine escalate a drone war targeting infrastructure.

Plus, from tea to ketchup, some shelves lie empty in Europe and the Middle East as retailers struggle to predict demand.

By Edson Caldas

Business & Markets

Federal Reserve Board Chair Jerome Powell holds a news conference in Washington, March 22, 2023. REUTERS/Leah Millis/File Photo

The Federal Reserve is expected to raise interest rates later in the day, as policymakers balance the need to slow inflation against a pressing set of risks ranging from bank failures to the possibility of a US debt default. The Reuters World News podcast looks at what is next for borrowers after more than a year of interest rate increases.
Commentary: "Another quarter-point rate rise is still the best guess and the Fed is most likely to reiterate a wait-and-see stance on what happens after that - without committing either way on this week's move being the final hike." For more, sign up for a look at the day ahead in US and global markets. Or find our Asia and Europe editions.
Hollywood writers have for decades penned sci-fi scripts featuring machines taking over the world. Now, they are fighting to make sure robots do not take their jobs. The Writers Guild of America is seeking to restrict the use of artificial intelligence in writing film and television scripts.
A "salad crisis" affecting British supermarkets hit headlines earlier this year but shoppers across Europe and the Middle East seeking some basic groceries are also finding gaps on the shelves. Top industry executives, consultants and analysts told Reuters that supermarkets are struggling to predict demand.

Around The World

Police officers stand as a security guard died and at least five students were wounded after a schoolboy opened fire in a downtown Belgrade, May 3, 2023. REUTERS/Djordje Kojadinovic

A 14-year-old boy shot his teacher in a Belgrade classroom before opening fire on other students and security guards, killing eight pupils and a security guard, Serbia's interior ministry said. Six children have been hospitalized along with the teacher.
German and Italian police arrested more than 100 people in a crackdown on the Italian 'Ndrangheta organized crime group. The suspects are accused of money laundering, criminal tax evasion, fraud and the smuggling of drugs, mafia-type criminal association, and the possession and trafficking of weapons.
And in the US, police captured a man suspected of shooting five Texas neighbors to death and leading multiple agencies on a four-day manhunt, after a tip led them to a home in a nearby town where he was caught hiding beneath laundry, officials said.

War in Ukraine

Oil depots were ablaze in both Russia and Ukraine today as the two sides escalated a drone war targeting infrastructure in apparent anticipation of Ukraine's upcoming counteroffensive, expected to be one of the most decisive phases of the war. Follow the latest developments here.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy arrived in Finland for meetings with Nordic leaders to discuss the war with Russia and European relations. Zelenskiy will meet with Finnish President Sauli Niinisto as well as the prime ministers of Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Iceland.

Sudan crisis

Air strikes were heard in Khartoum, a Reuters witness said, even as warring factions agreed to a seven-day ceasefire from Thursday, undermining chances for a lasting truce. Previous ceasefire pledges have ranged from 24 to 72 hours but there have been constant truce violations.
The conflict that erupted in mid-April between the army and a paramilitary force has created a humanitarian crisis, with around 100,000 people forced to flee with little food or water to neighboring countries. Do you need more context about what is happening there? Here's our explainer.

And Finally...

A worker holds up a piece of freshly 3D-printed cultivated grouper fish, at the offices of Steakholder Foods in Rehovot, Israel, April 23, 2023. REUTERS/Amir Cohen

Forget your hook, line and sinker. An Israeli foodtech company says it has 3D printed the first ready-to-cook fish fillet using animal cells cultivated in a laboratory. Lab-grown beef and chicken have drawn attention as a way to sidestep the environmental toll of farming, but few companies have forayed into seafood. Now Israel's Steakholder Foods has partnered with Singapore-based Umami Meats to make fish fillets without the need to stalk dwindling fish populations.

Read more here: Dished up by 3D printers, a new kind of fish to fry

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