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Daily Briefing

Where could the next pandemic originate? Reuters reporters spoke to dozens of scientists, read extensive academic research and traveled to bat-rich countries across the globe to learn how human destruction of wild areas is amplifying pandemic risk. This five-part series visits some places where the risk is most acute.

Plus, all the top news stories from around the world.

By Kate Turton

The Bat Lands, Part 1

For millennia, bat viruses posed little threat to humanity. Undisturbed wildlife habitat provided a protective barrier between pathogens and people. But human incursions have created a minefield of risk covering more than 9 million sq km across 113 countries, Reuters found. Now, more than one of every five people on Earth lives in these areas.

Our hunger for resources is driving worldwide destruction of areas rich with bats, carriers of tens of thousands of viruses. A Reuters data analysis pinpoints areas where conditions are ripe for a bat-borne disease to spill over to humanity. We've dubbed these areas "jump zones."
Seven things to know about bats and pandemic risk
How Reuters identified bat-virus risk zones

Today's Top News

Serviceman patrols in front of the Patriot air defence system during Polish military training at the airport in Warsaw, Poland February 7, 2023. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel

War in Ukraine

A US-made Patriot missile defense system being used by Ukraine likely suffered some damage from a Russian strike, two US officials said, adding that it did not appear to have been destroyed. Ukraine denies Russia destroyed the Patriot missile defense system. Here's what you need to know about this system and whether it can knock out hypersonic missiles.
A growing number of civic activists and community leaders, who might be expected to drive Ukraine's ambitions to build a modern democracy, are among the thousands of Ukrainians from all walks of life killed fighting since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.
The last ship left the port of Chornomorsk under a deal allowing the safe Black Sea export of Ukraine grain a day before Russia could quit the pact over obstacles to its grain and fertilizer exports. What are the specifics of the grain exports deal?

Elsewhere

President Biden and Kevin McCarthy edged closer to a deal to avoid a looming US debt default. A Reuters/Ipsos poll found that three-fourths of Americans fear a default would take a heavy toll on families like theirs.
For the first time ever, global temperatures are now more likely than not to breach 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7F) of warming within the next five years, the World Meteorological Organization said.
A federal appeals court in New Orleans will hear arguments in a closely watched case brought by anti-abortion activists seeking to ban the abortion pill mifepristone, with potentially far-reaching impact on abortion access across the United States. Who are the judges that will decide the appeal over the abortion pill?
The United Nations humanitarian response plan is seeking $2.56 billion to help people affected by the crisis in Sudan, a senior U.N. official said, while the U.N. refugee agency is also seeking more funding to assist those forced to flee.
China has notified foreign embassies and international organizations not to exhibit "politicised propaganda" on their buildings, an instruction diplomats say is aimed at missions that have displayed Ukrainian flags since Russia's invasion.

Business & Markets

Tyre-makers are under pressure to almost literally reinvent the wheel as regulators turn their scrutiny to tyre pollution that is set to surge with the rise of electric vehicles (EVs) and threatens to undermine those cars' green credentials.
Shell will use AI-based technology from big-data analytics firm SparkCognition in its deep sea exploration and production to boost offshore oil output, the companies said. Sign up to receive the Power Up newsletter twice a week.
UBS was rushed into buying cross-town rival Credit Suisse in a deal it did not want, as a global bank crisis worsened the latter's finances and prompted authorities to take swift action, a regulatory filing showed. UBS expects a financial hit of about $17 billion from the takeover.
Turkey's market rout deepened amid investor expectations that President Tayyip Erdogan could be able to extend his rule - and his unorthodox economic policies - into a third decade.
British car factories will be forced to close with the loss of thousands of jobs if the government does not renegotiate its Brexit deal immediately, automaker Stellantis warned.
Companies looking to harness the process that powers the sun and stars to generate electricity expect to spend about $7 billion by the time their first nuclear fusion plants come online, a survey published on Wednesday said.

And Finally: The 2023 Cannes Film Festival

Fan Bingbing poses during the opening ceremony and screening of the film "Jeanne du Barry". REUTERS/Eric Gaillard

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