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The fighting in Sudan has frozen trade of raw gum arabic both within the country and across its borders. Photo: ashraf shazly/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesThe conflict in Sudan has disrupted the supply of a little-known but crucial ingredient in soft drinks, chocolate bars, red wine and many other products, sparking concerns over shortages later in the year. The deadly power struggle between the East African nation’s top generals has claimed over 500 lives, left thousands injured and displaced many more. A lesser consequence of the fighting has been to choke the supply of gum arabic—80% of which is produced by Sudan’s acacia trees.

Solomon Islands police receiving training from a Chinese police liaison team. Photo: handout/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesLast year, more than two dozen police officers from the Solomon Islands traveled to China, where they visited local police stations and were trained in hand-to-hand combat, guarding VIPs and managing security at large events. While the officers were overseas, Australia—a U.S. ally that anchors Washington’s strategy to counter China in the Pacific—donated 13 vehicles and 60 rifles to the Solomon Islands police and said it would provide training to help officers protect diplomats, politicians and visiting dignitaries.

☆ Car Insurance Rates Are Going Up Again
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Leslie Scism | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The rate increase comes amid inflation, higher claims costs and rising prices for auto parts, insurers say. Photo: patrick t. fallon/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesAllstate and Progressive , two of the nation’s biggest car insurers, say inflation continues to hurt their auto-insurance businesses, and are pushing ahead with additional premium-rate increases for vehicle owners. The two giants, and many other big car insurers, say higher claims costs continue to dent their results, despite slowing inflation. Prices continue to rise for auto parts, they say, and vehicles are taking longer to be repaired than in past years due to shortages of workers. Those delays, in turn, lead to extended rental-car use by policyholders, at the insurers’ expense.

☆ With Fed Set to Raise Rates, Executives Watch Consumers for Signs of Stress
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Jennifer Williams-Alvarez | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The Fed is on track to increase rates a quarter point while deliberating if that will be enough to pause the fastest rate-raising cycle in decades. Photo: olivier douliery/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesExecutives are watching the Federal Reserve’s latest policy meeting for clues on its inflation-fighting campaign and the potential for a so-called hard landing that could cramp consumer spending on everything from airline tickets and cars to furniture and snacks. The Fed this week is on track to increase interest rates by a quarter percentage point while deliberating whether that will be enough to then pause the fastest rate-raising cycle in four decades. The central bank’s benchmark rate stands at a range between 4.75% and 5%, and another quarter-point increase at the meeting that concludes Wednesday would lift it to a 16-year high.

☆ FIFA President Threatens Not to Broadcast Women’s World Cup in Europe
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Rachel Bachman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

‘To be very clear, it is our moral and legal obligation not to undersell the FIFA Women’s World Cup,’ FIFA president Gianni Infantino said. Photo: fabrice coffrini/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesFor much of the 32-year existence of the Women’s World Cup, FIFA distributed the broadcast rights to the event like a “buy one, get one free” promotion: If broadcasters bought the rights for the men’s World Cup, they also got the rights to the Women’s World Cup. After the 2019 Women’s World Cup drew more than 1 billion global viewers, FIFA began a years-long transition to charging broadcasters a separate fee for the women’s tournament, in line with the event’s audiences.

Khader Adnan, who died Tuesday, had been detained by Israel 10 times and on hunger strike six times, according to Palestinian authorities. Photo: saif dahlah/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesTEL AVIV—Militants in Gaza fired a barrage of rockets at Israel on Tuesday after the death of a Palestinian on hunger strike in Israeli custody, raising fears of an escalation amid a particularly violent period between the two sides. Khader Adnan, a prominent member of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group, was detained in early February on charges of supporting terrorism and incitement. He went on hunger strike soon after and refused medical testing and treatment. He died early Tuesday.

Khader Adnan in the village of Arraba in the West Bank in 2012. Photo: saif dahlah/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesTEL AVIV—A Palestinian prisoner accused of terrorism died in an Israeli prison early Tuesday after a nearly three-month hunger strike, according to Israel’s prison services, heightening tensions amid a particularly violent period between the two sides. Soon after Khader Adnan, who was detained in early February on charges of supporting terrorism and incitement, died, militants in Gaza fired three rockets and one mortar into southern Israel.

☆ U.S. Covid Vaccine Mandates to End May 11 for Federal Workers, Others
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Catherine Lucey | Sabrina Siddiqui | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The White House said Monday that ‘vaccination remains one of the most important tools in advancing the health and safety of employees.’ Photo: Frederic J. Brown/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesWASHINGTON—The White House plans to end the Covid-19 vaccine requirements for federal workers, federal contractors and international air travelers on May 11, as the pandemic public health emergency ends. The administration announced the policy plans Monday, more than three years since the start of the pandemic that has claimed over 1.1 million lives in the U.S. The White House also said that the process has also begun to end the vaccination requirements for Head Start school workers and at certain healthcare facilities.

☆ Most CMOs Who Leave Their Jobs Move Up, Study Finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Patrick Coffee | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The job of chief marketing officer has become more complex, which has opened paths higher on the corporate ladder, says Richard Sanderson, head of Spencer Stuart’s marketing, communications and sales practice in North America. Photo: timothy a. clary/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesThe idea that chief marketing officers face more scrutiny and have less job security than those in other C-suite positions is misleading, according to new research from executive search firm Spencer Stuart. The increasing complexity of marketing operations has created new opportunities for CMOs in recent years, with the job more likely to serve as a steppingstone to more senior positions, said Richard Sanderson , leader of the firm’s marketing, communications and sales practice in North America.

☆ American Airlines Pilots Vote to Authorize Potential Strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Alison Sider | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

American Airlines said it believes an agreement with the union could come together quickly. Photo: daniel slim/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesPilots at American Airlines Group Inc. voted overwhelmingly in favor of a measure authorizing union leaders to call for a strike, though the airline said negotiations are still progressing. The vote results announced Monday don’t mean a walk off is imminent or inevitable. Federal law makes it difficult for airline unions to go on strike.

☆ Deere Seeks Satellite Network to Connect Far-Flung Farms
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Bob Tita | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Deere’s technology was on display at CES in Las Vegas earlier this year. Photo: Patrick T. Fallon/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesTo raise more crops from the earth, tractor maker Deere & Co. is looking to space. The farm-equipment company wants to use satellites to connect farms in remote areas of Brazil and the U.S. as the company rolls out high-tech machinery and software designed to sow and harvest crops more quickly, and with less manpower.

☆ Islamic State Leader Killed in Intelligence Operation, Turkey’s Erdogan Says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Jared Malsin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the operation that killed Islamic State’s top leader took place on Saturday but gave few other details. Photo: adem altan/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesISTANBUL—President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Islamic State’s top leader died during a Turkish intelligence operation in what would be the extremist group’s third chief to be killed in less than a year and a half. In an interview late Sunday night with state television, Mr. Erdogan said Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization had followed what he called “the so-called leader” of Islamic State, code-named Abu al-Husayn al-Qurayshi, “for a long time.” Mr. Erdogan said the operation took place on Saturday but gave few other details.

☆ Jack Dorsey Criticizes Sale of Twitter to Elon Musk
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Ginger Adams Otis | Alexa Corse | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey had been part of a group of people who were encouraging the Tesla CEO’s takeover of the social-media platform. Photo: marco bello/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesElon Musk hasn’t proved himself to be the best leader for Twitter, according to co-founder Jack Dorsey , who said “it all went south” when the company was sold to the billionaire. Mr. Dorsey shared his opinion Friday in a series of posts on Bluesky, a social-media platform some have touted as a possible alternative to Twitter.

☆ Pope Francis Says He Had Severe Pneumonia When Hospitalized in March
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Francis X. Rocca | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Pope Francis waves as he celebrates Mass on Sunday in Budapest. Photo: Attila Kisbenedek/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesROME— Pope Francis said on Sunday that he had suffered from a “sudden, strong illness,” which he described as pneumonia, when hospitalized in late March, and acknowledged that aging was slowing him down, but said he still hoped to continue his international travel. The pope, who is 86 years old, was speaking to reporters on his flight back to Rome after a three-day visit to Hungary.

☆ Hollywood Braces for Potential Writers’ Strike Spurred by Shift to Streaming
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Joe Flint | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The Writers Guild has warned that late-night shows such as ABC’s ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ would likely go dark without writers. Photo: jim watson/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesHollywood is running out of time to script a happy ending. The entertainment industry’s writers and the major networks, streamers and studios are struggling to agree on their next contract. If a deal isn’t reached by the end of Monday, the writers are expected to go on strike for only the second time in four decades.

☆ Elon Musk Expects SpaceX to Spend Around $2 Billion on Starship Rocket This Year
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Micah Maidenberg | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

SpaceX’s Starship lifting off on its inaugural test mission earlier this month from its launchpad in southern Texas. Photo: patrick t. fallon/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesSpaceX anticipates spending about $2 billion on its Starship rocket program this year and might not need to raise additional outside funding as that work unfolds, according to founder and Chief Executive Elon Musk. Mr. Musk outlined SpaceX’s plans Saturday during an audio chat on Twitter about Starship, the powerful rocket the company launched for the first time earlier this month. The inaugural test mission ended after about four minutes when a flight-termination system on the vehicle destroyed it as the rocket began to tumble.

☆ Big Tech Earnings Spark Hope That Worst Is Over
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Meghan Bobrowsky | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Google eked out an operating profit for its cloud business for the first time this quarter. Photo: robyn beck/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesResults from the big tech companies have sparked investors’ hopes that the worst of the postpandemic hangover is fading, but they also show how much growth has slowed. Companies as varied as Amazon .com Inc., Google-parent Alphabet Inc., Meta Platforms Inc. and Intel Corp. signaled to investors in recent days that the brutal slowdown in sales growth that began as people emerged from the pandemic and re-engaged with daily routines was coming to an end.

☆ Biden Calls for Release of Jailed Journalist Evan Gershkovich, Other Detainees
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( John Mccormick | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

President Biden at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in Washington on Saturday. Photo: saul loeb/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesPresident Biden and others at an annual Washington dinner called for the release of jailed Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich in Russia during a gathering that brought together members of the media and government officials to celebrate press freedom. Mr. Biden met privately with Mr. Gershkovich’s family, who attended the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner as Journal guests, as he arrived for Saturday’s black-tie gala and recognized them in his remarks.

☆ Corporate Technology Under New Scrutiny Amid Recession Fears
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Isabelle Bousquette | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

CIOs are adopting a platform approach to IT, cutting costs by identifying applications with similar functions, said Veeam CIO Nate Kurtz. Photo: andrew caballero-reynolds/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesCompanies are trimming and streamlining their information technology spending amid worries about a possible recession later this year. U.S. economic growth slipped in the first quarter in the midst of still-high inflation and rising interest rates. U.S. gross domestic product, a measure of the value of all the goods and services produced in the country, rose at an inflation- and seasonally-adjusted 1.1% annual rate from January to March, a significant slowdown from 2.6% growth in the fourth quarter, the Commerce Department said Thursday.

☆ Snapchat Parent’s Quarterly Sales Drop
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Meghan Bobrowsky | Denny Jacob | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Jack Brody, Snap Inc., vice president of product, at the Snap Partner Summit last week. Photo: frederic j. brown/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesSnap Inc. suffered its first quarterly sales drop and indicated a revenue rebound would be slow as the social-media company grapples with disruptions in the digital ad market. Snap generated $988.6 million in revenue in the first quarter, a 7% drop from the year-ago figure, the company behind the popular social media app Snapchat said Thursday. The figure was short of what Wall Street expected, according to analysts surveyed by FactSet.

☆ Wage Growth, Inflation Data to Inform Fed Before Rate Decision
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Gabriel T. Rubin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Job openings for workers have decreased this year but remain historically high Photo: Ed Jones/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesA Labor Department report will show whether worker-pay gains continued to slow from last year’s rapid pace, a data point closely watched by Federal Reserve policy makers seeking to tame inflation. Fed officials will also see their preferred gauge of consumer inflation along with details on household income and spending in a separate Commerce Department report. The reports are among the last major releases before the Fed’s monetary policy committee meeting next week.

☆ Mike Pence Testifies Before Jan. 6 Grand Jury Investigating Donald Trump
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Sadie Gurman | C. Ryan Barber | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Special counsel Jack Smith, who is overseeing the investigation into Donald Trump’s efforts to remain in power after the 2020 election, had subpoenaed former Vice President Mike Pence earlier this year. Photo: Allison Joyce/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesWASHINGTON—Former Vice President Mike Pence testified Thursday before the grand jury investigating former President Donald Trump’s efforts to remain in power after the 2020 election, according to a person familiar with the matter, a day after a federal appeals court rejected Mr. Trump’s bid to block that testimony on executive privilege grounds. Mr. Pence’s appearance behind closed doors is a significant development for special counsel Jack Smith in his ongoing investigation. The former vice president is a key witness for prosecutors because of his role as president of the Senate certifying the 2020 election results on Jan. 6, 2021. Prosecutors have also sought his testimony about conversations he had with Mr. Trump leading up to that day.

☆ Wage Gains Pick Up as Fed Contemplates Next Rate Decision
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Gabriel T. Rubin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Construction workers claimed some of the fastest pay increases over the latest quarter. Photo: Ed Jones/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesWage growth stayed elevated to start the year and inflation remained high, likely keeping Federal Reserve policy makers on track to raise rates again next week. Employers spent 1.2% more on wages and benefits in the first quarter from the prior three months, a slight uptick from an upwardly revised 1.1% increase in the fourth quarter, the Labor Department said Friday.

☆ Chinese Authorities Question Bain Staff in Shanghai
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Dan Strumpf | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Bain & Co.’s presence in China includes offices in Shanghai, as well as Beijing and Hong Kong. Photo: hector retamal/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesHONG KONG—Authorities visited the Shanghai offices of Bain & Co. and questioned staff, the management-consulting firm said, becoming the latest foreign firm to be targeted in China where authorities have been increasing pressure on selected American and other Western businesses. The Boston-based company said Wednesday U.S. time that it was cooperating with authorities and declined to comment further. Shanghai police didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on the reason for the visit, previously reported by the Financial Times, which also said police took away computers and phones.

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