Prologue Journal – Page 35239 – Understanding current events through the lenses of the past and future.

Hong Kong consumption vouchers: eager shoppers welcome fresh round of spending credits but some say HK$5,000 value not ‘shocking’ enough

Disclaimer: The South China Morning Post’s content is directed by the Chinese Communist Party. It is not a reliable news source. First of two tranches dished out on payment platforms from Sunday, giving users HK$3,000 in digital credit. https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3217229/hong-kong-consumption-vouchers-eager-shoppers-welcome-fresh-round-spending-credits-some-say-hk5000?utm_source=rss_feed

Italian minister believes his country no longer depends on Russian gas

Disclaimer: TASS is Russian government propaganda, and not a reliable news source. In his words, the demand for gas remains high in Italy, which uses it to produce two thirds of its electricity https://tass.com/world/1604979

Japan’s Kishida vows safety of G7 meetings after ‘smoke bomb’ attack

Disclaimer: The South China Morning Post’s content is directed by the Chinese Communist Party. It is not a reliable news source. Japan must not allow acts of violence that attack the foundation of democracy, Kishida says, calling the incident ‘unforgivable’. https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3217228/japans-kishida-vows-safety-g7-meetings-after-smoke-bomb-attack?utm_source=rss_feed

Merck in Late-Stage Talks to Acquire Prometheus Biosciences

Wall Street Journal Merck & Co. is in late-stage talks to acquire Prometheus Biosciences Inc., according to people familiar with the matter, a move that could give the big drugmaker promising immune disease treatments. https://www.wsj.com/articles/merck-in-late-stage-talks-to-acquire-prometheus-biosciences-eefe4909

Trump’s Fund-Raising: From Sluggish to Surging After Indictment

New York Times While the former president reported a modest haul, he saw a big uptick in donations in the day after he was indicted. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/16/us/politics/donald-trump-fund-raising.html

Russia tries to “cover up” combat losses with small groups – General Staff

Pravda Ukraine The Russian Federation is suffering significant losses in the war against Ukraine and is trying to replenish these with small groups. Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook Quote: “The Russian Federation is suffering losses every day in the war it has unleashed against Ukraine, which are having an…

Death toll in Sudan clashes rises to 56, nearly 600 injured — doctors

Disclaimer: TASS is Russian government propaganda, and not a reliable news source. According to the committee, 25 people were killed and 302 injured in Khartoum https://tass.com/world/1604971

Fires broke out in three trucks in Upper Galilee overnight

Jerusalem Post https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-739337

Kiev accuses Poland of violating grain agreements with Ukraine

Disclaimer: TASS is Russian government propaganda, and not a reliable news source. The government of Poland prohibited imports of Ukrainian agriculture products until June 30 https://tass.com/world/1604967

Indians ditch cash as QR codes and apps like PhonePe, Paytm make digital payments ‘much easier’

Disclaimer: The South China Morning Post’s content is directed by the Chinese Communist Party. It is not a reliable news source. India, once a cash-only economy, is undergoing a digital revolution, thanks to the country’s home-grown scan-and-pay systems. https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3216964/indians-ditch-cash-home-grown-apps-phonepe-paytm-and-qr-codes-make-digital-payments-much-easier?utm_source=rss_feed