Prologue Journal – Page 39318 – Understanding current events through the lenses of the past and future.

ECB’s Bank Lending Survey Leaves Door Open for More Rate Rises

Wall Street Journal The European Central Bank’s Bank Lending Survey shows financing conditions in Europe have tightened in an orderly fashion until recently, leaving the door open for further interest-rate increases, even up to around 4%, Johannes Mayr, chief economist at Eyb & Wallwitz writes in a note. . https://www.wsj.com/articles/ecbs-bank-lending-survey-leaves-door-open-for-more-rate-rises-e1cb88

China could unleash AI-guided weapons in Taiwan invasion and ‘reunification’: report

Fox News The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China has tested an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered laser-guided artillery shell that has far exceeded the capabilities of any similar operational round. “Artificial intelligence is evolving quickly,” Professor Wang Jiang, the project’s lead from the Beijing Institute of Technology, wrote. “More researchers are applying the technology to trajectory…

Kenyan pastors appear in court over deaths of parishioners

Washington Post Two pastors based in coastal Kenya have appeared in court over the deaths of more than 100 of their congregants https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/05/02/kenya-cult-deaths-paul-mackenzie-ezekiel-odero/65d7370c-e90b-11ed-869e-986dd5713bc8_story.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=wp_world

U.N. struggling to strike balance in Afghanistan amid humanitarian crisis

Washington Post The organization increasingly finds itself at the center of a debate over red lines in international support for the country. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/05/02/un-afghanistan-doha-talks/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=wp_world

Islamic Jihad official’s death in Israel won’t lead to full war – yet – analysis

Jerusalem Post Israel fights conflicts when it feels its legitimacy is on the rise or if serious security lines are breached, like rocket attacks on Tel Aviv. Jerusalem really doesn’t want war now. https://www.jpost.com/arab-israeli-conflict/article-741885

Biden orders 1,500 more troops to Mexico border amid migration surge

Washington Post The military personnel being mobilized will supplement Customs and Border Protection work at the border, officials said. They will not conduct law enforcement work. https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/05/02/biden-border-us-troops/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=wp_world

Bud Light Maker Offers Distributors Free Beer, More Ad Spending After Dylan Mulvaney Backlash

Wall Street Journal Anheuser-Busch wholesalers say they have faced plummeting sales and personal threats over backlash from a promotion with a transgender influencer. https://www.wsj.com/articles/bud-light-maker-offers-distributors-free-beer-more-ad-spending-after-dylan-mulvaney-backlash-14efac22

Cohen, Borrell plan Israel-EU summit in Jerusalem

Jerusalem Post Cohen barred Borrell from making an official visit to Israel earlier this year. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-741884

House Democrats Move to Force a Debt-Limit Increase as Default Date Looms

New York Times House Democratic leaders who have been quietly planning a strategy to force a debt ceiling increase to avert default began taking steps on Tuesday to deploy their secret weapon. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/02/us/politics/debt-limit-discharge-petition.html

China’s Skywell to start crossover sales in Russia before end of June

Disclaimer: TASS is Russian government propaganda, and not a reliable news source. Skywell entered the Russian market last year https://tass.com/economy/1612455