UPDATE 1-Brazil FX 5.00 reais per dollar boosting domestic tourism, helping poor -Guedes

Reuters
Fed's communications style scores well with analysts but not public
Through a tumultuous period of high inflation, aggressive interest rate hikes, and global instability, the U.S. Federal Reserve received relatively high marks for its monetary policy communications despite the thicket of uncertainty it has been navigating, according to a survey of academic and private-sector analysts released on Thursday. Responses from 31 academic and 24 private Fed watchers to questions posed by the Brookings Institution's Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy gave the U.S. central bank under Fed Chair Jerome Powell a median score of B+ for its overall communications, an important aspect of central bank operations that can make monetary policy itself more or less effective. The score was slightly lower than the median of A- the Powell-led Fed received in a 2020 survey conducted as the central bank rolled out a complicated series of programs in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Reuters
Russia says Western actions compel it to boost its nuclear deterrent
Russia is warning its Western adversaries that it feels obliged to boost its nuclear deterrent due to what it sees as their "escalatory" course, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov was quoted as saying on Thursday. Ryabkov was cited by state news agency RIA as saying that Russia was not however changing its own nuclear doctrine, which allows for the use of nuclear weapons in case of an existential threat to the state. "We warn our opponents that their escalatory trajectory confronts us of course with the need to take steps that actually mean strengthening our measures of deterrence."
Reuters
Ukraine deputy PM in charge of reconstruction ousted amid ministry reform
Ukraine's parliament voted on Thursday to dismiss Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov, who has overseen the wartime reconstruction effort and championed efforts to set up a vital Black Sea shipping lane, lawmakers said. Kubrakov also helped ensure key logistical routes for millions of people fleeing the fighting early in the war after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
AFP
Famed Thai holiday isles suffer water shortages after heatwave
The dazzling Thai holiday islands made famous by Hollywood film "The Beach" are facing a severe water shortage following a blistering heatwave across Asia, a tourism official and locals said Thursday.Local tourism operators have repeatedly called for long-term water supply investments for the Koh Phi Phi islands, which lack sufficient reservoirs and infrastructure.
AFP
Spanish bank BBVA goes hostile in Sabadell takeover bid
Spain's second-largest bank BBVA announced Thursday a hostile takeover bid for smaller rival Banco Sabadell, a move that would create a European giant but was swiftly condemned by the government.A takeover would create a banking powerhouse capable of competing with Santander -- Spain's leading bank -- as well as with European giants such as HSBC and BNP Paribas.
AFP
Markets' rally stutters as traders eye rate cut outlook
Equity traders struggled to get a recent rally back on course Thursday following a tepid lead from Wall Street, but record performance in Europe highlighted optimism that central banks were on course to cut interest rates.After London's record, and gains in Paris and Frankfurt were followed by a mixed performance in New York, Asia struggled.
Associated Press
IS group claims bombing in Afghanistan that killed officers involved in an anti-poppy crop campaign
The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for a bombing in Afghanistan’s northeast that killed police officers who were part of an anti-poppy crop campaign. A motorcycle was booby-trapped and exploded, targeting a Taliban patrol in Faizabad town in Badakhshan province, killing and wounding 12 members of the patrol as well as destroying a four-wheel drive vehicle, the group said in a statement late Wednesday. Abdul Mateen Qani, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry, said the officers were on their way to destroy poppy crops in the area.
Time
Xi Underscores Bilateral Benefits Over Collective Blues
During his visit to Europe, China’s top communist made clear his preference for dealing with the individual—whether Hungary or France—over the collective, such as NATO and the E.U.
AFP
Nissan annual net profit nearly doubles on-year
Nissan said Thursday it nearly doubled its full-year net profit in 2023-24 but forecast a dip of around 10 percent for the current financial year.Thursday's results struck a different tone to an announcement last month when Nissan trimmed its sales and profit outlook for 2023-24, predicting a more modest net profit of 390 billion.
AFP
Putin says nuclear forces 'always' on alert in Victory Day speech
President Vladimir Putin warned on Thursday that his nuclear forces were "always" on alert and that Russia would not tolerate any threats from the West.Our strategic forces are always on alert," Putin said, addressing the Victory Day parade.
CNN
As officials assess damage from deadly storms in Tennessee, the Southeast is bracing for a severe weather threat Thursday
As officials in the central and southern US assess the damage from reported tornadoes and powerful storms that killed at least two people Wednesday, residents from East Texas to South Carolina are bracing themselves for a severe weather threat Thursday that could bring large hail, damaging winds and flooding.
CNN
Coral reefs are experiencing another global bleaching event. Growing corals on artificial reefs could help save them
The University of Miami’s ECoREEF experiment, off the coast of Miami Beach, Florida, is testing the impact of hybrid reef structures on coastal ecosystems.
AFP
Chinese cities lift curbs on buying homes as property crisis bites
Two of China's wealthiest cities said Thursday they would lift all restrictions on buying homes, joining a growing list of urban areas rolling back curbs as they look to prop up the faltering property market.Several of the biggest cities, including Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, have partly lifted curbs but have resisted dumping them entirely.
Associated Press
Activist in Tunisia arrested as conditions for migrants and their advocates worsen
An anti-discrimination activist in Tunisia was arrested in a money laundering investigation this week as the dangerous and dire conditions facing migrants and their advocates worsen. Saadia Mosbah, who is Black, was taken into custody and her home was searched as part of an investigation into the funding for the Mnemty association she runs. In a national security council meeting focused on irregular migration, Tunisian President Kais Saied said Tuesday that associations that receive substantial foreign funds were “traitors and agents" and shouldn't supplant the state's role in managing migration and fighting human trafficking.
Reuters
North Macedonia nationalists seek coalition partner after election win
North Macedonia's nationalist opposition began the search for a coalition partner on Thursday after voters frustrated by a lack of progress towards membership of the European Union ended seven years of rule by the Social Democrats. The VMRO-DPMNE party won more than 42% of votes with nearly all ballots counted from Wednesday's parliamentary election, giving them 58 seats in the 120-seat parliament, versus 15% for the Social Democrats (SDSM). In a run-off for the more ceremonial role of president, Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, a university professor who was backed by the VMRO-DPMNE, beat the SDSM-backed incumbent Stevo Pendarovski in a landslide to become the first country's female head of state.
Associated Press
British government tries to head off the type of unrest seen on American campuses
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is calling for an end to “antisemitic abuse” at U.K. universities as protests against the war in Gaza expand and the government tries to head off the type of unrest seen on American campuses in recent weeks. The comments came as Sunak and his education secretary prepared to meet with university leaders on Thursday at the prime minister's offices in Downing Street. “A vocal minority on our campuses are disrupting the lives and studies of their fellow students and, in some cases, propagating outright harassment and antisemitic abuse,” Sunak said in a statement.
USA TODAY
Zombie colleges? These universities are living another life online, and no one can say why
USA TODAY found at least nine colleges that closed down only to be resurrected online. Their operators are a mystery but they're taking applications.
AFP
Japan's Mount Fuji barrier delayed
Tourists have a few more days to snap Mount Fuji at a popular vantage point after Japanese authorities said Thursday that the construction of a barrier has been delayed.Lawson issued a statement on Sunday to "deeply apologise to the local residents, store customers, and the many other people who have been inconvenienced and troubled" by the popularity of the vantage point.
Associated Press
The Latest | Rafah's hospitals will run out of fuel in 3 days, WHO says
The World Health Organization says it has only three days of fuel for its medical operations in southern Gaza, with shortages already forcing one of three remaining hospitals in the city of Rafah to shut down. The Rafah border crossing with Egypt has been closed since Israel's military took control of the Palestinian side early Tuesday, blocking the entry of desperately needed humanitarian aid. Israel said it reopened Kerem Shalom crossing, the other main entry point for aid, on Wednesday.
Associated Press
Stock market today: Global shares mixed after Wall Street's lull stretches to a 2nd day
World shares were mixed on Thursday after Wall Street’s lull stretched into a second day, with Chinese benchmarks rising after China reported better-than-expected trade figures for April. U.S. stocks are set to be down as the futures for the S&P 500 and that for the Dow Jones Industrial Average both dropped 0.2%. Automaker Mitsubishi Motors Corp.'s shares dropped 4.9% after the company forecasted a 7% lower net profit in the fiscal year that will end in March 2025.

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