The Reuters Daily Briefing Thursday, October 13, 2022

 

The Reuters Daily Briefing Thursday, October 13, 2022 by Linda Noakes

Hello Here's what you need to know. Belarus edges closer to joining the war in Ukraine, 'stop the steal' supporters are training thousands of U.S. poll observers, and the most right-wing government since World War Two takes control in Italy

Today's biggest stories Rescuers work at the site of an apartment building damaged by a Russian military strike in Mykolaiv, Ukraine, October 13, 2022. REUTERS/Viktoriia Lakezina RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR Russian missiles pounded more than 40 Ukrainian cities and towns, officials said, as NATO allies meeting in Brussels unveiled plans to beef up Europe's air defenses after committing more military aid to Kyiv. The new pledges prompted Moscow to renew warnings that Western states' help made them "a direct party to the conflict" and that admitting Ukraine to Western military alliance NATO could trigger World War Three. A Russian nuclear strike would change the course of the conflict and almost certainly provoke a "physical response" from Ukraine's allies and potentially from NATO, a senior NATO official said. The United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly condemned Russia's "attempted illegal annexation" of four partially occupied regions in Ukraine and called on all countries not to recognize the move, strengthening a diplomatic international isolation of Moscow. A flurry of military activity in Belarus this week has caught the attention of Ukraine and the West as a potential sign that President Alexander Lukashenko may commit his army in support of Russia's flailing war effort. Here's what you need to know about the conflict right now Francine and David Wheeler, whose son Ben was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, listen as their attorneys address the media in Waterbury, Connecticut, October 12, 2022. REUTERS/Michelle McLoughlin U.S. Right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones must pay at least $965 million in damages to numerous families of victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook mass shooting for falsely claiming they were actors who faked the tragedy, a Connecticut jury said. Here is a timeline of what led up to the verdict. The congressional committee investigating the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol by Donald Trump's supporters promised to present new evidence today during what could be its last chance to convince Americans the former president played a central role in the attempt to overturn his election defeat. As the U.S. enters the final stretch to November’s midterm elections, Reuters has documented multiple incidents of intimidation involving an expanding army of election observers, many of them recruited by prominent Republican Party figures and activists echoing Trump's false theories about election fraud. The U.S. Treasury is investigating whether Florida Governor Ron DeSantis improperly used federal funds to pay for flights transporting migrants from Texas to Massachusetts. The Republican governor took credit for flying about 50 migrants last month to the island of Martha's Vineyard in a move intended to draw more attention to the rise in crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh seemed to invite a legal challenge to World War II-era regulations exempting certain workers from overtime pay, in a case involving an oil rig supervisor who was paid a daily rate but earned more than $200,000 a year. WORLD North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the launch of two long-range strategic cruise missiles, state media reported, calling it a test to confirm the reliability and operation of nuclear-capable weapons deployed to military units. British Prime Minister Liz faced growing pressure from lawmakers in her own party to rethink tax-cut plans that sent markets into turmoil, with one ally saying it would be a "disastrously bad idea" to oust her a month into the job. Italy's new parliament opens today, with a Holocaust survivor due to preside over the first session of the upper house Senate as the most right-wing coalition since World War Two takes control of both chambers. EU companies can ban headscarfs as long as it is a general prohibition that does not discriminate against employees, Europe's top court said, the latest ruling on an issue that has divided Europe for years. Another wave of COVID infections may have begun in Europe as cases begin to tick up across the region, the World Health Organization and European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said. Data showed that only Europe recorded a rise in COVID cases in the week ended October 2, clocking an increase of 8% from the prior week. BUSINESS & MARKETS A decision by the OPEC+ oil producer group last week to rein in output has driven up prices and could push the global economy into recession, the International Energy Agency said. The warning from the agency highlights a rift with Saudi Arabia, the world's top oil exporter and OPEC's de facto leader. Federal Reserve officials are pushing back on investors' mounting concerns that the U.S. central bank's aggressive campaign to counter high inflation is setting the stage for a market crack-up. BlackRock posted a 16% drop in third-quarter profit as volatile global markets pressured fee income and sent assets under management further below the $10 trillion mark hit last year. The French government told TotalEnergies to raise wages as a standoff between the oil major and striking workers which has hit the country's petrol supplies dragged on for a 16th day. The strikes have reduced France's petrol output by over 60% and left one in three petrol stations struggling for supplies. Taiwanese chipmaker TSMC cut its annual investment budget by at least 10% for 2022 and struck a more cautious note than usual on upcoming demand, flagging challenges from rising inflationary costs and predicting a chip downturn next year. U.S. export restrictions on chip equipment to China are likely to lead to its 'Sputnik' moment, prompting Chinese chipmakers to try creative engineering solutions and chart their own course even if it may not succeed commercially in the longer term, experts said. SPECIAL REPORT How a U.S. firm supplied networking technology to the maker of feared Russian missiles

Quote of the day "Nature was in dire straits and it is still in dire straits. The war is definitely being lost." Mark Wright Director of science at WWF-UK Global wildlife populations have sunk 69% since 1970

Video of the day New exoskeleton boot puts a spring in your step Researchers say the boot allows users to walk 9% faster while using 17% less energy. That's equivalent to taking off a 30-pound backpack.

And finally… Taiwan welcomes back visitors Taiwan began welcoming back visitors after finally ending mandatory quarantines to control the spread of COVID, with gifts of cuddly toy black bears for the first tour group that stepped off the plane shortly after midnight.

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