REUTERS Daily Briefing Sept. 04, 2023 : U.S. - Vietnam , Erdogan - Putin and more

 

Daily Briefing

The US risks angering China as it expects to elevate its relations with Vietnam, Turkey's Tayyip Erdogan will try to convince Vladimir Putin to return to a Ukraine grain export deal, and weight-loss injection Wegovy launches in Britain.   Plus, Giorgio Armani brought sparkle and stars to Venice.   By Kate Turton

Today's Top News

The cargo ship Mehmet Bey waits to pass through the Bosphorus Strait off the shores of Yenikapi, Istanbul, Turkey, October 31, 2022. REUTERS/Mehmet Emin Calsikan/File Photo

WAR IN UKRAINE Russia's drone attack on a major Ukraine grain exporting port damaged warehouses and set buildings on fire, Ukraine said, hours before Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart, Tayyip Erdogan, were due to hold talks about Russia returning to a Ukraine grain export deal that helped ease a global food crisis. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he had decided to replace his defense minister Oleksii Reznikov. Today's Reuters World News podcast speaks to Max Hunder in Kyiv on the removal of the defense minister and the latest developments on the frontline. ELSEWHERE The United States expects to elevate its diplomatic relations with former foe Vietnam to the top level as President Joe Biden travels to Hanoi in a week, in a move that may irk China and with unclear business implications. Hundreds more school buildings in England might be crumbling and unsafe, Britain's education minister said, after authorities ordered 104 schools to shut buildings with old and weak concrete. The leader of a coup that ousted Gabon's President Ali Bongo will address the nation for the first time as interim president after a swearing-in ceremony that would appear to solidify the junta's grip on power. Kenyan President William Ruto kicked off Africa's first climate summit by urging thousands of delegates in Nairobi to see the climate crisis as a unique opportunity for the continent to attract billions of dollars in investment. Authorities in Gaza have appealed for help to put out a fire that has been burning for days in a waste landfill site, sending foul-smelling smoke spiraling across the blockaded enclave which already suffers from severe environmental problems. President Joe Biden traveled to Florida to survey the destruction from Hurricane Idalia and comfort victims of the storm, but he did not meet with Governor Ron DeSantis, a potential presidential rival, who opted not to come.

Business & Markets

A man takes part in a protest during the 2023 Munich Auto Show IAA Mobility, in Munich, Germany, September 4, 2023. REUTERS/Angelika Warmuth European carmakers must prove their ability to compete with new Asian players in the electric age on everything from product and financial strategy to controlling the supply chain, industry analysts and executives said at Munich's IAA mobility show. Novo Nordisk launched its weight-loss injection Wegovy in Britain, its second debut in Europe in just over a month as the drugmaker seeks to expand in the region even as it struggles to keep up with soaring demand.  Country Garden's deal with creditors for an extension on onshore debt payments worth 3.9 billion yuan ($537 million) boosted shares in the developer and gave China's crisis-ridden property sector some much-needed respite. China is launching a campaign to revive its lagging stock market, and boost investor confidence in an ailing economy. This is what the authorities have done, and what more to expect. Egypt's state grains buyer bought about a half a million metric tons of Russian wheat in a private deal, four traders told Reuters, succeeding in negotiating lower prices than those offered in the more traditional tenders. Join us for Reuters IMPACT, the premier business focused climate event that will unite 750+ sustainability leaders in London (September 6-7) to shape the leadership strategies, reporting frameworks, investment toolkits and innovative technologies that will accelerate action.

Ukraine war, absence of Putin and Xi set to dent G20 summit

Traffic moves past under a G20 logo installed on a pedestrian bridge in front of the main venue of the summit in New Delhi, India, August 24, 2023. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi/File Photo

Deeper and more entrenched divisions over Russia's war in Ukraine risk derailing progress on issues such as food security, debt distress and global cooperation on climate change when the world's most powerful nations meet in New Delhi this weekend.   China's Premier Li Qiang will lead his country's delegation at the G20 summit, China's foreign ministry said, confirming details published in a Reuters exclusive report. The two-day summit will be dominated by the West and its allies

And Finally...

Venice, Italy, September 2, 2023 - Models present creations by designer Giorgio Armani as a part of a special fashion show to celebrate cinema. REUTERS/Yara Nardi

Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani brought sparkle and stars to the canal city with a "One Night Only" fashion show coinciding with the 80th Venice Film Festival. Read more here: Armani’s "One Night Only" fashion spectacle