| |  |  | The Reuters Daily Briefing | Wednesday, September 14, 2022 by Linda Noakes | Hello Here's what you need to know. Russian forces push back against Ukraine's counter-offensive, the U.S. weighs China sanctions to deter Taiwan action, and the EU plans windfall levies on energy firms | | | | | Today's biggest stories  Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy poses for a pictures with Ukrainian servicemen as he visits the town of Izium in Kharkiv region, September 14, 2022 WORLD Ukraine said it was trying to extend its lightning counteroffensive in the east, but pro-Russian officials said they were holding the line for now and U.S. President Joe Biden said the war still looked like a long haul. Vladimir Putin's chief envoy on Ukraine told the Russian leader as the war began that he had struck a provisional deal with Kyiv that would satisfy Russia's demand that Ukraine stay out of NATO, but Putin rejected it and pressed ahead with his military campaign, according to people close to the Russian leadership.
Fresh clashes erupted between Azerbaijan and Armenia as international efforts intensified to end violence that killed nearly 100 soldiers in the deadliest fighting between the ex-Soviet republics since 2020. Meanwhile, Kyrgyz and Tajik border guards exchanged fire in three separate incidents after a dispute over the border between the two Central Asian nations.
King Charles, his sons Princes William and Harry and other senior royals will join a solemn procession as Queen Elizabeth's coffin is taken from Buckingham Palace to lie in state in parliament. Just over 5 million people viewed the queen's final flight, as the journey carrying the late monarch's body from Edinburgh to London became the most tracked flight in history.
The United States is considering options for a sanctions package against China to deter it from invading Taiwan, with the European Union coming under diplomatic pressure from Taipei to do the same, according to sources familiar with the discussions. Taiwan's de facto ambassador in Washington, Hsiao Bi-khim, hosted dozens of international lawmakers who back sanctions on China for aggression toward the island.
China raised its highest tropical cyclone alert as Typhoon Muifa approached the densely populated Yangtze River Delta, with Shanghai and other cities canceling flights and trains and suspending work at busy ports.
|  Migrants who are believed to have crossed the border from Mexico into the United States are seen inside wooden boxes in Texas, in this undated police photo U.S. U.S. authorities unveiled indictments of a lucrative human smuggling operation that allegedly included moving migrants in suitcases and water tanks from the U.S.-Mexico border, as Biden's administration cracks down on groups fueling a record number of border crossings.
Moderate members of the House of Representatives are leaving office at twice the rate of their more partisan peers this year, a Reuters analysis found, likely deepening Washington gridlock during Biden's next two years in office.
Senator Lindsey Graham proposed new national restrictions on abortion, saying he wanted to help define Republicans on an issue seen as a potential albatross for his party. West Virginia lawmakers passed a sweeping abortion ban that prohibits the procedure even in the earliest days of pregnancy with limited exceptions in cases of rape, incest and when the health of the mother is at risk.
A far-right candidate and a longtime state legislator were locked in a tight battle in New Hampshire in the Republican primary contest to face incumbent Democratic Senator Maggie Hassan as the midterm primary season came to a close. A new Reuters/Ipsos poll shows Democratic voters just as enthusiastic as their Republican counterparts, pointing to a potentially close contest in November's elections.
Pennsylvania Democratic gubernatorial candidate Josh Shapiro plans to debut a new online ad aimed at Black voters that features his Republican rival posing in a Confederate military uniform, the campaign told Reuters.
| | | | | | | | | | | Video of the day  Mexico City faces influx of remote workers Housing activists say a digital nomad influx in Mexico City exacerbates inflation and transforms neighborhoods into exclusive expatriate bubbles, in a city well-known for stark divides between rich and poor. | | | | And finally… 'Queen's Counsel' no more  The former Prince Charles is not the only one getting used to having 'King' in his title. | | | Thanks for spending part of your day with us. | | | | | |
