Ukraine strengthens hold on liberated lands, separatists calls for urgent referendum

The Reuters Daily Briefing Tuesday, September 20, 2022 by Hani Richter Hello Here's what you need to know. Ukraine's troops march further east, a New York judge takes up review of documents FBI seized at Trump's home, and five are killed in Iran during protests over woman's death in custody Today's biggest stories Ukrainian servicemen ride on Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) and a tank, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, near the town of Izium, recently liberated by Ukrainian Armed Forces, in Kharkiv region, Ukraine September 19, 2022. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich World Ukraine said its troops have marched farther east into territory recently abandoned by Russia, paving the way for a potential assault on Moscow's occupation forces in the Donbas region as Kyiv seeks more Western arms. One of Russian President Vladimir Putin's top allies said he favored holding referendums in two eastern Ukrainian regions in order to formally make them part of Russia, a move that would seriously escalate Moscow's confrontation with the West. The governor of Tehran has accused protesters of attacking police and destroying public property during demonstrations ignited by the death of a young woman while in the custody of Iran's morality police. An outbreak of Ebola has been declared in Uganda after health authorities confirmed a case of the relatively rare Sudan strain, the health ministry and World Health Organization said. Residents were ordered to take shelter on the Turks and Caicos Islands as an increasingly powerful Hurricane Fiona churned towards the Caribbean archipelago, leaving death and destruction in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Former U.S. president Donald Trump speaks during a rally in Youngstown, Ohio, U.S., September 17, 2022. REUTERS/Gaelen Morse U.S. The judge appointed to review classified materials and other documents the FBI seized from Donald Trump's Florida home in August will hold his first conference on the matter in a New York courtroom. A Maryland judge vacated the 2000 murder conviction of Adnan Syed after prosecutors said there were grave problems with his trial, including two other possible suspects in the killing of his former girlfriend who were never disclosed to the defense. A Texas county sheriff is opening a criminal investigation into flights that carried dozens of migrants to Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, from Texas last week, an act that Florida's Republican governor took credit for and which the White House dubbed a political stunt. People suing Johnson & Johnson over the company's talc products urged an appeals court to revive their claims, saying the profitable company should not be allowed to use a bankrupt subsidiary to block lawsuits alleging the products cause cancer. What is the status of COVID now that President Joe Biden has told the CBS 60 Minutes news program the pandemic is over in the United States? BUSINESS & MARKETS Exclusive: PepsiCo has stopped making Pepsi, 7UP and Mountain Dew in Russia nearly six months after the U.S. company said it would suspend sales and production after Moscow sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine. The sleepy Tanzanian port of Mtwara mainly dealt in cashew nuts until late last year. Now it bustles with vessels loading up with coal, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine drives a worldwide race for the polluting fuel. Oil prices ticked up as OPEC and its allies keep producing less than their quotas, but were headed for a fourth monthly decline ahead of an expected further U.S. interest rate hike which may curb economic growth and fuel demand. Apple said it will raise prices of apps and in-app purchases on its App Store from next month in all of the euro zone and some countries in Asia and South America. China's crude oil imports from Russia in August surged 28% from a year earlier, official data showed on Tuesday, but it handed back its top supplier ranking to Saudi Arabia for the first time in four months. Quote of the day "It's all part of distracting people and giving them the next shiny object to chase after" Sam Abuelsamid Guidehouse Insights analyst Elon Musk faces skeptics as Tesla gets ready to unveil 'Optimus' robot Video of the day Major quake strikes Mexico on 'cursed' anniversary And finally… 'Abbott Elementary' season two explores more of Janine's personal life Season two of American mockumentary sitcom "Abbott Elementary" will navigate the personal lives of several characters in new ways, its creator Quinta Brunson said. More from Reuters Sustainable Business Future of Health Disrupted Legal News Breakingviews Thanks for spending part of your day with us. You are receiving this email because you signed up for newsletters from Reuters. No longer want to hear from us? Unsubscribe from The Reuters Daily Briefing. Terms, conditions, and privacy statement © 2022 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved. 3 Times Square, New York, NY 10036