Russian security service arrests eight for Crimea Bridge blast

The Reuters Daily Briefing Wednesday, October 12, 2022 by Linda Noakes Hello Here's what you need to know. NATO discusses bolstering Ukraine's air defenses, EU ministers tackle the energy crisis, and the UK economy is on the brink of recession Today's biggest stories Residents check their car, destroyed by a Russian military strike, in central Kyiv, October 11, 2022. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR More than 50 countries will gather on the sidelines of a NATO meeting in Brussels today to discuss bolstering Ukraine's air defenses, after Moscow launched its most intense missile strikes since the start of the war. Russian attacks using more than 100 missiles have killed at least 26 people across Ukraine since Monday, when President Vladimir Putin ordered what he called retaliatory strikes for an explosion on a bridge. Russia's Federal Security Service said it had detained five Russians and three citizens of Ukraine and Armenia over the explosion that damaged the Crimea Bridge last Saturday. The FSB said the blast was organized by Ukrainian military intelligence and its director, Kyrylo Budanov. Western military analysts say Russia's strikes on Ukraine this week came at a staggering cost, depleted a dwindling supply of long-range missiles, hit no major military targets and are unlikely to change the course of a war going badly for Moscow. Desperate to avoid military call-up to fight in Ukraine, more than 20 Russians have sailed in yachts down the North Pacific coast to South Korea, but most were refused entry, a South Korean lawmaker said. Here's what you need to know about the conflict right now Visitors stand in front of a screen displaying a map of locations around Taiwan where the Chinese People's Liberation Army conducted military exercises in August, during an organised media tour in Beijing, October 12, 2022. REUTERS/Florence Lo WORLD Taiwan is bolstering its defenses and steeling itself for the possibility of war with China as leader Xi Jinping readies to assume a third term in power. China is looking at the experience of the war in Ukraine to develop "hybrid warfare" strategies against Taiwan including using drones and psychological pressure, a senior Taiwanese security official said. Clashes between protesters and security forces persisted across Iran, with social media videos showing tanks being transported to Kurdish areas, which have been a focal point of the crackdown on protests over Mahsa Amini's death in custody. President Joe Biden pledged "there will be consequences" for U.S. relations with Saudi Arabia after OPEC+ announced last week that it would cut its oil production target over U.S. objections. His announcement came a day after powerful Democratic Senator Bob Menendez said the United States must immediately freeze all cooperation with Saudi Arabia, including arms sales. Thailand will require psychological evaluations for anyone trying to buy a gun and will launch a sweep for drug addicts, the prime minister said, under tighter rules in response to a massacre centered on a nursery. We've pieced together how the massacre unfolded over three hours of horror. Survivors of the Bali bombing, alongside families and friends of the victims, prayed and laid wreaths to mark the 20-year anniversary of the attacks. A total of 202 people, including 88 Australians and 38 Indonesians, were killed in a car bomb explosion outside the Sari Club in Bali's Kuta Beach area and another almost simultaneous blast at the Paddy's Bar across the road on Oct 12, 2002. U.S. The Justice Department asked the Supreme Court to reject former President Donald Trump's bid to again empower an independent arbiter to vet classified records seized from his Florida home as part of his legal battle against investigators probing his handling of sensitive government records. The Supreme Court declined to decide whether fetuses are entitled to constitutional rights in light of its June ruling overturning the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that had legalized abortion nationwide, steering clear for now of another front in America's culture wars. After three months of testimony and lawyers' arguments, 12 jurors are due to begin deliberating today on whether the man who killed 17 people at a Florida high school on Valentine's Day in 2018 should be sentenced to death. Biden departs on a swing through the West with a first stop in Colorado where he will announce the establishment of a national monument in a rugged area used by American soldiers to train for battle in World War Two. The president's approval rating stayed close to the lowest level of his presidency this week, a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll found. Baltimore prosecutors dismissed their case against a man found guilty of the 1999 killing of his ex-girlfriend in a case that drew national attention after the podcast 'Serial' raised doubts about his guilt. Adnan Syed, 42, served more than 20 years in prison for the slaying of Hae Min Lee. BUSINESS & MARKETS British government borrowing costs rose again after Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey told pension funds they had three days to fix liquidity problems before the bank ends emergency bond-buying that has provided support. Economic data published today showed Britain's economy unexpectedly shrank in August and was probably on course for a recession even before the recent jump in borrowing costs. A leak on a pipeline carrying oil from Russia to Europe added to concerns about energy security, while European Union ministers worked on proposals to address the fuel crisis facing the continent heading into winter. The French government started ordering staff at an Exxon Mobil fuel depot back to work, striving to secure petrol supplies following weeks-long strikes but risking a wider conflict with trade unions. Here's how France is forcing striking fuel staff back to work. The average interest rate on the most popular U.S. home loan rose to its highest level since 2006 as the housing sector continued to bear the brunt of tightening financial conditions. The U.S. is scrambling to tackle unintended consequences of its new export curbs on China's chip industry that could inadvertently harm the semiconductor supply chain, people familiar with the matter said. Cameco and Brookfield Renewable Partners said they would acquire nuclear power plant equipment maker Westinghouse Electric in a $7.9-billion deal including debt, amid renewed interest in nuclear energy. Philips shares fell to their lowest in a decade as the Dutch health tech company said supply chain problems would hit sales, and wrote down $1.26 billion of the value of its sleep apnea business. Quote of the day "It felt like a movie plot, but this was not Hollywood" Bill Nelson NASA chief Asteroid's path altered in NASA's first test of planetary defense system Video of the day Flying car makes first public flight XPeng's eVTOL flying car X2 seats two and has zero carbon emissions And finally… From shining shoes in Ivory Coast to a seat in Italy's parliament When Aboubakar Soumahoro was a teenager, he used to clean shoes and dream of going to Italy. Now, following an astonishing personal journey, he is the only Black lawmaker in Italy's lower chamber of 400 deputies. More from Reuters U.S. Midterms Sustainable Business 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