REUTERS WORLD NEWS: Ukraine Factions Open Fire, Brazil Mudslides, Florida Abortion Ban, Mali Islamist, More

The Reuters Daily Briefing

Thursday, February 17, 2022

by Rossalyn Warren

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Russia-backed rebels and Ukraine trade accusations that each had fired across the ceasefire line
Deadly mudslides wreak havoc in a historic town in Brazil
A bill to ban abortion after 15 weeks passes in Florida.

Today’s biggest stories

Men look for bodies at a mudslide at Morro da Oficina after pouring rains in Petropolis, Brazil February 16, 2022. REUTERS/Ricardo Moraes

WORLD

Russian-backed rebels and Ukrainian forces have traded accusations that each had fired across the ceasefire line in eastern Ukraine, adding to a growing concern over the prospect of a wider war. While Moscow denies it is planning an invasion, Western countries warn Russia’s military build-up near Ukraine is growing, not shrinking.
Truck drivers protesting in the Canadian capital Ottawa were warned blockading the downtown core could lead to them being arrested unless they departed. The three-week-old protest over Covid restrictions led to a ripple of copycat protests across the globe, and has been a challenge for law enforcement since day one.
At least 94 people have died in flooding in Brazil, after heavy rains caused mudslides that buried homes and washed away cars. In the hill above Rio de Janeiro, the residents of the historic town of Petropolis struggled in the aftermath of the flood: more than 300 people have had to leave their homes, and authorities expect the death toll to rise.
France and its European partners fighting Islamist militants in Mali have announced they will start their military withdrawal from the country, and will put together a plan on how they will continue their operations in the region.
Hong Kong battles a surge of Covid cases, the government has said it plans to make up to 10,000 hotel rooms available for patients, and will also make testing compulsory from March for the 7.5 million people who live in the city. Daily infections have surged by more than 40 times since the start of February.
And here’s how a Saudi woman’s iPhone revealed hacking around the world, leading to one of the world’s most sophisticated spyware companies now facing a cascade of legal action and scrutiny.

Activists participate in a demonstration against abortion rights on the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision at the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, U.S., January 22, 2022. REUTERS/Sarah Silbiger/File Photo

U.S.

As a growing number of U.S. states have begun to ease Covid restrictions as cases decline, U.S. health officials say they are preparing for the next phase of the pandemic, including shoring up testing capacity and updating mask-wearing guidance. Still, officials cautioned that while mask-wearing guidance may change, people will still have to wear masks in certain situations, such as when experiencing Covid symptoms.
In Florida, the House of Representatives passed a bill to ban abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, significantly reducing access to late-term abortions for women across the U.S. Southeast, many of whom travel to end pregnancies in Florida because of stricter abortion laws in surrounding states.
President Joe Biden is expected to ask Congress for a U.S. defense budget exceeding $770 billion for the next fiscal year as the Pentagon seeks to modernize the military, including ship building and developing capabilities in space. Biden’s request eclipses the record budget requests by former President Donald Trump.
A private equity financier was sentenced to 15 months in prison for participating in a vast U.S. college admissions fraud scheme. The financer was found guilty of conspiring to pay bribes to secure spots for his children at top schools.
A 6-year-old girl has been found alive and in good health in a makeshift room underneath a staircase in a house in New York state, two years after she went missing. Police suspect she was abducted by her biological non-custodial parents.

BUSINESS

In an effort to defend its margins against cost pressures this year, food group Nestle is sticking with price increases that helped it beat sales growth and profit expectations in the previous year.
Visa and Amazon have reached a global deal over payment fees, in which Visa Inc cards will be accepted at all Amazon stores and sites. Earlier this year, Amazon said it was working with Visa to resolve a dispute over payment fees, after it stopped accepting Visa credit cards issued in the UK because of the high transaction fees charged by the payment processor.
Airbus, the world’s largest jetmaker, has ended a two-year dividend drought after swinging to a record net profit of $4.8 billion, boosted by the halting of production of its A380 superjumbo and a reversal of some COVID-19 charges.
And Standard Chartered has raised its core profitability goals and promised shareholders extra payouts, despite full year profit undershooting expectations, as it banks on inflation-battling rate hikes worldwide to boost lending.