| |  |  | The Reuters Daily Briefing | Tuesday, February 22, 2022 by Linda Noakes | Hello Here's what you need to know. Putin paves way for troops in Ukraine, Nord Stream 2 halted, China concerned about 'worsening' situation - all the latest from our worldwide reporting team as Europe braces for conflict. | | | | | Today's biggest stories  A tank drives along a street in the separatist-controlled city of Donetsk, Ukraine, February 22, 2022. REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko UKRAINE CRISIS Russia faced the prospect of harsh new Western sanctions after President Vladimir Putin recognized two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine and ordered the deployment of troops there, deepening Western fears of a major war in Europe.
Ukraine said two soldiers had been killed and 12 wounded in shelling by pro-Russian separatists in the east in the past 24 hours, and reported new hostilities. A Reuters journalist saw tanks and other military hardware moving through the separatist-controlled city of Donetsk overnight, but no insignia were visible on the vehicles.
Ukraine may break off diplomatic relations with Russia, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said, while German Chancellor Olaf Scholz put on ice the certification of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline designed to bring Russian gas to Germany.
China is concerned about the "worsening" situation in Ukraine, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said, repeating his call for all parties to show restraint and resolve differences through dialogue. Meanwhile, Syria said it supports Putin's recognition of Ukraine breakaway regions.
Stocks slumped and oil surged to its highest in seven years, while Europe's banks braced for the fallout. "Europe is in a very, very uncomfortable situation," said Michael Hewson, chief markets analyst at CMC Markets. "What you're getting is a classic risk-off play here."
Here's the background you need to understand the crisis:
Ukraine's turbulent history since independence in 1991
How separatist-held regions of eastern Ukraine have grown closer to Russia
What will Russian recognition of breakaway Ukraine regions mean?
How Western sanctions might target Russia
What are the Minsk agreements on the Ukraine conflict?
|  Customers shop for frozen meat at a supermarket in Hong Kong, February 22, 2022. REUTERS/Lam Yik
WORLD
Hong Kong will roll out compulsory testing for COVID-19 starting in mid-March for its 7.4 million residents, leader Carrie Lam said, as university researchers predicted new infections could peak at a staggering 180,000 a day next month.. With more patients and fewer nurses, Hong Kong's medical frontline is buckling.
Canada's parliament backed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's decision to invoke rarely-used emergency powers to end pandemic-related protests that have blocked streets in the capital Ottawa for more than three weeks. We look at the transatlantic network connecting France's 'Freedom Convoy' to Canada.
Saudi Arabia held celebrations to commemorate for the first time its foundation nearly 300 years ago, choosing a date that downplays the central role played by clerics from the ultra-conservative Wahhabi school of Islam.
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said he would like to have a televised debate with his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, to resolve differences between the two neighbors. The nuclear-powered rivals have shared antagonistic relations since gaining independence 75 years ago, fighting three wars, with ties strained recently over the northern Muslim-majority region of Kashmir, which both claim in full.
Luis Candia is battling to put out raging wildfires in Argentina's northern Corrientes province, which have scarred the region burning over 800,000 hectares of land. With a water pack on his back and his face covered to protect him from the smoke and flames, the volunteer who joined firefighting teams told Reuters that the region that borders with Paraguay was fighting for its future.
U.S.
Jurors are due to resume deliberations in the federal hate-crimes trial of three white men convicted of state murder charges for chasing down and killing Ahmaud Arbery, a young Black man out jogging through their Georgia neighborhood.
A jury is due to hear closing arguments in the federal trial of three former Minneapolis police officers charged with violating the civil rights of George Floyd during May 2020 arrest that lead to his murder.
Paul Farmer, an American doctor and anthropologist dedicated to improving public health in some of the world's poorest countries, died unexpectedly in his sleep in Rwanda, the group he founded said. He was 62.
The staff of Reuters has received a George Polk Award for its coverage of widespread intimidation of U.S. election workers by supporters of former President Donald Trump. The work has had broad impact on U.S. law enforcement and legislators.
| BUSINESS Investors are reviving one of the most unprofitable wagers of the past two decades and betting that a combination of politics and price pressures would prompt the unthinkable: a hawkish shift at the Bank of Japan, perhaps as soon as the summertime.
March was expected to be a busy window for Europe's stock market listings, but Russia's move to redraw borders in Ukraine and market uncertainty due to the escalating security crisis on the continent are prompting companies to put their plans to go public on ice.
Bitcoin miners are feeling the heat - and the pain's rippling downstream to pressure prices. The cryptocurrency's spectacular rally in 2021 drew thousands of entrants into mining, or producing new coin. As a result the hashrate, or combined computational power used by bitcoin miners globally, has roughly quadrupled over the past six months to blow past 200 million 'terahashes' per second.
Reliable checks on companies' sustainability credentials will take years to develop, auditors say, meaning investors pouring trillions of dollars into green funds remain at greater risk of being hoodwinked.
After work in the evenings, Nicola Frape turns off the heating and huddles under a blanket with her daughter and a hot water bottle. Adding a layer costs nothing, she says, but leaving the boiler on drains her inflation-hit bank account. As inflation hits a 30-year high, UK households are starting to buckle.
| | | | | | | | | Video of the day  The Longest Johns ride sea shanty craze wave Two years ago, British a capella folk band The Longest Johns performed their sea shanties in local Bristol pubs. This week they embark on their first U.S. tour. | | | | And finally… Djokovic returns to action with victory in Dubai  While Djokovic has had no issues being allowed to play in Dubai, he said he currently will not be able to play at Indian Wells, because of strict vaccine laws in the United States. | | | Thanks for spending part of your day with us. | | | | | |
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