| |  |  | The Reuters Daily Briefing | Tuesday, May 24, 2022 by Linda Noakes | Hello Here's what you need to know. The power of Trump's endorsements faces a test in today's primaries, the WHO says the monkeypox outbreak is "containable", and stocks slump on rate hike speculation | | | | | Today's biggest stories  A Ukrainian serviceman is seen on top of a tank near Bakhmut, in the Donetsk region, May 23, 2022. REUTERS/Carlos Barria RUSSIA AND UKRAINE AT WAR Russian forces were launching an all-out assault to encircle Ukrainian troops in twin cities straddling a river in eastern Ukraine, a battle which could determine the success or failure of Moscow's main campaign in the east.
Exactly three months after Russia invaded Ukraine, authorities in the second-largest city Kharkiv were expected to open the underground metro, where thousands of civilians had sought shelter for months under relentless bombardment.
The reopening is a symbol of Ukraine's biggest military success over the past few weeks: pushing Russian forces largely out of artillery range of Kharkiv, as they did from the capital Kyiv in March.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said that President Vladimir Putin was the only Russian official he was willing to meet with to discuss how to end the war.
Jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny lambasted Putin, casting him as a doomed madman who started a "stupid war" that was butchering the innocent people of both Ukraine and Russia.
Here's what you need to know about the conflict right now
|  Former Vice President Mike Pence and Georgia Governor Brian Kemp attend a rally ahead of the state's Republican primary in Kennesaw, Georgia, May 23, 2022. REUTERS/Alyssa Pointer
U.S.
Georgia Republicans are expected to reject Donald Trump's campaign to oust Governor Brian Kemp in today's primary election, though polls show they are likely to back the former football star he has endorsed in their U.S. Senate primary. Former Vice President Mike Pence campaigned for Kemp last night, urging voters not to dwell on the past.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is expected to fend off a challenge from fellow Republican George P. Bush in a primary run-off election that has pitted a Trump ally against the scion of two former presidents.
Centrist U.S. Representative Henry Cuellar seeks to hold off progressive challenger Jessica Cisneros in a high-profile south Texas Democratic primary battle that illustrates sharp dividing lines over immigration and abortion rights.
As the power of Trump's endorsements faces a test, here are seven races to watch.
The U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration said it was issuing a national emergency declaration to waive hours-of-service requirements for commercial vehicle drivers transporting baby formula ingredients and packaging.
The United States experienced 61 'active shooter' incidents last year, up sharply in the sheer number of attacks, casualties and geographic distribution from 2021 and the highest tally in over 20 years, the FBI reported.
WORLD
President Joe Biden said there was no change to a U.S. policy of "strategic ambiguity" on Taiwan, a day after he angered China by saying he would be willing to use force to defend the democratic island. We spoke to Taiwanese radio enthusiasts tuning in as Chinese and U.S. warplanes crowd sensitive skies.
The World Health Organization said there have been 131 confirmed monkeypox cases and 106 further suspected cases since the first was reported on May 7 outside the countries where it usually spreads. While the outbreak is unusual, it remains "containable" and limited, the WHO said.
Beijing stepped up quarantine efforts to end its month-old COVID outbreak as fresh signs of frustration emerged in Shanghai, where some bemoaned unfair curbs with the city of 25 million preparing to lift a prolonged lockdown in just over a week.
South Asia's deadly heatwave in March and April was made 30 times more likely because of climate change, scientists reported. As April temperatures hit nearly 50 degrees Celsius in parts of northern India and Pakistan, at least 90 people died from heat-related causes.
New photographs of Prime Minister Boris Johnson drinking at a leaving party at his Downing Street residence have been published, reigniting opposition accusations that he breached his own COVID lockdown rules.
| BUSINESS Shares slid worldwide as fears about weak earnings and slowing growth punctured the recent mini-rally, while hawkish remarks from European Central Bank Chief Christine Lagarde reminded edgy markets that rate hikes loom.
Mining and oil firms led an 11% jump in dividend payouts to a first-quarter record of $302.5 billion, according to a closely-watched global report, though it warned companies face a growing number of challenges in the months ahead.
The world is facing a major oil supply crunch as most companies are afraid to invest in the sector as they face green energy pressures, the head of Saudi Aramco told Reuters, adding it cannot expand production capacity any faster than promised.
Some 62 million barrels of Russia's flagship Urals crude oil, a record amount, are sitting in vessels at sea, data from energy analytics firm Vortexa showed, as traders struggled to find buyers for the crude.
The Russian rouble strengthened to levels not seen since March 2018 against the dollar, boosted by export-focused companies selling foreign currency to pay taxes and shrugging off a slight easing of capital controls. The rouble is currently the world's best-performing currency.
The crypto winter is into its ninth week and bitcoin can't shake the chills. From technicals to turnover, market indicators are flashing red or amber for the biggest cryptocurrency, which has lost a third of its value in just two months.
| | | | | | | | | | | Video of the day  Gaza flour mills ground down by Ukraine conflict Three months into the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which has closed off access to lower-priced Black Sea wheat, mills in the Palestinian Gaza Strip are feeling the heat. | | | | And finally… Queen visits Chelsea Flower Show  Britain's Queen Elizabeth attended the Chelsea Flower Show, the latest of several appearances that have helped to ease public concerns about her health ahead of a national celebration of her seven decades on the throne. | | | Thanks for spending part of your day with us. | | | | | |
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