View in Browser

Daily Briefing

All eyes are on Donald Trump as he appears in court later today. Elsewhere, West African defense chiefs consider their response to last week's coup in Niger, and the Bank of England raises borrowing costs to a 15-year peak.

Plus, an ancient whale from Peru may be the most massive animal ever on Earth.

By Edson Caldas

Today's Top News

Former US President Donald Trump holds a campaign rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, July 29, 2023. REUTERS/Lindsay DeDario

US NEWS

Former US President Donald Trump is due to appear in court to face charges he led a wide-ranging conspiracy built on lies to overturn the 2020 presidential election, culminating in a violent attack on the seat of American democracy. Here's a timeline of Trump's major legal woes.
On March 30, when Donald Trump was indicted over a hush-money payment to a porn star, he already owned the narrative. We look at how he had been preparing for this moment.
At an economic policy speech, Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis repeatedly blamed China for sapping the US of its financial strength, mentioning the nation no less than 11 times in 20 minutes. It was the latest sign that China has become a dominant issue in the Republican primary race.

AROUND THE WORLD

Russian forces have made no headway along the front lines, but are entrenched in heavily mined areas they control, making it difficult for Ukrainian troops to move east and south, officials said. On Reuters World News, correspondent Alex Marrow unpacks the fallout of drone attacks on Moscow's financial district.
West African defense chiefs are due to wind up a two-day meeting today discussing possible intervention in Niger to restore democracy after last week's coup, although they have said this would be a last resort.
Greenpeace protesters draped the private home of British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in black fabric to protest against his government's energy policy, the environmental campaign group said. A picture posted by Greenpeace UK showed protesters holding a banner that read "OIL PROFITS OR OUR FUTURE?"
South Korea's interior minister urged organizers of a global scout jamboree to take "all available measures" to ensure the safety of the event after more than 400 participants suffered heat-exhaustion. The 25th World Scout Jamboree kicked off on Tuesday as authorities issued a warning for extreme temperatures.

Business & Markets

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi shakes hand with Elon Musk during their meeting in New York, June 20, 2023. India's Press Information Bureau/Handout via REUTERS

China's loss in India could be Elon Musk's gain. Tesla has had a red-carpet welcome from India for its proposal to invest in the country, while its largest rival in electric vehicles, China's BYD, has been stopped cold by increased scrutiny from New Delhi. For more news on the industry, sign up to Auto File.
The Bank of England raised its key interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point to a 15-year peak of 5.25%. Unlike the US Federal Reserve or the European Central Bank, the BoE's Monetary Policy Committee gave little suggestion that rate hikes were about to end as it battles high inflation.
Adidas sales should fall only slightly in 2023, a better outcome than previously expected, the sportswear giant said, confirming strong demand for its remaining Yeezy shoes would help narrow a projected full-year loss. Sales of surplus Yeezy shoes generated around 400 million euros in the second quarter.
A Russian government-linked hacking group took aim at dozens of global organizations with a campaign to steal login credentials by engaging users in Microsoft Teams chats pretending to be from technical support, Microsoft researchers said.

Rising domestic violence is a hidden front in Ukraine's war

Picture of Liubov Borniakova, in Dnipro, Ukraine, May 9, 2023. REUTERS/Alina Smutko

When the body of 34-year-old Liubov Borniakova was found in her home in January, it was marked with 75 bruises. Her husband, Yakov Borniakov, had been laying low inside their apartment during the previous month, after deserting from the army, according to Borniakova's aunt and a neighbor. He got drunk and beat Borniakova repeatedly during the two weeks before her death, they told Reuters. Yakov Borniakov could not be reached for comment.

Domestic violence in Ukraine has surged since mid-2022. Read our report.

And Finally...

Scientists excavate a vertebra fossil of Perucetus colossus in a remote coastal desert in southern Peru. Giovanni Bianucci/Handout via REUTERS

There is a new contender for the most massive animal in Earth's history. Scientists just described fossils of an early whale unearthed in Peru called Perucetus colossus that lived about 38-40 million years ago during the Eocene epoch - a creature built somewhat like a manatee that may have topped the mass of the blue whale, long considered the heftiest animal on record.

Read more here: Ancient whale may be most massive animal ever on Earth

Sponsors are not involved in the creation of newsletters or other Reuters news content.

Reuters Daily Briefing is sent 5 days a week. Think your friend or colleague should know about us? Forward this newsletter to them. They can also sign up here.

Want to stop receiving this email? Unsubscribe here.
To manage which newsletters you're signed up for, click here.