Bitter fighting as Russia presses assault on Ukraine's Soledar

Plus, Britain's satellite hopes are undimmed by a mission failure

Hello! Trump executive Weisselberg prepares for jail on Rikers Island, Brazil's Bolsonaro is in a Florida hospital, and U.S. banks are getting ready for shrinking profits   by Linda Noakes   World News A resident of Soledar waits in temporary sleeping accommodation before being transported to an evacuation train in Kramatorsk, Ukraine, January 8, 2023. REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne  Russian troops have stepped up an assault on the town of Soledar in eastern Ukraine, forcing Ukrainian troops to repel waves of attacks led by mercenary forces, officials in Kyiv said. Here's what you need to know about the conflict right now. Beijing retaliated against South Korea's COVID-19 curbs on travelers from China, while state media further downplayed the severity of the outbreak in the last major economy to reopen its borders after three years of isolation. The Chinese embassy in South Korea has suspended issuing short-term visas for South Korean visitors. Far-right former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was admitted to a hospital in Florida with stomach pains as 1,500 of his supporters were rounded up in Brasilia after storming key buildings in the capital over the weekend. At least 17 people were killed in clashes with police in southern Peru, the country's human rights office said, the deadliest day so far of protests demanding early elections and the release of jailed former president Pedro Castillo. The activist daughter of former Iranian president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani has been sentenced to five years in prison. Her lawyer did not give detail of the charges against Faezeh Hashemi, but Tehran's public prosecutor indicted her last year on charges of "propaganda against the system". U.S. News Abandoned cars are left in a flooded street in east Santa Barbara, California, January 9, 2023. REUTERS/Erica Urech The latest in a string of Pacific storms blamed for at least 12 deaths soaked California, prompting evacuations of some 25,000 people, including the entire town of Montecito and nearby areas of the Santa Barbara coast, due to heightened flood and mudslide risks. Allen Weisselberg, a longtime executive for Donald Trump, is expected to be sent to New York's notorious Rikers Island jail after being sentenced today for helping engineer a 15-year tax fraud scheme at the former president's real estate company. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who helped to amplify Trump's false claims about widespread fraud in the 2020 election, has been subpoenaed by federal prosecutors seeking documents about payments he received from Trump or his presidential campaign, a person familiar with the matter said. Classified documents from Joe Biden's vice-presidential days were discovered in November by the U.S. president's personal attorneys at a Washington think tank, a White House lawyer said. The House of Representatives adopted a package of internal rules that give right-wing hardliners more leverage over the chamber's newly elected Republican speaker, Kevin McCarthy.   Business & Markets The plane takes off ahead of Britain's first satellite launch, at Cornwall Airport Newquay, January 9, 2023. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls Britain's attempt to become the first European nation to launch satellites into space ended in bitter disappointment when Virgin Orbit said its rocket had suffered an anomaly that prevented it from reaching orbit. U.S. banking giants are forecast to report lower fourth-quarter profits this week as lenders stockpile rainy-day funds to prepare for an economic slowdown that is battering investment banking. U.S. small-business confidence slid to a six-month low in December, according to a survey that also showed that inflation and worker shortages remained major issues for firm owners. Shares of Bed, Bath & Beyond rebounded sharply in high-volume trading amid speculation by retail investors that the struggling home goods seller might be a potential acquisition target. Qatar's stock market is set to welcome its first initial public offering in almost three years in a test of new regulations that Doha has introduced, hoping to compete with more active exchanges in the region. Bitcoin's looking steady in 2023. But it's only been a week. Read our weekly analysis of the wild world of cryptocurrencies. And Finally A staff member unpacks copies of Prince Harry's autobiography 'Spare' at a Waterstones bookstore in London, January 10, 2023. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls Prince Harry's memoir hits shelves after days of controversy Scientists chip away at how ancient Roman concrete stood the test of time Video: Four innovations that surprised visitors at CES We think you may like this: Reuters Auto File From Shanghai to Detroit to Munich, a look at the fast-paced world of automotive technology. Subscribe 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. To manage which newsletters you're signed up for, click here. Want to stop receiving this email? Unsubscribe here. Follow Reuters on social media Reuters Terms & Conditions and Privacy Statement   © 2022 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved. 3 Times Square, New York, NY 10036