Reuters World News Summary
Following is a summary of current world news briefs.
U.S.-Russian citizen Ksenia Karelina pleads guilty to treason, state media says
Russian-American dual citizen Ksenia Karelina has pleaded guilty in a Russian court to a charge of treason, state news agency RIA quoted her lawyer as saying on Wednesday. Karelina, who was not included in a major prisoner swap between Russia and the West last week, is on trial in the city of Yekaterinburg over a donation she made in 2022 to a charity supporting Ukraine.
Analysis-Harris draws more support among Black voters, Trump up slightly among white voters
Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris is drawing more support from Black voters than President Joe Biden did when he was in the race this year, while Republican Donald Trump's support among white voters has risen somewhat in recent months, according to an analysis of Reuters/Ipsos polling. The analysis, which examined more than 10,000 responses from seven nationwide Reuters/Ipsos polls conducted since May, points to significant strengths and vulnerabilities for Harris, the U.S. vice president who took over Biden's campaign when the president dropped his re-election bid on July 21.
Italy doubles 'flat tax' for the rich who move fiscal residence to country
The Italian government approved a decree on Wednesday doubling to 200,000 euros ($218,220.00) per year a flat tax applied on income earned abroad by wealthy individuals who transfer their tax residence to the country. The incentive, introduced in 2017 under a center-left government, aimed to lure rich people to Italy in the hope that it would benefit the economy.
Israeli army issues new evacuation orders in north Gaza after fresh rocket fire
Israeli forces on Wednesday issued new evacuation orders to Palestinians in areas of north Gaza that were among the first to be hit at the start of the war with Hamas in October, after militants fired a fresh volley of rockets into Israel. Army spokesperson Avichay Adraee posted the evacuation orders for several districts in Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya, two now largely demolished towns into which Israeli tanks swept at the outset of Israel's ground invasion.
Bangladesh protesters expect interim government to be finalized on Wednesday
Bangladesh's protest leaders said they expect members of an interim government, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, to be finalized on Wednesday after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina quit and fled to India following a violent crackdown on a student-led uprising. Bangladesh's president appointed Yunus, who was recommended by student leaders, as the head of the interim government late on Tuesday and said the remaining members need to be finalized soon to overcome the current crisis and pave way for elections.
Democrats Harris, Walz to campaign in crucial Michigan, Wisconsin
Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris will campaign alongside her new running mate, Tim Walz, on Wednesday, holding events in battleground states Wisconsin and Michigan that will offer an early test of his Midwestern credentials. The trip to Eau Claire in Wisconsin and Detroit in Michigan is the first campaign swing for Walz, the governor of nearby Minnesota, whom Harris chose as her vice presidential pick on Tuesday in the biggest political decision of her nascent White House bid that has energized Democrats and shaken up the race.
Ukraine pierces Russian border triggering major battles
Russia said on Wednesday that it was fighting intense battles against Ukrainian forces which had penetrated Russia's Kursk region in one of the largest incursions into Russia since the Ukraine war began in February 2022. Russia has advanced this year after the failure of Ukraine's 2023 counteroffensive to achieve any major gains, and has taken 420 square kilometers (162 square miles) of territory from Ukrainian forces since June 14, Sergei Shoigu, head of Russia's security council, has said.
Tim Walz's handling of George Floyd protests put in spotlight
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz's selection as the Democratic vice presidential contender has thrust his handling of racial justice protests following the 2020 murder of George Floyd back into the spotlight, drawing both criticism and praise for his state's response during one of the most tumultuous periods concerning race relations in U.S. history. As Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris' running mate, Walz's actions in the aftermath of Floyd's killing by a white Minneapolis police officer are being criticized by allies of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and far-right pundits who say he was too slow to mobilize law enforcement to stop looting, arson and violence that accompanied protests in Minneapolis.
Exclusive-Bangladesh army refused to suppress protest, sealing Hasina's fate
The night before long-time leader Sheikh Hasina abruptly fled Bangladesh amid deadly protests, her army chief held a meeting with his generals and decided that troops would not open fire on civilians to enforce a curfew, two serving army officers with knowledge of the discussions told Reuters. Gen. Waker-Uz-Zaman then reached out to Hasina's office, conveying to the prime minister that his soldiers would be unable to implement the lockdown she had called for, according to an Indian official briefed on the matter.
Thai court orders dissolution of anti-establishment election winner
Thailand's Constitutional Court on Wednesday ordered the dissolution of the anti-establishment opposition party Move Forward, ruling its campaign to amend a law that protects the monarchy from criticism risked undermining the democratic system. The disbanding of Move Forward, which won most seats in the 2023 election, is the latest setback for Thailand's major political parties, which are embroiled in a two-decade battle for power against a nexus of influential conservatives, old money families and the royalist military.
