Far-right party set to win in German regional vote

Weekend Briefing

From Reuters Daily Briefing

By Robert MacMillan, Reuters.com Weekend Editor

Welcome to the latest edition of the Weekend Briefing. We're watching to see if Israel and Hamas can pause the war long enough to start a polio-vaccination campaign in the Gaza Strip. Our World News podcast tackles Germany's state elections and the rise of the far right. And did you ever get the feeling that the cows are not what they seem?

Germany restarts Afghanistan deportations

REUTERS/Lisi Niesner

Saxony and Thuringia: Germany resumed flying convicted criminals of Afghan nationality to their home country despite human-rights concerns, days before regional elections in which migration is a big campaign issue. The AfD is predicted to come in first in at least one of the elections, which would give a far-right party the most seats in a state parliament since World War Two. Chancellor Olaf Scholz promised more deportations after a deadly mass stabbing in Solingen. A Syrian man with Islamic State links is the suspect.
Sumy and Kursk: Ukraine's armed-forces commander said troops are pressing on with their incursion into Russia, while officials in Kyiv asked their allies to shoot down Russian missiles and drones over western Ukraine. The EU rebuffed Ukraine's request to train its soldiers inside the country. Russian attacks killed several people in Kharkiv and Sumy. And here is a worthwhile read on young conscripts and whether untested recruits should be thrown into battle.

Trump sends two messages on abortion rights

Positions: Donald Trump said he would vote against an amendment in Florida that would enshrine abortion rights in the state's constitution. A few days earlier, he suggested that he would vote for it. He also said he would require the government or insurance companies to pay for IVF fertility treatments and push for tax deductions for "major newborn expenses."
Take a chance on someone else: ABBA told Trump to stop using their music at campaign rallies.

Shanshan drenches Japan

Two big storms: Typhoon Shanshan soaked Japan with rain, prompting warnings for flooding and landslides hundreds of miles from the storm's center. At least four people were killed and 99 injured in recent days. A rare August cyclone is menacing India and Pakistan.
The climate report: Drought is imperiling farmers and bees in northern Mexico. A South Korean teenager hopes for a landmark ruling on climate change. Chilean scientists question if Antarctica's loss of sheet ice has reached a point of no return. Maersk said ocean shipping's push for zero emissions needs government support. And Canada's wildfires last year released more greenhouse gases than some of the largest emitting countries.

Diversity and the domino effect

Watch them all fall down: Two more U.S. companies scrapped some of their diversity, equity and inclusion programs meant to boost racial and ethnic representation. Lowe's will stop participating in a survey on transgender rights and Ford will end its inclusion in an LGBTQ advocacy group's ranking system. Find out what is at the root of many of these corporate moves.
Business and the economy: A Federal Reserve interest-rate cut seems likelier than ever after Jerome Powell said the time has come, and U.S. consumer spending indicated that the economy is on firmer ground. Nvidia crashed into the immoveable object of impossibly high expectations. Intel might make some big changes to solve its big problems. And the union representing Canada's two main rail companies filed court challenges after the labor board forced them back to work.

Before I forget…

- Flooding from heavy rains brought devastation across Sudan, which is already shattered by 500 days of fighting between the army and a paramilitary force. And the U.N.'s food-aid arm is struggling to feed millions there, even as it investigates two of its officials for fraud.
- Gripping but grim reading: A woman in Burkina Faso tells the story of surviving a massacre for which an Al Qaeda-linked group claimed responsibility.
- Brazil suspended access to X to comply with an order from a judge who has been locked in a months-long feud with Elon Musk.
- The United States is scrutinizing Indian solar panels for possible links to forced Uyghur labor in China.
- Power was returning in Venezuela after a blackout plunged much of the nation into darkness. The government blamed the opposition without giving evidence.
- You might have seen that Lego will rely on more expensive renewable and recycled plastic instead of fossil fuels, but you might have missed the CEO's comment that the company won't charge customers more.
- Breaking News: Being a parent is stressful. But seriously, it is, says the U.S. surgeon general, who issued a public-health advisory and recommended policies to support parents and their children.

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