Russia’s warning to the ‘reckless’ West

Weekend Briefing

From Reuters Daily Briefing

By Robert MacMillan, Reuters.com Weekend Editor

Welcome to the Weekend Briefing. "Restoring sovereignty" in the West Bank once was a fringe idea for Israel. Some settlers and their supporters hope Donald Trump will help them do just that in the area Palestinians see as the heart of a future state. Our correspondent Jonathan Saul joins today's edition of the World News podcast to talk about his visits to the settlements.

Russia's warning to the 'reckless' West

Military exercises, Chernihiv region. REUTERS/Maksym Kishka

Hypersonic greetings: The week began and ended with missiles as the big topic in the Ukraine war. Kyiv received Joe Biden's permission to use U.S.-made ATACMs missiles to strike inside Russia, while Moscow launched a new hypersonic missile at Dnipro in a ballistic riposte. Here are details about the Oreshnik (hazel tree) missile, which traveled at 10 times the speed of sound.
And in the Middle East: There is little hope in Gaza that International Criminal Court arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant and Hamas leader Ibrahim al-Masri will slow the Israeli onslaught. Looting in Gaza is growing in the face of famine, an UNRWA official said. An Israeli state attorney indicted an aide to Netanyahu on charges of leaking classified documents on the war that he hoped would help the prime minister.

Trump's word is your bond market

Latest picks: Donald Trump will nominate Scott Bessent as Treasury secretary, a choice that likely will calm the titans of finance as the next administration plans to remake global trade through tariffs and extend or expand tax cuts that Trump enacted when he was president.
Cabinet of curiosities: Matt Gaetz made way for Pam Bondi as Trump's nomination for attorney general after an investigation into allegations of sex with an underage girl and illegal drug use proved too hot to hold. He was one of three nominees who have been accused of sexual misconduct. TV's Dr. Oz may appear in an entirely new role.

COP29 nations debate over the price tag of survival

Indoors: Wealthy countries at the COP29 meeting in Baku agreed to raise their goal of a global finance target to help poorer nations deal with climate change. They agreed to $300 billion a year by 2035 after being told their earlier offer was insultingly low. There's no word yet on whether the latest figure will cut it. Did you know that wealthy nations can meet their goals for reducing greenhouse-gas emissions by sending their fossil fuels abroad so they can pollute the air elsewhere?
Outdoors: Learn why India's farmers are burning crop stubble that's poisoning the air, and why efforts to find alternatives aren't working. People are tossing their plastic waste into a lake, which is polluting the water and interfering with a hydroelectric dam by the city of Bukavu in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Liquid made from cashew shells mixed with marine fuel is supposed to make shipping more environmentally friendly. It's damaging the ships.

What you need to know about Gautam Adani's bribery indictment

The big man: U.S. prosecutors say the Indian billionaire and one of the world's richest people had a role in a $265 million scheme to bribe Indian officials over a solar project. Read more about Adani, why the United States cares, and how this affects the banks that have financed his many projects far beyond India's borders.
Business buffet: EV battery maker Northvolt and Spirit Airlines filed for bankruptcy. Walmart raised its forecasts, pleasing investors. Target's forecast displeased investors. Nvidia's forecast perplexed investors. LVMH may ship Hennessy cognac to China for bottling to cope with Beijing's anti-dumping measures, prompting workers at its French bottling plant to strike. U.S. buyers sued potato processors over an alleged price-fixing scheme that involves frozen French fries, hash browns, tater tots and other processed products that I'm powerless to resist.

Before I forget…

- "They must take responsibility for their actions." Gisèle Pelicot condemned the cowardice of dozens of men accused of abusing her in a decade of mass rape organized by her husband after he repeatedly drugged her into unconsciousness. Verdicts and sentences are due in December.
- Brazil's former president Jair Bolsonaro allegedly planned a coup with members of his government and military officers after his 2022 election defeat. Indictments are unlikely until 2025.
- Somaliland's opposition leader defeated the incumbent president as the region pushes for global recognition, something it has failed to achieve since breaking away from Somalia in 1991.
- The death of Vladimir Shklyarov appears to be accidental, police said. The principal dancer at the Mariinsky Ballet in St. Petersburg fell from a fifth-floor balcony of the building where he lived.
- Football and the Bible: The NFL has no issue with players doing the "Trump Dance" in the end zone. Texas school officials plan to infuse Christianity and Christian principles in the education system, beginning in kindergarten.

Sponsors are not involved in the creation of newsletters or other Reuters news content. Advertise in this newsletter or on Reuters.com

Listen to the Reuters World News podcast

Weekend Briefing is sent once 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.

Terms & Conditions and Privacy Statement