India and Pakistan step up military strikes

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Weekend Briefing

From Reuters Daily Briefing

By Robert MacMillan, Reuters.com Weekend Editor

Welcome to the Weekend Briefing. Before we dig into the latest news, I want to share a story that caught my attention: Is Donald Trump proposing raising taxes on rich people? Our World News podcast examines the fear and distrust that Pete Hegseth has sown at the Pentagon. And our newest edition of City Memo takes us to Zürich.

India and Pakistan step up military strikes

Rehari, Jammu, May 10, 2025. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi

Hostilities spread: Fears that the countries' nuclear arsenals might come into play spiked when the Pakistan military said a top military and civil body overseeing its nuclear weapons would meet, but the defense minister later said no such meeting was scheduled. Fighting on Saturday prompted calls for the countries to begin talks and defuse their escalating conflict, the most intense since 1999. Residents in both countries rushed to stockpile food and supplies.
An interested third party: China stands to reap a rich harvest of intelligence in its own rivalry with India as it gleans data from its fighter jets and other weapons that Pakistan is using.

Another ceasefire proposal for Ukraine

Silence or sanctions: The U.S. and European allies plan to present a 30-day ceasefire proposal and are prepared to impose sanctions on Russia if it refuses, a diplomatic source said. Ukraine said it's ready to accept. Ukraine's parliament ratified the U.S. minerals deal that Kyiv hopes will secure future military help. Twenty European countries voiced their support for a tribunal to prosecute Vladimir Putin and other Russian officials for the crime of aggression against Ukraine.
And in the Middle East: Washington's envoy to Israel Mike Huckabee said the U.S. has a plan to get aid into Gaza. Questions remain over how this would work without a ceasefire in place. Israel's military said it intercepted a missile launched from Yemeni territory. The Houthis, who reached a ceasefire deal with the U.S. this week, said the accord did not include Israel.

What's going on in Mali?

Multiple issues: The western African nation earlier this week banned all political activity to stamp out public dissent. The country also owes more than $94 million to the entity that manages a dam that is critical to providing power. And Barrick Gold's CEO said he doesn't know where the government is keeping 3 metric tonnes of its gold, worth more than $300 million. Mali is also holding four of Barrick's executives in jail.
Africa roundup: The first group of white South Africans entering the U.S. as refugees from perceived racism are expected to arrive next week. The Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda-backed M23 rebels restarted peace talks in Qatar. The RSF paramilitary group has been attacking Sudan's wartime capital, damaging the country's main gateway for aid. The Trump administration is looking to Libya as another deportee destination, while Rwanda is also offering its services.

Australia: Trade-war hideout offers refuge from U.S. freak-out

The upside of Down Under: Foreign investors are turning to Australia's domestically-focused stocks, choosing the often-overlooked market as a place to stash their money instead of U.S. equities. Can you hear them now? Sonova, the world's largest hearing-aid maker, forecast double-digit earnings growth for the year and said most of its products should be exempt from U.S. tariffs. Walmart and Costco are looking to India to sidestep tariffs that their usual clothing makers in Bangladesh and China are facing. Trouble is, larger manufacturers can't retain their workers.
See you in Switzerland: The U.S. and China meet in Geneva this weekend for talks that could contain their trade war. Trump said an 80% tariff on Chinese goods might work instead of the current 145%, though it remains an extraordinarily high rate.

Before I forget…

A U.S. judge ordered the release of Rümeysa Öztürk, the Turkish student at Tufts University who is at the center of one of the highest-profile cases in Trump's campaign to deport pro-Palestinian activists on American campuses.
Southwest Airlines lawyers don't need "religious liberty training," a U.S. appeals court ruled, overturning a lower judge's decision after a flight attendant won a religious-discrimination lawsuit.
Sotheby's postponed the auction of gems linked to relics of the Buddha after India threatened legal action and demanded their return.
An American mountaineer died on Mount Makalu, the world's fifth-highest mountain, in eastern Nepal while on a climb to raise funds for a children's cancer program.
The European Union's drugs regulator said its safety panel confirmed suicidal thoughts as a side effect of taking the anti-hair-loss drug finasteride, which many of you might know better as Propecia.
Sweden's national-security adviser resigned a day after his appointment after the prime minister criticized him for failing to disclose information regarding images he published years ago on Grindr.

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