Reuters Daily Briefing -June 27, 2026 -By Robert MacMillan - Venezuela earthquake death count rises and more ...

 

Weekend Briefing

From Reuters Daily Briefing   By Robert MacMillan, Reuters.com Weekend Editor

Welcome to the Weekend Briefing. I recommend this week’s On Assignment podcast, which gets into the reasons that Europe’s heatwave offers us a glimpse into our future. And it’s Kansas City, Kansas City here I come in this week’s edition of City Memo.

Venezuela earthquake death count rises   REUTERS/Maxwell Briceno More than 900 dead: The government says hundreds of people remain trapped and missing after the tremors rocked the area west of Caracas on Wednesday. Residents in the hardest-hit areas pulled the living and the dead from the rubble. Leadership: The earthquake presents a challenge to Delcy Rodriguez as U.S. government data models suggested that the death toll ultimately could exceed 10,000.

Iran hits targets linked to the U.S. Familiar accusations: The U.S. military attacked Iran after an Iranian drone struck a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran said it struck targets linked to U.S. forces in response to U.S. airstrikes on its southern coast, as each side accused the other of violating last week's agreement meant to end ‌their four-month-old war. Lebanon: Israel signed a framework peace deal with its northern neighbor to end fighting with Hezbollah that began after the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran. Details were unavailable and it is unclear how this deal differs from one they reached in April.

The man who wants Netanyahu’s job Challenger: Gadi Eisenkot, Israel’s former military chief, boasts of a doctrine calling for smashing foes with disproportionate force. The son of Moroccan immigrants is surging in polls and his party is making inroads among the Mizrahi, people of Middle Eastern and North African descent. Polls show many voters turning against the incumbents ahead of the first elections since the Oct. 7 attacks. Occupation: Gazans flocked from their suffocating tents to the polluted shores of the Mediterranean Sea to bathe and wash their clothes as temperatures rose and fresh water remained hard to come by. Palestinian and Israeli civil-rights groups say an Israeli bill to extend control over ancient sites in the West Bank amounts to annexation of occupied land.

Down and out and very hot in Paris and London Slow cooker: The heatwave that has killed dozens of people and made life unbearable in Europe is all the worse because most homes not only lack air conditioning, they are built to retain heat. Outside, it is melting roads in Germany and twisting train tracks in Sweden. Germany and Italy are sweltering as the hot weather moves east. Hot words: Ukraine’s deep strikes into Russia this month prompted hardliner demands that Vladimir Putin abandon diplomacy and escalate the war.

U.N. rights chief wants probe of immigrant deaths in ICE custody 18 dead in five months: The Department of Homeland Security says there has been no spike in deaths since Trump began his mass-deportation campaign in January 2025. The Supreme Court has allowed the administration to deploy these policies in case after case, targeting legal and illegal immigrants with few exceptions. Vacation recrimination: The Senate left for a two-week break without acting on national voting restrictions that the president sees as his top legislative priority. Hardline Trump supporters shut down action on bills in the House and said they wouldn’t reopen the floor until the Senate returns.

Africa needs more money for Ebola response A lot more: Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said it needs $1.4 billion, three times higher than an earlier estimate. Health: A U.S. judge blocked the Trump administration from preventing food-stamp recipients in five states from using their benefits to buy sugary food and drink. Novo Nordisk hopes that U.S. insurers will cover weight-loss drugs, even as employers and health plans push back.

The Canadian soccer fan’s dilemma Should I stay or…? Canada will face South Africa at a World Cup knockout game in Los Angeles this Sunday. This is a tough one for team supporters who have refused to enter the United States because of strained ties between the two countries because of Donald Trump. World Cup: A soccer commentator lost his composure on live TV. Norway’s “Viking row” maneuver is annoying its Scandinavian neighbors, not to mention this one dude who refused to perform the move while his countrymen around him heaved their imaginary oars. And check out Cape Verde!

Before I forget… Thousands of Malawians and hundreds of Zimbabweans are trying to leave South Africa before anti-immigrant protests begin on Tuesday. The former leader of Northern Ireland’s largest unionist party was found guilty of child sex offenses, including rape. The Taliban ordered a nationwide ban on Afghan civil servants’ smartphone use. A light aircraft crashed into Beijing’s tallest building, killing the pilot and injuring 13 people not on the plane. Deutsche Bahn blamed a tech glitch in its digital-radio system for bringing the rail network to a standstill. And here’s why I rent a car when I visit Germany. Ryanair will “reluctantly” allow parents to sit with their children for free. Larry the Cat has outlasted six British prime ministers. Do we have three more to go while he’s with us?

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