Reuters - Weekend Briefing - by Robert MacMillan - Israel hits Iran again, Iran strikes back and more ...

 

Weekend Briefing

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

Welcome back to the Weekend Briefing. There’s plenty going on, as you can see below. But first, our Saturday World News podcast covers the weird new world of drone warfare. Our latest City Memo takes us to Dakar. And have a look at Reuters Open Interest, a new source for expert financial commentary that questions the consensus. Our smart columnists have many perspectives, but one motto: Question everything.

Israel hits Iran again, Iran strikes back   Tel Aviv, June 13, 2025. REUTERS/Jamal Awad ‘We knew everything’: The latest volleys came after Israel’s biggest attack against its foe blasted Iran’s huge underground nuclear site and wiped out nuclear scientists and top military commanders. Iran said “the gates of hell will open,” but a weakened Tehran has few options to retaliate, including an all-out war that it likely wouldn’t win, sources say. President Trump, who told Reuters the U.S. knew of the operation in advance, said reaching a deal on its nuclear program would stop the bombing. Read more on how Israel planned the attack and the possible wider scope of its ambitions. Market reaction: World stock markets fell and oil prices surged. Gold and the dollar rose as investors sought somewhere safe to park their money. In just two days, oil-market participants switched from worrying about oversupply after recent OPEC+ talks to dreading a shortage.

A weekend of protests in the U.S. From LA to DC: Cities across the U.S. are bracing for demonstrations this weekend, including in Washington where Trump will celebrate his 79th birthday and a weekend military parade will mark the Army’s 250th anniversary. U.S. Marines carried out their first known civilian detention in Los Angeles. Here’s more about the National Guard and Marines and which powers Trump could give them. Trump news: ICE arrests of people with no criminal charges or convictions other than immigration violations jumped 800% from January to June, government data show. The State Dept. resumed processing Harvard student and exchange visitor visas. Kilmar Abrego Garcia pleaded not guilty to criminal conspiracy charges of smuggling migrants into the U.S. A U.S. judge denied Columbia student and activist Mahmoud Khalil's request to be released from detention.

A painful wait in Ukraine In torment: Ukrainians like Volodymyr Umanets hope their family members will be among the POWs Russia is handing over, but they know their loved ones also might return home among the repatriated remains of dead soldiers. Volodymyr Zelenskiy plans to attend the G7 summit in Canada. Recommended read: After its diplomats and operatives were expelled from Europe following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Russia turned to using untrained spies. The case of a Canadian teenager jailed in Poland reveals how Moscow runs these operations. Europe roundup: Northern Ireland endured four nights of violence targeting immigrants after two 14-year-old boys were charged with sexually assaulting a teenage girl. European rabbis canceled their conference in Sarajevo and will hold it in Munich instead, citing political pressure. The right-wing AfD party is harboring a growing number of extremists, Germany’s spy agency said. Emmanuel Macron wants the EU to ban social media for children under 15 after a fatal stabbing at a school in France. School killings in western Europe, most recently this week’s shooting in Graz, Austria, are raising pressure on authorities to tackle what long was seen as a largely U.S. phenomenon.

Is seat 11A the safest on a plane? Not really: One man survived Thursday’s 787 Dreamliner crash in Ahmedabad in western India. Find out why you can’t predict survivability based on seat location. Families were waiting to claim the bodies of loved ones killed in the crash while Boeing's CEO canceled his appearance at the Paris Air Show. Boeing’s leadership is back in crisis mode after making progress in its recovery from a host of problems. Business targets and milestones: France is looking to ban advertising by Chinese e-commerce platforms like Shein and Temu. Shein and Reliance want to sell India-made clothes abroad within a year. The Switch 2 became Nintendo’s fastest-selling game device to date. Starbucks is accelerating the rollout of its new staffing and service model. BlackRock, Vanguard and State Street are trying to dismiss claims by Republican states that the asset managers violated antitrust law by working with industry climate groups.

Before I forget… Monash IVF’s chief executive resigned after the Australian fertility clinic disclosed its second mix-up within two months. Syria’s Islamist-led government said women should wear burkinis or other swimwear that covers their bodies. An official denied that there was any ban on Western beachwear and said the decision was misunderstood. Moldova’s education minister said schools would keep teaching “the history of the Romanians” despite an official’s ruling that the term was unfair to ethnic minorities. An Italian referendum to make gaining citizenship easier failed, strengthening Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government. And on a personal note: If you’re like me, you like to stay on top of the news. But it can be overwhelming. That’s why we’re starting a limited-run weekly newsletter with stories that focus on ideas, solutions and hopeful things. Reuters Beacon: I hope you sign up.

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