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Weekend Briefing

From Reuters Daily Briefing

By Robert MacMillan, Reuters.com Weekend Editor

Welcome to the Weekend Briefing, and I wish you all a peaceful Saturday. We have plenty to share on Ukraine, the weather, the Hollywood actor-writer strike and more.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, Rostov-on-Don, Russia, June 24, 2023. REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko

‘I’d be careful what I ate’

But seriously: President Biden couldn’t resist making a joke about poison when asked if the US might know where Wagner founder and erstwhile mutineer Yevgeny Prigozhin might be holed up. Meanwhile, NATO confirmed it’s not bringing Ukraine into the club. Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s aggressive approach, which clearly doesn’t sit well with Britain’s defense secretary, netted the Ukrainian president security guarantees from the West.
Next up: The U.N. is waiting to hear whether Russia will extend the deal that allows Ukraine to export grain through the Black Sea after Moscow said numerous times that it probably won’t. Otherwise, expect more of the same on Russia’s war strategy, and a slow-grind Ukrainian counter-offensive.

A fine selection of heatwaves, with wine pairings

Meltdown: Greece closed the Acropolis during the hottest part of the day to protect tourists as southern Europe suffered through a fierce heatwave, while more than 100 million Americans and many northern Mexicans faced a prolonged spell of sweltering weather. India, China, Japan and South Korea dealt with deadly floods. Warmer temperatures have produced something you don’t hear about every day: a fine British wine.
More to come: The United Arab Emirates, a major oil exporter, promised a “brutally honest” U.N. climate summit this November. Scientists offered evidence that we entered the Anthropocene epoch about 70 years ago, and Antarctic sea ice levels reached record lows last month.

Hollywood actors join striking writers

Development hell: Friday was the first day of a dual work stoppage that has forced U.S. studios to shutter productions as workers battle over pay in the streaming era. It is the first such joint effort in more than 60 years.
Will I have to watch As Time Goes By reruns? No, but plenty of what you do want to watch this fall will be delayed. Get ready for more reality shows, or perhaps we can recommend each other some books.

The sweet taste of a possible carcinogen

Aspartame: Two World Health Organization-linked groups say that the sweetener is a "possible carcinogen," but remains safe to consume at the existing daily-intake guidelines. Here’s a useful list of other substances with varying carcinogenic links. I note ruefully that alcohol is right up there with smoking, wood dust and opium.
The drugs report: The U.S. FDA approved the first over-the-counter birth-control pill. J&J sued the researchers who linked its talcum powder to cancer. Patients taking the highest doses of Wegovy are facing difficulty in filling their prescriptions, and only a third of patients prescribed such weight-loss drugs are still taking them a year later. Sign up for the Reuters Health Rounds newsletter for more news like this.

Before I forget…

A special Saturday edition of the Reuters World News podcast covers the debate over Canada’s decision to expand the right to die to those suffering from mental illness. An excellent and moving story will be out a little later today on our homepage.

India’s government wants to enact a common set of personal laws for all, irrespective of religion. Critics say It’s a cynical plan to consolidate the Hindu vote for the BJP before next year’s elections.

An Italian court cleared a janitor who groped a 17-year-old schoolgirl on the grounds that he did it for "just a few seconds" and without "libidinous or lusty intent." Outrage ensued.

JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo are having trouble with their commercial real-estate loan portfolios because of high interest rates and people who want to keep working at home. A McKinsey study says hybrid work could wipe out $800 billion from office-property values by 2030.

Larry Nassar, the disgraced USA Gymnastics doctor convicted of sexually abusing young female gymnasts, survived a stabbing in prison. Convicted murderer and Manson family member Leslie van Houten was released from prison after 53 years and is in a halfway house in a confidential location.

Stunning images from the Webb telescope show the closest star-forming region to Earth.

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