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Weekend Briefing

From Reuters Daily Briefing

By Robert MacMillan, Reuters.com Weekend Editor

Thanks for reading the Weekend Briefing. We examine the long-term effects of President Trump’s geopolitical moves on U.S. relations with key allies. Three of the UK’s four nations are set to be governed by pro-independence parties. American readers: You’re paying electric companies for power plants and transmission lines long before they’ve been built. And our Pulitzer winners and finalists tell the On Assignment podcast team about the obstacles they encountered on their projects.

What happens when hantavirus breaks out on a ship?

REUTERS/Stringer

The short answer: We don’t know. Experts are quickly trying to draw up step-by-step guidance for what should happen next for the nearly 150 passengers on a cruise ship when they make landfall on Tenerife in the Canary Islands. Arranging their departure from the ship and flights home to Britain, the U.S. and other countries will require some careful handling.
Chart: Three people have died, four were confirmed to be infected and another three suspected cases have been reported. Here’s where the ship has been. Learn more about the incredibly remote island of Tristan da Cunha, where a new suspected case of the virus was identified. Fact check: Hantavirus infection is not a confirmed side effect of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine.

Iran could withstand naval blockade for months: CIA analysis

The latest: Washington is awaiting Iran’s response to a U.S. proposal that would formally end the war before they start talking about Iran’s nuclear program. The two sides traded fire in the Gulf on Friday. The U.S. imposed sanctions on companies, including several in China and Hong Kong, over accusations that they helped Iran to secure weapons and raw materials for Shahed drones and ballistic missiles.
Middle East: An Israeli airstrike killed the son of Hamas’ chief negotiator in U.S.-mediated talks on Gaza. Azzam Al-Hayya was the fourth son of Khalil Al-Hayya to be killed in Israel’s attacks. The millionaire businessman son of 90-year-old Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is seeking a role in Fatah party politics before the inevitable succession fight.

Khartoum: The military said the countries were involved in a drone attack on the city’s airport. Both denied it. Al Qaeda-linked insurgents killed around 50 people in two villages in Mali, including civilians.
Money and hostility: Zambia opposes a U.S. attempt to tie as much as $2 billion in health funding to getting access to the nation’s critical minerals. Mozambique is rich in resources and listing because of unsustainable debt. Learn why its financial crisis is growing. Several African countries warned migrants in South Africa to be cautious and stay indoors because of attacks targeting foreigners.

Hammering away: The data, which you can see on a map in the story, show how Russia’s armed forces used a rapid expansion in domestic drone production to diversify the kinds of targets they strike.
Reports: Ukraine said it is running low on air-defense missiles. Hungary returned cash and gold that it seized from seven Ukrainians whom it suspected of money laundering. Moldova’s parliament curtailed the use of Russian in the chamber, prompting a walkout by pro-Russian and right-wing opposition parties.

In short: The Virginia Supreme Court’s decision is good for Republicans and bad for Democrats. It’s the latest redistricting move in a partisan slog ahead of this year’s congressional midterms as Republicans defend their majority in the House of Representatives. Louisiana Republicans’ move to erase a majority-Black House district evokes memories of segregation. Next up: Alabama.
Dissatisfied: Anti-abortion activists met White House officials to express their frustration over what they see as Donald Trump’s failure to advance new restrictions on abortion access and stronger enforcement of existing policies.