Reuters Weekend Briefing

"US negotiators to go to Islamabad."

Views expressed in this geopolitical news and analysis are those of the reporters and correspondents.  Accessed on 25 April 2026, 1502 UTC.

Content and Source:  "Reuters Weekend Briefing."

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/FMfcgzQgLXqnMngtvbnDBFwkdvVPSsnJ

URL--https://www.reuters.com.

Please check email link, URL, or scroll down to read your selections.  Thanks for joining us today.

Russ Roberts (https://trendsingeopolitics.blogspot.com).

Stay informed with Reuters. Subscribe for $1/week. Subscribe now. Weekend Briefing From Reuters Daily Briefing   By Kate Turton, Newsletter Editor Welcome to the Weekend Briefing. Today's On Assignment podcast features Vatican correspondent Joshua McElwee who talks about covering the Pope's Africa tour. We also have a fascinating read on the Republicans retooling their midterm strategy amid Trump's slumping ratings, and City Memo takes us to Warsaw. Witkoff and Kushner headed to Pakistan for Iran talks   Pakistan prepares to host the U.S. and Iran for the second round of peace talks, in Islamabad, Pakistan, April 25, 2026. REUTERS/Asim Hafeez Showing up: U.S. negotiators, including President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner, are scheduled to leave for Pakistan, but Iran said its officials did not plan to meet the Americans to discuss ending the war. Allies: The sovereignty of the Falkland Islands rests with Britain, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Keir Starmer said after an internal Pentagon email suggested reviewing the U.S. position ‌on the Falklands as punishment for Britain's stance on the Iran war. US Democrats look to rein in Trump's war powers, this time on Cuba Less Trump: With U.S. gas prices up, President Trump's approval ratings down and the Iran war dragging on, Republicans are recalibrating their blueprint ahead of November's midterm elections. Threat from the right: House Republicans are facing a fresh challenge in the 2026 midterms: the Homeland Political Action Committee, a new conservative super PAC targeting Republican members of Congress who support immigration reform legislation. After waiting years for justice, Purdue opioid victims are defeated - by paperwork Broad concerns: A poll found that most Americans are worried about pesticides and oppose shielding companies from lawsuits over hazardous products. The Reuters/Ipsos poll was conducted ahead of U.S. Supreme Court arguments involving Bayer's Roundup weedkiller.  Temporary Protected Status: Among Trump's main arguments at the U.S. Supreme Court defending his moves to rescind humanitarian protections that shield hundreds of thousands of immigrants from deportation, one stands out: Courts cannot review his administration's decisions in this area. Forecast for strong El Niño fuels worries about global crops as Iran war bites Here comes the boy: Forecasts for the strongest El Niño in a decade promise hotter, drier weather across Asia in the second half of 2026, hitting crops and food supplies while farmers grapple with fertilizer shortages and costly fuel caused by the Iran war. Fire season: Two forest fires in northern Japan's Iwate Prefecture burned into a fourth day as ground and aerial firefighting efforts expanded ‌to more than 1,000 personnel. Meanwhile, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp declared an emergency for 91 counties in his state, where authorities are battling two major wildfires. Before I forget… As prediction markets continue to make headlines, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission sued New York, accusing the state of invading its authority to regulate prediction markets. This week a U.S. soldier involved in the capture of Nicolas Maduro has been charged with making $400,000 ‌by betting on the removal of the Venezuelan leader. Forty years after Chornobyl, Ukraine will mark the anniversary needing to reshield the old sarcophagus covering tons of radioactive debris in reactor four, which exploded on April 26, 1986, spewing radioactive clouds across much of Europe. See our rare photos of the disaster. Paternity leave in Italy remains just 10 days compared to five months for mothers, but a growing number of Italian "dad influencers" are reshaping how fatherhood looks online. In this week's Culture Current, one of Britain’s most recognizable broadcasters discusses the dangers posed by AI-generated disinformation and why trust - in journalism and what we see - has never felt more fragile. Police said they had seized artworks, including paintings possibly by Pablo Picasso and Joan ‌Miro, at a house in Portugal and were questioning the former butler of the late owner on suspicion of trying to sell some of them. Australian flags were mistakenly placed near the White House instead of British flags ahead of King Charles' U.S. visit, though the District of Columbia quickly corrected the error, a D.C. Department of Transportation official said.   Sponsors are not involved in the creation of newsletters or other Reuters news content. Advertise in this newsletter or on Reuters' website   Weekend Briefing is sent once a week. Think your friend or colleague should know about us? Forward this newsletter to them. They can also sign up here. Want to stop receiving this email? Unsubscribe here. To manage which newsletters you're signed up for, click here. This email includes limited tracking for Reuters to understand whether you’ve engaged with its contents. For more information on how we process your personal information and your rights, please see our Privacy Statement. Terms & Conditions   © 2026 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved. 3 Times Square, New York, NY 10036