Saturday, February 11, 2023

Welcome to today's edition, with news on the earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria, developments in Ukraine, Africa's push to increase its sovereignty over its natural resources, and more.

A car lies on a caved-in section of road in Demirköprü, Turkey, February 8, 2023. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier

Earthquake rescues slow as hopes of finding people alive fade

The latest: Rescuers in Turkey pulled more people from the rubble early on Saturday, though fewer rescue efforts are resulting in success. With many short of food in bleak winter conditions, questions are mounting for Syria's and Turkey's leaders over their response to the region's deadliest earthquake in two decades.
Grief: Countless stories of valor, joy, loss, hope and despair portray the cataclysm and the aid difficulties in Turkey and Syria. We have live video from several locations, a story with graphics on how rescuers do their work and drone video of the fissures that the earthquake created.

Russia hits Ukraine power grid, gains ground in east

Friday: Russia hit power facilities across Ukraine as Kyiv said a long-awaited Russian offensive was under way in the east. The Wagner Group said it's no longer hiring prisoners. And read about the Ukrainian civilians who helped seal Russia's biggest defeat of the war.
Looking ahead: President Zelenskiy visited European leaders and said he secured promises of more fighter jets. Thirty-five countries are expected to demand that Russian and Belarusian athletes be banned from the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

U.S. shoots down UFO over Alaska

Probably not that kind of UFO: The Pentagon didn't say what the car-sized object was or where it came from, only that it was flying at the higher end of civilian airspace, no human was aboard and it did not resemble an airplane. Any thoughts?
Now, about the balloon: President Biden said the Chinese spy balloon was not a major security breach.

Everything we want to buy is more expensive

It's not your imagination: Shoppers will pay even more for groceries this year unless commodity costs fall or the shift to cheaper store-brand products accelerates.
By the way, you're fired: Disney* will cut 7,000 jobs, pleasing an outspoken investor but throwing others into financial insecurity. Boeing, Dell, News Corp, Yahoo and Zoom also are cutting jobs. Bed Bath & Beyond kept the fourth "B" word at bay with $225 million from a stock sale.
* Disney's also having quite a time with Florida's governor, but that's another story.

Africa wants more profits from its lithium

Taking control: Namibia, Zimbabwe and other African nations want more control over the lithium that big tech companies need for their products. Botswana's mining minister put it best: "When there is a rush, people come in, take whatever they want to take, and go, leaving gaping holes in Africa."
Toxic harvest: The cobalt in our electronic devices is extracted by miners working in dangerous conditions in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This is what brought a Microsoft executive to the region in December. The company said it was committed to "responsible and ethical sourcing," but industry-wide efforts to do this have fallen flat.

Before I forget...

India's market regulator is investigating the Adani Group's links to some of its investors after a research report exploded in its lap. EU leaders said they would tighten their borders to keep unwanted migrants out. Kim Jong Un's daughter is showing up in public more often, and Equatorial Guinea quarantined more than 200 people after an unknown illness causing hemorrhagic fever killed eight people.

A ring around the distant world of Quaoar astonished scientists, the largest-ever exhibition of Vermeer paintings astonished me (I missed the 1995 Washington exhibition to my regret because of the government shutdown and a blizzard), and a sailor lost her advertiser sponsorship for the Vendée Globe yacht race because she had a baby. As for the Super Bowl, you can prepare by reading about the former NFL players accusing the league of using "unscrupulous tactics" to deny benefits payments.

Thanks for reading, everyone. Many of you told me you want to see positive news. I know it's at a premium lately, but I'm glad you've stuck around.

We think you may like this:

Reuters On the Money

For U.S. readers, get personal finance tips and insights from editor Lauren Young.

Sponsors are not involved in the creation of newsletters or other Reuters news content.

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 newsletter? Unsubscribe here.

To manage which newsletters you're signed up for, click here.

Follow Reuters on social media