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Weekend Briefing

From Reuters Daily Briefing

By Robert MacMillan, Reuters.com Weekend Editor

It's coronation day in Britain and there's a lot more besides, so welcome to Saturday and I hope you enjoy what we have on offer.

Ukrainian service members fire a howitzer near the city of Bakhmut, April 23, 2023. REUTERS/Sofiia Gatilova

Wagner boss thickens fog of Ukraine war

What is he really saying? Yevgeny Prigozhin chewed out the Russian military establishment and told Vladimir Putin that he would pull his mercenary forces from Bakhmut after suffering heavy losses and a shortage of ammunition. Experts wonder if he's bluffing, while other experts are speculating on whether the drones that attacked the Kremlin took off within Russia.
What is really going on? Ukraine says Wagner fighters are reinforcing positions to try to take Bakhmut before Russia's World War Two Victory Day parade next week, while Kherson residents are getting out or stocking up for a curfew, prompting speculation that the city will be a launch point for a Ukraine counter-offensive.

'No one cares': Fighting heaps suffering on Sudanese

The latest: Gunfire echoed around Khartoum, trapping civilians who said the army and a rival paramilitary group were fighting without regard to their plight. Looting is rampant, power and water supplies are failing, and basic goods are in short supply and getting more expensive. The warring parties are expected to meet for talks in Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.
Class divide: Wealthy countries like the United States and Britain sent planes to evacuate their nationals. Many Africans and other foreigners from less-resourced countries have struggled to find a way out.

U.S. assesses possible manipulation of bank shares

Exclusive: Short selling and volatility in bank shares have drawn increasing scrutiny, given the sector's strength and sufficient capital levels.
Nevertheless: A Friday rally in regional U.S. banks may have come from a bounce on strong jobs numbers and financial analysts' expressions of confidence in the sector as investors speculate on the true health of financial institutions. Recall that First Republic failed, PacWest investors had a freakout, and a group of midsized banks shed more than $57 billion in market capitalization in the past eight days.

Novo Nordisk rivals see room to compete in weight-loss drugs

$100 billion market: Novo's Wegovy drug proved an effective treatment shown to help people lose 15% of their weight. More than half a dozen companies, including Pfizer and Amgen, are working on similar therapies.
And the biggest market of all: The company is focusing on U.S. sales before entering more countries. Doctors there are writing more than 100,000 prescriptions a week for Wegovy.

'If you say ay, the king will not say no'

The rain cliché: It's coronation day for King Charles, and the forecast called for wet weather. Watch our live feed from a dry place.
A moving day for many reasons: The Reuters World News podcast crew talks to people about the monarchy's legacy, from South Africa and New Zealand to England itself, where police arrested Republican protesters.

Before I forget…

A young man wearing a T-shirt with neo-Nazi symbols killed eight people in Serbia days after a 13-year-old boy killed eight pupils and a security guard at their school in Belgrade. It was the country's first mass shooting at a school.

The U.S. will lift COVID-19 restrictions that have blocked migrants caught at the Mexico border from seeking asylum since 2020, a major policy shift with humanitarian and political implications.

Median pay for top U.S. CEOs rose 7.7% last year to a record $22.3 million as big stock awards helped them stay ahead of inflation. Would that it were so for the rest of us. The biggest CEO of them all, Warren Buffett, is set to preside over Berkshire Hathaway's annual meeting today.

Fox News asked lawyers for Dominion Voting Systems to investigate whether they leaked internal messages from ousted host Tucker Carlson.

A series of horse deaths at Churchill Downs cast a shadow over the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby later today.

France's finance minister said he was fully focused on creating growth and fighting inflation after coming under fire for penning a steamy novel published hours before France's credit rating was downgraded. If you don't speak French, trust me, it's steamier than a bowl full of moules à la vapeur.

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