U.S. withheld intelligence from Israel during Biden presidency

Reuters Weekend Briefing <dailybriefing@thomsonreuters.com>
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2025-12-13 13:01

Weekend Briefing

From Reuters Daily Briefing

By Robert MacMillan, Reuters.com Weekend Editor

Hanukkah begins Sunday, but since we publish on Saturday, I’m sharing a ton of gelt today. First, see how these Chicago student journalists are tracking ICE raids. Learn why the Supreme Court might prevent Donald Trump from firing a Fed governor. We explore why Honduras’ presidential vote remains paralyzed two weeks after the election. Our latest edition of Culture Current features Kirk Haworth, the chef whose vegan restaurant became the first to earn a Michelin star. And City Memo takes us to Accra.

U.S. withheld intelligence from Israel during Biden presidency

REUTERS/Amir Cohen

Exclusive: The U.S. cut off a live video feed from a drone over Gaza which Israel was using in its hunt for hostages and Hamas militants. The suspension lasted for at least a few days and was motivated by concerns about Israel’s conduct of the war.
Middle East: Israel’s cabinet will give legal status to 19 settlements in the occupied West Bank, Israeli media reported. Heavy rains may flood the tents and shelters of hundreds of thousands of displaced Gazans, the U.N.. migration agency warned. A baby died of exposure during the rains, local health officials said.

EU agrees to freeze Russian assets

Ukraine latest: The European Union decision removes an obstacle to using the money to aid Ukraine’s war effort. Ukraine struck Russia’s oil infrastructure in the Caspian Sea for the second time. The U.S. proposed setting up a “free economic zone” in parts of the eastern Donbas region, Volodymyr Zelenskiy said. And Ukraine is having trouble filling key government posts as the smell of a corruption scandal lingers in the air.
Postcards from Europe: Bulgaria likely will hold snap elections after its government collapsed. Greek farmers are up to here with delayed farm-aid payments. Three Russian soldiers got up to 12 years in prison for torturing and killing a U.S. national who volunteered to fight against Ukraine. And Russian farmers have too many peas after China bought fewer than they hoped.

Migrant tunnels appear between Belarus and Poland

Roots and bare earth: More than 180 people crossed into Poland, and about 50 haven’t been caught. It was the fourth tunnel discovered this month. Poland accuses Belarus and Russia of using migrants, many from the Middle East and Africa, to try to destabilize the country.
Policy and crime: EU countries moved closer toward new laws for asylum seekers, including a policy for returning illegal migrants to their countries. Critics say the proposed rules and procedures are cruel and dehumanizing. Two Afghan teenagers were jailed for raping a 15-year-old girl in England. The U.S. is ending temporary legal status for Ethiopian citizens.

Democrats release a new batch of Epstein photos

Smiles all around: Three of the images released by Democrats on the House Oversight Committee feature Donald Trump. Bill Clinton, Woody Allen, Alan Dershowitz, Steve Bannon, Bill Gates and others appeared as well. A judge cleared the way for the release of records in a grand jury’s investigation of Epstein.
The news from America: Affordability is the big word on Americans’ minds, and it’s tripping up Trump and worrying Republicans ahead of midterms. His supporters are giving him a pass. Trump is offering $12 billion in aid to U.S. farmers hurt by his trade policies. Malnourished Kenyan children? Not so lucky. Would-be tourists to the U.S. bristled over a government plan to demand their social-media histories. And a lawsuit is trying to stop the Interior Department from putting Trump’s face on annual entrance passes for national parks.

One bot to rule them all

AI and the law: Trump wants to bar states from regulating artificial intelligence. Experts think he’ll need a lot of luck. Disney is investing $1 billion in OpenAI and licensing its characters for the Sora video generator. The NAACP wants to prevent AI from deepening racial inequalities in U.S. healthcare. OpenAI and Microsoft face a lawsuit saying that ChatGPT encouraged a mentally ill man to kill his mother and himself.
‘With pain comes opportunity’: Misery, discord and diverging interest-rate policies are stellar opportunities for making money, these investors say. Add AI data centers to that list, especially given the debt that people are using to finance them. And if the phrase “credit default swap” can sing you to sleep in less than two seconds, stay awake and read about them. Or listen to our Morning Bid Week in Review if you’re sick of reading.

Before I forget…

China executed a former general manager of a financing company for taking $156 million in bribes.
A military court sent Pakistan’s former spy chief to jail for 14 years for charges that included interfering in politics.
Do NOT disappoint Indian soccer fans by getting them to pay big money to see Lionel Messi, then hide him behind his entourage. Kolkata learned this the hard way.
A U.N. committee urged Britain and Mauritius not to ratify a deal to settle the status of the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean.
The Trump administration wants airlines and airports to offer healthier food and options to exercise.
Don’t be an “average” Green Card holder. With a $1 million “gift,” you can become a U.S. Trump Gold Card holder.
Can you pack a parachute as hand luggage on a commercial flight?

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