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Daily Briefing

Israel pounds Gaza targets as it awaits news on hostages, the global elite gathers in Davos amid protests, and the US says it shot down an anti-ship cruise missile from Houthi-controlled areas.

Plus, former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern weds.

By Kate Turton

Today's Top News

Ziad Mansour sits next to a destroyed house. The writing painted on the wall reads: "Children remaining under the rubble, Oman, Abdullah and Massa." REUTERS/Mohammed Salem

ISRAEL AND HAMAS AT WAR

Israeli forces bombarded targets in the south, north and center of Gaza ahead of an expected announcement on the fate of three Israeli hostages by the Palestinian militant group. One hundred days into the war, are attitudes changing in Israel? Listen to Senior Correspondent Dan Williams on the Reuters World News daily podcast.
View a selection of Reuters photographs that tell the story of the war so far. Warning: this gallery includes graphic images.

IN OTHER NEWS

US fighter aircraft shot down an anti-ship cruise missile fired from Houthi militant areas of Yemen toward a US destroyer operating in the Southern Red Sea, the military said.
Taiwan lost one of its few remaining diplomatic allies Nauru to China, just days after it elected a new president, and accused China of attempting to pressure it while it affirmed the will of Taiwanese to go out into the world.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Conservative Party is set for an electoral defeat on a par with its heavy loss to the Labour Party in 1997, according to a YouGov opinion poll published in the Telegraph newspaper.
Anti-corruption crusader Bernardo Arevalo was sworn in as Guatemala's president after a chaotic inauguration that was delayed for hours by a last-ditch attempt by Congress opponents to weaken his authority.
Pope Francis defended a landmark decision approving blessings for same-sex couples, suggesting that those in the Catholic Church who have resisted it have jumped to "ugly conclusions" because they do not understand it.
A volcano that erupted in southwest Iceland for the second time in less than a month, setting fire to several houses in a fishing town, appeared to be less active early on Monday.

Business & Markets

WEF meeting is set to begin under the theme "Rebuilding Trust". REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo

DAVOS

The global economy faces a year of subdued growth prospects and uncertainty. These are the results of a survey of top economists, conducted each year ahead of the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos. Meanwhile, as the Davos crowd gathers, governments have been urged to rein in 'billionaire class'.
Join Kim Vinnell and global breaking news editor Leela de Kretser on a special edition of the Reuters World News podcast as they discuss what to expect at this year's event.

IN OTHER NEWS

Global banks could boost their valuations by a combined $7 trillion in the next five years if they take major steps to promote growth and boost productivity, the Boston Consulting Group said.
Chinese military bodies, state-run artificial intelligence research institutes and universities have over the past year purchased small batches of Nvidia semiconductors banned by the US from export to China, a Reuters review of tender documents showed.
Microsoft has eclipsed Apple to become the world's largest company by market capitalization, driven by its deep focus on generative artificial intelligence, a sector that has garnered increasing investor favor.
The German economy contracted in 2023, due to persistent inflation, high energy prices and weak foreign demand, but it avoided a recession at the end of the year.

Iowa caucuses: What are the stakes for Trump, Haley and DeSantis?

Signage for the 2024 Iowa Caucuses seen at the Iowa Events Center. REUTERS/Cheney Orr

Donald Trump is looking to seal the deal. Three other Republicans are hoping to slow his march toward the Republican nomination.

That's the set-up for Monday's Iowa caucuses, the first nominating contest of the 2024 election.

The caucuses will be a test of Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley's continued viability as candidates.

And Finally...

New Zealand ex-Prime Minster Jacinda Ardern weds longtime partner Clarke Gayford. Felicity Jean Photography/Handout via REUTERS

New Zealand's former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern married her longtime partner Clarke Gayford in a private ceremony.

Ardern and Gayford got engaged in May 2019 and were meant to be married in early 2022, but the ceremony was cancelled due to her “go hard, go early” approach to the pandemic, which allowed New Zealand to keep deaths from the virus low.

Ardern became a global icon for left-leaning politics and women in leadership as prime minister.

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