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Daily Briefing

Israeli troops and Hamas are locked in fierce ground combat, Boris Johnson apologizes to families at a COVID inquiry in the UK, and Vladimir Putin arrives in the Middle East to talk oil with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Plus, the Chinese e-cigarette titan behind 'Elf Bar' floods the US with illegal vapes.

By Edson Caldas

Today's Top News

Smoke rises in Gaza, as seen from southern Israel on Dec. 6. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

ISRAEL AND HAMAS AT WAR

Israeli troops and Hamas militants are locked in fierce ground combat in Gaza after the Israelis, fighting their way through the devastated enclave, reached the heart of the southern city of Khan Younis. Israeli warplanes also bombarded targets in one of the heaviest phases of warfare since the war began.
Facing a soaring death toll from Israel's renewed offensive in southern Gaza, the Biden administration is trying to pressure its ally to minimize civilian deaths while stopping well short of the kind of measures that might force it to listen, such as threatening to restrict military aid.

COP28 CLIMATE SUMMIT

EU scientists said that 2023 would be the warmest year on record, as global mean temperature for the first 11 months of the year hit the highest level on record. Meanwhile, governments are in marathon negotiations on whether to phase out the use of coal, oil and gas, the main sources of warming emissions.
There is plenty of hand-wringing on display at the COP28 climate conference in Dubai about the slow pace of reducing the consumption of fossil fuels to fight climate change. But one positive that delegates can point to is the growing fleet of EVs worldwide that is already making a surprisingly big dent in demand.

IN OTHER NEWS

Russian President Vladimir Putin is visiting the UAE and Saudi Arabia today and will hold talks with Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, a rare trip abroad to discuss oil, OPEC+ and the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine. We look back at the 2023 photos that show how Ukrainians experience the war.
Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he was deeply sorry for the loss of life during the pandemic as he appeared as a witness at the official inquiry into Britain's handling of the crisis. Johnson will face two days of questioning in what are likely to be the most emotionally charged sessions of the investigation so far.
Nikki Haley is having a moment but can the US presidential candidate capitalize on it in tonight's Republican debate? The Reuters World News daily podcast is on the ground in Alabama for the event. Listen to correspondent Gram Slattery on Haley's chances and what is at stake.

Business & Markets

Caputo will take the reins of Argentina's economy ministry on Sunday. REUTERS/Marcos Brindicci/File Photo

Luis Caputo was once nicknamed the "Messi of finance" for reopening Argentina's access to credit markets after lengthy negotiations with debt holdouts. He now faces a World Cup-sized challenge to fix the South American country's worst economic crisis in decades.
World Bank President Ajay Banga called on member countries to make the next replenishment of the lender's fund for the world's poorest countries the largest ever, warning that the International Development Association was being pushed to its limits by increasing demands.
Moody's negative outlook on China has intensified Beijing's battle with market bears, raising pressure on the government for more forceful measures to prop up sinking stocks and stabilize the yuan as investor confidence deteriorates. In its announcement, the ratings agency flagged weakening growth prospects.
German industrial orders fell unexpectedly in October, declining by 3.7% on the previous month on a seasonally and calendar-adjusted basis, the federal statistics office said. A Reuters poll of analysts had pointed to a rise of 0.2%, following a revised 0.7% increase in September.
Forty percent of patients who filled a prescription for Wegovy to treat obesity in 2021 or 2022 were still taking it a year later, more than three times the rate of adherence with older medicines, according to an analysis of medical records and insurance claims data. For more, sign up to the Health Rounds newsletter.

China e-cigarette titan floods the US with illegal vapes

A new breed of e-cigarette has addicted teenagers and confounded regulators worldwide. REUTERS/Mike Blake

The business tycoon dominating the latest wave of e-cigarettes, Zhang Shengwei, has navigated shifting regulations in countries cracking down on candy-flavored vapes, which many health advocates say are designed to hook teenagers.

Read our special report here.

And Finally...

Cast members attend the premiere for the second part of season six of the TV series "The Crown" in London. REUTERS/Isabel Infantes

The cast and the makers of the final season of Netflix's royal drama "The Crown" came together to bid farewell to the series. "Mixed emotions. On the one hand it's been a lot of work, so I'm tired. But on the other hand, it's been a family that I've lived with now and worked with for 10 years," the show's creator Peter Morgan said.

Read more here.

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