Daily Briefing

US VP's blunt Gaza words reflect intense government frustration over the war, Nikki Haley's campaign gets a small boost in Washington, D.C., and French lawmakers hold vote to make abortion a constitutional right.

Plus, the secrets of Earth's magnificent desert star dunes revealed.

By Kate Turton

Today's Top News

Israeli soldiers detain Palestinians during a raid, in Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank March 4, 2024. REUTERS/Mohammed Torokman

GAZA

Israeli forces swept into the Palestinians' administrative capital of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank overnight, killing a 16-year-old in a refugee camp during their biggest raid into the city in years, Palestinian sources said.
US Vice President Kamala Harris demanded Hamas agree to an immediate six-week ceasefire while forcefully urging Israel to do more to boost aid deliveries into Gaza. Listen to Israel and Palestinian Territories Bureau Chief James Mackenzie speak about the VP's ceasefire calls.

US POLITICS

Presidential contender Nikki Haley won the Washington, D.C., Republican primary, her first victory in the nominating process and a symbolic win for the candidate, Edison Research said. While Haley is drawing big crowds at campaign events, many of her supporters don't think she has a shot.
Congressional negotiators unveiled a bill to fund key parts of the government through the rest of the fiscal year that began in October, as lawmakers faced yet another threat of a partial shutdown if they fail to act by Friday.

IN OTHER NEWS

The Kremlin said a purported recording of German military discussions showed Germany's armed forces were discussing plans to launch strikes on Russian territory, and questioned whether Chancellor Olaf Scholz was in control.
Indian farmers are planning to escalate their protests from Wednesday by entering the capital New Delhi by bus and train, and increasing their numbers at border points that are currently blocked by tractors.
South Korea's health minister said authorities will start inspecting hospitals in order to take legal action against trainee doctors who have ignored an ultimatum to end a walkout over government plans to increase medical school admissions.

Business & Markets

Volkswagen will not consider a stock market listing for its battery unit until its factories are up and running and its unified battery cell is in use, the division's boss told Reuters, essentially ruling out a possible IPO before 2026.
Elon Musk's X social media platform, TikTok owner ByteDance and Booking.com may meet EU criteria subjecting them to tough tech rules as so-called gatekeepers, the European Commission said.
China's leading electric vehicle maker BYD launched a new version of its best-selling car at a price lower than the final price of its discontinued predecessor, as a price war rages in the world's largest automobile market.
After a summer face-off at the box office, the "Barbenheimer" battle is headed to online gambling sites in the US. New Jersey, Massachusetts and five other states allow wagering on the Academy Awards.
European and US buyers will compete aggressively for Middle Eastern aluminum if the European Union bans Russian metal in coming months, sparking price rises reminiscent of 2018 when sanctions were imposed on Rusal.
The burgeoning cryptocurrency industry is jumping into the 2024 US election, spending millions of dollars in Super Tuesday primary contests in California, Alabama and Texas to boost crypto-friendly candidates and defeat those pushing for more regulation.
US FDA Commissioner Robert Califf is very concerned about the prevalence of compounded and fake versions of popular new weight loss drugs online. In an exclusive interview, Califf also said he worried about the effect of wealth disparities on access to medications. You can watch the full Reuters NEXT Newsmaker interview with Califf here.

French lawmakers hold vote to make abortion a constitutional right

People hold a banner which reads "Abortion is a fundamental right" during a demonstration organized by the collective "Abortion Europe, women decide". REUTERS/Abdul Saboor

French lawmakers meet for a final vote to include the right to abortion into the constitution, a world first welcomed by women's rights groups and criticized by anti-abortion groups.

Abortion rights are more widely accepted in France than in the United States and many other countries, with polls showing around 80% of French people back the fact that abortion is legal.

On the Reuters World News daily podcast Paris bureau chief Richard Lough weighs in on why France is making this move now.

The Roe v. Wade ruling in the US prompted activists in France to push for the law.

And Finally...

The Lala Lallia star dune of the Sahara Desert. Charlie Bristow/Handout via REUTERS

They are among the wonders of our deserts: star dunes, the vaguely pyramid-shaped sand formations up to about 1,000 feet tall with arms stretching out from a central peak to give them a star-like appearance when viewed from above.

Scientists unveiled the first in-depth study of a star dune, revealing the internal structure of these geological features and showing how long it took for one of them to form.

Read more here.

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