Israel pounds Syrian army bases

Plus, suspect in killing of UnitedHealth executive charged with murder.

Sign up for Reuters newsletters  Daily Briefing Daily Briefing By Kate Turton Israel denies a deeper incursion despite pounding Syrian army bases, Trump's Justice Department is likely to target diversity programs, and the forgotten hunger crisis in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.  Plus, Reuters NEXT returns to New York today, bringing together policymakers, business leaders and innovators to examine the biggest risks and opportunities facing the world. Today's Top News   Israeli soldiers on a Namer Armoured Personnel Carrier while one of them conducts morning prayers. December 10, 2024. REUTERS/Miro Maman Middle East Israel pounded Syrian army bases in strikes it says aim to keep weapons from falling into hostile hands, but denied its forces had advanced into Syria beyond a buffer zone at the border. The lightning overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad left Syrians, countries in the region and world powers nervous about what comes next as the rebel alliance took its first steps in a government transition. The Reuters graphics team mapped the overthrow of Assad's Syria. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu entered a Tel Aviv courthouse to take the stand for the first time in a long-running corruption trial that will likely force him to juggle between the courtroom and war room for weeks. Here's everything you need to know about Netanyahu's corruption trial. United States Authorities have arrested the man suspected of killing UnitedHealth executive Brian Thompson in Manhattan. Andrew Hay and Julio-Cesar Chavez join the Reuters World News podcast with insights into Luigi Mangione's background and arrest — listen now. President-elect Donald Trump is set to challenge policies aimed at boosting diversity at companies and universities when he takes office next month, throwing the weight of the US government behind growing conservative opposition to such practices. In other news Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva underwent surgery in Sao Paulo to drain a bleed on his brain linked to a fall at home in October, a medical note published by the government said. France's new prime minister should come from the left and any coalition government must commit to pension changes and helping with the cost of living, the Socialists said ahead of new talks with the president and other parties. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol gave an order to "drag out" lawmakers from parliament after he declared martial law, an army commander said as Yoon's office saying it had "no official position" on who was running the country. A gang of gunmen kidnapped more than 50 women and children in a raid on Kakin Dawa village in Nigeria's northwest Zamfara state, police and residents said Business & Markets   In one of their most dovish statements in more than a decade, Chinese leaders signalled they are ready to deploy whatever stimulus is needed to counter the impact of expected US trade tariffs on next year's economic growth. China said it has launched an investigation into Nvidia over suspected violations of the country's anti-monopoly law, a probe widely seen as a retaliatory shot against Washington's latest curbs on the Chinese chip sector. Many lithium mines, led by Chinese operators, are maintaining production of the raw material needed for electric vehicle batteries, in defiance of prices weak enough to trigger mass output cuts - providing a boon for battery makers. The head of a powerful labor union opposing U.S. Steel's sale to Japan's Nippon Steel said he has not received assurances that the would-be owners are committed to ensuring the lasting success of the strategic US firm. Boeing restarted production of its best-selling 737 MAX jetliner last week, about a month after the end of a seven-week strike by 33,000 factory workers, according to three sources familiar with the matter. Google said that it has overcome a key challenge in quantum computing with a new generation of chip, solving a computing problem in five minutes that would take a classical computer more time than the history of the universe. In aid-starved Afghanistan, relief workers fight a forgotten hunger crisis   Afghanistan under the Taliban demonstrates the vital role non-government organizations play in keeping people alive in countries stricken by hunger. REUTERS/Sayed Hassib Development aid ended abruptly after the Taliban regained power in 2021, and humanitarian assistance is falling. One reason, diplomats say: The Taliban's treatment of women. Non-government groups are trying to fill the void as mothers beg aid workers for food and the number of malnourished children rises. Read our special report And Finally... A female jaguar named Patricia with her cub Makala. Pocone, Mato Grosso, Brazil, October 6. REUTERS/Sergio Moraes View a selection of our top animal photos from around the world in 2024. See the gallery Sponsors are not involved in the creation of newsletters or other Reuters news content. Advertise in this newsletter or on Reuters.com Reuters Daily Briefing is sent 5 days a week. Think your friend or colleague should know about us? Forward this newsletter to them. They can also sign up here. Want to stop receiving this email? Unsubscribe here. To manage which newsletters you're signed up for, click here. 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