Daily Briefing

The killing of a Hamas leader in Beirut raises the risk of the Gaza war spreading, Japan begins probes into the plane collision in Tokyo, and the wild year of generative artificial intelligence.

Plus, Singapore's clandestine cats can soon legally call the city-state home.

By Edson Caldas

Today's Top News

Civil defense members check a burnt car in the aftermath of what security sources said was an Israeli drone strike in Beirut. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir

ISRAEL AND HAMAS AT WAR

Hamas deputy leader Saleh al-Arouri was killed in a drone strike in Lebanon's capital Beirut, raising the potential risk of the war spreading beyond Gaza. Arouri was seen as a key player in the movement. Maya Gebeily looks at the ramifications of the killing on today's Reuters World News podcast.
The United States has reached a deal to extend its military presence at a base in Qatar for another 10 years, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters. The Gulf state has played a key role in mediation talks with Hamas and Israeli officials in relation to the war in Gaza and the release of hostages.

ALL EYES ON JAPAN

Japanese authorities said that a passenger jet that collided with a Coast Guard turboprop at a Tokyo airport was given permission to land, but the smaller plane was not cleared for take-off, based on transcripts of conversations with the control tower. Here is how passengers escaped the plane.
Meanwhile, the death toll from an earthquake that struck the country on New Year's Day rose to 64. Heavy rains were forecast in the quake-hit areas, raising fears of landslides that could further hinder efforts to free many more people trapped under rubble.

IN OTHER NEWS

South Korea's opposition Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung remained hospitalized in intensive care a day after a knife attack on him shocked political leaders. The country holds a pivotal election on April 10 where the conservatives will try to win back a majority for the first time since 2016.
Ukraine launched 12 missiles and several drones this morning on Russia's southern region of Belgorod, Russia's defense ministry and local authorities said. Ukraine's escalation of attacks over the New Year period has come as Russia launched some of its most intense strikes on Ukraine since the war began.
US President Joe Biden will observe the third anniversary of the January 6 attacks on the Capitol with a political speech near the historic Revolutionary War site in Valley Forge where he will make the case that his top Republican rival Donald Trump poses an existential threat to democracy.

Business & Markets

Tesla delivered a record number of electric vehicles in the fourth quarter, beating market estimates and meeting its 2023 target, but lost its spot as the top EV maker by sales to China's BYD. From an industry perspective though, who’s on top is, is largely irrelevant for now, writes Breakingviews' Antony Currie.
US new vehicle sales likely rose by a low double-digit percentage in 2023 on sustained demand for crossover SUVs and pickup trucks, but analysts fear a challenging year ahead, with high interest rates eating into demand. For more on the industry, sign up to the Auto File newsletter.
India's Supreme Court said the Adani Group does not need to face more investigations beyond the current scrutiny of the market regulator, a major relief for the conglomerate hit hard by a short-seller's allegations of wrongdoing. We have an explainer on Gautam Adani, his group and Hindenburg's allegations.
Some of China's top banks have sharpened scrutiny of smaller peers' asset quality and have tightened standards for interbank lending, three sources said, in an effort to curb credit risk as a deepening property debt crisis ripples through the economy.
In more news from China, the country removed an official at a government body overseeing its press and publications regulator, five sources who were briefed on the matter said, days after Chinese gaming stocks were hit by proposed rules to curb spending on video games.

Generative AI's wild 2023

Sam Altman, CEO of ChatGPT maker OpenAI. REUTERS/Issei Kato

Investors, led by Microsoft's multibillion dollar bet on OpenAI, injected $27 billion into generative artificial intelligence startups in 2023, according to Pitchbook. The battle for AI supremacy, stewing in the background between big tech firms for years, was suddenly in focus.

We look back at AI's wild year.

And Finally...

Sunny Leong plays with her cat, Mooncake, in Singapore. REUTERS/Edgar Su

Sunny prides herself on being a law-abiding Singaporean citizen, but for the last three years, she's been hiding a feline fugitive. The fluffy ragdoll lives with her in defiance of a 34-year-old law banning cats in the government-built apartments that house most Singaporeans. Luckily for them, Singapore plans to scrap the ban.