REUTERS DAILY BRİEFİNG December 28, 2023 : It's time to look back at some of the biggest themes of 2023 – and predict the ones that will mark the year ahead. But first, we have a quick rundown of today's top stories.

 

View in Browser Sign up for Reuters newsletters Daily Briefing It's time to look back at some of the biggest themes of 2023 – and predict the ones that will mark the year ahead. But first, we have a quick rundown of today's top stories.    Reuters Daily Briefing will be back on January 2.   By Edson Caldas and Judith Langowski, Newsletter Editors Today's Top News Israeli forces pounded central Gaza by land, sea and air and Palestinian authorities reported dozens more deaths, with the U.N. health agency saying thousands of people were trying to flee the fighting. US President Joe Biden hoped to present a firm response to Yemen's Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping by launching a new maritime force, but a week after its launch many allies don't want to be associated with it. North Korea leader Kim Jong Un has ordered the military, munitions industry and nuclear weapons sector to accelerate war preparations to counter what he called unprecedented confrontational moves by the US, state media said. A rapper who attended a celebrity party with only a sock to hide his modesty has been jailed for 15 days, sponsors of some of Russia's best known entertainers have torn up their contracts, and President Vladimir Putin is reported to be unamused. Here's how a semi-naked party sparked a backlash in a country at war. The Year in Review 649 photographers, 125 countries, 1.3 million photos: Click on the image for a selection of our photos of the year. Above, migrants on their journey to the US border. REUTERS/Gustavo Graf Israel and Hamas at war: The last three months of 2023 have been marked by a conflict in the Middle East that has cost thousands of lives, left families across Israel and Gaza and further afield anxious or grieving, and destroyed homes and livelihoods. See a selection of Reuters photographs that tell the grim story of the first weeks of the war. In Ukraine, 22 months into the biggest conflict in Europe since World War Two, fighting rages with no end in sight and neither side has landed a telling blow on the battlefield. The country is preparing for a long war. Electric vehicles took a detour: Heading into 2023, automakers were gearing up to invest $1.2 trillion by 2030 to move EVs from niche products to mass-market models. As the year closes, legacy automakers as well as Tesla, Rivian and others are throttling back investments and reworking product strategies. For more on the industry, sign up for the Auto File newsletter. Sustainable funds faced a sharp slowdown in demand globally in 2023 amid political controversy and concerns about "greenwashing," even as many outperformed the broader market when the recovery of technology-related stocks bolstered their returns. Sign up for the Sustainable Finance newsletter. In the world of sports, Spain's brilliant victory at the Women's World Cup was almost immediately overshadowed by a controversial kiss which proved that despite a great deal of progress in the women's game more structural change is needed. We also look at how sporting platforms have turned into lightning rods for social activism. How to sum up the most important news of the year? The obvious answer in 2023 is to use Artificial Intelligence. Reuters Executive Editor Simon Robinson asked ChatGPT and Bard to do the job for him. Their responses show AI’s power, but also the ways it still falls short, in this case both in terms of Reuters editorial standards and when compared to human editors. The Year Ahead Biden and Xi attend a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, in California, November 15. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque The governance of more than a quarter of the world's population will be at stake in elections next year, including in Taiwan, Russia, India and the United States. For those who worry that authoritarian rulers are firmly in the ascendant over more liberal democrats, there is likely to be much to fret about.  Speaking of the US elections, here are four reasons why Donald Trump could win again. And more than a year after the Supreme Court's decision to overturn its Roe v. Wade ruling, abortion is bedeviling the Republican presidential candidates. This is how it could impact the elections. Expect more turbulence in US-China relations. Joe Biden and Xi Jinping face no shortage of problems that could cause a stumble in the new year. Read this analysis by US Foreign Policy Editor Don Durfee and Chief China Correspondent Antoni Slodkowskis. Interest rates: Is the Big Ease coming? A major game of chicken is underway as market actors have set expectations for far more policy easing than central bankers are likely to be willing to provide. Here's how 2024 could see the end of the past year's aggressive rate hikes. And looking at the US dollar, a faster pace of rate cuts could accelerate the currency's decline. For more, you can also listen to our economics correspondents on a special episode of Reuters World News. Can China get its economic miracle back on track? The country's disappointing post-COVID recovery has raised doubts about the foundations of its decades of stunning growth and presented Beijing with a tough choice for 2024 and beyond: Take on more debt or grow less. The oil and gas industry went on a $250 billion buying spree in 2023, taking advantage of companies' high stock prices to secure lower-cost reserves and prepare for the next upheaval in the industry. More transactions are on the horizon. The International Olympic Committee hopes the 2024 Paris Games will be the "light at the end of the tunnel" after two COVID-hit Olympics but organizers face major security challenges before a unique opening ceremony on July 26. Keeping athletes and spectators safe is a top priority. Photos of 2023 and the stories behind them A grandfather hugs his granddaughter as they say goodbye before her evacuation from the frontline city of Bakhmut, Ukraine, January 31. REUTERS/Oleksandr Ratushniak In this photo from January, Oleksandr Ratushniak shows us a quiet moment of sadness, as 6-year-old Arina bids farewell to her grandfather, with whom she has been living in Bakhmut.  Ratushniak's photo is part of a selection of exceptional pictures by the Reuters team that marked the past year. From Arkansas to Ukraine, from ceremonies to courtrooms, from neighborhood games to top-flight tennis matches, our photographers were on the ground in 2023 to bring the world to the world. See our photo gallery. And Finally... A fan takes a picture of an image of Taylor Swift as she enters a cinema to watch the singer's Eras Tour concert movie. REUTERS/Alexandre Meneghini  From strikes paralyzing Hollywood to the Beatles releasing their last ever song, the world of entertainment provided many headlines this year. Pop superstar Taylor Swift rocked concert stages, cinemas, local economies – and even the Earth. We look at how the singer ruled pop culture this year and other major showbiz stories of 2023.