Hundreds dead as Israel pounds Gaza

Plus, Trump to hold call with Putin in test of deal-making strength.

Daily Briefing Daily Briefing By Kate Turton Hello. Israeli strikes kill hundreds in Gaza, threatening a ceasefire with Hamas, the German parliament is set to vote on a historic spending surge, and today's high-stakes call between Trump and Putin will serve as a test of the US president's touted deal-making skills.  Plus, the White House likely overstepped its authority in an immigration crackdown.  Today's Top News   Israeli military says campaign will expand. March 18, 2025. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled Middle East Israeli airstrikes pounded Gaza, killing more than 400 people, Palestinian health authorities said, threatening the complete collapse of a two-month ceasefire as Israel vowed to use more force to free hostages held by Hamas. Follow live. Lebanon's Defence Minister Michel Menassa and his Syrian counterpart Murhaf Abu Qasra agreed on a ceasefire, the Lebanese and Syrian defence ministries said, as cross-border clashes in the last two days left 10 dead.  Russia-Ukraine war US President Donald Trump will speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin in an attempt to convince his counterpart to accept a ceasefire in Russia's war with Ukraine and move toward a more permanent end to the three-year conflict. The Zaporizhzhia power plant is likely to feature prominently in today's phone call. Listen to Christian Lowe on the Reuters World News podcast as he weighs in on the significance of Europe's largest nuclear power plant.  In other news The Trump administration has likely exceeded its authority in invoking rarely applied laws to justify parts of its wide-ranging immigration crackdown, legal experts said. Trump plans to release about 80,000 pages of material related to the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy, seeking to honor his campaign promise to provide more transparency about the shock event in Texas. Bill Gates is personally lobbying Trump administration officials to keep funding health programs worldwide, from childhood vaccination to HIV treatment, and warning that his foundation cannot step in to fill gaps, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. Germany's lower house of parliament is set to vote on a massive surge in borrowing that could boost Europe's largest economy and stimulate growth across the region, even as it faces trade tensions with the US. When South Korea's Constitutional Court rules on President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment, expected in coming days, few will be watching more closely - or be watched more closely for possible rabble-rousing - than the country's activist pro-Yoon churches. Business & Markets   Global investors raised their allocation to cash. March 11, 2025. REUTERS/Mike Segar Allocation to US stocks saw the biggest drop ever in March with concerns over stagflation, trade wars and end of US exceptionalism driving a "bull crash" in sentiment, a survey of investors from BofA Global Research showed. Drugmakers are urging the Trump administration and European Union officials to exclude medical goods from expanding tariff wars, hoping to avert price spikes on top-selling medicines made in Europe. Toronto is no longer providing financial incentives for Tesla vehicles purchased as taxis or ride shares due to trade tensions with the US, said the city's mayor, Olivia Chow. BYD unveiled a new platform for electric vehicles that it said could charge EVs as quickly as it takes to pump gas and announced for the first time that it would build a charging network across China. Here's why Chinese automakers like BYD are launching fast-charging EV systems. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is expected to reveal fresh details about the company's newest artificial intelligence chip at its annual software developer conference. Washington has sharpened the dollar and technology into powerful weapons. Now erstwhile allies fear they are targets. In this episode of The Big View podcast Edward Fishman, the author of 'Chokepoints', explains how economic interdependence is increasingly at odds with security. In TikTok sale, the White House is playing an unprecedented role   A woman poses with her smartphone displaying the @realdonaldtrump TikTok page, January 19, 2025. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton In the closely watched sale of TikTok, the White House is playing the role of investment bank, with Vice President JD Vance running the auction. It is an unprecedented level of involvement in a private deal by the country's highest office that adds to the complexity of striking an agreement. Vance's lead counsel, former Federal Election Commission Chair Sean Cooksey, is the main contact for bidders for TikTok's US assets, providing feedback and suggesting adjustments to their offers, according to bidder Reid Rasner, a Wyoming entrepreneur. Read more In Pictures Revellers ahead of the St. Patrick's Day parade in Dublin, March 17. REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne Our photographers captured the best scenes from St. Patrick's Day celebrations around the world. View gallery Sponsors are not involved in the creation of newsletters or other Reuters news content. Advertise in this newsletter or on Reuters' website 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. Terms & Conditions and Privacy Statement © 2025 Thomson Reuters. 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