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Israel signals tactics shift, troop pullback as US carrier heads home

By Dan Williams, Nidal al-Mughrabi and Arafat Barbakh JERUSALEM/CAIRO/GAZA (Reuters) -Israel pulled tanks out of some Gaza City districts on Monday, residents said, as it announced plans to shift tactics and cut back on troop numbers, but fighting raged elsewhere in the Palestinian enclave along with intense bombardment. Israel says the war in Gaza, which …

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Number of migrants arriving to Britain in small boats drops 36% in 2023

LONDON (Reuters) -The number of migrants who arrived illegally in Britain in small boats in 2023 was 29,437, provisional government figures showed, around 36% lower than the previous year. In 2022 a record 45,775 people were detected arriving on small boats to England’s southern beaches after making the dangerous journey across the Channel, one of …

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Bank of Israel makes first cut since 2020, governor warns on spending

By Steven Scheer and Ari Rabinovitch JERUSALEM (Reuters) – The Bank of Israel lowered short-term borrowing rates for the first time in nearly four years on Monday, becoming the first developed country to ease policy, while urging lawmakers to rein in spending that has soared during Israel’s war with Hamas. In reducing interest rates for …

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Chad opposition leader Masra appointed PM of transitional govt

N’DJAMENA (Reuters) -Chadian opposition leader Succes Masra who recently returned to the central African country following a deal with the ruling junta, was appointed as prime minister of the transitional government, the presidency said on Monday. His appointment could be seen as a move by the junta to appease the opposition after a constitutional referendum …

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Powerful earthquake slams Japan, residents flee some coastal areas

By Tim Kelly, Satoshi Sugiyama and Sakura Murakami TOKYO (Reuters) -A powerful earthquake struck central Japan on Monday, killing at least one person, destroying buildings, knocking out power to tens of thousands of homes and prompting residents in some coastal areas to flee to higher ground. The quake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.6 triggered …

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Ukraine, Russia accuse each other of early New Year’s Day attacks

(Reuters) -Ukraine’s shelling of the city of Donetsk on Monday killed four people, a Russian-installed official in the eastern region of Ukraine said, while Russia’s air attacks on several Ukrainian regions killed at least one person, local officials said. Thirteen people were also injured in “heavy shelling” by Ukrainian forces on the centre of Donetsk, …

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World welcomes 2024 with New Year’s fireworks, reflection and a royal farewell

(Reuters) -The world welcomed 2024 with a mix of celebration and sombre reflection. Sydney sparkled under a shower of silver and gold fireworks commemorating the 50th anniversary of its iconic Opera House, while the mood in Gaza remained bleak, with residents more concerned with survival. In Europe, Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II announced her abdication after …

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Israel pounds Gaza, Hamas fires rockets as Netanyahu indicates long war

By Nidal al-Mughrabi, Arafat Barbakh and Dan Williams CAIRO/GAZA/JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Israeli jets intensified attacks on central Gaza on Sunday, residents and medics said, as battles raged through the rubble of towns and refugee camps in a war Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said would take “many more months” to end. Netanyahu’s comments signal no let-up …

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