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The Republican U.S. House is set to open in turmoil, Tesla makes its China boss the highest-profile executive after Musk, and driver and YouTube star Ken Block dies in a snowmobile accident

by Linda Noakes

World News

People lay flowers near the Eternal Flame memorial at a ceremony in memory of Russian soldiers killed in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, in Samara, Russia, January 3, 2023. REUTERS/Albert Dzen

Russian nationalists and some lawmakers have demanded punishment for commanders they accused of ignoring dangers as anger grew over the killing of dozens of Russian soldiers in one of the Ukraine war's deadliest strikes. Here's what you need to know about the conflict right now.
State media in China played down the severity of its surge of COVID infections ahead of an expected briefing today by its scientists to the World Health Organization, which is hoping for detailed data on the evolution of the virus.
Israel's new far-right national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir briefly visited Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem, a site also revered by Jews, prompting condemnation from Palestinians and neighboring Jordan.
An attack on a prison in the Mexican border town of Juarez left 19 dead and allowed a cartel kingpin to escape along with two dozen other prisoners, authorities said. An armed group launched almost-simultaneous attacks on the prison and the municipal police station.
Protesters in Bolivia's farming region of Santa Cruz are blocking highways out of the province, threatening to snarl the domestic transport of grains and food, as anger simmers following the arrest of local governor Luis Camacho.

U.S. News

Kevin McCarthy walks to the House floor on Capitol Hill, December 23, 2022. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein

The new Republican-held U.S. House of Representatives convenes today for what could be a chaotic election for speaker, as top Republican Kevin McCarthy fights to overcome opposition from hardline conservatives and win the powerful position.
U.S. Capitol Police are prepared for any possible future attacks on Congress, its chief said ahead of the second anniversary of the deadly January 6, 2021, attack and the dissolution of the congressional panel investigating it. President Joe Biden plans to commemorate the anniversary with a White House ceremony.
Pro rally driver Ken Block, who later became an internet sensation with his daring stunts behind the wheel, has died aged 55 after a snowmobile accident.
Actor Jeremy Renner, who played Hawkeye in the Marvel 'Avengers' movies, was in critical but stable condition in a Nevada hospital, a day after suffering a traumatic injury while plowing snow.
Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin was in critical condition after suffering a cardiac arrest during yesterday's National Football League game against Cincinnati.

Business & Markets

A traveler boards a train at Waterloo Station in London, December 16, 2022. REUTERS/Toby Melville

British rail workers kicked off the new year with a week-long strike, disrupting the return to work for millions of commuters in the latest bout of industrial action to hit the country. Britain is in the grip of its worst run of worker unrest since Margaret Thatcher was in power in the 1980s.
King Dollar's reign (definitely) coming to an end, bonds bouncing and emerging markets rising again are just some of the trades international money managers are betting on in 2023. Sky-high inflation and the global gut-punch of nearly 300 central bank interest rate hikes over the last 12 months are putting the focus firmly on how badly economies now buckle.
The World Bank is seeking to vastly expand its lending capacity to address climate change and other global crises and will negotiate with shareholders ahead of April meetings on proposals that include a capital increase and new lending tools, according to an 'evolution roadmap' seen by Reuters.
Tesla's China chief Tom Zhu has been promoted to take direct oversight of the electric carmaker's U.S. assembly plants as well as sales operations in North America and Europe. In other news, South Korea's antitrust regulator said it would impose a $2.2 million fine on Tesla for failing to tell its customers about the shorter driving range of its electric vehicles in low temperatures.
Sam Bankman-Fried is expected today to enter a plea of not guilty to criminal charges that he cheated investors and looted billions of dollars at his now-bankrupt FTX cryptocurrency exchange, according to a source familiar with the matter.
Nic Szerman lost his job at Meta Platforms in November, just two months after joining full-time, falling victim to a sweeping 13% reduction of its workforce as the advertising market cratered. Days later he was back working, seeking investment for his own company Nulink, a blockchain-based payment company. We look at the startups springing from the ashes of a Big Tech purge.

And Finally

Mourners queue to pay their respects to Brazilian soccer legend Pele, as his body lies in state at Santos' Vila Belmiro stadium, January 2, 2023 REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino

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