Trump cements frontrunner status

Plus, solving the solid-state battery puzzle.

View in Browser Sign up for Reuters newsletters Daily Briefing Trump cements frontrunner status with a record win, Hamas appears to show dead bodies of two hostages, and Volkswagen and rivals plug away at solid-state battery puzzle.   Plus, "Succession" and "The Bear" dominated the Emmy Awards.   By Kate Turton Today's Top News Donald Trump takes the stage during his Iowa caucus night watch party. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein US ELECTIONS Donald Trump secured a resounding win in the first 2024 Republican presidential contest in Iowa, asserting his command over the party despite facing criminal charges as he seeks a rematch with President Joe Biden. Chris Walljasper tells the Reuters World News daily podcast about the people who braved freezing temperatures to get out to vote.  Ron DeSantis' path to victory in the Republican primary race is now in deep trouble and he risks funding problems going forward after failing to deliver a breakthrough performance in Iowa, analysts and people close to his nomination effort said.  MIDDLE EAST Hamas appeared to show the dead bodies of two Israeli hostages after warning Israel they might be killed if it did not stop its bombardment of Gaza. A new video released by the Palestinian militant group purportedly showed the bodies of Yossi Sharabi and Itai Svirsky. Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they attacked the "spy headquarters" of Israel in Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, state media reported, while the elite force said they also struck in Syria against the Islamic State. IN OTHER NEWS Around 1,000 tourists remain stranded in a remote holiday village after avalanches hit China's northwestern Xinjiang region with meters-high snow and fickle weather impeding evacuation, state TV reported. China summoned the ambassador from the Philippines and warned the country "not to play with fire" after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr congratulated Taiwan's president-elect Lai Ching-te on his election victory. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is facing a major rebellion from right-wing politicians in his party over flagship immigration legislation to speed up the deportation of asylum seekers to Rwanda in a critical test of his authority. Business & Markets Cracks are forming in the market's bullish consensus for bonds, as resurfacing fiscal concerns duel with expectations that cooling inflation will push the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates in coming months. YouTube is making millions of dollars a year from advertising on channels that make false claims about climate change because content creators are using new tactics that evade the social media platform's policies to combat misinformation, according to a report. British energy major Shell has agreed to sell its Nigerian onshore oil and gas subsidiary in Nigeria to a consortium of five mostly local companies for up to $2.4 billion, after nearly a century of operations there. Boeing will add further quality inspections for the 737 MAX after a mid-air blowout of a cabin panel in an Alaska Airlines MAX 9 earlier this month, the head of its commercial airplanes division said. Global tobacco use has tumbled in a generation with one in five people smoking versus one in three in 2000, the World Health Organization said. China's largest private property developer, Country Garden expects the property market will remain weak in 2024 and the company could face more, "severe" challenges, its top management said. As China's economy slows, more people are opting to stay single due to poor job prospects amid record youth unemployment and chronically low consumer confidence, leading to a record slump in marriage registrations in 2022. Volkswagen and rivals plug away at solid-state battery puzzle A new Volkswagen ID.3 electric car is seen in a fully automatic high-bay-rack for delivery by the German automaker at the "Autostadt." REUTERS/Annegret Hilse/File Photo Volkswagen, whose drive to develop a "solid-state" electric car battery with US startup QuantumScape has been dogged by delays, is casting its net wider in pursuit of the potentially game-changing technology.   The German auto giant is holding talks with France's Blue Solutions, which already produces solid-state batteries for Daimler electric buses, about adapting the design for cars.   The move points to the array of technical hurdles holding back wider development of solid-state technology, which promises longer driving ranges and shorter charging times than traditional lithium-ion packs.   Sign up for the Reuters Auto File newsletter for the latest news from the fast-paced world of automotive technology. Solid-state batteries seen as the "holy grail" of EV batteries And Finally... Cast members from "Succession" pose together with awards, at the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards. REUTERS/Aude Guerrucci Media dynasty drama "Succession" and restaurant dramedy "The Bear" dominated the Emmy Awards, earning six trophies each as Hollywood handed out its top accolades for television. Read about all the winners at nostalgic Emmy Awards Sponsors are not involved in the creation of newsletters or other Reuters news content. Advertise in this newsletter or on Reuters.com 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. Reuters Terms & Conditions and Privacy Statement © 2024 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved. 3 Times Square, New York, NY 10036