Politics

Mediators in Qatar announced a six-week ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, coming into effect on January 19th. There were quibbles about the details on both sides, and the deal is opposed by Israel’s far-right parties. But if all goes according to plan the militants will release 33 of the remaining 98 hostages (half of whom may be dead) in the first phase of the ceasefire in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. Over 1,000 Israelis and tens of thousands of Palestinians have been killed in the fighting.

General Joseph Aoun, the commander of Lebanon’s armed forces, was elected the country’s president by parliament. The office had been vacant for more than two years. Mr Aoun’s elevation to the presidency is a blow to Hizbullah, a much weakened Iranian-backed militia, as is the selection of Nawaf Salam, head of the International Court of Justice, as prime minister.

Dozens of dead bodies were recovered from an illegal mine in South Africa after a court ordered a rescue mission. More than 100 men were pulled out alive, with hundreds more still believed to be underground. Police had shut off most food and water supplies. The government says the crackdown on illegal mining is necessary.

Daniel Chapo was sworn in as Mozambique’s president, extending his Frelimo party’s half-century in power. He took office following months of violent demonstrations against a flawed election in October. More than 300 people have been killed by security forces.

Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine had captured two North Korean soldiers in Russia’s Kursk region and was willing to hand them over in exchange for Ukrainian prisoners of war. A contingent of 12,000 North Koreans is thought to have been deployed to Russia. Around 300 have been killed and 2,700 injured, according to reports from South Korea.

NATO announced that it would deploy vessels, aircraft and drones in a mission called Baltic Sentry to thwart sabotage against underwater sea cables. There have been several incidents of ships, suspected of belonging to Russia’s “shadow fleet”, dragging their anchors across the sea bed to damage infrastructure. Meanwhile, Mark Rutte, NATO’s secretary-general, warned that Europe must spend more on defence, and that NATO’s new spending targets may be around 3.6% or 3.7% of GDP. Most EU countries have struggled to hit 2%.

Crushed Tulip

In Britain Tulip Siddiq, a Treasury minister responsible for financial conduct, resigned after she was named in a corruption case in Bangladesh related to her aunt, Sheikh Hasina, who was ousted as Bangladesh’s prime minister last year. Ms Siddiq was found not to have broken the ministerial code, but resigned anyway as she had become a “distraction”. It was more bad news for the prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer, diverting attention from his big announcement on making Britain a hub for artificial intelligence.

The Senate began hearings to confirm Donald Trump’s appointments to government jobs. Pete Hegseth fired back against a barrage of questions from Democrats about his fitness to lead the Defence Department amid allegations about his private life. When grilled about his statements about women not serving in combat roles, Mr Hegseth said they could serve as long as combat standards were maintained. Joni Ernst, a wavering Republican, said she would now vote for Mr Hegseth, all but ensuring his confirmation.

In the dying days of the Biden administration, the Department of Justice released a special counsel’s report into allegations that Mr Trump tried to overturn the result of the 2020 election, concluding there was enough evidence for a conviction at a trial that will now never happen. In response Mr Trump reiterated his innocence. A few days earlier he was given a conditional discharge without a fine in his criminal conviction for falsifying business documents.

Firefighters made some progress containing the wildfires in Los Angeles. At least 25 people have died and 12,000 structures are thought to have been destroyed or damaged in the Pacific Palisades and Altadena neighbourhoods. Gavin Newsom, California’s governor, signed an order suspending building and environmental restrictions in the devastated areas to allow for quicker reconstruction. Karen Bass, the city’s mayor, issued a similar order to speed up the rebuilding. Both are under intense pressure to resign.

New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority reported that, year-on-year, 219,000 fewer vehicles had entered Manhattan’s central business district during the first working week of the new congestion charge, and that the reduction in traffic meant that buses were moving faster. Traversing the Brooklyn Bridge by car was 28% faster, the Lincoln Tunnel 39% quicker and the Holland Tunnel 65%. The tunnels connect Manhattan with New Jersey.

Mark Carney, the former governor of the Bank of England, readied his campaign for the leadership of Canada's battered Liberal Party. Should he win, Mr Carney would immediately replace Justin Trudeau and become Canada's prime minister, though a recent survey indicates the Liberals are supported by just 20% of voters. Opposition parties have promised to defeat the Liberals in a vote of no confidence at the first opportunity.

Biden’s last stand

The Biden administration said it would remove Cuba from America’s list of state sponsors of terrorism, which also includes Iran, North Korea and Syria. Cuba then said it would release 553 political prisoners in a deal brokered by the Catholic church, which the White House noted in its announcement. Donald Trump added Cuba to the list at the end of his first term as president.

America, Britain and the EU imposed new sanctions on Venezuelan officials, as Nicolás Maduro was inaugurated for another term as president. America also increased its reward for Mr Maduro’s arrest on drug-trafficking allegations to $25m.

South Korea’s president, Yoon Suk Yeol, surrendered to investigators who want to question him about his brief declaration of martial law in December. A previous attempt to arrest him had been abandoned amid a stand-off with his hundreds of bodyguards. Mr Yoon reportedly refused to answer questions at his first session with the investigators. The Constitutional Court began the process of the impeachment trial that will decide if Mr Yoon should be removed from office.