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Netanyahu accuses Hamas of reneging on ceasefire deal
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday accused Hamas of reneging on parts of the Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal, as he faced a pushback against the agreement from his ultranationalist allies. Mediators announced on Wednesday night that Hamas and Israel had reached an agreement on a deal that would halt the 15-month war in Gaza and free the 98 hostages still in captivity. But Netanyahu’s government, which relies on the support of two far-right parties bitterly opposed to any deal, insisted that final details remained to be sorted out, and on Thursday morning claimed that Hamas was backtracking. “Israel will not set a date for a cabinet and government meeting [to approve the deal] until the mediators announce that Hamas has approved all the details of the agreement,” Netanyahu’s office said. There was no immediate response from Hamas. Financial Times, January 16

Negotiators agree to a cease-fire deal in Gaza
Negotiators from Israel and Hamas have agreed to a 42-day cease-fire and hostage release in Gaza, President Biden and other leaders said yesterday, raising hopes that a 15-month war that killed at least 45,000 Palestinians and destroyed much of the enclave could soon come to an end. The truce is set to take effect on Sunday, the Qatari prime minister said. The agreement needs to be formally ratified by the Israeli cabinet and the government, and both sides were still working on concluding some of the logistical matters, according to officials from Israel and Qatar. A vote in Israel is expected this morning. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a brief statement at midnight local time reiterating that he would make a full statement only after the final details of the agreement were settled. He has spoken with Biden and with President-elect Donald Trump, his office said. Hamas confirmed the cease-fire deal, calling it an “achievement for our people.” New York Times, January 16

‘Little to lose’: Ukraine exacts retribution on Russian energy sites as Trump looms
Ukraine and Russia have carried out massive strikes on each other’s energy facilities over the past two days, reflecting Kyiv’s growing willingness to respond blow-for-blow - and target a crucial Russian export - as it prepares for a potentially decisive transfer of power in Washington. France 24, January 16

Keir Starmer hails ‘closer than ever’ partnership with Ukraine on Kyiv visit
Keir Starmer has travelled to Ukraine to meet Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the first time since he entered Downing Street, hailing a “closer than ever” partnership days before Donald Trump returns to the White House. The two countries will sign a partnership deal to deepen the existing defence relationship, with further military assistance to Kyiv on offer amid concerns the US could start to wind down its support. Trump, who will be sworn back into office on Monday, has frequently repeated his promise to bring the conflict in Ukraine to a swift conclusion. He is expected to meet Russian leader, Vladimir Putin, early in his presidency. Zelenskyy has urged Ukraine’s western allies “not to drop the ball” and to continue to provide long-term military support to his embattled country, warning that pulling the plug “will only invite more aggression, chaos and war”. Starmer is expected to discuss what security guarantees the UK can offer Kyiv, including the possibility of British troops being part of a post-war peacekeeping force. The Guardian, January 16

Biden speech: farewell address warns of ‘oligarchy’ in America
President Biden’s farewell address was full of dark warnings - an insidious “tech industrial complex”, a slide towards “oligarchy”, the truth being “smothered by lies” - but, as has so often been the case in a presidency that may end up a mere footnote to the Donald Trump era, Biden was overshadowed by his nemesis. After the president-elect claimed the credit for the Gaza ceasefire deal announced on Wednesday, Biden sought to put his own stamp on the agreement by stressing how it followed “eight months of non-stop negotiation by my administration”. While the return of Trump and his threat to heap more pain on Hamas was fêted for concentrating minds to get the deal done, the outgoing president gave only a grudging nod to the role of his successor. The Times, January 16

UK economy grows for first time in three months
The UK economy grew for the first time in three months, driven in part by a boost in trade for pubs, restaurants and the construction industry. Official figures showed an expansion of 0.1 per cent after the economy shrank in each of the two previous months. The return to growth will be a welcome sign for the government after recent turbulence in financial markets sent its borrowing costs to the highest level for several years and the value of the pound fell. But the figure was lower than economists had expected, with declines in manufacturing and business rentals and leasing. Chancellor Rachel Reeves reiterated her pledge to go "further and faster" to improve economic growth in order to boost living standards, declaring it was the "number one priority" for the government. "That means generating investment, driving reform and a relentless commitment to root out waste in public spending," she said. BBC news, January 16

Netanyahu tells hostage families deal to end Gaza war is ‘hours’ away
Relatives of Israeli hostages kidnapped by Hamas were told during a meeting with Binyamin Netanyahu on Tuesday night that a deal to release their loved ones and end the war in Gaza could be agreed within hours. Their meeting with the Israeli prime minister, which was reported by Israeli media, came as the US and Qatar said they were on the brink of mediating a deal days before Donald Trump takes office on January 20. Trump had said he wanted the war to end as soon as ­possible, and that there “would be hell to pay” if Hamas did not release the hostages, who include Americans, kidnapped in October 2023 during an attack on Israel that killed more than 1,100 Israelis. The war in Gaza has killed more than 46,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, and ­destroyed much of the territory. If the ceasefire is agreed, the incoming American president is likely to claim credit for a deal that eluded Joe Biden’s administration until this week. Israeli media reported that there was a breakthrough in the negotiations after a “tense” meeting between Trump’s ­Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Netanyahu over the weekend. The Times, January 14

South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol arrested
Impeached South Korean leader Yoon Suk Yeol was arrested on Wednesday over his failed martial law bid, ending a weeks-long standoff with authorities and becoming the first president to be detained in the nation's history. Yoon, who faces charges of insurrection over his short-lived effort to impose martial law last month, said he would comply with investigators to avoid "bloodshed". A former prosecutor who led the conservative People Power Party to election victory in 2022, Yoon could face the death penalty or life in jail if found guilty of insurrection. He had sought to evade arrest for weeks by remaining in his residential compound, protected by members of the Presidential Security Service who had remained loyal to him. France 24, January 15

RAF bases are hotspots of ‘forever chemical’ groundwater pollution, MoD documents show
RAF bases are hotspots of toxic “forever chemical” pollution in water, analysis of Ministry of Defence documents have revealed. Moreover, some of the highest concentrations of these chemicals in British drinking water sources are near RAF bases, official sampling results obtained by the Guardian and Watershed Investigations show. PFAS, known as forever chemicals due to their indestructible nature, include PFOS and PFOA, which are toxic and linked to cancers, thyroid disease, and fertility problems. These two have been banned, but more than 10,000 PFAS are still in use, many of which are thought to have unknown toxic effects. The Guardian, January 15

Falling birth rates raise prospect of sharp decline in living standards
Many of the world’s richest economies will need to at least double productivity growth to maintain historical improvements in living standards amid sharp falls in their birth rates. A McKinsey report investigating the economic impact of declines in birth rates found that the UK, Germany, Japan and the US would all have to see productivity rise at double the pace seen over the past decade to maintain the same growth in living standards witnessed since the 1990s. The consultancy’s report, published on Wednesday, showed that to match GDP per capita growth between 1997 and 2023, productivity growth in France and Italy would need to triple over the coming three decades. In Spain, it would need to rise fourfold between now and 2050. The report highlights the stark impact of declining birth rates on the world’s most prosperous economies, leaving them vulnerable to a shrinking proportion of the population of working age. Financial Times, January 15

Obesity needs new definition, says global report
There is a risk too many people are being diagnosed as obese when "a more accurate" and "nuanced" definition is needed, a report from global experts says. Doctors should consider the overall health of patients with excess fat, rather than just measuring their body mass index, it says. Those with chronic illnesses caused by their weight should be diagnosed with "clinical obesity" - but those with no health problems should be diagnosed with "pre-clinical obesity". More than a billion people are estimated to be living with obesity worldwide and prescription weight-loss drugs are in high demand. BBC news, January 15