After Hamas released four more Israeli hostages, all of them female soldiers, held in Gaza since October 2023, Israel freed 200 Palestinian prisoners. Most of the latter were sent to the West Bank, but others will be deported. Israel said it would not allow Palestinians to return to northern Gaza until a female civilian, also due to be released today, had been freed. The exchange forms part of a six-week ceasefire between Israel and the militant group, which began on January 19th.
Pete Hegseth secured confirmation as America’s next secretary of defence by the narrowest possible margin. He needed the casting vote of J.D. Vance, the vice-president, after three Republican senators voted against him. Mr Hegseth, a presenter on Fox News, thinks America’s armed forces have become too “woke” and has opposed allowing women to take part in combat. He has also faced allegations about excessive drinking and sexual misconduct, which he denies.
Marco Rubio, America’s secretary of state, reportedly issued guidance freezing virtually all foreign assistance, including to Ukraine. The State Department cable apparently carves out exceptions for military and humanitarian aid to Israel and Egypt. The pause prohibits new government spending while Mr Rubio reviews whether aid programmes are “consistent” with Donald Trump’s “foreign policy”.
During a trip to California to see the damage caused by recent wildfires, Mr Trump met local Democratic politicians—and continued to criticise their response to the catastrophe. He accused officials such as Karen Bass, the mayor of Los Angeles, of slowing down the recovery effort. In an earlier visit to North Carolina, Mr Trump threatened to abolish America’s Federal Emergency Management Agency, which sends aid to states during disasters.
Volodymyr Zelensky said Mr Trump’s attempts to halt Russia’s invasion “will not work” if Ukraine is left out of talks. America’s president has vowed to end the war quickly, and has said he is open to meeting his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. Ukraine’s leader made the comments alongside Moldova’s pro-European president, Maia Sandu, as she visited Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital.
Robert Fico, Slovakia’s populist prime minister, said he would not resign in the face of large protests. Demonstrations took place in more than 20 cities across the central European country on Friday—60,000 people gathered in Bratislava, the capital, according to organisers’ estimates. Since taking office for the latest time in 2023 Mr Fico has shifted Slovakia away from the EU and closer to Russia.
Madison Keys won the women’s singles at the Australian Open tennis championships. The American beat the world number one, holder and pre-tournament favourite, Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus, in three sets. It was Ms Keys’s first grand-slam title in 46 attempts; she reached the US Open final in 2017. Jannik Sinner of Italy will play Alexander Zverev of Germany in the men’s final on Sunday.
Word of the week: Shunto, annual wage negotiations between firms and unions in Japan. Read the full story.
American politics matters intensely to the rest of the world. Read The US in brief—a daily update to help you keep on top of the political stories that matter. Sign up here to receive it as a newsletter, each weekday, in your inbox.