Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, said that Russia’s ceasefire terms show it “doesn’t really want peace” in Ukraine. Earlier Donald Trump said he would speak to Vladimir Putin on Tuesday in an attempt to broker a ceasefire. Russia and Ukraine exchanged drone strikes overnight; a Ukrainian civilian was killed in Myrnohrad, a town in the east, and power outages hit several regions.
Israel said it had launched “extensive strikes” on Hamas “terror targets” in Gaza, shattering a fragile ceasefire that began on January 19th. Negotiations to extend the truce have so far failed. Israel said it had ordered the strikes following “Hamas’s repeated refusal to release our hostages” and its “rejection” of American ceasefire proposals.
Mr Trump said that he would hold Iran responsible if the Houthis retaliate against America’s air strikes on Yemen, and impose “dire” consequences. America launched strikes against the Iran-backed militant group over the weekend, killing at least 53 people, and carried out more on Monday, the group said. Since October 2023 the Houthis have been attacking commercial ships in the Red Sea.
The EU pledged €2.5bn ($2.7bn) to Syria to support the country’s reconstruction after the fall of Bashar al-Assad. Separately, Germany pledged an additional €300m, while Britain offered £160m ($208m). Fourteen years of civil war have devastated Syria’s economy, leaving millions displaced and critical infrastructure in ruins.
Mark Carney, Canada’s new prime minister, made a statement by making his first trip abroad to Paris instead of to Washington, DC. He will visit London on Monday evening. Mr Carney is aiming to strengthen European alliances after Donald Trump imposed tariffs on Canadian goods and questioned its sovereignty. His government is also reviewing the purchase of American-made F-35 fighter jets.
America reported an outbreak of H7N9 bird flu on a poultry farm in Mississippi, the first detected in the country since 2017. That strain of the virus is thought to be more harmful to humans than H5N1, another form of bird flu that is already affecting American poultry and dairy cows. Authorities are culling infected flocks.
PepsiCo acquired Poppi, a healthy soda brand, for $1.95bn. The food giant, which fell short of revenue estimates in the fourth quarter, said the deal comes amid “growing interest in health and wellness” from consumers. Poppi markets its beverages, which contain prebiotics and apple cider vinegar, as an alternative to sugary sodas. Coca Cola recently launched its own rival prebiotic line.
Figure of the day: 40%, the amount that American homelessness has risen by since 2018. Read the full story.
Donald Trump’s return to the presidency has brought exceptional changes to American politics—with consequences for the rest of the world, too. Read The US in brief, a daily update of the domestic political stories that matter. Sign up here to receive it as a newsletter, each weekday, in your inbox.