President Joe Biden said that a ceasefire deal in Gaza was on “the brink” of being finalised. On Monday Qatar, which is hosting talks, presented Hamas and Israel with a final draft, according to Reuters. Mr Biden said that under the agreement Hamas would free hostages and fighting would be paused to allow “significantly” more humanitarian aid to reach Palestinians. Negotiations are set to resume on Tuesday.
America’s Department of Justice had “sufficient” evidence to convict Donald Trump in a trial for seeking to overturn the 2020 presidential election, according to Jack Smith, the special counsel who led the case. Mr Trump’s election victory in 2024 made prosecution impossible. The DoJ delivered Mr Smith’s final report on the case to Congress in the early hours of Tuesday.
America’s National Weather Service issued its most serious fire warning for parts of the counties of Los Angeles and Ventura, as winds were forecast to pick up again, intensifying the blazes. At least 24 people have died in the disaster, which California’s governor, Gavin Newsom, said could be the costliest in America’s history.
Mute Egede, Greenland’s prime minister, said his country was willing to work more closely with America on issues such as mining and defence. But he insisted that any use of the territory’s land was “Greenland’s business”. Donald Trump wants America to take control of Greenland, which is rich in rare-earth minerals and untapped oil reserves.
Cleveland-Cliffs and Nucor, two American steelmakers, reportedly agreed to launch a joint bid for US Steel. Under the plan Cleveland-Cliffs would acquire all of US Steel before selling the struggling firm’s Big River Steel unit to Nucor. The offer would probably be significantly lower than the $14bn bid by Nippon Steel, which the Biden administration blocked earlier this month, citing national-security concerns.
At least 40 farmers were killed over the weekend in Nigeria’s north-eastern Borno state after venturing beyond designated safe zones, officials said on Monday. Authorities suspect the attackers belong to Boko Haram, a militant group, as well as a Nigerian IS affiliate. The attacks on farmers are aggravating a hunger crisis in Borno, which was also hit by floods last autumn.
Spain’s government said it would impose a 100% tax on property bought by non-residents from countries outside the European Union. Pedro Sánchez, the prime minister, announced the levy as part of a plan to tackle a “grave” housing crisis. Mr Sánchez gave no details for the proposal. Spaniards, like many people across Europe, are angry about rising costs.
Figure of the day: 60%, the share of Greenlanders who support closer co-operation with America, according to a survey from December. Read the full story.
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