Binyamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, accused Hamas of making last-minute demands on a ceasefire deal for the war in Gaza hours after mediators announced the agreement. The militant group denied the claims. The deal, which includes an initial six-week truce and the exchange of 33 Israeli hostages for more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners, is supposed to come into force on Sunday.
Joe Biden warned that an “oligarchy” is emerging in America, which risks hurting the country’s democracy. In his farewell address as president, Mr Biden said that power is in the hands of a “very few ultra-wealthy people”. He also raised concerns about a “tech-industrial complex” that is burying Americans under an “avalanche of misinformation”.
Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos’s rocket firm, reached orbit with the first launch of its New Glenn rocket. Entering orbit with a new rocket is a rare feat. The flight was an early success for its new boss, Dave Limp, who had been tasked with accelerating progress. The firm hopes that New Glenn will allow it to compete with SpaceX in the commercial launch market.
Sir Keir Starmer, Britain’s prime minister, arrived in Ukraine to sign a security and trade pact. The agreement strengthens military ties and expands economic co-operation in green energy. It includes £40m for Ukraine’s post-war recovery. European leaders are finalising security commitments before Donald Trump takes office next week. Many fear he will try to reduce or cut America’s aid to Ukraine.
The founder of Hindenburg Research said he would disband the activist short-selling firm. Nathan Anderson explained that his team had “finished the pipeline of ideas” it had been working on. Over the past seven years, Hindenburg has published reports accusing several companies of committing fraud. The short-seller has profited when the companies’ shares subsequently plummeted. Notable targets included Adani Group, an Indian conglomerate, and Nikola, an electric-lorry firm.
Lawyers representing Yoon Suk Yeol said the South Korean president would again refuse to answer investigators’ questions when his interrogation resumes on Thursday. Mr Yoon, who attempted to introduce martial law last month, is accused of insurrection. He was arrested on Wednesday. He considers his detention to be illegal and reportedly kept schtum during hours-long questioning, before spending the night in a cell.
Donald Tusk, Poland’s prime minister, accused Russia of planning “acts of terrorism” on aircraft around the world. Mr Tusk did not provide more details, but said Polish officials had been countering Russian sabotage. Security experts believe Russia to be behind mysterious explosions at logistics depots in Europe last year, which were thought to be a precursor to attacks on cargo planes.
Figure of the day: 2.7%, Argentina’s monthly inflation rate in December, down from 25.5% a year earlier. Read the full story.
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