THE TIMES OF ISRAEL: Fifteen months after the war in Gaza began with Hamas’s devastating attack on southern Israel, Jerusalem and the Palestinian terror group reached an agreement Wednesday on a ceasefire and hostage release deal. The deal was confirmed by officials from Israel, Hamas, the United States, Egypt and Qatar, and was expected to take effect on Sunday, January 19, with the first of the hostages set to be released that day. Speaking at a press conference from Doha, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani confirmed the agreement and Sunday’s starting date. The complex accord, which has not yet been published, outlines a six-week initial ceasefire phase and includes the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip and the release of hostages taken by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian security prisoners held by Israel. Once the deal’s implementation begins, Hamas will gradually release 33 Israeli hostages over the first 42 days of the ceasefire, according to multiple outlets.
GULF TIMES (QATAR): Amir hopes deal will lead to just solution to Palestinian issue. The following is an unofficial translation of the Amir's post on the social media platform X. “We hope that the announcement of a ceasefire agreement in Gaza will contribute to ending the aggression, destruction and killing in the Strip and the occupied Palestinian territories, and to starting a new phase in which this just cause will not be marginalised, and serious work will be done to resolve it with a just solution in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions. The diplomatic role of the State of Qatar in reaching this agreement is our humanitarian duty before the political one, and we thank the Arab Republic of Egypt and the United States of America for their appreciated efforts”.
ASHARQ AL-AWSAT (GB): Gazans shed tears of joy, disbelief at news of ceasefire deal. Palestinians burst into celebration across the Gaza Strip on Wednesday at news of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, with some shedding tears of joy and others whistling and clapping and chanting “God is greatest”. Youths beat tambourines, blew horns and danced in the street in Khan Younis in the southern part of the enclave minutes after hearing news of the agreement struck in the Qatari capital Doha. The deal outlines a six-week initial ceasefire phase and includes the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. For some, delight was mingled with sorrow.
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL (USA): Months of geopolitical upheaval paved way for Gaza cease-fire. Benjamin Netanyahu’s wins, and Hamas’s losses, pushed the two foes toward a deal. The broad terms of the cease-fire deal that Israel and Hamas finally agreed to Wednesday after a year of fruitless negotiations aren’t substantially different from those that were available to both sides eight months ago. What changed is everything else. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spent the first half of last year fighting with political rivals and trying to keep his governing coalition together. He was stuck in a war of attrition with Hamas in Gaza and facing ominous threats from Iran and its allied militia in Lebanon, Hezbollah.
THE TIMES (GB): Gaza ceasefire sows seeds of future conflict. So what happens now? Both Israel and Hamas have failed in their aims, so compromise was essential for peace. It will not be easy to swallow on either side. Wars regularly provoke the question “what was it all for”, but in the case of the 15 months of fighting between Israel and Hamas the answer will also overshadow any peace the two sides can keep. Hamas thought their assault on October 7, 2023, might lead to some collapse of Israeli defences, or at least trigger a concerted effort by the Iranian-led “resistance” to undermine the “Zionist entity’s” existence. That has demonstrably failed, at the cost of tens of thousands of Palestinian lives. Israel’s war aims were to destroy Hamas and release the hostages. It has also demonstrably failed: its army, for all its prowess, was never able to free more than a handful of Hamas’s captives, and Binyamin Netanyahu has now been forced to
THE GUARDIAN (GB): There may be no winners in war, but history suggests combatants are often eager to convince the world otherwise. The ending of the 15-month conflict in Gaza may prove an exception. The sacrifice has been so great, the misery so complete, and the ultimate future for Gaza so uncertain that few can claim with certainty that this was all worthwhile, or likely to benefit Israel’s security in the long term. The damage to Israel’s reputation may last decades. In their final interviews and speeches as they prepared to leave office, it was noticeable the key foreign policy figures in the Biden administration often looked beyond Gaza, as western diplomats have turned to what could be the momentous consequences of the war for the wider Middle East.
THE JERUSALEM POST (ISRAEL): Biden takes credit for his administration securing ceasefire deal in final farewell address. President Biden began his farewell address on Wednesday night by taking credit for his administration’s “nonstop negotiations” over the past eight months that led to the ceasefire and hostage agreement between Israel and Hamas. As of Wednesday morning, it was uncertain that Biden would be able to speak of the finalized deal from behind the Resolute desk in his final address to the nation. “This plan was developed and negotiated by my team and will largely be implemented by the incoming administration”, he said, “That’s why I told my team to keep the incoming administration fully informed, as that’s how it should be. Working together as Americans”.
THE WASHINGTON POST (USA): President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump jockeyed Wednesday for credit for a ceasefire and hostage-release deal between Hamas and Israel that Biden had long pursued and that came together days before Trump is set to retake the White House. The Biden and Trump teams worked closely in the days leading up to the deal, talking daily and holding meetings in Qatar and Israel. Biden officials said a meeting Saturday between Trump’s incoming Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was crucial to closing the deal, and Witkoff has called the Biden administration “the tip of the spear” in talks. Their cooperation represents a highly unusual moment in the polarized world of U.S. politics, especially given the contentious history between the president and president-elect. But it did not stop both Trump and Biden from touting their respective roles.
AL-AHRAM (EGYPT): Egyptian security sources confirmed on Wednesday that coordination is underway to open the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza to allow the entry of international aid to the Palestinian people in the strip. The security sources also indicated Egypt is preparing to deliver the largest possible amount of humanitarian aid to the strip. The Rafah border crossing would start operating immediately with the start of the ceasefire deal under Egyptian sponsorship and in coordination with Hamas, according to the Israeli channel 13. Israel has closed the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza, which carried humanitarian aid to the strip, after occupying the Palestinian side of the crossing in May 2024.
TEHRAN TIMES (IRAN): Gaza ceasefire: Israel finally gives in to resistance. Israel’s military failures have come to the forefront after reaching a ceasefire with Hamas that aims to end the regime’s genocidal war on the Gaza Strip. Israel was compelled to accept the truce agreement due to its inability to achieve its military objectives. Reports say the ceasefire will be implemented in three phases and will pave the way for the release of Israeli captives. Israel would also release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. The deal is expected to result in the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.
THE ECONOMIC TIMES (INDIA): India on Thursday welcomed the Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas. The announcement on the deal comes after 15 months of conflict in Gaza. In its reaction, India hoped that the agreement will lead to a safe and sustained supply of humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza. “We welcome the announcement of the agreement for the release of hostages and a ceasefire in Gaza”, the Ministry of External Affairs said.
THE NEW YORK TIMES (USA): President Biden ran for the White House promising to be a transitional figure, then once he got there began thinking of himself as a transformational one. But after a tumultuous four years in office, it turns out he was really neither. Instead, Mr. Biden will end up in the history books as an interregnum between two terms of Donald J. Trump, a break in the middle of a chaotic period of change, for good or ill. Mr. Biden had hoped to make Mr. Trump an asterisk in the American story, soon to be forgotten. Now he will be the one trying to make his case for posterity. Mr. Biden has a long list of accomplishments he takes pride in, including an expanded social safety net, a revived economy, major efforts to combat climate change and reinvigorated American leadership on the world stage.
LE FIGARO (FRANCE): Joe Biden s’inquiète de voir l’“oligarchie” de la Tech s’emparer de l’Amérique. Le mandat de Joe Biden s’achève comme il a commencé: par un émouvant discours lu sur un téléprompteur. Pour sa dernière allocution, prononcée mercredi soir depuis un Bureau Ovale qu’il a si longtemps convoité, et auquel il a tenté de s’accrocher envers et contre tout, le président démocrate a fait appel aux thèmes qui avaient porté sa candidature en 2020: l’exception américaine, le pays de la liberté, l’endroit du monde où tout est possible et le respect des lois et des institutions. Mais il a aussi soigneusement évité de mentionner dans son discours la conclusion et le principal bilan de son mandat: le retour triomphant de Trump au pouvoir. Il a aussi mis en garde contre les dangers d’une nouvelle oligarchie et ceux de la désinformation pratiquée par les géants de l’Internet, pour le profit et le pouvoir. Faisant référence à Eisenhower, qui avait dans son discours d’adieux en 1961 mis en garde contre l’influence grandissante du complexe militaro-industriel sur les institutions américaines, Biden a averti du danger représenté par le pouvoir sans limite des géants de la Silicon Valley, dont les principaux représentants se sont ralliés à Trump. “Six décennies plus tard, je suis tout aussi préoccupé par la montée potentielle d’un complexe technologique, qui peut également présenter de réels dangers pour notre pays”, a prévenu Biden.
O GLOBO (BRASIL): O senador da Flórida Marco Rubio, escolhido pelo presidente eleito dos EUA, Donald Trump, para servir como secretário de Estado do seu futuro Gabinete, deu uma amostra do tom da política externa do novo governo durante uma sabatina no Senado nesta quarta-feira. Na sessão, Rubio atacou a China — principal alvo da guerra comercial travada por Trump no seu primeiro mandato — afirmando que o país trapaceou para alcançar o status de superpotência global. Ele também defendeu uma “diplomacia ousada” para acabar com a guerra na Ucrânia, admitindo “não ser realístico” acreditar que Kiev tem capacidade de recuperar territórios perdidos para a Rússia durante o conflito. Ao ser questionado sobre a China, que o atual governo democrata também encara como rival dos EUA, Rubio se contrapôs ao presidente cessante, Joe Biden, defendendo que, em vez de priorizar uma “ordem mundial liberal” liderada por Washington, o país deveria seguir o lema “América primeiro” de Trump ao lidar com Pequim.
THE WASHINGTON TIMES (USA): Sen. Marco Rubio, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of state, told a confirmation hearing Wednesday that China poses the most significant threat to the U.S. and must be countered with new foreign and domestic policies. The former senator from Florida faced little opposition from Democrats during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing and is considered one of Mr. Trump’s most significant nominees. He said the incoming administration plans to pursue a foreign policy centered on advancing American core interests that reflect Mr. Trump’s “America First” agenda. As a guide for U.S. foreign policy, acting on core national interests has been the norm, not the exception, for two centuries, Mr. Rubio said in his opening statement. “And for our country, placing the interest of America and Americans above all else has never been more relevant or more necessary than it is right now”. China came under particular criticism from Mr. Rubio, who said the communist regime was wrongly welcomed into the global order. The warm reception for Mr. Rubio sharply contrasted with Democrats’ acrimony Tuesday during the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the nomination of Defense Secretary-nominee Pete Hegseth.
DAILY SABAH (TURKEY): Marco Rubio, President-elect Donald Trump's pick for secretary of state, stated that the U.S. should maintain its support for the PKK/YPG-led SDF to “prevent” a resurgence of Daesh in Syria. “Yeah. Well absolutely”, Rubio responded to a question during a Senate Foreign Affairs Committee hearing as to whether he agrees the U.S. should continue to support the SDF in the fight against Daesh.
THE HILL (USA): President-elect Trump said Tuesday he wanted to create an “External Revenue Service” to collect tariffs and other revenue from foreign countries, comparing it to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), which collects taxes from Americans. “For far too long, we have relied on taxing our Great People using the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Through soft and pathetically weak Trade agreements, the American Economy has delivered growth and prosperity to the World, while taxing ourselves”, Trump said on Truth Social. Trump is looking to ramp up tariffs on goods from Canada, Mexico and China. He said he will enact tariffs of 25% on all Canadian and Mexican goods, and add another 10% tariff to all Chinese goods, through an executive order on his first day in office, which is Monday.
GLOBAL TIMES (CHINA): The world expects China and EU to become “trustworthy cooperation partners”. President Xi Jinping had a phone call with President of the European Council Antonio Costa at the latter’s request on January 14. The first contact of President Xi with the new leader of the EU institution provided important strategic guidance for China-EU relations at a critical juncture of building on past achievements and opening up a new future. Costa said the phone call was “constructive”. This shows that the leaders of China and Europe have a high level of consensus on enhancing strategic mutual trust, expanding open cooperation, maintaining multilateralism, and promoting greater development of China-Europe relations. They also hold a positive attitude and goodwill toward making greater contributions to world peace, stability, and prosperity. This is a promising start for the development of China-EU relations in 2025 and also good news for the world.
THE ASAHI SHIMBUN (JAPAN): Since good relations with member countries of ASEAN are indispensable to Japan’s economy and national security, it should aim for deeper ties of equal partnership with each nation. Japan can accomplish this by providing site-specific assistance and staying clear of the U.S.-China fight for dominance. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba visited Malaysia and Indonesia last week. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations is growing rapidly and Malaysia is serving as its chair this year. Indonesia leads the region in population as well as the scale of economy and is the sole Group of 20 member in the region.
KOMMERSANT (RUSSIA): Польша выберет между прошлым и настоящим. В Польше официально стартовала предвыборная гонка — 18 мая там пройдет первый тур президентских выборов, а если понадобится, то 1 июня будет проведен второй раунд голосования. Побороться за пост главы государства уже изъявили желание около десяти кандидатов, однако основная борьба должна развернуться между кандидатом от партии “Гражданская платформа” премьера Дональда Туска, мэром Варшавы Рафалом Тшасковским и Каролем Навроцким, поддержанным ныне оппозиционной партией “Право и справедливость” (ПиС) Ярослава Качиньского. По данным опросов, господин Тшасковский лидирует, но не так уверенно, как буквально месяцем ранее.
LE TEMPS (BELGIUM): Les relations entre la Hongrie et la Pologne traversent un froid polaire. La Hongrie a accordé l'asile à un ex-ministre polonais du PiS accusé de corruption, sur fond de rivalité entre Viktor Orbán et Donald Tusk. Selon le vieil adage bien connu de part et d’autre des Carpates et que l’on entend cité jusque dans la région polonaise des lacs et de la grande plaine hongroise, “le Polonais et le Hongrois sont deux cousins, à l’épée comme au verre”. C'est moins vrai depuis le retour au pouvoir à Varsovie, fin 2023, du conservateur-libéral Donald Tusk, un ennemi juré du nationaliste Viktor Orbán. Resté fidèle à ses alliés nationaux conservateurs du parti Droit et Justice (PiS), évincés du pouvoir l'an dernier, le maître de Budapest ne se prive pas de mettre des bâtons dans les roues de leurs successeurs.
IZVESTIA (RUSSIA): Балтика: как НАТО делает регион следующей “точкой напряжения” для России. Европа готовится самостоятельно сдерживать РФ на восточном фланге альянса. В Хельсинки прошла встреча восьми балтийских государств — членов НАТО и представителя Европейского союза. По ее итогам было заявлено о намерениях об усилении милитаризации региона. Эксперты сходятся во мнении, что после трансформации украинского кризиса в исключительно европейский проект Балтийское море станет следующей зоной геополитического противостояния с Россией. По крайней мере региональные участники альянса и внешние игроки уже начали приготовления к этому.
SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST (HONG KONG, CHINA): India’s navy on Wednesday simultaneously launched a submarine, a destroyer and a frigate built at a state-run shipyard, underscoring the importance of protecting the Indian Ocean region through which 95% of the country’s trade moves amid a strong Chinese presence. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that the Atlantic Ocean’s importance has shifted to the Indian Ocean region, which is becoming a centre of international power rivalry. “India is giving the biggest importance to making its navy powerful to protect its interests,” he said. The situation in the Indian Ocean region is challenging with the Chinese navy, India’s main rival, growing exponentially, defence analyst Rahul Bedi said.
THE TIMES OF INDIA: Daniel Chapo was sworn in as Mozambique’s president despite opposition leader Venancio Mondlane’s vow to “paralyze” the country in protest of the election results. Over 300 people have been killed in post-election unrest. The inauguration, attended by South African and Guinea-Bissau presidents, faced calls for stability and unity in Mozambique.
LA NACION (ARGENTINA): El Gobierno inició este miércoles con su esquema de privatización de rutas nacionales, una medida que el presidente Javier Milei había anunciado meses atrás. Esta vez fue formalizado a través del Boletín Oficial, tal como había anticipado LA NACION. Por medio del Decreto 28/2025, el Poder Ejecutivo estableció que ciertos tramos y rutas que integran la Red Vial Nacional sean licitados dentro del plazo de un año “con el fin de otorgar la concesión por peaje para la construcción, explotación, administración, reparación, ampliación, conservación, mantenimiento y prestación de servicios al usuario y para la realización de nuevas explotaciones complementarias o colaterales que permitan obtener ingresos adicionales”.
THE STRAITS TIMES (SINGAPORE): Investigators are still working to identify what caused the spate of fires that ignited around Los Angeles last week, but residents are concerned that electrical infrastructure may have sparked at least one of them. Since 1992, more than 3,600 wildfires in California have been related to power generation, transmission and distribution, according to data from the US Forest Service. Some of the most destructive fires have been traced back to problems with utility poles and power lines.