A hostage deal is expected to bring the first break in the fight between Israel and Hamas.

What happened: As of writing, a four-day truce between Israel and Hamas is set to begin this morning after both sides reached a deal to free hostages taken by Hamas on October 7th in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

To the surprise and delight (emphasis on the surprise) of the world, Xi Jinping’s second face-to-face meeting with Joe Biden actually went pretty well. 

What happened: This week, Xi Jinping wooed politicians and business leaders during a four-day-long visit to San Francisco, where the Chinese President broke bread with America’s top political and business leaders at a $2,750-a-head welcome banquet. 

Pakistan kicked off an unprecedented crackdown on undocumented immigrants that could send over a million people into the arms of an authoritarian regime. 

What happened: Pakistan commenced the mass arrest and deportation of undocumented immigrants after a deadline to voluntarily leave the country passed this week. While the directive includes all undocumented migrants, it clearly targets recent Afghan migrants.

Want to feel old? The median age in Africa is just shy of 19. 

Driving the news: In most of the world, anxieties about how countries will care and pay for their fast-ageing populations are growing. Africa is the exception: The continent is seeing a baby boom that is fuelling one of the youngest and fastest-growing populations on Earth.

Three things are certain in life: Death, taxes, and billionaires not paying said taxes. 

Now, calls are on the rise to get them to pay their fair share. 

Driving the news: The EU Tax Observatory wants the world to come together and impose a minimum 2% wealth tax on billionaires, which it believes could raise US$250 billion annually. 

Make some room! International migration to advanced economies reached an all-time high last year, with estimates suggesting a further influx this year, per new OECD stats. 

Driving the news: Per the Financial Times, the OECD added ~6.1 million new permanent migrants across its 38 member nations last year, a 26% jump from the year before.

As the Israel Defence Force prepares for a ground offensive in Gaza, officials have confirmed their eventual plans for the territory following the war with Hamas. 

What happened: Israel’s defence minister said the country would cut ties with the Gaza Strip when the war ends. 

As Argentines head to the polls, there’s a good chance their next president could be a man who has been compared to both Donald Trump and Wolverine. 

Driving the news: Argentina’s presidential elections are tomorrow. While most poll-watchers predict a run-off vote will be needed to decide the winner (which would be in November), smart money is betting that hard-right libertarian Javier Milei will eventually come out on top. 

A brewing diplomatic spat between Canada and India has gone from bad to worse.

What happened: After two weeks of high-level negotiations between Canada and India proved unsuccessful, 41 Canadian diplomats in the country are now hitting the road in search of (we assume) less contentious government appointments. 

Top US diplomats spent the weekend shuttling between Middle Eastern capitals in a bid to stop the war between Israel and Hamas from escalating into a broader regional conflict. 

What happened: President Joe Biden’s top security advisor Jake Sullivan said the US had privately warned Iran to stay out of the conflict between Israel and Hamas.