Israel and Hamas Agreed to Extend Their Truce, Qatar Says

Israel and Hamas agreed today to extend by two days a cease-fire that has brought a measure of calm to the Gaza Strip after seven weeks of intense warfare, according to officials in Qatar who were involved in the negotiations. The two sides struck a deal to exchange more hostages and prisoners and allow more aid into Gaza.

The agreement came as the truce, which was set to expire tomorrow morning, secured the freedom of dozens of hostages and proved largely successful. After a brief snag in negotiations, 11 more Israeli hostages — two women and nine minors — were released into the custody of Israel’s military. Here’s the latest.

A senior official in Egypt, which is helping mediate the talks, said that a two-day extension would include the daily release of 10 women and children being held hostage in Gaza in exchange for 30 Palestinian detainees being held in Israeli prisons.

The lengthened truce raised hopes in Washington that the trajectory of the conflict could bend toward the release of additional captives and the delivery of more aid to Gaza, where thousands of civilians have been killed and conditions are desperate. A White House spokesman said the U.S. would like to see the truce “extended further until all the hostages are released.”

Biden plans to skip the U.N. climate summit

For the first time during his presidency, President Biden will not attend the annual United Nations climate summit which begins this week, according to a White House official. No official reason was given, but aides to the president said that his time had been consumed by the war between Israel and Hamas.

Biden’s decision to miss the event, known as COP28, angered climate activists, but U.S. presidents typically do not attend every climate summit, analysts said. At the event, the U.S. is likely to come under fire for not following through on pledges to help developing countries transition to clean energy and adapt to climate change.

Economists are closely watching Cyber Monday

Sales figures from today’s online shopping bonanza, known as Cyber Monday, are eagerly awaited both on Wall Street and in Washington. Consumers have recently shown signs of pulling back, but the holiday shopping season — always an important economic indicator — will offer a helpful gauge of the economy. And if Black Friday was any indication, bargain hunters are back in force.

Will this splurge be enough to save retailers’ Christmas and keep the U.S. economy from contracting or even plunging into recession? The answer is likely to inform the Fed’s upcoming interest rate decisions.

The C.I.A. warned of China’s close ties to an A.I. giant

G42, an artificial intelligence firm controlled by the secretive national security adviser of the United Arab Emirates, has announced staggering growth and partnerships with major American and European companies like AstraZeneca and OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT. But in classified intelligence channels, U.S. spy agencies have raised concerns: They believe G42 is hiding the extent of its work with large Chinese companies that U.S. officials consider security threats.

More top news

A new match for menopausal weight gain: Ozempic

Women going through menopause raise concerns about weight gain about as often as they do hot flashes and night sweats, experts say. Weight gain can affect self-esteem, quality of life and even long-term health. But in recent years, many women have started using new weight loss drugs like Wegovy and Ozempic to counteract the effects of menopause.

Here’s what to know.

Cookie Monster’s secret recipe

The blue and beloved “Sesame Street” character Cookie Monster is best known for his uncontrollable urge to chaotically chow down on cookies. He slams them into his mouth, crumbs go everywhere and he noms in excitement. It turns out, the cookies are … mostly real.

They are baked at the home of Lara MacLean, a longtime “puppet wrangler” who has perfected a cookie that shatters with ease but doesn’t stain. The chocolate chips, however, are made using hot glue sticks — essentially colored gobs of glue. The cookies are edible, but barely.

Have a sweet evening.

Thanks for reading. I’ll be back tomorrow. — Matthew

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