Israel’s Cabinet approves a deal for a ceasefire in Gaza

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s Cabinet has approved a deal for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of dozens of hostages that will pause the 15-month war with Hamas for six weeks. The deal agreed to early Saturday brings Israel and Hamas a step closer to ending their deadliest and most destructive fighting ever. The ceasefire will go into effect Sunday. Mediators Qatar and the U.S. announced the ceasefire Wednesday, but the deal was in limbo for more than a day as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted there were last-minute complications that he blamed on the Hamas militant group.

Russia and Iran sign a partnership treaty to deepen their ties

MOSCOW (AP) — The presidents of Russia and Iran have signed a broad cooperation pact to deepen their partnership amid stinging Western sanctions. The Kremlin says the “comprehensive strategic partnership treaty” signed Friday by Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Iranian counterpart, Masoud Pezeshkian, covers all areas — from trade and military cooperation to science, education and culture. The signing comes ahead of Monday’s inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who has pledged to broker peace in Ukraine. Welcoming Pezeshkian as they sat down for talks, Putin said the new treaty will “give an additional impulse to practically all areas of our cooperation.”

New Pompeii excavation reveals a private thermal complex built 2,000 years ago

ROME (AP) — Pompeii, the ancient Roman city buried by ash and lava in 70 AD, has unearthed a new treasure: a private bathhouse built 2,000 years ago. The director of the surrounding archeological park calls it “perhaps the largest thermal complex in a private house in Pompeii.” The newly uncovered baths are decorated with sumptuous mosaics and equipped with a series of hot, warm and cold rooms in the manner of a spa. They were unearthed in the so-called Regio IX, a large central area of Pompeii park still unexplored, where major archaeological excavations are revealing new aspects of Pompeians’ daily life.

Ex-Finance Minister Freeland is running to replace Trudeau as Canada’s PM

TORONTO (AP) — Former Canadian Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland is running to be the next leader of the Liberal Party and prime minister of Canada. Freeland’s abrupt resignation as finance minister last month forced Justin Trudeau’s exit as prime minister. Freeland says in a statement posted on X she will officially launch her campaign on Sunday. Trudeau will remain prime minister until a new Liberal Party leader is chosen on March 9. Freeland announced her resignation from Trudeau’s Cabinet on Dec. 16, criticizing some of Trudeau’s economic priorities in the face of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s tariff threats. The move stunned the country and raised questions about how much longer the increasingly unpopular Trudeau could stay in his job.