Good morning. It's Thursday, Jan. 16, and we're covering a potential deal ending more than a year of war in Gaza, a high-profile rap beef heading to court, and much more. First time reading? Join over 4 million intellectually curious readers. Sign up here.
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Israel and Hamas agreed yesterday to a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, opening a path to potentially ending the 15-month war.
The deal—facilitated by the US, Egypt, and Qatar—goes into effect Sunday, beginning in phases. An estimated 94 hostages remain in Gaza, though Israeli officials believe roughly one-third are now deceased. The first phase of the deal would see 33 women and children returned to Israel in exchange for hundreds of jailed Palestinians (see details), while Israeli forces would begin withdrawing from Gaza and aid deliveries would quickly ramp up. Subsequent stages would involve swapping male captives and soldiers and eventual plans for long-term reconstruction of the territory.
The war began Oct. 7, 2023, when a Hamas raid in southern Israel killed roughly 1,200 people and resulted in around 250 hostages. Since then, more than 46,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry (though it is unclear how many were Hamas fighters). More than 90% of the area's 2.3 million residents have been displaced.
Estimates to rebuild Gaza range as high as $80B—see a visual breakdown of the damage. |
At least 78 bodies of unauthorized mine workers and more than 200 living miners were retrieved from a deep gold mine in South Africa amid rescue operations this week, with rights advocates estimating potentially dozens more are deceased in the mine. Officials claimed the deaths resulted from starvation and dehydration.
Hundreds of workers—mostly from Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Lesotho—have been inside the mine since at least July, searching for trace amounts of gold to be sold illicitly by unofficial groups. In November, officials blockaded the mine and cut off food, water, and other supplies to force the miners out to face arrest, part of a broader anti-illegal mining operation.
The Buffelsfontein gold mine—roughly 100 miles southwest of Johannesburg—is an 8,000-foot-deep shaft that has been officially closed since 2013. The region's goldfield is one of the most productive historically, with deposits deep underground requiring extensive mining works (see history). Officials estimate South Africa contains more than 6,000 abandoned gold mines left over from its longtime dominance in the industry. |
Hip-hop superstar Drake has filed a federal lawsuit against Universal Music Group over fellow rapper Kendrick Lamar's hit 2024 diss track, "Not Like Us," which accuses Drake of being a pedophile, among other claims.
The legal battle is part of an ongoing feud between Drake and Lamar, which escalated through a series of diss tracks (w/timeline) exchanged between the two artists. The lawsuit does not target Lamar directly but instead alleges that UMG—the record label representing the pair—defamed Drake by distributing, promoting, and profiting from Lamar's track. Drake claims UMG's actions have led to increased online harassment, a shooting incident at his Toronto residence, and damage to his reputation and brand value.
"Not Like Us" broke several records last year, including spending a record 20 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Rap Songs. Drake and Lamar are considered part of the Big 3 rappers of their generation, along with J. Cole, each of whom rose to prominence over a decade ago. |
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