First Thing: Ceasefire on edge after deadly Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon

Both sides have traded fire and accused the other of breaching the truce. Plus, Tori Amos talks about trauma, Trump and Neil Gaiman

Good morning.

The ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah appears increasingly at risk after the two sides traded fire and accused each other of breaching the truce within less than a week of it coming into force.

The Israeli military said it struck dozens of Hezbollah targets throughout Lebanon. Israeli strikes on two southern Lebanese towns, Talousa and Haris, killed nine people and injured three on Monday.

This latest round of strikes came after Hezbollah accused Israel of violating the ceasefire and fired missiles on an Israeli military position in the disputed Shebaa Farms area.

What is happening in Syria? Russian strikes pounded hospitals and neighborhoods in the rebel-held northern region of Idlib as insurgents continued to fight Bashar al-Assad’s forces, against whom they have made significant and surprising gains in the past week.

Elon Musk’s $56bn Tesla pay package rejected again by US judge

A judge has once again ruled that the Tesla chief executive, Elon Musk, is not entitled to receive a payout worth $56bn despite shareholders of the electric vehicle company voting to reinstate it six months ago.

The Delaware judge, Kathaleen McCormick of the court of chancery, issued the ruling again following her decision in January that called the payment package excessive and revoked it. The move surprised investors, with Tesla’s board and Musk himself arguing that the huge sum was vital to keeping the billionaire involved in the company.

Tesla first drew up Musk’s payment package in 2017, setting the conditions for him to receive various stock options depending on whether the company hit specific targets. While shareholders widely approved the package in 2018, one investor filed a lawsuit, claiming the board had misled them and that the scheme was unfair.

Why is a Delaware judge involved? While Musk has moved Tesla’s physical headquarters from California to Texas, like many other US companies it files its incorporation paperwork in the state of Delaware for tax purposes.

Joe Biden criticized by some supporters for pardoning son Hunter

President Joe Biden has been accused of putting his family above the country after he broke his promise and decided to exercise his executive authority to pardon his son Hunter’s convictions on gun licence and tax charges.

The president-elect, Donald Trump, used the pardon to raise the case of the jailed ringleaders of the 6 January 2021 assault on the US Capitol, whom he has hinted he will pardon when he returns to the White House, saying: “Does the Pardon given by Joe to Hunter include the J-6 Hostages, who have now been imprisoned for years?”

While reactions of outrage from Republicans were inevitable, stinging criticism also came from his own party. Jared Polis, the Democratic governor of Colorado, was among those who expressed disappointment, saying while he understood Biden’s instincts as a father, he had damaged his legacy. “I am disappointed that he put his family ahead of the country,” Polis wrote on social media. “This is a bad precedent that could be abused by later Presidents and will sadly tarnish his reputation.”

Has it been unanimously condemned? No – some Democrats came to Biden’s defence, agreeing with his view that Hunter’s prosecution was politically motivated.

In other news …

The UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, has said Britain will “never turn away” from its relationship with the US and “utterly rejected” the idea that it must choose between working with Donald Trump or the EU.

Idaho can enforce a landmark “abortion trafficking” law against those who host or take a minor out of state to get an abortion without parental consent, a federal appeals court has ruled.

A woman has been jailed for 25 years after she killed a bride who had just got married at a South Carolina beach in a drunk-driving crash.

Ireland’s two centre-right parties, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, appear set to retain power following a general election.

Stat of the day: more than 200 million people use ChatGPT weekly

More than 200 million people use ChatGPT weekly, according to its developer, OpenAI. But while cases of students using it for university essays abound, not all its users are employing it for work-related reasons. Interviews reveal that people are using AI to write messages to partners, turning to it for therapy, and even for “emotional labor”.

Don’t miss this: Tori Amos on trauma, Trump and Neil Gaiman: ‘It’s a heartbreaking grief’

Ahead of this week’s release of her new album, Diving Deep Live, Tori Amos gives an interview spanning Donald Trump’s re-election, sexism and her experiences as a young musician in Maryland. Amos, who has spent much of her career advocating for survivors, also opens up about the sexual misconduct allegations against her close friend Neil Gaiman: “In some ways it’s a heartbreaking grief.”

Climate check: Australia accused of undermining climate crisis case brought by Pacific nations

Several Pacific nations have accused Australia of undermining them in an international court after it argued that high-emitting countries were not obliged to tackle the climate emergency beyond their commitments under the 2015 Paris deal. In the case currently before the UN’s international court of justice, developing nations have argued that richer countries have a legal responsibility beyond existing UN frameworks.

Last Thing: orcas revive an 80s trend – salmon hats

The 1980s are back! For orcas, anyway: scientists have observed at least one of the whales balancing salmon on its head, a trend first documented in 1987 and labelled the “dead salmon hat”. Scientists are baffled by the reappearance of the fashion accessory, with some speculating it could be a way of combatting a shortage of food in certain areas of the sea – much like how a hiker might bring snacks on a long trek.

Sign up

First Thing is delivered to thousands of inboxes every weekday. If you’re not already signed up, subscribe now.

Get in touch

If you have any questions or comments about any of our newsletters please email [email protected]