Our daily voyage around the world

💥 Israel proposed a two-month ceasefire with Hamas in exchange for the release of all remaining hostages. The proposal, made through Qatari and Egyptian mediators on Monday, includes the longest period of ceasefire that Israel has offered Hamas since the start of the war. Israeli officials say more than 130 hostages captured in Hamas’ October 7 surprise attack are still being held in Gaza – and yesterday, Egypt said Hamas officials have indicated they’re open to discussing a deal to release some Israeli hostages in exchange for a significant pause in fighting. Both Israel and Hamas have rejected multiple proposals since the last cease-fire ended on November 30.

🇨🇦 Canada is limiting the number of international student visas. There are currently over 800,000 international students in Canada, up from 214,000 a decade ago. The government’s new two-year cap will decrease visas by 35% to address Canada’s ongoing housing crisis, which has been driven by the country’s rising population (currently ~40 million). In 2022, Canada’s population grew by 1+ million people annually for the first time ever, with the majority of growth driven by newcomers.

🌍 Energy prices fell across Europe due to Storm Isha boosting wind power. The storm’s 100+ mph hurricane-force winds brought increased wind power generation across several European nations on Monday, causing electricity prices to turn negative in Germany and France for several hours as wind energy supply outstripped demand. In the UK, a record-high 71% of national electricity demand was met by wind power generated during Storm Isha.