President-elect Donald Trump has described a possible ceasefire as being “very close.”

“I understand ... there’s been a handshake and they are getting it finished -- and maybe by the end of the week,” Trump told the American cable channel Newsmax Monday night.

Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip killed at least 18 people overnight, including six women and four children, health officials said Tuesday, as Israel and Hamas appeared to be narrowing in on a ceasefire deal to end the 15-month war and release dozens of hostages.

Officials have expressed mounting optimism that they can conclude an agreement in the coming days after more than a year of talks that have repeatedly stalled.

President Joe Biden said Monday that his stewardship of American foreign policy has left the U.S. safer and economically more secure, arguing that President-elect Donald Trump will inherit a nation viewed as stronger and more reliable than it was four years ago.

Biden trumpeted his administration's work on expanding NATO, rallying allies to provide Ukraine with military aid to fight Russia and bolstering American chip manufacturing to better compete with China during a wide-ranging speech to reflect on his foreign policy legacy a week before ceding the White House to Trump.

Prominent Lebanese diplomat and judge Nawaf Salam was named PM-designate on Monday after he won sweeping support from legislators, as Hezbollah accused some parties of "staging an ambush aimed at disintegration, partitioning, elimination and exclusion."

The Presidency, which issued a decree naming Salam as PM-designate, said the latter received 84 votes as caretaker PM Najib Mikati received only nine votes and 35 MPs refrained from naming anyone.

A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.9 has hit southwestern Japan, the country's Meteorological Agency said Monday, while warning the public to stay away from coastal areas because of a tsunami threat.

Tsunami advisories were issued for Miyazaki Prefecture, where the quake was centered, in the southwestern island of Kyushu, as well as nearby Kochi Prefecture, shortly after the quake struck at 9:19 p.m. local time, according to the agency.

Russian President Vladimir Putin will host his Iranian counterpart this week for the signing of a broad partnership pact between Moscow and Tehran, the Kremlin said Monday.

The agreement on "comprehensive strategic partnership" between the countries will be signed during Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian's visit to Moscow on Friday, the Kremlin said.

Tottenham endured the humiliation of being taken to extra time by Tamworth, an opponent nearly 100 places lower in English soccer's pyramid, before winning 3-0 and avoiding one of the biggest shocks in FA Cup history on Sunday.

Defending champion Manchester United also advanced from the third round by beating Arsenal 5-3 in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw. Joshua Zirkzee converted the clinching penalty for United, which played from the 61st minute with 10 men following Diogo Dalot's sending-off.

President Joe Biden is about to have a lot more free time. He need look no further than past presidents for ideas on what to put on his retirement to-do list.

At age 82, Biden is the oldest U.S. president. In a recent interview with USA Today, he acknowledged uncertainty about his future stamina, saying, "Who knows what I'm going to be when I'm 86 years old?"

Some people across Los Angeles have worked for years to increase the number of trees that give respite from heat and air pollution.

The tree advocates have confronted increasing drought, bad trimming and objections from neighbors who resent leaves and sap. Now they wonder what this month's devastating fires have done to their efforts.

Arsenal's players are wearing an all-white uniform for its FA Cup third-round match against Manchester United on Sunday as part of the club's continuing campaign against knife crime and youth violence.

The campaign was launched in 2022 and this is the fourth season Arsenal has worn a kit "drained of the club's traditional red" to raise awareness.