Welcome, readers, to Afternoon Update.
Israel and Hamas have agreed to the “first phase” of a peace plan to pause fighting and release hostages and prisoners held in Gaza, bringing the best hope yet of a definitive end to a bloody two-year conflict that has killed ten of thousands, destabilised much of the Middle East and prompted protests across the world.
Donald Trump announced the agreement on his Truth Social network saying all of the hostages held in Gaza would be released soon and Israel would withdraw troops to an agreed upon line as the first step to a “Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace”.
On the streets of Tel Aviv tearful families of people taken hostage by Hamas hugged, cheered, some popping champagne, as they heard the news. Meanwhile, Palestinians in Gaza reacted to the news with a mix of joy and disbelief.
You can follow our live updates here, read our detailed explainer on the peace deal here and our analysis on the Gaza ceasefire deal, which could be Trump’s biggest diplomatic achievement – but the devil is in the detail.
Top news
University of Melbourne rated best in Australia in global rankings report
4chan unlikely to be included in Australia’s under-16s social media ban, eSafety commissioner says
Erin Patterson should never be released over mushroom murders, prosecutors tell sentence appeal
Court prohibits pro-Palestine march to Sydney Opera House after police raise safety concerns
Chris Minns’ chief of staff in constitutional showdown with parliament over 120-year-old law
In pictures
Has finding an affordable home in Australia just gotten harder? Thanks, global warming, writes Guardian Australia cartoonist Fiona Katauskas.
What they said …
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“I apologise to business managers the world over, because productivity does collapse. In the lead up to fledging there’s almost permanent watch parties going on” – peregrine expert Dr Victor Hurley.
Thousands of viewers have already tuned in to see a fluffy trio of falcon chicks born atop a Melbourne skyscraper, but the real cliffhanger is yet to come. Over the next few weeks, teetering from a ledge 150m above 367 Collins Street, the birds will learn to fly. It’s heart-in-mouth viewing, and as the big day approaches – in early November – the falcon livestream will begin popping up in the corner of screens, in office buildings around the country, with tens of thousands of viewers expected to tune in.
Full Story
Who will take the trophy in the Australian bird of the year 2025?
Over the coming week, hundreds of thousands of Australians will cast their vote in an election unlike any other. In the fifth bird of the year competition, Guardian Australia and BirdLife Australia celebrate the diversity and wonder of our unique and native bird life.
Deputy editors Gabrielle Jackson and Patrick Keneally and BirdLife Australia’s Sean Dooley tell Reged Ahmad about the scandals of elections past, why the poll matters and which bird will get their vote.
Before bed read
Some people go undercover when ordering takeaway. Adopting an alias is understandable when your name is commonly mistranslated. Sometimes customers will refuse to give a name, sometimes they’ll choose alternate identities because their Anglo name is too common – here’s what baristas think of the practice.
Daily word game
Today’s starter word is: EDS. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.
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