Welcome, readers, to Afternoon Update.
Donald Trump has said Israel and Iran have negotiated a ceasefire, halting a two-week war that has killed hundreds in tit-for-tat strikes.
There was much confusion in the past few hours about the timing and terms of the ceasefire. It was set to begin early on Tuesday morning (Iran time), according to Trump, with Iran halting its attacks first and then Israel set to cease offensive operations.
However, the exact timings of the ceasefire remained unclear. There was no immediate confirmation from Israeli officials and fighting continued into Tuesday morning. Iran’s foreign affairs minister seemed to suggest that a cessation of hostilities had begun, saying that if Israeli strikes ceased Iran had “no intention to continue our response afterwards”.
Then, just after 3pm AEST, President Trump took to his social media platform, Truth Social, to proclaim the ceasefire was live.
“THE CEASEFIRE IS NOW IN EFFECT,” he wrote. “PLEASE DO NOT VIOLATE IT!”
Then, at 4.30pm AEST, the Israeli government confirmed it had agreed to the ceasefire proposal brokered by the US.
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In video
A public health advertisement that campaigned to make New Zealand “the best place in the world to have herpes” has won a top prize at the Cannes Lions – one of world’s most prestigious advertising awards. The campaign, launched by the New Zealand Herpes Foundation in October last year, attempts to challenge decades of entrenched stigma around genital herpes.
What they said …
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“The service models that Australia needs already exist. They’ve been built by experts, refined over years, and proven to work. Hope lies there.”
Eight years ago, the royal commission into institutional responses to child sexual abuse made recommendations to address the crisis but the delivery of critical services has been protracted and mishandled – with dire consequences, writes the 2021 Australian of the year and activist, Grace Tame.
In numbers
The 17,000 living in foster care in NSW have been granted some reprieve in the state’s 2025 budget. As well as vulnerable children, the premier, Chris Minns, and the treasurer, Daniel Mookhey, found room for a handful of big-spending items. Luca Ittimani breaks down the budget winners and losers here.
Before bed read
Author Sophie Quick spent five years tuning in to money mentors, divorce coaches and habit-stacking advisers. She has been life-coached into oblivion. After following 400 online gurus, Sophie has learned that hustling is out, and healing is in.
Daily word game
Today’s starter word is: HERO. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.
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