☕️ Israel and Hamas reach ceasefire deal

Overnight it’s been revealed that Israel and Hamas have reached a ceasefire deal after 15 months of war.

The plan, which will be structured in multiple phases, will come into effect on Sunday. The first stage will see the release of some hostages held in Gaza in exchange for some Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.

In a press conference, U.S. President Joe Biden said: "I'm deeply satisfied this day has come, finally come, for the sake of the people of Israel and the families waiting in agony, and for the sake of the innocent people in Gaza who've suffered unimaginable devastation because of the war.”

Keep an eye on TDA for updates and explainers later today.

"I am not a perfect person, but redemption is real.”
The response from Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Defense, to allegations of sexual assault and professional misconduct (which he denies) during a Senate hearing.

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The number of Grand Slam matches Novak Djokovic has played as of yesterday, beating the record previously held by Roger Federer. Djokovic’s win over Jaime Faria at the Australian Open is one step closer to his goal of 25 Grand Slam tournament wins, which would be the most of all time.

1974
The novel "Jaws" by Peter Benchley was published. The infamous story of a large great white shark that preys upon a small Long Island resort town went on to become a blockbuster the following year.

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Officials are working to confirm the whereabouts of an Australian man reportedly killed by Russian forces while held as a prisoner of war.

Oscar Jenkins, who had been fighting with Ukrainian troops, was seen being interrogated by Russian soldiers in a video posted to Telegram in December.

If his death is confirmed, Jenkins would be the first Australian prisoner- of-war killed in more than 70 years.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the Government holds “grave concerns” for Jenkins’ welfare.

Oscar Jenkins, a 32-year-old Australian teacher, volunteered in Ukraine as a soldier following Russia’s invasion in February 2022.

In December, Alexander Sladkov, a Russian military correspondent for a state broadcaster, posted a video showing Jenkins being interrogated by Russian soldiers.

In the video, Sladkov asked Jenkins, whose hands were bound with duct tape, why he was in a Russian-controlled part of eastern Ukraine.

Last night, Seven News reported Jenkins had been killed by Russian captors, citing sources in Ukraine.

In a statement to TDA, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said: “The Australian Government is making urgent enquiries with the Ukrainian Government and the Russian Government following reports of Oscar Jenkins’ death.

“These reports have not been verified but we continue to have grave concerns for Mr Jenkins’ welfare.“

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters that officials have approached Russia’s ambassador about Jenkins.

“We remain gravely concerned,” Albanese said.

“If there has been any harm caused to Oscar Jenkins, that’s absolutely reprehensible.“

Foreign Minister Penny Wong told ABC Radio: “My thoughts are with Mr Jenkins’ family. They’ve lived with the fear and uncertainty of a loved one in the middle of a foreign war for many months.”

Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Birmingham urged the Government to expel Russia’s ambassador if reports of Jenkins’ death are confirmed.

“If Russia has engaged in such an egregious and illegal action then it must now be a catalyst for action,” Birmingham said in a statement to TDA.

“Nothing less than the recalling of Australia’s ambassador to Russia and expulsion of Russia’s ambassador to Australia would be sufficient in such circumstances.“

Reporting by Harry Sekulich.

South Korean investigators have detained the suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol for questioning.

It comes a month after President Yoon put the country under martial law (military control), before he was forced by lawmakers to walk back his decision.

If found guilty, Yoon could face the death penalty or life imprisonment.

In 1987, South Korea became a democracy, following decades of military rule. The country is governed by a democratically elected President and Parliament.

President Yoon, from the conservative People Power Party (PPP), was elected in 2022.

Despite Yoon’s election, the opposing Democratic Party of Korea (DP) holds a parliamentary majority, making it difficult for the PPP to enact policy.

Recently, the DP and the PPP have disagreed about the federal budget.

The South Korean Constitution allows the President to declare martial law, allowing the military to take control during war, armed conflict and similar national emergencies.

Martial law declarations override civil rights like freedom of speech and public gatherings.

On 3 December, President Yoon made a late-night televised address announcing South Korea was under martial law due to “the threat of North Korean communist forces” and the opposition, which he described as “anti-state forces”.

The announcement was met with widespread backlash and MPs raced to Parliament to vote to end military law within hours.

Following mass public protests, MPs (including from Yoon’s party) participated in a secret vote to remove Yoon from office on 14 December.

This impeachment motion passed 204 votes to 85. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who leads the PPP, was appointed Acting President.

Yoon’s leadership powers have been suspended, but he has not been officially removed from office.

Police have been investigating Yoon for corruption and insurrection over his decision to declare martial law.

In South Korea, the maximum penalty for leading a rebellion is death. However, no one has been executed there since 1997.

Yoon has denied wrongdoing, arguing the martial law declaration was in response to a legitimate threat, and was therefore lawful.

Earlier this month, a court in Seoul issued a warrant for Yoon’s arrest. The court also ordered searches of his home and office.

Prosecutors were blocked from conducting searches or arresting Yoon, who was under the protection of the Presidential security service.

Yoon’s impeachment trial began yesterday, but was suspended after four minutes because Yoon did not show up.

Investigators detained Yoon in front of hundreds of protesters and supporters camped outside his Seoul residence.

Police used ladders to climb over barricades set up by the president’s security service.

Anti-corruption investigators are now questioning Yoon over his declaration of martial law. They must release him after 48 hours and will be able to formally arrest him after that.

It will be the first time a serving leader has been arrested in South Korea.

Yoon is expected to be charged with abuse of power and insurrection.

President Yoon delivered a video message before his arrest, where he called the investigation “illegal” and said he agreed to authorities’ questioning to avoid “unsavoury bloodshed”.

The Opposition Democratic Party called Yoon’s detention the “first step to restoring the constitutional order and democracy”.

Reporting by Harry Sekulich.

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Priceless relics from the likes of William Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Oscar Wilde and Charles Dickens will be on display at Home of the Arts Gallery in Surfers Paradise from April.

Hand written letters, centuries old paintings, sketches and rare type scripts will be included in the Writers Revealed exhibition, which will run until August.

Want more good news? Sign up to our weekly Good Newsletter here - we promise it’ll make your week better!

Reporting by Emma Gillespie.

Meta has announced plans to remove 5% of its workforce in early 2025, targeting staff deemed “low-performers” as part of a push to raise performance standards.

With around 72,000 employees as of September, the move could see approximately 3,600 roles cut. Meta plans to replace those roles with new hires, aiming to secure what it described as the “strongest talent” for its operations.

The announcement made to employees this week comes in the wake of several announcements by CEO Mark Zuckerberg around Meta’s future.

Zuckerberg said the company would be walking back its diversity policies, and removing fact-checking to improve free speech.

Reporting by Rosa Bowden.

Depression affects around one in four young adults, but there’s still so much we don’t know about the role of biology in mental health disorders.

It’s what motivated researchers from around the world to conduct the “largest and most diverse” study of genetics and depression, led by the University of Edinburgh and King’s College in London.

Findings from the analysis of 700,000 genetic samples prove that “there is a strong biological basis to having depression.” The discovery of previously unknown genetic variants linked to depression could change the way it's diagnosed and treated.

Dr Brittany Mitchell from the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute was involved in the study, and joins us in the deep dive to talk through these findings.