☕️ The ceasefire, explained

I hope everyone has a lovely weekend planned. If you’re looking for news to keep your eye on (that’s something everyone looks for, right?) the U.S. TikTok ban is set to come into effect on Sunday.

For the more than 170 million TikTok users in the U.S, the app will no longer be accessible. We’ll check back in on Monday to see how that’s going.

“I was thinking during the match, if I’m out here, I might as well take that big fat pay cheque… so thank you guys, thanks for coming out here and supporting us tonight.”
American tennis star Danielle Collins in her post-match interview, mocking Australian fans who were booing her, after she won against Australian qualifier Destanee Aiava last night.

$400m
The amount Justin Baldoni is suing Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds in a new lawsuit filed overnight. Baldoni has accused the couple of civil extortion, defamation, and invasion of privacy. The lawsuit states: “This is a case about two of the most powerful stars in the world deploying their enormous power to steal an entire film right out of the hands of its director and production studio.” For more context on Blake Lively’s initial lawsuit against Baldoni, listen to our podcast here.

2021
Aleksey Navalny, a Russian politician and activist, was detained upon his re-entry to Russia following recovering from an assassination attempt in Germany. He was imprisoned, and ultimately died whilst incarcerated, causing global protests of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s government and their alleged involvement in Navalny’s death.

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Coles has announced it will remove kitchen knives from all its stores.

The decision follows an incident in Ipswich, Queensland, where a 63-year-old employee was stabbed by an underage customer.

Coles said the move is part of an ongoing review of its products.

On Monday afternoon, police arrested a 13-year-old boy at a Coles store in Ipswich in relation to the stabbing of a 63-year-old woman.

The woman was taken to hospital with serious injuries.

The boy has since been charged with attempted murder.

Coles said the move to stop selling kitchen knives comes amid a review of all of its products.

In an email to TDA, a spokesperson said: “The safety of our team members and customers is our number one priority across all aspects of our business.”

It comes a month after Woolworths removed knives from 350 stores in response to abuse of staff.

Last month, the newly-elected Liberal-National Queensland Government passed a law allowing judges to hand children convicted of serious crimes adult sentences.

Crimes covered by the law include murder and manslaughter, but not attempted murder.

Qld Premier David Crisafulli told media this week that following the stabbing, “there will be further changes to the [law]... I said [it] would be the first step”.

Reporting by Achol Arok.

Israel and Hamas have agreed to a ceasefire-hostage deal after 15 months of conflict, under an agreement negotiated by Egyptian, Qatari, and U.S. authorities.

The plan, which will take place over multiple phases, comes into effect on Sunday.

The final deal still needs to be approved by Israel’s cabinet, which is set to vote on the deal in the next 24 hours. A vote was set to take place earlier today, but was delayed due to last-minute disagreements with Hamas.

Since the deal’s announcement, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have bombed northern Gaza, killing at least 12.

Hamas, which Australia lists as a terrorist organisation, launched an attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, killing at least 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. Roughly 100 hostages remain captive in Gaza.

Israel responded by declaring war on Hamas and bombarding Gaza, causing a humanitarian crisis that has displaced at least 90% of the population.

At least 46,600 Palestinians have been killed in the past 15 months, according to data cited by the UN.

The ceasefire deal has three phases. Under Phase 1, there will be a complete ceasefire and the return of some hostages.

A ceasefire means both sides agree to stop fighting while officials negotiate the terms of a permanent truce.

Hamas will release 33 hostages over a six week period, including women, children, older adults and the wounded.

In exchange, Israel will release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, including several serving life sentences.

During this time, the IDF will be required to withdraw from central Gaza, and retreat to a buffer zone near the Israeli border.

The deal specifies 600 UN humanitarian trucks can enter each day. Officials have said delivering aid could be difficult due to Israel’s restrictions on some UN agencies and widespread looting.

The deal also allows displaced Palestinians to return to northern Gaza. The IDF’s extensive bombing campaign has reduced most of this area to rubble. U.S. research estimates bombing has destroyed 60% of all buildings in Gaza.

The specific details of Phase 2 will be confirmed during the six weeks of Phase 1, according to officials.

U.S. President Joe Biden said the negotiations would bring about a “permanent end to the war” across Phases 2 and 3. Biden also said if negotiations over Phase 2 lasted longer than the six weeks of Phase 1, “the ceasefire will continue”.

When Phase 2 begins, Hamas would release the remaining living hostages in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners in Israel, and the complete withdrawal of the IDF from Gaza.

Much of the negotiations in this part of the deal would relate to long-term reconstruction and the conditions needed for permanent peace in the region.

A big focus of this phase will be working out how Gaza will be governed in the long term.

In Phase 3, the remains of any hostages who have been killed would be exchanged for the implementation of a multi-year reconstruction plan in Gaza, to be administered by an international coalition.

Israel’s cabinet, which includes Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his senior ministers, now needs to approve the terms of the plan.

Whilst there has been some uncertainty as to when that vote will take place because of last-minute disagreements with Hamas, and the nature of the opposition from some of Israel’s far-right minor parties, it appears the vote will be held some time on Friday (local time).

However, Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said “a majority in the government... will support the agreement”.

Netanyahu said he would issue a formal response to the deal after it passed Israel’s cabinet.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog urged the cabinet to accept the deal, which he said would “[bring] our sons and daughters home”.

In a statement, Hamas said the deal was “an achievement for our people, our resistance, our nation, and the free people of the world. It marks a crucial turning point in the struggle against the enemy, on the path to achieving our people’s goals of liberation and return”.

Announcing the deal, President Biden said: “More than 15 months of terror for the hostages, their families, the Israeli people. More than 15 months of suffering by the innocent people of Gaza. Fighting in Gaza will stop. And soon the hostages will return home to their families.”

President-elect Donald Trump, who had said there would be “hell to pay” if the hostages were not released by his 20 January inauguration, posted on Truth Social saying his incoming administration has “achieved so much without even being in the White House”.

Biden said the current and incoming administrations have been working as ”one team” in the past weeks on the deal. Trump‘s pick for Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, had attended the negotiations in Qatar.

Other world leaders, including the UK’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron, have hailed the ceasefire and called on all sides to respect its terms.

Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani expressed hope that the ceasefire will usher in a “new phase” for the Middle East.

Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the ceasefire is a “new chapter for the Israeli and Palestinian people”.

“This is an important breakthrough,“ he told reporters this morning.

He called on all sides to observe the terms of the ceasefire in order to “safeguard a lasting peace”.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton also welcomed the deal, saying Australia “should now seek to re-establish its important relationship with Israel.”

Reporting by Harry Sekulich.

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Snakebites kill an estimated 100,000 people around the world annually. Research published in the journal Nature shows AI can design proteins quickly and cheaply, to successfully block the effects of toxins in deadly snake venom. Its hoped this AI breakthrough will lead to the development of synthetic treatments that can be used in medicine as a more accessible and effective alternative to traditional antivenoms.

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Reporting by Emma Gillespie.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has banned the use of red dye No. 3 (R3) in food, beverages, and medicines — over 30 years after scientists identified links between the dye and cancer in animals. It’s been banned in Australia for 20 years.

R3 is a synthetic dye that the FDA says gives foods and drinks a “bright, cherry-red colour”. It has been commonly used in lollies, baked goods, fruit products, beverages, and some medications.

The FDA’s decision is based on two studies that found male rats exposed to high levels of R3 developed cancer. However, the FDA noted that R3 causing cancer in rats doesn’t necessarily mean it will also occur in humans.

U.S. manufacturers have until January 2027 to remove R3 from food and until January 2028 to remove it from drugs.

Reporting by Rosa Bowden.

After 15 months of devastating conflict, Israel and Hamas have agreed to a ceasefire-hostage deal, marking a major turning point in the war. The agreement, brokered by Egyptian, Qatari, and U.S. authorities, is set to begin this Sunday. In today's deep dive, we'll break down what this means for the region and the prospects for lasting peace.