Welcome, readers, to the Afternoon Update.
The US and France have called for a 21-day temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah to make way for broader negotiations after an intense three-day bombing campaign that has killed more than 600 people.
As the UN secretary general, António Guterres, told a UN security council meeting that “hell is breaking loose” in Lebanon, Israel’s top general has said the country is preparing for a possible ground operation.
Following a joint statement from the US president, Joe Biden, and his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, the ceasefire push was endorsed by Australia, Canada, the European Union, Germany, Italy, Japan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. It has been reported that both Israel and Lebanon were expected to respond to the call “in the coming hours”.
As fears of a wider regional conflict grow, the Albanese government said Australian defence force personnel already deployed to the Middle East may be called on to help in an evacuation operation, but stressed it was “unlikely” to have the capacity to help the estimated 15,000 Australians still in Lebanon if the crisis worsened.
Top news
Notorious murderer killed in NSW prison | Aymen Terkmani, who battered a teenage boy to death after raping him in 2015, has died in a maximum-security Lithgow correctional centre after an assault on Wednesday left the 31-year-old critically injured.
Labor has ‘no plans’ to change negative gearing | Anthony Albanese has said his government is not considering taking negative gearing reforms to the next federal election, despite a growing number of Labor MPs saying the controversial tax write-offs on housing should be re-examined.
Three charges against high-profile Sydney man withdrawn during trial | The charges, including one count of rape, were withdrawn for an undisclosed reason and the complainant, set to be the sixth and final to testify in the trial, will no longer appear before the court. The court also heard today that the man used “hidden cameras” to secretly film his former girlfriend.
New York City mayor Eric Adams reportedly indicted | Adams will stay in office despite reports emerging that he had been indicted following a federal corruption investigation. It is still unclear what charges Adams, 64, will face.
Kamala Harris’s first solo TV interview | During the interview with MSNBC, the vice-president laid out her plan to boost the middle class and condemned her rival, Donald Trump, over his comments on abortion.
Trump-Zelenskyy feud escalates | The US House speaker has demanded that Ukraine fire its ambassador to Washington over a visit to a munitions factory in Scranton, Pennsylvania as Republicans accused the Ukrainian leader of election interference.
Aria awards 2024 | Royel Otis has swept the 2024 Aria award nominations, with the Sydney guitar duo up for eight prizes, and international heavy-hitters Dom Dolla, Kylie Minogue and Angie McMahon shortlisted in five categories.
Dye leak turns Sydney harbour water bright green | Residents in one of Sydney’s most affluent neighbourhoods were shocked to discover a bright green substance leaking into the harbour on Wednesday.
Dry and sunny weather forecast for AFL grand final | The Bureau of Meteorology’s official forecast for AFL grand final day in Melbourne is in! If the temperature reaches the forecast 23C on Saturday, this year’s grand final will rank among the warmest 20 VFL/AFL deciders.
In pictures
He’s 130, with three eyes and two girlfriends: meet New Zealand’s beloved tuatara Henry.
The unique reptile endemic to New Zealand is the sole survivor of an ancient species that once walked the Earth with dinosaurs.
What they said …
***
“Given it was freezing at around 4am in July, with no prospect of getting a locksmith, not having my phone and with my property around eight minutes’ walk/jog to parliament, I went to parliament to get my spare key.”
Kiama MP Gareth Ward has denied being drunk when he went to state parliament at 4am on a Sunday morning in July, insisting he was simply collecting a spare key after locking himself out of his apartment in his underwear.
In numbers
New CoreLogic data shows Sydney dominates the country’s million-dollar suburbs list, which has risen from a previous market peak of 26.9% in April 2022.
Before bed read
‘Jjigae is comfort food of the highest order’: my obsession with cooking Korea’s best-loved soups
Every week during winter, Jane Lee would order the same dish at a local Korean restaurant – a still-bubbling serve of sundubu jjigae. The ritual set off a fascination with the Korean soups – and a determination to recreate them at home.
Daily word game
Today’s starter word is: MOVE. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.
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