Good morning. Three women held hostage in Gaza over 15 months of devastating conflict have been freed by Hamas and are now back in Israel in the first tentative steps of a ceasefire deal aimed at ending the fighting. Palestinians have taken to Gaza’s ruined streets to celebrate – but many are worried the fragile agreement will break down and war will resume.
Meanwhile, the Australian government has been urged to intervene over revelations that thousands of products from Chinese firms blacklisted by the US over alleged forced Uyghur labour are continuing to flow into Australia.
And there’s tension at the Australian Open, with Novak Djokovic boycotting on-court interviews over what he called “insulting comments” from a Channel Nine reporter.
Australia
Green light | Australia is allowing thousands of imports from Chinese companies blacklisted by the US over alleged links to forced Uyghur labour, including a supplier of parts to Sydney Metro vehicles, government documents have revealed.
Gambling funds | Only 1.5% of the money lost by gamblers in poker machines in Victorian RSLs over several years went towards improving veteran welfare, new research has shown.
Debt recovery | Services Australia is chasing almost $5bn in unpaid debt – including debts dating back decades, and some which were potentially unlawfully calculated.
Visas granted | Almost 1,000 Palestinian and Israeli nationals have been offered temporary humanitarian visas in Australia since last October, new data shows, as the six-week ceasefire in Gaza begins.
‘We have a winner!’ | A Nine reporter has been stood down after allegedly taking a $50,000 payment from billionaire Adrian Portelli for referring to him as “McLaren guy”.
World
Gaza ceasefire | The first three hostages are back in Israel, after being released by Hamas as part of the Gaza ceasefire deal; can the Israel-Hamas agreement hold?, asks Peter Beaumont; “Should we grieve, rejoice or cry?”: Palestinians in Gaza react to the ceasefire; and Palestinian prisoners’ families say their houses were raided by Israeli forces.
TikTok ban | TikTok is restoring its services in the US after the president-elect, Donald Trump, pledged to give the Chinese-owned video app additional time to find a buyer before facing a total shutdown.
US politics | Deportations, tariffs, pardons: what Donald Trump has planned for day one of his presidency; the world braces for Trump, hoping for the best, unprepared for the worst, writes Patrick Wintour; Joe Biden posthumously pardons civil rights leader Marcus Garvey.
California wildfires | Buoyed up by an outpouring of support, Angelenos who lost their homes are preparing to rebuild their lives. But LA’s housekeepers, construction workers and gardeners – many of whom are undocumented immigrants – are watching their jobs go up in flames.
Baltic tensions | A Nato naval flotilla likened to “the security camera of the Baltic” has assembled off the coast of Estonia as it seeks to protect European undersea cables and pipelines from sabotage.
Full Story
Do multivitamins work?
Multivitamins offer the promise of guiding us to ultimate health. But are all vitamins created equal, and is there any proof behind the wellness claims? Reged Ahmed speaks with science writer Donna Lu about the multi-promises of multivitamins.
In-depth
At a remote outpost in Antarctica, the Million Year Ice Core project is hunting for ice that formed more than a million years ago. Bubbles of air trapped in that ancient ice could unlock secrets about Earth’s past climate, and help scientists understand our future. Donna Lu looks at the work of Australian scientists racing to find the world’s oldest ice – and unlock the secrets it holds.
Not the news
The adage about days feeling long when you’re a parent never feels truer than during the summer holidays, when the bickering, screen addiction and complaints of boredom seem unending. Sarah Ayoub cast around for tips from parents of school-age kids for their tips for surviving the final stretch of the school holidays: this is what they came up with.
Sport
Tennis | Novak Djokovic has boycotted on-court interviews at Australian Open over a reporter’s comments; Daniil Medvedev was fined more than half his prize money for his Australian Open behaviour; a semi-final duel looms as Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff run hot at Australian Open; and Jack Draper succumbs to injury as Carlos Alcaraz marches into Australian Open quarter-finals;
Cricket | Australia relish the pressure of the Women’s Ashes as England squander their chances, Beth Mooney writes.
Football | Everton sink Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham with a first-half blitz in the Premier League; André Onana’s blunder rocks sorry Manchester United; Manchester City thrash fragile Ipswich 6-0 to go fourth on the table.
Media roundup
New South Wales is the only state in Australia with optional preferential voting – and Labor is now thinking about tweaking the system, reports the Sydney Morning Herald. Reports of assaults at Victorian schools have surged by about 50% in the past two years, the Age reports. The olive perchlet, a tiny translucent native fish last seen in the wild in Victoria a century ago, is back from the brink of extinction, ABC News reports.
What’s happening today
Fiji | A man charged over the alleged sexual assault of a Virgin Australia crew member in Fiji is expected to seek bail.
NSW | Sentencing is due in Sydney for three people over an attempted $21m NAB fraud.
NSW | The Tamworth Country music festival continues.
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Brain teaser
And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow.
