BTN Newsbreak 24/06/2025
CEASEFIRE
Early this morning, President Donald Trump announced on social media that Israel and Iran have agreed to a "complete and total" ceasefire that would begin later in the day. The post came soon after Iran launched missiles at a US Military base in Qatar, in retaliation for the US bombing three of Iran's nuclear sites over the weekend. The news of a ceasefire was welcomed by leaders around the world. In the hours leading up to President Trump officially announcing the ceasefire had begun, Iran launched a number of deadly attacks on Israel. However, many are hoping President Trump's declaration of a ceasefire will now lead to a more permanent end to the fighting.
SOCIAL MEDIA BAN
Australia's eSafety Commissioner wants YouTube to be added to the government's social media ban. The ban is set to come into effect in December of this year, but some of the details are still being hashed out. YouTube was initially going to be part of the ban, but then was made exempt, with the government saying it helped young people access education and health support they needed. But now E-Safety Commissioner Julie Inman-Grant wants the government to reconsider.
LAB GROWN MEAT
Food regulators say we're now allowed to eat meat made from a lab, and surprisingly, it doesn't look as weird as you'd think. The meat on that plate was created by Sydney company Vow. They collected individual cells from a Japanese Quail, which is a small bird, without harming it, and put them in a large tank of liquid like this one. It's turned into a paste, which then gets made into a meat product. Meat has been made this way for over a decade, but only handful of countries like Singapore and the Netherlands approved it as safe for sale. After a 2 year approval process, this quail meat from Vow has been approved in Australia, and could hit restaurant menus in a couple months. So is it something you'd be keen to try?
LARGEST DIGITAL CAMERA
First to the air with the world's largest digital camera at an observatory in Chile, designed to help us learn more about space. This animation has been made from the camera's first 1,100 images, revealing around 10 million galaxies.
WHALE TOOLS
Now to the sea where some very clever Orcas, who for the first time ever, have been caught on camera using tools! Yep, these two whales have rolled a bunch of kelp together, which scientists believe they designed to help groom each other.
FINKE CRASH
And finally to... land. Yeah these guys were recently racing in the Northern Territory's Finke Desert Race, when their car took a tumble. Now, they've released footage of the crash from inside the vehicle. No-one was injured at all, thank goodness, and the drivers involved say it's all thanks to careful planning and safety systems.
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News.com.au
18 minutes ago
- News.com.au
‘You have 12 hours': Audio of threatening phone call between Israel and Iranian general emerges
Audio of an ominous phone call between an Israeli intelligence officer and a senior Iranian general has shed new light on the covert activity happening behind the scenes of the conflict between the two countries. The Washington Post obtained and published the audio, from a call which took place mere hours after Israel launched its initial strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities on June 13. This morning, US President Donald Trump announced a tentative ceasefire between the nations, which have been bombing each other sporadically for more than a week. You can read more about that in our live coverage. Back to the phone call. The Post removed the voice of the general to avoid identifying him. The paper said the agent with Israel's intelligence agency, Mossad, had already been digitally altered when it obtained the recording. This is how the conversation unfolded. 'I'm calling from a country which, two hours ago, sent Salami, Bagheri and Shamkhani to hell,' the agent said, referring to senior Iranian targets killed by Israel, among them Hossein Salami, the head of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps. 'And now for you, now I'm suggesting you...' There was crosstalk at that point, and the Mossad agent had to ask whether the general could actually hear him. 'Listen carefully. I'm calling from a country that – I'll explain to you. Listen carefully,' he said, trying again. 'I'm calling from a country that, two hours ago, sent Bagheri, Salami, Shamkhani, one by one, to hell. 'I can advise you now, you have 12 hours to escape with your wife and child. Otherwise you are on our list right now. All of you, one by one, are on the list that I am looking at, and you are our next targets. 'We will hit you, your family, your children, everyone, with the dirt. I only called to tell you, while there's time. I will give you a reprieve. Like I said, 12 hours from this very minute that I spoke to you, you have time to escape. 'If not, you have no one to blame but yourself. We're closer to you than your own neck vein. Put this in your head. May God protect you.' The Iranian seemed confused in response, prompting the Israeli agent to reiterate his message. 'All of these savages, all of these people like Salami, we sent them to that same place they should have gone to much earlier,' said the Israeli agent. 'Do you want to be one of them? Do you want to be the next one on the list? Do you also want to destroy your wife and child?' There was a long pause. 'So what should I do now?' the general asked. 'I'm telling you right now. I gave you a proposal,' said the Israeli. 'Say it,' said the Iranian. 'You have 12 hours to make a video saying, 'We have walked away from this government, and we are unwilling to sacrifice our lives for people who destroyed our country for 46 years. They only killed, stole took. They only cut the children of this country into pieces,'' said the Mossad agent. 'Well, how should I send it to you?' the general asked. 'I will send you a Telegram ID. Send it,' said the agent. 'Look, we have everything on you. It seems you haven't understood. It's clear you don't even understand where you are right now. 'I'm telling you we hit all your leaders. We turned them into powder. Now you're sitting here, and you think you're talking to me. I'm calling to give you a proposal to save your wife and child, you wretch. Are you confused?' The call ended with more logistics about how, exactly, the Iranian general was supposed to send the video to Israel. Iran and Israel have been trading fire ever since those initial Israeli air strikes on June 13. The United States then joined in, bombing three Iranian nuclear sites. Today, hopes of a de-escalation were bolstered when Iran responded to the American attack with a token strike on a US base in Qatar, which resulted in no casualties. That was followed by Mr Trump's announcement of a ceasefire. 'CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYONE!' Mr Trump wrote on social media. 'It has been fully agreed by and between Israel and Iran that there will be a Complete and Total CEASEFIRE (in approximately six hours from now, when Israel and Iran have wound down and completed their in progress, final missions!), for twelve hours, at which point the WAR will be considered, ENDED! 'Officially, Iran will start the CEASEFIRE and, upon the 12th Hour, Israel will start the CEASEFIRE and, upon the 24th hour, an Official END to THE 12 DAY WAR will be saluted by the World. 'During each CEASEFIRE, the other side will remain PEACEFUL and RESPECTFUL. On the assumption that everything works as it should, which it will, I would like to congratulate both Countries, Israel and Iran, on having the Stamina, Courage, and Intelligence to end, what should be called, 'THE 12 DAY WAR'. 'This is a War that could have gone on for years, and destroyed the entire Middle East, but it didn't, and never will! God bless Israel, God bless Iran, God bless the Middle East, God bless the United States of America, and GOD BLESS THE WORLD! 'DONALD J. TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.' It was later reported that Iran had agreed to the ceasefire proposal via Qatar, which as acted as an intermediary between the United States, Israel and both Iran and Hamas.
News.com.au
18 minutes ago
- News.com.au
Sussan Ley to hero 'aspirational Australians' in first NPC address as Liberal Leader
Sussan Ley is set to outline how the Liberal Party intends to 'rebuild trust' with Australian voters after admitting the party was 'smashed' on the May 3 federal poll, stating her 'focus' will be on 'aspirational Australians'. After the party was reduced to a mere 43 seats, the Opposition Leader is set to use Wednesday's National Press Club address to acknowledge the party's abysmal performance, stating that: 'We didn't just lose. We got smashed'. Notably, Ms Ley's attendance at the Canberra institution also bucks the trend set by her predecessor Peter Dutton, who was criticised by Anthony Albanese for snubbing the tradition. While Ms Ley's speech won't detail any firm policy commitments, with the party still undertaking an election post-mortem, she is expected to comment on the party's new approach to policy and outline priority areas she aims to focus on in the next three years. She will also outline her plan to rebuild the Liberal Party into a 'effective alternative' before the next election, Ms Ley will say that the new-look party will restore living standards and reward 'aspirational Australians'. She will also identify the cost-of-living crisis, stagnant wages and the barriers to home ownership as key barriers to success. 'Aspiration is the foundation of the Australian promise: that if you work hard, play by the rules, do your best for your kids and contribute to your community, you will be able to build a better life for yourself and your family,' she said. 'That promise feels distant for many Australians today.' Ms Ley is also set to define her vision of 'modern Australia' in an attempt to win back key groups alienated by the Liberal Party in May. This includes women, young voters and people in metro areas, with the party progressively losing its hold in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth and completely wiped out in Adelaide. Instead, Ms Ley will describe Modern Australia as 'diverse, dynamic and ambitious,' and 'made up of people from every corner of the world'. Her comments will also indicate that the Liberals will make a concerted effort to appeal to 'families raising children in the suburbs,' plus young people entering the workforce, renters, students and older Australians 'who helped build this country'. 'Modern Australia is not just one story. It's all of them,' she is expected to say. 'And our party must be big enough to represent that shared experience.'
SBS Australia
23 minutes ago
- SBS Australia
Trump drops expletive while accusing Israel and Iran of violating ceasefire
Iranian and Israeli media have reported new Israeli airstrikes on Iran, despite United States President Donald Trump having said Israel had called them off at his command to preserve an hours-old ceasefire . Two explosions were heard in the capital on Tuesday, Iran's judiciary news outlet Mizan reported, according to the Reuters news agency. Israeli army radio said Israel had struck an Iranian radar site near Tehran. The strikes took place minutes after Trump said Israel had called off its attack in response to his command. "All planes will turn around and head home, while doing a friendly 'Plane Wave' to Iran. Nobody will be hurt, the Ceasefire is in effect!" Trump said in a post on Truth Social. Trump had earlier accused both Israel and Iran of violating the ceasefire, while expressing particular frustration with Israel which had announced major new strikes on Tehran. "Israel. Do not drop those bombs. If you do it it is a major violation. Bring your pilots home, now!" Trump wrote on Truth Social shortly after he left the White House for a trip to a NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands. Before boarding, Trump told reporters he was "not happy" with either side for violating the truce, but particularly with Israel, which he said had launched huge strikes in response to a single missile launch which might have been unintentional. "I've got to get Israel to calm down now," Trump said as he left the White House. Iran and Israel had been fighting "so long and so hard that they don't know what the f--k they're doing," he said before turning away from cameras and heading to his helicopter. Israeli media reported that Trump spoke to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by phone. A reporter for Axios said that Netanyahu had told Trump that Israel would scale back the bombing mission rather than cancel it. There was no immediate word from Netanyahu's office. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz had said earlier on Tuesday that he had ordered the military to mount new strikes on targets in Tehran in response to what he said were Iranian missiles fired in a "blatant violation" of the ceasefire. Iran denied launching any missiles and said Israel's attacks had continued for an hour and a half beyond the time the ceasefire was meant to start.
