TRANSCRIPT:
A ceasefire between Iran and Israel appears to be holding after a shaky start.
US President Donald Trump had expressed frustration with both sides, saying they have fought for so long and so hard that they don't know what they are doing.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel's war against Iran has "brought to ruin" the country's nuclear program.
"Today, in the early hours of the morning, hours before the ceasefire, we dealt the Iranian regime its strongest blow since the beginning of the war, and even its most devastating since its establishment. We destroyed hundreds of the regime's factories and personnel, in a devastating blow that Tehran had not suffered in 50 years."
He says Israel destroyed nuclear facilities in Natanz, Isfahan and the Arak heavy water reactor.
US intelligence sources say US military strikes on three of Iran’s nuclear facilities last weekend did not destroy the core components of the country’s nuclear program.
The Pentagon’s intelligence arm, the Defense Intelligence Agency, produced the assessment, which was first reported by network CNN.
It is based on a battle damage assessment conducted by US Central Command in the aftermath of the US strikes.
The assessment estimates the strikes would likely only set Iran's nuclear program back by months.
Analysis is ongoing and could change as more intelligence becomes available.
More than 100 Australian citizens have been airlifted out of Israel aboard an Australian military jet, after the country’s airspace was opened.
The passengers, including 118 Australians and one New Zealand citizen, left Tel Aviv in the early hours of Wednesday.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers says there are many more still hoping for government assistance to escape the conflict in the Middle East.
He says the Department of Foreign Affairs and the military are working tirelessly to ensure that Australians can be safely removed from the danger zone.
"There's still thousands of Australians who have registered to get out of Iran and to get out of Israel and we will continue to work really hard and around the clock to take the opportunities when they arise to get more people out."
Journalist Antoinette Lattouf has won an unlawful termination case against the ABC in the Federal Court.
Justice Darryl Rangiah handed down his judgment in a courtroom today.
Ms Lattouf was taken off air during a casual role as an ABC Radio Sydney presenter in December 2023.
Her former employer said she had breached the organisation's social media policy by sharing a post by Human Rights Watch reporting that starvation was being used as a tool of war in Gaza.
The court ordered that the ABC pay Ms Lattouf compensation of $70,000.
A potential pecuniary penalty will be determined at a later hearing.
Justice Rangiah did not order any penalties against the national broadcaster as sought by the journalist.
Federal Health Minister Mark Butler says government changes to improve the private health system will not push up premiums.
The government has put pressure on private health insurers to increase the amount they pay to private hospitals, as part of efforts to strengthen the private hospital system.
Traditionally, insurers paid around 90 per cent of premiums to private hospitals, but this slipped substantially during COVID, with more money going towards management and operations.
Mark Butler says the government's efforts to improve the situation have been working - and payments from insurers to hospitals will reach around 87 per cent this financial year.
But he says the higher payments to hospitals should not mean higher premiums.
"It's not about the amount that families are paying private health insurers, it's a question of what happens after the families pay that private health insurance money. And the fact is that over the last several years, it's been clear insurers have been keeping more of the cash for themselves and paying less for the hospitals. That's what's got to change."
In men's lawn hockey, the Kookaburras had nothing to laugh about in Berlin on Tuesday night as Germany stormed back from two goals down to claim a 3-2 win.
The loss to Germany rubbed salt into the wound after the Kookaburras went down 1-2 to England on Sunday.
Australia came out with the intensity that had seen them win five from six matches on their European tour.
But a second-half resurgence from Germany saw the hosts deliver a blistering third quarter to snatch the lead and hold on in the final minutes.
The match was the 105th international appearance in green and gold for Queensland defender Tim Howard.
