US and Iran agree to provisional ceasefire as Tehran says it will reopen strait of Hormuz | First Thing
Donald Trump abandons threat for Iran to surrender or face destruction. Plus, why some people are ‘bad texters’
Good morning.
The US and Iran agreed to a two-week conditional ceasefire deal on Tuesday evening, which includes a temporary reopening of the strait of Hormuz.
The truce was agreed after a last-minute diplomatic intervention led by Pakistan, canceling Donald Trump’s ultimatum for Iran to surrender or face annihilation. The deal came less than two hours before the deadline Trump had set for bombing Iran’s power plants and bridges – which legal experts had said could constitute war crimes.
The ceasefire process was clouded in uncertainty after Iran released two different versions of the 10-point plan intended as the basis for negotiations. The Farsi version including the phrase “acceptance of enrichment” for its nuclear program, which was absent from the English translation shared with journalists.
How does the ceasefire affect Israel and Lebanon? The Israel prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said Israel backed the US ceasefire with Iran – but that the deal did not cover fighting against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Israeli attacks have killed more than 1,500 in Lebanon.
What has Trump said about the Iranian 10-point plan? He has called it a “workable basis on which to negotiate”. Here’s what’s in it.
Follow our liveblog for the latest developments.
Republican wins Georgia runoff election to replace Marjorie Taylor Greene
The Republican candidate Clay Fuller has won a runoff election in Marjorie Taylor Greene’s former district in north-west Georgia.
Despite Fuller backing the war in Iran, and the Democratic candidate, Shawn Harris, opposing it, Republicans succeeded in holding on to the seat in the conservative-leaning House on Tuesday night.
How much of a margin do Republicans have in Georgia? The GOP currently holds the state House with a three-vote margin.
JD Vance accuses EU of ‘interference’ as he visits Hungary to help Orbán win election
JD Vance has accused the EU of interfering in Hungary’s forthcoming elections, even as the US vice-president made no effort to conceal that he had travelled to Budapest to “help” Viktor Orbán win Sunday’s vote.
Speaking to reporters shortly after landing in Budapest on Tuesday, Vance attacked the EU, claiming the bloc was responsible for “one of the worst examples of foreign election interference” he had ever seen.
Yet he added he had come to help Orbán before a race in which Orbán faces the possibility of being ousted after 16 years in power. “Of course, I want to help, as much as I possibly can, the prime minister as he faces this election season,” said Vance.
What are the dividing lines in the election? Orbán is arguing that the war in Ukraine poses a deep threat to Hungary, while his rival, Péter Magyar, has urged voters to focus on domestic issues such as economic stagnation, weakened social services and corruption.
In other news …
A 10-year-old Palestinian girl who lost her arm in an Israeli strike has arrived in the UK for specialist treatment after the US halted visas for Palestinians.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents shot a man in a vehicle in northern California on Tuesday, requiring him to be taken to hospital.
A California sheriff has seized about 650,000 ballots over specious claims of fraud, prompting fears that similar actions could undermine confidence in elections this fall.
The US journalist Shelly Kittleson, who was kidnapped in Baghdad last week, has been released, the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, has said.
Stat of the day: Trump’s approval rating falls below 40%
Donald Trump’s approval rating has dropped below 40% to the lowest level of his second presidency. The survey by Issues & Insights/Tipp Poll, conducted between 31 March and 2 April, showed that 39% of respondents viewed Trump positively, 53% had a negative opinion, and 8% were unsure.
Well Actually: I never text back – and it’s ruining my relationships
We all have a friend who is terrible at replying to messages – or perhaps it’s you who takes ages to write back. But are some people really “bad texters”, or is it just that they cannot be bothered to respond?
Don’t miss this: Segregation stories: Gordon Parks in the US south – in pictures
Gordon Parks, one of the most influential artists of the 20th century, photographed Black family life in postwar Alabama, capturing the dignity and resilience people showed despite living under discriminatory Jim Crow laws. His work is being exhibited in Atlanta on the 70th anniversary of the publication of Parks’s landmark images of the segregated US south in Life magazine.
Climate check: Climate health impacts are ‘mother of all injustices’, Christiana Figueres says
The world is being “held hostage” by its reliance on fossil fuels, a former UN climate chief has said, describing the health impacts of climate breakdown as “the mother of all injustices”. Christiana Figueres, who helped produce the 2016 Paris agreement, will co-chair a Lancet commission examining how sea-level rise is affecting health, wellbeing and inequality, as it pollutes drinking water, damages food supplies and drives displacement.
Last Thing: Anna Wintour shares Vogue cover with Hollywood doppelganger Meryl Streep
The editor of Vogue, Anna Wintour, has appeared on the fashion magazine’s cover alongside her Hollywood doppelganger, Meryl Streep. Photographed by Annie Leibovitz alongside the actor, who plays Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada, Wintour described the character based on her as an “extraordinary gift”.
Sign up
First Thing is delivered to thousands of inboxes every weekday. If you’re not already signed up, subscribe now.
Get in touch
If you have any questions or comments about any of our newsletters please email newsletters@theguardian.com