Welcome, readers, to the Afternoon Update.
Israeli military forces have taken control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt, a key strategic objective and the sole gateway between Egypt and Gaza for humanitarian aid, Israeli military officials have confirmed.
The spokesperson of the Gaza border authority has confirmed the presence of Israeli tanks at the Rafah crossing, while aid officials in the territory said the flow of aid through the crossing has been halted.
It comes after reports that Hamas had informed Qatari and Egyptian mediators that the group had accepted their proposal for a ceasefire.
You can read our explainer on Israel’s Rafah assault here and follow the developments in our live blog.
Top news
Erin Patterson pleads not guilty to all charges | The woman accused of murdering and attempting to murder her relatives by serving them a meal laced with deadly mushrooms has pleaded not guilty to all charges. The court heard Patterson had elected to “fast track” her case, meaning she would skip a committal hearing in the magistrates court and proceed to what is known as a section 198 hearing in the supreme court, where the evidence against her would be tested for the first time.
Victoria unveils state budget | The Victorian government will delay construction of the long-awaited Melbourne airport rail by at least four years, postpone key election promises and scrap its lauded paid sick leave scheme for casuals in an effort to bring its growing debt under control. Treasurer Tim Pallas said he had been forced to make “sensible and disciplined decisions” in his 10th budget. Read about the winners and losers here.
Clare wants better outcomes for school students with disabilities | The education minister, Jason Clare, has said the next national agreement on school reform will be tied to improved outcomes for students with disabilities, amid a split with the states over increased funding levels. “I want students with disability to have the same educational opportunities as students without disability,” he told Guardian Australia.
Google releases ‘results about you’ tool in Australia | Google has released a new tool that enables Australian users to easily find search results containing their personal information and request its removal.
Australian couple sentenced to decades in prison for child sex abuse | Two men who committed hundreds of acts of child sexual abuse – including against family members and children at a childcare centre – have been sentenced to decades in prison for their crimes. The men, aged 25 and 30, were sentenced to 26 and 37 years in prison respectively.
Break up major supermarkets in cases of anti-competitive behaviour, report says | Major supermarkets should be forcibly broken up if they engage in anti-competitive behaviour, a Senate inquiry has recommended, in a move designed to empower shoppers and suppliers against Australia’s dominant food retailers.
Tasmania’s Mona to challenge decision on ladies-only lounge | The museum’s founder David Walsh and the artist Kirsha Kaechele announced that Mona would appeal an anti-discrimination decision that ordered the museum to allow men entry to its women-only Ladies Lounge.
Painting of vagina by Gustave Courbet sprayed with ‘MeToo’ | The Origin of the World, a 1866 nude painting by the French artist Gustave Courbet, was the target of a stunt by a performance artist who sprayed the words “MeToo” on the artwork, which was protected by a glass pane.
In pictures
Sand, corsets and power poses: the Met Gala 2024
The theme was JG Ballard’s 1962 short story The Garden of Time, which meant references to decay, lots of florals and more than one look that seemed to have nothing to do with anything.
What they said …
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“This needs to be a learning moment for all of us.”
The principal of Yarra Valley grammar school, Mark Merry, has told parents that two students involved in a spreadsheet ranking female classmates have been expelled.
Merry, who reported the list to the police, said their enrolment was “untenable”.
In numbers
The administrators of the bracing for a huge turnout at a meeting of creditors this week, with the federal court hearing that online voting options are being considered.
Before bed read
Storms, frogs and a kiss: how a group of scientists designed a message from humanity to aliens
When researching space objects and a far-flung message made for aliens, the Guardian’s Ceridwen Dovey was drawn to the question: what do we choose to memorialise – or forget?
Daily word game
Today’s starter word is: COPE . You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.
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