The latest on Rafah

Good morning!

Here is today’s riddle: What letter comes next: O T T F F S S?

Answer is in the tidbit!

I’ve got 10 seconds

Quote of the day

“If we’re not going to sing our own songs and we’re not going to tell our own stories, we’re just going to be this weird echo of the U.S. and the UK, and that’s not going to work out well for us.” 
TV personality Osher Günsberg on news that Channel 10 won’t film new seasons of The Bachelor and The Masked Singer, which he hosted, this year.

Stat of the day

$US649,000 ($AU982,000)
How much a U.S. company will pay in fines after authorities found it hired children as young as 13 to work night shifts cleaning slaughterhouses.

Today in history

1886
Coca-Cola was invented in the U.S. by Dr. John Pemberton who sold the first glass at Jacob’s Pharmacy.

I’ve got 30 seconds

Some headlines from this morning:

• A Victorian woman arrested for allegedly poisoning four people with mushrooms has pleaded not guilty in court. Erin Patterson’s in-laws were hospitalised after they fell sick from eating a meal allegedly prepared by Patterson at her home in regional Victoria in July last year. Three then died and the 49-year-old was charged with three counts of murder. She was also charged with attempted murder over multiple alleged attempts on her ex-husband’s life. Patterson denies all the charges against her. She will face Victoria’s supreme court later this month ahead of an expected trial later in the year.

• Donald Trump has been threatened with jail time if he continues to ignore a suppression order. The gag order was imposed on the former U.S. President to restrict his public comments during ongoing court proceedings. Trump is facing trial over an alleged cover up of hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels. A New York judge has warned Trump could be made to serve time behind bars if he continues to breach the order. Trump has already been fined $US1,000 ($AU1,500) for each individual breach of the order.

Recommendation of the day

I’ve got 1 minute

The Reserve Bank has left the cash rate unchanged at 4.35%

The Reserve Bank has kept the cash rate at 4.35% for the fourth consecutive time. The decision follows a two-day board meeting.

In a statement released on Tuesday afternoon, the RBA board said the decision was driven by persistent inflation and a “highly uncertain” economic outlook.

RBA Governor Michele Bullock is expected to address media to discuss the board’s decision later this afternoon.

Reserve Bank

The RBA is Australia's central bank. Its key responsibility is setting the 'cash rate' — an interest rate it charges commercial banks for short-term loans.

This rate influences the cost of borrowing across the economy, so changes to the cash rate are often called changes to 'interest rates'.

The RBA has regularly raised interest rates over the last two years to fight historically high inflation (rising prices). The current cash rate is 4.35%. It was 0.10% at the start of 2022.

How the cash rate has changed over the last two years:

What happens next?

The Reserve Bank will next meet to determine the cash rate in six weeks.

It will be the first board meeting after the Government hands down the federal budget next week.

The board used to meet monthly but changed to a six-week schedule at the start of the year. It followed a review, which recommended fewer meetings to allow more time for the board to consider decisions and consult with staff.

I’ve got 2 minutes

Israeli forces have now entered Rafah in southern Gaza

Israeli forces have entered the southern Gazan city of Rafah, in an operation they say is aimed at destroying Hamas targets.

In February, Israel vowed to advance into Rafah, where at least 1.4 million Palestinian people are estimated to be seeking refuge from the war.

Global powers, including the UN and U.S, have repeatedly warned Israel that attacking Rafah could significantly worsen the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Background

On 7 October, Hamas launched an attack on Israel. According to data cited by the UN, roughly 1,200 people were killed.

Hamas, which Australia lists as a terrorist organisation, captured about 240 hostages. 133 remain captive.

Israel responded by declaring war and bombarding Gaza. According to data cited by the UN, more than 34,700 Palestinians have been killed since 7 October. Israel’s war in Gaza has caused a humanitarian crisis.

Rafah

At the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, the Israeli military’s focus was on the north of the territory, causing civilians to flee to southern areas of Gaza, including Rafah.

Israel’s military has since moved southwards. It’s estimated at least 1.4 million people are currently sheltering in Rafah and an adjacent refugee camp to avoid the violence.

Rafah is approximately 64 square kilometres, meaning there are nearly 22,000 people per square kilometre, making it one of the most population-dense locations in the world.

The city is a critical point of entry for trucks delivering humanitarian aid from Egypt. Earlier this year, the UN children’s agency, UNICEF, warned a ground invasion in Rafah would bring “catastrophe on top of catastrophe”.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres also previously said an assault on Rafah would end up “killing thousands more civilians and forcing hundreds of thousands to flee”.

Evacuation

On Monday, senior Israeli ministers approved plans for the country’s army to move into Rafah.

About 100,000 civilians were told by the IDF to evacuate to two nearby cities in southern Gaza, Al-Mawasi and Khan Yunis. However, according to the Red Cross, “there is...no room for 100,000 people in the areas that [they] have been told to flee to“.

IDF strikes

The IDF confirmed yesterday it had taken control of the Gazan side of the Rafah border crossing, after a rocket killed several Israeli soldiers.

It said it had struck about “50 terrorist targets” in eastern Rafah and “eliminated 20 terrorists”.

The IDF also said it had uncovered three tunnels being used by Hamas in Rafah.

UN response

The main UN agency that aids Palestinians in Gaza said: “The biggest problem we have in the last 24 - 48 hours is the [Rafah] border crossing and not having enough aid supplies come in...

“The catastrophic hunger faced by people especially in northern Gaza will get much worse if these supply routes are interrupted.“

U.S. response

The U.S. is Israel’s closest ally.

According to the White House, U.S. President Joe Biden spoke to Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this week and warned him against launching an invasion into Rafah.

National security spokesperson John Kirby said: "We’ve been very clear that we don’t support a major ground operation in Rafah [and] operations in general that put at greater risk the more than a million people that are sheltering there.”

Ceasefire

Shortly after Israel indicated it would enter Rafah, Hamas declared it would agree to a variation of the latest ceasefire deal proposed in Egypt last month.

A statement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said “the Hamas proposal is far from meeting Israel’s core demands”.

Israel has said it’ll now send a delegation to Egypt to work towards “reaching an agreement on terms acceptable to Israel”.

A message from our sponsor

Heading overseas?

Whether you’re planning to escape the Aussie winter or you’re just in the dreaming stage, it’s better to stay on top of any important travel advice now, so you can focus on the fun when you touch down.

Plan ahead

With advice on over 175 destinations, Smartraveller has information on everything from visas and vaccines, to local laws and customs, so you can make sure your trip goes smoothly.

Make Smartraveller your first destination and sign up for free destination specific updates now!

Share The Daily Aus

Enjoyed the newsletter?

If you want your friends to wake up with us too, forward this email to them or send them your unique link: https://www.newsletter.thedailyaus.com.au/subscribe?ref=PLACEHOLDER

Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Sign up here (it’s free!)

Give me some good news

Critically endangered blue whale populations could be bouncing back.

The Australian Antarctic Division reported a likely stable or potentially increasing population rate had been detected by their radars.

Although they’re the largest animals on earth, blue whales are difficult to spot in the ocean, and it’s their sound that scientists have been tracking. Research has tracked an increased frequency of whale sounds which helps marine scientists better understand the species.

TDA tidbit

If you love oysters, you’ll love today’s tidbit. 

Australia’s biggest oyster has weighed in at 3.01 kilograms. 

The oyster, named Jill, had been growing for nearly 10 years under the care of oyster farmer Bernie Connell. 

The Connell family also managed to take out second and third place at the Narooma Oyster Festival. 

While Jill holds the number one spot in Australia’s oyster scene, Connell is currently waiting for approval from the Guinness World Records to crown Jill as the world’s biggest oyster.

*

*

*

Riddle answer: Th letter ‘E’. The pattern is the first letter of: One, Two, Three, Four etc.

Want more from The Daily Aus? Listen to our podcast!

Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson, and their American friend Jack Carter Rhoad, have been confirmed dead in the Mexican state of Baja California, days after their family first raised the alarm that they were believed missing.

Police allege they were murdered, possibly because thieves wanted their car tyres. In today’s deep dive, we’ll run through the timeline of what we know about their deaths.

TDA asks