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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Mike Hohnen

Afternoon Update: students suspended for spreadsheet rating female classmates; IDF urges evacuation in Rafah; and the North Yorkshire grammar furore

Jacinta Allan
Victoria’s premier says she was ‘devastated’ at the ‘disgusting’ document compiled by some students at Yarra Valley grammar. Photograph: Diego Fedele/AAP

Welcome, readers, to Afternoon Update.

Three male students at a Melbourne private school have been suspended after they compiled a spreadsheet of photos of their female classmates and reportedly ranked them from top to bottom as “wifeys”, “cuties”, “mid”, “object”, “get out” and “unrapable”.

The Victorian premier says she was “utterly devastated” by the “disgusting” spreadsheet compiled by the group of boys at Yarra Valley grammar in the city’s east. The school’s principal, Mark Merry, condemned the document, saying he was “shocked” and “outraged”.

“What has been said can’t be unsaid and now we’re facing the consequences of it here at the school,” he said.

The incident follows rallies across the country calling for cultural and legislative changes to protect women, after nearly 30 women have died at the hands of a man since the start of 2024.

• Information and support for anyone affected by rape or sexual abuse issues is available from the following organisations. In Australia, support is available at 1800Respect (1800 737 732).

Top news

  • Bodies identified as missing Australian brothers | Mexican authorities have identified a set of remains as missing Australian brothers Callum and Jake Robinson, as confirmed by their parents who are now in Mexico. María Elena Andrade Ramírez, the state’s attorney general, said she was committed to investigating “these unfortunate events until those responsible feel the full weight of the law”.

  • David McBride trial begins | The sentencing of army whistleblower David McBride began on Monday morning, almost five years after he was first charged for his role in leaking secret defence documents about Australia’s involvement in Afghanistan. The former military lawyer pleaded guilty in the ACT supreme court in December to three offences, including stealing commonwealth information and passing that on to journalists at the ABC. The sentencing is scheduled to run until Tuesday.

  • Body located in water off Sydney following search for person overboard | NSW police confirmed that at about 10.30am, officers located the body of a man following reports someone had gone overboard the P&O Pacific Adventure cruise ship. Police will now launch an investigation into the circumstances of the incident.

  • ‘Abhorrent’ counter-protesters at University of Mississippi condemned | The group of protesters have been condemned widely on social media after the largely white, male group taunted pro-Palestinian protesters on campus, with one man making a racist gesture towards a black woman.

  • Israeli military urges evacuation of parts of Rafah in southern Gaza | The IDF has called on residents and displaced people of “eastern neighborhoods of Rafah” to evacuate, a day after Israeli leaders reiterated a promise to launch an attack on the southern city. Israel has been warning for months it plans to send troops into the southern Gaza city bordering Egypt where more than a million displaced Gaza residents have taken refuge. Earlier, one of the main crossings used to deliver humanitarian aid into Gaza was closed after a rocket attack claimed by Hamas killed three IDF soldiers.

  • Xi Jinping arrives in France | The Chinese president returned to Europe for the first time since 2019 for a rare visit against a backdrop of mounting trade disputes with the EU. Xi is set to meet with Emmanuel Macron before heading to Serbia and Hungary

  • Bernard Hill, Titanic and Lord of the Rings actor, dies aged 79 | The stage, television and film actor who rose to fame for his unforgettable portrayal of Yosser Hughes has died. He is posthumously back on British TV screens this weekend playing Martin Freeman’s dad in the BBC police series The Responder, set in Liverpool.

  • Lando Norris silences the critics with first F1 win | The McLaren driver claimed his debut victory in a thrilling finale at the Miami international autodrome. Norris comprehensively beat the triple world champion, Max Verstappen, into second place to take the flag for the first time after 110 race starts since 2019.

In video

Locals honour surfers with paddle-out

Surfers gathered in Mexico’s seaside community of San Miguel for a “paddle-out” as three bodies found in a well were identified as Australian brothers Callum and Jake Robinson and their travelling companion, Jack Carter Rhoad.

What they said …

***

“It riles my blood”.

North Yorkshire council is ditching apostrophes on street signs to avoid problems with computer systems. Despite undergoing careful consideration, the move has invoked the wrath of residents and linguists alike, including Sam, a postal worker in Harrogate, who is infuriated by “inappropriate grammar or punctuation”.

In numbers

In a statement, Qantas said it would “commence a projected $20m remediation program for affected passengers, with payments to customers ranging from $225 to $450, and subject to the approval of the federal court of Australia, will pay a $100m civil penalty”.

Before bed read

What are Australia’s family law reforms, and how will they help women and children fleeing violence?

“Equal shared parental responsibility” has been assumed to be in a child’s best interests. This is true in many cases – but in some it can be dangerous, Zoe Rathus explains.

Daily word game

Today’s starter word is: SKET. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.

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