Australia news LIVE: RBA to hand down interest rates decision; author Craig Silvey pleads guilty to possessing, distributing child exploitation material

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What you need to know today

By Sherryn Groch and Daniel Lo Surdo

Thank you for joining our rolling coverage of breaking news from Australia and around the world. Here are the main stories making news today:

• Iran has been widely condemned for its latest drone and missile strikes targeting the UAE that hit ships in the Strait of Hormuz and set a port ablaze – the biggest exchange of fire with the US since a fragile ceasefire began four weeks ago. The UK and Saudi Arabia are among nations pushing for a return to diplomacy, as Iran warns Donald Trump his “Project Freedom” – a new operation to guide stranded ships from the Strait of Hormuz – is “Project Deadlock”.
• Author Craig Silvey has just pleaded guilty to possessing and distributing child exploitation material. Since his arrest in January, publishers, schools and bookshops have been pulling his books from shelves, which include bestsellers Runt and Jasper Jones.
• The man charged with the murder of five-year-old Alice Springs girl Kumanjayi Little Baby was excused from his court appearance today. As prosecutors pull together evidence, he remains in custody in Darwin after his arrest last week in Alice Springs sparked a riot.
• Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has batted away questions about changes to negative gearing and capital gains in next week’s federal budget as anticipation builds about a potential interest rate rise by the Reserve Bank of Australia later this afternoon.
• Four Australians are among more than 100 people stranded on the M/V Hondius cruise ship hit by an outbreak of the rare hantavirus. The ship remains off the coast of Cape Verde in West Africa under quarantine as health authorities organise the transfer of ill people. Three people have died so far.