Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Cait Kelly

Afternoon Update: woman at centre of mushroom poisoning speaks; and Mark Latham dumped as NSW One Nation head

Death cap mushrooms
Police say mushrooms are the suspected cause of death in a poisoning case in Leongatha, Victoria, and are investigating. Photograph: Tom May

Good afternoon everyone. You’ll notice my name on the update each afternoon this week, as I cover for Antoun.

We’ve had a big day – the woman at the centre of the suspected mushroom poisoning in Victoria has spoken out, Mark Latham has been removed as One Nation leader in NSW and the BOM has declared that the fire season is underway. Let’s get into it.

Top news

Mark Latham has been dumped from the NSW top spot.
Epidemiologist Mary-Louise McLaws at the National Press Club in 2021.
  • Mary-Louise Mclaws | Tributes have flown in after the epidemiologist (pictured), who guided Australia through Covid, died aged 70 from brain cancer.

  • Barnaby Joyce | The former deputy prime minister has shrugged off any feelings of embarrassment, saying “such is life” after it was revealed he mistakenly watched the Matildas’ July friendly against France instead of the nail-biting World Cup match on Saturday.

  • Seven West Media | Journalists for the broadcast and print company have been embedded with climate activists on at least two occasions, despite the company claiming that an ABC Four Corners crew “crossed a line” when it did the same.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Adam Goodes at Sydney airport on Monday for the unveiling of QANTAS’ Yes23 aircraft.
  • Yes23 | Qantas have thrown their support behind the Yes23 campaign, with logos going on three planes.

  • Trump | Will Hurd, one of the former president’s rivals for the Republican White House nomination, has said Trump’s main motivation for running for president in 2024 is to “stay out of jail”.

  • Fire season underway | The Queensland Bureau of Meteorology said fire season is getting underway with warm, dry weather forecast across the state this week.

  • Ukraine sappers dice with death to clear Russian mines | Overworked and underequipped brigades face a daily ordeal in the most heavily mined country in the world.

  • Hawaii wildfires | Tourists have been told to avoid travelling to Maui as many hotels prepare to house evacuees and first responders on the island.

Full Story

Police say mushrooms are the suspected cause of death and are investigating.

The mushroom mystery that has left an Australian town reeling

Three people have died and a man remains in hospital after attending a lunch in Leongatha, Victoria, more than two weeks ago. Jane Lee speaks to Guardian Australia science reporter Donna Lu about the case.

What they said …

***

“I was really disgusted at the way the so-called fans just screamed right through the whole of the Beatles act.”

A newly revealed letter from George Harrison’s mum reveals exactly how she felt about the Beatles’ fans who screamed the whole way through their concerts.

In numbers

Today’s stat. It reads: ‘300,00: the number of illegal vapes seized from a Perth warehouse in Australia’s largest bust’

Before bed read

English players line up for a team photo ahead of the match with Colombia last Saturday.

It is on. The Matildas will face England in the Women’s World Cup semi-final in Sydney on Wednesday. Here is everything you need to know about their opponents.

Daily word game

Wordiply’s pic of the day

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

Sign up

If you would like to receive this Afternoon Update to your email inbox every weekday, sign up here. And start your day with a curated breakdown of the key stories you need to know. Sign up for our Morning Mail newsletter here.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.