Welcome, readers, to the Afternoon Update.
Melbourne teen Bianca Jones has died in a Thai hospital, Anthony Albanese confirmed this afternoon, a week after a suspected methanol poisoning incident in neighbouring Laos that affected her and her best friend.
Jones and Holly Bowles, both aged 19, had been staying at a hostel in Vang Vieng, north of the Laos capital Vientiane when they fell critically ill. Bowles remains fighting for her life in a Thai hospital.
On Thursday, a US Department of State spokesperson also confirmed an American had died in the town. The spokesperson did not link the death to methanol, and said local authorities were “responsible for determining the cause of death”. Days prior, Danish authorities said two of its citizens had died in Laos, but also did not link the deaths to methanol.
The location of the suspected poisoning has not been confirmed by authorities. Australia’s Smartraveller website urges tourists to be on the lookout for methanol poisoning, saying as little as one shot can be fatal.
Top news
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Anti-Israel vandalism in Sydney | A vehicle has been destroyed by fire and nine cars and three buildings vandalised with anti-Israel graffiti in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, prompting a rare joint cross-party press conference with the message that such actions have “no place in a modern Australia”.
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Sydney train strike called off | A chaotic two-day shutdown of Sydney’s train network has been averted at the 11th hour, after the New South Wales government caved to rail union demands to run 24-hour services to prevent workers striking.
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Social media age ban legislation introduced to parliament | The communications minister, Michelle Rowland, has introduced the social media age limit legislation into parliament, revealing details for the first time, including penalties for the platforms which do not comply, but no further detail on what data people will have to give social media companies.
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Australia’s east coast on heatwave weather alert | Much of South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania and inland NSW will swelter through heatwave conditions this weekend with temperatures set to soar to up to 12C above average, as central Queensland braces for floods.
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US Senate rejects Bernie Sanders effort to block arms sales to Israel | The US Senate has blocked legislation that would have halted the sale of some US weapons to Israel, which had been introduced out of concern about the human rights catastrophe faced by Palestinians in Gaza.
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Guilty verdict overturned for two men convicted of Nazi symbolism | Two of the first people convicted under NSW laws that outlawed shows of Nazi symbolism have had their guilty verdicts overturned after a judge found their public salutes could not be definitively linked to the fascist German regime.
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Linton Besser named Media Watch host | The multi-award winning investigative journalist will take over the Monday night media program from Paul Barry amid a shake-up at ABC which also sees Sydney’s Mornings presenter Sarah Macdonald out and Fran Kelly returning.
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Putin sends African lion, brown bears and cockatoos to North Korea as gift | The animals transferred from Moscow zoo were “a gift from Vladimir Putin to the Korean people”, the government said. Ties between the countries have strengthened during the Ukraine war, with North Korea recently sending 10,000 troops to bolster Russian forces.
In pictures
What do Australians think of the new-look Aukus?
It’s definitely sub-optimal, says the Guardian Australia cartoonist Fiona Katauskas.
What they said …
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“We need to step back from the edge and say to those people that are profiting from this, that our kids and our grandkids matter more than their economic returns.”
Independent MPs including Kylea Tink have called on the federal government to “get real” about climate action after Australia slipped two places to 52nd out of 63 countries on the global climate action ladder.
In numbers
Described by the auctioneer as a “viral sensation”, the banana displayed at Sotheby’s was reportedly purchased for 35c earlier that day. The buyer, crypto entrepreneur Justin Sun, said he plans to eat the banana, as a way of “honouring its place in both art history and popular culture”.
Before bed read
There’s a buzz online about local honey being the ‘ultimate hay fever hack’ – but does it actually help?
Influencers are claiming raw honey can reduce symptoms but evidence for its effectiveness is weak – and relying on it instead of allergy medication has its risks. Is there a health trend you want examined? Ask Antiviral.
Daily word game
Today’s starter word is: MEMO. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.
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