Afternoon Update: Reynolds-Higgins defamation case begins; PwC chief’s $1.2m bonus; and a screaming Egyptian mummy
Good afternoon. Linda Reynolds’ lawyer has accused Brittany Higgins in court of creating a “fictional story of political cover-up” as the trial of the former minister’s defamation case against Higgins begins.
Reynolds is suing Higgins over social media posts she alleges damaged her reputation, marking the latest in a series of legal battles related to Higgins’ rape in Parliament House five years ago.
Reynolds’ lawyer, Martin Bennett, said “every fairytale needs a villain” and Reynolds had been treated as such in Higgins’ story but “none of it was true”.
Political reporter Sarah Basford Canales, who is following the trial from the Western Australia supreme court, has explained the case’s backstory and next steps – read it here.
Top news
How police rescued trapped officer from Wieambilla ambush | The leader of a police team sent to rescue trapped constable Keely Brough from the Wieambilla ambush has told an inquest of the moment he saw the officer emerge from scrub “running for her life” to escape the property.
Victoria records first death in legionnaires’ disease outbreak | Victoria’s chief health officer said a woman, aged in her 90s, became ill on Tuesday evening and died shortly after. Authorities are narrowing down the source of the infection of 60 people to two suburbs in Melbourne’s west.
Israel should apologise for killing of Australian in Gaza, report says | A former Australian military chief has found Israel made “errors” before strikes that killed aid workers including Australian Zomi Frankcom. The government report said Israel should provide an “appropriate apology” and consider compensating the workers’ families.
Freed Americans land in US after prisoner swap | Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have met the Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and two other freed American prisoners just hours after Washington and Moscow completed their largest prisoner exchange since the cold war.
Venezuela opposition candidate recognised by US as winner | The US government has recognised Edmundo González Urrutia as the winner of Venezuela’s presidential election, discrediting the results announced by government controlled electoral authorities who declared Nicolás Maduro the victor.
JD Vance attacked AOC for ‘sociopathic attitude’ | Donald Trump’s running mate attacked Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for having “a sociopathic attitude” about families and children while addressing a Catholic group in 2021, the same year he criticised “childless cat ladies”.
Egyptian mummy with screaming expression ‘may have died in agony’ | Archaeologists say the wide open mouth of woman who was buried about 3,500 years ago may have been caused by a rare, immediate form of rigor mortis after a painful death.
Australian surfing judge removed from Olympics | The international surf judge Ben Lowe has been dismissed from the Paris Olympics after a photo emerged of the official posing with an Australian surfer and the national team coach.
Australia at the Olympics | After success in the pool, Australia’s next medal hopes in Paris are the rising athletics stars. See how the nation’s best sprinters compare to the world’s fastest and keep track of Australia’s upcoming events.
In pictures
Fighting spirit: Australians in action during week one of the Paris Olympics 2024
Photographers captured the highs and lows as the country’s elite athletes competed during the first week of the Games.
What they said …
***
“The haters hate it, so I love that even more.” – Simone Biles
The American gymnastics star has explained the importance of the diamond-encrusted goat pendant she wore after winning her sixth Olympic gold medal, saying it was a reference to descriptions of her as the greatest of all time.
In numbers
The PwC Australia CEO, Kevin Burrowes, did not disclose the payment to a parliamentary inquiry for over a year, an inquiry was told. Burrowes said there had been “a misunderstanding” about the additional salary, and that PwC had been “extraordinarily transparent”.
Before bed read
Trust between rider and horse on display in Paris shows the best of a sport rocked by scandals
Recent scandals might lead us to treat international equestrian sports as beyond redemption, but the quiet achievements of riders and horses should encourage us to fix it, writes Calla Wahlquist.
Daily word game
Today’s starter word is: GOA. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.
Sign up
Enjoying the Afternoon Update? Then you’ll love our Morning Mail newsletter. Sign up here to start the day with a curated breakdown of the key stories you need to know, and complete your daily news roundup.
And check out the full list of our local and international newsletters, including The Stakes, your guide to the twists and turns of the US presidential election.
