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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Charlotte Graham-McLay

Morning Mail: Argentina wins World Cup, search for Victorian pitch invaders, warning not to seek out hallucinogenic spinach

Argentina captain Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after his team won the Fifa World Cup Qatar 2022 final match against France
Argentina captain Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after his team won the Fifa World Cup Qatar 2022 final match against France. Photograph: DeFodi Images/Getty Images

Good morning. Argentina are the World Cup champions after a nail-biting 3-3 draw with France ended in a thrilling penalty shootout.

Meanwhile, filings from RSLs in Victoria show the fraction of the clubs’ gambling revenue spent on donations, gifts and sponsorship, and Australians are warned not to consume hallucinogenic spinach – even recreationally.

Australia

A field of spinach
A field of spinach. Photograph: Caitlin Ochs/Reuters
  • Gambling revenue | RSLs in Victoria made more than $163m from gambling in the last financial year but provided just $8.4m in donations, gifts and sponsorship, according to filings from the clubs, which are registered charities.

  • Leafy greens | Australians are being urged not to seek out contaminated baby spinach products for a recreational high after more than 130 people who ate a range of fresh food items suffered symptoms including hallucinations and delirium.

  • Menopause | Menopause shouldn’t be a secret, it shouldn’t be a mystery and you shouldn’t have to put up with it in silence if you’re struggling, says Svetlana Stankovic in the first part of a Guardian Australia series on the issue.

  • Year in politics | Labor has enjoyed a honeymoon period with voters after their brutal rejection of Morrison’s government but faces complex challenges in 2023, writes Guardian Australia’s political editor, Katharine Murphy.

  • Pitch invaders | Victoria police vowed officers will be “knocking on doors very soon” after assaults of a player, referee and camera operator at Saturday’s A-League Men’s Melbourne derby.

  • School refusal | Some parents have been forced to quit their jobs or scale back their hours to care for children who won’t go to class, a Senate inquiry into school refusal has heard.

World

Argentina celebrate their World Cup victory
Argentina celebrate their World Cup victory. Photograph: Carl Recine/Reuters

Full Story

First Dog on the Moon on climate

Adam Morton on Australia and the climate crisis: what happened in 2022 and what’s next?

Labor’s environmental priorities have included trying to slow the rapid decline of Australia’s natural environment and seeking greater influence at international climate talks. Guardian Australia’s climate and environment editor, Adam Morton, talks to Jane Lee about how the new government has started to change Australia’s approach to the climate emergency and what’s ahead for 2023.

In-depth

Flood damage in Eugowra
Flood damage in Eugowra. Photograph: Lucy Cambourn/AAP

A month on from the floods that tore through the central west of NSW like an inland tsunami, residents in Eugowra are facing a long and expensive road to recovery. Some of those left homeless are still waiting for claims that might take weeks or months; others were uninsured against floods because they couldn’t afford the thousands of dollars a year in premiums. Caitlin Cassidy speaks to residents grappling with costs – and their futures.

Not the news

Roast chicken ready to be carved
Roast chicken ready to be carved. Photograph: Vaivirga/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Trying to plan Christmas on a budget? Guardian Australia has you covered with tips for op shop table settings, pantry canapés and even getting creative with the date you celebrate the holiday.

The world of sport

Australia’s Travis Head plays a shot during day two of the first cricket Test match between Australia and South Africa at the Gabba in Brisbane yesterday
Australia’s Travis Head plays a shot during day two of the first cricket Test match between Australia and South Africa at the Gabba in Brisbane yesterday. Photograph: Patrick Hamilton/AFP/Getty Images

Media roundup

A review into the Coalition’s May federal election loss will say the Liberal party’s grassroots failed to represent the community, the Australian reports, while the Daily Telegraph profiles four Liberal women lifting the lid on what they say is their party’s sexist culture. The Age covers the aftermath of the Melbourne derby violence, saying the chaos has left the A-League broken beyond repair. And the Courier-Mail has updates on a young boy bitten by a dingo at a K’gari (Fraser Island) campground.

What’s happening today

  • Referendum changes | The Australian Election Commission and legal experts will front public hearings of a parliamentary committee looking to modernise referendum law.

  • Nurses’ strike | NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association members at Mater and St Vincent’s private hospitals will stop work for one hour this afternoon

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Brain teaser

And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day – with plenty more on the Guardian’s Puzzles app for iOS and Android. Until tomorrow.

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