Sam Neill's cause of death was pneumonia, his longtime representative Philip Grenz announced on Monday, seeking to correct what he called 'inaccuracies and outright falsehoods' in media reporting following the actor's sudden and unexpected death. Neill, a renowned New Zealand actor, died earlier that day.
Cancer Battle and Recovery
In 2022, Neill was diagnosed with stage three angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, a rare type of blood cancer. He underwent years of immunotherapy treatment before declaring himself cancer-free in April of this year. His representative confirmed that the pneumonia was unrelated to his previous cancer diagnosis.
Other Top News
In other news, an ANU student was asked to show death certificates to prove relatives died in Gaza, as heard by a royal commission. The Liberals face internal debate over gender quotas, with Angus Taylor hosing down a proposal despite saying 'all options' should be considered. Australian patients' medical records could be sold on the dark web after a data breach at clinics. The AFP released images of clothes to identify child abuse victims. Moira Deeming dropped her legal case against the Victorian Liberal party and made a last-ditch bid to avoid disendorsement. Fears grow for New Zealand's native species as the first case of bird flu emerges.
World Cup 2026: Argentina Advances
In sports, Argentina came from behind in the final minutes of its semi-final to defeat England 2-1 and book its place in a second successive World Cup final. The Guardian's chief sports writer Barney Ronay described Lionel Messi as an 'all-time talent who isn't ready to be denied.' Argentina players celebrated with a banner referencing the Falklands War. England manager Thomas Tuchel shouldered the blame for his players becoming too passive.
US Politics and Other Stories
In the US, President Donald Trump's plan to revamp the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool ahead of the nation's 250th birthday has hit a snag as the newly drained monument appears to have faded after being lined with an 'American flag blue' coating. Meanwhile, opposition leader Angus Taylor reiterated his opposition to gender quotas for the Liberal party, where women make up only 33% of federal parliamentarians.
Podcast and Daily Word Game
The Guardian's Football Weekly podcast discussed England's semi-final loss to Argentina. The daily word game Wordiply features the starter word 'AMMO', with players given five goes to find the longest word including it. Readers can sign up for the Afternoon Update newsletter and the Morning Mail newsletter for curated news summaries.
