Australia news live: Coles profits up amid watchdog scrutiny; fungus deaths at RPA hospital ‘shocking’, minister says

The Guardian - World NewsCenter-LeftEN 1 min read 100% complete by Nick VisserFebruary 26, 2026 at 11:49 PM

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Coles, Australia's second-largest supermarket chain, announced a 12.5% increase in underlying profit, reaching $676 million for the past six months. Meanwhile, in Sydney, two deaths at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (RPA) due to a fungal outbreak have sparked concern. The infections, occurring between October and December, led to the temporary closure of the hospital's transplant unit. Investigations suggest construction work at the hospital, underway since 2023, may have stirred up fungal spores. The NSW shadow health minister has called for greater transparency from the government regarding the incident.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Aspergillus 60% NSW 60% Minns government 60% Sydney local health district 70% Sarah Mitchell 70% Sydney ×280% Coles 80% Australia 90% Royal Prince Alfred Hospital ×390%

Keywords

fungal infections 90% hospital outbreak 80% patient deaths 70% supermarket profits 70% transparency 60% healthcare 50% construction works 50% violence against women 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Negative

Score: -0.40

Source Transparency

Source

The Guardian - World News

Political Lean

Center-Left (-0.40)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

Australia

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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fungal infections hospital outbreak patient deaths supermarket profits transparency healthcare construction works violence against women

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