Australian woman, 50, faces three murder charges and one charge of attempted murder over lethal mushroom lunch. Follow live updates
Patterson’s defence lawyer, Sophie Stafford, is cross-examining McKenzie.
She agrees she removed and disposed of every death cap mushroom she could find when she spotted the mushrooms.
Continue reading...Counter-terrorism expert tells inquest into 2024 stabbing attack by Joel Cauchi guard ‘talks about shots being fired with an armed offender’ in triple-zero call
A triple-zero call made by a security control room operator on duty at Westfield Bondi Junction was made too late and was so unclear it risked confusing police into thinking there was another attacker armed with a gun still at large inside the shopping centre, a counter-terrorism expert has said.
The security officer, who cannot be named, had left the control room for a toilet break when Joel Cauchi, 40, launched his stabbing attack that killed six people and injured 10 others at the Sydney shopping centre in April 2024.
Continue reading...Attempts to bring down the price of the Japanese staple have had little effect amid a cost-of-living crisis
Japan’s government is battling record-low approval ratings as consumers voice anger at soaring rice prices just weeks before key national elections.
Attempts to bring down the price of the Japanese staple have had little effect, prompting calls for a reduction in the consumption (sales) tax to ease the cost-of-living crisis.
Continue reading...Analysis suggests there could be 500,000 additional plug-in hybrid electric cars on Britain’s roads by 2030
The UK government’s weakening of rules on electric car sales is likely to result in significantly more carbon emissions as sales of plug-in hybrids rise, according to analysis.
Relaxed rules could result in as many as 500,000 additional plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) on UK roads by 2030, according to modelling by T&E, a campaign group on transport and the environment. PHEVs combine a small battery with a polluting petrol engine and tend to be much more profitable than pure battery electric cars.
Continue reading...Exclusive: Survey commissioned by children’s charities shows UK voters want to see families prioritised
Charities and a Labour-aligned pressure group are ramping up calls on Keir Starmer to scrap the two-child limit on benefits, as polling shows support for action on youth poverty remains high, and is equally solid among Labour voters tempted by Reform.
As discussions continue in government ahead of the forthcoming child poverty strategy, a survey commissioned by a coalition of charities suggests voters want to see families prioritised.
Continue reading...Campaigners say secretive ownership structures are becoming the ‘go-to vehicle for kleptocrats’
The owners of nearly a quarter of a million properties in England and Wales worth a combined £64bn are hidden behind opaque trusts, according to research that prompts concern that such structures are the “go-to vehicle for kleptocrats” stashing money in Britain.
The government introduced a register of property held through offshore vehicles in August 2022, revealing a string of unknown owners, including high-profile figures such as Lewis Hamilton and James Dyson, as well as sanctioned Russians, Gulf royals and the Chinese state.
Continue reading...Families of the ‘disappeared’ say kidnapped children may be living across Europe
Women whose relatives were murdered and disappeared under Argentina’s military dictatorship will meet EU officials in Brussels on Monday to seek support for expanded DNA testing to identify missing children.
A delegation from the Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo, a campaigning group, will denounce efforts by the far-right president, Javier Milei, to dismantle the search for missing persons. They will seek support for continuing their efforts to find the children of the disappeared who were illegally adopted, many of whom may be in Europe.
Continue reading...Exclusive: Bank also set to slash bonuses in wider shake-up that could help make it more attractive to potential buyers
Santander UK is freezing salaries, slashing bonuses and cutting jobs across its commercial banking arm as part of a wider shake-up that could help make the bank more attractive to potential buyers.
The bank began unexpectedly changing bankers’ job titles and shuffling staff into new teams earlier this month amid a larger review of the Spanish lender’s UK business, where there is mounting frustration over regulations and costs.
Continue reading...Fremont emergency crews search the Sandusky river near Miles Newton Bridge for at least one missing person
Two people were killed, police said, and at least one person was missing after pedestrians were struck by a train on Sunday evening in northern Ohio, authorities said.
The incident occurred at around 7pm in Fremont, near Lake Erie between Toledo and Cleveland, WTOL-TV reported.
Continue reading...Results show Bucharest mayor taking 54.2% of vote in presidential race, with far-right rival George Simion on 45.8%
The centrist mayor of Bucharest, Nicuşor Dan, is set to win Romania’s pivotal presidential election with 99% of votes counted, according to official figures showing the pro-EU independent eight points clear of his far-right rival, George Simion.
The figures from Romania’s central election authority showed Dan, who had cast the second round vote as a battle between “a pro-western and an anti-western Romania”, on 54.2%, while Simion, a self-professed Trump admirer, had 45.8%.
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