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Victorian woman, 50, has pleaded not guilty to three charges of murder and one of attempted murder over a fatal 2023 beef wellington lunch. Follow live updatesPatterson is shown a photo of the dehydrator at the tip and asked if this is the one she owned.I presume so," Patterson says.This post was amended on 5 June 2025 to correct the location of the police search, which was at Patterson's Leongatha home and not at Leongatha hospital as previously stated. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Excitement is higher elsewhere, in global split that seems to mirror level of trust in government regulationPeople in English-speaking countries including the UK, US, Australia and Canada are more nervous about the rise of artificial intelligence than those in the largest EU economies, where excitement over its spread is higher, new research suggests.A global split over what has been dubbed the wonder and worry" of AI appears to correlate with widely divergent levels of trust in governments to regulate the fast-developing technology. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Demand the Impossible interrogates police injustice and infiltration of 1,000 political groupsThere's one moment from the public inquiry into undercover police officers - known as spycops" - that sticks in the theatre director Rhiannon White's mind. It was during the questioning of Bob Lambert, an officer who deceived at least four women into sexual relationships in the 1980s, and fathered a child with one of them.Lambert's lack of attention to detail was shocking; the whole thing seemed like a process to him. Whereas Belinda Harvey, one of the women, meticulously remembered every single detail of their relationship, every feeling, every thought. She said she was in her early 20s when she met him, and she was basically groomed into activism by him. This is someone whose life was completely turned inside out and upside down by the state. This is someone who was raped by the state." Continue reading...

In today's newsletter: The Dutch government collapsed after Wilders pulled out of the coalition - leaving renewed political uncertainty as parties scramble to redefine their positionsGood morning. The Dutch government dramatically collapsed on Tuesday after far-right politician Geert Wilders pulled out of the coalition, citing his frustration over immigration and asylum policy.Shortly afterwards the prime minister, Dick Schoof, handed in his resignation to King Willem-Alexander. Fresh elections are expected in October. Until then ministers will remain in place in a caretaker capacity.US news | Donald Trump has signed a sweeping order banning travel from 12 countries and restricting travel from seven others, reviving and expanding the travel bans from his first term. Security concerns and visa overstays, the US president said, justified the move.Fuel poverty | Bereaved families of tens of thousands of dead pensioners could be pursued by tax officials to recoup winter fuel payments under a new system being explored by the Treasury, the Guardian has learned.Israel-Gaza war | The Palestinian Red Crescent Society has detailed the harrowing account of one of its paramedics, Asaad al-Nasasra, 47, who told the organisation he heard Israeli troops shoot first responders. The attack on a convoy of emergency vehicles killed 15 others.UK economy | Keir Starmer has said he hopes a trade deal struck last month with the US can come into effect in just a couple of weeks", as the White House has signalled that the UK will be spared the 50% steel and aluminium tariffs that came into force on Wednesday.Global health | A cure for HIV may be closer after researchers discovered a new way to force the virus out of hiding in human cells. This overwhelming" breakthrough could help overcome one of the biggest obstacles to a cure: the virus's ability to lie dormant in certain white blood cells. Continue reading...

UK watchdog has had 40 reports relating to pregnancies in people using drugs such as Ozempic and MounjaroWomen using weight-loss drugs have been urged to use effective contraception after dozens have reported becoming pregnant while taking the medication.The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has issued its first alert to the UK public regarding contraception and weight-loss medications after it received 40 reports relating to pregnancies while using drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro. Continue reading...

First survey of party's Muslim MPs, councillors and mayors reveals support for sanctions on Israel and arms exports banLabour is facing calls for action from a large group of its Muslim MPs, councillors and mayors, who believe Keir Starmer is mishandling the crisis in Gaza.In the first-ever survey of the party's Muslim representatives, 77% of respondents said they believed the government should end all UK arms exports to Israel and 84% supported sanctions against the Israeli government, the Labour Muslim Network (LMN) said. Nearly all respondents - 97% - said they supported the immediate recognition of the state of Palestine. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Government review into how the influencer obtained citizenship found no fault with his documents and Tate will remain a citizenVanuatu is not planning to revoke the citizenship of Andrew Tate, with a government spokesperson confirming that the influencer remains a Vanuatu citizen, and the government is not taking any steps to reverse that.This week investigative outlet, the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) revealed that Tate obtained Vanuatu citizenship around the time of his 2022 arrest by Romanian authorities on charges including rape and human trafficking. Continue reading...

Consumer watchdogs accuse Chinese fashion firm of dark' practices in formal complaint to European CommissionConsumer watchdogs from 21 countries have filed a formal complaint to EU authorities about alleged dark" practices by the Chinese fast fashion firm Shein including the shaming" of customers into buying more than they can afford.The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) has submitted a 29-page dossier to the European Commission citing multiple examples of dark patterns", or deceptive techniques designed to encourage purchases. Continue reading...

New owner wants to take Sculpture with Colour (Deep Blue and Red), created in Cornwall in second world war, overseasA fundraising drive with a target of almost 3m is under way to prevent a Barbara Hepworth masterpiece from being sold to a private buyer and taken out of the UK.Art Fund, the charity that secures art for public collections while providing financial support for museums and the Hepworth Wakefield, is trying to secure the funds in order to keep Sculpture with Colour (Deep Blue and Red) in the UK. Continue reading...

Labour's pledge to build 1.5 million homes is reportedly under serious threat. What's gone wrong? And what happens if the government breaks its promise to tackle the housing crisis? John Harris talks to the political correspondent Kiran Stacey and social affairs correspondent Jessica Murray.Plus, will the chancellor's charm offensive ease concerns about the huge spending cuts expected next week? And, could Labour learn something from Robert Jenrick's social media success? Continue reading...

Former federal president Alan Stockdale reportedly claimed women had become so assertive' the party might need to consider extra support for men

University spokesperson says Genevieve Bell's account had liked' posts she had never seen before about Julie Bishop and Gaza

Royal College of Radiologists warns of long delays to have surgery or treatment, raising chances of disease spreadingPeople with cancer face a ticking timebomb" of delays in getting diagnosed and treated because the NHS is too short-staffed to provide prompt care, senior doctors have warned.An NHS-wide shortage of radiologists and oncologists means patients are enduring long waits to have surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy and have a consultant review their care.Our waiting times for breast radiotherapy are now the worst I have ever known in 20 years."Current wait for head and neck cancers [is] six weeks, meaning possible progression before radiotherapy."A multiple week wait for palliative treatment has sometimes led to deterioration to the point is no longer possible." Continue reading...

Research shows disparity in care after detection of aortic stenosis, also affecting those living in deprived areasWomen, people from minority ethnic backgrounds, and those living in the most deprived areas of England are less likely to receive treatment after a diagnosis of a deadly heart disease, according to one of the largest studies of its kind.Researchers at the University of Leicester analysed data from almost 155,000 people diagnosed with aortic stenosis - a narrowing of the valve between the heart's main pumping chamber and the main artery - between 2000 and 2022 across England, from a database of anonymised GP records. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Trial giving right to request review of evidence by different prosecutor could be extended to all of England and WalesVictims of rape and serious sexual assault who face their cases being dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service will be given the right to request a review under a government pilot.The six-month scheme, which will launch on Friday in the West Midlands, will give victims the right to ask for their case to be reviewed by a different prosecutor if the CPS indicates it intends to offer no evidence. Continue reading...

Police spent hours questioning Wood over the suspicious' disappearance of the teenager, who was last seen near Bundaberg airport

Bryana Bongolan tells Manhattan jurors that the hip-hop mogul held her off Cassie's 17th-floor apartment in 2016A woman testified on Wednesday in Sean Diddy" Combs's federal racketeering conspiracy and sex-trafficking trial that thehip-hop mogul dangled her from the balcony of a 17th-floor apartment in 2016.Bryana Bongolan, a longtime friend of Combs's former girlfriend, singer Casandra Cassie" Ventura, told jurors in Manhattan federal court that in September 2016 Combs showed up unannounced one morning at Ventura's Los Angeles apartment, where she was staying at the time, and began banging on the door. Continue reading...

Vladimir Putin has warned Russia will respond to Kyiv's attacks on nuclear-capable aircraft at airfieldsAs Vladimir Putin pledges to retaliate against Ukraine for last weekend's unprecedented drone attack, Kremlin advisers and figures around Donald Trump have told the US president that the risk of a nuclear confrontation is growing, in an attempt to pressure him to further reduce US support for Ukraine.Kirill Dmitriev, the head of Russia's sovereign wealth fund and an important intermediary between the Kremlin and Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff, called the Ukrainian drone strike an attack on Russian nuclear assets", and echoed remarks from Maga-friendly figures warning of the potential for a third world war. Continue reading...

Extended closure said to be for maintenance and follows deaths of at least 27 people killed by Israeli troops near distribution siteA US-backed group operating food distribution sites in Gaza has announced that its operations would be suspended for a second day on Thursday, due to maintenance and repair work", as the Israeli army warned that roads leading to distribution centres were considered combat zones".After Israeli troops opened fire on a crowd of Palestinians, killing at least 27 and injuring hundreds, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) pressed Israel to improve civilian safety beyond the perimeter of its distribution sites. Continue reading...

PM tells MPs he is considering imposing sanctions on Israeli government members but is resisting ban on arms salesKeir Starmer has called Israel's recent actions in Gaza appalling, counterproductive and intolerable", as the UK government comes under mounting pressure to take stronger action after the killings of dozens of civilians at food points in recent days.The prime minister told MPs on Wednesday the UK was considering imposing sanctions on members of the Israeli government, but is so far resisting growing calls for a complete ban on arms sales and immediate recognition of Palestine. Continue reading...

Orban's ruling party delays vote on legislation allowing government to ban organisations with foreign fundingHungary's ruling party has postponed a planned vote on draft legislation aimed at organisations that receive foreign funding, following weeks of protests and warnings that the law would starve and strangle" civil society and independent media.Viktor Orban's rightwing populist party, Fidesz, put forward legislation last month that would allow the government to monitor, penalise and potentially ban organisations that receive any sort of foreign funding, including donations or EU grants. Continue reading...

Tory leader says PM should apologise to pensioners and asks how U-turn will be fundedReeves says her changes to the fiscal rules last year will make more investment possible.The decisions that we made in October mean that, for the first time, the Treasury actually takes account of the benefits and not just the costs of investment, and together, the fiscal rules mean that, unlike our predecessors, we will not be balancing the books by cutting investment.And that is why we can increase investment by over 113bn more than the last government plans, meaning public investment will be at its highest sustained level since the 1970s.I have had to say no to things that I want to do too, but that is not because of my fiscal rules. It is the result of 14 years of Conservative maltreatment of our public services, our public realm and of our economy. Continue reading...

Parliament votes against divestment proposal after tearful speeches in chamber and protests outsidePoliticians in Norway have rejected calls to stop investing its sovereign wealth fund - the largest in the world - in the occupied Palestinian territories despite emotional scenes inside and outside parliament.The 1.4tn oil fund, which is run by Norges Bank according to rules set by MPs, is the largest European investor in Israel's occupation. Continue reading...

John Healey says Europe needs to continue supporting Ukraine for our security today, tomorrow and for future generations'Opening, Nato's Rutte reiterates the aim of achieving a durable and lasting peace" in Ukraine as he praises president Trump's effort to get there."Let's pray that we will get there as soon as possible, but in the meantime, [it's about] making sure that you have what you need to stay in the fight and to make sure that whenever it ends, Putin will know that he should never, ever again, try to attack Ukraine so again," he said. Continue reading...

Horrifying scenes' of Palestinians being killed while trying to access food are result of deliberate choices', says Tom Fletcher, UN aid chiefThe civil defence agency in Gaza said an Israeli strike on a tent housing displaced Palestinians near the southern city of Khan Younis on Wednesday killed at least 12 people. Earlier reports had put the death toll at 10 (see 7.47am BST).At least 12 people were killed, including several children and women, in a strike by an Israeli drone this morning on a tent for displaced persons" near Khan Younis, the agency's spokesperson Mahmud Bassal told Agence France-Presse (AFP), adding that four more people had been killed in other strikes. Continue reading...

German and Portuguese officers work in countryside near resort where British toddler went missing in 2007Searches for Madeleine McCann have resumed in Portugal with police using a digger to clear debris around an abandoned building a mile from where the British toddler was last seen in 2007.On Wednesday, Portuguese and German authorities continued focusing on derelict structures in countryside a few miles from the resort of Praia da Luz. They were also seen deploying ground-penetrating radar near the scene. Continue reading...

Two leaders are on first-name terms after phone chats but German chancellor knows he may have to tread fine lineGermany's new conservative leader, Friedrich Merz, is due in Washington on Thursday for his first official meeting with Donald Trump, putting political Berlin on tenterhooks like no other transatlantic encounter in living memory.Discussions between the German chancellor and the US president will focus on Ukraine, the Middle East and trade policies. How well or badly the talks go - during a small group meeting, followed by a lunch and then, perhaps most nailbitingly, a press conference in the Oval Office - may shape relations for decades to come, analysts say. Continue reading...

Exclusive: source says couple feared unexplained wait was due to king's opposition to their children bearing HRH titleThe Duke and Duchess of Sussex explored the idea of changing their family name to Spencer amid repeated delays by British officials to issue passports for their children, the Guardian has been told.The suggestion was a result of sheer exasperation" and came during a face-to-face meeting between Prince Harry and his uncle Earl Spencer. He was understood to be enthusiastic and supportive of the name change. Continue reading...

Devon and Cornwall officers deny Godrick Osei, who was dragged by collar and handcuffed, was treated inhumanely' because of raceA vulnerable and terrified" black man who was suffering a medical emergency and crying out for help died after police dragged him across a bathroom floor by his collar and handcuffed him, an inquest jury has heard.Godrick Osei, 35, who was said to be experiencing acute behavioural disturbance (ABD), became floppy" and suffered a fatal collapse within two minutes of being restrained. Continue reading...

Dutch far-right leader's withdrawal from ruling coalition has upset allies and misjudged political landscapeIt is a gamble that Geert Wilders may live to regret. Increasingly frustrated by his coalition partners' unwillingness to embrace his promised strictest asylum policy in Europe", the Dutch far-right leader brought down the government.Wilders' calculation, if it is more than a fit of political pique, appears simple: if he can turn this autumn's snap elections into a referendum on immigration and asylum, his Freedom party (PVV) can win it - and he might even become the Netherlands' prime minister. Continue reading...

Marcus Monzo, 37, is accused of attempting to murder four others in series of attacks on 30 April last yearA man armed with a large sword murdered a boy who was on his way to school and attempted to kill four others in a brutal" early morning series of attacks, a jury has heard.Marcus Monzo, 37, denies all charges including the murder of Daniel Anjorin, 14, in Hainault, east London, in April 2024. The Old Bailey was told that at the time of the 20-minute rampage, Monzo had a psychotic disorder triggered by cannabis use. Continue reading...

Huge group of creditors in scramble as prospect of temporary nationalisation looms large for troubled firm

Independent senator disputes Anthony Albanese's claim allegations against Greens-turned-Labor senator have been dealt with'Lidia Thorpe has revealed she was one of the people to complain to the parliamentary watchdog about the former Greens senator Dorinda Cox and has disputed Anthony Albanese's claim that allegations about Cox had been dealt with".The Western Australian Greens confirmed on Tuesday the party would end its independent investigation into allegations of bullying by Cox after she announced on Monday she would defect from the Greens to Labor.Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email Continue reading...

Exclusive: Government-ordered review concludes term in NHS should be changed because of risks to patients' safetyPhysician associates in the NHS will be renamed to stop patients mistaking them for doctors after a review found that their title caused widespread confusion.Thousands of physician associates who work in hospitals and GP surgeries across the UK take medical histories, examine patients and diagnose illnesses but are not doctors. Continue reading...

Israel's defence minister says he holds Syrian president Ahmed al-Sharaa responsible for the two projectile launchesIsrael hit southern Syria with a series of strikes overnight from Tuesday into Wednesday, saying it had targeted weapons belonging to Syrian authorities after the launch of projectiles towards its territoryIsrael launched the two attacks after reporting projectiles had been fired from Syria on Tuesday. It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the two projectiles. Continue reading...

Michael J Fox and Christopher Lloyd make plea to help track down cherry red Gibson, 40 years after film's releaseMarty McFly grabbed a guitar in Back to the Future and rocked out with the band at a 1950s high school dance, helping him narrowly avoid blinking out of existence before time-traveling back to the 1980s.The guitar, in real life, wasn't as lucky. Continue reading...

One-off 100,000 prize awarded to Girl, Women, Other writer for entire body of work and dedication to uplifting under-represented voices'Bernardine Evaristo is to receive 100,000 after being announced as the winner of the Women's prize outstanding contribution award, a one-off prize to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Women's prize for fiction.The author of Girl, Woman, Other and Mr Loverman has been rewarded for her entire body of work, as well as her transformative impact on literature and her unwavering dedication to uplifting under-represented voices across the cultural landscape". Continue reading...

ORR criticises inconsistent outcomes' across Britain's network with some passengers punished for honest errorsSome train operators have excessively prosecuted alleged fare dodgers, according to the rail regulator, which has called for clearer tickets and a fairer system to avoid penalising mistakes.A report by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) said passengers who boarded trains without a valid ticket faced inconsistent treatment and outcomes" across the network, with disproportionate action" sometimes taken over small errors. Continue reading...

Commander Julian Bennett had 2023 dismissal overturned and has been suspended on full pay for five yearsA senior Metropolitan police officer has been sacked for a second time after refusing to take a drugs test.Commander Julian Bennett was initially dismissed by a misconduct panel in October 2023 over the incident, but he took his case to the police appeals tribunal (PAT) in July last year and had his sacking overturned. Continue reading...

Kurier editor says Q&A that was picked up by other outlets contained old quotes from round-table eventsOne of Austria's leading newspapers has severed ties with a Hollywood reporter after admitting she repackaged old comments by Clint Eastwood and presented them as a supposedly exclusive interview.In an apparent journalistic coup, the Vienna-based daily Kurier published a Q&A with Eastwood last Friday and it was picked up around the world over the weekend due to the Oscar-winning actor's outspoken criticism of Hollywood's era of remakes and franchises". Continue reading...

Gaza spokesperson says Israel fired with tanks and drones as Israeli military acknowledges troops shot at suspects'At least 27 people were killed by Israeli fire as they waited for food at a distribution point set up by an Israeli-backed foundation in Gaza, according to health officials in the strip.It is the third such incident in three days, with Israel admitting on Tuesday for the first time that its forces shot at individuals who were moving towards them. Continue reading...

Home secretary appears to accept early release proposals will put more pressure on police as she is questioned at select committeeDefence sources believe that Britain will be forced to sign up to a target of lifting defence spending to 3.5% of GDP by 2035 at this month's Nato summit after a campaign by the alliance's secretary general to keep Donald Trump onboard, Dan Sabbagh reports.Later today the data (use and access) bill will return to the Commons from the Lords in the third round of ping pong" between the two houses. It is not unusual for ping pong" to go on for a round or two, as bills which are almost ready for royal assent shuttle between the elected and unelected chamber while they try to resolve matters of dispute. But, in this case, the Lords are digging in a bit more than usual.The government has been accused of supporting thieves", as it suffered a further heavy defeat at the hands of peers pressing their demand for steps to safeguard the creative industries against artificial intelligence.The fourth and latest setback for the Labour frontbench over the issue in the House of Lords was inflicted despite pleas by a minister for the upper chamber to end its prolonged stand-off over the data (use and access) bill. Continue reading...

Accused triple murderer gives emotional testimony as she faces questions on beef wellington lunch that killed three

Data shows many children involved in e-scooter accidents speeding, not wearing helmets, and doubling' their friends

Soueif is willing to do what it takes' to free Alaa Abd el-Fattah, after a lifetime of speaking up against injusticeLaila Soueif, lying shrunken on a hospital bed at St Thomas' hospital in London on the 247th day of her hunger strike in pursuit of freedom for her son, imprisoned British-Egyptian activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah, is locked in what may prove to be her last of many trials of strength with Egypt's authoritarian regime.A remarkable, witty and courageous woman, she has the self-awareness to admit: I may have made a mistake, God knows," but she will not back down, and anyone looking back at her rich life has little evidence to doubt her perseverance. Continue reading...

Teams expected to use radar equipment that can scan beneath ground as they look for evidence that could implicate prime suspect Christian BrucknerA new search for Madeleine McCann is under way in Portugal with police officers gathering a few miles from where the British toddler was last seen in 2007.Portuguese and German police are carrying out the search 18 years after the three-year-old disappeared from the resort of Praia da Luz while her parents were having dinner out, leaving her sleeping in a nearby room with her toddler twin siblings. Continue reading...

Deputy Liberal leader insists the treasurer would have to radically change the proposal first

One now-deleted post described the best room to goon in on all of campus' and received more than 12,000 likes

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In today's newsletter: The problems and proposed solutions of a major new strategic defence review pitched as a blueprint to modernise the militaryGood morning. The government's strategic defence review was launched on Monday and billed as a blueprint to modernise the military so that, in the words of Keir Starmer, the UK is safer and stronger, a battle-ready, armour-clad nation with the strongest alliances and the most advanced capabilities".Reviews like this one come along every decade or so - but the context now appears more urgent than at any time since the end of the cold war. In the place of the old consensus that the UK simply needed to be ready for (deeply questionable) deployments to places such as Iraq and Afghanistan is a view that the threats now are much closer to home, and much closer to existential. UK armed forces have begun the necessary process of change in response to this new reality," the review said. But progress has not been fast or radical enough."Israel-Gaza war | A series of recent deadly airstrikes on school buildings sheltering displaced people in Gaza were part of a deliberate Israeli military bombing strategy, the Guardian has learned. The strikes followed a loosening of controls on actions targeting Hamas operatives at sites with large numbers of civilians present, sources said.Health | The proportion of people surviving cancer in the UK has doubled since the 1970s amid a golden age" of progress in diagnosis and treatment, a report says. Half of those diagnosed will now survive for 10 years or more, up from 24%, according to the first study of 50 years of data on cancer mortality and cases.US news | Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, has been charged with a federal hate crime and multiple other offences after he allegedly used a makeshift flamethrower and incendiary devices to burn people in Boulder, Colorado who were raising awareness about Israeli hostages in Gaza.Iran | Tehran is on the brink of rejecting US proposals on the future of its nuclear programme after a US draft insisted on the suspension of enrichment of uranium inside the country. The US proposal also offered no clear route map for lifting sanctions.Scotland | A Scottish Labour councillor has defected to Reform UK on the eve of a pivotal Holyrood byelection, as the rightwing populist party's leader, Nigel Farage, defended a controversial advert attacking Anas Sarwar that has prompted accusations of racism. Continue reading...