11 h. ago Deliberate poisoning or a tragic accident? The question at the heart of Australia’s mushroom murders trial

Jury hears of a collapsed marriage, cancer claim and mushroom foraging in week one of the trial of Erin PattersonWho are Erin Patterson and the other key figures in Australia’s mushroom murders trial?On the afternoon of 29 July 2023, five people sat down to lunch in the dining room of a house in Leongatha, a small town in the South Gippsland region of Australia’s south-east.Erin Patterson owned the house, and the guests were her parents-in-law, Don and Gail Patterson; Gail’s sister, Heather Wilkinson; and Ian Wilkinson, Heather’s husband. Continue reading...

Events

16 h. ago Drones strike ship carrying aid to Gaza, humanitarian group says

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition says drones attacked a vessel carrying aid to Gaza while it was off the coast of Malta

Events

18 h. ago Top UN court wraps a week of hearings on humanitarian aid to Gaza

The top United Nations court is wrapping a week of hearings on what Israel must do to ensure desperately needed humanitarian aid reaches Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank

Events

3 d. ago Ukraine war briefing: UN slashes humanitarian aid after ‘sharp’ fall in funding

Official says UN and its partners have ‘reprioritised’ operations in Ukraine, amid wider drop in aid funding from the US. What we know on day 1,162Faced with a drastic drop in funding, the United Nations will scale back its humanitarian aid efforts in Ukraine, an official from its humanitarian affairs office said on Tuesday. In January, the UN appealed for $2.63bn in funding to assist 6 million people who need aid in Ukraine. But due to a “sharp contraction” in humanitarian funding, “the UN and its partners have further reprioritised” operations in Ukraine to reach 4.8 million people with $1.75bn, Joyce Msuya of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) told the UN security council.“The objective is to reach those most at risk and most in need, centring on four core response priorities: people near the frontline, evacuations, emergency response after strikes, and aid to the most vulnerable among the internally displaced people,” she said. “Without increased supp...

Events

3 d. ago Coronation Street icon killed off next week in heartbreaking scenes

The actress joined the ITV soap as the factory machinist back in 2008.

Events

3 d. ago Woman thrown onto railway track seconds before announcement that train was approaching

The terrifying incident happened at Shotts station, Hamilton Sheriff Court heard this week.

Politics

4 d. ago Top UN court to hold hearings on Israeli obligations to ensure humanitarian aid to Palestinians

The United Nations’ highest court is opening hearings into Israel’s obligation to provide urgently needed humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians

Politics

5 d. ago British Paralympian missing in Las Vegas and last heard from over a week ago

Sam Ruddock was last heard from on April 16 and has since been reported missing to police in the UK and US.

Events

5 d. ago Gaza on brink of catastrophe as aid runs out and prices soar, groups warn

Palestinians face starvation and severe malnutrition as Israel’s blockade continues, say aid agenciesSoaring prices of basic foodstuffs, diminishing stocks of medical supplies and sharp cuts to aid distribution threaten newly catastrophic conditions across Gaza, Palestinians and international aid officials in the battered territory are warning.Humanitarian organisations including the World Food Programme and Unwra, which supplies food and services to more than 2 million Palestinians across Gaza, have now distributed the last of their stocks of flour and other foodstuffs to the dozens of community kitchens in the territory that serve basic meals to those with no other option. Continue reading...

Events

5 d. ago What is the International Court of Justice and why is it weighing in on humanitarian aid in Gaza?

The top United Nations court on Monday will begin hearing from 40 countries on what Israel must do to provide desperately needed humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank

Society

5 d. ago I’m in my 30s and own my home. How can I share my good fortune with friends?

You’re very generous, but your friends may feel uncomfortable about accepting your help and want the satisfaction of making it on their ownI’m in the fortunate position of owning my own home and some land without a mortgage (in a very affordable and somewhat remote area), and every week I hear more stories from friends about their struggles to get by. We’re all in our 30s, but I feel as if my stress levels are infinitely lower than theirs.I’ve offered to have people stay rent-free so they can save money for a house – and generally act as a backup plan for anyone who needs a place to stay longer term – or even put a mobile home on the land. However, I still feel as if I’m barely making a difference. Continue reading...

Politics

8 d. ago Katie Price says son Harvey 'broke my heart' in emotional update

Katie Price has revealed her heartbreak as son Harvey returned to college after spending a two-week break with his mother. Harvey has a number of health issues

Politics

8 d. ago Police seize cannabis plants worth £43,000 from Wishaw industrial unit

More than 200 healthy plants were discovered at the Excelsior Street premises, Hamilton Sheriff Court heard this week.

Economics

8 d. ago Matt Willis' heartbreaking gesture to wife Emma after her heart surgery

Former Celebrity Big Brother host Emma Willis announced this week that she had keyhole heart surgery recently and she also posted about her husband Matt Willis' support

Politics

9 d. ago Judge orders bail hearing for detained student Mohsen Mahdawi next week

Palestinian green-card holder was arrested by US immigration authorities in Vermont on 14 AprilMohsen Mahdawi, a Palestinian green-card holder and student at Columbia University who was detained by the Trump administration on 14 April, will have a hearing next week on his request for release on bail, a federal judge decided on Wednesday.Judge Geoffrey W Crawford extended a temporary restraining order issued by a separate judge last week to keep Mahdawi in Vermont. Immigration authorities have sent other foreign students arrested for their pro-Palestinian views to detention centers in Louisiana and Texas, jurisdictions typically overseen by more conservative judges. Continue reading...

Events

1 week ago West Lothian average salaries have risen by more than £5,000 in a decade

Councillors heard this week that the average salary in the county had risen to £31,000.

Economics

1 week ago Snooker star holds back tears live on air and has to be consoled by BBC host

John Higgins missed the pre-tournament traditions at the World Snooker Championship after his father-in-law suffered a heart attack last week, with the Scot in tears after his win over Joe O'Connor

Society

1 week ago A friend killed, and inquiries shelved: life fighting the stigma of albinism in Malawi

People with albinism are often attacked and even killed for body parts. As elections approach, activist Tonney Mkwapatira fears the situation may get worseTonney Mkwapatira was making a rare visit back to his home village from the Malawian city of Blantyre when he saw his childhood friend for the last time. Just a week after Mkwapatira returned to Blantyre he heard that his friend, a security guard for a church, had been murdered.“His name was Chikumbutso Masina and we used to chat almost every day. We looked alike and it was painful when people missed him because they used to ask me questions like, “Oh we heard that you had died?” It really touched me and I will never forget,” he says. Continue reading...

Events

1 week ago 'Least we can do': Hearts' prized guy sets out stall after 'weird shouts' of last week

Left-back continues to excel and is due a Hampden return

Politics

1 week ago ITV Coronation Street star left 'medically dehydrated' on final day after heartbreaking exit

Coronation Street star Charlotte Jordan has shared her final scenes as Daisy Midgeley are set to air next week, revealing the emotional toll her heartbreaking exit had on her.

Politics