Erin Patterson appeal live: prosecutors to seek life in prison without parole for triple murderer 20. August 2026 (02:49) Victorian court of appeal also to consider whether triple murder and attempted murder convictions should be quashedErin Patterson argues mushroom murder convictions should be quashed due to ‘catastrophic’ failure of justiceGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastMcWilliams is arguing against Patterson’s third ground of appeal.On this ground, Patterson’s legal team argue the trial judge, Justice Christopher Beale, erred in ruling that photos and videos related to mushrooms and found on an SD card in Patterson’s home was inadmissible. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Reporters and military duo held at gunpoint by security at US space force base 20. August 2026 (02:41) Officers reportedly believed invitees were trying to make unauthorized entry on to Vandenberg base in CaliforniaFive news reporters and two members of the military who were invited to an event at Vandenberg space force base in California were briefly detained at gunpoint by security officers who thought they were gatecrashers, according to local news reports.The incident happened Monday ahead of an invitation-only groundbreaking for a new training facility for missile operators at the federal airfield near Santa Barbara, California. Reporters from Noozhawk and KEYT were among those detained, and both outlets published articles detailing the detainment. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
UC Berkeley professor admits to using AI to edit op-ed about students’ math skills 20. August 2026 (02:35) Zvezdelina Stankova says she used AI to ‘help edit’ an article about some of her students being ‘five to eight years’ behindA math professor at the University of California, Berkeley, criticizing a “severe” math deficiency among students in an op-ed for the San Francisco Standard, admitted to using artificial intelligence to help edit the piece.The Standard published a 2,000-word piece by Zvezdelina Stankova last week, in which the professor said some of her math students were “five to eight years” behind and lacked a “middle school” education on fractions and basic algebra. Stankova said the UC system’s test-blind admissions were to blame, suggesting that students who weren’t sufficiently prepared for the rigor of Berkeley’s mathematics program were admitted because a longstanding benchmark like the SAT had disappeared. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
More than 100 dead after goldmine collapses in Central African Republic 20. August 2026 (02:14) The collapse was caused by a landslide, while local officials say the death toll is likely to rise as recovery efforts continueMore than 100 people have died after an artisanal goldmine at a small village in western Central African Republic (CAR) caved in due to a landslide, local officials and aid workers said on Wednesday.The landslide happened on Tuesday afternoon in the village of Zamboye, about 50km (31 miles) from the town of Baboua and close to the border of Cameroon. Footage on social media appeared to show an avalanche of sand descend on a group of people, likely the miners, and cover them. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Three boys charged over alleged rape of teenage girl in Sydney home 20. August 2026 (02:05) The 17-year-olds were charged over an alleged attack in Sydney’s south-west on SaturdayFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThree teenage boys have been charged over the alleged rape of a 17-year-old girl at a home in Sydney’s south-west on Saturday.The three 17-year-old boys were arrested on Wednesday after the girl was allegedly attacked. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
California becomes first US state to set efficiency rules for replacement tires 20. August 2026 (01:48) Regulations that would block sale of older tires praised by environmental groups amid rightwing backlashCalifornia has become the first state in the nation to mandate that replacement tires be energy efficient, a major auto industry regulation set to block the sale of older tires and make vehicles on the road greener.State regulators have said the new rules will reduce emissions and drivers’ fuel costs. But the rules – which come as the Trump administrations fights to block other California restrictions to promote greener cars – have already sparked a rightwing backlash, with one conservative news outlet calling the policies a “massive overreach”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Young vapers ‘at risk of breathing problems and becoming smokers’ 20. August 2026 (01:01) Review by paediatricians links child vaping with poor respiratory health such as coughing, wheezing and asthmaYoung people who start vaping risk developing breathing problems and going on to smoke cigarettes, children’s doctors have warned.Child vaping is consistently linked with poor respiratory health, such as coughing, wheezing, bronchitis symptoms and asthma exacerbations, while vapes have been shown to act as a gateway to smoking cigarettes, according to one of the most comprehensive reviews of the available evidence so far undertaken by the Royal College of Child and Paediatrics Health. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
