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Mushroom murderer Erin Patterson has lost her appeal against her convictions and sentence for what the court has described as "cold and calculated" offending.
Justices Stephen McLeish, Lesley Taylor and Peter Kidd have ruled her life sentence with a non-parole period of 33 years was manifestly inadequate, resentencing her to life behind bars without parole.
Patterson's failed appeal bid means her convictions over the death cap mushroom-laced lunch still stand.
The 52 year old appeared on a video link from the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre in Melbourne's west, as the three Victorian Court of Appeal judges handed down their decision this morning.
Survivors in Hong Kong say they have little confidence in the government's response to a report into the deadly fire that killed 168 people last November.
The inquiry's report says evidence points to a lit cigarette as being the cause of the fire - and it's found no government department had taken effective ownership of various fire safety issues before the blaze.
Hong Kong leader John Lee has announced a series of measures in response to the report, including overhauling the system for handling complaints
But former Wang Fuk Court resident, Betty Ho, says she has little confidence improvements will be made - and that she doesn't accept Lee's apology.
"You can't justify the late apology now by saying you were previously busy gathering evidence to make arrests. The arrests had been made earlier this year. It had been done by last December or January already. It's impossible to have to wait for so long... Justice has not been served for the deceased."
Police have upgraded charges against a Perth man accused of terror-related offences.
The 22 year old had already been charged in October with allegedly assaulting and threatening to kill a woman known to him.
Investigators from ASIO, Australian Federal Police, and WA Police now allege the man sought assistance on a messaging platform in relation to explosive devices, military and tactical training, and fake documents as part of planning a terrorist attack.
If convicted, the latest charge carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
Spaniards have queued to donate blood to help the passengers injured in a high speed train crash earlier this week.
Fifty of those injured remain in hospital after the collision on Wednesday morning in Toledo province,, around 120 kilometers south of Madrid on the Madrid-Seville railway line.
The long lines at Madrid's donation centre and local medical centres follow an emergency appeal from the Spanish health minister and officials for more supplies.
Madrid resident Maria Baena says the scale of the need has motivated her to help.
"What they say here is true: this is a measure that should always be taken, because it is always necessary for one reason or another.”
Donald Trump has hurled insults at a reporter after returning from a midterm election campaign rally in South Carolina.
A reporter from Reuters had asked the president why he no longer plans to attend a rally in Kansas on Saturday for Republican Senator Roger Marshall, who is in a competitive re-election race.
Trump replied that he will hold a tele-rally instead and keep plans to travel to Florida.
The US President answered further questions about his raspy voice over the past couple of days with this sharp response.
"You've been following me for two weeks. I feel perfect. You are disgusting. Put yourself in shape. You look like hell."
A leading Australian union has called for a considered rollout of artificial intelligence in government agencies to ease concerns about its impact on working conditions and services.
The new leader of the Community and Public Service Union, Rebecca Fawcett, has told the federal inquiry into AI that departments could misinterpret the increased capacity that AI augmentation brings as budget savings.
The Union says recent UK government analysis has estimated billions of dollars in savings through automating public service delivery - without considering if existing AI models were capable of delivering.
Ms Fawcett says in Australia, those lessons should inspire caution.
"The decisions we make now will shape how AI is adopted in this country and who shares in its benefits... Successful adoption of artificial intelligence in the Australian Public Service should be measured by whether it improves the quality of public services, and the outcomes for people who rely on them."
The countdown has begun to the opening ceremony of this year's Youth Olympics in Dakar.
International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry says there are 48 hours to go until the games are officially opened for nearly three thousand young athletes competing in 35 sports across Dakar and nearby cities.
The Youth Olympic Games were originally scheduled for 2022 but postponed until this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ms Coventry says it is the first-ever Olympic event on the African continent.
"It feels like a long time coming. But we're - the excitement of having the first ever Olympic event (in Africa), it's a little bit surreal."
