Russian ‘shared values' visa draws 700 Westerners amid culture clash
In a brightly lit conference room of a Moscow police department, a smiling officer flanked by Russian flags and gilded double-headed eagles handed over small blue booklets to an American family-of-five.
The booklets were asylum certificates granting them the right to live and work in Russia after fleeing Texas because
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1News
2 hours ago
- 1News
Leftovers, CCTV and a dehydrator: The evidence that helped convict Erin Patterson
For nearly two years, the public has only heard pieces of the story behind one of Australia's most shocking murder cases. But now, following Erin Patterson's conviction for three counts of murder and one of attempted murder, the full picture is finally coming into focus. The Victorian mother of two was found guilty of deliberately serving a beef Wellington laced with death cap mushrooms to four members of her extended family, killing three and leaving the fourth fighting for his life. Now, evidence previously suppressed can be made public, including photos of the beef Wellington itself, the moment Patterson handed over a phone to police and CCTV showing her at hospital following the fatal lunch. The morning's headlines in 90 seconds, including what the jury saw at the mushroom murder trial, where house prices are climbing, and why YouTube's biggest star has business plans in NZ. (Source: 1News) A meal that killed three ADVERTISEMENT Released images include the first photo of the meal served at the centre of the case: the home-cooked beef Wellington Erin Patterson made for her in-laws on July 29, 2023. Three of them - Don and Gail Patterson and Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson - died within days. Pastor Ian Wilkinson survived, but only after a liver transplant. Other pieces of evidence included CCTV of Patterson walking through hospital corridors the day after the meal reportedly seeking treatment, as well as images of the food dehydrator prosecutors said was used to prepare the toxic mushrooms which was found dumped at a local tip. Police found the Sunbeam food dehydrator at the tip days after the lunch. (Source: Supreme Court of Victoria) Also released were police photos showing Patterson handing over a phone during a search - a device investigators said had been reset multiple times, including remotely when it was in police custody. The prosecution said it was not her primary phone. The jury were also shown maps, witness statements, forensic reports and digital search history - including searches for deadly mushrooms, cooking techniques, and foraging websites. Erin Patterson passes her phone to police during a search of her home in August 2023. (Source: Supreme Court of Victoria) A case built on 'deception' ADVERTISEMENT While the defence claimed the Crown relied on circumstantial evidence, Nanette Rogers told jurors it was Patterson's pattern of deception that revealed her intent. Prosecutors highlighted four key lies: Claiming to have cancer to lure her in-laws to the lunch Changing stories about the mushroom source citing multiple grocers and suburbs Denying she owned a food dehydrator later found to contain death cap DNA Providing police with a secondary phone and the wrong mobile number The jury was ultimately convinced beyond reasonable doubt that these were not accidents, but deliberate attempts to cover up a planned poisoning. CCTV showing Patterson dumping a dehydrator at Koonawarra waste station (Source: Nine) Fresh revelations Patterson allegedly tampered with prison food Although the trial has ended, Patterson's legal saga may not be over. ADVERTISEMENT Multiple Australian media outlets are reporting fresh allegations from inside prison, where Patterson is being held on remand. She's been accused of tampering with food that allegedly made another inmate sick. Patterson was "thrown in the slot" (prison isolation) after a fellow inmate claimed she fell ill after eating food Patterson may have handled. While no formal charges had been laid, prison authorities have confirmed an internal investigation is underway. Victoria's Department of Justice said it does not comment on individual prisoners but later confirmed there was "no evidence to support that there has been any contaminated food or suspected poisonings at Dame Phyllis Frost Centre". Erin Patterson inside Leongatha Hospital in Melbourne (Source: Nine) The fresh claims come the day after her conviction. Patterson's defence team denied any wrongdoing and described the accusation as "baseless". Reporting on the alleged incident was previously restricted while Patterson's trial was ongoing. 'Large sentence' awaits triple-murderer ADVERTISEMENT The focus now shifts to her sentencing. Under Victorian law, each count of murder carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment and the attempted murder charge can result in up to 25 years in prison. While the court has not yet scheduled a sentencing date, it is anticipated that a separate hearing will be held where both the prosecution and defence will present arguments regarding the appropriate sentence. 1News Australia correspondent Aziz Al Sa'afin speaks to Breakfast in the wake of yesterday's verdict. (Source: Breakfast) The judge will consider factors such as the severity of the crime, any mitigating circumstances and the impact on the victims' families before delivering the final sentence. Given the gravity of the offences and the extensive evidence presented during the trial, Patterson faces the possibility of spending the remainder of her life in prison. Patterson's legal team has not yet indicated whether they will appeal the verdict.
1News
2 hours ago
- 1News
Trump to put 25% tariffs on Japan, South Korea
US President Donald Trump set a 25% tax on goods imported from Japan and South Korea, as well as new tariff rates on a dozen other nations that would go into effect on August 1. Trump provided notice by posting letters on Truth Social that were addressed to the leaders of the various countries. The letters warned them to not retaliate by increasing their own import taxes, or else the Trump administration would further increase tariffs. "If for any reason you decide to raise your Tariffs, then, whatever the number you choose to raise them by, will be added onto the 25% that we charge," Trump wrote in the letters to Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung. The letters were not the final word from Trump on tariffs, so much as another episode in a global economic drama in which he has placed himself at the centre. His moves have raised fears that economic growth would slow to a trickle, if not make the US and other nations more vulnerable to a recession. But Trump is confident that tariffs are necessary to bring back domestic manufacturing and fund the tax cuts he signed into law last Friday. He mixed his sense of aggression with a willingness to still negotiate, signalling the likelihood that the drama and uncertainty would continue and that few things are ever final with Trump. ADVERTISEMENT Imports from Myanmar and Laos would be taxed at 40%, Cambodia and Thailand at 36%, Serbia and Bangladesh at 35%, Indonesia at 32%, South Africa and Bosnia and Herzegovina at 30% and Kazakhstan, Malaysia and Tunisia at 25%. Trump placed the word "only" before revealing the rate in his letters to the foreign leaders, implying that he was being generous with his tariffs. But the letters generally followed a standard format, so much so that the one to Bosnia and Herzegovina accidentally addressed its woman leader, Željka Cvijanović, as "Mr. President". The morning's headlines in 90 seconds, including what the jury saw at the mushroom murder trial, where house prices are climbing, and why YouTube's biggest star has business plans in NZ. (Source: 1News) Trade talks have yet to deliver several deals White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that Trump was by setting the rates himself creating "tailor-made trade plans for each and every country on this planet and that's what this administration continues to be focused on". Following a now well-worn pattern, Trump plans to continue sharing the letters sent to his counterparts on social media and then mail them the documents, a stark departure from the more formal practices of all his predecessors when negotiating trade agreements. The letters are not agreed-to settlements but Trump's own choice on rates, a sign that the closed-door talks with foreign delegations failed to produce satisfactory results for either side. ADVERTISEMENT Wendy Cutler, vice president of the Asia Society Policy Institute who formerly worked in the office of the US Trade Representative, said the tariff hikes on Japan and South Korea were "unfortunate". "Both have been close partners on economic security matters and have a lot to offer the United States on priority matters like shipbuilding, semiconductors, critical minerals and energy cooperation," Cutler said. Trump still has outstanding differences on trade with the European Union and India, among other trading partners. Tougher talks with China are on a longer time horizon in which imports from that nation are being taxed at 55%. The office of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said in a statement that the tariff rates announced by Trump characterised the trade relationship with the US, but it would "continue with its diplomatic efforts towards a more balanced and mutually beneficial trade relationship with the United States" after having proposed a trade framework on May 20. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House. (Source: Associated Press) Higher tariffs prompt market worries, more uncertainty ahead The S&P 500 stock index was down 0.8% in Monday trading, while the interest charged on 10-year US Treasury notes had increased to nearly 4.39%, a figure that could translate into elevated rates for mortgages and auto loans. ADVERTISEMENT Trump has declared an economic emergency to unilaterally impose the taxes, suggesting they are remedies for past trade deficits even though many US consumers have come to value autos, electronics and other goods from Japan and South Korea. The constitution grants Congress the power to levy tariffs under normal circumstances, though tariffs can also result from executive branch investigations regarding national security risks. Trump's ability to impose tariffs through an economic emergency is under legal challenge, with the administration appealing a May ruling by the US Court of International Trade that said the president exceeded his authority. It's unclear what he gains strategically against China — another stated reason for the tariffs — by challenging two crucial partners in Asia, Japan and South Korea, that could counter China's economic heft. "These tariffs may be modified, upward or downward, depending on our relationship with your Country," Trump wrote in both letters. Because the new tariff rates go into effect in roughly three weeks, Trump is setting up a period of possibly tempestuous talks among the US and its trade partners to reach new frameworks. "I don't see a huge escalation or a walk back — it's just more of the same," said Scott Lincicome, a vice president at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank. Trump initially roiled the financial markets by announcing tariff rates on dozens of countries, including 24% on Japan and 25% on South Korea. In order to calm the markets, Trump unveiled a 90-day negotiating period during which goods from most countries were taxed at a baseline 10%. So far, the rates in the letters sent by Trump either match his April 2 tariffs or are generally close to them. ADVERTISEMENT The 90-day negotiating period technically ends on Wednesday, even as multiple administration officials suggested the three-week period before implementation is akin to overtime for additional talks that could change the rates. Trump plans to sign an executive order on Monday to delay the official tariff increases until Aug. 1, Leavitt said. Congressionally approved Trade agreements historically have sometimes taken years to negotiate because of the complexity. Administration officials have said Trump is relying on tariff revenues to help offset the tax cuts he signed into law on July 4, a move that could shift a greater share of the federal tax burden onto the middle class and poor as importers would likely pass along much of the cost of the tariffs. Trump has warned major retailers such as Walmart to simply "eat" the higher costs, instead of increasing prices in ways that could intensify inflation. Josh Lipsky, chair of international economics at The Atlantic Council, said that a three-week delay in imposing the tariffs was unlikely sufficient for meaningful talks to take place. "I take it as a signal that he is serious about most of these tariffs and it's not all a negotiating posture," Lipsky said. Tugboats assist a container ship as it prepares to dock at the Manila International Container Terminal at the Philippine capital. (Source: Associated Press) Trade gaps persist, more tariff hikes are possible ADVERTISEMENT Trump's team promised 90 deals in 90 days, but his negotiations so far have produced only two trade frameworks. His outline of a deal with Vietnam was clearly designed to box out China from routing its America-bound goods through that country, by doubling the 20% tariff charged on Vietnamese imports on anything traded transnationally. The quotas in the signed United Kingdom framework would spare that nation from the higher tariff rates being charged on steel, aluminium and autos, though British goods would generally face a 10% tariff. The United States ran a US$69.4 billion trade imbalance in goods with Japan in 2024 and a US$66 billion imbalance with South Korea, according to the Census Bureau. The trade deficits are the differences between what the US exports to a country relative to what it imports. According to Trump's letters, autos would be tariffed separately at the standard 25% worldwide, while steel and aluminium imports would be taxed on 50%. This is not the first time that Trump has tangled with Japan and South Korea on trade — and the new tariffs suggest his past deals made during his first term failed to deliver on his administration's own hype. In 2018, during Trump's first term, his administration celebrated a revamped trade agreement with South Korea as a major win. And in 2019, Trump signed a limited agreement with Japan on agricultural products and digital trade that at the time he called a "huge victory for America's farmers, ranchers and growers". ADVERTISEMENT Trump has also said on social media that countries aligned with the policy goals of BRICS, an organisation composed of Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates, would face additional tariffs of 10%.
1News
5 hours ago
- 1News
The key moments from the mushroom cook murder trial
The key moments from Erin Patterson's triple murder trial as a jury finds her guilty of all offences. 1. Erin Patterson gives evidence and admits foraging After weeks of prosecution evidence, she was announced as the defence's only witness in her murder trial. She took to the witness box for eight days, including several under gruelling cross-examination by crown prosecutor Nanette Rogers SC. She admitted beginning mushroom foraging during Victoria's first Covid-19 lockdown in 2020. "They tasted good and I didn't get sick," she told the jury, about preparing and eating wild fungi for the first time. Patterson said she loved her former in-laws and they were her only living family. ADVERTISEMENT She also claimed she'd thrown up remnants on the meal after eating it as she suffered from bulimia, and admitted to lying about owning a dehydrator and foraging to police. 1News Australia correspondent Aziz Al Sa'afin speaks to Breakfast in the wake of yesterday's verdict. (Source: Breakfast) 2. Sole lunch survivor Ian Wilkinson enters witness box The only lunch guest to survive eating Patterson's poisoned beef Wellington, Ian was one of the first witnesses called during week two of the trial. Ian, Simon Patterson's uncle and pastor at Korumburra Baptist Church, locked eyes with the woman who tried to kill him as he sat in the witness box and gave emotional evidence about losing his wife Heather. He said Patterson had served himself, his wife Heather, and Don and Gail Patterson on grey dinner plates which were different to her own plate. Ian laughed as he recalled banter at the dinner table over how Don had eaten his portion and half of his wife Gail's. ADVERTISEMENT 3. Estranged husband Simon Patterson called as witness Simon was the first witness called by prosecutors and he discussed their up and down relationship in the years leading up to their permanent separation in 2015. He gave evidence for three days and explained that he did not attend the fatal lunch, although he was invited, because he felt "too uncomfortable". Simon also became emotional as he recalled seeing his father and mother dying in their hospital beds. "Dad was substantially worse than mum, he was really struggling ... He wasn't right inside. He was feeling pain," he said, between tears. The morning's headlines in 90 seconds, including what the jury saw at the mushroom murder trial, where house prices are climbing, and why YouTube's biggest star has business plans in NZ. (Source: 1News) 4. Medical experts explain how her lunch guests became ill, but Patterson did not ADVERTISEMENT Several doctors, nurses and toxicologists detailed how the four lunch guests' conditions deteriorated over several days after going to hospital with diarrhoea, vomiting and stomach pain and they tried to save their lives. Initially, doctors and victims had assumed they all had gastro, but soon it became clear they had consumed death cap mushrooms. Patterson, on the other hand, took herself to hospital two days after the meal and quickly discharged herself. She returned and then was taken to a Melbourne hospital but was found to not have been poisoned. 5. Computer devices reveal death cap mushroom searches Searches of computers, tablets and mobile phones seized from Patterson's home revealed she had navigated to science website iNaturalist in May 2022 and looked at death cap mushroom sighting post for Moorabbin, in Melbourne. 6. Patterson's angry messages over child support ADVERTISEMENT A child support issue between Simon and Erin started to involve his parents, Don and Gail, towards the end of 2022 - about six months before the toxic meal. Messages sent by Patterson to her Facebook friends revealed she called Simon a "deadbeat" and said she wanted nothing to do with her parents-in-law. "This family, I swear to f*****g god," another message said. Prosecutors said this showed how her relationship with the Patterson family had begun deteriorating. 7. Cell phone tower pings after online death cap sightings Patterson's phone had pinged at cell towers in the Gippsland towns of Outtrim and Loch after posts on iNaturalist about death cap mushroom sightings in those areas. Her defence argued this evidence was unreliable, but prosecutors said it showed she had gone to these areas to pick the deadly fungi. 8. Patterson's missing mobile phone Several mobile phones were seized from Patterson's home except one, Phone A, and prosecutors told the jury they had never recovered this phone. Its sim card was swapped during a police search of her Leongatha home on August 5, 2023. Another phone, known during the trial as Phone B, had been factory reset on the day police were at her home and again while sitting in a locker at Victoria police's homicide HQ.
