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We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – An 18-year-old woman, Brianna Castillo, was taken into custody early this morning following allegations of brandishing a firearm at another woman in downtown Gainesville. Castillo faces charges of unlawfully carrying a concealed weapon and allegedly driving a vehicle toward the victim, narrowly missing her.
The incident occurred around 3:37 a.m. on June 7, when Gainesville Police Department officers were dispatched to the 200 block of SE 2nd Avenue. According to reports, Castillo was engaged in an argument with the victim. During the altercation, Castillo is accused of drawing a handgun from her waistband and threatening the victim with it multiple times. The victim recounted feeling terrified, convinced she was in imminent danger of being shot.
The victim provided a description of the firearm, which officers later found under Castillo’s car seat, matching the victim’s account.
After being read her Miranda rights, Castillo reportedly acknowledged owning the gun. However, she denied pointing it at the victim, claiming instead that she merely held it by her side after removing it from her waistband.
The officer noted that it is illegal for Castillo to conceal a firearm because she is 18.
A witness reportedly said that a short time after the incident with the gun, Castillo drove a vehicle aggressively toward the victim, coming extremely close to hitting her. The victim reportedly confirmed that Castillo drove aggressively toward her, and she thought Castillo was going to hit her with the vehicle.
Castillo has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and unlawfully carrying a concealed firearm. Her criminal history and bail amount will be available on Monday.
Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
In a gesture interpreted as symbolic of King Charles’ intentions, Prince William’s affectionate greeting towards Princess Beatrice has sparked discussion. A royal expert suggests this act signifies the monarch’s efforts to reestablish his influence over the family, encouraging his son to reconnect with his cousins, often perceived as distant due to their non-royal duties.
At the wedding of their cousin, Peter Phillips, to Harriet Sperling in Kemble, Gloucestershire, Prince William seemed particularly keen on reinforcing familial bonds with Princess Beatrice. This interaction came at a critical time, shortly after a controversial National Audit report surfaced.
The report disclosed that Princess Beatrice and her sister, Princess Eugenie, have lived rent-free for nearly twenty years in exclusive palace accommodations. Despite their independent careers and successful spouses, the sisters have not contributed financially to their living arrangements, as the report highlighted.
In recent years, Beatrice and Eugenie have maintained a lower profile, partly due to the public scrutiny surrounding their parents. Their mother, Sarah Ferguson, and their father, the former Duke of York, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, faced significant backlash due to their connections to the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Beatrice and Eugenie had already taken a step back from the spotlight following the downfall of their parents – Sarah Ferguson and the disgraced ex-Duke of York, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor – over their friendship with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
While the recent scandals have threatened to divide the Royal Family, William’s kiss on the cheek for his cousin yesterday showed an attempt by his father Charles to regain control, royal author Tom Sykes has claimed.
‘Yesterday was an expression of Charles pulling power back. This is what Charles wanted to see yesterday,’ he said.
‘William was making it clear that he is a loyal servant and will ultimately go along with what his father wants, per the military foundational structures of the Royal Family.’
Meanwhile, royal expert Tom Bower told the Daily Mail that William’s affection towards Beatrice was ‘not clever PR’, adding any warmth towards the York sisters should be shown in private.
Prince William leans in to kiss Princess Beatrice on the cheek at Peter Phillips and Harriet Sperling’s wedding in Kemble yesterday
Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and Princess Beatrice arrive for the Royal wedding yesterday
Catherine, Princess of Wales, and Prince William leave the royal wedding on Saturday
Mr Sykes wrote in his publication, The Royalist: ‘In the real world, people are very angry about the treatment given to these two sisters, whom they regard as grifters and freeloaders from a family with a long history of grifting and freeloading.’
According to Mr Bower, Charles should be considering the family’s ‘tainted image’ when navigating William’s interactions with the Yorks.
He told the Mail: ‘Undoubtedly, it would be wrong to forbid the sisters to attend family weddings, especially if invited by their cousin. And, once present, how can any civilised Briton not expect the Prince of Wales to greet his relative? That would be hugely discourteous and uncivilised.
‘The solution would be to restrict shows of affection to areas beyond the cameras. In public, the sisters should remain at a distance from any controversial encounter. Both Beatrice and Eugenie need to accept that, right or wrong, they are tainted by their parents’ vulgar greed.’
Mr Bower added: ‘The Royal Family needs to consider its tainted image. Embracing the sisters in public is not clever PR. Kissing them arouses unease.’
The royal expert agreed with Mr Sykes that the ‘real world’ will be furious to see the sisters welcomed back so soon after the revelations of their rent-free living.
Mr Bower said: ‘Many will be appalled that in the same week that the sisters were exposed as living rent-free in a royal palace they were welcomed into the royal fold. And the critics are right. It does look bad.’
However, others argued William has always been close to his cousins, who are not blamed by senior royals for the actions of their parents.
Royal author Phil Dampier told the Mail: ‘The King and Prince William have always been very fond of Beatrice and Eugenie and don’t blame them for the sins of their parents.
‘The way they were warmly greeted at Peter Phillips’s wedding shows they are still very much in the family fold and I’m sure they will still be invited to Sandringham at Christmas and other events.’
He added: ‘When they were young William and Harry used to jokingly call Beatrice “Queen Bea” as she could potentially have come to the throne if some tragedy had befallen them before they had children.
‘They’ve always had a good relationship and William’s kiss showed the affection between them.’
Beatrice and Eugenie’s appearance at the wedding came hours after it emerged the sisters have been secretly subsidised for years by their grandmother Queen Elizabeth and now by their uncle Charles.
Kate stuns in a pale dress for the royal wedding of Peter Phillips and Harriet Sperling
Princess Catherine adjusts her hat following the royal wedding yesterday
Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie and their husbands arrive for the nuptials yesterday
Former Liberal Democrat minister Norman Baker, who has long been a critic of royal finances, said: ‘The Royal Family is yet again taking the public for a complete ride.’
The York sisters lived at St James’s Palace from 2008, before Eugenie, now 36, moved to Ivy Cottage in the grounds of Kensington Palace in 2018. She now splits her time between London and a £3.6million Portuguese home.
Her neighbours are said to include F1 racing drivers and fashion designer Christian Louboutin.
Beatrice, 37, stayed on at the apartment, which she shares with her husband, property developer Edo Mapelli Mozzi, and their family, while also owning a multi-million pound home in the Cotswolds.
Both rents, the report reveals, are paid to the Royal Household entirely by Charles out of the Privy Purse, which is made up of his Duchy of Lancaster income and other private funds. No taxpayer money was involved.
However, the homes are situated in occupied royal palaces which are maintained by public funding via the Sovereign Grant – which was effectively reimbursed by the monarch on their behalf.
A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: ‘We are grateful to the National Audit Office for this report, which is in line with The Royal Household’s commitment to transparency.
‘We hope that the findings will help correct, clarify or contextualise a number of points regarding royal properties.
‘As the report notes, arrangements for properties managed by the Royal Household vary based on a number of factors to ensure residences are filled appropriately, depending on their location, tenants and purpose.’
A spokesman for the Crown Estate said: ‘The Crown Estate welcomes the National Audit Office’s review which confirms its leases with members of the Royal Family were agreed in line with independent, professional advice and open market valuations.’
NEW YORK – The Tony Awards, renowned for their exuberant celebration of theater, often resemble a reunion of a theater camp, albeit with attendees swapping casual attire for elegant tuxedos and glamorous gowns.
This lively atmosphere was palpable on Sunday evening as the audience relished in seeing their beloved Broadway stars finally receive their well-deserved accolades. The evening’s top honor went to a musical that pays homage to the magic of Broadway itself: “Schmigadoon!”
The event also featured some nostalgic reunions. Notably, members of the original cast from “The Book of Mormon,” including Josh Gad, Nikki M. James, and Andrew Rannells, returned to the stage to perform in celebration of the show’s 15th anniversary. Watching Gad energetically perform “Man Up” was undoubtedly one of the evening’s standout moments.
During the acceptance speeches, as expected, many winners expressed gratitude towards their families. However, one winner brought a fresh twist, offering thanks to the babysitters who supported their career journey.
Here are some of the night’s memorable highlights:
Pink sure got that party started
In the show’s first bit, new host Pink, who has not performed on Broadway, pretended she didn’t know what she was doing, and dangled uncomfortably from a wire, trying to be Peter Pan. Then Neil Patrick Harris, who’s hosted multiple times, came out and told her she just needed to be herself: “You’re Pink! You can do anything,”
Of course he was right. The consensus was that Pink killed it, starting with the opening number, where she led an enormous ensemble of some 170 Broadway performers in a version of “Lady Marmalade” that was a love letter to this season’s shows, with current casts performing onstage and lots of actors name-checked in the audience, too. As in: “Gitchie Gitchie Lesley Manville, Gitchie Gitchie Carrie Coon.”
The number was written by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (the duo behind “Dear Evan Hansen” and “The Greatest Showman”) and Mark Sonnenblick (who co-wrote “Golden” in “Kpop Demon Hunters”), and the reaction in the theater was ecstatic.
Thank you for … canceling us?
This was a new kind of thank-you. When “Schmigadoon!” won best musical, producer (and “Saturday Night Live” creator) Lorne Michaels spoke first, saying “Sometimes singing, dancing, jokes and a happy ending are all you need.”
Then producer Christine Schwarzman spoke and thanked Apple TV for canceling the third season of the TV show it was adapted from.
“Without them dropping it, we couldn’t have picked it up and ran with it. So, thanks Apple TV,” she said, to laughs.
A voice teacher gets a deserved thank-you
There was no award that had the audience cheering louder and longer than when Joshua Henry finally won a Tony, after four nominations during a stellar Broadway career.
Henry won best actor in a musical for his career-topping turn as Coalhouse Walker Jr., a Black pianist who suffers the horrors of racism in the current revival of “Ragtime,” an adaptation of E.L. Doctorow’s novel.
In addition to his wife and kids, Henry thanked his first voice teacher, which got huge applause from the crowd. He also thanked Audra McDonald and Brian Stokes Mitchell, legendary Broadway actors who preceded him in the 1998 run of “Ragtime.”
Babysitters deserve gratitude, too
Henry’s “Ragtime” co-star, Caissie Levy, was waiting for him for a long hug backstage. Levy, who was the original Elsa in the Broadway version of “Frozen,” had just won her own first Tony, for leading actress in a musical. In her own speech, Levy thanked a lot of people, but one unusual shoutout was to her family’s babysitters: “Thank you to … every babysitter who’s made it possible for me to be both a Broadway actor and a mother.”
Levy, a mother of two, plays the character called Mother.
A play about history makes some of its own
The winner for best play, “Liberation” by Bess Wohl, toggles between the present time and the ’70s, exploring the roots of second-wave feminism through a consciousness-raising group that meets in an Ohio gym.
But it was a different kind of history that playwright Wohl addressed in her acceptance speech — the fact that she was the first American woman to win the category since Wendy Wasserstein won for “The Heidi Chronicles” in 1989.
She told women and girls who were listening; “May you speak your truth and may the world be wise enough to listen.”
“Liberation” also won the Pulitzer Prize this year.
If anyone can make ‘Oedipus’ funny, it’s Cole Escola
There is literally not one single thing that is funny about the story of Oedipus, the Sophocles classic tragedy with a shocking ending.
But Cole Escola, the mastermind behind the hit comedy “Oh Mary,” found a way. Presenting along with Maya Rudolph, who is now playing Mary Todd Lincoln in Escola’s play, the writer-actor noted of Oedipus:
“(It’s) a play that asks the question: Can women really have it all?”
If you don’t get the reference, ask Manville. The veteran British actor won for leading actress in a play for her devastating turn as Jocasta in Robert Icke’s modern retelling of the tragedy — her Broadway debut. As she noted in her own speech, she plays Oedipus’ wife and, also, it turns out, his mother.
To which someone in the audience called out: “Spoiler!”
This is New York. They support the Knicks
When actor John Leguizamo introduced a segment on the show, he couldn’t resist ending his remarks with “Knicks in four!”
The crowd at Radio City Music Hall gave a huge cheer. You thought they were going to root for the other guys?
The Knicks lead the San Antonio Spurs by 2-0 in the NBA Finals.
Learning some moves during commercial breaks
The audience at Radio City Music Hall doesn’t just sit there in silence when the Tony telecast goes to commercials. There’s usually something happening, and this time, there were opportunities to learn some moves.
During one break, the audience was instructed on how to use the paper fans that many found under their seats, meant for the number featuring “Cats: The Jellicle Ball,” which reimagines the 1980s feline musical as a celebration of queer ballroom culture.
And during another break, the crowd was shown how to dance to the upcoming “Time Warp” number from “The Rocky Horror Show.”
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Left inset: Jacob Smith in hospital (KXTV/YouTube). Right inset: Jalani Bluett (Sutter County Sheriff’s Office). Background: Jacob Smith working at the McDonald’s in California where he was allegedly targeted in a hot oil attack (GoFundMe).
A shocking incident unfolded at a McDonald’s in California, where an employee threw boiling hot oil at his 20-year-old manager, inflicting severe burns on his face and body, according to police and family reports.
Following the May 30 assault, Jacob Smith questioned his mother, “Why would he do this to me?” as recounted in a GoFundMe page she established.
The fundraising page describes how “Jacob was on his shift at McDonald’s, a company he has served faithfully for several years. What started as a routine workday turned into a horrific ordeal when a colleague attacked him with hot oil.”
Smith, employed at the Yuba City McDonald’s, sustained third-degree burns on his face, arms, and shoulders from the incident.
“He was in the office, preparing to count money, when he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. As he turned, the hot oil was hurled at him,” Jacob’s mother, Amber Smith, explained to local NBC station KCRA.
Local cops arrested worker Jalani Bluett, 23, and charged him with assault with a deadly weapon or instrument other than a firearm, mayhem, and battery causing serious bodily injury. Police have not released a motive.
“I want justice to be served,” Amber Smith said. “I want him to serve the time he needs to serve for what he’s done to my son. I mean, I don’t wish bad things towards him. I just want him to understand that what he did — really understand what he did — and the pain that he caused to my son is excruciating.”
Smith is scheduled to undergo surgery next week. Bluett appeared in court last Wednesday and pleaded not guilty, according to The Sacramento Bee. He is being held without bail.
Apple is gearing up to reveal new advancements in artificial intelligence at its upcoming developers conference, starting Monday. This event will mark the final conference under the leadership of CEO Tim Cook before John Ternus takes the reins in September.
The World Wide Developers Conference, drawing thousands of developers from around 60 nations to Apple’s Silicon Valley base, primarily concentrates on software updates. This differs from the company’s fall events, which are known for showcasing the latest iPhone models.
Industry experts anticipate that Apple will introduce updates on AI innovations and enhancements, particularly concerning its Siri voice assistant.
“Although hardware launches are uncommon at developer conferences, we might catch glimpses of Apple’s ventures into foldable devices, wearables, and smart home technology through various developer and ecosystem updates,” remarked Emarketer senior analyst Gadjo Sevilla, who identified 2026 as a “transition year” for the conference.
In the realm of AI, Apple has been striving to match the advancements of other major technology firms. It currently employs Google’s Gemini AI model to bolster its AI functionalities.
Sevilla said he anticipates Siri will be reimagined as an AI chatbot and will be more conversational, have memory to pick up previous conversations, and will be able to complete multiple tasks with single requests.
There is optimism around the potential for an enhanced Siri, he said.
“An upgraded, agentic version of Siri — capable of managing conversations and tasks across iPhones, Macs, and iPads — could become as ubiquitous as features like AirDrop and Handoff, which already unify Apple’s ecosystem,” Sevilla said.
Cook announced his retirement in April, ending a 15-year run that saw the company’s market value soar by more than $4 trillion during an iPhone-fueled era of prosperity.
Ternus has been with Apple for the past quarter century, including the past five years overseeing the engineering underlying the iPhone, iPad and Mac — a role that made him a prime candidate to succeed Cook.
The transition to a new CEO comes at a pivotal time for Apple. Artificial intelligence has unleashed the most upheaval within the industry since Jobs unveiled the first iPhone in 2007. Apple has gotten off to a rough start in AI after stumbling in its efforts to deliver new features built on the technology, as promised nearly two years ago.
The drama intensifies on the latest episode of The Real Housewives of Rhode Island. Tensions flare as Liz and Alicia find themselves at odds, while Kelsey and Rosie can barely stand each other. Meanwhile, Rulla’s patience wears thin with Jo-Ellen’s meddling in her marriage. In an attempt to mend fences, Rulla plans an end-of-summer gathering but pointedly excludes Jo-Ellen from the guest list. While some feuds seem to be simmering down, Rosie stokes the flames by spreading rumors about Rulla and her husband’s alleged infidelity.
After an uncomfortable restaurant encounter, Liz leaves Jo-Ellen behind, prompting Jo-Ellen to call Alicia to express her frustration. Jo-Ellen is hurt by Liz’s accusations of disloyalty and insincerity. Alicia empathizes with Jo-Ellen, questioning why Liz would doubt someone she considers family. As they discuss the fallout, both women dread the awkwardness that looms over their next group outing.
Rulla pays a visit to her husband’s workplace, partly to check on an injury and partly to ensure his fidelity. Seizing the opportunity, she proposes hosting an Arabian nights-themed end-of-summer party. Her husband, Brian, is enthusiastic about the idea, but they both agree that Jo-Ellen should be excluded to avoid further drama. Despite Jo-Ellen’s past transgressions, Rulla feels a twinge of guilt for leaving her out, although the rest of the ladies are invited.
Meanwhile, Ashley finds herself in a predicament while preparing tacos her family likely won’t eat. She discusses the fate of Audrey’s lease with her parents and Jared. Although Jared acknowledges the success the location has brought, he grapples with the decision to close it, given the personal fulfillment it has provided him. Ultimately, despite deliberating the pros and cons, he decides against selling, leaving Ashley visibly displeased.
As Ashley prepares tacos (that her husband and children likely will not eat), she talks with her parents and Jared about Audrey’s lease. There are pros and cons of keeping the place, but Jared explains that Audrey’s HAS been successful in many different ways. However, he understands that the most beneficial thing to do is close it, despite Audrey’s bringing him fulfillment. After a lot of back and forth, he lands on not wanting to sell the place and Ashley looks less than thrilled.
Over at the Rhode Island State House, Liz and Dolores meet with a senator and a state representative. Dolores admits to being star-struck and Liz applauds them for the incredible legislation making menopausal women a protected class in the workplace. The senator befriended the chairman of labor and explained to him how important this is to women, considering how debilitating menopause can be.
Liz openly discusses how embarrassed she was going through menopause and wonders how many women are forced into early retirement because of it. Dolores talks about wanting to be a pioneer for women going through menopause and they are hopeful that their cannabis product can help those experiencing it.
Rosie brings some pink balloons and flowers to Alicia, who is so grateful after that “ride of hell” with Liz. Alicia wonders why Liz didn’t come to her house apologizing after “crushing someone’s soul.” Ooph. Alicia opens up about her issues with Liz and states that she does not like that Liz is trying to discredit her. Alicia wonders how things will shake out at Rulla’s upcoming party.
Rosie has zero plans to talk to Kelsey and suggests that she have her own party with Alicia. On top of everything else, the ladies are sitting on this video evidence of Rulla’s husband’s affair. Rosie believes that Alicia should be the one to bring Rulla’s attention to the matter, but she is unsure Alicia has it in her to drop this on Rulla.
Later, Rosie and Alicia are getting ready for Rulla’s party and it’s awkward when they FaceTime Jo-Ellen, considering she is not invited. In the meantime, Rulla is getting decked for her Aladdin. Rulla claims that she is “good” with Brian and so, she is ready to host.
Ashley is the first of the group to arrive and she’s a bit…uncomfortable knowing that Rulla’s husband is seeing another woman per the video she saw thanks to Jo-Ellen. Alicia is a bit leery about seeing Liz considering she has yet to speak with her since the Sinatra night. Liz admits that her reaction with Alicia was knee-jerk, but wants to just have a good time…if that’s possible.
Once Rosie enters the party, Kelsey realizes it’s just best to try and co-exist with her at this point. Kelsey makes zero point of “seeing” Rosie and it’s evident that she just “wants to hate” Rosie.
Alicia is sitting on this infidelity video with Brian, but she is finding it difficult to break the bad news to Rulla about Brian and so, she decides to wait because she doesn’t want to ruin the night ala Liz.
The friction between Rosie and Kelsey and then the fight with Alicia and Liz is making this quite an awkward evening. But when Alicia makes her way over to Liz, the rest of the women abort the situation, leaving Liz and Alicia alone to sort out their issues.
Alicia does not want to fight with Liz and feels sad by the way Liz attacked her. Liz did not give Alicia compassion and apologizes for trying to belittle Alicia’s feelings. It’s a big step for Liz to say she is sorry, but Alicia will not forget what was said. Liz claims she is not a heartless person, but things sometimes spill out of her mouth before she thinks.
Rosie’s husband, Rich, seems hell bent on trying to be the peacekeeper between Kelsey and Rosie. Rosie claims she just wants to get along and Kelsey claims she just tried to make a joke. Kelsey does apologize for hurting Rosie’s feelings and Rosie apologizes for her reaction to the situation. For the time being, they toast to moving forward and things are looking up for the friend group.
As the night wears on, Rulla catches up with Rosie and Alicia. Rosie admits that Rulla was a “big topic” of conversion during the girls’ trip and explains it was really messed up what they learned at the mansion. Rosie asks Rulla outright if she knows about the video and now Alicia is a deer in headlights. Rosie shares that Jo-Ellen called them all downstairs to show them a video of Brian cheating, dated the day before polo. Rulla muses how valid the date of the video is and Rosie makes it clear that everyone is talking about it.
Rulla wonders why Alicia did not tell her and does not appreciate that Rosie chose this time and place to bring up *the* video. When Brian walks over, Rosie lets him know that there is a a video (courtesy of Jo-Ellen) of him kissing a blonde woman. Brian claims he trusts Jo-Ellen as much as “gas station sushi” and states that there are so many things about Jo-Ellen, but he takes the high road by not saying anything. Hmmm.
Rulla is trying to move past things, but all these bombs keep getting dropped on her regarding her husband’s infidelity. She pushes on and Alicia proposes a toast: “B*tches love summer.” Where is the lie?
Later, Kelsey and Liz decide to go clamming. They last about ten seconds and lament the end of summer, but are excited about an upcoming Block Island trip. Kelsey is trying to bring all the ladies together so they can mend friendships.
Jo-Ellen packs for the overnight and she is wondering how things will go considering the last time she saw Liz, things ended terribly. Jo-Ellen realizes that Liz does not respect her and if Liz pulls this again, there is no coming back. Jo-Ellen believes she deserves an apology, but Liz does not care, nor does she think she was wrong. Liz states, “It’s just rich when someone who hurts you becomes the victim.” Liz feels like she has Jo-Ellen’s number now and so she deserves everything that Liz has ever said to her. They’ll be on an island together…trapped. What could possibly go wrong?!
In a thought-provoking episode of Insight, Lindy Chamberlain and Saxon Mullins explore the effectiveness of Australia’s jury system. The discussion centers on whether the concept of twelve randomly selected community members determining a person’s guilt remains relevant and reliable. Do these juries consistently deliver justice?
One of Australia’s most notorious miscarriages of justice occurred in 1982, when Lindy Chamberlain was convicted of murdering her nine-week-old daughter, Azaria. Despite maintaining her innocence, she was found guilty by a jury.
Lindy endured three years of imprisonment before a pivotal piece of evidence emerged, leading to her release. Her conviction was ultimately overturned in 1988, and in 2012, Azaria’s death certificate was finally updated to reflect that a dingo was responsible for her tragic death. Throughout the ordeal, Lindy and her then-husband Michael consistently asserted that a dingo had taken Azaria from their tent at Uluru/Ayers Rock in the Northern Territory.
The initial trial’s evidence has since been discredited, underscoring the fallibility of the jury system that failed Lindy Chamberlain so profoundly.
It has since been proven that the evidence presented in the initial trial was flawed.
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Lindy clearly remembers the day her fate was left in the hands of a jury.
“I knew that the judge had summed up for acquittal”, Lindy told Insight.
The Chamberlains’ lawyers explained to Lindy and Michael that “[the deliberation] was going to be quick” if the jury believed the judge.
“But it wasn’t quick. It took hours, which meant they weren’t agreeing with the judge or with one another,” Lindy said.
Azaria’s matinee jacket was the new evidence. Source: Supplied / NT Police
The jury delivered a guilty verdict after seven hours of deliberation. Michael was convicted of being an accessory after the fact and Lindy was sentenced to life in prison with hard labour.
“I just felt like they hadn’t been peers of the evidence,” Lindy said.
“They didn’t understand it. They had no idea.”
Lindy says that the blood evidence presented in the trial was “so difficult” that her and Michael’s lawyers, Crown lawyers and other lawyers all sat down with scientists to learn about and understand the evidence — “and to know even how to ask questions”.
“[The lawyers had] plenty of previous time to read and absorb, then the jury just hears it once, and it’s way over their heads,” Lindy said.
After Azaria’s jacket was found and Lindy was released from prison, a subsequent royal commission ruled the forensic evidence at her trial was faulty.
When asked if this could have been prevented, Lindy said: “At the time, probably not because there didn’t seem to be any checks and balances to see who did what.”
Lindy believes that only reliable and relevant evidence must be presented to jurors, and four decades on, she is advocating for changes to the jury system.
Australia’s jury system
Australia’s jury system is largely inherited from the legal traditions of 13th-century England and is used for indictable (serious) offences. Juries are used in both criminal and civil cases, but are rare in the latter.
While laws regarding criminal trials vary by state and territory, usually 12 jurors are selected at random from the electoral roll. The randomness aims to bring diverse views to the case, which may balance out any individual bias.
The jury’s role is to consider only the evidence and arguments presented in court.
The group then deliberates in private to decide whether a criminal defendant is guilty ‘beyond reasonable doubt’, which means the evidence is so compelling that there are no sensible or logical explanations as to the defendant’s innocence.
However, as technology progresses, Lindy is concerned evidence is becoming too complicated.
“I’ve come to the conclusion that, instead of the adversarial system that we have in Australia, I would like to see all forensic expert evidence from both sides given to a roving panel of experts,” she said.
Lindy proposes the panel could be made up of local and international experts who would be tasked with analysing the validity of evidence in their specific field of study. After which, only evidence approved by the panel would be presented in court.
‘I couldn’t live with her being in jail’
Yvonne Cain was one of the jurors in Lindy Chamberlain’s trial. She says she was surprised when they called her name to take a seat in the jury box.
“I didn’t think I would be chosen,” Yvonne told Insight.
“I thought I’d be going home. I wasn’t an important person.”
Yvonne publicly identified herself as a juror in Lindy’s case, convinced the jury had reached the wrong decision. Source: SBS
She says that after the trial, she thought about Lindy “non-stop”.
Convinced the jury had got it wrong, she publicly identified herself after Lindy was sentenced and was dubbed the “crying juror” by the media.
“The judge said she was going to do life with hard labour and that got to me …” Yvonne said.
“Those words stayed with me, and I couldn’t live with her being in jail.”
Jurors and the media
Understanding exactly how juries come to their decisions is difficult to study as jurors are prohibited from doing independent research or discussing case details outside the jury room. These laws have become stricter over time.
Yvonne says she doesn’t recall receiving these instructions and kept up to date with the news to see what journalists thought about the case to help her own understanding.
Anthony Whealy is a former judge in the Supreme Court of NSW.
He says that “the whole of Australia was brought into the media” during the Chamberlains’ case, which “would have impacted most powerfully in the Northern Territory on that jury”.
“It was unrelenting media criticism and painting Lindy in the most unpleasant way,” Whealy said.
“So, there was no way I think that a jury could ignore that — no matter how much the judge told them to put that aside.”
Anthony Whealy is a former Supreme Court of NSW judge. Source: SBS
Whealy says the media’s influence and jury misconduct are some of the challenges the system can face. He points to the 2022 criminal trial of Bruce Lehrmann as an example.
Former Liberal party staffer Lehrmann faced a criminal trial in the ACT Supreme Court over a rape allegation made by his former colleague, Brittany Higgins. He denied the allegation and pleaded not guilty. He maintains his innocence.
During the trial, a juror was found in possession of material that had not been presented as evidence.
“It led to the discharge of the jury and effectively aborted the trial …” Whealy said.
“So, you have very serious consequences.”
A retrial was scheduled for 2023, but the ACT Director of Public Prosecutions dropped the charges after medical evidence found there was an “unacceptable risk” posed to Higgins’ life if the retrial went ahead.
Despite the potential challenges, Whealy is a firm believer in Australia’s jury system.
“I was a judge for 13 years and I know all the judges that I worked with … and I thought very highly of them for their integrity and their ability to conduct trials and to act as judges,” he said.
“But I would much rather be tried by a jury than any one of them.”
Can a juror ever be objective?
Professor Blake McKimmie is a social psychologist and researcher at The University of Queensland, specialising in jury decision-making and juror comprehension of judicial instructions.
McKimmie says that despite jurors being asked to consider only evidence presented in court, they are not a “blank slate” when they are called to serve.
“They’re people, and they bring with them their understanding of the world, and that can include biases and stereotypes and mental shortcuts for navigating the world.
“These things will influence them as they’re evaluating evidence. So perhaps it’s not reasonable to expect a juror or anybody to be completely objective and be able to move beyond all of those biases.”
Blake McKimmie specialises in jury decision-making and juror comprehension of judicial instructions. Source: SBS
Feeling relief and guilt
In 2018, Saxon Mullins identified herself publicly as the complainant in a sexual assault case that had been heard before a jury.
“It was a really complicated mess of feelings. I felt really relieved that they had believed me,” Saxon told Insight.
” … With the sexual assault trial, basically you’re saying, ‘This is my story. Do you think it’s true?’ and I felt like that had said ‘yes’.”
The jury found the accused guilty and he was given a given a minimum three-year sentence, which complicated Saxon’s feelings.
“I also felt this horrible, horrible guilt that I had ruined somebody’s life.
“This is my story that I decided to tell to the justice system and somebody else paid for it with a jail sentence.”
Saxon says she felt relieved to be believed by the jury. Source: SBS
The defendant in Saxon’s case has always maintained his innocence and still does.
After 10 months in prison, he successfully appealed against the verdict of the first trial. In a later second trial conducted by a judge alone, he was acquitted on the basis that he could not have known that Saxon wasn’t consenting to the sexual acts.
Unlike the deliberation of a jury in the first trial, Saxon was able to hear the deliberation of the judge’s decision in the second.
“It was very detailed and I just felt totally disbelieved,” she said.
“It was a totally different experience to a jury trial in that we got a different outcome, but also, I got to understand exactly what she thought.”
“This idea of ‘a jury versus a judge’, these issues that we have with juries, which is that they come in with their own bias or their own ideas, contrary to popular belief, judges are also people.”
‘Not very rational’
Journalist Crispin Hull was admitted as a barrister in the 1970s but never practised and has covered many trials in his career — including the Chamberlains’ case.
He says the Australian criminal justice system works well “despite juries, not because of them”.
“If we did away with juries and had a judge and a couple of assessors like they do in Europe, I think we’d get better outcomes,” Crispin said.
“If you were going to design a criminal justice system today, you would not say, ‘Oh, wouldn’t it be a good idea to pluck 12 names out of the electoral vote and let them decide?’”
“I don’t think that’s a very rational way of getting a criminal justice system to work.”
Getting it right
When Lindy was released from prison in 1986, she later met Yvonne who was a juror in her trial.
Yvonne apologised to Lindy.
“And her first words, ‘Well, what have we done to you?’”, Lindy said.
“And then I found myself comforting her because she was crying.”
You never want somebody else to go through what you’ve gone through.
Lindy Chamberlain
Today, Lindy is an author and advocate for criminal justice reform.
While she believes there is a lot that is good about the Australian justice system, she says that “trying to get it right and [making] it easier to get it right” is important.
“You never want somebody else to go through what you’ve gone through.”
Readers seeking support and information about suicide can contact Lifeline 24 hours a day online and on 13 11 14. Other services include the Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467, Beyond Blue and Kids Helpline (for people aged five to 25) on 1800 55 1800.
Recent reports suggest that the White House is contemplating a plan to acquire the Chagos Islands from Mauritius.
It appears that U.S. officials have crafted a strategy to negotiate directly with Mauritius, potentially bypassing the United Kingdom, with the aim of securing control over Diego Garcia.
The UK had initially intended to transfer the Indian Ocean archipelago to Mauritius while retaining control over the US-UK military base on Diego Garcia under a 99-year lease.
Although a treaty for the transfer of sovereignty was signed, set to take effect in May 2025, the UK government has halted the legislation process. This pause comes amid strong objections from the United States and the escalation of conflict in Iran.
Originally, the Chagos proposal had the backing of then-President Donald Trump, but in January, he reversed his support, describing the move as an “act of great stupidity.”
The US’s new plan to buy the island is among several options being drafted by the White House, the report said.
‘President Trump has been consistent in his position that the United Kingdom should not give away the British Indian Ocean Territory, which includes our joint US-UK military facility on the Diego Garcia atoll,’ a US official said.
‘Diego Garcia’s strategic location in the Indian Ocean makes it a vital and indispensable military installation of significant importance to the national security of the United States.’
The controversial handover of the Chagos Islands, which had been expected to feature in May’s King’s Speech, was delayed indefinitely after the US withdrew its backing. Pictured: An aerial image of Diego Garcia, the largest island of the Chagos Archipelago
The PM was left with little choice but to jettison the plans after Donald Trump’s (pictured) about-turn – having once supported the proposals, the US President warned in January it was an ‘act of great stupidity’ and the US is now reportedly considering buying the islands
The official added that the US remains in regular discussions with Britain to preserve the island’s viability as a regional security platform, the Telegraph reported on Sunday.
The Government’s much-scrutinised decision to cede Chagos was intended to secure the long-term security of the joint UK-US military base on Diego Garcia – the biggest island in the archipelago.
Officials concluded that without handing over the territory to Mauritius, the military site’s future would be ‘inoperable’ due to a series of legal rulings.
Mauritius’ claim to Chagos, which are 5,799 miles (9,332km) south-east of the UK, is based on a number of United Nations judgments which focus on the illegality of separating the islands from Mauritius when it was still a British colony.
In 2019 that legal position was firmed-up by an ‘advisory opinion’ by the UN’s International Court of Justice (ICJ), later cemented by a ruling of the Special Chamber of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea.
With the possibility of these rulings becoming legally binding in the near-future, the Government decided that retaining the Chagos Islands posed a larger threat to UK security than ceding the territory – minus the crucial Diego Garcia base.
Defence Secretary John Healey told MPs on May 22, 2025: ‘Without this deal, within weeks, we could face losing legal rulings and within just a few years the base would become inoperable.’
Mr Trump, once supportive of the deal which would see the UK pay up to £101million a year to lease Diego Garcia, changed his mind after relations soured between the two allies over the Middle East.
A US Air Force B-1B bomber taking off from the Diego Garcia military base in the Chagos Islands on a strike mission against Afghanistan on October 7, 2001. The UK’s plan to cede the territory was intended to secure the base long-term and preempt any legal rulings against it
In the face of Mr Trump’s disapproval, the Prime Minister was leaned on by MPs in his own party earlier this year to jettison his deal to cede the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.
Dan Carden, MP for Liverpool Walton and leader of the Blue Labour parliamentary caucus, said: ‘It’s clear the US administration doesn’t support the Chagos deal, and the government should make the best of a bad situation and finally drop it.’
Graham Stringer, MP for Blackley & Middleton South in Greater Manchester, added: ‘The government should ditch this financially and militarily unjustifiable policy. Hanging on will just lead to further embarrassment for our country.’
Simon McDonald, who was in charge at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office when the UK was advised to hand back the Indian Ocean island archipelago to Mauritius, said back in April that the plans would now go ‘into the deep freeze’.
Lord McDonald said: ‘The UK had two objectives. One was to comply with international law. The second was to reinforce the relationship with the United States.
‘But when the President of the United States is openly hostile, the Government has to rethink.’
In the early hours of Monday, tensions between Israel and Iran escalated dramatically, following a series of retaliatory missile strikes that risk igniting a broader regional conflict in the Middle East.
Israeli officials reported two waves of missile attacks originating from Iran, prompting them to advise citizens to take cover. The sound of explosions reverberated throughout central Israel as defense systems worked to intercept the incoming threats.
This Iranian offensive followed Israeli airstrikes on central and western Iran earlier in the day. These actions represent the most significant exchange of fire since a ceasefire was established on April 8 during the ongoing conflict with Iran.
Tehran had previously issued a warning of possible retaliation after Israeli forces targeted the southern suburbs of Beirut without prior notice, ignoring a request from Washington to refrain from such actions.
Monday also marked a significant milestone, the 100th day since the outbreak of hostilities on February 28. The conflict began with an attack by Israel and the United States that resulted in the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other top Iranian figures. Although a ceasefire was briefly achieved on April 8, lasting peace has been elusive, hampered by Iran’s strategic control over the Strait of Hormuz—a vital corridor for global oil and gas trade—and ongoing skirmishes between Israel and the Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah.
With global energy supplies threatened, Iran still holding a vast stockpile of highly enriched uranium, and even Yemen’s Houthi rebels apparently getting involved in the fighting on Monday, the risks of the war fully erupting again appear to be rising.
Israel strikes Iran
Iranian state television reported the sound of explosions being heard in Isfahan, Karaj, Tabriz and Tehran, without immediately elaborating. A witness in Tehran described hearing at least one large blast somewhere to the west of the country’s capital city. Iran closed the airspace around Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport, the country’s main airfield, after the Israeli attack.
Officials offered no details on what had been struck, nor any damage information. Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard said that Israel used air-launched ballistic missiles in its attack Monday morning, without elaborating.
The semiofficial Fars and Mehr news agencies said Israeli strikes had hit a petrochemical factory in the city of Mahshahr in Khuzestan province. It did not elaborate on damage.
The Israeli military later confirmed the strike on the petrochemical plant.
Earlier Monday, sirens sounded across Israel after its military said a missile launched from Yemen targeted the country, without elaborating. Israel’s rescue services said there were no reports of casualties or impacts from the launch from Yemen.
Yemen is home to the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels. The Houthis have fired missiles at Israel during the Israel-Hamas war and later, but haven’t been fully involved in the Iran war. The Houthis did not immediately claim the attack, though it can take them hours or even days to acknowledge their assaults.
In Saudi Arabia, missile alert sirens sounded Monday morning in an area home to an air base that hosts U.S. forces. Saudi state media reported the alert around its Al Kharj governorate, home to Prince Sultan Air Base. The alert came after Israel’s strikes on Iran. Saudi Arabia, shortly after, said the missile danger in the area had passed, without elaborating.
Trump says ‘I call the shots,’ not Israel
The White House did not respond to messages about the Israeli strikes and whether they were done in coordination with the U.S.
A senior U.S. official on Sunday said U.S. President Donald Trump had called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to urge him not to retaliate immediately for the Iranian missile attack. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe a private phone call, said that Trump believed he had convinced Netanyahu to wait.
Trump “got Bibi to hold off for the time being,” the official said. The official would not offer any other details of the call, and there was no immediate comment from Netanyahu’s office.
For days, negotiations between Iran and the United States over the fragile ceasefire in the war had been stalled by the fighting between Israel and the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah. Israel now occupies southern Lebanon and has moved into areas of the country it hasn’t held in a quarter century – leading to fears about them further widening their campaign.
On Sunday, Israel launched airstrikes in Beirut’s southern suburbs. Iran retaliated with its own strike on Israel, which led to Monday morning’s attack by Israel on Iran.
Trump earlier told a Fox News Channel reporter that he wanted the Iranians to stop firing missiles and return to the negotiating table. He also said that Israel’s strikes in Lebanon earlier Sunday were not coordinated with the U.S. and “I’m not happy about it.”
Speaking to The Financial Times before the Israeli strikes on Iran, Trump insisted he dictated terms to Netanyahu on how the war should be prosecuted.
“He won’t have any choice,” Trump told the newspaper in a telephone interview. “I call the shots. I call all the shots. He (Netanyahu) doesn’t call the shots.”
In a scathing outburst, President Trump condemned the California primaries as “crooked,” issuing a stark warning of “great trouble and consternation” should Republicans find themselves excluded from the general election this November.
This fiery declaration comes in the wake of Spencer Pratt slipping to third place in the Los Angeles mayoral primary, marking a significant shift just five days post-election. Meanwhile, Steve Hilton’s bid for a spot in the gubernatorial race remains uncertain.
Trump took to Truth Social on Sunday, expressing his outrage, “Is anyone observing the CROOKED election unfolding in California?”
He continued, “Two outstanding Republican candidates are being wronged, along with America itself, which, if the Democrats succeed in their agenda, will lead to significant turmoil and unrest.
“Keep a close eye on this ‘election’!!!”
Trump previously claimed the Democrats are “trying to steal the elections” and announced a probe into the sluggish vote count.
Pratt was overtaken by far-left Democrat Nithya Raman, five days after she wept while addressing her supporters as the results began to trickle in.
And prediction market Polymarket suggests Raman’s chances of making the run-off are 99%, with Pratt on 1%.
Raman has managed to overtake Pratt by gaining more votes than the former reality TV star in every update that has been provided since Tuesday.
Pratt’s 8.1 percentage point lead over Raman that he held on election night has now turned into a 0.4% deficit.
There has been a swing of more than 43,000 votes from Pratt to Raman since election night.
Incumbent mayor Karen Bass has already confirmed her place in November’s run-off – having received 34.7% of the vote with 83% of ballots counted.
Raman’s team told KNBC they were “encouraged” by the current results, while Pratt reacted to KNBC reporter Matthew Seedorff’s post alluding to the net swing.
“A net swing of more than 43,000 votes since Tuesday… 43,000, huh? Where have I seen that number before?” Pratt wrote as he shared a screenshot of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority article, Why are there so many Homeless People in LA.
“Probably nothing.”
The article referred to LAHSA finding 43,699 people experienced homelessness on any given night in LA.
California’s vote count often stretches beyond Election Day because officials must verify signatures, process millions of vote-by-mail ballots, and conduct required audits before certifying results.
State law gives county election officials up to 30 days after an election to complete the official canvass, count every valid ballot, and perform post-election checks to ensure accuracy.
All California voters receive mail-in ballots and these are valid as long as they are posted by election day – and arrive at offices by June 9.
The results must be reported to the California Secretary of State by July 3 – and these will be certified one week later.
California’s sluggish vote counting has irked Hilton, who has branded the saga a “shambles.”
“The world is laughing at our inability to count votes in a timely manner. Where is Gavin Newsom?” he fumed on X.
“The snail-like pace of the vote counting process in California is just another example of the incompetence and uselessness of the state government.”
Hilton labeled Xavier Becerra, who has already rubber-stamped his place at November’s election, “bumbling” and said, “If he was in charge of the Olympics the 100 meters would take 6 days!”
Hilton told Fox News star Maria Bartiromo on “Sunday Morning Futures” he’s “very confident” he will finish in the top two places — despite the slow vote count.
He is 4.4 percentage points ahead of billionaire Democrat Tom Steyer and 72% of the vote has been counted.
