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Mushroom Lunch Deaths: 'Patterson lied, but she isn't a murderer', says lawyer

Mushroom Lunch Deaths: 'Patterson lied, but she isn't a murderer', says lawyer

IOL News4 days ago

IOL An Australian woman accused of killing three lunch guests with deadly mushrooms should not be judged guilty just because she lied after the meal, her defence lawyer said Wednesday. Picture: Pixabay
An Australian woman accused of killing three lunch guests with deadly mushrooms should not be judged guilty just because she lied after the meal, her defence lawyer said Wednesday.
Erin Patterson, 50, is charged with murdering her estranged husband's parents and aunt in July 2023 by spiking their beef Wellington lunch with death cap mushrooms.
She is also accused of attempting to murder a fourth guest -- her husband's uncle -- who survived the lunch after a long stay in the hospital.
Patterson has steadfastly maintained her innocence during a seven-week-long trial that has made headlines from New York to New Delhi.
As the trial came to its closing stages on Wednesday, defence lawyer Colin Mandy sought to explain Patterson's behaviour in the days following the deadly feast.

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Chris Brown pleads 'not guilty' in London assault case
Chris Brown pleads 'not guilty' in London assault case

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  • The South African

Chris Brown pleads 'not guilty' in London assault case

American singer Chris Brown appeared in a London court on Friday and pleaded not guilty to charges of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent. The 36-year-old R&B star faces allegations related to a nightclub brawl in London in 2023. Dressed in a dark suit and tie with glasses, Brown stood calmly in the dock at Southwark Crown Court. When asked to enter his plea, he responded clearly, 'Not guilty, ma'am.' The case has drawn international attention, including from fans and media in South Africa, where Brown has a significant following. Chris Brown was arrested last month in Manchester, in the north-west of England, according to IOL. He was released on bail set at £5 million, which is approximately R130 million. The high bail amount reflects the seriousness of the charges. A spokesperson for Brown said, 'Chris is confident the truth will come out during the trial. He denies all allegations and looks forward to clearing his name.' The incident reportedly took place during a nightclub altercation in London last year. The prosecution alleges that Brown intended to cause serious harm. However, Brown's legal team insists the charges are unfounded. South African fans have expressed mixed reactions on social media. Some show support, hoping for a fair trial, while others stress the importance of justice and accountability. Chris Brown enjoys immense popularity in South Africa, where he has built a devoted fan base over nearly two decades. His music, rooted in R&B, resonates deeply with South African audiences, particularly among black middle-class listeners who have long embraced American R&B on radio stations. In December 2024, Brown made history by selling out two consecutive nights at Johannesburg's FNB Stadium. Each night drew nearly 95,000 fans—a remarkable feat that few international artists achieve on the continent. This case highlights how international celebrities can face legal challenges far from home. The court will continue the trial in the coming months. Chris Brown remains out on bail as the court prepares for further hearings. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.

The Spectacle of Innocence: How the Narrative of 'Stolen Children' Became the West's Weapon of War
The Spectacle of Innocence: How the Narrative of 'Stolen Children' Became the West's Weapon of War

IOL News

time2 days ago

  • IOL News

The Spectacle of Innocence: How the Narrative of 'Stolen Children' Became the West's Weapon of War

The portrayal of children in the Ukraine-Russia conflict serves as a potent tool of propaganda, revealing the complexities behind the narratives that shape public perception and policy, writes Gillian Schutte. Image: IOL / Ron AI In war, the image of a suffering child has long been one of the most potent tools of propaganda. A child is the cipher of innocence, the mirror of adult failure, the vessel into which we pour our grief, outrage, and moral certainty. It is no wonder, then, that in the ongoing geopolitical conflict between NATO-backed Ukraine and Russia, children have become a front line in the information war. The Washington Post's tear-soaked profile 'Thousands of Ukraine's children vanished into Russia. This one made it back' follows the return of 12-year-old Illia Matviienko, a child allegedly abducted, reprogrammed, and rescued just in time from the clutches of Russian state adoption. It is a finely crafted narrative. Illia is traumatised but eloquent. His grandmother is tireless and brave. His toys are metaphors. His memories are edited for maximum effect. But behind the Lego blocks and Garfield plush toys lies a darker machinery of manipulation. The story reads like it was written by a Pentagon-funded scriptwriter, with emotional cues planted at every paragraph break, not to report on the tragedy of war, but to mobilise sentiment for war. Let us look past the misty-eyed storytelling and ask the harder questions. What really happened to Ukraine's children? Who is keeping the score? And who benefits from turning their suffering into clickbait diplomacy? The Propaganda Template, From Wag the Dog to Wag the Child The Washington Post, long known for its role in manufacturing consent for U.S. foreign policy, frames Illia's ordeal as evidence of systematic Russian child theft. His story becomes the keystone in a broader claim: that tens of thousands of Ukrainian children have been deported, re-educated, and erased by the Russian state. The article even cites figures: 'at least 19,500 children' according to Yale University's Conflict Observatory, whose funding, incidentally, is being cut under Donald Trump's administration. Ukrainian officials inflate the figure still further: 'maybe 50,000, maybe 100,000.' No one knows for sure. No one can prove anything. But certainty is not required in the spectacle of war propaganda, only repetition and righteous tears. The real figures? According to Russia's official delegation at the Istanbul peace talks, led by Vladimir Medinsky, the only list ever presented to Moscow by Ukraine contains 339 names. Russia says it has already returned 101 of these children. Ukraine, for its part, has returned 22 Russian children who ended up in its care. These are verifiable exchanges. And yet the Western press refuses to mention these facts. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad Loading Selective Suffering, Why Is Only One Child a Headline? The case of Illia Matviienko is tragic. But why is it the story? Because it performs well. It has all the ingredients of pathos: dead mother, lonely boy, forbidden adoption, grandmother's heroism, poetic justice. It sells. It moves. It inflames. But in Russia's version of events, there are also children traumatised by shelling, evacuated from war zones, not abducted. Many were found alone in buildings or hospitals. Others were taken to safety at great personal risk by Russian soldiers, some of whom died in the effort. And when relatives come forward, parents, aunts, grandmothers, the children are reunited. No obstacle, no cover-up. Just bureaucracy and war. Yet these stories are not told. There are no Washington Post front pages for the Russian soldier who saves a wounded child under fire. There is no Pulitzer bait in the case of a child returned to a reunited family in Donetsk. These children do not cry in English. They are not crying for NATO. Manufactured Numbers, Manufactured Consent Russia has repeatedly demanded evidence: names, documents, statements from parents. None have been forthcoming. The Ukrainian and U.S. positions rely on estimates, projections, and a deep well of emotional speculation. Russia, meanwhile, says: here is the list you gave us, here are the returns we've made. The disparity between accusation and evidence is not accidental. It mirrors the propaganda campaign that preceded the war in Iraq, the intervention in Syria, the bombardment of Libya. Western soft power thrives on emotional shorthand: Saddam's incubator babies, Gaddafi's Viagra-fuelled soldiers, and now Putin's child kidnappers. It is a pattern. The facts are fluid. The imagery is fixed. What Russia Says, and the West Won't Print Medinsky's statement in Istanbul was clear. Russia is open to verification. Russia is returning children. Russia is establishing regular exchanges. It has proposed temporary ceasefires in 'grey zones' so commanders on both sides can collect the corpses of fallen soldiers, a practical and humane suggestion, met with silence. Meanwhile, Western media focuses on Lego toys and bedtime trauma. It does not ask why Ukraine will not publish a full list of the missing children. It does not examine the political utility of these stories in maintaining Western support, arms supplies, and diplomatic cover. Nor does it question why the first move in any peace negotiation is not truth and reconciliation, but a spotlight on Russian war crimes. The narrative must be secured before the facts can catch up. The Illusion of Innocence Yes, Illia's story is heartbreaking. All war stories involving children are. But to isolate it from the broader matrix of wartime reality, to use it as a blunt weapon against the Russian state, to decontextualise and sentimentalise it into a moral fable, is to exploit that child all over again. War is complex. Children are not pawns. But in the battle of narratives, they become precisely that. They are used to distract from inconvenient truths, to derail diplomacy, to justify endless escalation. And while the West cries for Illia, what of Vitalii, the friend left behind in the Donetsk hospital? What if he was never abducted, just never found? What if he was just another casualty of the same propaganda war that made Illia a headline? Beyond the Toy Box The Washington Post piece may be compelling. It is certainly emotive. But it is not journalism. It is spectacle. A carefully staged morality play in which there are only villains and victims, no context, no complexity, no dissenting voice. The weaponisation of children is one of the oldest tricks in imperial warfare. And as long as mainstream media continues to traffic in half-truths and Hollywood storylines, the real victims of this war, on both sides, will remain unheard. We should care for every child affected by war. But we should be suspicious of which children we are told to care about, and why. The portrayal of children in the Ukraine-Russia conflict serves as a potent tool of propaganda, revealing the complexities behind the narratives that shape public perception and policy, writes Gillian Schutte. Image: IOL

'Zuma is surrounded by political scoundrels': Floyd Shivambu alleges theft of R7 million a month from MK Party
'Zuma is surrounded by political scoundrels': Floyd Shivambu alleges theft of R7 million a month from MK Party

IOL News

time3 days ago

  • IOL News

'Zuma is surrounded by political scoundrels': Floyd Shivambu alleges theft of R7 million a month from MK Party

IOL In a startling revelation during a media briefing at Mhulu Hotel in Midrand, Floyd Shivambu, former MK Party secretary-general, accused senior leaders of orchestrating a campaign against him for preventing the squandering of the party's funds. Graphic: Se-Anne Rall In a startling revelation during a media briefing at Mhulu Hotel in Midrand, Floyd Shivambu, former MK Party secretary-general, accused senior leaders of orchestrating a campaign against him for preventing the squandering of the party's funds. Shivambu alleged that he was targeted for attempting to halt the monthly embezzlement of approximately R7 million from the party's funds. '(Zuma) is surrounded by political scoundrels who use his kindness, sometimes gullibility, that comes with age. To write down fake intelligence reports on me to influence him in the wrong direction. And the reason they do that is because they want to steal money from MKP this season. 'And they are doing so now -withdrawal of not less than 7 million rands monthly from organisational coffers. We are talking about this because we raised it internally,' he said. Shivambu said they asked them to stop doing that because they ran a risk of getting the party de-registered. Shivambu, a prominent figure in the MK party, revealed that his efforts to investigate and stop financial theft within the party had made him a target. He claimed that some senior leaders had access to the party's coffers and were siphoning off millions of rands each month. He said he was met with hostility when he intervened.

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