TRANSCRIPT
- The death toll rises from an earthquake in northern Afghanistan.
 - Mushroom murderer Erin Patterson lodges an appeal against her convictions.
 - And in sport, 24 local and international horses to compete in the Melbourne Cup.
 
----
The death toll of the 6.3 magnitude earthquake in Afghanistan has risen to 20, according to Taliban authorities.
The US Geological Survey says the earthquake hit at a depth of 28 kilometres near Mazar-e Sharif in northern Afghanistan.
Hundreds are reported to be injured from the earthquake, and the city' historic Blue Mosque has also been damaged.
Ahmad Zia is a local resident.
"It was around 1 am. I was sleeping in this shop, my brother suddenly woke me up. I saw that everything was destroyed, people had suffered a lot of financial losses. Almost three of our people were martyred here, and the number of injured is more than 30. Many people's houses were destroyed and their household goods were under the rubble."
The earthquake happened just three months after a magnitude 6.0 event in eastern Afghanistan, which killed more than 2,000 people.
----
The head of the Red Cross says history is repeating itself in Sudan's Darfur region, after reports of mass killings during the fall of the city of Al-Fasher to the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary last week.
The UN human rights office says hundreds of civilians and unarmed fighters may have been killed during the city's fall.
Witnesses have described RSF fighters separating men from women and children, with gunshots ringing out afterwards.
The RSF denies harming civilians.
International Committee of the Red Cross President Mirjana Spoljaric says the situation is horrific.
"It's atrocious what we hear from the people that we speak to, and it repeats what I saw already more than two years ago, when I was in charge at the border to Darfur. I mean, it's history repeating, and it becomes worse every time a place is taken over by the other party."
----
A man has been charged with 10 counts of attempted murder following a mass stabbing on a London-bound train that left multiple passengers injured on Saturday.
The 32-year-old, named as Anthony Williams from Peterborough in central England, was also charged with actual bodily harm and possession of a knife.
Ten people were initially taken to the hospital after the attack, with four discharged shortly after.
A rail staff member, who tried to stop the attack, remains in a life-threatening condition.
The accused has been remanded in custody, after appearing in the Peterborough Magistrates' Court [[on Monday.
----
Triple-murderer Erin Patterson has launched an appeal against her convictions for killing three relatives by death cap mushroom poisoning.
Her lawyers have lodged documents with the Victorian Court of Appeal.
The grounds of the appeal have not yet been disclosed.
Patterson was sentenced to a minimum 33 years in jail in September for murdering her parents-in-law, Don and Gail Patterson, and Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson, and attempting to murder Heather's husband Ian Wilkinson.
Her lawyers have previously said they intended to lodge an appeal, while Victoria's Director of Public Prosecutions has confirmed it will appeal the sentence to seek a longer one.
----
The Prime Ministers 2025 Prize for Science has been won by Distinguished Professor Lidia Morawska, an expert in air quality and its impact on human health.
Her discoveries reshaped the World Health Organization’s global air quality guidelines, and contributed to creating safer, healthier environments indoors.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, she was among a group of 240 scientists who showed that the virus spreads mainly through the air.
Science Minister Tim Ayres says the contributions of the professor are substantial and inspiring.
"Her research into ultrafine particles has reshaped the World Health Organization's global air quality safety guidelines; and improved how the world addresses air pollution and its impact on human health and our environment. As a woman at this level of pioneering science she is inspiring the next generation; as well as scientists tackling humanity's most pressing challenges."
----
In horse racing, steady rain in the build-up to the Melbourne Cup is expected to play into the hands of top contenders Half Yours and Al Riffa at Flemington.
The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast a slight clearing before the 24-horse field jumps in the race at 3pm.
Master trainer Chris Waller will saddle five horses in the Cup field of 24, including leading Valiant King and Buckaroo.
He says he isn't concerned about the wet weather.
Half Yours' co-trainer Calvin McEvoy says the horse loves the wet, and has done particularly well on heavy ground.










