A thief who swiped a golden toilet from an English palace was convicted Tuesday along with an accomplice who helped cash in on the spoils of the 18-carat work of art insured for nearly £5 million (more than $10.2 million).

Michael Jones had used the fully functioning one-of-a-kind latrine as he did reconnaissance at Blenheim Palace – the country mansion where British wartime leader Winston Churchill was born – the day before the theft, prosecutors said. He described the experience as "splendid."

He returned before dawn on September 14, 2019, with at least two other men armed with sledgehammers and crowbars. They smashed a window and pried the toilet from its plumbing within five minutes, leaving a damaging flood in their wake as they escaped in stolen vehicles.

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"This was an audacious raid which had been carefully planned and executed," prosecutor Shan Saunders said.

"But those responsible were not careful enough, leaving a trail of evidence in the form of forensics, CCTV footage and phone data."

The purloined potty has never been recovered but is believed to have been cut up and sold.

The satirical work, titled "America" by Italian conceptual artist Maurizio Cattelan, poked fun at excessive wealth. It weighed just over 98 kilograms. The value of the gold at the time was £2.8 million ($5.72 million).

READ MORE: Prince Harry's visa records to be made public amid claims about drug use

The piece had previously been on display at The Guggenheim Museum in New York. The museum had offered the work to US President Donald Trump during his first term in office after he had asked to borrow a Van Gogh painting.

Jones, 39, was convicted of burglary in Oxford Crown Court.

The theft was planned by James Sheen, 40, who previously pleaded guilty to burglary, conspiracy and transferring criminal property.

Sheen then worked to broker a deal with Fred Doe to cash in on the haul, prosecutors said. In a series of text messages, Sheen referred to the loot as a "car," but he was actually talking about the gold.

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"I'll link up with ya, I got something right up your path," Sheen told Doe in one message.

"I can sell that car for you in two seconds … so come and see me tomorrow," Doe said in a reply.

Doe, 36, also known as Frederick Sines, was convicted of conspiracy to transfer criminal property.

A fourth man charged in the conspiracy, Bora Guccuk, 41, was acquitted by jurors.

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Prince Harry's immigration records are expected to be made public in the coming hours after a US District Court judge ordered the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to do so last week.

The anticipated records release on Tuesday (Wednesday AEDT) comes after the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, filed a lawsuit to obtain the Duke of Sussex's immigration records after its request for their release under the Freedom of Information Act was previously denied by DHS.

The group argues "the public has an interest in knowing" whether Prince Harry "was properly vetted prior to or during admission into the United States."

READ MORE: PM's chilling warning as Israel shatters ceasefire

The Heritage Foundation raised questions about Prince Harry's writings of past recreational drug use in his memoir, since admission of past drug use can be grounds to reject a visa application.

"We're only focused on the specific issue that's drawn all the press attention: the drug use," lawyer Samuel Dewey, who represents the Heritage Foundation, previously told CNN.

"He's talked about, he's written about it extensively. He has waived any privacy interest he has in his drug use. He has bragged about it (in his memoir) and sold that."

In court documents, the Heritage Foundation argued there are only certain ways Prince Harry could have entered the US in March 2020.

"He might have been in possession of a diplomatic visa, but Heritage contended that was unlikely given his status with the Royal Family … Or he might have disclosed his past drug use and sought a waiver of admission… But, Heritage argued, this normally would take several years to attain," the documents read.

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"Alternatively, the Duke may have disclosed his past drug use but have been admitted into the United States without a waiver, which in Heritage's view would be unlawful."

"Heritage contended that the Duke's 'conduct likely violated numerous laws' that should have made him ineligible for admission," the court documents say.

Lawyers for the Heritage Foundation see the case as part of a larger effort to uncover non-compliance with the law by DHS in different areas – including accusations from Republican politicians that DHS is "deliberately refusing to enforce the Country's immigration laws and is responsible for the current crisis at the border," court filings read.

"This is a case that concerns Prince Harry, but what it's focused on is DHS's conduct," Dewey previously said.

"I am stunned that a Federal Court judge allowed a private entity to obtain immigration files," immigration lawyer Charles Kuck told CNN, arguing immigration files are under the protection of The Privacy Act of 1974.

"I think it opens a massive door if the federal courts are going to allow individual citizens to request immigration files of other citizens and residents."

DHS has noted the US Customs and Border Protection agency originally denied the Freedom of Information Act requests from the Heritage Foundation because the group did not have Prince Harry's authorisation or consent to release the information. But US District Judge Carl Nichols has since ruled in favour of the conservative think tank, ordering the redacted versions of the immigration documents be made public no later than Tuesday.

"Given that many of these facts were known about Harry before he filed for his green card, then I don't think immigration is going to be able to revoke his green card," Kuck told CNN. "This is being done as a publicity stunt, not, I think, to ultimately take Harry's green card away."

Immigration documents that could be released include Prince Harry's I-485 form, the Application to Register Permanent Residence, as well as his wife's petition for him, financial information, his work history, and supporting documents with marriage pictures together, Kuck said.

Prince Harry's wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, is an American citizen.

One question the I-485 form asks is 'Have you ever violated (…) any controlled substance law or regulation of a state, the United States, or a foreign country?'

That question has been the subject of numerous cases at the US Board of Immigration Appeals, Kuck told CNN, "because in order to answer that question, you have to know the elements of the crime."

"No person in their right mind would answer 'yes' to that question. Because what crime are you talking about? What are the elements of that crime? What are the parameters of violating that law? … I don't know what the elements of the crime are," Kuck said.

US President Donald Trump told the New York Post last month that he has ruled out deporting Prince Harry, who now lives in Montecito, California, with his wife and their two children, Prince Archie, 5, and Princess Lilibet, 3.

"I don't want to do that," the president told tabloid. "I'll leave him alone. He's got enough problems with his wife. She's terrible."

An American man accused of messaging with an Australian family whose delusional beliefs contributed to them killing three people has objected to Queensland police testifying at his trial.

Arizona man Donald Day Jr, 60, was arrested by FBI agents in December 2023 and charged with making threats to public figures and law enforcement agents and with illegal firearms possession in the US.

Day entered pleas of not guilty to all charges in the Arizona District Court in May 2024.

READ MORE: PM's chilling warning as Israel shatters ceasefire

Day allegedly sent messages about a "Christian end-of-days ideology" known as premillennialism to the members of the Train family in Queensland between May 2021 and December 2022.

Brothers Nathaniel, 46, and Gareth Train, 47, used high-powered rifles during an ambush to kill Constables Matthew Arnold, 26, and Rachel McCrow, 29, at a remote property at Wieambilla west of Brisbane, on December 12, 2022.

Nathaniel Train joined Gareth and his sibling's wife Stacey, 45, to fatally shoot neighbour Alan Dare, 58, soon after killing the two constables.

Day's lawyer Jon Sands filed a pre-trial motion in the US District Court of Arizona earlier in March asking certain evidence be found inadmissible, including testimony from eight Queensland police officers put forward by the prosecution.

"Carefully controlling the admissibility of evidence about the Trains and the shooting — acts for which Mr Day bears no responsibility — is the only way to ensure that Mr Day receives a fair trial," Sands said in his motion.

All three Trains were shot dead by specialist police officers hours after the ambush in December 2022 when they refused to negotiate or surrender.

READ MORE: Killer mum found dead weeks after being freed from prison

Sands accused Australian authorities of targeting Day for actions and speech legal in the US because all the actual suspects were dead.

"The court should limit the evidence admitted about the Wieambilla shooting to a stipulated statement of facts," Sands said.

"This approach … provides all the context necessary for the government to prove its case, without requiring the emotionally charged testimony of Australian law enforcement officials."

A coronial inquest into the shootings in 2024 heard the Trains had paranoid beliefs including that they were part of a final battle with Satan and police were "demons" who would transform the family into mindless slaves.

READ MORE: Female teacher jailed for ongoing sex abuse of child

Sands said US federal prosecutors would try to claim Day and the Trains had similar isolated lifestyles and anti-government beliefs.

"The government has indicated that it intends to introduce at trial a large volume of evidence related to the Trains and the Wieambilla shooting," Sands said.

The Queensland Police Service submitted to the US court witness statements from eight officers including from a Counter Terrorism Command security investigator who reviewed the alleged online and social media interactions between the Trains and Day.

The witness statements contained allegations Queensland police used forensic software to hack into iPhones found at the Trains' property and discovered messages exchanged with Day on video-sharing websites.

Day is due to stand trial in the US District Court in late April.

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Israel has launched airstrikes across the Gaza Strip, killing at least 413 Palestinians, including women and children, according to hospital officials.

The surprise bombardment early on Tuesday shattered a ceasefire in place since January and threatened to fully reignite the 17-month-old war.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the strikes after Hamas refused Israeli demands to change the ceasefire agreement. Officials said the operation was open-ended and was expected to expand. The White House said it had been consulted and voiced support for Israel's actions.

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The Israeli military ordered people to evacuate eastern Gaza, including much of the northern town of Beit Hanoun and other communities further south, and head toward the centre of the territory, indicating that Israel could soon launch renewed ground operations.

"Israel will, from now on, act against Hamas with increasing military strength," Netanyahu's office said.

The attack during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan could resume a war that has already killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and caused widespread destruction across Gaza. It also raised questions about the fate of the roughly two dozen Israeli hostages held by Hamas who are believed to still be alive.

A senior Hamas official said Netanyahu's decision to return to war amounts to a "death sentence" for the remaining hostages. Izzat al-Risheq accused Netanyahu of launching the strikes to try and save his far-right governing coalition and called on mediators to "reveal facts" on who broke the truce. Hamas said at least four senior officials were killed in Tuesday's strikes.

There were no reports of any attacks by Hamas several hours after the bombardment, indicating it still hoped to restore the truce.

The strikes came as Netanyahu comes under mounting domestic pressure, with mass protests planned over his handling of the hostage crisis and his decision to fire the head of Israel's internal security agency. His latest testimony in a long-running corruption trial was cancelled after the strikes.

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The main group representing families of the captives accused the government of backing out of the ceasefire, saying it "chose to give up on the hostages".

"We are shocked, angry and terrified by the deliberate dismantling of the process to return our loved ones from the terrible captivity of Hamas," the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement.

Wounded stream into Gaza hospitals

A strike on a home in the southern city of Rafah killed 17 members of one family, including at least 12 women and children, according to the European Hospital, which received the bodies. The dead included five children, their parents, and another father and his three children.

In the southern city of Khan Younis, Associated Press reporters saw explosions and plumes of smoke. Ambulances brought wounded people to Nasser Hospital, where patients lay on the floor, some screaming. A young girl cried as her bloody arm was bandaged.

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Many Palestinians said they had expected a return to war when talks over the second phase of the ceasefire did not begin as scheduled in early February. Israel instead embraced an alternative proposal and cut off all shipments of food, fuel and other aid to the territory's 2 million Palestinians to try to pressure Hamas to accept it.

"Nobody wants to fight," Palestinian resident Nidal Alzaanin told the AP by phone from Gaza City.

"Everyone is still suffering from the previous months."

Gaza's Health Ministry said at least 413 people were killed in the strikes and hundreds more wounded. Rescuers were still searching the rubble for dead and wounded as the strikes continued. It was among the deadliest days of the war.

US backs Israel and blames Hamas

The White House sought to blame Hamas for the renewed fighting. National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes said the militant group "could have released hostages to extend the ceasefire but instead chose refusal and war".

An Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the unfolding operation, said Israel was striking Hamas' military, leaders and infrastructure and planned to expand the operation beyond air attacks.

The official accused Hamas of attempting to rebuild and plan new attacks. Hamas militants and security forces quickly returned to the streets in recent weeks after the ceasefire went into effect.

Netanyahu's office said the Israeli leader held security consultations with senior officials. It did not provide further details.

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Talks on a second phase of the ceasefire had stalled

The strikes came two months after a ceasefire was reached to pause the war. Over six weeks, Hamas released 25 Israeli hostages and the bodies of eight more in exchange for nearly 2000 Palestinian prisoners in a first phase of the ceasefire.

But since that ceasefire ended two weeks ago, the sides have not been able to agree on a way forward with a second phase aimed at releasing the 59 remaining hostages, 35 of whom are believed to be dead, and ending the war altogether.

Hamas has demanded an end to the war and full withdrawal of Israeli troops in exchange for the release of the remaining hostages. Israel says it will not end the war until it destroys Hamas' governing and military capabilities and frees all hostages — two goals that could be incompatible.

Netanyahu's office on Tuesday said Hamas had "repeatedly refused to release our hostages and rejected all offers it received from the US presidential envoy, Steve Witkoff, and from the mediators".

Israel wants Hamas to release half of the remaining hostages in return for a promise to negotiate a lasting truce.

Hamas instead wants to follow the ceasefire deal reached by the two sides, which calls for negotiations to begin on the ceasefire's more difficult second phase, in which the remaining hostages would be released and Israeli forces would withdraw from Gaza.

A return to war would allow Netanyahu to avoid the tough trade-offs called for in the second phase of the agreement and the thorny question of who would govern Gaza.

It would also shore up his coalition, which depends on far-right lawmakers who want to depopulate Gaza and re-build Jewish settlements there.

Gaza already was in a humanitarian crisis

The war erupted when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing some 1200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages. Most have been released in ceasefires or other deals, with Israeli forces rescuing only eight and recovering dozens of bodies.

Israel responded with a military offensive that killed more than 48,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, and displaced an estimated 90 per cent of Gaza's population. The territory's Health Ministry doesn't differentiate between civilians and militants, but says more than half of the dead have been women and children.

The ceasefire had brought some relief to Gaza and allowed hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians to resume to what remained of their homes.

Netanyahu faces mounting criticism

The released hostages, some of whom were emaciated, have repeatedly implored the government to press ahead with the ceasefire to return all remaining captives. Tens of thousands of Israelis have taken part in mass demonstrations calling for a ceasefire and return of all hostages.

Mass demonstrations are planned later on Tuesday and Wednesday following Netanyahu's announcement this week that he wants to fire the head of Israel's Shin Bet internal security agency.

Critics have lambasted the move as an attempt by Netanyahu to divert blame for his government's failures in the October 7 attack and handling of the war.

Since the ceasefire in Gaza began in mid-January, Israeli forces have killed dozens of Palestinians who the military says approached its troops or entered unauthorised areas.

Still, the deal has tenuously held without an outbreak of wide violence. Egypt, Qatar and the United States have been trying to mediate the next steps in the ceasefire.

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The man allegedly murdered in a North Adelaide park has been remembered as a terrific father with a massive heart.

Aaron Stahlhut was found dead at Brougham Reserve during his routine morning walk on Sunday.

The 54-year-old's sister today told 9News he had a "massive heart" and was a "terrific father", while a former Defence Force comrade said "he will be remembered as a good soldier and a great bloke who was respected by his peers".

READ MORE: Police closing in on suspects in Adelaide murder investigation

Stahlhut's sister told 9News he initially started walking daily to get healthy enough to receive a kidney transplant. Once his operation was successful he kept it up because it was a routine he grew to love.

There are also new details about Stahlhut's accused killer and his troubled background.

Rylie Everson-Clare, 20, a former student of one of Adelaide's elite schools, Westminster, is accused of murdering Stahlhut.

"Westminster, and all of its students and our greater community, are shocked and saddened about what's happened," principal Simon Shepherd said.

In a letter to parents, he revealed the school accepted Everson-Clare in 2018 when he was facing difficulties.

"When we can help students who are in need, then we will try to, and in Rylie's situation there was a need for him to have stability," he said.

Everson-Clare spent two years at Westminster before continuing his education in the Barossa Valley.

Friends of the alleged murderer claim he has been in a troubled place, and only recently had his welfare payments cut. 

"We've made some active inquiries, but obviously the matter is before the courts and there's a lot of work to be done to be able to establish exactly what's occurred here," South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas said.

This article was produced with the assistance of 9ExPress.

As Queensland's south-east starts to return to normality following ex-Cyclone Alfred, a major marketing campaign is about to rollout to aid the region's recovery.

'Brisbane Favours the Bold' will launch next week, aiming to drive visitation back to the Sunshine State and inject millions into the economy.

The city is back open for business – that's the message from both the local and state governments in the aftermath of Alfred, teasing a new tourism campaign.

READ MORE: Ex-lover 'carefully planned' water polo coach's murder at school

The south-east of the state was ravaged by rain, strong winds and destructive flooding, with local businesses taking a financial hit too.

Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred dealing a mighty $68 million blow.

"Aviation was turned off, the Port of Brisbane had to close down, our hotel bookings fell off a cliff," Brisbane Economic Development Agency chief executive Anthony Ryan said.

"What we saw right from the outset was about a 40 per cent immediate decrease in in our hotel bookings."

Council and the state government are splashing out $2.5 million dollars to aid recovery efforts.

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It's all part of a new tourism blitz to bring visitors back to Brisbane.

"Queensland's open for business, Brisbane is open for business, and we want tourists, regardless of where they come from, to flock back to this part of the world," Tourism Minister Andrew Powell said.

Tourism brings in $95m a day and supports one in 12 jobs, he said.

The campaign showcases the very best of the river city.

Unique experiences like Beer Yoga along Brisbane River at the iconic Howard Smith Wharves are among fresh attractions.

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NRL's Magic Round will also be a big pull.

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said special sales are also planned especially in the lead up to Easter.

"There's some amazing deals that are being offered both with the airlines, with hotels, with tourism operators," Schrinner said.

The three major airlines are jumping on board launching sales on flights to and from Queensland over the next four weeks.

The campaign kicks off on Monday and is expected to inject tens of millions of dollars into the local economy.

READ MORE: Gaza truce shatters as Israel carries out 'extensive' strikes

Donna Fitchett has died just weeks after being released from nearly 20 years in prison for the murder of her two sons.

Fitchett, 66, was found dead at a property on King Street, Prahan in south-east Melbourne yesterday at 7pm following a welfare check, police confirmed.

Police said her death was not being treated as suspicious.

READ MORE: Ex-lover 'carefully planned' water polo coach's murder at school

Fitchett was found guilty of drugging and killing her sons Thomas, 11, and Matthew, nine, at the family's home in Balwyn on September 6, 2005.

She claimed she killed her sons because she loved them too much and had pleaded not guilty to murder on the grounds of insanity.

The boys' father, David Fitchett, discovered his sons when he returned home from work.

Prosecutor Gavin Silbert argued during the 2005 trial that Fitchett had planned the killings days in advance.

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Fitchett was sentenced to 27 years behind bars in 2010, with a non-parole period of 18 years, after she successfully overturned her first conviction and sentence of 24 years.

Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth Curtain had described her crimes as "utterly inexplicable".

Fitchett had remained behind bars for close to 20 years before she was recently released.

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Diversions are in place while emergency services respond to the accident.

The fatal accident occurred on Main North Rd near Ohanga Rd.

NSW Police have taken 91 knives from 67 people across the state in the few months since new "wanding" laws were introduced.

Laws instated in December allow police to search people for knives using a handheld scanner in certain public locations.

Since then, police have searched 4147 people at train stations, shopping centres, sporting venues and nightlife precincts.

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Police have said they found 91 illegal weapons, leading to 67 people being charged with 71 different offences.

In 34 police operations across NSW, officers seized tasers, slingshots, knuckle dusters, machetes and an extensive variety of knives.

"The number of weapons that have been seized already is shocking," NSW Premier Chris Minns said.

"To have taken almost 100 knives and other weapons off our streets is as horrifying as it is important.

"Our tough knife laws are working and getting weapons out of our community."

NSW laws giving police "wanding" powers take after Jack's Law in Queensland, which was legislated after the stabbing death of 17-year-old Jack Beasley in 2019.

READ MORE: Israel says it is carrying out 'extensive strikes' in Gaza

"There are only very few purposes for anyone to have a knife in their possession in public," NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Peter Thurtell said.

"In most circumstances, it is illegal and will only lead to tragedy and the death of innocent people."

Carrying a knife in public without a reasonable excuse can bring a maximum fine of $11,000 or four years in jail.

Last year's law changes also made it illegal to sell knives to children under the age of 18.

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