Law

Clause says those aged up to 45 may need permission from armed forces to leave country for more than three monthsA little-noticed clause in sweeping changes to Germany’s military service policy has caused uproar after it emerged that the law requires men aged up to 45 to get permission from the armed forces before any significant stay abroad, even in peacetime.The legislation, which went into effect on 1 January, aims to bolster the the military and demands all 18-year-old men fill out a questionnaire to gauge their suitability to serve in the armed forces, but stops short of conscription. Continue reading...

Dianne Thompson and Lois Kirk tell Victoria police in letter ‘we did not expect to feel invisible’ after Neal Thompson’s deathGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe sisters of Neal Thompson, one of the two police officers shot dead by Dezi Freeman in Porepunkah last August, plan to sue Victoria police for negligence after an inquest into the officers’ deaths, their lawyer says.Police accountability lawyer Jeremy King, who is representing Dianne Thompson and Lois Kirk, confirmed on Sunday that the sisters would bring a negligence claim against Victoria police after the conclusion of a coronial inquest. A date for the inquest has not yet been announced. Continue reading...

• A New York federal judge dismissed Blake Lively's sexual harassment claims against Justin Baldoni related to the film It Ends With Us on April 3, 2026. • The ruling comes amid ongoing disputes from the movie's production. • This decision impacts Hollywood's #MeToo era accountability efforts.

Abdullah Baig alleged Meta ignored flaws putting billions at risk, but a US judge ruled he lacked sufficient evidenceA US court has dismissed a lawsuit from WhatsApp’s former security chief, who alleged that parent company Meta ignored internal flaws he flagged about the messaging app’s digital defenses.Abdullah Baig, who claims he was fired in retaliation for raising these concerns, had alleged that billions of users had been put at risk because of these vulnerabilities. Thousands of employees could view sensitive user data, including profile photos and location, Baig claimed in the lawsuit filed in September. A judge ruled he had not presented enough evidence to move forward. Continue reading...

Activists accuse Iran’s regime of crackdown on civil society as whereabouts of Nasrin Sotoudeh are unknownIs Iran using the war to hide a surge in executions?The prize-winning Iranian human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh has been arrested in Tehran, according to her family, as activists accused the regime of cracking down on civil society under cover of the war with Israel and the US.Sotoudeh’s daughter Mehraveh Khandan said her mother was taken from her home in Tehran late on Wednesday and that her whereabouts were unknown. Khandan suspected the arrest may be related to recent interviews about the war, in which Sotoudeh criticised the government. Continue reading...

Funeral director Robert Bush had previously admitted to dozens of counts of fraud at hearing in OctoberA funeral director has admitted preventing a lawful burial after 30 bodies and a quantity of ashes were found at a funeral home in Hull in 2024.Robert Bush had previously admitted to dozens of counts of fraud at a hearing in October, after police raided the premises of Legacy funeral home on Hessle Road over concern for care of the dead. Continue reading...

• Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed the state's version of the SAVE America Act on April 1, 2026, requiring proof of citizenship for voter registration. • The law mandates in-person submission of documents like passports or birth certificates, drawing criticism from voting rights groups. • Civil liberties organizations filed a federal lawsuit within hours, arguing it imposes undue burdens and risks disenfranchising eligible voters.

Florida is third state to pass proof-of-citizenship voting laws this year as red states enact provisions of federal billGovernor Ron DeSantis of Florida signed legislation Wednesday to require documented proof of citizenship to register to vote and to begin a process that will eventually unenroll voters who have not provided citizenship documentation.Florida is now the third state to pass proof-of-citizenship laws for voting this year, after South Dakota and Utah’s governors each signed proof of citizenship bills into law in March. Continue reading...

UK researcher uses maths to explain seeming inevitability of phenomenon experienced by many motoristsIt is a situation experienced by many motorists: one driver overtakes another only to find the slower car is right behind them when they reach a red light. Now a researcher has used mathematics to reveal why the situation feels inevitable.Dr Conor Boland from Dublin City University has called his work “The Voorhees law of traffic”. Continue reading...

Tabloid outlet has covered Republicans and Democrats relaxing at places like Disney World as shutdown drags onWhen US federal workers were missing paychecks and the partial government shutdown entered its seventh week, Lindsey Graham, a Republican senator from South Carolina, was doing what any responsible lawmaker would do: riding Space Mountain and carrying a bubble wand at Disney World in Florida.Naturally, TMZ had photos of the vacationing senator on its homepage a few days later. Continue reading...