Justice department claims there’s ‘no dispute’ over whether ex-FBI head’s post could be read as a threat against TrumpThe US Department of Justice has defended its prosecution of former FBI director James Comey, claiming in new court documents there is “no serious dispute” that his social media post last year featuring a photo of seashells arranged to read “8647” could be interpreted as a threat against Donald Trump.“There is no serious dispute that an objective viewer of Comey’s post could read it to mean ‘Kill President Trump’” prosecutors wrote in a document filed on Tuesday in response to efforts by Comey’s efforts to have the case dismissed. Continue reading...
• Texas Children's Hospital is set to open the first detransition clinic in the U.S. for transgender youth this October, according to Attorney General Ken Paxton.
• The medical community is mourning the loss of Dr. Maura Gillison, who died at age 61 from small intestine cancer after previously proving the link between HPV and head and neck cancers.
• New reports from NPR highlight a promising live-attenuated vaccine candidate for *Shigella sonnei* that is currently undergoing clinical trials.
Delays to sexual assault charges and failures to report past convictions in court hearings gave Simon Levy chance to attack more womenCatastrophic errors left a prolific and proven sex offender free before he murdered two women in London, it can be revealed.On Friday an Old Bailey jury found Simon Levy, 40, guilty of murdering Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo in March 2025 and Sheryl Wilkins five months later.The CPS admitted errors at three court hearings in May, June and August 2025, which ended in Levy remaining free. It would not specify publicly what those were, but a source authorised to speak for the organisation said they included failing to mention he had been arrested for Valencia-Trujillo’s murder, and that it could find no record or mention of Levy’s past sexual assault convictions, nor that he was a suspect in a 2024 rape. The CPS said: “We accept there was relevant information regarding bail that was not provided to the court when bail applications were being considered. Our actions fell short of the standards that victims, families and the public are entitled to expect … We could and should have taken a more robust approach to representations about bail.” By May 2025, police wanted Levy remanded, fearing he posed a “high risk of reoffending” with his crimes “escalating”.Levy failed to attend three crown court hearings for the train attacks, and the CPS accepts there is no evidence of a warrant being sought for his detention. For two he claimed illness, for the other that he was not informed. His final non-appearance in crown court was on 11 August 2025. A fortnight later he murdered Wilkins. A CPS source said individuals involved in the Levy case had been disciplined.The assaults on the London tube network and trains were investigated by BTP. Officers arrested Levy, who was travelling on a stolen Oyster travel card, but handed it back to him, unaware it was stolen. With it he travelled to south London to commit his first murder, and carried out further sexual assaults on trains.BTP admitted the charging of Levy for his sexual assaults on trains in November 2024 was held up because of a delay in holding an identification parade after his arrest. It meant his bail was extended and during this delay he attacked and raped another woman and murdered Valencia-Trujillo, a mother of two.BTP identified him as a suspect and charged him but never searched his home. Peter Fulton, BTP’s head of crime, said: “There’s a fine line between going fishing and breaching someone’s human rights.” He said that every woman who reported Levy for attacking them on a train saw him charged and convicted. When the Met, which investigated the murders, searched Levy’s home, evidence was found about his attack on the prison officer.The police watchdog has placed two Met officers under investigation over whether Levy was supervised correctly as a person on the sex offender register. A constable is under investigation for gross misconduct, meaning he could be dismissed. The other officer, under investigation for misconduct, is a detective sergeant.BTP said it had not referred its errors to the police watchdog. Instead it has moved one officer, who it says delayed the holding of the ID parade, out of investigations, and given a supervisor words of advice. Continue reading...
Comey’s lawyers say Secret Service tracked him and investigators turned to AI and a mafia killer to bolster the caseLawyers for former FBI director James Comey alleged on Tuesday that US Secret Service agents illegally surveilled Comey, Donald Trump requested regular updates into the investigation, and law enforcement turned to ChatGPT and a known mafia killer as they scrambled to find justification for criminally charging Comey for posting a picture of seashells that spelled out “8647”.The claims were laid out in a motion to dismiss a criminal case the US Department of Justice filed against Comey in April, in which it said the post by Comey – whom Trump fired in his first term – was a threat on the US president’s life. Continue reading...
• Recurrent exam paper leaks in India have occurred across various administrations, including the BJP, Congress, and various regional parties at both state and central levels.
• The author argues that the failure to secure convictions is not a result of political affiliation, but rather a systemic failure in building legal cases that can survive a trial.
• This issue highlights a critical gap in the prosecution process, where a lack of robust evidence and legal strategy allows perpetrators to avoid punishment.
CBA chair says contempt charge over closing speech by Rajiv Menon KC has left lawyers fearful of doing their jobThe prosecution of a leading human rights barrister for contempt of court over his closing speech during a trial of Palestine Action activists has left lawyers fearful of doing their job, the chair of the Criminal Bar Association (CBA) has said.Rajiv Menon KC is due to stand trial next week, accused of breaching the judge’s directions in the trial of six people for a 2024 direct action protest at an arms factory of the Israeli subsidiary Elbit Systems UK in Filton, near Bristol. Continue reading...
• The ruling Democratic Party of Korea has indicated it may slow the pace of its controversial prosecutorial reform plan following mounting criticism.
• Concerns have been raised that the proposed revisions, including changes to the Criminal Procedure Act, could weaken legal protections for victims seeking justice.
• A subcommittee of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee met at the National Assembly on Wednesday to review the bills, though People Power Party lawmakers boycotted the session.
• Samsung Electronics has finalized key preparations to manufacture Tesla's AI5 chip, with production expected to begin at its Texas foundry in late 2026.
• The South Korean government is developing a free nationwide AI chatbot and public-service agent to provide personalized assistance and bridge the digital divide.
• South Korea, the United States, and Japan are collaborating on joint small modular reactor projects to enhance energy security across the Indo-Pacific region.
• Members of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea are increasingly calling for caution regarding the party's plan to abolish prosecutors’ supplementary investigation powers.
• This move is a central component of a long-term prosecution reform agenda aimed at restructuring the legal system's investigative authority.
• The internal debate highlights growing concerns within the party about the potential legal gaps or systemic disruptions that may result from stripping these powers.
Two independent reviewers of terrorism legislation call for safeguards for NGOs and journalists before bill becomes law this weekBritish foreign correspondents could be at risk of prosecution if they use sources within state-backed groups in countries such as Iran under national security legislation being rushed through parliament this week.David Anderson, the UK’s former independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, has warned that unless the bill is amended it could accidentally pull journalists working in danger-zone countries into prosecutions for terrorism. Continue reading...
