Crown prosecutor tells Victorian court that all seven of Patterson’s grounds for appeal should failGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastVictoria’s highest court has been urged to dismiss Erin Patterson’s appeal against her triple murder conviction, hearing that the case against her during trial was “overwhelming”.On Thursday, three judges of Victoria’s court of appeal continued hearing arguments regarding Patterson’s bid to have her conviction overturned. Continue reading...
Victorian court of appeal also to consider whether triple murder and attempted murder convictions should be quashedErin Patterson argues mushroom murder convictions should be quashed due to ‘catastrophic’ failure of justiceGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastWelcome to day two of our live coverage of Erin Patterson’s appeals. We are expecting today’s hearing to begin at 10.15am.Yesterday, the Victorian court of appeal heard the seven grounds of appeal Patterson’s legal team is arguing against her convictions for three murders and one attempted murder. Continue reading...
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...
Rodney Greer accused of securing unauthorized prescriptions for GLP-1 drugs and selling them to customersAn Illinois man allegedly impersonated doctors – and evidently referred to himself online as “$hotboy1” – is facing criminal charges that he secured unauthorized prescriptions for Ozempic and Mounjaro pharmaceutical drugs that facilitate weight loss and are taken by some for cosmetic rather than legitimate medical reasons.Rodney Greer purportedly launched the allege scheme in early 2023, according to court filings from federal prosecutors and a US justice department news release issued on Monday. Continue reading...
Marco Rubio announced measures against Tomoko Akane and Abdoulaye Seye, who was investigating Israel’s war crimes in GazaThe US will sanction the president of the international criminal court (ICC) and a prosecutor tasked with investigating crimes committed by Israel during its war on Gaza.The new sanctions designations were unveiled by Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, who called the Hague-based ICC a “corrupt and fatally politicized supranational court that has maliciously abused its authority and exceeded its mandate”, in a statement. Continue reading...
Prosecutors pointed to internet searches made on the family computer in the months before the killings to make their caseProsecutors revived a theory in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial case this week, suggesting she had faked a suicide attempt after allegedly strangling her three children.While prosecutors have been arguing that Clancy acted intentionally and should be held criminally responsible, her defense has said she suffered from postpartum psychosis. Continue reading...
• Euroseas reported financial results that exceeded earnings expectations by $0.61 per share.
• Despite the earnings beat, the company's total revenue fell short of analyst estimates.
• These figures provide a critical snapshot of the company's current profitability versus its top-line growth performance.
• 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.
Will Rosenzweig’s defunct blog was publicized online by conservative pundit who tagged senior DoJ officialsA federal prosecutor fired last year over critical comments he had written as a private citizen about Donald Trump sued the justice department on Friday, saying his termination violated his first amendment rights.Will Rosenzweig was two weeks away from trying a multimillion-dollar Medicare fraud case when a blog he had written years earlier covering a broad range of topics was publicized online by a conservative political commentator who also included a screenshot of Rosenzweig’s LinkedIn account and tagged senior justice department officials for their awareness. Continue reading...
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...
• Over 1,290 employees from frontier AI labs signed an open letter urging for a more paced approach to artificial intelligence development.
• Nvidia established the Open Secure AI Alliance, notably excluding major industry players such as OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic from the initial launch.
• Cybersecurity experts warned that while individual AI agent techniques are mundane, their autonomous speed and scale create a dangerous new class of threats.
• Right-leaning lawmakers have criticized President Lee Jae Myung for refusing to veto a revision to the Criminal Procedure Act.
• The controversial legislation removes all investigative powers from the prosecution, a move conservatives argue will cause chaos within the judicial system.
• Lawmaker Park specifically condemned the President's "extreme irresponsibility" and claimed the bill fails to provide adequate protections for crime victims.
Internal inquiries also opened after two suicides and two attempted suicides of staff in departments connected to PM’s officeThe Paris state prosecutor has opened a preliminary inquiry into alleged workplace bullying after the attempted suicide of a staff member in a department connected to the French prime minister’s office, France Inter radio has revealed.The public radio station reported on Monday that two government workers in different departments had ended their lives in the past year, and two others had attempted suicide. The radio station said complaints of alleged workplace bullying had been made. Continue reading...
Newcastle-born Davies wins in GlasgowFollows earlier gold in 10,000m Rose Davies has roared to a landmark track triumph at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, becoming the first woman ever to complete the 5,000m and 10,000m double.The Newcastle-born 26-year-old dropped to her knees in joy after winning the shorter distance on Friday morning (AEST) at Scotstoun Stadium after a battle royal with her Australian teammate Jessica Hull. 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...
Experts say lower-severity charges for American service personnel are deepening traumatic impact on survivorsAmerican service personnel accused of rape on British soil are being charged with lesser offences by their military courts, a discrepancy that experts say is deepening the traumatic impact on survivors long after verdicts are passed.There are more than 12,000 personnel stationed in US military bases across the UK, most of them in England. Although UK law enforcement has primary jurisdiction over crimes that occur when personnel are off duty, local police often choose to cede authority to the American military. 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.
• The International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague is facing a leadership crisis following the removal of its chief prosecutor.
• The ouster occurred after allegations of sexual misconduct were brought against the prosecutor, leaving the global institution in "uncharted territory."
• Supporters of the court are currently working to chart a course forward to maintain the stability and legitimacy of the international legal body.
Member states vote to remove British barrister found to have committed serious misconduct over alleged sexual abuseThe prosecutor of the international criminal court, Karim Khan, has been removed from office after he was found to have committed serious misconduct in connection to allegations of sexual abuse.The ICC’s member states voted on Friday to oust the British prosecutor in an unprecedented move that concludes a damaging episode for the court two years after the allegations were first raised. Continue reading...
Committee accused of trying to ‘weaponize’ justice system via ‘laughably weak and vindictive criminal referral’Democrats have accused the US House of Representatives judiciary committee of a “baseless” and “vindictive” attack on former special prosecutor Jack Smith after it referred him for criminal prosecution for allegedly lying to Congress over his investigation into Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election.Committee chair Jim Jordan, an Ohio Republican, wrote to acting US attorney general Todd Blanche on Wednesday night, asserting Smith “made willfully and intentionally false statements of material fact” during testimony about obtaining phone records of a number of Republican lawmakers. Continue reading...
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...
• Hungary's Prosecutor General, Gábor Bálint Nagy, has resigned following intense political pressure and allegations of bias in a case involving detained Ukrainian cash couriers.
• The resignation marks a significant political victory for Prime Minister Péter Magyar, who has sought to purge officials appointed during the previous Orbán administration.
• This move is part of a broader effort by Magyar to overhaul the state apparatus following his landslide election victory in April.
Details emerge about how much Interscope Records paid the singer at hearing to determine if there is probable cause for murder case to proceed to trialSinger D4vd had a multi-million dollar recording deal, an executive at his former label testified on Wednesday, as prosecutors sought to establish the musician had a financial motivation to kill Celeste Rivas Hernandez.Details emerged around how much Interscope Records was paying the singer, who was born David Anthony Burke, on the second day of a hearing to determine if there is probable cause for him to stand trial for the murder and sexual abuse of Rivas Hernandez. Continue reading...
• The British Film Institute (BFI) reported that UK film and high-end television spending rose to £6.8 billion in 2025, accompanied by growth in box-office admissions and takings.
• To further support this growth, the UK government has unveiled a £380 million Creative Industries Sector Plan designed to boost film, TV, and global expansion.
• These developments occur amid a shifting European landscape, including a 33.6% drop in foreign film investment in Spain in 2024 and new tax credit transparency rules in Italy.
• ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan faces a potential removal vote by member countries this month following an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct.
• The ICC's oversight body suspended Khan based on evidence from the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) and advice from a panel of judicial experts.
• Khan and his legal team have denied the allegations, claiming the investigative process was unfair and utilized specially created rules for his case.
• Scientists have detected sugar in interstellar space for the first time, marking a significant breakthrough in astronomical chemistry.
• The discovery was made using broadband spectroscopic surveys from the 40-meter Yebes radio telescope and the 30-meter IRAM telescope.
• This finding is critical because it may provide key insights into the chemical precursors of life and how organic molecules formed on Earth.
• U.S. stock indexes rose on Wednesday following the release of economic data indicating easing inflation and a positive start to the second-quarter earnings season.
• BlackRock shares jumped 6.6% after the world's largest asset manager reported adjusted profit and revenue for April-June that exceeded market expectations.
• Morgan Stanley shares increased by 0.4% after reporting a 27% rise in revenue and a 1.6-fold increase in net profit for the second quarter.
• Major Western European stock indices mostly declined during Wednesday's trading session, though the pan-European Stoxx Europe 600 composite index managed a slight gain of 0.1% to close at 642.71 points.
• Specific losses were recorded by Germany's DAX (-0.59%), Italy's FTSE MIB (-0.85%), Spain's IBEX 35 (-0.42%), and Britain's FTSE 100 (-0.13%).
• France's CAC 40 provided a rare positive outlier among the major national indices, ending the session with a 0.19% increase.
• 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.