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Inquiry into serial sexual offender Wayne Couzens outlines multiple failings by police forcesThe full extent of Wayne Couzens' alleged offending was laid bare in a devastating official report that revealed accusations of serial sexual abuse including rapes, before he used his status as a police officer to kidnap and murder Sarah Everard.His alleged offending going back nearly 20 years, included two allegations of rape, sexually assaulting a girl, barely in her teens, and several incidents of indecent exposure. Continue reading...

Doctors admit helping patients quit vaping is a new experience' ahead of a near-total ban coming into force on 1 July

Chong Ke, from Vancouver, under investigation after allegedly using ChatGPT to cite case law - but those cases did not existA lawyer in Canada is under fire after the artificial intelligence chatbot use she used for legal research created fictitious" cases, in the latest episode to expose the perils of using untested technologies in the courtroom.The Vancouver lawyer Chong Ke, who now faces an investigation into her conduct, allegedly used ChatGPT to develop legal submissions during a child custody case at the British Columbia supreme court. Continue reading...

Gwent police officers being investigated after incident in which three friends died and two others were trapped for almost 48 hoursA police watchdog is investigating seven officers over a car crash in which three friends died and two others were trapped for almost 48 hours.The Gwent police officers are being investigated over how missing person reports were handled, how they dealt with family members, how searches were carried out and for remarks made at the scene of the crash. One officer is under criminal investigation for allegedly falsifying their witness statement.Two officers concerning their review of missing person reports. One officer for potential misconduct and another, who was previously served at the level of misconduct, now for possible gross misconduct.One officer for potential gross misconduct concerning their face-to-face communication with family members at a police station and how they dealt with the information received.Two officers for gross misconduct concerning whether or not they carried out searches of the homes of two of the people reported missing. One of these officers is also under criminal investigation for allegedly falsifying their witness statement.Two officers for misconduct concerning alleged remarks made at the collision scene. Continue reading...

Grant Shapps tells MPs his department's spending exceeded its allocation in last year's budget in light of unstable global situationThe Ministry of Defence has said it had to seek an emergency cash payment of 3.2bn because operational costs overran after military operations in Yemen and the Red Sea - alongside Britain's continued support of Ukraine.Grant Shapps told MPs the MoD's cash requirement for the year exceeds that provided" in last year's budget and that extra money would be required in an end-of-year supplementary estimate. Continue reading...

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Former firearms officer's history of alleged sexual offending dated back to 1995, 347-page report findsWayne Couzens should never have been a police officer and three separate forces could and should have" stopped him, a damning report by Lady Elish Angiolini has found.The 51-year-old former firearms officer's history of alleged sexual offending and predilection for violent and extreme pornography dated back to 1995, it said. Couzens allegedly sexually assaulted a child and attempted to kidnap a woman at knife-point in the years before he abducted, raped and murdered Sarah Everard on 3 March 2021. Continue reading...

About 500 council and private properties in Balnagask were identified as having Raac panels in an inspection in 2023Hundreds of people are being moved out of their homes in Aberdeen after the discovery of potentially collapse-risk concrete.Panels made from reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) were found in about 500 homes in the Balnagask area of Aberdeen, including 364 council properties, in 2023. Continue reading...

Talkshow host says she will donate all her shares to eliminate any perceived conflict around her taking weight-loss medications'Oprah Winfrey announced she was leaving WeightWatchers on Thursday and giving away all her stock - a move that follows the TV talk queen revealing that her recent dramatic weight loss was due to taking new weight-loss drugs.A statement from Winfrey issued by the company said that the talkshow host, a public face for WeightWatchers since 2015, would donate all her shares in the company to the National Museum of African American History and Culture to eliminate any perceived conflict of interest around her taking weight-loss medications". Continue reading...

Chancellor reportedly considering energy windfall levy as well as scrapping the non-dom statusThe Conservative peer and former MP Stewart Jackson has also made the point about Rishi Sunak's comments yesterday echoing what Suella Braverman has been saying. (See 9.25am.) He suggests Sunak is a weathercock, buffeted by events".Rishi Sunak is now saying what #SuellaBraverman rightly said four months ago, and for which she was sacked. Tony Benn astutely divided politicians as between signposts and weathercocks. One can think ahead, the other is buffeted by events. We know which one is which, don't we?We commend the prime minister on his powerful speech at the CST dinner last night, pledging more funding to protect the Jewish community, outlining a new protocol to safeguard our elected representatives and effectively police protests, and drawing a clear line between democratic dissent and mob intimidation.The last few months have seen an extreme rise in antisemitic hate in the UK, which has had a significant effect on British Jews. The prime minister's announcement has made it clear - those bringing chaos to our streets and academic institutions will no longer be allowed to act with impunity. Continue reading...

Inquiry highlights a series of chances to spot his danger to women and his unsuitability to be an officerThe danger that Wayne Couzens posed to women should have been spotted before he was allowed to join the police, a report has found, and it identified several red flags" in his past. Here is a timeline of Couzens' behaviour.1995 Allegations about Couzens' offending go back more than 25 years before Everard's murder. In the mid-90s, when he was in his early 20s, it is alleged he kidnapped a woman in London. The incident was reported at the time but the perpetrator was never caught. The woman contacted police again when she recognised Couzens in news reports about Everard's murder. Continue reading...

John Cornyn is first to throw his hat into the ring as he leads the race alongside John Thune and John Barrasso - but other hopefuls could emergeThere are as many men named John or Jon in the US Senate as there are African Americans and Latinos combined. Three of them are now vying to become Republican leader in the chamber.Mitch McConnell's announcement on Wednesday that he will step down in November opens the way for a likely contest between senators John Thune of South Dakota, John Cornyn of Texas and John Barrasso of Wyoming. On Thursday Cornyn became the first to throw his hat into the ring. Continue reading...

Hakeem Jeffries tells NYT a reasonable number' of Democrats would vote to save speaker if vote resulted in Republican mutinyThe Democratic leadership in Congress has suggested it would protect the Republican House speaker, Mike Johnson, if he bucks his far-right colleagues and brings a stalled $60bn Ukraine military aid package to a vote, as a new poll shows public support for Ukraine is now fractured down party-political lines.Hakeem Jeffries, the House minority leader, floated the offer in an interview with the New York Times, saying a reasonable number" of Democrats would vote to save the Republican speaker if the Ukraine vote resulted in a Republican mutiny. Continue reading...

Marks & Spencer, which owns 50% of online grocer, is withholding part of the sum, saying targets were missedOcado has threatened to sue Marks & Spencer over a multimillion-pound payment linked to their online joint venture.M&S, which owns 50% of Ocado Retail, is withholding part of the 190m final payment after their delivery tie-up failed to hit certain performance targets. Continue reading...

IAG says demand has remained robust despite UK recession, with capacity close to pre-Covid levelsThe owner of British Airways has announced bumper profits for 2023 on the back of sustained demand for leisure flights, with operating profits doubling year on year and exceeding 2019's pre-Covid haul.IAG reported an annual profit of 2.7bn (2.3bn) after tax, on operating profits of 3.5bn (3bn), with high fares and premium leisure travel compensating for smaller numbers of business travellers. Continue reading...

Exclusive: New police efficiency' laws planned amid political pressure to devote more frontline resources to youth crime

Wage growth from higher employment and hours worked without output gains could fan inflation, Productivity Commission warns

Sam Varley's body was found at house in Harehills, Leeds, on 12 February after police received reports of concernTributes have been paid to a woman described as a light within the community" after a man was charged with her murder.Sam Varley, 44, was found dead at a house in the Harehills area of Leeds on 12 February after the police received reports of concern for a woman believed to be inside. Continue reading...

Russian president threatens tragic' consequences for war interventionists during state of the nation speech

Administrators say closures will take place over next six weeks amid plans to right-size UK store portfolio'

Eight-metre statue dating from fifth century BC restored and assembled piece-by-piece to be displayed in Valley of the TemplesA colossal statue of Atlas that lay buried for centuries among ancient ruins has been reconstructed to take its rightful place among the Greek temples of Agrigento in Sicily, after a 20-year research and restoration project.The statue, standing at 8 metres (26ft) tall and dating back to the fifth century BC, was one of nearly 38 that adorned the Temple of Zeus, considered the largest Doric temple ever built despite never being completed. Continue reading...

I always knew those lyrics were my property,' says rock band's co-founder at trial of three collectibles experts in New YorkThe lyrics to Hotel California and other classic Eagles songs should never have ended up at auction, Don Henley told a court on Wednesday.I always knew those lyrics were my property. I never gifted them or gave them to anybody to keep or sell," the Eagles co-founder said on the last of three days of testimony at the trial of three collectibles experts charged with a scheme to peddle roughly 100 handwritten pages of the lyrics. Continue reading...

Secret Garden Glamping in Lymington caused harmful level of disturbance to neighbours, planning officers ruleIt was billed as a peaceful glamping retreat designed to provide visitors to the New Forest with a taste of life's simple pleasures, perfect for romantic getaways or family breaks.But Secret Garden Glamping in Lymington, Hampshire, has been ordered to close after neighbours complained about late-night parties, noisy sex and blaring karaoke sessions that featured delusional" versions of the song Islands in the Stream. Continue reading...

Broadcaster who has cancer says she wants the choice of a pain-free, dignified, private' deathEsther Rantzen has described UK law on assisted dying as a mess" as she renewed her calls to legalise the procedure.On Thursday a report by MPs said the government must make plans for if the law is changed in Scotland, the Isle of Man or Jersey, where new measures on the issue are being considered. Continue reading...

Among lowest taxpayers were companies whose CEOs have become high-profile advocates for corporate social responsibilitySome of the US's most profitable corporations, including General Motors, Citigroup, and Netflix, have slashed their tax bills in the years since the passage of the Trump tax cuts, with nearly a quarter paying rates in the single digits and 23 paying nothing, a report has found.The 2017 law cut the top corporate income tax rate from 35% to 21%. But the new assessment of corporate tax avoidance, published today by the non-profit Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (Itep), found that during the first five years the law was in effect, many profitable public companies in the US paid a far lower rate in practice. Continue reading...

People in West Darfur's capital still step over residue from the bodies of some of the 10,000 dead, and thousands have fledGeneina, the capital of West Darfur state in Sudan, can feel like two cities in one. There are mass graves, abandoned armoured vehicles and homeless children, but also newly opened restaurants, bustling markets and factory-fresh Toyotas, nicknamed Kenjcanjia - meaning stolen in the local dialect - owing to their lack of registration plates.Since war broke out between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in April last year, the city has witnessed two major massacres. Decomposing bodies lay out on the streets for up to 10 days on both occasions, their flesh eaten by dogs and chickens. Residues from the bodies of the dead remain even now, stepped over by people as they go about their daily business. Continue reading...

University leaders accuse ministers of wanting to diminish our success' as figures show a plunge in visas issued to overseas studentsImmigration restrictions imposed on international students threaten to damage the UK economy, according to university leaders, with the number enrolling from overseas falling by a third.Universities UK (UUK), which represents mainstream universities and colleges, said the government's new curbs, coupled with steep visa fee increases and threats to cut back on graduate work entitlements, are having a negative impact on the UK as a study destination. Continue reading...

Youpla Group schemes, formerly known as Aboriginal Community Benefit Fund, left thousands families unable to pay for funerals

Spy agency says former Australian politician recruited by foreign regime once proposed bringing a prime minister's family member' into their orbit

Lib Dem leader fears war will spread to West Bank if those pushing for more settlements are not penalisedThe UK should impose sanctions on two far-right Israeli ministers who have pushed for more settlements on Palestinian land, Ed Davey has argued, saying this is vital to stop fighting in Gaza spreading to the West Bank.The Liberal Democrat leader, who returned on Wednesday morning from a visit to Israel where he spoke to charities, politicians and relatives of Israeli hostages held by Hamas, said there was a risk of the prospect of a two-state solution collapsing altogether. Continue reading...

Sako avoids life sentence for stabbing former colleague to death at her Melbourne home after stalking and harassing her

Police say CCTV footage indicates another man, not the 44-year-old former detainee, involved in alleged sexual assault in Melbourne

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The standards target generative AI's misuse potential but Microsoft says its ability to flag problematic material could be hurt too

Premiers say events won't go ahead, with concern over those in the community grieving over the war in Gaza

Minns government says wind, solar and battery projects will generate enough clean energy to power more than 1.5m homes

Darlinghurst event will celebrate lives of former TV presenter and Qantas flight attendant who were allegedly murdered by Sen Const Beau Lamarre

One accused of terrorism and three of helping Cherif Chekatt procure weapons for deadly assault at Christmas marketFour men go on trial today accused of involvement in the 2018 terrorist attack on Strasbourg's Christmas market, in which a gunman killed five people and injured 11 others in an assault that was later claimed by Islamic State.Cherif Chekatt, 29, who was born and raised in the city, opened fire with a 19th-century revolver on 11 December in the historic centre. Continue reading...

Dozens of foreign staff have had to leave and new specialists can't be brought in, says group representing aid agenciesIsrael has stopped issuing visas for international staff of humanitarian organisations that work in occupied Palestinian territories, hampering efforts to get food and other vital supplies into Gaza.Dozens of foreign aid workers, including heads of organisations, have had to leave Israel and the Palestinian territories, or are overstaying their visas and risking deportation so they can continue working, an alliance of aid groups has warned. Continue reading...

Authorities say they're investigating how the fire started, after it was bought under control after intense firefights

Lawyer tells Kumanjayi Walker inquest current and former officers in tactical response group rejected claims and said they were hurtful

Hundreds of sites including schools are being investigated by the EPA for asbestos removal amid the contaminated mulch crisis across NSW. This map shows confirmed contaminated parks and other locations

Assistant commissioner alleges Lamarre bought single surfboard bag ahead of shootings with Baird's partner, Luke Davies, killed due to presence at house'

Coroner finds Ric Blum lied and deceived inquest, but does not recommend charges against him

The 25-year-old actor was among 30 demonstrators taken into custody during Joe Biden's appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers, organisers confirmedEuphoria actor Hunter Schafer was among dozens of protesters arrested at NBC's headquarters in Manhattan during the president Joe Biden's appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers earlier this week, organisers confirmed Wednesday.The 25-year-old star was part of a group of more than 100 demonstrators who packed the lobby at 30 Rockefeller Plaza on Monday afternoon to call for a ceasefire in the Israel-Gaza war, the group Jewish Voice for Peace said. Continue reading...

Parliamentary inquiry highlights likelihood of Scotland, Jersey or Isle of Man passing new lawsLaws to allow assisted dying may pass in Scotland, Jersey and the Isle of Man in the next few years, leading to a divergence between different parts of the UK and British Isles, MPs have warned.The government must consider the repercussions of this, a parliamentary inquiry into assisted dying has said. Continue reading...

The 40-year-old was taken to Westmead hospital in a stable condition after the shooting in Guildford

Bill, if passed, will see government agencies's funding extended into March in the fourth such stopgap measure since SeptemberWith government funding set to partially expire on Friday, House and Senate negotiators have reached an agreement to prevent a shutdown.In a joint statement, congressional leaders of both parties confirmed that the House and the Senate would vote this week on a short-term funding bill to allow lawmakers more time to finalize full-year appropriations bills. The leaders said that negotiators have already reached a deal on six full-year spending bills for agriculture, and the remaining six bills are expected to be finalized before 22 March. Continue reading...

Officials say 179 people trying to cross Channel were rescued after four French-led operationsOne person has died and two others are missing in the Channel after an incident involving a small boat, French rescue services have said.According to the Prefecture maritime Manche et mer du Nord, four French-led rescue operations took place in the Channel on Wednesday, coordinated by the regional operational surveillance and rescue of Gris-Nez. Continue reading...

Suspected explosives found after arrest of Daniela Klette, the last living female member of the terror groupPolice in Berlin have ordered the evacuation of the apartment block in which a fugitive from the Red Army Faction (RAF) was arrested on Monday, telling the residents they had found suspected explosives in the building.Already reeling from the arrest of Daniela Klette, the last living female member of the RAF, neighbours at the property in Berlin were told to leave their homes on Wednesday as police and fire brigade reinforcements were drafted in to help clear nearby buildings. Continue reading...