International aspects of forensic medicine

Making it Fair ~ The crucial matter of Disclosure in criminal cases

A 1976 report by the late Lord Devlin noted that - "In criminal cases, the State has the Police, an agency for the discovery of evidence, superior to …

The Guardian view on England’s prisons: a national humiliation

Not one of England’s young offenders institutions is safe. Prison officers are routinely assaulted. Inmates are self-harming and committing suicide<p>Nelson Mandela once observed: “No one truly knows a nation until one has been inside its jails.” Most of us will never find out what life is like in …

Stream of floating bodies near Mosul raises fears of reprisals by Iraqi militias

Unidentified corpses are being fished out of the Tigris river, with human rights observers suggesting government forces are behind the deaths<p>The bodies washed up with grim regularity on the banks of the Tigris downstream from Mosul, a daily reminder of the vicious fight against Islamic State that …

Janet Commins: How police caught her killer after 41 years

<b>The killing of Flintshire schoolgirl Janet Commins made headlines across the UK in 1976. Now, ex-soldier Stephen Hough has been convicted of her rape and manslaughter. He was caught by his DNA 40 years on, even though another man spent six years in prison for the crime.</b><p>On the evening of 7 January …

Grenfell Tower investigation starting point is 80 deaths by manslaughter, police say

Scotland Yard criminal inquiry to examine ‘actions and inactions’ that led to fire’s spread and consumption of the tower<p>Police have said the starting point of their criminal investigation into the Grenfell Tower fire was that 80 deaths resulted from manslaughter.<p>A combination of factors led …

British newspaper editor 'admits he accidentally killed wife by throwing a hammer at her in their Dubai home'

A 60-year-old British newspaper editor told Dubai police that his wife had been killed by thieves who broke into their house before confessing that he accidentally killed her throwing a hammer at her, the UAE government said on Monday.<p>Francis Matthew, the editor-at-large of the Gulf News newspaper, …

Wannabe YouTube star shot dead filming video

A man who was trying to become a YouTube star was allegedly shot dead by his pregnant girlfriend in a prank video gone wrong.<p>Pedro Ruiz, 22, died …

Suicides in Japan hit a 20-year low

AOKIGAHARA, a sprawling 13.5-square-mile (35-square-kilometre) forest at the base of Mount Fuji in Japan, is popular with tourists for its trails, …

Hillsborough: 96 died. -Now charges of manslaughter -But it took 28 years Tomorrow's Guardian https://t.co/wmRzwJULDG

Carrie Fisher died from sleep apnea and a combination of other factors, coroner concludes

Carrie Fisher died from sleep apnea and a combination of other factors, but investigators have been unable to pinpoint an exact cause, say coroner's officials.<p>Among the factors that contributed to Fisher's death was the build-up of fatty tissue in the walls of her arteries, the Los Angeles county …

They ignored warnings Tomorrow's Guardian https://t.co/nxmxBBxZrV

‘People were just waiting for the fire to take them ... waiting to die’: Witnesses describe horror of Grenfell Tower inferno

The fire in Grenfell Tower had been raging for about an hour when the mother half way up the building ran out of options. Clutching her baby, she leaned out of the window and screamed to the firefighters and onlookers below.<p>She had no choice. The flames had engulfed the building and thick smoke was …

Inquest reveals final moments of three London Bridge victims

Senior police officer tells Southwark coroner’s court white van appeared to deliberately target pedestrians<p>The final moments of pedestrians mown down by terrorists in the London Bridge attack have been revealed at the inquests into their deaths.<p>A white van ploughed into people on the bridge before …

Grenfell Tower: firefighters search overnight with toll expected to rise

Search goes floor to floor as residents express anger that their concerns about fire safety were ignored<p>Firefighters searched Grenfell Tower overnight and extinguished the last flames of the catastrophic blaze that killed at least 12 people, as police said the death toll was bound to rise.<p>With the …

West London fire: Six confirmed dead in tower block inferno as police warn toll 'likely to rise'

At least six people have been killed as a huge blaze turned a 24-storey tower block into an inferno in the early hours of the morning.<p>Hundreds of …

Evening Standard photographer Jeremy Selwyn describes tower block inferno as 'like something out of a warzone'

An Evening Standard photographer who watched a raging fire consume a 24-storey tower block has described the horrific scenes as “like something out …

London Bridge incident: What we know so far

<b>Armed police have evacuated London Bridge and surrounding streets amid reports of a white van veering into people walking on the pavement.</b><p>Here's what we know so far.<p>What happened?<p>Armed police and ambulances were called to reports of a white van hitting several people on London Bridge 22:08 BST on …

After London Attack, Prime Minister Says, ‘Enough Is Enough’

LONDON — Declaring “enough is enough,” Prime Minister Theresa May vowed on Sunday to conduct a sweeping review of Britain’s counterterrorism strategy after three knife-wielding assailants unleashed an assault late Saturday night, the third major terrorist attack in the country in three months.<p>At …

Seven killed, dozens hurt and three terror suspects shot dead in London

At least seven people were killed and dozens more injured after a van drove into pedestrians on London Bridge and several men then started stabbing …

Islamic State claims responsibility for terror attack on London – as it happened

This live blog is closed. Click here for the latest on the London attack London attacks: what we know so far Have you been affected by the attacks?

Portland deaths: Two stabbed trying to stop anti-Muslim abuse

<b>Two men have been killed as they tried to stop a man abusing two women who appeared to be Muslim, police in the US city of Portland say.</b><p>The abusive man turned on the two men and fatally stabbed them, police said.<p>The incident happened on a commuter train. Another passenger was wounded before the …

Manchester attack: Top US diplomat condemns media leak

<b>Leaks of the investigation into the Manchester attack to the US media were "reprehensible" and will be stopped, the top US diplomat in the UK has said.</b><p>Lewis Lukens told the BBC he condemned them "unequivocally" and would take action to identify those responsible.<p>It comes as police described the …

At least 22 killed, 59 injured in suicide attack at Manchester Arena

Police believe bombing was responsibility of one man, Salman Abedi, 22, who died while carrying out the attack<p>• Manchester attack - latest updates • What we know so far<p>At least 22 people, including children, have been killed and 59 injured in a suicide bombing at a crowded pop concert in …

'Terror at the Arena': how the papers reacted to Manchester attack

News of the late-breaking deadly attack in Manchester made it on to the front pages of several newspapers’ final editions<p>Manchester Arena: police confirm 19 dead after explosion at Ariana Grande concert – latest updates<p>British newspapers have scrambled to update their final editions with news of …

Exeter murderer Kostadin Kostov dragged body in suitcase

<b>A jealous killer who was caught on CCTV dragging his ex's body round a city in a suitcase has been jailed for murder.</b><p>Cleaner Kostadin Kostov killed 38-year-old Gergana Prodanova in Exeter last August, the city's crown court was told.<p>He became angry with Ms Prodanova after she started a relationship …

New York Times Square crash: One dead and more than 20 injured as speeding car hits pedestrians

• <b>One dead and more than 20 injured</b>• <b><br>Victim named as 18-year-old Alyssa Elsman</b>• <b><br>No indication of terrorism</b>• <b><br>Car 'struck pedestrians intentionally'</b>• <b><br>Suspect arrested and charged</b><p>A man, who appeared intoxicated, drove his car the wrong way up a street and along a pavement in New York's Times Square on Thursday, …

Mexico violence: 250 skulls found in Veracruz mass grave

<b>Two hundred and fifty skulls have been found in a mass grave in the eastern Mexican state of Veracruz, says state prosecutor Jorge Winckler.</b><p>Speaking to TV network Televisa, Mr Winckler said that drug traffickers had used Veracruz for many years as a dumping ground for bodies.<p>He said only part of …

Mexican who searched for "disappeared" is killed

<b>A Mexican businesswoman who headed a group of 600 families searching for their disappeared relatives has been killed.</b><p>Miriam Rodriguez Martinez was shot in her home in the town of San Fernando in Tamaulipas state.<p>She was known for successfully investigating the kidnap and murder of her daughter by a …