International aspects of forensic medicine

By Richard Jones

Dozens killed and hundreds injured in explosion at Chinese chemical plant
The Guardian
An explosion at a pesticide plant in eastern China has killed at least 47 people and injured more than 600, state media said, the latest in a series of industrial accidents that has sparked widespread
UK News
Murder conviction quashed after detective hid relationship with juror
The Guardian - Steven Morris and agency
Three killers had their murder convictions quashed because a police officer involved in the case failed to disclose she knew one of the jurors in their trial, it has been revealed. DC Rebecca Bryant, family
NHS
Signs of progress on learning from deaths - but a more open learning culture is needed across the NHS to drive further improvement
cqc.org.uk
Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspections have shown good progress is being made by some NHS hospital trusts to implement national guidance on …
What happened to Claudia?
bbc.co.uk
By Alex Moss They have seen Claudia’s love life pored over by the tabloids, which painted her not as a victim but a “home-wrecker” with a taste for married men. The police have investigated her disappearance
New Zealand
Christchurch shootings: 49 dead in New Zealand mosque attacks
bbc.co.uk
Forty-nine people have been killed and at least 20 wounded in shootings at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, in the nation's deadliest attack.
World News
Greece defies church with step towards first crematorium
The Guardian - Helena Smith in Athens
Greece has moved a step closer to opening its first crematorium, passing a decree that paves the way for a facility to be built in Athens despite persistent criticism from the Orthodox church. The prime
Catherine Shaw: Body of 23-year-old found dead in Guatemala showed signs of trauma, doctor says
independent.co.uk - Chiara Giordano
The body of an English woman found dead in Guatemala showed signs of trauma, according to the doctor performing a post-mortem examination. Miguel …
Medical Journals
Criminalisation of unintentional error in healthcare in the UK: a perspective from New Zealand
bmj.com - Rohan Ameratunga, Hilary Klonin, Jenny Vaughan, Alan Merry, Jonathan Cusack
Key messagesHealthcare systems should provide an adequate and effective response to patients who have been unintentionally harmed while receiving …
Disability
Learning from deaths in the NHS | NHS Improvement
improvement.nhs.uk
Learning from deaths of people in their care can help providers improve the quality of the care they provide to patients and their families, and …
Lifestyle (UK)
The deadly truth about a world built for men – from stab vests to car crashes
The Guardian - Caroline Criado-Perez
A female police officer had to have breast-reduction surgery because of the health effects of wearing her body armour One woman found her car's voice-command system only listened to her husband, even he
George Pell
All about juries: why do we actually need them and can they get it 'wrong'?
theconversation.com - Jacqui Horan
There has been some debate over the recent conviction of George Pell, whose first trial ended with a hung jury, and the second a unanimous guilty …
Opinion (UK)
This change in the law on organ donation will save hundreds of lives
The Guardian - Cole Moreton
Lives will be saved. Hundreds of them, every year. That’s the first and most important thing to say about the organ donation (deemed consent) bill, which is expected to clear parliament today and become
Birmingham City FC
Birmingham pub bombings inquest: tributes paid to victims
The Guardian - Frances Perraudin
Families have paid tribute to victims of the 1974 IRA Birmingham pub bombings, in the first day of evidence at the inquest into the atrocity. Twenty-one people were killed and more than 200 injured when
BBC Sounds - Shreds: Murder in the dock
bbc.co.uk
A young woman is murdered in a frenzied knife attack. Outside, a man is crying and covered in blood. What happens next almost defies belief. Yes, this really did happen…
South Korea
Man who died in Mexico returned to family ‘without brain, stomach and heart’
independent.co.uk - Chiara Giordano
The body of a man who died in Mexico is said to have been returned to his family in South Korea without his brain, stomach or heart. Authorities in …
Jamal Khashoggi murder to be investigated by UN
independent.co.uk - Borzou Daragahi
Nearly four months after the murder of Jamal Khashoggi at the hands of Saudi operatives linked to the court of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the …
North London
A week in the life of a London murder detective
bbc.co.uk - Danny Shaw
The number of people killed in London during 2018 was the highest figure for a decade. But what is life like for a senior detective investigating these crimes? The Metropolitan Police's Homicide and Serious
Political, forensic, hi-tech: how 'research architecture' is redefining art
The Guardian - Elizabeth Fullerton
This is not art destined for collectors' homes. The CRA are confronting power structures responsible for violence, and uncovering hidden stories It's a different set of tools to understand the world and
What it’s like being a forensic scientist in South Africa
businesstech.co.za - Bloomberg
After handling the body of a man who died from blunt force trauma in an apparent vehicle crash, forensic anthropologist Trisha-Jean Mahon turned to …
The Coroner Crisis
discovermagazine.com
Ninety-five days separated her from the gallows. It was 1923. Sabella Nitti was convicted of killing her husband, becoming the first woman in Chicago …
Greek police accused of beating migrants trying to enter from Turkey
The Guardian - Helena Smith in Athens
Human Rights Watch releases footage showing men with scars from alleged ‘pushbacks’ Human Rights Watch (HRW) has released footage of men bearing prominent scars on their backs as it accused Greek police
Mother who drowned and burned daughter in 'sacrifice' cleared of murder
sky.com
Carly Ann Harris suffered a mental breakdown and believed she was saving the world by killing her daughter, jurors were told. A mother who drowned and …
At Least 11 Dead In India From Suspected Rice Poisoning At Temple Celebration
HuffPost - AP
Police in southern India have arrested three people in connection with the deaths. NEW DELHI (AP) — Police arrested three people on Saturday after at least 11 died of suspected food poisoning following
'Tired of eating human flesh': South African court jails two men in cannibal case
The Guardian - Agence France Presse
Judge said men were guilty of ‘most heinous crime’ over murder of 24-year-old woman Two South African men accused of cannibalism were given life sentences for murder on Wednesday, with the judge saying
Melbourne attack: one person stabbed to death in 'terrorist incident'
Australia News - The Guardian
Police are treating an attack at Bourke Street mall in Melbourne in which one person was stabbed to death and two others injured as a terrorist incident. The man, identified as Hassan Khalif Shire Ali,
'It’s never going to be normal': California city in shock after gunman kills 12
Guardian US - Charles Davis in Thousand Oaks and Adam Gabbatt in New York
A college line-dancing night was taking place at a Thousand Oaks bar when a 28-year-old former marine entered and wrought tragedy with a handgun Residents stood in silent shock and grief outside a California
When Do Kids Understand Death?
National Geographic - Virginia Hughes
Science & InnovationOnly Human 3 Minute Read Wednesday morning I went to the funeral of my husband’s grandfather, who had lived 93 years. As a couple of dozen family members circled around his grave site,
IS left 200 mass graves in Iraq - UN
bbc.co.uk
More than 200 mass graves containing thousands of bodies have been found in areas of Iraq that were once controlled by the Islamic State (IS) group, a UN investigation has found. The graves were found
A rugby player who became quadriplegic after eating a slug has died aged 28
walesonline.co.uk - Gavin Allen
Sam Ballard had been dared by friends at a party to eat the slug and spent three years in a coma A young rugby player who fell seriously ill after …