Judge condemns gun culture

US President Joe Biden on Saturday signed the first major federal gun reform law in three decades , hailing the new legislation as "monumental" in view of the huge political divisions over gun control that prevail in the country. His signing of the gun safety bill comes just days after the Supreme Court ruled that the US Constitution protected the right for people to carry handguns in public for self-defense . It also comes a month after a mass shooting at an elementary school in Texas claimed the lives of 19 children and two teachers. It was the 27th school shooting to cause death or injury in the US this year, according to the data gathered by Education Week newspaper. Watch video 02:16 Supreme Court ruling expands right to carry guns What does the new law stipulate? The new gun safety legislation, which was passed with both Democrat and Republican support, includes enhanced background checks for younger buyers, allowing access to … [Read more...] about US: Biden signs bipartisan gun safety bill into law

Amber Heard's legal team has requested that the verdict from her defamation case against Johnny Depp be overturned, or both sides return to court for a new trial. In a 43-page memorandum filed on Friday, the Aquaman star's attorneys have argued that there were a number of issues with the June 1 ruling, including excessive damages awarded to Depp and poor legal reasoning. One of the more unusual factors raised in the Virginia court filing by Heard's lead attorney Elaine Bredehoft is an allegation that one juror is actually 25 years younger than he had initially claimed to be. Singling the juror out by their number, the filing stated that: "Juror 15 had a birth year of 1945. Juror 15, however, was clearly born later than 1945. Publicly available information demonstrates that he appears to have been born in 1970." "This discrepancy raises the questions whether Juror 15 actually received a summons for jury duty and was properly vetted by the Court to serve on the jury," the … [Read more...] about Heard lawyer says juror in Depp trial wasn’t who he claimed to be

By Alys Davies Published 7 hours ago Share close Share page Copy link About sharing A gunman has killed three people and injured another four at a shopping mall in Denmark's capital Copenhagen. The victims are two Danish 17-year-olds and a 47-year old Russian. Two Danes and two Swedes were wounded - one remains critical. Police said the suspected shooter, 22, had mental health issues and there is no indication of a terror motive. The suspect, who was described as "an ethnic Dane" by police, will face questioning by a judge on Monday. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Denmark had suffered a cruel attack. She said she wanted to encourage Danes to stand together and support each other in this difficult time. "Our beautiful and usually so safe capital was changed in a split second," she said. The deadly shopping mall attack took place as Denmark celebrated … [Read more...] about Copenhagen shooting: Gunman kills three in Field’s shopping mall

A High Court judge has overturned a decision by Customs to seize imitation pistols capable of being converted by criminals to fire live rounds. Often used in the movie industry, the 45 Kimar blank firing pistols were taken by Customs after being imported without a permit by Christchurch gun dealer David Tipple. However, the pistols will be returned to Tipple following a High Court ruling by Justice Patricia Courtney reversing the seizure. Customs argued the handguns, from Italy, were either firearms or starting pistols, and could be "readily modified" to fire live ammunition. But Tipple said they were merely imitation firearms, and no permit was needed for the importation two years ago. "We expected Customs would let them through, and suddenly, bang." The pistols could not be easily converted to fire live ammunition, he said. The High Court heard evidence from senior police armourer Rob Ngamoki and Auckland film set supplier and gun collector Martin Bath. Both said … [Read more...] about Fake pistols ‘will be used by crims’

Victor Melleney was shocked to hear that he would not be sent to prison after downloading hundreds of indecent images of children as young as two years old. The 76-year-old retired BBC producer, who worked on top shows including Question Time and Panorama, stored 832 indecent images of children across his laptop, desktop, two hard drives and a WIFI dongle between May 2011 and October 2018. Melleney admitted he was addicted to legal pornography, but said he had no interest in indecent images of children despite the downloads. National Crime Agency officers found the most "damning evidence" from a portable silver hard drive found in one of the pockets of his dressing gown, when he was arrested at his west London home in 2018. Kingston Crown Court was told that 612 of the total 832 images were found on the drive but Melleney insisted he had no idea how the illegal material got there. Victor Melleney was spared a prison sentence ( Image: PA) The total length of the … [Read more...] about BBC producer spared jail despite downloading hundreds of indecent images of children

By Sarah Smith Published 49 minutes ago Share close Share page Copy link About sharing Related Topics US abortion debate In the space of just 10 days there have been dramatic changes in America. Major decisions that will shape everything from environmental policy to abortion rights have been announced - but not by the president or by Congress. It is the Supreme Court which currently exercises the power to really change peoples lives. The Democrats may control the White House and both houses of Congress but they don't have enough votes to pass much of their political agenda. Instead, in a series of rulings that are as contentious as they are momentous, the Supreme Court is shaping the future of America - taking it in a very different direction from the one US President Joe Biden had envisaged. The overturning of Roe v Wade has provoked fury and despair amongst pro-choice … [Read more...] about How the US Supreme Court is reshaping America

AT least 13 people have been shot dead and 29 are injured after a wave of gun violence rocked the US over the July 4 weekend. Two men, 17 and 18, were gunned down while another was wounded after a shooting erupted at a pool party in Texas on July 1. A series of shootings were reported in Chicago over the Independence Day weekend, leaving at least eight people dead. Medics pronounced a man, 26, dead after he was shot in the arm and head just after 5pm on Friday. Hours later, cops found a woman, 24, with gunshot wounds in her torso and she was taken to the hospital where she was pronounced dead, NBC Chicago reports. Police revealed that a 38-year-old man was admitted to the hospital in a critical condition, while a 42-year-old woman was also checked over by medics. read more on july 4 STARS AND STRIPES Flag illusion leaves viewers stumped - which way do you see stripes going A man, 29, was rushed to hospital after being shot in the … [Read more...] about Independence Day violence sees 13 shot dead including 2 teens at a pool party and at least 29 injured in July 4 massacre

Encrypted phones, covert boat trips, a clandestine meeting in a Phuket restaurant, and a yacht lost at sea with $4 million worth of cocaine on board. Two Waikato men who had leading roles in a complex – and ultimately ill-fated – plan to smuggle an “unprecedented” amount of drugs into New Zealand, namely 500 kilograms of methamphetamine and 625kg of cocaine, have been jailed for their part in the scheme. Te Awamutu builder Peta Evan Taukiri, 36, and Taharoa electrician Raynor Denton, 33, were imprisoned for two years and six months, and three years respectively when they appeared in the Hamilton District Court on Monday, on charges of participating in an organised criminal group, conspiring to deal in methamphetamine and conspiring to deal in cocaine. The pair were arrested as part of Operation Van, which targeted a two-year-long scheme that was led by a person living overseas, who cannot be named. Others allegedly involved also cannot be named because they are still before the … [Read more...] about ‘Tonne of drugs’ plan thwarted as yacht lost at sea

Andy Burnham on Sunday voiced support for striking air and rail workers in a break from the Labour Party’s national position. The Greater Manchester mayor accused the Government of “demonising” workers amid a series of high-profile disputes, which saw RMT railway union workers walk out last month while British Airways staff are also planning industrial action. Sir Keir Starmer’s party took a nuanced position on the rail strikes , urging negotiations but stopping short of condemning the strikes outright. “They would say, the unions say themselves, that nobody wants to see strikes,” Mr Burnham said. “But when you're faced with a Government that is sitting on its hands and doing nothing then strikes become inevitable. “And I’m putting to you we don’t want to see that, it requires people getting around the table and sorting this out. “I support the rail workers, I support the BA staff, in that they have got to do what they need to do to protect their incomes.” He said … [Read more...] about Andy Burnham: Striking air and rail workers have my support

President Donald Trump has urged police in Washington, D.C., to not "hold back" on protesters who disrupted the so-called "Million MAGA March" this weekend, raising further fears the president is encouraging violence against his political opponents. Thousands of Trump supporters marched in Washington Saturday, calling for the result of this month's presidential election to be overturned. The demonstrators echoed false claims by the Trump campaign and its allies of widespread electoral fraud against the president, which they say illegally handed President-Elect Joe Biden victory. Clashes erupted between counter-protesters and rally attendees on Saturday night. At least 20 people were arrested throughout the day, according to The Washington Post , including four people on gun charges. Two police officers were injured and a man in his 20s was in a critical condition having been stabbed in the back. Footage from the scene showed people wearing clothes associated with the white … [Read more...] about Trump encourages D.C. police to “not hold back” as violence erupts after “Million MAGA March”