Former Labour leaders urge pro-EU vote

LONDON • Former leaders of Britain's opposition Labour Party yesterday urged supporters to vote in favour of European Union membership at this month's referendum.

Six senior figures, including Mr Tony Blair and Mr Gordon Brown, said that unless the party's supporters turned out to vote on June 23, there was a risk of Brexit. Current Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has been criticised by some over his relatively low-profile support for remaining in the EU.

The Remain campaign currently has 51 per cent support compared to 49 per cent for Leave, according to an average of the last six polls by the What UK Thinks academic project. This does not include undecided voters.

AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE

Human remains found in Aussie crocodile

SYDNEY • A crocodile caught and killed in far north Queensland, where a woman was attacked, contained what police said were human remains, according to a report in The Guardian here yesterday.

The 4.3m-long creature was trapped and killed at Cooper Creek, near Thornton Beach in the Daintree National Park, on Friday.

"At this stage, police believe the remains are those of a woman who was reported missing on May 29," police said.

The crocodile is believed to have killed Ms Cindy Waldron, 46, a tourist from New Zealand.

Depp's estranged wife sues comedian

LOS ANGELES • Lawyers for actress Amber Heard have filed a defamation lawsuit against comedian Doug Stanhope after he wrote an article accusing her of blackmailing and manipulating her estranged husband, actor Johnny Depp.

The complaint was filed on Friday in Cochise County, Arizona, against Stanhope and 20 unnamed individuals associated with the comedian.

The lawsuit demands a jury trial and says that Heard would donate all proceeds to a battered women's shelter in Arizona. Heard, 30, who has been married to Depp, 52, for 15 months, filed for divorce last month citing irreconcilable differences and obtained a temporary restraining order against the actor.

REUTERS

Syrian troops push into ISIS bastion Raqqa

BEIRUT • Russian-backed Syrian troops pushed into the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria's (ISIS) bastion province Raqqa yesterday, threatening to catch the militants in a pincer move as US-backed Kurdish-led fighters advance from the north.

The lightning advance from the south-west with Russian air support brought the army to within 40km of the Euphrates Valley town of Tabqa, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. It was the first time that government troops had entered Raqqa province since they were ousted by ISIS fighters in August 2014.

AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE