Skip to main content

Hundreds of prisoners freed in UK as early release scheme takes effect

Hundreds of eligible offenders are set to leave prisons in England and Wales as the government’s early-release scheme took effect Thursday. The scheme was introduced after the prison system came close to running out of capacity in the summer of 2024, with fewer than 100 spaces remaining. Under the new rules, eligible offenders serving sentences of up to 19 months can be released after serving a third of their term. The government has faced criticism over the plan, with the main opposition Conservative Party warning that dangerous criminals could be released under the early-release scheme. Read: UK rapper gets 12-year jail term for hit-and-run killing “I think what would make the public less safe is if we had no prison capacity in which to put people who are arrested, suspected of crimes, today,” Treasury minister James Murray told Sky News. Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s office said last month that more than 3,200 prison places had already been bui...
Post a Comment

India activists demand release of detained 'cockroach' protesters

India’s youth-led “cockroach” movement, whose protests have forced the education minister’s resignation, urged authorities on Monday to release all demonstrators detained in weeks of rallies nationwide. The online Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which organised protests over exam paper leaks and other irregularities, said they had received reports of students held in detention, particularly in the states of Assam, West Bengal and Bihar. “Any failure to release those detained or withdraw criminal cases would amount to a breach of public trust,” the protest group said in a statement, adding they would take “further necessary steps” if their demand was not met. 🚨STATEMENT We are deeply concerned by multiple reports reaching us of students and other protestors being targeted, detained, or arrested by various state agencies, particularly in Assam, West Bengal, and Bihar. The Cockroach Janta Party had called off its nationwide protest… — Saurav Das (@SauravDassss) July 27, 2026 The statement comes two days after Dharmendra Pradhan resigned as education minister over repeated failures in the conduct of competitive exams that have fuelled anger among millions of young Indians. The CJP accused the government of backtracking after authorities had assured them that no punitive action would be taken against protesters. The movement has won millions of followers on social media since it was launched in May by 30-year-old public relations graduate Abhijeet Dipke. Tens of thousands of protesters, mainly students, rallied last week in New Delhi and other cities, demanding Pradhan’s resignation and broader reforms of the examination system. Read: What's behind India's 'cockroach' youth protests? Demonstrations in the Indian capital turned violent on July 20 when a crowd attempted to march towards parliament from the Jantar Mantar protest site. Police fired tear gas and used batons to disperse the protest, triggering clashes and a wave of detentions. The issue reverberated in parliament on Monday, with repeated disruptions as opposition lawmakers demanded a response from the government over last week’s police crackdown. Despite the disruptions, the government introduced legislation in the lower house seeking tougher penalties for examination paper leaks.

from Latest World News, International News | Breaking World News https://ift.tt/pON5TgC
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

At least 32 miners dead after bridge fails at cobalt site in southeast DR Congo

A bridge collapsed at a cobalt mine in southeast Democratic Republic of Congo killing at least 32 wildcat miners, a regional government official said Sunday. The bridge came down Saturday onto a flooded zone at the mine in Lualaba province, Roy Kaumba Mayonde, the provincial interior minister, told reporters. He said 32 bodies had been recovered and more were being searched for. The DRC produces more than 70 percent of the world supply of cobalt, which is essential for batteries used in electric cars, many laptop computers and mobile phones. More than 200,000 people are estimated to be working in giant illegal cobalt mines in the giant central African country. Local authorities said the bridge collapsed at the Kalando mine, about 42 kilometres (26 miles) southeast of the Lualaba provincial capital, Kolwezi. "Despite a formal ban on access to the site because of the heavy rain and the risk of a landslide, wildcat miners forced their way into the quarry," said Mayonde. He said ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Arab countries, Pakistan likely to observe Eid on same day

The International Astronomy Centre confirmed on Wednesday that the crescent moon of Shawwal will be impossible to sight on Saturday, March 29, across all regions of the Arab and Islamic world. This is due to the moon setting before the sun, with the conjunction occurring after sunset. As a result, observing the crescent moon, whether by the naked eye, telescopes, or other means, will be unfeasible on March 29. For countries requiring an actual sighting to mark the start of Shawwal, Ramadan will likely extend to 30 days, with Eid Al Fitr falling on Monday, March 31. However, in some regions where the conjunction occurs before sunset, allowing the moon to set after sunset, some countries may choose to declare Eid on Sunday, March 30, following traditional moon-sighting practices. Notably, a partial solar eclipse will be visible at noon on Saturday in parts of the western Arab world, including Mauritania, Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. This event serves as definitive proof that the cresce...
Post a Comment
Read more

Asma al-Assad reportedly given 50/50 chance of survival as leukemia returns

Asma al-Assad, the British-born wife of ousted Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad, is reportedly gravely ill and has been given a 50/50 chance of survival after her leukemia returned. The former first lady of Syria is reportedly being isolated to prevent infection, unable to be in the same room as others as her condition worsens. Sources close to the family have described her condition as critical, with Asma’s father, Fawaz Akhras, a renowned cardiologist, reportedly providing round-the-clock care in Moscow, where the family sought refuge after Assad's regime collapsed under rebel advances. Asma, 49, was first diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in May 2024, a rare and aggressive form of blood cancer. This diagnosis reportedly came just a few years after her successful treatment for breast cancer in 2019, which had led to her being declared cancer-free. Reports suggest that Asma’s leukemia has returned with full force, and her health is deteriorating. “She can’t be in the same room wit...
Post a Comment
Read more