Britain reactivates "Operation Safeguard" to tackle prison overcrowding, temporarily holding inmates in police cells. With prisons at over 99% capacity, the move comes amid a surge in the prison population, outpacing major European nations in incarceration rates.
The emergency action, dubbed "Operation Safeguard", allows inmates to be held in police cells when prisons are full, and was previously used from February 2023 to October last year.
The prison population in England and Wales has doubled in the last 30 years, according to official data, leading to overcrowding as new places have failed to keep pace with demand. Justice systems in Scotland and Northern Ireland are run separately.
In a statement to parliament, Shabana Mahmood said the prison system was operating at more than 99% occupancy.
January saw the highest average monthly prison population growth in almost two years, as part of a rising trend in the last three months that "has only just begun to slow", she added.
"Given the recent increase in demand, it is necessary, and prudent, for me to temporarily reactivate Operation Safeguard to better manage the flow of offenders into the prison estate," Mahmood said.
According to the World Prison Brief database, imprisonment rates in England and Wales are higher than in other major European countries, with 141 detainees per 100,000 population, against 120 in France, 117 in Spain, 105 in Italy and 68 in Germany.
DeepMind founder Demis Hassabis called on Britain to harness its strengths—such as world-class universities and top-tier talent—to shape how artificial intelligence is deployed globally.
Canada's new Premier Mark Carney met with King Charles III at Buckingham Palace as part of his European tour where he hoped to strengthen ties with "reliable allies".
UK finance minister Rachel Reeves expressed satisfaction on Monday with the steps taken by the country’s top financial regulators to promote economic growth. The government’s push to reduce red tape includes cutting some watchdogs, as they aim to accelerate a sluggish economy.
UK’s first vessel for detecting and destroying sea mines has been delivered to the Royal Navy. The new technology enables mines to be detected rapidly and eliminates the need for sailors to enter dangerous mined areas.
The UK has withdrawn accreditation for a Russian diplomat and a diplomatic spouse, requiring them to leave the country, following the expulsion of two British officials from Russia on Monday.
NHL stars, including Sidney Crosby and Erik Karlsson, will take the ice in Sweden as the Penguins and Predators face off in the Global Series at Avicii Arena on Nov. 14 and 16. Fans eager to see hockey’s biggest names, like Crosby and Connor McDavid, prompted the league’s international push
The suspension of nearly all USAID funding by the Trump administration is shuttering vital humanitarian and anti-gang programs in Colombia’s poorest regions, jeopardizing the implementation of the country’s 2016 peace deal with leftist FARC rebels.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the Ukraine war in a phone call Tuesday, with Washington hoping to secure a 30-day ceasefire and progress toward a lasting peace. While Kyiv has agreed, Trump aims to persuade Putin to fully commit to the truce.
A tragic plane crash off the coast of Honduras has left at least 12 dead, including renowned musician Aurelio Martinez Suazo. The Jetstream aircraft plunged into the sea minutes after takeoff from Roatán Island, with five survivors rescued. Search efforts continue amid challenging conditions.
Europol has warned that organised crime gangs are increasingly leveraging artificial intelligence to scale up scams and payment systems, making their operations more global, cost-efficient, and difficult to detect.
The inside of a Herculaneum delicate & ancient scroll, unseen for nearly 2,000 years, has been revealed using Artificial Intelligence.
World leaders welcomed the 30-day ceasefire proposal that Ukraine has agreed to, calling it a step toward ending the conflict with Russia.
Regarding the Armenia-Azerbaijan process, we cannot forget the years of occupation, and we will not forget them, President Ilham Aliyev said in his speech at the opening ceremony of the 12th Global Baku Forum.
President Donald Trump has vowed to respond to the European Union's counter-tariffs, escalating tensions over the U.S. steel and aluminum duties that have sparked a trade dispute between the two economic powers.
Speaking at a meeting of AIPAC’s board of directors, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar stated that the decision to resume strikes in Gaza was made several days ago and that the military operation will persist beyond today.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday cautioned his economic team against overcooling the national economy through overly tight monetary policies ahead of the central bank's impending rate decision.
Brazil’s government on Tuesday unveiled a long-promised income tax reform aimed at exempting individuals earning up to 5,000 reais (approximately $881) per month from paying income tax.
Tear gas filled the air as French police raided a Paris theatre at dawn, evicting over 400 migrants who had been squatting there for months. Protesters shouted "shame" as riot police moved in, sparking clashes. The migrants, mostly West Africans, say they have nowhere else to go.
NHL stars, including Sidney Crosby and Erik Karlsson, will take the ice in Sweden as the Penguins and Predators face off in the Global Series at Avicii Arena on Nov. 14 and 16. Fans eager to see hockey’s biggest names, like Crosby and Connor McDavid, prompted the league’s international push
NHL stars, including Sidney Crosby and Erik Karlsson, will take the ice in Sweden as the Penguins and Predators face off in the Global Series at Avicii Arena on Nov. 14 and 16. Fans eager to see hockey’s biggest names, like Crosby and Connor McDavid, prompted the league’s international push
The suspension of nearly all USAID funding by the Trump administration is shuttering vital humanitarian and anti-gang programs in Colombia’s poorest regions, jeopardizing the implementation of the country’s 2016 peace deal with leftist FARC rebels.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the Ukraine war in a phone call Tuesday, with Washington hoping to secure a 30-day ceasefire and progress toward a lasting peace. While Kyiv has agreed, Trump aims to persuade Putin to fully commit to the truce.
A tragic plane crash off the coast of Honduras has left at least 12 dead, including renowned musician Aurelio Martinez Suazo. The Jetstream aircraft plunged into the sea minutes after takeoff from Roatán Island, with five survivors rescued. Search efforts continue amid challenging conditions.
Europol has warned that organised crime gangs are increasingly leveraging artificial intelligence to scale up scams and payment systems, making their operations more global, cost-efficient, and difficult to detect.
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