Image caption, The hikes are part of immigration policy changes introduced to manage Japan's growing foreign population Japan has raised fees for foreigners looking to reside in the country, with the cost of permanent residency going up 20 times to 200,000 yen ($1,270; £955). Those seeking permanent residency must now also meet new income, pension and Japanese-language requirements. Long lines formed outside immigration offices earlier this week as applicants sought to beat the fee hikes, with Tokyo's main immigration bureau reporting wait times of over seven hours. The fee increases are part of a series of changes to Japan's immigration policy under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, which aim ito manage its rapidly growing foreign population. In July, Japan implemented a five-fold increase in visa fees for all foreigners - its first visa fee hike in 50 years.

About 700 eligible offenders will leave jails in England and Wales on 1 October while some 2,550 are due to be released by the end of the year, under the government's early prison release plan. So why are so many people being let out of jail earlier than expected and how have they been chosen? Why are prisoners being released early? Quite simply, prisons are almost full - and not for the first time. As of last Friday, there were 87,499 people in 120 jails across England and Wales - with around 1,500 available beds.

Son who used AI to help save mum's life hopes case offers Parkinson's clues Image caption, Ed Patrick and his mother, Ann, who has Parkinson's Disease, and father John An NHS doctor who says he saved his mum's life with the help of AI hopes what he learned can help others with Parkinson's Disease complications. Ed Patrick, an anaesthetist from Oxfordshire, was at his mother's bedside in hospital ready to say his goodbyes after she began suffering serious and continuous seizures. Using AI to scour recent medical journal articles, he said he identified a vitamin deficiency linked to her Parkinson's medication as a possible cause, and staff then gave her a vitamin dose that appeared to stop the seizures. Doctors say clinical trials are needed to understand more - and warn against patients making changes to their own medication without medical advice. Charity Parkinson's UK welcomed the prospect of more research trials in light of this case and said it could transform care for some others with Parkinson's. In May this year Patrick said hospital staff called to say his mother, Ann, was close to death, after she had been deteriorating over several months.

To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. When Vladimir Putin arrived to address Russia's parliament on Wednesday, a warm welcome was guaranteed. The Special Election Operation, as one Russian newspaper dubbed last month's legislative vote, has produced a State Duma even more pro-Putin than anything before it. The ruling party, United Russia, now has more MPs than ever. It allows the Kremlin to claim it has been handed a huge mandate from the Russian people.

Energy bills are going up - here's what you can do about it Energy prices have now risen by nearly 4%, with forecasts of a much bigger jump to come in January. Regulator Ofgem's price cap affects about 20 million households in England, Scotland and Wales and sets a maximum price for each unit of gas and electricity. Forecasters have suggested a 16% increase is possible in January, due to high wholesale prices paid by suppliers as a result of the conflict in the Middle East. While that's beyond consumers' control, charities say the government should offer more support - beyond a VAT cut on electricity bills which takes effect on Thursday - and households should reset for winter again. That includes reading the meter now, and taking other steps to keep a check on rising bills.