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.

Things to Do in L.A. Tap to enable a layout that focuses on the article. Former prison warden Samir Osman Alsheikh, left, meets with Syrian President Bashar Assad in 2011. U.S. officials say Alsheikh is the highest-ranking former member of the Assad regime to be tried and convicted in person outside Syria. This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here .

Science Archaeology Long-lost World War II'Hellship' may have finally been found Over 1,000 Allied servicemen died aboard the'Hōfuku Maru' in September 1944. More information Adding us as a Preferred Source in Google by using this link indicates that you would like to see more of our content in Google News results. The freighter'Hōfuku Maru,' which was converted into a Hellship by the Japanese Navy during WWII, and was sunk with over 1,200 Allied POWs aboard. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. By signing up, you confirm you are 16+, will receive newsletters and promotional content and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy .

Russia and Ukraine exchanged 205 prisoners of war on Friday, hours after rescue workers ended their search of a destroyed block of flats in Kyiv in which 24 people were killed, including three girls. Most of the Ukrainian prisoners had been held since 2022, said President Zelensky. The swap was part of a short-lived ceasefire ending this week with the launch of massive Russian strikes across Ukraine, including a missile attack that reduced 18 flats to rubble. Among the victims was 12-year-old Lyubava Yakovleva, whose father was killed during the war. Meanwhile, Russian officials said four people, including a child, were killed when Ukrainian drones hit the city of Ryazan, south-east of Moscow.

Kim Jong Un praises troops who'self-blasted' to avoid capture by Ukraine Kim Jong Un has praised North Korean soldiers who killed themselves by detonating their grenades while fighting for Russia against Ukraine, confirming a long-suspected battlefield policy. In a speech this week, the North Korean leader said those who unhesitatingly opted for self-blasting, suicide attack, in order to defend the great honour were heroes. South Korea estimates at least 15,000 North Koreans have been sent to help Russia recapture parts of western Kursk, and more than 6,000 have been killed so far. Neither Pyongyang nor Moscow have confirmed the numbers. Intelligence agencies and defectors have said the soldiers were under Pyongyang's orders to kill themselves rather than be taken prisoner by Ukraine.