Cells for arrested offenders may run out without early prison release, says Labour

Bridget Phillipson says government would not have to consider releasing prisoners early if Tories had created more capacity

Cells to hold newly arrested people could run out without the early prison release scheme, a minister has said.

Bridget Phillipson defended the plan to address the prison capacity crisis in England and Wales by releasing thousands of prisoners early, which has been criticised by domestic abuse charities, bereaved families and probation officers among others.

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Gunfire, blasts heard in attempted mutiny in Niger’s capital Niamey – Al Jazeera

  1. Gunfire, blasts heard in attempted mutiny in Niger’s capital Niamey  Al Jazeera
  2. Rival factions stand off in Niger capital after mutineers attack airport, presidency  Reuters
  3. An African country rich in gold and uranium shaken by fresh coup threat 3 years after military takeover as soldiers attack the presidency  Business Insider Africa
  4. Niger’s security forces battle mutinous soldiers in the capital  AP News
  5. Niger junta led by General Tiani faces attempted coup  Le Monde.fr
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Fourth time lucky as Chris Cantrill’s spoof whodunnit wins Edinburgh comedy award 2026

Nominated in three previous years, the rambunctious standup – one half of The Delightful Sausage – wins the prize for his show Rewilding while Marty Gleeson is named best newcomer

The annual Edinburgh comedy award has been won by the standup Chris Cantrill, two years after his comedy partner Amy Gledhill – in the raucous northern double act The Delightful Sausage – won the same prize.

Cantrill, 42 and from Bradford, received the so-called “Oscar of live comedy” for a show, Rewilding, about his new life in rural Northumberland, where an act of vandalism shocks the local community – and a spoof whodunnit ensues. It builds on the foundations laid in 2024 by Easily Swayed, which documented his move to the countryside and secured what was then Cantrill’s third nomination (but first as a solo act) for the award.

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Trump-shaped ecstasy pills can be fatal, Dutch drug institute warns – politico.eu

  1. Trump-shaped ecstasy pills can be fatal, Dutch drug institute warns  politico.eu
  2. Dutch health institute issues 'red alert' over Trump-shaped ecstasy pills  BBC
  3. A Dutch institute issues a ‘Red Alert’ over potentially lethal Trump-shaped ecstasy pills  NBC News
  4. Trump-shaped Ecstasy Pills Issued Fatal Warning in Tourist Hotspot  Newsweek
  5. Trump-shaped ecstasy pills contain dangerous chemical and could be deadly, Dutch group says  CBS News
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Germany plans to blame Russia for Leipzig attack as tensions with Putin escalate – politico.eu

  1. Germany plans to blame Russia for Leipzig attack as tensions with Putin escalate  politico.eu
  2. Europe eyes Russia in attacks on weapons and cargo. But Germany treads lightly.  The Washington Post
  3. Third drone and suspected military explosives found near Leipzig airport  The Guardian
  4. Explosive drone at German airport linked to Russian military intelligence, US intel source says  ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos
  5. Germany to say who's behind attempted airport drone attack soon, says Merz  Reuters
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Laurie Anderson’s next manuscript to be locked away for 88 years in Future Library

Grammy award-winning American artist selected as 13th person to submit written work to Oslo-based project

The next manuscript by the American artist Laurie Anderson will remain unseen for 88 years, as she becomes the 13th figure to contribute to the Future Library project.

Anderson joins Margaret Atwood, Han Kang, Ocean Vuong and other prominent authors who have written secret manuscripts, which have been locked away until 2114.

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Ukraine Says Russia Planning Ground Offensive on Kyiv, Chernihiv – Bloomberg.com

  1. Ukraine Says Russia Planning Ground Offensive on Kyiv, Chernihiv  Bloomberg.com
  2. Why Putin Is Fighting On, Even as His Problems Multiply  The New York Times
  3. Russia plans new ground attack on Kyiv, Ukraine warns  politico.eu
  4. Putin Moves to Escalate War in Ukraine as Talks at Dead End  Bloomberg.com
  5. Kremlin Says Ukraine Peace Talks on ‘Deep Pause’  The Moscow Times
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‘I wanted to find the slowest fashion imaginable’: the woman growing her own dress

Looking for an alternative to fast fashion, Eve Ogden Schaub decided to create a garment from homegrown flax

From crop tops to shorts and brightly patterned dresses, many of today’s clothes are the result of fast fashion. But one woman is taking a radical approach to challenging this trend by growing her own dress.

Eve Ogden Schaub is in the midst of a project to create a linen garment made from flax she is growing at home, documenting the process in videos shared on her Instagram account.

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