Ministers have dismissed claims that Labour is contemplating sending criminals convicted in England and Wales to Estonia to serve their jail sentences.

The Telegraph reported that the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) was investigating “all viable choices” to extend capability after the Baltic state mentioned it had provided to lease out spare capability to different international locations.

Citing authorities sources, the newspaper mentioned the answer was “on the desk” after males’s prisons in England and Wales nearly ran out of cells final month with 83 spare areas.

On Friday afternoon, a spokesperson for the MoJ, which oversees the jail property, mentioned that the plan was assessed by the final authorities and carries “appreciable” and “vital” prices.

“The brand new authorities inherited a justice system in disaster, with prisons on the purpose of collapse,” an announcement mentioned. “Whereas we’re contemplating all sensible choices to extend jail capability and maintain the general public protected, there aren’t any plans to introduce this measure.”

Earlier, Downing Avenue had additionally distanced itself from experiences. A No 10 spokesperson mentioned renting jail cells in Estonia had been the coverage of the earlier authorities and present ministers had made “no such plans or announcement with regard to Estonia”.

They added: “Extra broadly, we might all the time have a look at choices which might be sensible and ship worth for cash for the taxpayer.”

In an overhaul of the prison justice system, Labour is planning to construct extra prisons in the long run. Shabana Mahmood, the justice secretary, has additionally determined to undertake an pressing unbiased overview of sentencing laws and apply.

Official figures printed on Friday confirmed that the jail inhabitants had reached a document excessive, with 88,521 individuals behind bars, 171 greater than the earlier document set on the finish of final week.The Telegraph reported that Estonia’s low crime fee had left its prisons half empty, prompting hopes that criminals convicted in England and Wales may present a €30m (£25m) increase to the nation’s public funds.

Mahmood and Liisa Pakosta, her Estonian counterpart, have been anticipated to debate jail leasing on the sidelines of a Council of Europe occasion in Vilnius, Lithuania, it was claimed.

Pakosta informed the Telegraph: “The UK and Estonia have a historical past of profitable worldwide cooperation, and such a partnership would create additional alternatives to profit and be taught from one another.”

Sending offenders to Estonia was first proposed by Alex Chalk, the previous justice secretary, finally yr’s Conservative convention. Labour criticised the concept on the time for instance of Tory incompetence and underinvestment, whereas the Jail Reform Belief known as it “half-baked”.

The variety of individuals in jail in England and Wales has risen from about 40,000 in 1991 to greater than 88,000, with a rise of greater than 1,000 over the previous 4 weeks.

Subsequent week, about 1,500 persons are resulting from be launched from jail beneath an emergency measure that reduces from 50% to 40% the proportion of custodial sentences to be served in jail for some.

The SDS40 scheme, which can free 5,500 prisoners throughout two months, will probably be launched on 10 September for these serving sentences of 5 years or much less. A second class of prisoners – those that have served sentences of 5 years or extra – will probably be launched on 22 October.

It should not come as a shock that the couple will put on matching medals, particularly since they have been joined on the hip for a lot of the summer season. The pair attended one another’s Olympic and Paralympic trials, created vidoes for his or her social media accounts whereas coaching, and even manifested their indiviudal success in similar format forward of their finals at Paris 2024.

“Tara has taught me so much about self-affirmation,” defined Woodhall. “Earlier than the Olympics, she was writing in her journal, ‘I would be the Olympic champ’. And ‘I’m sturdy, I’m quick’.

“I’ve had my journal right here and I wrote in it at this time, ‘I would be the Paralympic champion’. And now I’m,” proclaimed the 25-year-old.

He praised Davis-Woodhall for her help throughout the Paris 2024 Paralympic Video games, stating, “She’s so humble. She simply, like, actually took a backseat after successful the Olympic title and humbled herself, and simply actually took a while to place that vitality again into me figuring out that I had one thing developing. Now I am blissful that we are able to have a good time collectively.”

They’ve trigger for additional celebration after Woodhall added an extra bronze medal to his assortment as a part of Group USA’s 4x100m common relay squad that completed third simply over an hour after his victory within the males’s 400m T62 last. He leaves Paris with 5 medals to his identify on the Paralympic Video games, together with his first-ever gold medal.

The 53-year-old broadcaster has not been on the The Zoe Ball Breakfast Present since she briefly returned to internet hosting on August 8, following a summer season break.

Each Gaby Roslin and Scott Mills have been sitting in for Ball.

On Friday, a Radio 2 spokeswoman mentioned: “Zoe will return to the Radio 2 Breakfast Present later this month.”

Ball, 53, took over the morning programme in 2019 from Chris Evans.

Evans left the BBC Radio 2 breakfast slot after eight years, and went to Virgin Radio.

Ball was the primary feminine host of the Radio 1 Breakfast Present in 1998, a publish she held till 2000.

She additionally co-hosted the BBC’s Saturday morning youngsters’s journal Dwell & Kicking alongside Jamie Theakston for 3 years from 1996.

Ball has introduced the BBC spin-off present Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two, and ITV’s actuality competitors present Mamma Mia! I Have A Dream.

The Inexperienced Bay Packers re-took the lead over the Philadelphia Eagles on Jayden Reed’s 33-yard landing run within the second quarter of Friday night time’s season opener in Brazil.

Reed took an finish round shifting left to proper and obtained terrific blocks from Emanuel Wilson, Josh Myers and Rasheed Walker on his option to the tip zone, giving the Packers a 12-7 benefit over the Eagles.

Right here’s the landing:

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1832225962823708734

The scoring drive traveled 70 yards in solely 5 performs. Wilson ripped off runs of 14 yards and 18 yards to get the Packers on the transfer.

Reed, a second-round decide of the Packers in 2023, had a landing catch negated within the first quarter on off-setting penalties.

As a rookie, Reed scored 10 complete touchdowns, together with two speeding. His landing run on Friday night time was his third profession speeding rating.

Scouts has introduced that adventurer Dwayne Fields, the primary black Briton to achieve the North Pole, has been appointed because the UK’s chief scout.

He succeeds adventurer and TV persona Bear Grylls, who has been the charity’s chief scout since 2009.

Fields is an explorer who grew to become the primary black Briton to achieve the North Pole in 2013. He’s additionally a TV persona, having introduced exhibits on Channel 5, BBC One, Disney+ and Nationwide Geographic.

He’s the charity’s first chief scout of color and has been an envoy for the organisation since 2017.

A key a part of Fields’ mission will likely be to draw new volunteers, the charity mentioned, significantly in communities which might be new to Scouts.

The charity mentioned Fields will go to these areas to encourage and encourage groups to develop the motion.

Fields was born in Jamaica and got here to the UK aged six, the place he grew up in inside metropolis London. The charity mentioned that with out entry to nature, Scouts supplied Fields “new horizons”.

Fields mentioned: “Scouts helped form who I’m at present and I hope my story will encourage others to affix and obtain their desires. 

“My volunteer leaders believed in me as a teen and taught me to consider in myself. They confirmed me I may do something I put my thoughts to and others would assist me alongside the best way.”

Fields mentioned that he desires a brand new technology to “be taught the talents for all times, friendship and belonging I felt after I wanted them most”. 

He mentioned: “I wish to present that the outside is a spot for all of us to be at our greatest and really open to all. I’m calling for extra volunteers to step up and make a distinction to younger individuals’s lives throughout the nation.”

Carl Hankinson, UK chief volunteer at Scouts, mentioned: “A dedicated scout ambassador since 2017, Dwayne has visited a whole lot of Scout teams, occasions and camps throughout the UK and internationally. 

“He champions the sense of belonging Scouts offers younger individuals. He is ready to attain throughout generations, to additional develop attain throughout all communities.”

Hankinson mentioned: “He’s captivated with encouraging individuals from all backgrounds to discover nature, help their communities and be one of the best they are often.”

Sophia Sanyahumbi, an explorer scout aged 17 from south London, mentioned: “I had the pleasure of spending time with him [Fields] this week and may inform he’s captivated with ensuring extra younger individuals get the possibility to affix the Scouts.

“He talked to me about how scouting gave him a way of belonging and confidence as a teen and the way he intends to create extra alternatives for younger individuals from all communities to have the identical alternatives as he did.”

Craig Bellamy’s first match answerable for the Welsh nationwide workforce was an thrilling and promising affair that displayed how he desires them to play going ahead. The Dragons hosted Turkey on the Cardiff Metropolis Stadium and drew 0-0 in a optimistic efficiency that had aptitude and elegance.

From the get-go Wales have been the extra aggressive workforce. They took cost of the ball and utilised the tempo of forwards Brennan Johnson and Sorba Thomas who arrange on both wing. Within the center Aaron Ramsey and Harry Wilson juggled playmaking duties admirably as Wales created the higher possibilities over the primary 45 minutes.

Ramsey nodded an opportunity excessive and Joe Rodon didn’t convert from shut vary. The perfect probability fell to Thomas who broke via the strains and completely lobbed the goalkeeper solely to be dominated offside.

Within the second half there was hope of a well-known win after Baris Yilmaz collected a second yellow card and Turkey went all the way down to 10 males. Bellamy made substitutions to try to hold the power ranges excessive, however Wales couldn’t break the impasse, and the match completed goalless.

Not the consequence the Welsh followers needed however they have been inspired by the efficiency. Bellamy has Wales taking part in thrilling soccer.

Relive the updates and response from the Nations League under:

NEW YORK (AP) — Prime-ranked Jannik Sinner completed off a 7-5, 7-6 (3), 6-2 victory over Jack Draper to achieve his first ultimate on the U.S. Open — and second at a Grand Slam event his 12 months — after they concurrently acquired remedy from trainers on a damp afternoon Friday.

Sinner, a 23-year-old from Italy who was exonerated in a doping case lower than every week earlier than the event started, wanted his left wrist massaged at a changeover after falling throughout some extent he managed to win late within the second set. Throughout the identical break within the motion, the Twenty fifth-seeded Draper, a 22-year-old from Britain, obtained medical consideration after vomiting twice on the courtroom between factors.

Whereas each rivals have been being checked out, a vacuum was getting used to scrub up the inexperienced floor behind the baseline the place Draper had thrown up. It was, to say the least, an uncommon scene at Arthur Ashe Stadium, the place the temperature was within the excessive 70s and the humidity was above 60%.

Sinner received the Australian Open in January and can search his second main championship on Sunday towards No. 12 Taylor Fritz or No. 20 Frances Tiafoe.

Good friends Fritz and Tiafoe have been scheduled to play one another Friday evening within the different males’s semifinal, the primary in New York between two People in 19 years. One would develop into the primary U.S. man in a Slam title match since Andy Roddick misplaced to Roger Federer at Wimbledon in 2009 — and if both have been to defeat Sinner, it could give the USA its first main trophy for a person since Roddick triumphed in New York in 2003.

The ladies’s ultimate on Saturday additionally will characteristic an American, with No. 6 Jessica Pegula taking up No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus.

___

AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

Howard Fendrich, The Related Press

This was by far the closest end Storey has had within the Paralympic street race – she gained by greater than seven minutes in 2012 and greater than three minutes in 2016.

It was a seven-second margin of victory three years in the past in Tokyo, however right here there have been barely inches between her and second place.

However it reaffirms Storey’s standing as Britain’s most profitable Paralympian ever, and as some of the embellished energetic Para-athletes.

She will probably be 50 by the following Paralympics, in 2028 in Los Angeles, however Storey has refused to rule out one other golden tilt and a tenth Video games.

“My glutes are on hearth, I used to be creaking earlier than the race, however that’s regular,” she mentioned. “It’s about discovering methods to handle the method and privilege of getting older as an athlete. I by no means envisioned eight Video games, not to mention 9.

“The hot button is to not be afraid to lose a race, I’ve to belief myself and go on intuition. I simply wished to see what I needed to reply. I maintain discovering methods to win, lengthy could that proceed.”

On LA, she mentioned: “I must get pleasure from this one first, however by no means say by no means to something. This simply must sink in, it’s probably the greatest races we’ve had.”

There was one other thrilling dash end, and one other British gold, within the ladies’s B street race.

Dunlevy, the reigning Paralympic champion who had overwhelmed Unwin to gold within the time trial two days prior, had led for the overwhelming majority of the 99.4km course – however the 30-year-old Brit was at all times on her tail.

And with the end line in sight, Unwin and Holl put the hammer down with a superbly timed dash for which the Irish riders had no reply.

It sparked wild and tearful celebrations from the British pair as they gained by a three-second margin, with Unwin now the proprietor of six Paralympic medals from Tokyo and Paris.

“I am at all times emotional! I am shocked it has taken me this lengthy to cry like that,” mentioned Unwin. “It feels wonderful, Jenny was unbelievable – she rode that race completely.

“We hoped for that [four medals], we knew we might however everybody at all times ups the usual for the Video games, so we’re glad to have managed it.”

“We have raced these women loads and we all know they prefer to run solo,” Holl mentioned of Dunlevy and pilot Linda Kelly. “However they by no means prefer to take us to a dash end. So all race it was about nonetheless being with them…. If we have been with 500m to go, we knew we’d be stable.”

Whereas Storey and Unwin stood out, the GB males endured a troublesome day within the street biking occasions.

Within the males’s C4-5, each Blaine Hunt and Archie Atkinson failed to complete the race. Hunt, a dash specialist, pulled out after one lap of the seven-lap, 99.4km occasion having supported Atkinson by way of the beginning.

Nevertheless Atkinson, who suffered a serious crash throughout the closing of his observe occasion final week, struggled all through and pulled out at concerning the midway level of the race.

Earlier, Stephen Bate was pressured to withdraw from the B street race as his pilot, Chris Latham, was unwell.

A dramatic dash end in Paris noticed the 46-year-old come out on high in her ninth Video games to win a nineteenth Paralympic gold.

Might Storey make it a tenth Video games?

Gaugain, 27 years youthful than Storey, made a break for victory within the remaining phases of the 71-kilometre occasion, however the expertise of the reigning champion prevailed earlier than she punched the air in celebration.

Storey, who completed the race in a single hour, 54 minutes and 24 seconds in entrance of Gaugain with Colombian Paula Ossa in third, didn’t rule out a tenth Video games.

She mentioned: “I wished to be an athlete for so long as I probably may. I by no means anticipated eight Video games, not to mention 9.

“You place your self on the market each time you set your self on the beginning line and I hold doing that and hold discovering methods to win a motorcycle race, so lengthy might that proceed.

“I must get pleasure from this one first however, to cite Simone Biles (American gymnast), completely – by no means say by no means to something.”

Hewett and Reid finish watch for Paralympic double Gold

Wheelchair tennis duo Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid clinched Paralympic doubles glory with a dominant straight-sets win at Roland Garros.

The 2-time silver medallists fell simply brief in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, however lastly celebrated gold on Court docket Philippe-Chatrier after a convincing victory over Japanese second seeds Takuya Miki and Tokito Oda 6-2 6-1.

The reigning Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon champions have now added one other doubles title to their glittered trophy cupboard.

After getting over the road on the third time of asking and an hour and 35 minutes, the pair hugged one another in celebration however Hewitt has all of it do once more in singles motion on day 10 towards Oda.

Cockroft again on monitor

Hannah Cockroft returns to the monitor after she tasted extra gold delight within the T34 girls’s 100m on Sunday.

Cockroft will eye one other gold within the girls’s T34 800m remaining at 20:22, however will face stiff competitors from Tokyo silver medallist Kare Adenegan and 2021 European champion Fabienne Andre.

Elsewhere within the athletics, Isaac Towers could have a shot on the medals within the T34 800m at 10:12 after he qualifying fifth on Friday.

Extra medals for Clegg?

Stephen Clegg might be the final ParalympicsGB swimmer within the pool as he appears so as to add to his medal haul.

Clegg will go for extra glory within the males’s S12 100m butterfly with qualification coming earlier than the combat for medals.

Final day out in Paris, Clegg comfortably held off Azerbaijan’s Raman Salei and Ukraine’s Yaroslav Denysenko to clinch Paralympic gold within the males’s S12 100m backstroke

The 28-year-old can be hoping to eclipse his elder sister Libby Clegg, a former sprinter who has 5 Paralympic medals in comparison with Stephen’s 4.

“Me and my sister had a chat earlier than popping out right here about medal tally,” he mentioned.