Cheers rang out outside Bangkok’s Klong Prem prison on Thursday as Thailand’s billionaire former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra walked free on parole, eight months after a court ordered him to serve prison time he had earlier avoided through an extended stay in hospital. Now 76, the business magnate spent a quarter-century reshaping and dominating Thai politics. Yet his grip on the country’s political landscape has weakened in recent months after his jailing and after his once-powerful Pheu Thai Party suffered its…

Brazil’s Congress dealt President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva a stinging political blow by overturning his veto of legislation that sharply cuts the prison term of his longtime rival Jair Bolsonaro, marking Lula’s second significant setback in two days. Bolsonaro, the former president, 71, was sentenced last year to 27 years in prison for plotting a coup after trying to remain in power following his defeat to Lula in the 2022 election. Lula, a leftist leader seeking to block the measure, had opposed an effort by the…

Wednesday April 29, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — China has said it will provide equipment to help strengthen Somalia’s correctional facilities, following high-level talks in Mogadishu aimed at boosting prison security and improving services. The pledge came after Somali Correctional Service Commander Mohamed Sheikh Hassan Hamud met with Chinese Ambassador to Somalia Wang Yu on Tuesday. Their discussions centered on expanding bilateral cooperation, with a particular focus on modernizing Somalia’s prison system and building the…

Nathan Chasing Horse, once known for his role in Dances With Wolves, has been sentenced to life in prison for sexually assaulting Indigenous women and girls. A Nevada judge handed down the sentence on Monday, after a jury had earlier found him guilty on 13 counts, most tied to the sexual assault of three women. Jurors cleared him on several other charges. Chasing Horse, 49, will become eligible for parole after 37 years behind bars. In court, accusers and relatives told Judge Jessica Peterson they are still living with the…

Mike BungeSaturday April 25, 2026 A Minneapolis man has been sentenced to more than eight years in federal prison after investigators say he tried to join ISIS and provide support to the extremist group. U.S. District Court Judge Donovan W. Frank sentenced Abdisatar Ahmed Hassan, 23, to 102 months behind bars, followed by 15 years of supervised release. Hassan had pleaded guilty in September 2025 to attempting to provide material support to ISIS, which the U.S. State Department designated a foreign terrorist…

In a move that has sparked widespread outcry, activist and opposition figure Zainab Sheriff was sentenced to four years in prison for incitement. Known not only for her political stance but also as a model and musician, Sheriff was arrested in February after she voiced her criticisms regarding alleged electoral fraud at a political event. The contentious results of the 2023 general elections have ignited fierce debate, with numerous opposition leaders challenging the legitimacy of the polls that allowed President Julius…

Opposition politician Julius Malema has been handed a five-year prison term for firing a rifle into the air during a 2018 political rally. The opposition leader was found guilty last year on five counts, including unlawful possession of a firearm and discharging a weapon in a public place, linked to the 2018 incident at a stadium in the Eastern Cape province. His lawyer said he would appeal the ruling.

Senegal Doubles Prison Sentence for Same-Sex Relations Amid Growing Anti-LGBTQI+ Sentiment The Senegalese parliament has approved a controversial bill that significantly increases the maximum prison sentence for same-sex relations, doubling it to a decade. This government-backed legislation passed with overwhelming support, tallying 135 votes in favor and three abstentions, marking a shift in the country's legal stance on LGBTQI+ rights. The new law, a pivotal campaign promise from President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and…

Soham double murderer Ian Huntley has died in hospital after being attacked inside the workshop of HMP Frankland, a maximum-security prison in Durham, authorities said. Huntley, 52, suffered severe brain trauma in the Feb. 26 assault and had been kept on life support after being struck repeatedly over the head with a metal bar by another inmate. A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “The murders of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman remains one of the most shocking and devastating cases in our nation’s history, and our…

Ian Huntley, the convicted killer of schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, has been left blind and is not expected to regain consciousness after a violent attack inside a British maximum-security prison, according to The Sun. The tabloid reported that the 52-year-old suffered severe brain trauma after being struck repeatedly over the head with a metal bar in a workshop at HMP Frankland in Durham on Feb. 26. Huntley has been on life support in hospital since the attack, The Sun said, citing unnamed sources. Durham…