Jail

The director of a Singapore car leasing firm has been sentenced to more than five years in jail for tax fraud. He was convicted of underpaying registration fees by undervaluing 866 imported cars, avoiding close to S$10 million in Additional Registration Fees. The case is one of the larger vehicle tax evasion prosecutions in the city-state.

The New York Times reviews a memoir written by its author while imprisoned in Russia, calling it deeply reported and enthralling. The book offers a firsthand account of life inside the Russian penal system, and the review is drawing attention to questions of press freedom and political imprisonment in Russia.

India's Congress party is reportedly preparing a major move after a former minister from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's side crossed over to the opposition bloc. The discussion centers on whether Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar could face jail, a question being debated amid the heightened political confrontation between the ruling BJP and the opposition alliance ahead of key electoral battles.

American citizen Jon VanDyke, held in Delhi's Tihar Jail under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, has been released and granted permission to travel to the United States for one month. Commentary links the decision to diplomatic pressure from Washington, and observers are debating whether US involvement played a decisive role in the release and travel clearance.

In the Hedgepeth murder trial, a judge removed a prospective juror after the man said he would rather go to jail than serve on the jury. The incident highlights the difficulty of seating an impartial panel in a closely watched murder case. Jury selection continues as the court works to find twelve willing and unbiased jurors.

Hundreds of prisoners have begun leaving jails in England and Wales under a new early release scheme, under which some sentences are served at 40% rather than 50%. The government says the move is needed to ease severe prison overcrowding, while critics warn it could put public safety at risk and have called for assurances about which offenders are eligible.

Hundreds of prisoners in the UK are being released earlier than their full sentences, under measures designed to ease severe overcrowding in jails in England and Wales. The early release scheme has drawn attention to the pressure on the prison estate and raised debate about public safety, with officials defending the move as necessary and critics questioning its risks.