Prisoners At Risk Of 'Escalating Violence'

Safety in jails in England and Wales continues to deteriorate "significantly" despite reforms designed to rein back control, a parliamentary report has said.

The House of Commons Justice Committee said rising levels of violence, self-harm and suicides behind bars are "a matter of great concern" and threaten to undermine the Government's penal reform agenda.

Unveiled by David Cameron earlier this year, the shake-up includes the creation of new "reform" jails, the introduction of league tables to assess prisons and moves to give governors greater control.

Justice Secretary Michael Gove has also set out plans to transform the education system in prisons and to increase the number of inmates let out on temporary licence.

Tory MP Bob Neill, chairman of the committee, said: "The ministry hoped that prison safety would stabilise.

"In reality it has deteriorated further and continues to do so.

"This is a matter of great concern and improvement is urgently needed.

"We will examine the details of the Government's ambitious penal reform agenda in due course.

"But this cannot wait.

"It is imperative that further attention is paid to bringing prisons back under firmer control, reversing recent trends of escalating violence, self-harm and disorder.

"Without such action, the implementation of these wider reforms will be undermined."

Last month, statistics published by the Ministry of Justice showed there were 100 apparent self-inflicted deaths in the year to March - the highest level for more than a decade.

There were more than 20,000 assaults in 12 months to December, a rise of 27% year-on-year, and nearly 5,000 attacks on staff - a jump of more than a third compared with 2014.

Earlier this month, staff at Wormwood Scrubs prison in west London walked out over health and safety concerns.

In a speech last week, Mr Gove conceded the figures for deaths in custody and violence in prisons are "terrible", adding: "There's no point trying to minimise, excuse or divert attention away from the increasing problems we face."

Shadow justice secretary Lord Falconer said: "This devastating report exposes the full extent of the Tory prison crisis.

"Staff shortages, overcrowding and a rise in violence have left many of our jails ungovernable and out of control.

"Self-harm and suicides are now at record levels and serious assaults on hardworking prison officers have surged."

Antonov An-225 Mriya touches down in Australia

Thousands of Australian aircraft enthusiasts have watched the world's largest plane, the Antonov An-225 Mriya, arrive in Perth.

The 84m-long plane, which weighs 175 tonnes without cargo or fuel, was transporting a 117-tonne generator. 

Traffic blocked roads on Sunday as crowds gathered to watch the plane's arrival. 

The plane picked up its cargo in Prague and stopped at locations in the Middle East and Asia on its way to Australia.

Will NATO's missile shield spur a new cold war?

It's meant to act as a deterrent but instead, a new NATO missile defence shield is stirring up tensions that haven't been seen since the end of the Cold War.

US President Barack Obama has expressed concern about what he calls Russia's "growing aggressive" military presence.

And Russian President Vladimir Putin says NATO's missile defence system is not protecting Europe; it's threatening its peace.

Poland broke ground on the northern wing of the NATO shield on Friday. A day after the defence system's first base was activated in Romania.

NATO says the sites will help protect the US and Europe from what it calls 'rogue states' in the Middle East.

But Russia insists the project is a threat to its security.

So, will this lead to a new arms race? And what will it mean for Europe's security?

Lack Of Armed Officers 'Leaving UK Vulnerable'

A shortage of armed police officers is leaving Britain vulnerable to terror attack, the Police Federation of England and Wales has said.

The Government announced plans last month to train another 1,500 firearms officers after terror attacks in Brussels and Paris, but the federation claims officers are not volunteering because they fear being treated like a suspect if they discharge their weapon.

Federation chairman Steve White told the Press Association: "Before we even start talking about recruiting the extra 1,500, we are struggling to fill the vacancies we have currently got because of the lack of understanding and protection that officers would have if they have to discharge their firearm.

"Officers don't want to carry firearms because they are concerned that if they discharge it, they are going to get arrested for murder.

"But it is all connected with how officers are feeling - they are feeling vulnerable, they are feeling under threat. And if they are feeling like that ordinarily, why would they take the extra step to volunteer to carry guns? It is just more pressure, it is just more potential criticism.

"The Government has got to provide a message to the service, not that it has a get-out-of-jail free card, but that officers will be supported appropriately and fairly in order to encourage officers to step forward and take on additional responsibility."

Mr White warned there are "worrying" inconsistencies in the service nationally that have left some forces without firearms officers and reliant on neighbouring forces for coverage.

He added: "This isn't necessarily about the individual police officers, this is about our ability as a service to provide the level of protection that members of the public quite rightly expect.

"I think many members of the public think we have a lot more firearms officers than we actually have. I think they probably think we are all equipped with Tasers. It simply isn't the case.

"The inconsistency around the service is worrying, because no longer can we assume that if there is some kind of terrorist outrage that it is going to happen in the capital."

Mr White was speaking ahead of the federation's annual conference this week, with Home Secretary Theresa May expected to get a tense reception when she addresses officers on Tuesday.

UK-Bound Flight Grounded Over Bomb Scare

A Ryanair flight from Norway to Manchester was evacuated before take-off due to "suspicious behaviour" of two passengers, police have said.

Norwegian police spokesman Anders Stroemsaether told public broadcaster NRK that the incident at Rygge airport, near Oslo, happened during boarding when the two passengers were overheard arguing in an airport toilet.

He said other passengers heard the word "bomb" being used and told the captain as they boarded the aircraft.

The captain informed police who evacuated the plane and took the two passengers in for questioning.

A bomb squad searched the aircraft but found nothing suspicious.

Police said on Twitter that the two passengers were discharged after being interviewed.

"After questioning of witnesses and those brought in, the police have concluded that the situation is a result of a misunderstanding," police said.

Ryanair put on a replacement flight from Rygge to Manchester at midnight on Sunday.

The incident came just hours after a fake bomb was found at Manchester United's football stadium, prompting police to call off a Premier League match.

Police later said it was a training device that was left inside the stadium following an earlier security exercise.

Pair Who Died In Car Canal Plunge Named

A man and a woman who died after the car they were travelling in plunged into a canal have been named by police.

Driver Kieran Lundie, 21, and passenger Gemma McMonagle, 24, were pronounced dead at the scene of the crash in the north of Glasgow.

Three other people who were also passengers in the car were taken to hospital, one in a critical condition.

Police Scotland said the blue Ford Focus had been heading along Balmore Road in the Lambhill area of the city when the vehicle apparently went out of control.

After leaving the road it struck a wall and railings before landing in the water near Lambhill Cemetery, according to officers.

Of the others in the car, a 25-year-old woman is described as being in a critical condition, a 25-year-old man is stable, while a 24-year-old escaped unhurt but was treated for shock.

Friends of the victims laid flowers by the waters edge, while a Celtic strip covered with hand-written messages was tied to a fence nearby.

Sergeant Nicola Taylor said: "Our inquires are continuing into the circumstances surrounding this tragic incident.

"It would appear that no other vehicle was involved and I would like to speak to anyone who either witnessed this crash or anyone who remembers seeing the vehicle travelling in Balmore Road just prior to the crash."

Anyone with information is asked to contact the road policing team in Govan on 101.

A report is to be sent to the procurator fiscal.

Mark Zuckerberg to Meet With Glenn Beck Amid Trending Topics Controversy

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg will meet with a slate of conservatives, including pundit Glenn Beck, on Wednesday to discuss the controversy over allegations that the social network’s “trending” list apparently suppresses conservative media.

Beck said he was contacted by Zuckerberg’s office over the weekend to be one of about 10 people to go to Menlo Park, California to hear the CEO “explain what happened and assure us that it won’t happen again,” he wrote on Facebook. Facebook confirmed the meeting to the Huffington Post.

“It would be interesting to look him in the eye as he explains and a win for all voices if we can come to a place of real trust with this powerful tool,” Beck added.

Last week, Zuckerberg said his team is conducting a full investigation into the alleged manipulation and would take “additional steps to address it” if any evidence was found.