INTERNACIONAL
British government considers chemical castration in plan to reduce prison population
UK considering chemical castration for sex offenders
The U.K. is considering mandating the use of chemical castration for sex offenders under an overhaul of the justice system aimed at freeing up more space in its overcrowded prisons, Reuters reported. (Credit: Reuters.)
A British government minister says she’s «not squeamish» about the idea of chemical castration for male sex offenders, and wants to make it mandatory.
The UK is considering a range of options from a new report, which aims to cut the country’s prison population by 10,000 inmates to help alleviate chronic overcrowding.
«Problematic sexual arousal and preoccupation can be reduced via chemical suppressants and other medications, which can be prescribed for individuals who have committed a sexual offense under certain circumstances,» the new report states.
Prisons in the south-west of England have been involved in a pilot program of chemical castrations since 2002, and Justice Minister Shabana Mahmood from the ruling Labour Party told lawmakers in parliament on Thursday that the program would expand to 20 more prisons in two other regions of England.
UK LAWMAKERS VOTE AGAINST INQUIRY INTO ‘RAPE GANG SCANDAL’ AS MUSK KEEPS UP PRESSURE
A female Prison Officer locks the metal gate entrance to D Wing and Healthcare Wing of His Majesty’s Prison, Pentonville, London, United Kingdom. (photo by Andrew Aitchison / In pictures via Getty Images)
Prisoners would be given two drugs as part of the treatment: one limits sexual thoughts, while the other reduces testosterone and «problematic sexual arousal.» Inmates would also have ongoing counseling to treat their psychological issues, such as a desire for sexual power and control. One recent study found that reoffending rates were up to 60% lower for prisoners who had received the treatment.
«For some, offending relates to power, but for another subset of offenders, the combination of chemical suppressants and psychological interventions can, we believe, have a big and positive impact,» Minister Mahmood told parliament.
Initially, the option for chemical castration treatment would be only voluntary, and medical ethicists say it could be a problem to force doctors to treat an inmate who doesn’t want to have it done. In Britain, there is a strict tradition of informed medical consent where a patient can refuse medical treatment, and a doctor can’t ordinarily be forced to carry it out.
LOUISIANA BILL TO CASTRATE SEX OFFENDERS MOVING TOWARD GOVERNOR’S DESK FOR SIGNATURE
A Serco security van enters HMP Wandsworth prison in London, England, on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024. The UK’s new government said it will release low-risk prisoners after they have served 40% of their sentences, compared with 50% currently, as part of a plan to address an overcrowding crisis in the country’s jails. (Photo by Andrew Aitchison / In pictures via Getty Images)
Sex offenders make up a significant percentage of the prison population in England, and at the end of March, more than 20% of inmates were incarcerated on sex crimes charges. The new report cautions that chemical castration «should never be used as a risk management tool or standalone rehabilitative offer, and it is only appropriate for a limited number of sex offenders».
Chemical castration is already being used in some other European prisons to treat sex offenders. Authorities in Sweden have been carrying out limited clinical trials on volunteers at a Stockholm prison, while in Germany and Denmark it is more widely used but still on a voluntary basis. In Poland, courts can pass a sentence of mandatory chemical castration for some categories of sex-offense prisoners.
Thursday’s report, written by a former government minister from the Conservative Party, also made four dozen recommendations to try and ease prison overcrowding.
These include giving fewer people jail sentences under 12 months and encouraging other types of punishment instead, such as community service or fines; developing new policies for early release with good behavior for inmates, and tagging all offenders who committed crimes of abuse against women and girls.
UK PM STARMER HITS BACK AGAINST MUSK ATTACKS ON CHILD GROOMING GANGS
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood during a visit to HMP Bedford in Harpur, Bedfordshire, as she announces plans to address prison overcrowding amid fears jails will run out of space within weeks. (Joe Giddens/PA Images via Getty Images)
The opposition Conservative Party has criticized the new report, saying that by scrapping shorter prison sentences the government «is effectively decriminalizing crimes like burglary, theft and assault.»
«This is a gift to criminals, who will be free to offend with impunity,» the party’s justice spokesman Robert Jenrick told reporters.
However, the report has been broadly welcomed by the Howard League for Penal Reform, the world’s oldest prison charity.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
«The government is taking an important step forward by accepting most of the recommendations from this important review,» says Chief Executive Andrea Coomber, but she cautioned that «the prisons crisis will not be solved by half-measures.»
Senior police officers have cautioned that if there will be fewer prisoners behind bars, they need more resources to manage the risk that offenders pose outside of jail.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
The CIA on Tuesday published a Persian-language video on its X account calling on Iranian dissidents to make secure contact with the agency amid renewed anti-government protests inside the country.
The post came as CIA Director John Ratcliffe joined Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a classified «Gang of Eight» briefing on Iran on Capitol Hill, a source familiar with the matter told Fox News Digital.
Written in Farsi, the CIA message says the agency «can hear your voice and wants to help you,» and provides operational guidance for those considering reaching out.
The agency urges activists not to use office computers or personal phone lines and instead, if possible, to rely on a disposable «burner» device. It advises ensuring no one can view their screen or monitor their activity.
The video walks viewers through digital security precautions designed to protect their identities.
Military members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in western Tehran, Iran (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
It recommends using updated browsers such as Google Chrome, Safari or Firefox in Private Browsing or Incognito mode and clearing device and browser histories after making contact.
The video says the CIA also strongly encourages the use of encryption and anonymity tools such as Tor or a VPN, warning that without such protections, visiting the CIA website could be visible to Iranian security services.
The agency provides instructions for accessing its secure contact portal through Tor and other anti-filtering services.
TED CRUZ URGES US TO ARM IRANIAN PROTESTERS AS MILITIAS THREATEN ‘TOTAL WAR’ AGAINST AMERICA
The state tax building burned during Iran’s protests on Jan. 19, in Tehran, Iran. (Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters)
The post comes as Iran entered its fourth day of escalating university protests and as U.S. negotiators are set to meet Iranian counterparts in Geneva Thursday for a second round of talks.
Tehran announced it would be building on «understandings forged in the previous round» and expressed determination to reach a «fair and equitable deal» swiftly.
In a post on X, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran reiterated that it would «under no circumstances ever develop a nuclear weapon,» while insisting it would not relinquish its right to peaceful nuclear technology.
Calling the moment a «historic opportunity,» Tehran said a deal was within reach if diplomacy is prioritized, while affirming it would defend its sovereignty «with courage» at home and at the negotiating table.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Meanwhile, Iranian state television reported Tuesday that the Revolutionary Guard conducted military drills involving missile launches, drone flights and live-fire exercises along the country’s coast, according to Ynet.
Fox News Digital reached out to the CIA for comment, who had nothing further to add.
Related Article
iran,cia,military,world,armed forces,world protests,marco rubio
INTERNACIONAL
Japón desplegará misiles tierra-aire cerca de Taiwán para reforzar su defensa ante la amenaza militar del régimen chino
Japón desplegará misiles tierra-aire en la isla de Yonaguni antes de marzo de 2031, en la que será la posición militar nipona más próxima a Taiwán y un movimiento clave frente al incremento de la presión militar del régimen de China en Asia oriental.
El ministro de Defensa, Shinjiro Koizumi, confirmó que la instalación del sistema se llevará a cabo durante el año fiscal 2030, es decir, entre abril de 2030 y marzo de 2031, según el calendario oficial anunciado.
Yonaguni, ubicada a apenas 110 kilómetros de Taiwán, es la isla más occidental de Japón y forma parte del archipiélago Nansei. Actualmente ya alberga una base militar, pero será la primera vez que se desplegará allí una unidad de misiles guiados tierra-aire de medio alcance.
Según Koizumi, el objetivo es proporcionar una cobertura adicional frente a amenazas aéreas, en respuesta al aumento sostenido de la presencia militar china y a la preocupación por un posible conflicto en el estrecho de Taiwán, una de las zonas más sensibles del escenario geopolítico asiático.
El plan de despliegue fue anunciado originalmente en 2022, pero hasta ahora no se había divulgado el cronograma específico. Koizumi precisó que el gobierno llevará a cabo una sesión informativa para los residentes locales el 2 de marzo, en la que se explicarán los detalles del proyecto y las medidas de seguridad previstas.
El Ministerio de Defensa busca así minimizar la inquietud de la población de Yonaguni y garantizar la transparencia del proceso.
La determinación de Tokio se produce tras varios meses de creciente tensión diplomática y militar con Beijing. Esta semana, el régimen chino impuso nuevas restricciones de exportación a 40 empresas japonesas, incluidas firmas aeroespaciales y del sector defensa, acusándolas de contribuir al desarrollo del poderío militar nipón.
El ministro de Relaciones Exteriores chino, Wang Yi, manifestó que Japón pretende “reavivar el militarismo” y denunció los planes defensivos japoneses como una amenaza directa a la estabilidad regional.
La ubicación de Yonaguni es estratégica no solo por su proximidad a Taiwán, sino porque esta isla marca el extremo suroeste del territorio japonés, en una zona donde convergen intereses de China, Japón y Estados Unidos.
Taiwán, que funciona como territorio autónomo aunque China lo reclama como propio, se ha convertido en el epicentro de la rivalidad geopolítica en la región. Beijing no descarta la posibilidad de recurrir a la fuerza para recuperar la isla, lo que genera preocupación en Tokio por la posibilidad de un conflicto armado a escasa distancia de su territorio.
En noviembre pasado, la primera ministra japonesa, Sanae Takaichi, advirtió que Japón podría intervenir militarmente si China atacara Taiwán, lo que incrementó la tensión diplomática con el gobierno chino y dio lugar a nuevas represalias, como advertencias de viaje, restricciones comerciales y la inclusión de empresas japonesas en listas de control de exportaciones.
El despliegue de misiles forma parte de una estrategia más amplia impulsada por las Fuerzas de Autodefensa de Japón para reforzar la seguridad en el suroeste del país y disuadir cualquier avance militar chino.
En los últimos años, Japón ha incrementado la presencia de sus fuerzas en el archipiélago Nansei y ha estrechado la cooperación militar con Estados Unidos, realizando ejercicios conjuntos destinados a mejorar la capacidad de respuesta ante situaciones de crisis o agresión. Según el Ministerio de Defensa, estas maniobras buscan enviar una señal clara de disuasión a Beijing y contribuir a la estabilidad regional.
Las autoridades japonesas subrayan que el fortalecimiento de la defensa en Yonaguni responde exclusivamente a la necesidad de proteger la soberanía nacional y garantizar la paz en la región, aunque el gobierno chino sostiene que Tokio utiliza la situación en Taiwán como pretexto para expandir su arsenal y aumentar la tensión. Este cruce de acusaciones se produce en un contexto de maniobras militares chinas cerca de Taiwán, interceptaciones de aeronaves japonesas y ejercicios conjuntos entre China y Rusia en las inmediaciones de Okinawa.
(Con información de AFP y EFE)
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Several Democratic lawmakers are hosting State of the Union guests who have come under scrutiny from the Department of Homeland Security, including suspected illegal immigrants, Dreamers and citizens arrested for allegedly obstructing federal immigration enforcement.
A Fox News correspondent received the list when inquiring with the agency about a tweet released earlier Tuesday that said some Democrats are «planning to bring illegal aliens as guests to the State of the Union.»
«Once again, they are putting illegal aliens above the safety of American citizens. Yesterday alone our officers arrested pedophiles, rapists, and violent criminals from our communities.
«President Trump and Secretary Noem have made it abundantly clear: if you come to our country illegally and break our laws, we will find you, we will arrest you, and you will never return,» the agency said in its tweet.
A Fox News Digital review of the list found guests with varied backgrounds and circumstances.
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., is reportedly hosting Aliya Rahman, who was detained during an operation targeting Ecuadorian national Jonathan Chachipanta-Pualacin Jan. 13.
Members of Congress begin to arrive in the House Chamber before President Donald Trump delivers the State of the Union address at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., 24, 2026. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)
«ICE executed an arrest warrant to arrest an illegal alien with a final order of removal in the Park Avenue area of Minneapolis. ICE officers apprehended four illegal aliens,» a DHS spokesperson said.
«As officers carried out their law enforcement duties, a significant crowd surrounded them and began impeding law enforcement operations — a federal crime. One agitator ignored multiple commands by an officer to move her vehicle away from the scene. She was arrested for obstruction,» the spokesperson added.
DHS further disputed claims from outlets such as the CBC that reported Rahman was denied medical care after being pulled from her vehicle and detained.
DHS SLAMS DEMS FOR COMPLAINING ABOUT IMMIGRATION LAW: ‘IT IS QUITE LITERALLY THEIR JOB TO CHANGE IT’
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., arrives for a town hall event in Minneapolis Jan. 27, 2026. (Angelina Katsanis/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Another Omar guest, Mary Granlund, is a local school board chairwoman who has taken action since the detention of a 5-year-old at Columbia Heights School, according to a statement from Omar’s office.
Granlund works with a group of faculty members who are «conducting daily patrols, working to connect detained children and families with legal assistance and coordinating food deliveries for families too scared to leave their homes,» Omar’s office said.
A DHS spokesperson said ICE does not go into schools and instead targets child predators to protect those same children.
Rep. Jesus Garcia’s guest is Marimar Martinez, who DHS alleged was part of an «ambush» of federal officers in October and whom the agency labeled a «domestic terrorist.»
Martinez, who was reportedly armed and «has a history of doxxing federal agents,» «took defensive fire» from CBP and was later taken into FBI custody after a hospital stay.
When asked about the criticism, Garcia told Fox News Digital, «I invited Marimar Martinez to be my guest to the State of the Union because her own government almost murdered her and is now covering it up by smearing her and failing to hold Charles Exum and other agents accountable.
DHS SAYS ANTI-ICE AGITATORS HELPED CHILD RAPISTS, GANG MEMBERS EVADE DEPORTATION
Sen. Richard Durbin, left, Rep. Jesus Garcia (Reuters)
«This is their playbook,» the Chicago lawmaker added. «I’m proud that Marimar is my guest. Her courage stands in stark contrast to the cowardice and brutality of DHS and the rest of this lawless Administration.»
In a prior statement, Garcia said that a Border Patrol agent «brutally shot Marimar and bragged about it, and the Trump administration wrongly called her a ‘domestic terrorist’.»
Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., the forefather of the DREAM Act, invited Tereza Lee, a pianist and daughter of Korean immigrants whom Durbin said is the inspiration behind the legislation he has put forth in each Congress since 2001. The latest version was introduced in 2025 and co-sponsored by Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska.
In a statement Monday, Durbin announced Lee’s invitation, crediting her «bravery for sharing her story» and adding that President Donald Trump’s «animus towards immigrants is on full display in his second term.»
DHS noted the DREAM Act would «allow noncitizens without legal status who were brought to the U.S. as children and meet certain education, military service or work requirements — to earn lawful permanent residence.»
Another Illinois lawmaker, Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, is inviting the daughter of a man detained by DHS during the height of Operation Midway Blitz.
DHS DEMANDS MN LEADERS HONOR ICE DETAINERS, ALLEGES HUNDREDS OF CRIMINAL ALIENS HAVE BEEN RELEASED UNDER WALZ
U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., answers questions during a news conference about the recent congressional delegation trip to the Indo-Pacific region on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., Aug. 10, 2022. (Reuters/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo)
«Donald Trump can try to rewrite his record tonight, but communities across America are living with the consequences of militarized immigration operations that have terrorized families and left Americans dead,» Krishnamoorthi said in announcing that he invited University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign student Jamie to join him.
Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., is inviting Marcelo Gomes da Silva, a man whom DHS said was detained in May 2024 while driving the car of his father, who was being sought by authorities.
Marcelo’s student visa had lapsed, and Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News that the «facts [of his case] haven’t changed.»
«[He] is still an illegal alien and subject to removal proceedings. The Trump administration is committed to restoring the rule of law and common sense to our immigration system and will continue to fight for the arrest, detention and removal of aliens who have no right to be in this country.»
Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., is hosting a Venezuelan immigrant whose son was detained during a May 2025 immigration court hearing and is now being held in Pennsylvania.
«Dylan Josue Lopez Contreras is an illegal alien from Venezuela who illegally entered the U.S. more than one year ago. Under the Biden administration, he was encountered at the border and released into the country,» a DHS spokesperson countered.
NOEM SLAMS DEMS BLOCKING DHS FUNDING BILL CITING TSA, FEMA, COAST GUARD: ‘I HOPE THEY COME TO THEIR SENSES’
«On May 21, 2025, Contreras was arrested and placed in expedited removal proceedings. Most aliens who illegally entered the United States within the past two years are subject to expedited removals. [Joe] Biden ignored this legal fact and chose to release millions of illegal aliens, including violent criminals, into the country with a notice to appear before an immigration judge.
«ICE is now following the law and placing these illegal aliens in expedited removal, as they always should have been.»
Rep. Mike Levin, D-Calif., is hosting Stephanie Quintino, whose parents, Gladys and Nelson Gonzalez, have been deported to Colombia, according to the agency.
Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., is hosting Carolina Dias-Goncalves, a Dreamer at the University of Utah who was temporarily held at an ICE detention center after a Colorado traffic stop.
Rep. Robert Menendez Jr., D-N.J., is honoring Adriana Quiroz Zapata, an asylum seeker from Colombia who reports said fled a violent and «politically connected» former partner with his choice of guest.
Zapata’s niece, Monica Van Housen, who has been working to prevent Zapata from being deported, will be joining Menendez in the chamber.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
«Adriana, Monica and their family deserve so much better from America than what Donald Trump, Kristi Noem, and ICE have subjected them to,» Menendez told the New Jersey Globe.
Fox News Digital reached out to each member mentioned by DHS for comment.
Related Article
homeland security,state of the union,ilhan omar,democrats,illegal immigrants
La inflación sube y el consumo no repunta: qué alertan consultoras para febrero
7 frases de Úbeda tras la victoria de Boca Juniors por Copa Argentina: del soñado debut de Bareiro al gesto de Paredes con el plantel
CIA urges Iranians to use burner phones, Tor to contact US in Persian-language video
Axel Kicillof: “Milei es un corso a contramano”
El kirchnerismo reconoce que perdió centralidad en el Senado y debate cómo afrontar próximas votaciones
El desgarrador relato de Jenny Mavinga, la congoleña que ingresó a Gran Hermano: “Fui secuestrada por mi tía”
Villarruel cuestionó la apertura de importaciones: «Sin industria, se pasa a depender de China»
“Ahora es la hora de jugarse”: el mensaje de Patricia Bullrich a los empresarios tras aprobarse la reforma laboral
Según un especialista, el precio de la carne se mantendrá alto “entre dos y tres años”
Cómo será el tratamiento de la reforma laboral en el Senado, luego de haber obtenido la media sanción en Diputados
POLITICA2 días ago“Nos hacemos cargo”: Patricia Bullrich admitió un error del Gobierno en la inclusión del artículo de las licencias médicas
- POLITICA1 día ago
Daiana Fernández Molero defendió la reforma laboral: “Va a haber mayor creación de empleo porque va a ser más fácil contratar en blanco”
- ECONOMIA1 día ago
El salario pretendido por los argentinos volvió a caer en enero: cuánto piden por cada puesto
