In a series of predawn raids, over 100 people including members of the US military, prison guards and civilians were arrested in a huge operation coordinated from the US mainland. Almost 90 of those taken into custody were police officers accused of providing security for drug deals on the island in exchange for cash. Amongst the other charges are allegations that officers supplied and sold cocaine. The police force in Puerto Rico already has a tarnished reputation, but nothing has ever happened on this scale before.
The US government has suffered a serious setback in its first attempt to try a Guantanamo Bay detainee in a civilian court because of the way the defendant was treated while in CIA custody. The judge at the court in New York barred the prosecution's key witness from testifying, saying he'd only been located because of statements the defendant had made under cruel interrogation at a secret CIA jail. The witness was expected to testify that he'd sold explosives to the accused Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani, which were later used in the bomb attacks on two US embassies in East Africa in 2008.
The British Prime Minister David Cameron facing criticism over wide-ranging budget cuts has told his Conservative Party conference that he can promise prosperity in the future if difficult decisions are taken now. Mr Cameron said he wished there were an easier way but warned of job losses and spending cuts to come. He also laid out his vision for what he called a smaller and more nimble state.