Crime

THE devastating terror attack at a Manchester synagogue yesterday unfolded in just seven minutes, with the rampage leaving two dead and four injured.

Early yesterday morning, on Yom Kippur, prayers began at Heaton Park Congregation Synagogue on the holiest day of the Jewish calendar.

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But the peace was shattered at 9.30am, when the sound of screeching tyres came down the road.

The holy day quickly became one of horror that saw two people – Adrian Daulby, 53, and Melvin Cravitzwas, 66, – tragically killed.

Attacker scouted area before crashing into the gates

Ten minutes before the attack, former Tory minister Grant Shapps‘ father-in-law came “face-to-face” with the terrorist.

The man had scouted the location and argued with security when they would not allow him into the grounds.

“He was claiming that it’s a free country and he should be able to walk in the grounds,” Shapps told the Times.

“Then he came back ten minutes later in the car.”

The carnage began at 9.30am when the black Kia hatchback crashed into the gates of the synagogue after “driving erratically” down the road.

He was stabbing ‘anyone near him’

Witnesses said that the “second” the driver leaped out of the vehicle, he began “stabbing anyone near him”.

“He went for the security guard and tried to break into the synagogue,” an eyewitness said.

The attacker – believed to be 35-year-old Jihad Al-Shamie – reportedly tried to “stab the window to get in” after those inside barricaded the doors.

An eyewitness said prayers had started when the horror unfolded but Rabbi Daniel Walker, who was leading the service, remained calm and led the congregation to safety with the help of others.

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Police called as public barricaded doors

At 9.31am, police scrambled to Crumpsall, north of Manchester.

A member of the public called the police saying he had seen a car being driven towards a crowd and one man had been stabbed.

The man had tried to kick down the doors, and then tried to use his knife to get in.

When that failed, he resorted to the plant pots that were outside to try smash in the windows.

Greater Manchester Police confirmed the man believed to be the offender was wearing a vest which had the “appearance of an explosive device” as the horror unfolded.

Shocking aftermath pictures revealed what is believed to be a bomb belt and a knife near the attacker.

However, cops have since revealed that the device the suspect was wearing was “not viable”.

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Armed cops swarmed the scene

At 9.34am, three minutes after police arrived, armed cops were deployed at the scene as more details of the horrifying rampage emerged.

GMP declared PLATO and a major incident at 9.37am – which means terrorism is suspected but not confirmed.

The area around the synagogue in Crumpsall was swamped by dozens of police vehicles, along with fire and ambulance crews, while a force helicopter hovered overhead.

Police officers dressed in black combat fatigues and carrying machine guns could also be seen inside the cordon outside the synagogue.

Bomb scare as shots fired

In video shared on social media, an onlooker could be heard saying that the suspect “has got a bomb on him” and appeared to be trying to press a button to detonate it.

“He’s going to blow himself up, he’s trying to press the button,” the person is heard to say – before there a gunshot rings out and the suspect falls to the ground.

After warning the man several times to stand down to no avail, the armed officers opened fire.

The attacker was shot dead at 9.38am – but GMP said they could not confirm his death for sure.

This was because of safety concerns about the “bomb vest” he appeared to be wearing – but was later revealed to be unviable.

Dad-of-three Yoni Finlay – who helped barricade the doors – was injured either by a stray police bullet or from glass when the bullet hit the door.

He was taken to hospital, reportedly undergoing surgery.

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Emergency services on scene

A white lorry marked ‘Bomb Disposal’ arrived at the scene and went behind the cordon outside the synagogue.

A “loud bang” was heard, which police have confirmed was from specialist officers gaining entry to the suspect’s vehicle “as a precaution”.

Paramedics arrived at the scene at soon after at 9.41am and began tending to members of the public.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer – who flew back from Denmark early to chair Cobra – announced that security is being stepped up at every synagogue across the country.

Starmer said: “The attack in Manchester this morning is absolutely shocking, and all of our thoughts are with those affected.

“I am on my way back to London. When I arrive, I will chair an emergency Cobra meeting.”

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Cops raid nearby street

The Mayor of London also announced the Met Police is deploying patrols in Jewish communities and synagogues across the capital.

Later in the day, at 11.38am, a nearby residential street was cordoned off as cops searched houses.

A neighbour of a house raided in Langley Crescent, Prestwich, which appears to be a council house, said she recognised its occupant from photographs of the synagogue attacker.

She told The Telegraph: “He lived there 10 years, with no wife or kids that I could see. He never seemed to speak to anyone around here.

“I recognised him from the pictures of the attacker. I recognised his little car, the Kia, because he’d always park it badly outside ours.

“I’d see him walking around in his pyjamas and slip-on sandals, carrying a shopping bag.

“He was quite bulked up and used to keep his exercise weights in his garage. I’d see them there.”

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Three arrested on suspicion of terrorism

Two men were spotted being led away in handcuffs, and it was later confirmed that three people – two men in their 30s and a woman in her 60s – were arrested.

The trio are being held on suspicion of commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism. 

Police confirmed that the attack was declared a terrorist incident and an investigation into the horror is being led by Counter Terrorist Officers.

Operation Plato – cops’ response to marauding terrorist attacks – was stood down, but it remains a major incident.

Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the year in Judaism.

Large numbers of Jewish people attend synagogues and fast on this day.

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Attacker identified

Yesterday evening, it emerged that the man shot dead is 35-year-old Jihad Al-Shamie.

In an update the force said: “We are now able to confirm that, although formal identification is yet to take place, we believe the person responsible for the attacks is 35-year-old Jihad Al-Shamie.

“He is a British citizen of Syrian descent.”

His name has not appeared in initial searches of police and security service counter-terrorism records, and he is not thought to have been under current investigation.

However, further checks are being carried out to see if any of his details appear anywhere in records of other investigations.

The Home Office confirmed to The Sun that he came to the UK as a young child and was granted citizenship in 2006 as a minor.

He was not known to the police, the Home Secretary has confirmed.

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Attack declared a terrorist incident

Speaking on GB News, Shabana Mahmood said: “In terms of the attacker, this individual was not known to the security services.

“He has obviously been shot dead at the scene, but the police investigations will now continue at pace.”

She thanked members of the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Crumpsall and the police, saying their actions helped save lives.

Speaking at a press conference earlier Chief Constable Stephen Watson branded the attack as a “horrific incident.”

He said: “My thoughts, and those of my officers and staff, are with the families of the loved ones who have been affected by today’s horrific incident, on what is the Jewish community’s holiest day: Yom Kippur.

“This has been officially declared as a terrorist incident, and the investigation is now being led by Counter Terrorist Police.

“We can confirm that two members of our Jewish community have sadly died as a result of this attack.

“Following a rapid response, armed officers from Greater Manchester Police intercepted the offender and he was fatally shot by officers, within seven minutes of the initial call”, he added.

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Two victims named

This morning, two men who tragically died in the rampage were named as Adrian Daulby, 53, and Melvin Cravitz, 66.

Three other men remain in hospital with serious injuries. One sustained a stab wound and a second was struck by the car involved in the attack.

Cops said: “The third man later presented himself at hospital with an injury that may have been sustained as officers stopped the attacker.”

Detective Chief Superintendent Lewis Hughes said: “My deepest sympathies are with Mr Daulby and Mr Cravitz’s loved ones at this extremely hard time.

“Specially trained Family Liaison Officers are in contact with them.

“They will continue to update them on the investigation and support them throughout the coronial process.

“Whilst there are processes which must be followed, we commit to being mindful of cultural preferences and sensitivities and to ensuring that these men and their loved ones’ wishes are respected.”

Home Office post-mortems will take place later today, a statement from Greater Manchester Police confirmed this morning.

THREE suspected Hamas terrorists appeared in court in Germany yesterday as police claimed to have foiled a chilling terror plot.

The trio – caught with weapons including an AK47 assault rifle, pistols and ammunition – were feared to be about to export October 7-style horror to Europe.

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Investigators believed they were plotting attacks on Israeli or Jewish sites – like the synagogue attacked in Manchester yesterday.

Germany’s federal prosecutor alleged that they had been procuring firearms in recent months to prepare for a terrorist massacre.

Several pistols and a large cache of ammunition were among weapons taken when police swooped 24 hours before the Manchester attack.

No evidence of a connection between the two incidents had emerged last night – but fears of Palestinian terror spreading across Europe was sparking security concerns.

Two of the Berlin suspects are German citizens but the third was said to have been born in Lebanon.

They were named only as – named as Abed Al G, Wael F M and Ahmad I.

Hamas has carried out hundreds of attacks against Israeli civilians but rarely operated outside the region and they denied involvement.

Details of the plot remained unclear last night – and it was also uncertain whether they were acting on Hamas orders or were self-motivated Palestinian sympathisers.

The worrying arrests came as Hamas appeared spent as a fighting force in Gaza as Donald Trump called on them to surrender or face an unbridled Israeli onslaught.

A German federal judge ruled that the Berlin trio should remain in jail ahead of a full trial for alleged membership in a foreign terrorist organization and plotting serious acts of violence.

Police arrested members of Hamas in Berlin in December 2023 when four suspects were feared to be plotting to attack Jewish institutions in Europe.

A FOOTBALL league assistant referee who preyed on teenage girls has been jailed for 13-and-a-half years.

Gareth Viccars, 47, was locked up behind bars for a string of child sexual abuse offences involving three 15-year-old schoolgirls.

Viccars previously pleaded guilty to 16 counts, including sexual communications with a child, meeting with a child following sexual grooming, causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and engaging in sexual activity with a child.

The offences spanned three years between November 2021 and October 2024 and involved three girls aged 15, Snaresbrook Crown Court previously heard.

On Thursday, Viccars was jailed for 13 and a half years with a further three and a half years on extended licence at the same court.

Viccars was also placed on the sex offenders’ register for life.

Addressing the referee, Judge Caroline English said: “You did deliberately target these three young victims and you did so on account of their ages at the material time.

“I am therefore quite satisfied that in all three cases you preyed upon young women that were vulnerable.

Viccars was an assistant referee at the time of offending.

He has worked as an official for League One clashes in the EFL alongside his day job as an estate agent. 

The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), the organisation responsible for managing all Premier League and EFL matches across England, said he was suspended “as soon as the allegations came to light”.

Viccars was not considered for appointments after his initial suspension.

The PGMOL has since removed him from the organisation’s list, it is believed.

It is understood the former assistant referee did not officiate during the last season.

The judge said that despite Viccars’s guilty pleas and expressions of remorse, there remained a lack of acknowledgment from the defendant that he had “a sexual interest in female children”.

This interest was clear from the contents of messages sent to his victims and a statement from Viccars’s ex-girlfriend, which said he used to ask her to dress up in school uniform.

Viccars, who appeared in the dock wearing a dark green sweatshirt, nodded as the judge read out her sentencing remarks.

The prosecutor Charlotte Newell KC told the court Viccars had met his victims online through the messaging app Snapchat, telling one girl that talking on WhatsApp was “too risky”.

She said Viccars had lied and told one of his victims he was a teacher when they first started communicating and was aware that she was 15 years old.

The court heard he had abused another of his victims over a period of several years – taking her to football matches and told others he was “mentoring” her.

A scrapbook chronicling the two’s “relationship” that was made by the teenager, and given to Viccars, was handed to police and formed part of the evidence against him, the prosecutor said.

In court, Viccars watched the victim read out an impact statement during which she said he had been her “world” and that she had trusted him “completely” for almost three years.

Addressing her abuser, she said he had won her over with “kind words” and “attention” and had isolated her “in plain sight”.

“Now I know what you really wanted was someone young enough to manipulate,” she added.

After the sentencing, the Met Police said they believed there may be other victims of Viccars as he had been “spamming hundreds of girls on Snapchat”.

DCI Ross Morrell, who led the Met’s investigation, said: “He began with a profile of ‘sorry I think I’ve added the wrong person’, and then he would go in to lie, manipulate them, and then go on to abuse them.

“If anyone thinks they’ve been a victim, then please contact 101, reference this appeal.

“You will be entitled to specialist care, specialist advice, and you will be believed.”

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PRO-Palestinians have hit the streets of Manchester to protest against Greta Thunberg’s flotilla detention.

It comes just hours after the vile terror attack on Manchester‘s Heaton Park synagogue, which unfolded on the holiest day of the Jewish calendar.

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Protesters were marching at Manchester Piccadilly station today in solidarity with the members of Global Sumud Flotilla – a fleet of 40 ships carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza.

The Israeli navy intercepted several vessels at sea beginning Wednesday, after warning activists against entering waters it says fall under its blockade.

As the nation mourned the sick terror attack against the Jewish community – which killed two people – protesters marched through the streets of Manchester.

Hundreds of them gathered outside the Manchester Piccadilly Station banging drums and chanting slogans against the Israeli authorities. 

They were seen waving Palestine flags and holding placards that read “Freedom for Palestine” and “Stop starving Gaza”.

Organisers of the protest said they “condemned in the strongest possible terms” the attack in Heaton Park – and called for a minute’s silence in respect for the victims.

Another protest took place in Parliament Square as activists gathered to demonstrate against Israeli authorities.

The protest sparked fury, including from Conservative MP Susan Hall, who described it as “disgraceful, disrespectful, despicable behaviour”.

The demonstrations come in the wake of today’s vile Manchester attack.

An assailant drove a car into people outside a synagogue and then began stabbing them, killing two and seriously wounding four in what police called a terrorist attack on the holiest day of the Jewish year.

Officers shot and killed the suspect outside Manchester, police said.

Authorities said he was wearing a vest that made it appear as if he had explosives. Police later said he did not have a bomb.

The Metropolitan Police force in London, which leads the nation’s counter-terrorism policing operations, declared the rampage a terrorist attack.

Israel slammed the UK government for not doing enough and warned that antisemitism is on the rise after the vile synagogue attack.

Tel Aviv said British authorities “failed” to tackle the “toxic wave of antisemitism” which led to the terror rampage.

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said: “I am appalled by the murderous attack near the Heaton Park Synagogue in Manchester on the morning of the holiest day for the Jewish people: Yom Kippur.

“The truth must be told: blatant and rampant antisemitic and anti-Israeli incitement, as well as calls of support for terror, have recently become a widespread phenomenon in the streets of London, in cities across Britain, and on its campuses.

“The authorities in Britain have failed to take the necessary action to curb this toxic wave of antisemitism and have effectively allowed it to persist.”

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country “grieves with the Jewish community in the UK” after this morning‘s “barbaric terror attack” in Manchester.

“Our hearts are with the families of the murdered, and we pray for the swift recovery of the wounded,” he said on X.

“As I warned at the UN: weakness in the face of terrorism only brings more terrorism. Only strength and unity can defeat it.”

Sir Keir – who cut short his trip to Denmark and rushed back to chair a Cobra meeting – condemned antisemitism and said that Britain “must defeat it once again”.

Speaking from Downing Street, the PM blasted the “terrorist attack that attacked Jews because they are Jews”, committed by “a vile individual”.

Sir Keir said: “Earlier today, on Yom Kippur, the holiest day for the Jewish community, a vile individual committed a terrorist attack that attacked Jews because they are Jews, and attacked Britain because of our values.

“So many Jewish families first came to this country as a place of refuge, fleeing the greatest evil ever inflicted on a people, and Britain welcomed them.

“Communities like the one attacked in Manchester provided safety, but also the security that comes from a promise that this is a country that stands up to hatred and that we don’t just provide refuge, we provide a home.”

Starmer said the Jewish community in Britain will see a “more visible police presence” as he promised to do “everything in my power to guarantee you the security that you deserve”.

Protests spread in Europe

Thousands of people marched through the streets of Barcelona today to denounce Israel’s interception of a pro-Palestinian aid flotilla bound for Gaza.

Columns of demonstrators, many waving Palestinian flags, converged on the central Plaza de les Drassanes from multiple parts of Spain‘s second-largest city.

Protesters chanted slogans including “Gaza, you are not alone,” “Boycott Israel,” and “Freedom for Palestine.”

Other protests were reported in other Spanish cities tonight, including Madrid, Valencia, and Bilbao.

Thousands also gathered in Italy on Thursday in support of the Gaza aid flotilla ahead of a strike in solidarity with activists.

As dusk fell in Rome, several thousand protesters gathered near the Colosseum in solidarity with the flotilla and against Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni‘s support of Israel — a day after a similar protest on Wednesday evening.

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Footage showed Israeli forces boarding the boats and detaining activists, including Greta Thunberg, as they headed for war-ravaged Gaza.

In video footage, Greta Thunberg can be seen being detained, as well as onboard vision of the flotilla at the time of the interception.

In a statement posted to the social media platform X, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said: “several vessels of the Hamas-Sumud flotilla have been safely stopped and their passengers are being transferred to an Israeli port”.

“Greta and her friends are safe and healthy”.

In a second post, the ministry shared two images of the flotilla activists, saying: “Hamas-Sumud passengers on their yachts are making their way safely and peacefully to Israel, where their deportation procedures to Europe will begin”.

“The passengers are safe and in good health,” the post ended.

Activists can be seen with life jackets on, holding their hands up in the surrender position.

Yesterday, members of the Global Sumud Flotilla reported army personnel jumped onboard and “illegally intercepted” their journey just hours after they were circled by a warship.

The humanitarian convoy was attempting to get essential aid, including baby formula and medication, to Gaza.

The Global Sumud Flotilla is made up of more than 40 civilian boats carrying an estimated 500 parliamentarians, lawyers and activists, including Thunberg.

On Wednesday, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, said the activists aboard the flotilla will be deported once the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur ends on Thursday.

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A 32-YEAR-OLD man who was breastfed by a 60-year-old woman has been jailed.

Michael Jones, of Caernarfon, Wales, was sentenced to 15 months behind bars after he reportedly became “obsessed” with the woman and locked onto her as a way of “getting back at his mother”.

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Yesterday, Caernarfon Crown Court heard that Jones was handed a restraining order after assaulting the woman but breached the order three times.

On one of these occasions, he “breastfed” from her for 10 minutes, the court heard.

Another time, prosecutor Amy Edwards said the woman saw Jones looking “tired” on a cycle path so left him a bottle of water.

She said the pair spoke online that evening and arranged to meet up in a park in Caernarfon later that summer.

The court heard the woman told Jones she wanted to end the relationship, insisting it was a “mother and son” dynamic.

Edwards said Jones then became emotional, reportedly telling the 60-year-old he had a “hatred towards women” and an “odd fascination” with women’s breasts.

She said they met again a few days later and kissed “consensually”.

The woman then allowed Jones to “breast feed for 10 minutes”.

Jones told the 60-year-old he engaged with women her age as a way of “getting back” at his mum, the court heard.

Matters escalated, however, when Jones later called the woman up claiming he was “starving”.

When she arrived at his flat, he initially didn’t let her leave.

She said the experience left her so scared, her health deteriorated as a result.

She told the court: “I know he’s obsessed with me. I know from experience that the obsession is dangerous.”

Defence lawyer Dafydd Roberts, said the woman was “more prepared to have contact than she admits” though conceded Jones does have “attachment problems”.

Roberts said: “He knows he should not have been having contact with her but he could not stop himself.”

Judge Nicola Jones concluded the woman had been “very complicit” in the course of events.

She told the defendant that while he had mental health problems, he had breached his restraining order three time and would therefore face time behind bars.

Police vehicles were filmed ramming into protesters as anti-government demonstrations escalated in Morocco on Tuesday. Officials said police were attempting to disperse ‘violent and unauthorised crowds.’

MYLEENE Klass today told a court she felt “sheer terror” after allegedly being targeted by a stalker who sent her gifts.

Peter Windsor is accused of hounding the former popstar and her Classic FM colleague Katie Breathwick over a four-year period.

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The 61-year-old allegedly sent Myleene items with “sexual overtones” – including a Catwoman outfit and set of handcuffs.

He also called her a “naughty vixen” and sent a police uniform to the Classic FM studio, Birmingham Crown Court heard.

Giving evidence today, Myleene said she was informed in an email in August last year that an “accumulation” of items had been sent to her.

The 47-year-old became upset when she was asked about being told how Royal Mail had “intercepted” an air pistol addressed to her.

She said “it just felt extreme on every front” after she was shown a list of items and photographs of letters Windsor allegedly sent.

Myleene added: “It was very clear very quickly that it was a highly volatile selection of items.

“It was a huge shock, especially the extent to which it had escalated.

“It was pretty overwhelming when you have the accumulation of a bundle of this information. It’s pretty terrifying.”

The ex-Hear’Say star described the overall context of all the items as “pretty bleak”.

She added: “It’s a huge violation. It’s sheer terror really.”

Myleene told the court how she was informed by police in September last year that an air gun had been intercepted by the Royal Mail.

She continued: “He said to me that whilst the gun wasn’t necessary for a licence in this country, at such close proximity right up to 6ft it could prove fatal and police took it very seriously.

“I was extremely shocked because suddenly it felt extremely real.

“This was very clear what the intention was. There was no grey area here.

“It’s a gun in a box with my name on it.”

The court was told Windsor also stalked Myleene’s Classic FM co-presenter Katie Breathwick.

She is said to have received a stamp collection, bottle of champagne, a will-writing kit and running shoes with spikes on among other bizarre letters and parcels.

Police later arrested Windsor at his home in Birmingham and found a number of items that caused them concern.

They included a map of London where the women worked, a pair of black leather gloves, ladies stockings and a pair of binoculars.

Windsor later told police he sent Klass items as a joke after seeing her in “provocative underwear” in a newspaper.

He denies two counts of stalking and the trial continues.

Police in Peru say they have arrested the main suspects in the murders of two women and a girl whose torture was streamed live on social media in Argentina, prompting outrage and mass protests.

A MANHUNT has been launched for a lag who escaped a prison van on his way from court.

Cops are urging the public not to approach Sid Kemp, 31, who went on the run yesterday.

Kemp escaped the transport vehicle after appearing at Southend Magistrates’ Court and was last seen at The Clusters, heading towards Boston Avenue.

He is described as white, 6ft tall and with short black hair.

The wanted man was wearing a grey tracksuit – and is not thought to be a risk to the wider public.

Superintendent Jamie Gingell said: “We’re carrying out extensive enquiries to trace Sid Kemp.

“We would ask anyone who sees him to please call 999 rather than approaching him, or if you have information as to his whereabouts, please call.

“Alternatively, you can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

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The United Nations Security Council has voted to expand an international security force deployed to Haiti and transform it into a so-called “Gang Suppression Force”.

The resolution passed by the council on Tuesday provides a clear mandate for the force to work with local authorities to “neutralise, isolate, and deter” gangs, secure infrastructure, and seek to secure institutional stability. It would raise the personnel ceiling from 2,500 in the current mission, first approved in 2023, to 5,550 personnel.

The resolution also requests that the UN secretary-general establish a UN Support Office in Haiti to provide increased logistical support amid the Caribbean nation’s overlapping security, humanitarian and political crises.

“The result today allows us to have the necessary reconfiguration on the ground in order to face the gangs and, therefore, address the insecurity situation in the country,” Panama’s Representative to the UN Eloy Alfaro De Alba said following the vote.

“Today, we say to Haiti that, once and for all, you are not alone,” Alfaro De Alba said.

Panama and the United States first introduced the latest resolution in August. It passed on Tuesday with 12 votes in favour and none against. Permanent Security Council members China and Russia, along with rotating member Pakistan, abstained from the vote.

Following the vote, Russian envoy Vassily Nebenzia said “the tools of international assistance to Haiti” previously approved by the Security Council had “failed to produce any sustainable results”.

He criticised the resolution for having a “virtually unrestricted mandate to use force against anyone and everyone labelled with the vague term ‘gangs’”, while further calling the plan “ill-conceived and rushed”.

Haiti has a controversial history when it comes to foreign intervention, particularly in light of rampant sexual abuses committed by peacekeepers deployed in the wake of Haiti’s 2010 earthquake. The forces were also responsible for a cholera outbreak that killed about 10,000 people.

But speaking last week, during the United Nations General Assembly General Debate, Laurent Saint-Cyr, the current chairman of the Transitional Presidential Council of Haiti, voiced support for a new force, noting that the Kenyan-led security support mission deployed for more than 15 months in the country remains woefully understaffed and underfunded.

Fewer than 1,000 police officers have been deployed under the mission, which is officially set to end on October 2, despite an initial pledge of 2,500. Nearly all of the capital, Port au Prince, remains under the control of powerful gangs.

“It is a war between criminals who want to impose violence as the social order and an unarmed population struggling to preserve human dignity,” Saint-Cyr said.

According to the UN, at least 1.3 million Haitians remain internally displaced due to violence, with 5.7 million facing food insecurity. At least 3,100 people have been killed in violent incidents between January and June 2025. At least 2,300 grave violations against children have been recorded.

The country is also in the midst of a political crisis that began with the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in 2021. A general election has been repeatedly postponed amid the unrest.

On Tuesday, acting Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime hailed the resolution’s passage.

“This decision marks a major step forward in the partnership between Haiti and the international community,” he said.

Rights observers have also offered tentative support for a renewed international mission to Haiti, with Human Rights Watch saying any operation must have adequate funding and human rights protections.

The resolution passed on Tuesday does not provide specific details on such safeguards, including clear rules of engagement, saying instead that parties must work to establish those rules in line with “Haiti’s sovereignty and in strict compliance with international law”.

Like the Kenyan-led mission, the new Gang Suppression Force will also mostly rely on often unpredictable voluntary contributions from UN members.

In a statement following the vote, Juanita Goebertus, Americas director at Human Rights Watch, said: “After months of reckless inaction, the UN Security Council has finally taken a step to respond to Haiti’s devastating crisis”.

“For the newly created ‘Gang Suppression Force’ to be effective and avoid repeating past abuses, it should have sustained and predictable funding, sufficient personnel, and robust human rights safeguards,” Goebertus said.

A LOVE Island star has told of the moment she made a desperate 999 call to “catch a paedophile”.

Series ten star Mal Nicol, who entered as a bombshell in 2023, has claimed she got a predatory male arrested – after spotting him lurking by a children’s park.

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She told fans on TikTok: “We got a paedophile arrested. I literally cannot believe what we witnessed. It was honestly like a movie or something.”

Mal, who was with a friend at the time, was approached by a group of young boys close to a London park who complained about a “creepy man”.

Concerned for their welfare, Mal walked towards the park area in Little Venice, London, to see what was going on for herself.

“Moments later we clearly see that this guy is not okay,” she continued.

“He’s standing by the park swaying, like putting his hand into the park over the fence and trying to high five this little boy who’s about five years old.

“We kind of wanted to distract him and see what he was doing or saying.

“We then saw a mum with her daughter, like a little 3, 4 year old girl who is on a scooter. This guy tries to grab her from behind and the dad jumps in between them both.

“He then goes into the park where there’s a lot of young mums with their like 3 year old girls who are obviously feeling vulnerable and scared.

“So I call 999 and I’m literally so impressed with the police and how fast they came.

“When the officers arrives I was running up to them shouting ‘he’s going to get away, he’s going to get away’.

“I felt like I was in a movie. I’m like running.”

“The police arrested the suspect and Mal was interviewed alongside other witnesses.

“This is happening in London and I just think you have to do something. You can’t just watch. It was crazy.

“He better be put in for time. Like this is not okay.”

Proud Mal added: “Sorry for the long video, but we put a paedophile in jail.”

The move will enable asset seizures and prosecutions of Bishnoi gang, which has been accused of targeting Sikh activists abroad.

Canada has formally declared India’s Bishnoi gang a “terrorist” organisation, giving authorities the power to freeze assets, block funding, and prosecute members under “anti-terrorism” laws.

Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree announced the designation on Monday, saying the gang had instilled fear within Indian diaspora communities across the country.

“Specific communities have been targeted for terror, violence and intimidation by the Bishnoi Gang. Listing this group of criminal terrorists gives us more powerful and effective tools to confront and put a stop to their crimes,” said Anandasangaree.

Ottawa stressed that “acts of violence and terror have no place in Canada, especially those that target specific communities to create a climate of fear and intimidation.”

The gang, run by jailed Indian gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, is described by Canadian officials as a transnational criminal syndicate operating largely from India but with a presence in Canada.

Bishnoi, 32, has been imprisoned for a decade in India but is accused of directing a network of hundreds of members engaged in drug trafficking, arms smuggling, extortion, and targeted killings.

Canadian police have previously alleged that Indian intelligence services used Bishnoi associates to carry out killings and violent intimidation of supporters of the Khalistan movement, which seeks an independent state for the Sikh minority in the Indian state of Punjab, abroad.

India dismissed the claims, accusing Ottawa of failing to provide evidence and of ignoring repeated extradition requests for Bishnoi-linked suspects.

The Canadian government says the “terrorist” listing not only allows property and funds tied to the gang to be seized but also strengthens law enforcement’s ability to disrupt recruitment, financing, and international travel linked to the gang’s operations.

Political pressure has been mounting on Ottawa, with opposition leaders and provincial premiers in Alberta and British Columbia demanding tougher measures against the gang. Canada is home to more than 770,000 Sikhs, accounting for about 2 percent of Canada’s population.

‘A strong signal to India’

The Bishnoi gang’s notoriety has grown amid wider diplomatic tensions between Ottawa and New Delhi. The assassination of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a Vancouver-area gurdwara in June 2023 threw the issue into sharp relief.

Canada accused Indian officials of directing intelligence to “criminal organisations like the Lawrence Bishnoi gang” to silence critics of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government abroad – an allegation India rejected.

New Delhi insists Ottawa has ignored more than two dozen extradition requests for Bishnoi members and continues to shield individuals wanted for crimes in India.

Despite the deep rift, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s national security adviser, Nathalie Drouin, said last week that Indian officials had pledged to cooperate in ongoing investigations and agreed to refrain from cross-border repression.

A MAN has been arrested after a town centre building collapsed when a car rammed into it while fleeing the cops.

Heywood Star takeaway in Rochdale came crashing down after a serious collision in the early hours yesterday.

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The terrifying collapse came after a police pursuit which was sparked when cops attended a house in Bury earlier that morning.

A man in his 30s fled the home with officers following in a high speed chase.

Greater Manchester Police said a man has since been arrested on suspicion of failing to stop, dangerous driving and threats to kill.

He was raced to hospital to receive urgent medical treatment after the pursuit came to an abrupt end.

The chase was finally ended when a vehicle ploughed into the takeaway, bringing part of the building down in a shower of rubble.

Pictures from the scene on Bridge Street show the front of the building completely caved in as a result of the impact of the car.

The interior of the building is entirely exposed with the front wall brought down by the force of the collision.

The road remained cordoned off yesterday afternoon as workers tried to clear the scene.

A silver car was spotted by witnesses who said it was crushed under a pile of bricks and rubble.

The public has been kept away from the building amid fears that it has been made unstable by the crash.

Heavy machinery, including diggers, was brought in to clear the area of the rubble.

A Greater Manchester Police spokesperson said: “At around 3.50am this morning, we responded to reports of an ongoing disturbance at an address on Walmersley Road in Bury.

“Upon police arrival a vehicle made off resulting in a pursuit utilising specialist tactics.

“The suspect vehicle travelled towards Heywood where it collided with a building on Bridge Street in Heywood, Rochdale.

“The driver of the vehicle – a man in his 30s – was arrested on suspicion of failing to stop, dangerous driving and threats to kill, before being taken to hospital for an injury to his arm.

“Investigations are ongoing. Officers are now appealing for anyone who witnessed the incident to come forward and assist their investigation.”

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Suranne Jones has opened up on her new ITV drama Frauds, which sees her star alongside Jodie Whittaker as two con women who rekindle their friendship to pull off a heist

Suranne Jones has revealed her striking makeover and confessed to feeling “anxious” about her latest ITV drama Frauds.

The forthcoming show features Suranne alongside Jodie Whittaker as a pair of female fraudsters named Bert and Sam, whose poisonous yet wickedly amusing bond is reignited to execute the ultimate robbery.

“Bert and Sam embark on the most audacious of art thefts, gathering a talented team of outcasts to help them plan this audacious crime,” the synopsis continues.

“Whilst the team must overcome numerous challenges before they can pull off the heist, it’s the power struggle between Bert and Sam that threatens to derail their plans and destroy them both.

“Set against the epic rolling hills of southern Spain and the dark criminal underbelly that casts a shadow over the glistening coast, Frauds is a complex and addictive story of friendship, deception and survival”, reports the Liverpool Echo.

Frauds is scheduled to launch this Sunday (October 5) at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX.

The six-episode series will then broadcast on Sunday and Monday evenings across three weeks.

During a press conference for the new programme, Suranne discussed juggling her multiple responsibilities, both performing and working behind the scenes.

Beyond portraying Bert, the star also co-developed the show with Anne-Marie O’Connor and acts as executive producer. “Obviously, there’s the pre-planning and there’s the whiteboard stage, and there’s the pouring your heart out and getting all the bits in and then obviously, Anne-Marie goes away and delivers a brilliant script,” she explained.

“When I’m in it, it does become a little difficult because you work at night, work at the weekends… I was being pulled off set and working. It is exhausting, but also, look what we created. I’m really proud of it, I can’t believe we’ve done it.”

Hinting at a particularly gripping moment between the two main characters, Suranne went on: “It has to manifest itself. I felt anxious for the first time watching it… Something has to give with these two and there’s a release in one, but then Bert gets worse.”

Suranne also disclosed the reasoning behind her dramatic makeover into Bert.

In the programme, the 47 year old actress appears completely transformed as she dons a sleek blonde bob instead of her signature dark locks.

Discussing Bert’s bold fashion choices, Suranne revealed that she put together an extensive mood board to help her envision her character’s look, including her significant tattoos.

“She wants to project to the world that she’s dangerous, she’s had this sort of life, but obviously that’s just a projection and then the outfits were part of that. It’s loud. I’m here, you will look at me. It’s all presentation,” she said.

“The blonde came because when Jodie said yes, she said she wasn’t going to dye her hair. So, I assumed she’d be blonde and I was going to have like un undercut. And then I was like, ‘It’s okay. She can stay dark, I’ll go blonde.'”

“And everyone went, ‘What?! You’re gonna look so different!’ And we were like, ‘Exactly, that’s going to work.'”

Executive Producer for Monumental Television Alison Owen added: “Suranne was fierce about the whole look. I mean, every day, weren’t you going through it so minutely. It was a real education for me in seeing someone create a character through your make-up, your hair, your costume, such precision.”

Suranne concluded: “I just knew her. We talked a lot and I just knew that’s what we wanted.”

Frauds premieres Sunday 5th October at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX

In a darkened airport hotel ballroom room, a bevy of California Democrats sought to distinguish themselves from the crowded field running for governor in 2026.

It was not an easy task, given that the lineup of current and former elected officials sharing the stage at the Sunday morning forum agreed on almost all the issues, with any differences largely playing out in the margins.

They pledged to take on President Trump, make the state more affordable, safeguard immigrants and provide them with Medi-Cal healthcare benefits, and keep the state’s over-budget bullet train project intact.

There is not yet any clear front-runner in the race to run the nation’s most populous state, though former Orange County Rep. Katie Porter has had a small edge in recent polling.

Aside from a opaque dig from former state Controller Betty Yee, Porter was not attacked during the debate.

They were joined onstage by former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra, California Supt. of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. State Sen. Toni Atkins, who was supposed to participate, dropped out due to illness. Wealthy first-time political candidate Stephen J. Cloobeck withdrew due to a scheduling conflict.

The forum was sponsored by the National Union of Healthcare Workers, in partnership with the Los Angeles Times and Spectrum News. It was held in Los Angeles and moderated by Associated Press national planning editor Lisa Matthews, with L.A. Times California politics editor Phil Willon, Spectrum News 1 news anchor Amrit Singh and Politico senior political reporter Melanie Mason asking the questions.

Sen. Alex Padilla and businessman Rick Caruso have also both publicly flirted with a bid for the state’s top office, but have yet to make a decision.

Two major GOP candidates, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and conservative commentator Steve Hilton, are also running for California governor, but neither were invited to the debate because they did not complete an endorsement questionnaire from the union.

With Prop. 50 in the forefront, a lack of attention on the race

California’s June 2 gubernatorial primary is just eight months away, but the horde hoping to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom has been competing for attention against an extraordinarily crowded landscape, with an unexpected special election this November pulling both dollars and attention away from the race for governor. To say nothing of the fact that the race had been somewhat frozen in place for months until the end of July, when former Vice President Kamala Harris finally announced she would not be running.

The candidates reiterated their support for Proposition 50, the Newsom-led November ballot measure to help Democrats win control of the U.S. House of Representatives next year by redrawing California congressional districts. Newsom pushed for the measure to counter efforts by Republican-led states to reconfigure their congressional districts to ensure the GOP keeps control of Congress.

“This is not a fight we actually wanted to have,” Yee said. “This is in response to a clear attempt to mute our representation in Washington. And so we have to fight back.”

A focus on immigrant backgrounds, and appeals to Latino voters

The candidates repeatedly focused on their families’ origins as well as their efforts to protect immigrants while serving in elected office.

Thurmond raised his upbringing in his opening remarks.

“I know what it is to struggle. You know that my grandparents were immigrants who came here from Colombia, from Jamaica? You know that I am the descendant of slaves who settled in Detroit, Mich.?” he said.

Becerra highlighted his support for undocumented people to have access to state healthcare coverage as well as his successful lawsuit protecting undocumented immigrants brought to this nation as young children that reached the Supreme Court.

“As the son of immigrants, I know what happens when you feel like you’re excluded,” he said.

Becerra and Thurmond addressed the diverse audience in Spanish.

Yee, who spoke about sharing a room with her immigrant parents and siblings. also raised her background during a lightning-round question about what the candidates planned to dress up as on Halloween.

“My authentic self as a daughter of immigrants,” she said.

Differing opinions on criminal justice approaches and healthcare

The debate was overwhelmingly cordial. But there was some dissent when the topic turned to Proposition 36, a 2024 anti-crime ballot measure that imposed stricter penalties for repeat theft and crimes involving fentanyl.

The ballot measure — which undid key parts of the 2014 criminal justice reform ballot measure Proposition 47 — sowed division among California Democrats, with Newsom and groups including the ACLU strongly opposing it. Its passage marked a turning of the tide in Californians’ attitudes about criminal justice reform and response to crime, following years of support for progressive policies that leaned away from punitive prison sentences for lower-level crimes.

First, Villaraigosa contended that he was the only candidate on stage who had supported Proposition 36, though Porter and Becerra quickly jumped in to say that they too had supported it.

But Porter also contended that, despite her support, there were “very real problems with it and very real shortcomings.” The measure should have also focused on prevention and incarcerating people for drug offenses doesn’t make anyone safer, she said.

Thurmond strayed sharply from the pack on the issue, saying he voted “no” on Proposition 36 and citing his career as a social worker.

“Prop. 36, by design, was set up to say that if you have a substance abuse issue, that you will get treatment in jail,” Thurmond contended, suggesting that the amount of drugs present in the prison system would make that outcome difficult.

As governor, he would more money into treatment for substance abuse programs and diversion programs for those who commit minor crimes, he said.

When the candidates were asked to raise their hands if they supported a single-payer healthcare system, Porter and Villaraigosa did not, while Becerra, Yee and Thurmond did.

The need to build more housing

Issues of affordability are top of mind for most Californians, particularly when it comes to housing.

Thurmond said he would build two million housing units on surplus land on school sites around the state and provide a tax break for working and middle class Californians.

Villaraigosa also focused on the need to build more housing, criticizing bureaucratic red tape and slow permitting processes.

Villaraigosa also twice critiqued CEQA — notable because the landmark California Environmental Quality Act was once held seemingly above reproach by California Democrats. But the law’s flaws have become increasingly accepted in recent years as the state’s housing crisis worsened, with Newsom signing two bills to overhaul the the law and ease new construction earlier this year.

Porter said that if she were governor, she would sign SB 79, a landmark housing bill that overrides local zoning laws to expand high-density housing near transit hubs. The controversial bill — which would potentially remake single-family neighborhoods within a half-mile of transit stops — is awaiting Newsom’s signature or veto.

A RECORD number of prisoners were freed in error last year.

There were 262 wrongly released in the 12 months to March, figures show.

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It is a 128 per cent rise on the 115 between 2023 and 2024 — the biggest year-on-year increase.

Some were released as their crimes for breaching restraining orders were wrongly logged.

HM Prison and Probation Service said the total included some incorrectly let out under Labour’s early release scheme.

Thousands were freed after serving just 40 per cent of their time.

It led to farcical scenes of lags popping champagne corks.

Former Tory minister Sir Alec Shelbrooke said then-Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood should “take accountability” for the figures.

He fumed: “These figures are very alarming.

“There should be accountability when a prisoner is released early in error – and it has to go right to the top of the chain, including the Justice Secretary.

“Nobody wants to live in a lawless society. The idea that multiple people a week can be set free by mistake is scandalous.”

The Ministry of Justice said: “We’ve set up a specialist team to clamp down on those releases.”

Drug gang suspected in torture and murder of two young women, and a 15-year-old girl, in crime that shocks Argentina.

Clashes have erupted between demonstrators and police as thousands protested in Argentina’s capital, Buenos Aires, to demand justice over the torture and killing of two young women and a teenager, which was livestreamed on social media by a purported drug gang.

Thousands of protesters took to the streets on Saturday to denounce the killings that shocked Argentinians after it was revealed that the murders were perpetrated live on the Instagram platform and watched by 45 members of a private account, officials said.

The bodies of Morena Verdi and Brenda del Castillo, cousins aged 20, and 15-year-old Lara Gutierrez were found buried on Wednesday in the yard of a house in a southern suburb of Buenos Aires, five days after they went missing.

Investigators said the victims, thinking they were going to a party, were lured into a van on September 19, allegedly as part of a plan to “punish” them for violating gang code and to serve as a warning to others.

Police discovered a video of the triple murder after a suspect in the disappearance of the three revealed it under questioning, according to Javier Alonso, the security minister for the Buenos Aires province.

In the footage, a gang leader is heard saying: “This is what happens to those who steal drugs from me.”

Argentinian media reported that the torturers cut off fingers, pulled out nails, and beat and suffocated the victims.

While most of the protesters who took part in the demonstration on Saturday marched peacefully, some confronted police who responded by aggressively pushing them away using their batons and shields, according to video clips and images posted by the La Izquierda Diario online news site.

As they marched towards the Argentinian parliament with thousands of supporters, family members of the victims held a banner with their names, “Lara, Brenda, Morena”, and placards with the images of the three.

“Women must be protected more than ever,” Brenda’s father, Leonel del Castillo, was quoted by the AFP news agency as telling reporters at the protest. He had earlier said he had not been able to identify his daughter’s body due to the torture she had endured.

“It was a narco-femicide!” read a sign at the protest. Another declared, “Our lives are not disposable!”

The protesters also banged on drums as they marched and denounced the “inaction” of the administration of President Javier Milei against what they called the growing “narco” influence in the country.

An image posted on social media showed protesters burning an image of Milei and other political allies of his administration.

Antonio del Castillo, the grandfather of the slain 20-year-old cousins, was in tears, calling his granddaughters’ killers “bloodthirsty”.

“You wouldn’t do what they did to them to an animal,” he said.

On Friday, Minister of National Security Patricia Bullrich announced the arrest of a fifth suspect in the case, bringing the total to three men and two women. The fifth suspect, accused of offering logistical support in the killing by providing a vehicle involved in the crime, was arrested in the Bolivian border city of Villazon .

Authorities have also released a photograph of the alleged mastermind, a 20-year-old Peruvian, who remains at large.

Meta, the parent company of Instagram, has disputed that the livestream occurred on its platform, according to the AFP, citing a company spokesperson.

A DRUG kingpin arrested while partying at an Ibiza nightclub for a £20million drug ring he ran with his ex-girlfriend has been jailed.

The couple from Merseyside plotted to smuggle over 300 kilos of drugs in two lorries in the summer of 2022.

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Eddie Burton, 23, from Liverpool was jailed for 19 years at Canterbury Crown Court on Friday, September 26.

His glam ex-girlfriend, Sian Banks, 25, was sentenced to five years in February of this year.

Burton had been living in mainland Europe in 2022 when two lorries were intercepted at Dover Port containing heroin, cocaine and ketamine.

The first of those lorries was stopped by Border Force on July 3 and the second was intercepted the following month on August 12.

Overall, officers discovered a whopping 307 kilos with an estimated street value of £20million.

Burton’s fingerprints were found on both the drug packages as well as the modified fuel tank that was used to conceal them.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) launched a huge manhunt for Burton who was living between the Netherlands and Spain after he left the UK in 2021.

Burton was put in cuffs by Spanish police in August 2023 at the Pacha nightclub in Ibiza for unrelated drug dealing offences.

He had been using an alias to avoid being caught at the time but was extradited to Germany and charged with drug offences before he was returned to the UK in March last year.

Following that, Burton pleaded guilty to four counts of importing Class A and B drugs.

According to the MailOnline, Burton was involved in drugs from an early age and started dealing them at 10 years old.

Those who knew him said he was engaging in serious criminal activity while he was still at primary school and weren’t surprised by his life’s trajectory.

Whereas Banks had a love of luxury holidays and high-end goods with a fondness for men with money, according to those who knew her.

She was arrested in December 2023 before she pleaded guilty to seven charges including importing Class A drugs and money laundering earlier this year.

She had visited Burton in the Netherlands and Spain on a monthly basis between June 2022 and October 2023.

Her phone had also revealed that she had twice smuggled cocaine and ketamine into her luggage after visiting Burton in Amsterdam in August 2022.

Messages were also uncovered between the pair two days after the first lorry was intercepted.

They showed that Banks had flown to the Netherlands and helped prepare the first shipment of narcotics.

One of the messages to Burton revealed Banks was concerned her fingerprints were on the bags of ketamine.

He replied: “You’ve never been nicked or had ye prints took anyway so doesn’t matter.”

It was also discovered that banks had sold scam Covid-19 travel documents during the pandemic.

NCA Senior Investigating Officer John Turner said: “Burton, with Banks’ help, attempted to smuggle huge quantities of harmful drugs into the UK, believing he could operate with impunity overseas.

“Banks held a crucial role in the criminal enterprise, laundering the illicit profits and acting as the UK-based facilitator for the multi-million pound drug importations.

“The drugs, had they reached their final destination, would have had a destructive impact on our communities, fuelling violence and exploiting vulnerable people throughout the supply chain.”

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A BRITISH grandad and veteran suffering from cancer has been left homeless and starving in Dubai after being arrested for a crime he’d been acquitted of a decade earlier.

John Murphy, who served in the British military before building a life in the UAE, was arrested a decade earlier over allegations of being offensive to hotel security.

The 59-year-old’s lawyers said he should have walked free but he was jailed awaiting trial.

In the interim period, John’s landlord sued him for rent arrears that piled up during his detention.

His belongings were seized, a travel ban imposed, and his passport withheld.

The travel ban imposed on him has also never been lifted.

For nearly 10 years he has been trapped in Dubai, unable to work and unable to leave, putting John in an ‘inescapable legal limbo’.

John’s lawyers now say he has been ‘literally starving’.

The grandfather has been forced to sleep on public transport and wash in shopping centre toilets, according to his legal contacts.

“I haven’t eaten in four days,” Murphy said in a message sent from Dubai.

“I’ve been on the streets for three weeks.

“I try to ride the metro all day to rest, but security chase me away.

“I wash in mall toilets, I’ve been in the same clothes for weeks, and my health is failing.

“I need urgent cancer treatment and dental care, but I have nowhere to turn.”

Despite homelessness being illegal in the UAE, when John attempted to surrender to the police, they refused to arrest him.

He has been surviving on public transport, caught between a rock and a hard place – unable to leave, unable to work, unable to resolve his debts.

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Radha Stirling, CEO of Detained in Dubai said John’s situation was “outrageous”.

“John was found innocent, yet ten years later he is starving on the streets, denied cancer treatment, food, or shelter,” she said.

“This is the direct result of a system that criminalises debt and traps people in a cycle of poverty and despair.

“They won’t let him leave, and they won’t even arrest him. He is being left to die in plain sight.”

A friend of John’s has launched a GoFundMe page and appealed directly to both the British and Irish embassies for help.

To date, neither has secured his release.

“The Trump administration successfully repatriated a number of American citizens from the UAE,” Stirling added.

“It is disappointing that Britain and Ireland have not stepped in to save John Murphy.

“He is a veteran, a grandfather, and he has already suffered enough.

“The Irish and British governments must act now.”

John’s quagmire comes after British student Mia O’Brien was detained in the city after being busted with 50g of cocaine.

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Mia was sentenced to spend 25 years in a UAE prison after she was found with the drugs that had a street value of £2500.

Her family this week issued a plea for help saying she had “never done a bad thing in her life” and had made a “very stupid mistake”.

But now her heartbroken mum Danielle McKenna, 46, has revealed new details about her lengthy jail term.

She revealed that Mia, 23, was caught with 50 grams of the Class A drug in the Middle East last October.

The huge amount of cocaine was found inside Mia’s apartment in “one big chunk”.

The Liverpool University law student was arrested alongside two other people – her friend and the friend’s boyfriend.

All three have been charged with drug dealing.

Mia was convicted by a judge after a one day hearing on July 25.

She was also fined a staggering £100,000 by the court before being sent to the hellish Dubai Central Prison, also known as Al-Awir.

The notorious lock-up has been dubbed the affluent city’s version of infamous jail Alcatraz.

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“Mia feels she has destroyed her life as she wanted to be a lawyer or solicitor, ” Danielle told the Daily Mail.

“I speak to her but she can’t say too much on the phone.

“She’s just made a stupid mistake after going over to see a friend and her boyfriend in Dubai.”

The mother-of-five said Mia pleaded not guilty to intent to supply the drugs.

But the judge swiftly ended the trial and handed her a life sentence of which she has to serve 25 years.

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SEIZURES of beer smuggled  to   Britain   have   nearly quadrupled in five years.

Some 5.6million pints were confiscated at ports compared to 1.5million in 2019, according to ­government figures.

Many cans and bottles from mainland Europe are hidden in trucks and routed through Ireland.

Customs bosses said checks had been increased at ports such as Heysham and Birkenhead, in the North West, and Cairnryan in Scotland.

Illegal booze is now estimated to cost the UK around £1billion a year in lost duty payments.

The British Beer and Pub Association said: “A third of the price of an average UK pint goes to the taxman.

“No wonder illicit trade is booming.”

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