police

BRITAIN’S top cop has criticised Labour plans to slash jail time — saying police will struggle to cope with the surge in crime.

Met Police boss Sir Mark Rowley warned putting more criminals back on the street risked overwhelming officers.

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He accused the Government of doing “no analysis whatsoever” on the impact of freeing thousands and risking the prospect of “generating a lot of work for police”.

He told the BBC: “Every time you put an offender into the community, a proportion of them will commit crime, a proportion of them will need chasing down by the police.”

But the Ministry of Justice hit back in the war of words, saying its top priority was to “keep people safe”.

Standing by its changes, it said: “That is why we are building prisons faster than at any time since the Victorian era and, through our sentencing reforms, we will make sure the public are never again put at risk of running out of prison places.”

Sources also insisted a full impact assessment on early release is under way.

The Sun revealed last week Sir Mark was among senior officers who wrote to Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood questioning prison reforms.

Her plans include scrapping most short sentences, releasing lags after a third of time served and monitoring with tags to free up cells.

Sir Mark said: “If probation are going to spend more money on trying to reform offenders, reduce their repeat offending, that’s fantastic.

But a proportion will be committing further offences because probation can’t do a perfect job — it’s impossible.”

The Scotland Yard chief also said forces are still “carrying the scar tissue of years of austerity cuts”.

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AN ALLEGED gang member wanted over the fatal stabbing of a young man in London has been arrested in Spain.

Six mobsters went on the run after the tragic murder of 21-year-old Giovanny Rendon Bedoya in Walworth, south London, on April 21.

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The fugitive was detained at the request of British authorities in the town of Sabadell around 15 miles north-west of the Catalan capital as he entered a restaurant, Spanish police said.

He is said to belong to the dangerous Latin gang known as the Trinitarios.

They have become a major security threat across much of Europe in recent years especially in cities like Madrid and London.

The alleged killer is now facing extradition to the UK and a possible “life sentence” according to Spanish cops.

Met Police pleaded for information around the death of Giovanny earlier this year.

It comes as three of the six people initially arrested have now been bailed pending further inquiries.

In the latest update this month, they said a fourth man has now been charged with murder.

All four men have been named by police as Joseph Jimenez, 21, Angel Gonzales Angulo, 19, Brian Villada-Hernandes, 19, and Zozoro Mohamed Olivier, 20.

Cops previously said a 17-year-old boy was also arrested on suspicion of murder.

Confirming the latest arrest near Barcelona today, Spain’s National Police said in a statement: “National Police officers have arrested a member of the Trinitarios gang in the town of Sabadell in Barcelona who is wanted by the British justice system after allegedly committing a murder in the United Kingdom.

“An international arrest warrant was issued for him after the crime which took place on April 14.

“He could face a life sentence for attacking with five other alleged members of the same gang, another young man from a rival gang who was killed.

“The investigation was launched by the British authorities on 14 April when the fugitive and five other alleged members of the Trinitarios gang violently accosted another young man from a rival gang following a dispute.”

Giovanny was attacked just after 9pm and was left with serious injuries which resulted in the amputation of fingers, the loss of an organ and multiple fractures.

These injuries resulted in his death, police confirmed at the time.

The Trinitarios gang is said to have been founded in 1993 by two Dominicans facing separate murder charges being held in the Rikers Islands New York City jail.

The gang’s notoriety across the globe even caused them to be scrutinised by the Trump administration this year.

Donald Trump described them as “animals” as he carried out his sweeping sanctions on US criminal enterprises.

Nearly two dozen Trinitarios gang members were hit with RICO conspiracy charges in February.

They were accused of six murders and 11 attempted murders, according to the US Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts.

Spiralling violence around Madrid in recent years has been blamed on the fracturing and spread of Dominican gangs which have become Spain’s primary urban security threat.

Officials believe the man arrested today may have been in Spain trying to flee to the Dominican Republic.

The Sun has contacted the Metropolitan Police for further comment.

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SIR Sadiq Khan has backed calls to decriminalise possessing small amounts of cannabis.

London’s mayor said a report published today gave “a compelling case”.

The London Drugs Commission says current cannabis laws are “disproportionate” and policing continues to focus on ethnic communities, hurting relations with cops.

The LDC, set up by Mr Khan in 2022, is calling for small quantities of natural cannabis to be decriminalised.

Importing, manufacturing or distributing the drug would still be illegal.

Labour’s Mr Khan said: “The report makes a compelling case for the decriminalisation of small quantities of natural cannabis which the Government should consider.”

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: “Cannabis is illegal for a reason. I oppose these plans.”

Responding to the report, Sir Sadiq said: “I’ve long been clear that we need fresh thinking on how to reduce the substantial harms associated with drug-related crime in our communities.

“The London Drugs Commission report makes a compelling, evidenced-based case for the decriminalisation of possession of small quantities of natural cannabis which the Government should consider.

“It says that the current sentencing for those caught in possession of natural cannabis cannot be justified given its relative harm and people’s experience of the justice system.

“We must recognise that better education, improved healthcare and more effective, equitable policing of cannabis use are long overdue.”

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Open justice 

WHEN an incident unfolds as shocking and horrific as the car ramming at Liverpool FC’s trophy parade, the public has a right to know as much information as possible, as quickly as possible. 

Following Axel Rudakubana’s murderous rampage in Southport last July, silence from the authorities allowed conspiracy theory, rumour and deliberate disinformation to fester online. 

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This, in turn, fuelled terrible scenes of violence and destructive riots. 

By revealing the ethnicity and age of the arrested suspect in the Liverpool incident within two hours – and swiftly ruling out terrorism – the police stopped malicious or kneejerk attempts to spread false narratives. 

They were right to do so, and local politicians have expressed their support for the decision. 

It’s a welcome step back from recent sinister attempts by police and Government to muzzle our free press. 

But the real test of our authorities’ new-found spirit of sensible openness will come the next time there is a tragic incident or terrorist attack. 

As Jonathan Hall, the Government’s terror law reviewer, points out: “The lesson has been learnt, don’t give any fuel to the conspiracy merchants. 

“You’ve got to roll with it. 

“If it had been a Muslim, an Asian, a black man or woman, they would have to say that. 

“You’ve got to be fully consistent.” 

Having now embraced transparency, the public will not understand why they shouldn’t always be given the full picture by the cops. 

Whatever that may be. 

E-bike blitz

CRACKING down on lower-level crime is known to help prevent more serious offences later on. 

So Government moves to crush mopeds, bikes and e-scooters used by criminal yobs within 48 hours rather than weeks to curb re-offending should be applauded. 

Just one problem: how does this get-tough approach sit with Labour’s prison reforms. 

After all, they will mean thugs convicted of crimes which should attract a 12 months sentence are now a lot less likely to go to jail? 

Reform rebirth 

BRITAIN isn’t having enough kids. 

Instead, we have come to rely on importing more and more young workers from overseas in a faltering bid to get the economy growing, and pay the bills for our ageing society. 

Nigel Farage’s proposed tax breaks for married couples could help to reverse that damaging long-term trend. 

Making it more affordable for young parents to have children is key. 

LIVERPOOL, England — A 53-year-old British man who injured 65 people when his car rammed into a crowd of Liverpool soccer fans celebrating their team’s Premier League championship was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, police said Tuesday.

The driver was also being held on suspicion of dangerous driving and driving on drugs, Detective Chief Superintendent Karen Jaundrill said.

The incident late Monday afternoon turned a jubilant parade into a tragedy that sent 50 people to hospitals for treatment of their injuries. Eleven remained hospitalized Tuesday in stable condition.

The wounded included four children, one of whom had been trapped beneath the vehicle with three adults.

Driver dodged road block

Police had closed off much of the area to traffic, but the driver is believed to have maneuvered around a road block by following an ambulance that was rushing to treat a person suspected of having a heart attack, Asst. Chief Constable Jenny Sims said.

Merseyside Police said they were not treating the incident as terrorism and were not looking for other suspects. The force has not identified the arrested driver. Police in Britain usually do not name suspects until they are charged.

Detectives were still working to piece together why the minivan plowed into crowds packing a narrow street just after the players of Liverpool Football Club had celebrated its championship with an open-topped bus parade.

The incident cast a shadow over a city that has suffered twin tragedies linked to the soccer team and led to widespread expressions of shock, sadness and support.

“It is truly devastating to see that what should have been a joyous celebration for many could end in such distressing circumstances,” King Charles III said in a statement while on a visit to Canada. “I know that the strength of community spirit for which your city is renowned will be a comfort and support to those in need.”

Crime scene scoured for evidence

Water Street, near the River Mersey in the heart of the city, was cordoned off by police tape, and a blue tent had been erected on the road strewn with the detritus of celebration, including bottles, cans and Liverpool flags.

Teams of officers wearing white forensic suits scoured the damp streets for evidence and snapped photos of clothing and other items left behind as people fled the chaotic scene.

Hundreds of thousands of Liverpudlians had crammed the streets of the port city in northwest England on Monday to celebrate the team winning England’s Premier League this season for a record-tying 20th top-flight title.

As the parade was wrapping up, a minivan turned down a cordoned-off street just off the parade route and plowed into the sea of fans wrapped in their red Liverpool scarves, jerseys and other memorabilia. A video on social media showed the van strike a man, tossing him in the air, before veering into a larger crowd, where it plowed a path through the group and pushed bodies along the street before coming to a stop.

“It was extremely fast,” said Harry Rashid, who was with his wife and two young daughters as the minivan passed by them. “Initially, we just heard the pop, pop, pop of people just being knocked off the bonnet of a car.”

Rashid said the crowd charged the halted vehicle and began smashing windows.

“But then he put his foot down again and just plowed through the rest of them, he just kept going,” Rashid said. “It was horrible. And you could hear the bumps as he was going over the people.”

Suspect partly identified to stop rumor mill

Police quickly identified the suspect as a white local man to prevent misinformation from flooding social media, Liverpool City Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram said.

Rotheram said police acted appropriately to tamp down online speculation about the person responsible as false rumors spread rapidly online of there being another incident.

“Social media is a cesspit,” he said, referring to the conjecture and misinformation. “It was designed to inflame. It was designed to divide. The message of hate doesn’t go down well here.”

Last summer, a teen in the nearby town of Southport killed three girls in a stabbing rampage at a dance class and wounded 10 others, including two adults. An incorrect name of the suspect was spread on social media and people said he was an asylum-seeker. In fact, he had been born in the U.K. Rioting spread across England and Northern Ireland, targeting Muslims and refugees in hotels for asylum-seekers, lasting about a week.

Liverpool soccer legacy tainted by tragedy

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was appalled by the tragedy as he hailed the bravery of rescuers and said the country’s thoughts were with the city and its people.

“Scenes of joy turned to utter horror and devastation,” Starmer said Tuesday. “Liverpool stands together and the whole country stands with Liverpool.”

The storied franchise has been associated with two of the biggest tragedies in professional soccer.

Its fans were largely blamed for the 1985 disaster at Heysel stadium in Belgium when 39 people — mostly supporters of Italian team Juventus — died when Liverpool backers surged into the rival’s stand.

Four years later, a crush at Hillsborough stadium in Sheffield led to the deaths of 97 Liverpool fans.

Ha and Melley write for the Associated Press. Melley reported from London. AP writer Jill Lawless contributed to this report.

Authorities quickly released information about the driver of a car that careened through a street crammed with pedestrians celebrating Liverpool soccer club’s Premier League championship with a parade Monday.

At least 50 people were hospitalized after the Ford Galaxy, shown on a social media video, drove directly into a tight cluster of fans lining a street. Angry fans smashed the vehicle’s windows, and police quickly surrounded the car and arrested the driver.

Besides confirming the number of people injured — at least two seriously — the Merseyside Police answered a growing cacophony on social media questioning whether the driver was a terrorist.

“We would ask people not to speculate on the circumstances surrounding tonight’s incident on Water Street in Liverpool city centre,” the police said in a statement Monday. “We can confirm the man arrested is a 53-year-old white British man from the Liverpool area.”

In a news conference Monday, Assistant Chief Constable Jenny Sims said authorities believe the man arrested was the driver of the car and that he acted alone.

“This had been a joyous day in Liverpool with hundreds of thousands of people lining the streets to celebrate Liverpool Football Club’s victory parade,” Sims said. “Sadly, at just after 6 o’clock [Monday], as the parade was drawing to a close, we received reports that a car had been in collision with a number of pedestrians on Water Street in Liverpool city center.

“Extensive inquiries are ongoing to establish the circumstances leading up to the collision, and it is vital that people do not speculate or spread misinformation on social media.

“I know that people will understandably be concerned by what has happened. What I can tell you is that we believe this to be an isolated incident and we are not currently looking for anyone else in relation to it.

“The incident is not currently being treated as terrorism.”

The police said at a news conference Tuesday that the driver was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, dangerous driving and driving under the influence of drugs. They also said the driver is believed to have followed an ambulance onto Water Street, which had previously been blocked. Access was given to the emergency vehicle to allow first responders to attend to a person suffering from an apparent heart attack.

Police in England typically confine information released about suspects to the person’s age and the location of the arrest. The Merseyside Police’s swift release of details about the alleged driver are in contrast to the dearth of information released last summer about a 17-year-old in custody for a mass stabbing targeting young girls at a dance studio in Southport, England.

Axel Rudakubana killed three children and injured 10 others at the Taylor Swift-themed yoga and dance workshop. Soon after the attack, anti-immigration protests spread across England. A Southport mosque was damaged, and more than 20 police officers were injured during a melee with far-right activists after misinformation about the attacker’s identity was spread online.

Police later said Rudakubana was born in the Welsh city of Cardiff and lived near Southport. He was sentenced in January to 52 years in prison for the killings of Alice da Silva Aguiar, 9, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Bebe King, 6.

Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram told the BBC on Monday that Merseyside Police acted “very, very quickly” in disclosing that the suspect in the car crash was white and a Liverpool resident to counter speculation on social media that had caused “real consternation.”

The incident prompted a statement from Buckingham Palace saying King Charles and Queen Camilla were “deeply shocked and saddened to hear of the terrible events that took place in Liverpool on Monday. It is truly devastating to see that what should have been a joyous celebration for so many could end in such distressing circumstances.”

Liverpool clinched the Premier League title with a 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace on Sunday, the last day of the season.

A man has been charged with attempted murder after a police officer was critically injured after being hit by a car.

PC Christopher Miller, 38, has been in hospital with life-threatening injuries since the incident on the B416 in Stoke Poges, Buckinghamshire on Thursday night.

Thames Valley Police arrested two men, aged 28 and 38, from Slough, Berkshire, on suspicion of attempted murder and causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

Simranjit Kajla, 28, has now been charged with attempted murder, the force confirmed on Tuesday.

He has also been charged with causing serious injury by dangerous driving, driving whilst disqualified and using a motor vehicle on a road without insurance.

Mr Kajla is scheduled to appear at Reading Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.

A BRITISH backpacker has gone missing after spending a month living on the streets of Peru following a violent robbery.

Hannah Almond, 32, travelled to Cusco in March for a yoga retreat to “find herself” – but was left stranded, penniless and traumatised after being assaulted and robbed of her passport.

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With no way to get home, the fashion graduate was sleeping rough under the Belén Bridge, where her remaining belongings were torched by local thugs.

Footage from local media appeared to show her clothes and personal items in a flaming pile on the street.

Hannah was last seen three days ago after befriending an elderly homeless man at a makeshift camp, and has not been heard from since.

A desperate search is now underway to locate the missing Brit from Grimsby.

A family friend told the Daily Mail on Monday: “She is one of the most pure loving souls ever — she is very generous and always wants to help people.

“But she does not trust anyone after getting robbed and assaulted.

“Some locals burned all her belongings from under the bridge.”

They added: “She was contacting her mum every now and then through other people’s phones.

“Police went to check on her two days ago and she has not been seen since. Cusco is a trafficking hotspot, so it’s very worrying.”

The British Consulate in Peru has confirmed that Hannah’s tourist visa has expired and her immigration status is now in limbo.

“She is in an illegal situation. Her tourist visa has already expired,” British Consul Mark Atkinson told local media.

“Sometimes we’ve paid for hotel stays, given her money for food, that sort of thing. But she always ends up coming back here,” he explained, referring to the bridge camp.

Hannah’s friends have since launched a GoFundMe page to fund urgent efforts to help her.

As of Tuesday, it already pulled in £7,930 from 306 donations — just shy of its £9,000 goal.

The funds raised will be used to cover urgent travel and support costs, including a flight and accommodation for a close family member or friend to fly to Peru and gently persuade Hannah to come home.

Her loved ones hope that a familiar face on the ground will help break through the fear and confusion that has kept her from accepting official help.

The money will also go towards providing Hannah with safe accommodation, food, and access to emergency medical or psychological care — which may be vital before she is well enough to travel.

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Additional funds will cover logistical costs needed to get her home, such as securing a replacement passport, renewing her visa, and arranging her journey back to the UK.

A message on the fundraiser reads: “Hannah travelled to Peru in March hoping for an adventure, but instead, she has found herself in a terrifying and heartbreaking situation.

“She was robbed and assaulted, losing her passport, phone, and all of her money.

“Since then, Hannah’s mental health has severely declined.”

“Despite attempts to help her through official channels, Hannah is deeply fearful and unable to accept support from the embassy or local authorities.

“She is extremely vulnerable, isolated, and not safe living on the streets of Peru.

“Hannah is a deeply kind and gentle soul, and we are desperate to get her the care and safety she deserves. We need to bring her home.”

More than 100,000 Brits travel to Peru every year, with Cusco – the gateway to Machu Picchu and the Inca Trail – one of the most popular spots.

FCDO travel advice warns tourists to remain alert, saying: “Personal attacks, including sexual assaults, are infrequent but do happen, mostly in the Cusco and Arequipa areas.”

A car ploughed into a crowd of Liverpool fans on Monday evening, injuring 47 people, including four children. The incident took place during a Premier League victory parade through Liverpool’s city centre by the city’s official football team.

Here is what we know about the incident, victims, suspect and rescue efforts.

What happened?

Just after 6pm (17:00 GMT) on Monday, a car crashed into a crowd of Liverpool fans who were celebrating Liverpool’s victory in the Premier League football title.

The fans had gathered to catch a sight of the Liverpool football team, who had paraded the trophy through the area in an open-top bus moments before the incident. The car crash took place about 1 mile (1.6km) before the finishing point of the 10-mile (16km) parade.

Videos circulating on social media showed the car zigzag through the crowd of fans ostensibly clad in Liverpool FC merchandise. Several people were thrown into the air as they were hit by the car.

The Merseyside Police said they were called soon after the incident.

As the car came to a stop, angered members of the crowd swarmed towards it, smashing its windows. The police had to intervene to prevent them from getting to the driver.

Who was driving the car in Liverpool?

The police said they arrested a “53-year-old white British man from the Liverpool area” who they believed was driving the car.

They have not released any additional details about the driver or his motivations yet.

Where in Liverpool did the crash take place?

The crash took place on Water Street, which is in the city centre and near the Strand. The street is home to historic buildings, including the office block, Oriel Chambers, built in 1864. Liverpool is located towards the northwest of England.

What do we know about the victims?

Dozens of people, including four children, were injured in the incident.

Out of the victims, 20 people sustained minor injuries and were treated at the scene, not requiring hospital treatment. Another 27 people were taken to a hospital by ambulance. Authorities said two of the people hospitalised, including one child, have sustained serious injuries.

Is the incident being treated as ‘terrorism’?

The police said the incident was not being treated as a “terrorism case”.

“We believe this to be an isolated incident, and we are not currently looking for anyone else in relation to it. The incident is not being treated as terrorism,” Jenny Sims, temporary deputy chief constable, told reporters.

“I would urge people not to speculate as to the motives behind this appalling incident and to allow Merseyside police to conduct their investigation,” Liverpool City Council leader Liam Robinson said during a news conference late on Monday.

What action did the authorities take?

Late on Monday, police officer Sims told a media briefing that several people were treated at the scene and many were taken to hospital.

She added that the police force’s emergency services colleagues from the North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) and Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service (MFRS) were also present at the scene.

NWAS officer Dave Kitchin said ambulances were dispatched, as well as a hazardous area response team, an air ambulance, doctors and senior clinicians to the site.

“Our emergency ambulances took patients to our NHS colleagues at Royal Liverpool, Alder Hey, Arrowe Park and Aintree Hospitals,” Kitchin said, referring to the hospitals the injured were taken to.

Nick Searle, MFRS chief fire officer, told the news conference that, after learning about the incident, they promptly dispatched three fire engines to Water Street. “Our crews rapidly lifted the vehicle, removed people from beneath and passed them to our ambulance colleagues.”

Liverpool City Council leader Robinson told the news conference that the incident “cast a very dark shadow over what had been a joyous day”.

“We are working closely with Merseyside Police to support their investigation, and with other relevant organisations to make sure those affected get the appropriate support,” he added.

What is the latest on the ground?

In an update on X on Monday evening, NWAS wrote that it had “cleared the scene following the incident in Liverpool”.

“Specialist officers have been put in place to support the injured and their families,” Sims said.

She requested people to refrain from sharing the “distressing footage” of the incident, adding that information, including video footage, can be submitted to the Major Incident Police Portal (MIPP).

“My fire crews will maintain a visible and reassuring presence in the coming days and weeks,” MFRS’s Searle said.

What are the reactions to the Liverpool crash?

“The scenes in Liverpool are appalling — my thoughts are with all those injured or affected,” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer wrote in an X post. “I want to thank the police and emergency services for their swift and ongoing response to this shocking incident.”

The scenes in Liverpool are appalling — my thoughts are with all those injured or affected.

I want to thank the police and emergency services for their swift and ongoing response to this shocking incident.

I’m being kept updated on developments and ask that we give the police…

— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) May 26, 2025

Liverpool Mayor Steve Rotheram said: “Our hearts go out to all of those affected, especially those who have been injured. Thank you, as ever, to the first responders for their professionalism and swift action.”

Our hearts go out to all of those affected, especially those who have been injured.

Thank you, as ever, to the first responders for their professionalism and swift action.

This is a difficult day for our city region, but we stand together. https://t.co/ua4xSY2UjX

— Steve Rotheram (@MetroMayorSteve) May 26, 2025

LIVERPOOL fans who lined the streets to celebrate the club’s Premier League triumph have spoken out after a car ploughed into a crowd.

A 53-year-old white British man from Liverpool was arrested at the scene on Water Street just after 6pm and is thought to have been the driver of the car, police said.

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Some 27 injured people were rushed to hospital – two with serious injuries – and 20 were treated at the scene, with more patients self-presenting later on, the North West Ambulance Service said.

A survivor of the Manchester Arena bombing was one of those knocked to the floor by the car.

Frankie, 24, told the Mail: “I was at the Manchester Arena incident. I don’t want to go out again.

They continued: “The side of the car went into me and I fell to the floor. It’s all a blur.

“I’ve got cuts and bruises and I’ll be fine but there’s loads who have got more severe injuries.”

Meanwhile, supporter Harry Rashid, 48, was a stone’s throw away from the swerving vehicle during the terrifying scene.

“It happened about 10 feet away from us,” he said.

“We were just in a crowd and we had no control over where we would be, because it was a very narrow street. 

“The vehicle came to our right. It emerged from just right next to an ambulance, which was parked up.

“This grey people carrier just pulled up from the right and just rammed into all the people at the side of us.

“It was travelling south, down Water Street, straight towards this strand, which is where the docks are.

“It was extremely fast. Initially, we just heard the pop, pop, pop of people just being knocked off the bonnet of a car.”

Merseyside Police are leading the investigation and were initially supported by counter-terrorism police.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: “The scenes in Liverpool are appalling — my thoughts are with all those injured or affected.”

He later praised the “remarkable bravery” shown by the emergency services in Liverpool and added: “Everyone, especially children, should be able to celebrate their heroes without this horror.”

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper described the scenes as “truly shocking” and thanked the emergency services for their “swift response”.

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LONDON — A 53-year-old British man plowed his minivan into a crowd of Liverpool soccer fans who had been celebrating the city team’s Premier League championship Monday and was arrested, police said.

There was no immediate word from authorities on how many people were injured. An air ambulance and other emergency vehicles swarmed the scene to respond to reports that multiple pedestrians had been hit.

“It was extremely fast,” said Harry Rashid, who was at the parade with his wife and two young daughters and only several feet away. “Initially, we just heard the pop, pop, pop of people just being knocked off the bonnet of a car.”

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was being updated on the situation and thanked police for their quick response.

“The scenes in Liverpool are appalling — my thoughts are with all those injured or affected,” Starmer said.

Liverpool fans had come out in their tens of thousands to celebrate the team winning the Premier League this season for a record-tying 20th top-flight title.

Liverpool’s last league title came in 2020 but supporters were denied the chance to publicly celebrate that trophy because of restrictions in place at the time during the pandemic.

Dancing, scarf-and-flag-waving fans braved wet weather to line the streets and climb up traffic lights to get a view of Liverpool’s players, who were atop two buses bearing the words “Ours Again.”

The hours-long procession — surrounded by a thick layer of police and security — crawled along a 10-mile route and through a sea of red smoke and rain. Fireworks exploded from the Royal Liver Building in the heart of the city to seemingly signal the end of the parade.

The team issued a short statement saying its thoughts and prayers were with those affected.

Rashid said after the car rammed its initial victims, it came to a halt and the crowd charged the vehicle and began smashing windows.

“But then he put his foot down again and just plowed through the rest of them, he just kept going,” Rashid said. “It was horrible. And you could hear the bumps as he was going over the people.”

Rashid said it looked deliberate and he was in shock and disbelief.

“My daughter started screaming and there were people on the ground,” he said. “They were just innocent people, just fans going to enjoy the parade.”

Melley and Douglas write for the Associated Press.

Hundreds gathered in Minneapolis on Sunday to mark the fifth anniversary of George Floyd’s death. Activists said the failed push for police reform in the city cast a shadow over the vigil and argued nothing has changed since he was killed.

May 26 (UPI) — Five skiers were found dead on a Swiss mountain near Zermatt over the weekend, authorities said.

According to a statement Sunday from southern Switzerland’s Valais cantonal police, the five bodies were discovered Saturday on the Adler Glacier by emergency responders aboard an Air Zermatt helicopter conducting an aerial survey near the mountain resort of Zermatt.

The authorities launched the search after being alerted by two mountaineers to skis abandoned at an altitude of about 13,125 feet on Rimpfischhorn mountain.

Police said the two ski mountaineers on Rimpfischhorn noticed the abandoned skis at the base of the summit at about 4:30 p.m. local time on Saturday.

Air Zermatt added in a separate statement that it was four pairs of skis that the mountaineers had first seen as they ascended the mountain. On their way back down, the mountaineers again noticed the skis, which had remained untouched.

Three bodies were discovered during the aerial search in what Air Zermatt called an avalanche cone on the mountain. Two more bodies were found about 650 feet higher up on the mountain in a small snow patch, the emergency air transport company said.

The fifth pair of skis was also found in the area, it added.

Identification of the bodies is underway, police said. The local prosecutor’s office has launched an investigation to determine the cause of the deaths.

A BRITISH tourist has been arrested and extradited to Portugal after a teenager was brutally stabbed to death with a broken bottle in Lisbon.

The 27-year-old fugitive was bundled on a flight back to the Portuguese capital and remanded in custody after losing a battle against his forced return.

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He is expected to stand trial over the killing of Daniel Galhanas, 19, who was stabbed in the neck in the city’s party hotspot Bairro Alto in the early hours of October 14, 2023.

Daniel was reportedly attacked while trying to defend a friend during a violent bust-up between rival groups – one of which included British holidaymakers.

Initial reports claimed the teen’s pal had tried to rob the tourist and his friends as part of a gang of thieves targeting foreigners in the area.

But Daniel’s family strongly deny he had any involvement in criminal activity – insisting he was simply trying to help a friend in trouble when he was fatally attacked.

Footage of the incident shows a man hurling a bottle at Daniel’s friend before picking up the broken glass and stabbing Daniel, who stumbles before collapsing in a pool of blood.

He went into cardiac arrest at the scene and was rushed to São José Hospital by volunteer firefighters – but died shortly after from his injuries.

Video from the night shows chaos erupting on the street near Largo do Calhariz, with a dozen people brawling as cars drive past the carnage.

Confirming the dramatic arrest and extradition, Portugal’s Policia Judiciaria said they had worked with UK police and judicial authorities to track down the 27-year-old suspect.

He is believed to have committed first-degree murder in 2023 in Largo do Calhariz, in Lisbon’s Bairro Alto district.

They said the crime took place between 4am and 5am on October 14, following a violent altercation between two rival groups.

“The victim ended up being hit in the neck with a broken glass bottle, which caused serious injuries and led to his death on the spot,” a spokesman said.

Officers said the suspect and his group fled the scene immediately after the attack.

They explained that a probe led by the PJ’s Lisbon and Tagus Valley Directorate resulted in the suspect being identified and an international arrest warrant being issued.

“The suspect, a foreign national, was eventually located and arrested in the United Kingdom, where he travelled to the day after the murder,” they added.

He has since appeared before judicial authorities in Portugal and been remanded in pre-trial custody.

At the time of the horror attack, local reports named Daniel as the young man seen in a disturbing viral video being stabbed with a glass shard before collapsing.

Police told his devastated family they were hunting an “English tourist” in connection with the killing.

A relative said: “An Englishman throws a glass bottle at his friend, who breaks it. The same individual picks up the pieces of glass and hits Daniel, who stood in front of his friend to defend him.

“The group of Englishmen flee and are chased by Daniel’s friends. He was left behind to faint with a friend, as the video shows.”

The family have repeatedly rejected claims Daniel was linked to a gang, saying he was a local boy from Odivelas who was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

A volunteer fire team who found Daniel bleeding on the street tried to save him – but later had their own vehicle attacked in a separate incident.

Commander Débora Alves said: “I don’t connect one thing to the other, but, shortly after the murder, a man was arrested for having stoned the window of one of our cars.

“The vehicle was inoperable after the attack.”

MINNEAPOLIS — Police reform and civil rights activists joined thousands of other people Sunday to mark the fifth anniversary of George Floyd’s murder at religious services, concerts and vigils nationwide and decry the Trump administration for setting their efforts back decades.

The Rev. Al Sharpton said at a Houston graveside service that Floyd represented all of those “who are defenseless against people who thought they could put their knee on our neck.”

He compared Floyd’s killing to that of Emmett Till, a 14-year-old Black boy who was abducted and lynched in Mississippi in 1955 after being accused of offending a white woman.

“What Emmett Till was in his time, George Floyd has been for this time in history,” Sharpton said.

In a park about 2 miles away from Floyd’s grave site, a memorial service was set to take place, followed by five hours of music, preaching, poetry readings and a balloon release.

Events started Friday in Minneapolis with concerts, a street festival and a “self-care fair,” and were to culminate with a worship service, gospel music concert and candlelight vigil on Sunday.

The remembrances come at a fraught moment for activists, who had hoped the worldwide protests that followed Floyd’s murder by police on May 25, 2020, would lead to lasting police reform across the U.S. and a continued focus on racial justice issues.

Events in Minneapolis center around George Floyd Square, the intersection where Police Officer Derek Chauvin, who is white, used his knee to pin Floyd’s neck to the pavement for about 9½ minutes, even as the 46-year-old Black man’s cried, “I can’t breathe.” Even with Minneapolis officials’ promises to remake the Police Department, some activists contend that the progress has come at a glacial pace.

“We understand that change takes time,” Michelle Gross, president of Communities United Against Police Brutality, said in a statement last week. “However, the progress being claimed by the city is not being felt in the streets.”

The Trump administration moved Wednesday to cancel settlements with Minneapolis and Louisville that called for an overhaul of their police departments following Floyd’s murder and the police killing of Breonna Taylor. Under former President Biden, the U.S. Justice Department had pushed for oversight of local police it had accused of widespread abuses.

President Trump has also declared an end to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives within the federal government, and his administration is using federal funds as leverage to force local governments, universities and public school districts to do the same. Republican-led states also have accelerated their efforts to stamp out DEI initiatives.

Vancleave and Lafleur write for the Associated Press and reported from Minneapolis and Houston, respectively.

AN ELECTRICIAN heroically smashed his way into a burning home to help save two people from a fire which killed a mum and three of her children.

Victor Pedra heard a dad crying and screaming “my children, my wife, my whole family is in there” at around 1.15am on Saturday.

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He bravely ran towards the flames and broke a lower floor window to gain access to his neighbour’s house in Brent, west London.

The dad-of-two helped rescue a grandmother aged in her 70s, who has been released from hospital, and her teen granddaughter who remains in intensive care.

But a 43-year-old mum and her other three children aged 15, eight and four, all tragically died at the scene.

Victor, 33, said: “I heard the dad outside crying and screaming ‘my children, my wife, my whole family is in there’. He was in shock and couldn’t really speak.

“I had gone outside and saw people standing around watching these huge flames so I just knew I had to act. I cut my hand breaking the window.

“The grandmother and one of the daughters managed to get out safely. The only way they could escape was through the garden as the front door was blocked by the fire.

“The flames were so strong and there was smoke everywhere. I couldn’t get to the second floor where the mum and her youngest son was.

“I also had to wake up the people in the house next door before it caught fire as they were all sleeping and hadn’t realised.

“Firefighters managed to bring the mum and one of the sons out and attempted CPR for about an hour but it was no use.

“They also managed to bring the other son and eldest daughter out from the top floor but sadly it was too late for them. It was really tough to see.

“I couldn’t sleep that night as I just kept hearing the screams from inside the house.”

His partner Leticia Maria, 31, added: “I was speechless. One of the firefighters was my friend but I didn’t even recognise him from the shock.

“It all happened so quickly. The fire seemed to take hold instantly. It seemed like it started from the top down because it wasn’t as strong at the bottom.

“The little girl managed to escape and was covered in black stuff from the smoke. She looked about 12-years-old.

“No one knows what caused the fire but you could hear explosions like things were popping.

“All the children must have been sleeping at that time. It’s just such a tragedy.”

Brent councillor Tariq Dar MBE named Usman Ghani, known as Ozzy, as the man who lost his wife and three children in the tragic fire.

He wrote on Facebook: “It is with profound sadness that we share the heartbreaking news of the passing of the wife and three beloved children—a daughter and two young sons—of Brother Usman Ghani in a tragic house fire in Wembley last night.

“Please remember the entire family in your heartfelt duas during this incredibly difficult time.”

The Met Police arrested a 41-year-old man who remains in custody on suspicion of murder.

Firefighters were supervising today while specialist workers secured the terraced home so detectives can investigate safely.

Six bouquets of flowers and a large blue teddy bear were left at the large police cordon surrounding the estate near Wembley Stadium.

A friend who knew the family well said: “It’s very sad. They were such loving and friendly people and will be dearly missed by everyone.

“Usman would always give me good advice. If something ran out like my milk or eggs, I would always go and borrow from them and it would never be a problem.

“He bought this house and worked very hard in a warehouse through an agency. He used to be a bus driver but had to stop due to health issues.

“The family are practising Muslims and were originally from Pakistan when Usman’s parents moved here over 25 years ago. His dad died a couple of years ago.

“I would always see the kids playing outside. It’s making me tear up thinking I will never see them again now the family is broken.

“They had just started half term and it makes me really sad thinking they won’t be going back to school.”

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As mass protests over the police murder of George Floyd raged across Los Angeles in late May 2020, the LAPD had an unexpected problem.

After a week of demonstrations, officers had fired so many “less-lethal” crowd control projectiles made of rubber that the department’s stockpile was running low.

Scrambling to buy more, officials arranged for two reserve officers to fly a private plane to Casper, Wyo., to pick up 2,000 additional rounds from an arms wholesaler called Safariland, according to LAPD emails reviewed by The Times.

The days and weeks that followed brought more unrest in the streets, with police criticized for indiscriminately firing rubber rounds into crowds, injuring scores of people with shots to the face or torso.

Multiple reports and activists assailed the department’s response to the protests as a botched operation that resulted from poor planning, inadequate training and failure to learn from past mistakes.

According to The Times’ analysis of LAPD data released by the L.A. city attorney’s office, police actions related to the George Floyd protests have cost $11.9 million in settlements and jury awards. Scores of other pending lawsuits represent potentially tens of millions more in liability exposure.

Yet five years removed from Floyd’s killing, police backers say public opinion has largely swung back in favor of aggressive law enforcement, pointing as proof to last year’s passage of tough-on-crime legislation and ousting of progressive prosecutors.

Last month, President Trump issued an executive order promising to “unleash high-impact local police forces” in his administration’s campaign against “criminal aliens.”

The U.S. Department of Justice moved last week to cancel settlements to overhaul police departments in Louisville, Ky., and Minneapolis. The federal oversight was part of the national reckoning with racism and police brutality that followed the law enforcement killings of Breonna Taylor and Floyd, who was pinned to the pavement by a police officer for nearly 10 minutes before dying.

The push to overhaul the LAPD that began in 2020 did not result in sweeping changes, but the Police Department has in some ways come to resemble the slimmed-down version sought by some activists.

While its multibillion-dollar budget has only grown, the number of low-level arrests and traffic stops have plummeted, and staffing shortages have forced the department to focus more on responding to and solving violent crimes.

Today, the department is nearly 1,300 officers smaller than it was when Floyd died, with fewer cops on the force than at any point since 1995, mirroring nationwide declines in police staffing.

On Thursday, the L.A. City Council signed off on a $14-billion spending plan for 2025-26 that cuts funding for police recruitment in order to avoid laying off hundreds of city workers. The council provided enough money for the LAPD to hire 240 new officers over the coming year, down from the 480 proposed by Mayor Karen Bass last month.

Asked in a news radio appearance last week whether Floyd’s death had changed policing, LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said it had, largely with the slump in hiring.

LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell, center, and Capt. James Hwang perform the uniform inspection during graduation for recruit class 11-24 on May 2.

(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

The department lost scores of cops who didn’t “feel support,” he said, and recruitment continues to prove challenging.

“So that has had a negative impact on the profession overall,” he told public radio station KCRW. “We have to restore morale within the organization; we have to restore pride within the profession.”

Following years of calls for embracing alternatives to traditional policing, LAPD officials and city leaders are continuing to explore ways to hand off calls involving substance abuse, homelessness and mental illness. Officers are also no longer responding to minor traffic accidents.

Efforts to limit police traffic involvement have gained some traction, and a controversial policy enacted by former Chief Michel Moore still restricts so-called pretextual stops of motorists or pedestrians that critics say led to the disproportionate harassment of Black and brown Angelenos. The department has also taken steps to try to limit dangerous pursuits by asking supervisors to monitor them in real-time, and if the chase proves too dangerous, to call them off.

Police data show violent crime continues to drop from pandemic highs, with the exception of aggravated assaults and robberies in certain parts of the city. Property crimes, including most burglaries, have also started to trend downward.

Some efforts at reform have stalled, including a proposal to overhaul the department’s disciplinary system for officers. Another plan that would have replaced LAPD officers with unarmed transportation workers on traffic stops sputtered amid debates around jurisdiction and funding.

Art Acevedo, who began his career with the California Highway Patrol before serving as police chief in several major cities including Houston and Miami, blamed movements to “defund” and “abolish” police for polarizing the debate on how to move forward.

Acevedo, who applied for the LAPD chief’s job that eventually went to McDonnell, said police unions and allies weaponized such rhetoric because it “effectively equated advocating for police reform as one and the same as advocating for defunding the police.”

“That movement created a backlash that has translated into a diminished appetite” for reform, he said.

Acevedo also worried about officers feeling emboldened to bend or break the rules in the current climate: “You don’t want to re-create the perception, real or not, that it’s open season for bad policing, because you’re going to have that small percentage that’re going to act on that belief that they’re not going to be held accountable.”

Melina Abdullah, co-founder of Black Lives Matter-Los Angeles, shared similar concerns.

“I think they absolutely feel unleashed,” she said of police. “Not that they were ever on a leash.”

Part of the problem, Abdullah said, is public fatigue over the seemingly constant barrage of troubling incidents.

“People don’t have the bandwidth to respond with the kind of outrage that they would when you saw the beatings at Pan Pacific Park,” said Abdullah, referring to the LAPD’s response to protests in 2020.

John Burton, an attorney who filed lawsuits on behalf of several people who were wounded by less-lethal rounds during L.A. protests in 2020, said that most changes to the LAPD have been around the edges, but the department hasn’t addressed its culture of aggression.

The lack of progress, he said, is obvious in the LAPD internal affairs investigations he’s reviewed that rarely found anything wrong with officers’ use of force — even in the face of overwhelming video evidence. More than a few officers mentioned in his lawsuits have since been promoted, he said, even after he accused them of lying in police reports.

LAPD supervisors looked the other way, he said, because they are “very protective” of their officers.

Burton also noted that rubber projectiles are still being used, despite little evidence the weapons helped rein in chaos on the streets. Police also once faced criticism last year for the handling of pro-Palestinian protests on the USC and UCLA campuses.

“The thought that you’re going to stop somebody from throwing a rock at the cops by shooting one of these first is a fantasy,” he said. “They can cause very serious injuries.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court said Monday that police do not have a broad authority to enter a home to check on someone who may be suicidal and then search and seize evidence that may be used against the person.

In a 9-0 decision, the justices rejected what some courts called a “community caretaking” rule that might authorize police to enter a home even if they had no evidence of a crime or an emergency.

The case before the court began when the wife of a Rhode Island man called police because she was worried about her husband. They had argued the night before, and he possessed a handgun. Officers found the man, Edward Caniglia, sitting on his front porch. He denied that he was suicidal, but the officers called an ambulance and insisted he go to a hospital for an evaluation. He agreed but told them they could not enter his home and take his guns.

After he left, they did just that and confiscated two handguns.

The homeowner sued, alleging a violation of the 4th Amendment, which forbids “unreasonable searches and seizures” and usually requires officers to have a search warrant before going into a residence without the owner’s permission. But the 1st Circuit Court in Boston rejected his claim and said the police were acting to protect the safety and welfare of the homeowner.

The Supreme Court took up his appeal and overturned the lower court’s ruling in a short opinion in Caniglia vs. Strom.

“The 1st Circuit’s community caretaking rule goes beyond anything this court has recognized” under the 4th Amendment, said Justice Clarence Thomas. The police “lacked a warrant or consent” to enter the home, and they were not “reacting to a crime.” Nor was there an emergency that required officers to enter immediately, he added.

In the past, the court had upheld an officer’s search of a car in a similar situation. But “what is reasonable for vehicles is different from what is reasonable for homes,” Thomas wrote.

Several justices wrote separately to say the decision on Monday was narrow. Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh said “police officers may enter a home without a warrant in circumstances where they are reasonably trying to prevent a potential suicide or to help an elderly person who has been out of contact and may have fallen and suffered a serious injury.”

Washington lawyer Shay Dvoretsky, who represented the homeowner, called Monday’s decision “a significant victory for Americans concerned about the sanctity of their homes. The Supreme Court reaffirmed bedrock 4th Amendment principles and held that police do not have an open-ended license to perform community caretaking tasks in the home.”

Meanwhile, the court limited the reach of last year’s ruling that rejected non-unanimous jury verdicts in serious criminal cases. The justices said then that the Constitution as originally understood meant a jury must be unanimous to find someone guilty.

Only two states — Louisiana and Oregon — had permitted guilty verdicts based on a 10-2 or 11-1 vote, and both had agreed to end the practice.

In Edwards vs. Vannoy, the court said it would not apply the new rule retroactively to old cases. Thedrick Edwards was convicted on multiple counts of robbery, kidnapping and rape in 2006 and sentenced to life in prison, but the jury verdicts were not unanimous.

The justices split along ideological lines on whether he could obtain a new trial. The court’s conservatives insisted the justices had said in the past they would not apply new decisions to old cases. But the court’s liberals said an exception existed for “watershed” rulings and that last year’s ruling met that standard.

In 1989, the court left open the possibility that it might extend new rules to past cases if they involved an issue of “fundamental” fairness. Since then, however, the justices have never agreed that a new rule is so “fundamental” as to be such a “watershed” decision.

GOVERNMENT officials are investigating the possibility of Russia having links to arson attacks at properties belonging to Sir Keir Starmer, it is claimed.

Two homes and a car previously owned by the Prime Minister were torched earlier this month.

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Officials probing whether the three Ukrainian-born men charged with arson or conspiring to commit arson were recruited by the Kremlin, according to senior Whitehall figures.

This is just one of many lines of investigation being explored.

Talks are ongoing on how to respond if this proves to be the case, they told the Financial Times.

Even if there are found to be Russian links that does not mean the suspects were aware of any Kremlin involvement.

Cops have already said they suspect the trio of suspects could be part of a wider community.

However, they are keeping an open mind about motive.

The inquiry is being led by the Met’s counterterrorism command due to the connection to a high profile public figure, the force previously confirmed.

The suspects have been charged with criminal as opposed to national security offences.

Petro Pochynok, 34, is accused of conspiring to damage by fire the PM’s former Toyota Rav4, a property where he once lived and his family’s former house with intent to endanger life.

Models Roman Lavrynovych, 21, and Stanislav Carpiuc, 26, are also charged with plotting arsons between April 17 and May 13.

The charges relate to a vehicle fire in Kentish Town on May 8, a fire at the entrance of a property in Islington on May 11 and a fire at a residential address in Kentish Town in the early hours of May 12.

The three suspects deny the charges.

On Monday, police raided a two-bed North London flat said to have been previously shared by Pochynok and Carpiuc, his dad and brother until about six months ago.

Pochynok is said to have last visited the property three weeks ago.

Six officers were seen carrying evidence bags out after spending about four hours inside.

Carpiuc was arrested last Saturday at Luton Airport as he prepared to catch a Wizz Air flight to Romania.

He studied business at Canterbury Christ Church University in Kent, and is awaiting his results.

On website StarNow.com, Carpiuc said he wanted to be the “top male model in the world”.

The suspects have not displayed any links to Russia.

One has previously posted pro Ukraine messaging on social media.

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