Category World News

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…

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

Car crash to crowd crushes: Is this a first for Liverpool fans?

Sadly, no. Liverpool fans have previously been killed and injured in stampedes, clashes with rival fans, or in deliberate attacks. And fans of other clubs have suffered as a result of Liverpool fans’ aggression.

In 1985, during the European Cup final between Liverpool and Juventus at Heysel Stadium in Brussels, Belgium, Liverpool supporters charged towards Juventus fans. The Juventus fans were pressed against a wall, which collapsed, crushing some of the fans: 39 people died and 600 were injured. Most of the victims were Juventus fans or other Italians watching the match.

In 1989, a deadly crowd crush at the West Stand of Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield, England, killed 97 Liverpool fans during an FA Cup match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest.

One of the victims died aged 55 in 2021 after sustaining life-changing injuries during the crush. While unruly fans were initially blamed, it was ultimately concluded that it was mismanagement by the police that caused the crush. Fans were allowed to enter the overcrowded stadium.

More recently, in April 2018, Sean Cox, a Liverpool fan and father of three, was attacked by fans of the Italy-based football club Roma before a Champions League semifinal match. The attack took place at the Albert pub near Liverpool’s Anfield Stadium. Cox was left with severe head injuries. In 2019, Roma fan Simone Mastrelli was sentenced to three and a half years in prison after he pleaded guilty. In April 2023, Cox was able to walk again with the help of an exoskeleton.

Is humor truly the best medicine? Nigar Nazar, a Pakistani cartoonist, thinks it might be. Through her witty and thought-provoking cartoons, which address social and cultural issues, she is the first female cartoonist in Pakistan and the Muslim world.

Almost two weeks before the annual monsoon’s arrival in India’s financial hub, heavy rains poured down on Mumbai, according to weather forecasters.

Farmers are happy that farmers’ crops are grown in the area, but the downpours also wreak havoc on the transport infrastructure in urban areas every year as a result of the high temperatures. The southwestern state of Maharashtra is typically expected to experience monsoon rain in the first few days of June.

Mumbai has received an “extremely heavy rainfall” warning from the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), and city officials have been in place until Tuesday.

The city’s officials issued a statement, urging people to “kindly cooperate,” and advise everyone to stay indoors and avoid traveling unless necessary.

The IMD stated in a statement that the rains had “16 days earlier than usual” and that the monsoon was typically forecast for Mumbai on June 11 to follow. This is the agency’s earliest onset in nearly a quarter of a century, the agency claimed.

This is the earliest monsoon to pass over Mumbai between 2001 and 2025, according to the statement.

Regional IMD chief Shubhangi Bhute confirmed that the monsoon had arrived in Maharashtra at the earliest point in 14 years.

Scientists are unsure about the exact impact of global warming on the region’s highly complex monsoon system, despite the fact that South Asia has recently experienced rising temperatures and shifting weather patterns.

Between June and September each year, the southwest monsoon, a powerful sea breeze, produces between 70 and 80 percent of South Asia’s annual rainfall. The subcontinent’s landmass is influenced by seasonal heat that causes air to rise, inflicts cooler winds from the Indian Ocean, and causes a lot of rain to fall.

According to Al Jazeera’s sources, Hamas has consented to the United States’ request for a ceasefire, but an American official rejected it and called the deal being discussed “unacceptable” and “disappointing.”

Israeli officials added that no Israeli government could accept the proposal, according to the Reuters news agency, who denied the report on Monday.

The conflicting reports came as Israeli forces continued to bombard Gaza’s besieged enclave with vicious fire and severely restrict the entry of aid.

According to medical sources, at least 81 people were killed in Israel’s attacks on Monday alone, many of whom were children.

According to Al Jazeera’s sources, Hamas and Steve Witkoff, the US’s Middle East envoy, met in Doha, Qatar, and agreed to the draft agreement. They claimed that the agreement includes a 60-day ceasefire and the release of 10 captives who were detained in Gaza in two stages.

The terms of the agreement and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza would be guaranteed by US President Donald Trump. According to the sources, the agreement would permit the entry of humanitarian aid without conditions starting with the agreement.

Witkoff, however, disputed the claim that Hamas had accepted his offer for a captcha and truce, telling Reuters that what he had witnessed was “completely unacceptable”.

Additionally, a US source close to Witkoff claimed that the Palestinian group’s agreement was “disappointing” and Hamas’ claims were “inaccurate.”

new red lines

The US official, who was cited by Al Jazeera as saying that the proposed “temporary ceasefire agreement” with Israel is the only one at hand, according to Kimberly Halkett of Al Jazeera’s reporting from Washington, DC.

She said that this would allow for the return of half of the dead and half of the living captives.

The White House believes that this would lead to diplomatic discussions that could lead to a permanent ceasefire. She continued, “And this is the deal that Hamas should take,” according to the source.

Hamas did not respond right away.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised to bring back the 58 Israeli prisoners who are still incarcerated in Gaza, of whom 20 are reportedly still alive, in a recorded message posted on social media.

“We will achieve it tomorrow if we don’t today, but tomorrow we will do it,” he says. If not tomorrow, follow that day. Netanyahu stated, “We are not giving up.”

The living and the dead will all be returned, he continued.

The proposed agreement was not mentioned by the Israeli leader.

Netanyahu has long vowed to keep the war until “total victory” is achieved against the Palestinian group, according to Al Jazeera’s Hamdah Salhut, a reporter from Amman’s capital.

Salhut claimed that the Israeli premier has even drawn new conclusions about what would ultimately bring an end to the conflict.

“That includes the return of Israeli prisoners, the demilitarization of Hamas,” according to the exile of military and political leaders. Additionally, Trump’s plan for Gaza is being implemented. The White House even reversed its decision several months ago because of this plan, she said.

Netanyahu claims that is what he needs in order for the war to end.

Hamas has also stated that it is willing to immediately release the prisoners in exchange for a permanent ceasefire. In accordance with an Arab League-backed $53 billion plan for the reconstruction of the enclave, it has also stated that it is willing to hand over control of the Gaza Strip to an interim government.

However, the Palestinian organization has vowed to release its leaders from Gaza, saying that as long as Israel continues to occupy Palestinian territory, they must lay down arms or expel them.

“Doha is everything!”

Palestinians in Gaza expressed apprehension over any agreement to end Israel’s relentless bombardment and blockade, which has resulted in famine for the entire population.

From Deir el-Balah in central Gaza, Al Jazeera’s Hind Khoudary said, “All Palestinian eyes are on Doha.”

Palestinians have been attacked in their homes, schools, makeshift tents, and also in so-called safe humanitarian zones, according to Khoudary, who claims that they are unable to even provide one meal for their families since Israel resumed the war.

“Palestinians here are saying that they have no other choices and that they are attempting to survive the Israeli airstrikes and the widespread starvation that has been theirs.”

Two weeks after putting a total blockade on the enclave, Israel resumed its occupation of Gaza on March 18.

According to Gaza’s health authorities, at least 3, 822 Palestinians have died as a result of Israel’s renewed offensive, and 53, 977 people have already died overall. Some 122, 966 people have been wounded.

On Tuesday, May 27, 2018, this is the situation as it stands:

Fighting:

• Ukraine claims that Russia reportedly launched a record number of drone strikes on Monday, with Volodymyr Zelenskyy describing the incidents as evidence that Moscow is “acting with impunity.”
• According to authorities, the majority of the 355 drones were downed by Ukrainian air defenses, but several of them actually broke through defenses and killed people. The regional governor of Ukraine reported that two elderly women had died in the region of Kharkiv in the northeast.
• Meanwhile, Russia accuses Ukraine of attacking its “social infrastructure” with aerial strikes. After shooting down 96 overnight, the Ministry of Defense announced on Monday that it had shot down at least 48 Ukrainian drones.
• According to the Defense Ministry, Russian forces have taken control of the villages of Volodymyrivka and Belovody in Sumy’s northeastern region, according to Russia’s state-run TASS news agency.
• In an effort to establish a “buffer zone” on Ukrainian territory, the governor of Sumy claimed that Russian forces had taken control of four additional villages. He named them Novenke, Basivka, Veselivka, and Zhuravka, and said that the area’s residents had been evacuated for a while.
• Since the start of the war, 630 Ukrainian children have been killed and 1,960 have been wounded in Russian attacks, according to the prosecutor general’s office in Ukraine.
• Rodion Miroshnik, a special envoy to the Russian government’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, claims that the Ukrainian military used “inhumane methods of warfare” to cause more than 400 civilian casualties in April.

military assistance

• German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced that key Western allies in Ukraine are no longer limiting the supply of weapons, a move the Kremlin described as “dangerous.”
• Ukraine claims to have received confirmation from China’s supply of a variety of significant goods to Russian military installations, including tooling machines, special chemical products, gunpowder, and components made specifically for the defense manufacturing industries.

diplomacy and politics

Donald Trump, the president of the United States, made the comment that Putin has gone “absolutely crazy” over the scope of Russian airstrikes, suggesting that the US leader may be experiencing “emotional overload.”
• Additionally, it stated that a draft draft of Russia’s proposal for a potential peace deal with the Ukraine had not yet been submitted, and that serious work was being done. According to spokesman Dmitry Peskov, “This is a serious draft, a draft of a serious document that requires careful checks and preparation.”
• Zelenskyy demanded more intense pressure on Moscow after it reported that Russia had launched more than 900 drones and missiles at Ukraine over the course of three nights. The Ukrainian leader said in his weekly video address, “There is no military sense in this, but it is an obvious political choice: Putin, Russia, or to continue the war and end lives.”
• Emmanuel Macron, the president of France, said he thinks Trump is beginning to realize that Putin “lied” about the Ukrainian conflict. He also demanded that Moscow submit a ceasefire order, which would be supported by the threat of “massive sanctions.” /li&gt,
• Mette Fredericton, the prime minister of Denmark, added that Moscow’s support for peace was demonstrated by the weekend’s Russian attacks on Ukraine.
• Finland contacted Russia’s ambassador in Helsinki to request an explanation for a alleged airspace violation that occurred last week. The NATO member reported on Friday that it believed two Russian military aircraft had entered its southernmost Porvoo airspace.