At least 11 people are dead and dozens injured after a driver ploughed into a crowd at a street festival in Vancouver on the eve of Canada’s election, in an attack that the prime minister, Mark Carney, said left the country “shocked, devastated and heartbroken”.

Vancouver’s police chief described the carnage as “the darkest day” in the city’s history and told reporters it was “impossible to overstate how many lives have been impacted for ever” by the lone driver.

“There are many unanswered questions about this horrific crime, the motive of the person who did it, and whether anything could have been done to prevent it,” said the interim chief constable, Steve Rai. “There are many things we still don’t know. We are working hard to get all of the answers.”

He said the victims ranged from five to 65 years old, and that dozens more were injured, “some critically and some have not yet been identified”.

Late on Sunday, the British Columbia Prosecution Service charged Kai-Ji Adam Lo, 30, with eight counts of second degree murder and said more charges were possible. Lo, a Vancouver resident, appeared in court and remains in custody, prosecutors said.

Rai said officials felt confident the incident was not an act of terrorism and there were no known prior threats to the Filipino community. The suspect had a “significant history of interactions with police and police and healthcare professionals related to mental health”, Rai said.

He later added: “It’s not policing the symptom. We’ve got to get to the root cause. We’ve got to get people help, and it’s not putting more cops on the street.”

Vancouver’s mayor, Ken Sim, said he has directed a full review of the city’s “event safety measures, including barriers, traffic control and safety protocols”.

Echoing Rai’s comments, he added: “We can’t create a police state here, right? It doesn’t get to the root cause. The conversation keeps coming back to mental health. We need to take care of people that are sick, get them the care they need.”

The Lapu-Lapu festival, held on a balmy spring day, drew nearly 100,000 people, many of whom were families with young children. The celebration is named after Datu Lapu-Lapu, an Indigenous resistance fighter in the Philippines, who orchestrated the defeat of the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan in battle in 1521.

Saturday’s festival was the second annual event for the city and organisers advertised a street parade, artisans, cultural activities, a basketball tournament and local food vendors.

Carney, the Liberal party prime minister and former Bank of England governor who is favourite to win Monday’s election, paused campaigning to address the country on Sunday morning.

“Those families are living every family’s nightmare,” said a visibly emotional Carney. “I know that I join all Canadians in mourning with you. I know that Canadians are united with you.” Carney referenced “Bayanihan”, the Filipino value of community serving those in need. “This spirit upon which we must draw in this incredibly difficult time. We will comfort the grieving. We will care for each other. We will unite in common purpose.”

Carney said he had been briefed by national security officials who believed the attacker acted alone and that there was no active threat to the public.

“Last night was extremely difficult and the community will feel this for a long time,” RJ Aquino, the chair of the festival organiser Filipino BC, told reporters, asking the media to respect the privacy of those affected. “We know that there’s a lot of questions floating about and we don’t have all the answers, but we want to tell everybody that we’re grieving.”

Vancouver had more than 38,600 residents of Filipino heritage in 2021, representing 5.9% of the city’s total population, according to Statistics Canada.

Ferdinand Marcos Jr, the Filipino president, said he was “completely shattered” by the incident and that his government conveyed the “deepest sympathies to the families of the victims and to the strong and thriving Filipino community in Canada”.

King Charles said he and his wife were “profoundly saddened” by the attack and “send our deepest possible sympathy at a most agonising time for so many in Canada”.

The incident occurred shortly after 8pm local time (1300 BST), said Rai. The event was wrapping up, but many festivalgoers were in the area when the driver in an SUV approached. A photo posted to X half an hour before showed a busy street with young people looking at the wares of food truck vendors.

“It is hard to make sense of something so senseless, and I know there are questions about whether this tragedy could have been prevented,” said Rai.

Footage posted online showed a black luxury SUV with a damaged bonnet parked on a street littered with debris as first aiders tended to people lying on the ground.

One witness told CTV News he saw a vehicle driving erratically in the area of the festival just before the crowd was hit. The Vancouver Sun said thousands of people were in the area.

“I didn’t get to see the driver, all I heard was an engine rev,” said Yoseb Vardeh, a food truck operator, in an interview with Postmedia. “I got outside my food truck, I looked down the road and there’s just bodies everywhere. He went through the whole block, he went straight down the middle.”

Kris Pangilinan, a Toronto-based journalist attending the festival, told CBC News: “[The driver] just slammed the pedal down and rammed into hundreds of people. It was like seeing a bowling ball hit – all the bowling pins and all the pins flying up in the air.”

“It was like a war zone … There were bodies all over the ground,” he said.

Festival attenders held the suspect until police could arrive.

Video circulating on social media showed a young man in a hoodie with his back against a chain-link fence, alongside a security guard and surrounded by bystanders screaming and swearing at him. “I’m sorry,” the man said, holding his hand to his head.

Police set up a 24-hour assistance centre to help anyone who had been unable to contact relatives or friends who were at the festival.

Harjit Sajjan, a former defence minister who previously worked as a police officer in Vancouver, told CTV News the aftermath was “the largest crime scene that I’ve seen. I’ve been to many crime scenes in that neighbourhood before … This is unfathomable.”

Sim said: “Our thoughts are with all those affected and with Vancouver’s Filipino community during this incredibly difficult time.

The incident cast a pall over the final day of the federal election campaigning. Canadians go to the polls on Monday in a vote heavily influenced by the spectre of Donald Trump’s threats to annex Canada and a trade war he has launched against his country’s northern neighbour.

The New Democratic party (NDP) leader, Jagmeet Singh, had attended the festival to meet voters. He left about an hour before the incident.

“Having been at the Lapu-Lapu festival, this is a festival with kids there and families there,” Singh said. “I don’t have the words to describe the pain that I’m feeling now at the lives that were lost … We don’t know the motives, we don’t know any of the details. But, ultimately, this is something that targeted the Filipino community and the Filipino community right now is reeling.”

The NDP cancelled four other events in the province schedule for Sunday. Carney’s campaign said a large rally in British Columbia had been cancelled.

“All Canadians are united in solidarity with the Filipino community,” the Conservative leader, Pierre Poilievre, said while visiting a Filipino church in Ontario. “All Canadians are united with you in mourning the loss of these treasured lives and in binding our country together to support the surviving loved ones.”

The Tory leader called the SUV ramming attack a “senseless act of violence”.

“I know that today will be a day of prayer and reflection for the Filipino community and for all Canadians and I want you to know that all our country is with you today as you mourn this terrible loss,” he said.

Thousands had gathered in Vancouver this weekend to mark Lapu Lapu Day, a celebration of a Filipino national hero who fought against Spanish colonisation, when a car-ramming attack killed at least 11 and injured dozens more.

Datu Lapulapu, the chief of Mactan, an island now part of the central Visayas region of the Philippines, defeated Spanish forces led by the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan in 1521. Primary accounts of that day are limited, but Lapulapu’s victory has become a symbol of bravery and resistance to colonial rule.

British Columbia officially recognised 27 April as Lapu Lapu Day in 2023, with local officials noting the date was an opportunity to “learn more about the history of people in British Columbia of Filipino heritage and to celebrate their contributions to the vibrancy and prosperity of the province”.

The province is home to a significant Filipino community, with 172,915 people of Filipino origin living in British Columbia in 2021, about 3.46% of the population.

The Philippines’ former president Rodrigo Duterte named 27 April as Lapu Lapu Day, making it a special working public holiday for the country, and a non-working holiday for Lapu-Lapu City on Mactan Island, in the centre of the county.

In Lapu-Lapu City, which was named after the national hero, festivities stretched for almost a month this year and featured a special market, parade and re-enactment of the Battle of Mactan.

Organisers of the celebrations in Vancouver said this declaration honoured the legacy of Lapulapu as well as symbolising “the cultural harmony and mutual respect that thrive in the province of British Columbia”.

Ahead of the gathering, organisers described Lapulapu as representing “the soul of native resistance, a powerful force that helped shape the Filipino identity in the face of colonisation”, adding that he “teaches us that the strength of a united people, bound by a shared commitment to their heritage, can withstand any challenge”.

The festivities in Vancouver were designed as a celebration of Filipino pride and heritage, featuring music, a parade, film screenings, cultural dances, markets with local handmade goods and food, and basketball – the Philippines’ most loved sport.

In a statement shared after the attack, organisers wrote that they were “devastated” for families and victims: “We are still finding the words to express the deep heartbreak brought on by this senseless tragedy,” they said.

Eleven people were killed and dozens of others injured when a driver ploughed a car into a crowd at a street festival in Vancouver on Saturday evening.

“This is the darkest day in our city’s history,” the interim chief constable Steve Rai told reporters on Sunday morning, adding that more deaths were possible in the coming days. “It’s hard to make sense of something so senseless.”

The festival, held on a balmy spring day, drew nearly 100,000 people, many of whom were families with young children. Lapu Lapu Day is named after chief Lapulapu, an Indigenous resistance fighter in the Philippines, who led his men to defeat the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan in battle in 1521. Saturday’s festival was the second annual event for the city and organisers advertised a street parade, artisans, cultural activities, a giant basketball tournament and local food vendors. The six-time Grammy-winning musical group Black Eyed Peas headlined a concert event.

Rai said officials felt confident the incident was not an act of terrorism and there were no known prior threats to the Filipino community. A 30-year-old man who had been driving a black Audi SUV was arrested.

Mark Carney, the Canadian prime minister, paused general election campaigning to address the country on Sunday morning.

“Those families are living every family’s nightmare,” said a visibly emotional Carney. “I know that I join all Canadians in mourning with you. I know that Canadians are united with you.” Carney referenced “Bayanihan”, the Filipino value of community serving those in need. “This spirit upon which we must draw in this incredibly difficult time. We will comfort the grieving. We will care for each other. We will unite in common purpose.”

Carney said he had been briefed by national security officials who believed the attacker acted alone and that there was no active threat to the public.

Ferdinand Marcos Jr, the Philippine president, said he was “completely shattered” by the incident and said his government conveyed the “deepest sympathies to the families of the victims and to the strong and thriving Filipino community in Canada”.

The incident happened shortly after 8pm local time. A photo posted to X half an hour before showed a busy street with young people looking at the wares of rows of food truck vendors.

Footage posted online showed a black SUV with a damaged bonnet parked on a street littered with debris as first-aiders tended to people lying on the ground.

One witness told CTV News he saw a vehicle driving erratically in the area of the festival just before the crowd was hit. The Vancouver Sun said thousands of people had been in the area.

“I didn’t get to see the driver, all I heard was an engine rev,” Yoseb Vardeh, a food truck operator, told Postmedia. “I got outside my food truck, I looked down the road and there’s just bodies everywhere. He went through the whole block, he went straight down the middle.”

Kris Pangilinan, a Toronto-based journalist attending the festival, told CBC news: “[The driver] just slammed the pedal down and rammed into hundreds of people. It was like seeing a bowling ball hit – all the bowling pins and all the pins flying up in the air.”

“It was like a war zone … There were bodies all over the ground,” he said.

Festival attenders held the suspect until police could arrive. Police said the man was known to them “in certain circumstances”.

Video circulating on social media showed a young man in a hoodie with his back against a chain-link fence, alongside a security guard and surrounded by bystanders screaming and swearing at him. “I’m sorry,” the man said, holding his hand to his head.

Police set up a 24-hour assistance centre to help anyone who had been unable to contact relatives or friends who were at the festival.

Harjit Sajjan, a former defence minister who previously worked as a police officer in Vancouver, told CTV News the aftermath was the “the largest crime scene that I’ve seen. I’ve been to many crime scenes in that neighbourhood before … This is unfathomable.”

The Vancouver mayor, Ken Sim, said: “Our thoughts are with all those affected and with Vancouver’s Filipino community during this incredibly difficult time.”

The incident happened shortly before Canadians go to the polls on Monday after a frenetic election race where candidates have wooed voters on issues including rising living costs and tackling Donald Trump’s tariffs. Carney is favoured to win after promising voters he would stand up to Washington’s sweeping import levies.

The New Democratic party (NDP) leader, Jagmeet Singh, had attended the festival to meet voters. He left about an hour before the incident.

“Having been at the Lapu Lapu festival, this is a festival with kids there and families there,” Singh said. “I don’t have the words to describe the pain that I’m feeling now at the lives that were lost … We don’t know the motives, we don’t know any of the details. But, ultimately, this is something that targeted the Filipino community and the Filipino community right now is reeling.”

The NDP cancelled four other events in the province schedule for Sunday. Carney’s campaign announced a large rally in British Columbia had been cancelled.

“All Canadians are united in solidarity with the Filipino community,” the Conservative party leader, Pierre Poilievre, said while visiting a Filipino church in Ontario. “All Canadians are united with you in mourning the loss of these treasured lives and in binding our country together to support the surviving loved ones.”

Poilievre called the attack a “senseless act of violence”, adding: “I know that today will be a day of prayer and reflection for the Filipino community and for all Canadians and I want you to know that all our country is with you today as you mourn this terrible loss.”

King Charles said he and his wife were “profoundly saddened” by the attack and “send our deepest possible sympathy at a most agonising time for so many in Canada”.

Vancouver had more than 38,600 residents of Filipino heritage in 2021, representing 5.9% of the city’s total population, according to Statistics Canada, the agency that conducts the national census.

China and the Philippines have displayed their national flags in competing photo opportunities on a disputed sandbank in the South China sea, ratcheting up longstanding regional tensions between the two countries.

The dispute played out at Sandy Cay, which is part of the disputed Spratly Islands, and comes days after the US and the Philippines launched their annual joint military drills called “Balikatan”, or “shoulder to shoulder”, which this year will include an integrated air and missile defence simulation for the first time.

The latest confrontation appears to have begun on Thursday, when Chinese state media reported the Coast Guard has landed on the disputed reef, unfurled a flag and “exercised sovereign jurisdiction”.

On Sunday, China’s coast guard then accused six Filipino personnel of “illegally boarding” Sandy Cay, which Beijing calls Tiexian Reef, earlier that day despite “warnings and dissuasion” from the Chinese side.

Spokesperson Liu Dejun said coast guard personnel then “boarded the reef and investigated and dealt with it in accordance with the law”.

“We urge the Philippines to immediately stop its infringement,” Liu said, adding that the actions “violated China’s territorial sovereignty”.

There do not appear to be any signs that China has permanently occupied the reef or has built a structure on it.

State broadcaster CCTV published a photograph of five black-clad people standing on the uninhabited reef as a dark inflatable boat bobbed in the nearby water. The group also “cleaned up leftover plastic bottles, wooden sticks and other debris and garbage on the reef”, the broadcaster reported.

Philippines Coast Guard spokesperson Jay Tarriela said on Sunday that its navy, coast guard and police personnel had deployed to Sandy Cay in four rubber boats and had “observed the illegal presence” of a Chinese Coast Guard vessel and seven China maritime militia vessels.

Posting footage of their own flag being displayed, Tarriela added: “This operation reflects the unwavering dedication and commitment of the Philippine government to uphold the country’s sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction in the West Philippine Sea.”

Beijing claims sovereignty over almost all of the South China Sea and has waved away competing assertions from other countries in the region as well as an international ruling that its position has no legal basis.

At the opening ceremony in Manila for the joint US-Philippines military drills, which began on Monday last week, US Marine Corps Lieutenant General James Glynn said the two sides would “demonstrate not just our will to uphold our mutual defence treaty in existence since 1951 but our matchless capability to do so”.

“Nothing builds bonds more quickly than shared adversity,” he said, without specifying a common threat.

Beijing said the military manoeuvres “undermine regional strategic stability” and accused Manila of “collusion with countries outside the region”.

With Agence France-Presse

Asked to comment on his meeting at the Vatican with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Donald Trump on Sunday expressed newfound sympathy for his Ukrainian counterpart, saying he “wants to do something good for his country” and “is working hard”.

Reflecting on his conversation with the Ukrainian president in a “beautiful” setting, the US president also said that he was “surprised and disappointed, very disappointed” that Russia had bombed Ukraine after discussions between Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, and Trump’s peace envoy, Steve Witkoff. “I was very disappointed that missiles were flying, by Russia,” the US president said.

Speaking to reporters at an airport in New Jersey, Trump said that Zelenskyy “told me that he needs more weapons, but he’s been saying that for three years”.

Asked what he wants Putin to do, Trump replied: “Well, I want him to stop shooting. Sit down and sign the deal. We have the confines of a deal, I believe, and I want him to sign it and be done with it.”

“Do you trust President Putin?” Trump was asked.

“I’ll let you know in about two weeks,” Trump said. Pressed to elaborate on what he expects to happen in two weeks, Trump evaded the question. “Two weeks or less,” he said, vaguely, “but you know they’re losing a lot of people. We have 3, 4,000 people dying every week.”

Trump also said that his relationship with Zelenskyy was improved by the face-to-face at the Vatican: “Look, it was never bad. We had a little dispute, because I disagreed with something he said, and the cameras were rolling and that was OK with me.”

“Look, he’s in a tough situation, a very tough situation. He’s fighting a much bigger force, much bigger,” Trump added. The president then repeated his frequent false claim that the United States had given Ukraine $350bn to aid its defense from the Russian invasion.

“I see him as calmer,” Trump said, comparing the Zelenskyy he met at the Vatican with the one he confronted in the Oval Office in February. “I think he understands the picture, and I think he wants to make a deal.”

The president also claimed that there had been “a little bit” of progress in trade talks with China, talks that Chinese officials have said are not taking place. “They want to make a deal, obviously,” Trump said. “Now, they’re not doing any business with us, you know, because, not because of them, because of me. Because at 145%, you can’t do business,” he said, in reference to the import tariff rate he imposed this month. “But something’s going to happen, that’s going to be possible.”

Asked about the death by suicide of Virginia Giuffre, one of the most prominent victims of the disgraced US financier Jeffrey Epstein, Trump said: “That whole situation is very sad, her and others, and so certainly that’s a horrible thing.”

Epstein had socialized with Trump at Mar-a-Lago, and video from 1992 showed the two men laughing together during a party Trump hosted there.

In legal filings, Giuffre said she had been a teenage spa attendant at Mar-a-Lago – Trump’s club in Palm Beach, Florida – when she was approached in 2000 by Epstein’s girlfriend and later employee, Ghislaine Maxwell.

Giuffre said Maxwell hired her as a masseuse for Epstein, but that the couple effectively made her a sexual servant for not only Epstein but his friends and associates.

• In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor. In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org

North Korea has confirmed for the first time that it has sent troops to fight for Russia in the war with Ukraine under the orders of leader Kim Jong-un.

The end of the battle in Russia’s Kursk region showed the “highest strategic level of the firm militant friendship” between North Korea and Russia, the North’s KCNA state news agency cited the ruling party as saying.

Russia claimed last week that Ukrainian forces had been expelled from the last Russian village they had been holding, although Kyiv denied the claim and said their troops were still operating in Belgorod, another Russian region bordering Ukraine.

Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday that Ukraine’s army was still fighting in Russia’s Kursk despite Moscow claiming the “liberation” of its western region. “Our military continues to perform tasks in the Kursk and Belgorod regions – we are maintaining our presence on Russian territory,” he said in his evening address. In a statement earlier on Sunday, he conceded that the situation remained difficult in many areas including Kursk.

The Central Military Commission of the North’s ruling Workers’ party said Kim made the decision to deploy North Korean troops under the comprehensive strategic partnership treaty he signed with Putin in 2024.

“Under the order of the head of state, the sub-units of the armed forces of the Republic regarded the territory of Russia as the one of their country and proved the firm alliance between the two countries,” KCNA cited the commission as saying.

“They who fought for justice are all heroes and representatives of the honour of the motherland,” KCNA quoted Kim as saying.

North Korea “regards it as an honour to have an alliance with such a powerful state as the Russian Federation,” KCNA said.

North Korea sent an estimated total of 14,000 troops, including 3,000 reinforcements to replace its losses, Ukrainian officials have said. Lacking armoured vehicles and drone warfare experience, they took heavy casualties but adapted quickly.

Russia confirmed on Saturday for the first time that North Korean soldiers have been fighting alongside Russians in Kursk. Neither Russia nor North Korea had previously either confirmed or denied the deployment.

The US State Department said it was concerned by North Korea’s direct involvement in Russia’s war in Ukraine and that Pyongyang’s military deployment for Russia must end.

“We continue to be concerned by (North Korea’s) direct involvement in the war. (North Korea’s) military deployment to Russia and any support provided by the Russian Federation to (North Korea) in return must end,” a State Department spokesperson said in an email, adding third countries like North Korea “bear responsibility” for the war.

With Reuters

• Germany’s defence minister on Sunday said Ukraine should not cede all territory occupied by Russia in a peace deal proposed by Donald Trump, as the US president pressures Moscow and Kyiv to end fighting. “Ukraine has, of course, known for some time that a sustainable, credible ceasefire or peace agreement may involve territorial concessions,” Boris Pistorius said in an interview with the broadcaster ARD. “But these will certainly not go … as far as they do in the latest proposal from the US president,” Pistorius said. “Ukraine on its own could have got a year ago what was included in that [Trump] proposal, it is akin to a capitulation. I cannot discern any added value,”

• President Donald Trump urged Russia on Sunday to stop its attacks in Ukraine while his top diplomat said the US might walk away from peace efforts if it does not see progress. Speaking to reporters in New Jersey, Trump said he was disappointed that Russia has continued to attack Ukraine, and said his one-on-one meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Vatican on Saturday had gone well.

• Trump said that his relationship with Zelenskyy had been improved by the face-to-face meeting. “Look, it was never bad. We had a little dispute, because I disagreed with something he said, and the cameras were rolling and that was OK with me.” He added, “I see him as calmer. I think he understands the picture, and I think he wants to make a deal,” Trump said of Zelenskyy.

• Russia launched a sweeping drone assault and airstrikes across Ukraine early Sunday, killing at least four people, officials said. Three people died and four were wounded in airstrikes on Kostyantynivka in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, the regional prosecutor’s office said. Another person died and a 14-year-old girl was wounded in a drone attack on the city of Pavlohrad in the Dnipropetrovsk region, which was hit for the third consecutive night, Gov. Serhii Lysak said.

• US secretary of state Marco Rubio said the Trump administration might abandon its attempts to broker a deal if Russia and Ukraine do not make headway. “It needs to happen soon,” Rubio told the NBC programme “Meet the Press.’” “We cannot continue to dedicate time and resources to this effort if it’s not going to come to fruition.”

• Trump also said on Sunday said he thought Zelenskyy was ready to give up Crimea, in direct contradiction to the Ukrainian leader’s statements on the peninsula annexed by Russia. “Oh, I think so,” said Trump in response to a question on whether he thought Zelenskyy was ready to “give up” the territory that Russia occupied in 2014.

• Zelenskyy said on Sunday Ukraine’s army was still fighting in Russia’s Kursk despite Moscow claiming the “liberation” of its western region. Kyiv had hoped it could use land in the Kursk region as a bargaining chip in future peace talks with Russia. “Our military continues to perform tasks in the Kursk and Belgorod regions – we are maintaining our presence on Russian territory,” he said in his evening address Sunday. In a statement earlier Sunday, he conceded that the situation remained difficult in many areas including Kursk.

• North Korea has confirmed for the first time that it has sent troops to fight for Russia in the war with Ukraine under the orders of leader Kim Jong-un. The end of the battle in Russia’s Kursk region showed the “highest strategic level of the firm militant friendship” between North Korea and Russia, the North’s KCNA state news agency cited the ruling party as saying.

• A Moscow court on Sunday ordered remanded in custody a Ukrainian citizen facing terrorism charges over the killing of a senior Russian military officer near Moscow, Russia’s Investigative Committee said. The committee, which deals with serious crimes in Russia, claimed the suspect had pleaded guilty to killing Yaroslav Moskalik in a car bomb attack on Friday and had said he was recruited by Ukraine’s security services.

Liverpool have won a record-equalling 20th league title in a stunning debut season for Arne Slot after beating Tottenham 5-1 at Anfield. The 46-year-old, who took on the seemingly unenviable task of succeeding Jürgen Klopp last summer, becomes the first man in Liverpool’s illustrious history to win the championship in his debut season with the club.

Anfield was ready to celebrate at kick-off, but there was an early setback when Dominic Solanke unexpectedly headed Spurs in front after 12 minutes. Liverpool hit back quickly, Luis Díaz’s equaliser awarded after a VAR review, before Alexis Mac Allister smashed home in the 23rd minute to put the hosts in front. Cody Gakpo struck from a corner before half-time to leave the outcome all but guaranteed.

The second half was a sun-kissed title party, crowned when Mohamed Salah swept in for Liverpool’s fourth – and the Egyptian’s 28th league goal of an extraordinary season. Salah was poised to add another with 20 minutes left, but Destiny Udogie reached the ball first for an unfortunate own goal.

Liverpool’s triumph and the end of Manchester City’s four-season reign as Premier League champions has appeared inevitable for some time with the club building a commanding lead over their nearest challengers, Arsenal, since the turn of the year. Arsenal’s draw with Crystal Palace on Wednesday left Slot’s side needing one point from their final five matches and they sealed the title with four games remaining.

Victory brings Liverpool level with their fallen rivals, Manchester United, on 20 league championships. It is their second Premier League title in five years but unlike in 2019-20, when Klopp’s team ended the club’s 30-year wait for a 19th league crown behind closed doors, their latest triumph was celebrated in front of jubilant supporters. Liverpool were unable to hold a trophy parade five years ago because of the Covid pandemic but one will be staged in the city on Monday 26 May. Klopp may be in attendance, having assembled the supremely talented squad that Slot inherited.

The charismatic German’s shock departure last season signalled the end of an era but Slot, lured from Feyenoord by the club’s new sporting director, Richard Hughes, made a seamless transition. The head coach, as he is officially titled, became the first Liverpool manager to win 11 of his first 12 matches in all competitions. After a home defeat by Nottingham Forest in the fourth game, Liverpool embarked on a 26-match unbeaten run in the Premier League that lasted almost seven months.

Slot’s side have topped the table since the defining date of 2 November. Arsenal lost at Newcastle that day, City were beaten at Bournemouth, part of their astonishing collapse of one win in 13 matches in all competitions, and Liverpool came from behind to beat Brighton 2-1 at Anfield. Mohamed Salah struck the late winner and has been the driving force behind the title success.

Liverpool’s campaign was played against a backdrop of uncertainty over the futures of Salah, the captain, Virgil van Dijk, and Trent Alexander-Arnold. All three were in the final years of their contracts and involved in protracted negotiations over extending their glittering Anfield careers. Salah and Van Dijk have recently signed new two-year contracts but Alexander-Arnold could join Real Madrid on a free transfer this summer.

Slot’s faith in the mentality and ability of the squad bequeathed by Klopp has been vindicated. Liverpool made only one signing last summer, the rarely used Federico Chiesa, as Slot assessed the talent at his disposal. The club also agreed a €35m deal to sign the Georgia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili from Valencia this summer, when Liverpool are also expected to be in the market for a centre-forward and a young left-back.

Slot follows José Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti, Manuel Pellegrini and Antonio Conte in winning the Premier League in their first season. He is the fourth Liverpool manager to win the championship at the first attempt, after Matt McQueen in 1922-23, Joe Fagan in 1983-84 and Kenny Dalglish in 1985-86, all of whom were established figures at Anfield before stepping into the role. Slot is the only one to win the league in his first season at the club, rather than being promoted from within.

“I’m very, very happy of course but to a certain extent it also feels unreal,” Slot said after the title was secured. “You’ve worked so hard for this moment to happen and, you need time to truly feel it. The fans were so happy that it didn’t take me long to understand what we’ve achieved together this season.

“It is so special. It was a proud moment when I knew I would become the new head coach here, to be part of such a great football club, and to now be part of the history of this football club is something I could have only dreamed of three or four years ago.”

Liverpool have won a record-equalling 20th league title in a stunning debut season for Arne Slot after beating Tottenham 5-1 at Anfield. The 46-year-old, who took on the seemingly unenviable task of succeeding Jürgen Klopp last summer, becomes the first man in Liverpool’s illustrious history to win the championship in his debut season with the club.

Anfield was ready to celebrate at kick-off, but there was an early setback when Dominic Solanke unexpectedly headed Spurs in front after 12 minutes. Liverpool hit back quickly, Luis Díaz’s equaliser awarded after a VAR review, before Alexis Mac Allister smashed home in the 23rd minute to put the hosts in front. Cody Gakpo struck from a corner before half-time to leave the outcome all but guaranteed.

The second half was a sun-kissed title party, crowned when Mohamed Salah swept in for Liverpool’s fourth – and the Egyptian’s 28th league goal of an extraordinary season. Salah was poised to add another with 20 minutes left, but Destiny Udogie reached the ball first for an unfortunate own goal.

Liverpool’s triumph and the end of Manchester City’s four-season reign as Premier League champions has appeared inevitable for some time with the club building a commanding lead over their nearest challengers, Arsenal, since the turn of the year. Arsenal’s draw with Crystal Palace on Wednesday left Slot’s side needing one point from their final five matches and they sealed the title with four games remaining.

Victory brings Liverpool level with their fallen rivals, Manchester United, on 20 league championships. It is their second Premier League title in five years but unlike in 2019-20, when Klopp’s team ended the club’s 30-year wait for a 19th league crown behind closed doors, their latest triumph was celebrated in front of jubilant supporters. Liverpool were unable to hold a trophy parade five years ago because of the Covid pandemic but one will be staged in the city on Monday 26 May. Klopp may be in attendance, having assembled the supremely talented squad that Slot inherited.

The charismatic German’s shock departure last season signalled the end of an era but Slot, lured from Feyenoord by the club’s new sporting director, Richard Hughes, made a seamless transition. The head coach, as he is officially titled, became the first Liverpool manager to win 11 of his first 12 matches in all competitions. After a home defeat by Nottingham Forest in the fourth game, Liverpool embarked on a 26-match unbeaten run in the Premier League that lasted almost seven months.

Slot’s side have topped the table since the defining date of 2 November. Arsenal lost at Newcastle that day, City were beaten at Bournemouth, part of their astonishing collapse of one win in 13 matches in all competitions, and Liverpool came from behind to beat Brighton 2-1 at Anfield. Mohamed Salah struck the late winner and has been the driving force behind the title success.

Liverpool’s campaign was played against a backdrop of uncertainty over the futures of Salah, the captain, Virgil van Dijk, and Trent Alexander-Arnold. All three were in the final years of their contracts and involved in protracted negotiations over extending their glittering Anfield careers. Salah and Van Dijk have recently signed new two-year contracts but Alexander-Arnold could join Real Madrid on a free transfer this summer.

Slot’s faith in the mentality and ability of the squad bequeathed by Klopp has been vindicated. Liverpool made only one signing last summer, the rarely used Federico Chiesa, as Slot assessed the talent at his disposal. The club also agreed a €35m deal to sign the Georgia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili from Valencia this summer, when Liverpool are also expected to be in the market for a centre-forward and a young left-back.

Slot follows José Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti, Manuel Pellegrini and Antonio Conte in winning the Premier League in their first season. He is the fourth Liverpool manager to win the championship at the first attempt, after Matt McQueen in 1922-23, Joe Fagan in 1983-84 and Kenny Dalglish in 1985-86, all of whom were established figures at Anfield before stepping into the role. Slot is the only one to win the league in his first season at the club, rather than being promoted from within.

“I’m very, very happy of course but to a certain extent it also feels unreal,” Slot said after the title was secured. “You’ve worked so hard for this moment to happen and, you need time to truly feel it. The fans were so happy that it didn’t take me long to understand what we’ve achieved together this season.

“It is so special. It was a proud moment when I knew I would become the new head coach here, to be part of such a great football club, and to now be part of the history of this football club is something I could have only dreamed of three or four years ago.”

More than 300 law enforcement officers from at least 10 federal agencies raided an illegal after-hours nightclub in Colorado Springs early on Sunday, arresting more than 100 people authorities said were undocumented immigrants and seizing guns, cocaine, meth and pink cocaine.

More than a dozen active-duty military members were detained as well, authorities said.

The federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) posted a video on X of the post-raid scene, with dozens of partygoers holding their hands up. Another video showed dozens of people fleeing the building through its entrance after federal agents smashed a window.

The DEA Rocky Mountain division said agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), homeland security, the US army’s criminal investigation division and the Colorado Springs police had joined the raid.

“200+ inside an underground nightclub in CO Springs had their illegal party upended this am,” the DEA posted. In a separate post, the agency’s Rocky Mountain division added: “Nothing good ever happens after 3 a.m.”

Jonathan Pullen, the DEA agent in charge, told reporters at a news conference that some detained service members were patrons while others were working as armed security guards at the underground nightclub.

Pullen said the nightclub had been under investigation for several months for alleged activities including drug trafficking, prostitution and “crimes of violence”.

“When the cops showed up at the door, most of the drugs hit the floor,” Pullen said, adding: “Colorado Springs is waking up to a safer community today.”

The pink cocaine, or tusi, that was reported to have been seized is a relatively novel drug often containing no cocaine but rather combinations such as ketamine and MDMA, methamphetamine, cocaine and fentanyl or some other combination of pink-dyed powders, according to the DEA.

Pam Bondi, the US attorney general, heralded the raid, saying on X: “As we approach his 100 days in office @POTUS Trump’s directive to make America safe again is achieving results!”

Colorado Springs is home to a number of military installations, including the Cheyenne Mountain space force station and the headquarters of US space operations command.

Sunday’s raid is the latest DEA crackdown in the area this year. In January, a raid on a “makeshift nightclub” in Adams county, near Denver, led to the arrests of 41 people living in the country illegally and another eight who had been in the club.

David Olesky, a DEA special agent in charge, said at the time that an uptick in enforcement was due to a “renewed sense of purpose” under the Trump administration.

Derek Maltz, the acting administrator of the DEA, told the ABC News affiliate Denver7 last month that Colorado is “ground zero” for violent criminals in the US and is home to the “command and control” of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.

After Sunday’s raid, the owner of the building where the party had been held told Denver7 he had no idea an underground nightclub was operating on his property.

“I’ve never even seen a lot of trash in the parking lot to even suspect that anything like an after-hours nightclub is going on. So, it’s pretty shocking,” Mike Moon said.

Moon said the space is usually rented out for birthdays, weddings and quinceañeras, and alcohol is not allowed to be served. “It’s written in their lease. They’re not allowed to do any illegal activity,” he told the outlet.

In a statement, Colorado Springs’ mayor, Yemi Mobolade, said the investigation and the execution of these warrants were “the result of clear evidence of serious criminal conduct” and that residents deserved “to live in a city where the rule of law is upheld and where illegal behavior is met with firm and decisive action”.

Israel conducted an airstrike on a residential neighbourhood of Dahiyeh in the southern suburbs of Beirut on Sunday afternoon despite a November ceasefire that officially ended fighting with the militant group Hezbollah.

Videos showed three bombs hitting a building in Dahiyeh and rescue crews working to extinguish blazes after the blast; however, no casualties were reported. The Israeli military issued an evacuation warning before the bombing, prompting panic as residents fled the area.

A spokesperson for the Israeli army said in a post on X that Israeli warplanes destroyed storage sites housing Hezbollah precision missiles.

The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and the defence minister, Israel Katz, said in a joint statement: “Israel will not allow Hezbollah to grow stronger and pose any threat to it – anywhere in Lebanon.”

The Lebanese president, Joseph Aoun, called on the US and France – both partners in the Hezbollah-Israel ceasefire deal – to put pressure on Israel to stop its strikes on Lebanon.

“The ongoing Israeli attacks on Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are unacceptable under any pretext,” Aoun said.

Israel’s strikes on the greater Beirut area on Sunday pointed to the fragility of a November ceasefire agreement that put an end to evermore than 13 months of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. Fighting started after Hezbollah launched rockets at northern Israel on 8 October 2023 “in solidarity” with its ally Hamas’s attack on southern Israel a day earlier.

In late September, Israel launched a ground invasion of southern Lebanon and wide-ranging airstrikes across Lebanon that killed about 3,900 people and displaced almost a million people in Lebanon.

Despite the implementation of the ceasefire, Israel has conducted hundreds of airstrikes across Lebanon since November, which it says are targeting members of Hezbollah or the group’s infrastructure.

Hezbollah has claimed responsibility for one rocket attack in north Israel which it called a “warning shot” since the ceasefire. Two additional rockets were launched at Israel from Lebanon in March, which Lebanese authorities blamed on a separate armed group.

As of yet, Hezbollah has not responded to the near-daily Israeli strikes, instead deferring to the Lebanese state. The capabilities of the group, most of whose senior leadership have been killed over the last two years of fighting, are severely diminished.

Under the terms of the ceasefire deal, Hezbollah is to withdraw and be replaced by the Lebanese army south of the Litani river – about 18 miles from the Israel-Lebanon border – and Israel is to withdraw its troops from south Lebanon. Most Israeli troops have withdrawn from south Lebanon, with the exception of five military points it maintains in Lebanon.

Ceasefire violations in south Lebanon are meant to be referred to an independent committee and addressed by the Lebanese army, but Lebanese officials have complained that Israel is bypassing this process by unilaterally conducting strikes in Lebanon.

The UN special coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, said Sunday’s strike “generated panic and fear of renewed violence among those desperate for a return to normalcy”.

Since the end of the fighting, Lebanon’s government has worked towards reestablishing a monopoly on arms within the country, under immense US pressure to disarm the group.

Previously, the Iran-backed militia and political party’s resources dwarfed the Lebanese army, and the group dominated domestic politics for the two decades preceding the latest Israel-Hezbollah war.

Hezbollah has said that it is in compliance with the terms of the ceasefire agreement as far as withdrawing from south Lebanon but its leader, Naim Qassem, said in an April speech that the group “will not let anyone disarm it”.

A murder inquiry has been launched after a bestselling German novelist was found dead on a houseboat in Hamburg having been violently attacked, police have said.

Alexandra Fröhlich, 58, whose novels have had prominence on Germany’s bestseller lists, was found on Tuesday morning, investigating authorities said.

The case was quickly passed to the murder squad amid evidence she had been attacked. Authorities have refused to give more details other than saying forensic evidence had been gathered and a coroner’s report submitted.

According to the local broadcaster NDR, citing police sources, Fröhlich was shot. Investigators have issued an appeal for potential witnesses who may have observed suspicious activity on or around the long cerise houseboat in which Fröhlich resided, on the Holzhafen bank of the Elbe River in the eastern Moorfleet district.

Her son discovered her body on Tuesday morning, according to police, who believe she died between midnight and 5.30am.

“According to current information, relatives found the 58-year-old woman lifeless on her houseboat and alerted the fire brigade, who were only able to confirm the woman’s death,” a police spokesperson told local media.

“After evaluating traces and evidence, the investigating authorities now believe that the woman died as a result of violence.”

The spokesperson said investigators were looking into possible suspects and whether the killer may have been known to Fröhlich. “Given the ongoing investigation, no further information can be provided at this time,” he said.

Media reported that divers were at the scene of the crime, amid speculation that the weapon could have been thrown into the Elbe.

Fröhlich started out as a journalist, initially in Ukraine where she founded a women’s magazine in Kyiv. She later worked as a freelance journalist in Germany for women’s and other magazines such as Stern, before turning her hand to writing novels.

In 2012 she published her debut novel, My Russian Mother-in-Law and other Catastrophes, which she said was based on her own experience of being married to a Russian.

It entered the bestseller list of Der Spiegel magazine, one of the closest-observed indicators of fiction and nonfiction sales in Germany, where it remained for several months. It was subsequently translated into French. A critic at the time described it as “a hilarious west-east satire”.

In 2016 she published the crime novel Death is a Certainty, which was similarly successful, and in 2019 she followed this with Skeletons in the Closet. Both were published by Penguin. Her novels were characterised by a mix of humour, family tales and social topics.

A murder inquiry has been launched after a bestselling German novelist was found dead on a houseboat in Hamburg having been violently attacked, police have said.

Alexandra Fröhlich, 58, whose novels have had prominence on Germany’s bestseller lists, was found on Tuesday morning, investigating authorities said.

The case was quickly passed to the murder squad amid evidence she had been attacked. Authorities have refused to give more details other than saying forensic evidence had been gathered and a coroner’s report submitted.

According to the local broadcaster NDR, citing police sources, Fröhlich was shot. Investigators have issued an appeal for potential witnesses who may have observed suspicious activity on or around the long cerise houseboat in which Fröhlich resided, on the Holzhafen bank of the Elbe River in the eastern Moorfleet district.

Her son discovered her body on Tuesday morning, according to police, who believe she died between midnight and 5.30am.

“According to current information, relatives found the 58-year-old woman lifeless on her houseboat and alerted the fire brigade, who were only able to confirm the woman’s death,” a police spokesperson told local media.

“After evaluating traces and evidence, the investigating authorities now believe that the woman died as a result of violence.”

The spokesperson said investigators were looking into possible suspects and whether the killer may have been known to Fröhlich. “Given the ongoing investigation, no further information can be provided at this time,” he said.

Media reported that divers were at the scene of the crime, amid speculation that the weapon could have been thrown into the Elbe.

Fröhlich started out as a journalist, initially in Ukraine where she founded a women’s magazine in Kyiv. She later worked as a freelance journalist in Germany for women’s and other magazines such as Stern, before turning her hand to writing novels.

In 2012 she published her debut novel, My Russian Mother-in-Law and other Catastrophes, which she said was based on her own experience of being married to a Russian.

It entered the bestseller list of Der Spiegel magazine, one of the closest-observed indicators of fiction and nonfiction sales in Germany, where it remained for several months. It was subsequently translated into French. A critic at the time described it as “a hilarious west-east satire”.

In 2016 she published the crime novel Death is a Certainty, which was similarly successful, and in 2019 she followed this with Skeletons in the Closet. Both were published by Penguin. Her novels were characterised by a mix of humour, family tales and social topics.

The US treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, said “there is a path” to an agreement with China over tariffs after he had interactions with his Chinese counterparts last week in Washington.

“I had interaction with my Chinese counterparts, but it was more on the traditional things like financial stability, global economic early warnings,” Bessent told ABC News’s This Week on Sunday, explaining that he had spoken to the Chinese during International Monetary Fund meetings in Washington. “I don’t know if President Trump has spoken with President Xi,” he added.

On Friday, Donald Trump asserted in an interview that tariff negotiations were under way with China, comments he repeated on his way to Rome to attend the funeral of Pope Francis, but were later denied by China’s foreign ministry, which said the US “should stop creating confusion”.

A day later, China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, said Beijing abides by international rules on US-imposed tariffs and would seek solidarity with other countries.

“Certain countries adhere to their own priorities, engage in bullying pressure and coercive transactions, and provoke trade wars for no reason, exposing their extreme egoism,” Wang said on the sidelines of a regional meeting in Kazakhstan.

On Sunday, Bessent attempted to weave through the conflicting signals over what progress was being made to de-escalate a trade war threatening to sap global growth.

“The Chinese will see this high tariff level is unsustainable for their business,” he said. He added that Beijing’s denial that negotiations are ongoing was for a Chinese audience.

“I think they’re playing to a different audience,” Bessent said. “We have a process in place and, again, I just believe these Chinese tariffs are unsustainable.

“The first path will be, again, a de-escalation, which I think the Chinese are going to have to have. Then I think there can be an agreement in principle, these 17 or 18 important trade deals that we’re negotiating.”

But Bessent warned that “a trade deal can take months” and said negotiations with other significant US trading partners were progressing. “Some of those are moving along very well, especially the – with the Asian countries,” he said, praising Trump’s negotiating strategy.

“In game theory it’s called strategic uncertainty,” he said. “So, you’re not going to tell the person on the other side of the negotiation where you’re going to end up. And nobody’s better at creating this leverage than President Trump.”

The treasury secretary’s comments come as top US retailers have reportedly warned the White House that tariffs will cause empty store shelves and price hikes within weeks.

Bloomberg reported that Chinese fast-fashion giant Shein raised US prices of its products from dresses to kitchenware on Friday ahead of imminent tariffs on small parcels. The average price for the top 100 products in the beauty and health category increased by 51%, and more than 30% for home and kitchen products and toys, including a 377% increase in the price of a 10-piece set of kitchen towels.

Trump predicted on Sunday that tariffs would ultimately benefit US taxpayers and boost employment. “When Tariffs cut in, many people’s Income Taxes will be substantially reduced, maybe even completely eliminated,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.

“Focus will be on people making less than $200,000 a year. Also, massive numbers of jobs are already being created, with new plants and factories currently being built or planned.” He called it a “bonanza” for Americans and said “the external service is happening”.

Separately on Sunday, US agriculture secretary Brooke Rollins said the US was holding daily conversations with China over tariffs. “Every day we are in conversation with China, along with those other 99, 100 countries that have come to the table,” Rollins said on CNN’s State of the Union.

Rollins said the president was prepared to bail out American farmers if the trade war continues squeezing commodity exports, particularly soybean and pork sales to China.

“First of all, the prayer is that that doesn’t need to happen – but secondly, if it does, for the short term, just as in Trump 1, we are preparing for that,” Rollins said.

Rollins said it could take months before it is known whether a bail-out is needed.

“I don’t think we’re going to need it, but if we do, it will be there,” Rollins said.

Thousands of people queued to visit Pope Francis’s tomb in Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica the day after heads of state, royalty and hundreds of thousands of mourners attended his funeral in Rome.

Many crossed themselves and took photos on their phones as they filed past the tomb, marked simply with the name Franciscus.

“Pope Francis for me was an inspiration, a guide,” said Elias Caravalhal, a Rome resident who came “to thank him for what he has done”.

Susmidah Murphy, who was visiting the city from her home in India, said: “It’s unbelievable that he’s no more with us. It’s sad that we don’t get popes like this very often.”

Many of those mourning the late pope were anxious about who would succeed him.

Romina Cacciatore, 48, an Argentinian translator living in Italy, said Pope Francis had transformed the Roman Catholic church into “something more normal, more human. I’m worried about what’s coming.”

Maria Simoni, 53, from Rome, said: “I hope we get another pope as skilled as Francis at speaking to people’s hearts, at being close to every person, no matter who they are.”

Tatiana Alva, 49, from Peru, said Francis had been “very kind, humble. He used language young people could understand. I don’t think the next pope can be the same but I hope he will have an open mind and be realistic about the challenges in the world right now.”

A special mass was held on Sunday morning in St Peter’s Square led by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s secretary of state, who is the bookmakers’ favourite to succeed Francis. About 200,000 people attended, according to the Vatican.

More than 220 cardinals will meet at the Vatican on Monday morning to decide the date that the conclave to elect the next pope will begin.

Only cardinals under the age of 80 – 135 in total – are eligible to take part in the conclave, which will begin its deliberations after the completion of nine days of official mourning for Francis.

Jean-Claude Hollerich, a cardinal from Luxembourg, has said he expects the conclave to start within a day or two of the end of the mourning period on 4 May. It must start by 10 May.

Reinhard Marx, a German cardinal, said on Saturday the conclave would last just “a few days”.

The cardinal-electors – about 80% of whom were appointed by Francis – will cast four votes a day until one candidate secures a two-thirds majority. The news that a successor has been chosen will be communicated by white smoke emitted from the Sistine Chapel.

Cardinals were expected to pay their respects at Francis’s tomb at Santa Maria Maggiore on Sunday.

A British Paralympian has been reported missing in Las Vegas after not being seen for more than a week.

Sam Ruddock, from Warwickshire, who has cerebral palsy and has competed in cycling and shot put, travelled to the US on 13 April while planning to attend WrestleMania, his friend Lucy Earl said.

Earl, who has been friends with Ruddock for more than 10 years, said the 35-year-old stayed with her the night before his flight, and she last heard from him on 16 April.

She said she contacted police and tracked down the hostel Ruddock was staying in, and was told he did not check out when he should have or collect his belongings.

The Paralympian has since been reported missing to police in the UK and US. Earl described him as a “big character with lots of energy”.

She said: “Sam is very, very present on social media, he’s such a passionate person about sports.

“He flew on the 13th, I’ve got confirmation that he landed, I absolutely know Sam was in Vegas. The concerning part is he went silent from the 16th and, because he is such a big presence on social media, people were quite fast to notice.”

Earl said Ruddock was an “infectious” person and a “phenomenal” human being. She said she has started a social media campaign to try to get information.

A spokesperson for British Cycling said: “British Cycling understands that para-cyclist Sam Ruddock was reported missing to UK and US police and Interpol after not being heard from since Wednesday 16 April 2025, while visiting Las Vegas, USA.

“We urge anyone who has been in contact with Sam since 16 April or may have any information of his whereabouts to contact their local police department as soon as possible.”

Lincolnshire police confirmed it has an active missing person investigation for Ruddock.

A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson said: “We are supporting the family of a British man reported missing in Las Vegas and are in contact with the local authorities.”

Footage of Northern Irish rap trio Kneecap allegedly calling for the death of British MPs is being assessed by counter-terrorism police.

Video emerged of the band at a November 2023 gig appearing to show one person from Kneecap saying: “The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP.”

Earlier in the week, footage emerged of another gig last year in November which seemed to show a band member shouting “up Hamas, up Hezbollah” at a performance at the Kentish Town Forum, and a Hezbollah flag being displayed.

Both Hamas and Hezbollah are banned in the UK and it is a crime to express support for them.

On Sunday, a Metropolitan police spokesman said: “We were made aware of a video on April 22, believed to be from an event in November 2024, and it has been referred to the counter-terrorism internet referral unit for assessment and to determine whether any further police investigation may be required.

“We have also been made aware of another video believed to be from an event in November 2023.”

He also said the force “are assessing both to determine whether further police investigation is required”.

The Counter Terrorism Internet Referral Unit (CTIRU) is a national counter-terrorism policing unit based within the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command which is dedicated to identifying terrorist and extremist material online.

Police will carry out an investigation if they believe the material may breach UK law.

In the last decade, two MPs have been murdered. Labour MP Jo Cox’s death in 2016 led to additional security measures to all members of parliament.

A further review took place in 2021 after Conservative Sir David Amess was stabbed to death following him holding a surgery in his Southend West constituency.

A UK government spokesman said: “We unequivocally condemn threatening remarks made towards any individual.

“Political intimidation and abuse must have no place in our society. We recognise the chilling effect that harassment and intimidation of elected representatives can have on our democracy.

“All reports of intimidation, harassment and threats are taken extremely seriously. We work with the police and parliament to do everything in our power to crack down on threats to elected officials.”

Following former The X Factor judge Sharon Osbourne calling for Kneecap’s US work visas to be revoked over their support for Palestine amid the Gaza war at US festival Coachella, the band was dropped by its now-former sponsor and booking agent Independent Artist Group (IAG).

The visas held by the band members are understood to no longer be valid and they are in the process of securing a new sponsor ahead of its sellout October tour in North America.

At Coachella, Kneecap displayed messages which read: “Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people”, “It is being enabled by the US government who arm and fund Israel despite their war crimes” and “Fuck Israel. Free Palestine”.

On Tuesday, Osbourne called the images at Coachella “projections of anti-Israel messages and hate speech”.

The music manager and wife of Black Sabbath star Ozzy Osbourne wrote on X: “As someone of both Irish Catholic on my mother’s side and Ashkenazi Jewish heritage on her father’s side and extensive experience in the music industry, I understand the complexities involved. I urge you to join me in advocating for the revocation of Kneecap’s work visa.”

Kneecap, made up of Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh, Naoise Ó Cairealláin and JJ Ó Dochartaigh, alleged on social media they have “faced a co-ordinated smear campaign”, saying their shows have previously “called out” the conflict in Gaza.

They also appeared to suggest they would be taking legal action against the “malicious efforts”.

Earlier in the week, Kneecap’s manager Daniel Lambert said the band had received “severe” death threats after Coachella.