A violent teenager who stabbed a beloved grandfather to death in an unprovoked attack had been released on police bail – twice – in the days before the murder, The Independent can reveal.
Rasheed Rahman plunged a five-inch knife that he had signed out from his supported living accommodation into the back of Mark Carroll, 55, as he walked in a small London park with a friend.
The attacker, then aged 19, who was not known to Mr Carroll, fled the scene still armed with the murder weapon, sparking an hour-long manhunt. He threatened two other people with the blade before he was caught.
Three days before the killing, on 7 April 2024, Rahman, a Sudanese national who lived undocumented in the UK before being picked up by immigration officers while working at a restaurant in Essex in 2021, had been arrested after he allegedly lashed out at members of the public. He was said to have punched at least two people on a canal towpath in Camden Town, London, while waiving a boat hook.
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Just a day earlier, he had been arrested after allegedly using a brick to smash a window to break into an office in a church. Despite his spiralling behaviour, Rahman was released on police bail – leaving him free to kill.
Now, the Metropolitan Police has launched an investigation into contact police had with Rahman in the days leading up to Mr Carroll’s murder on 10 April – and whether anything could have been done to stop the killing – after Rahman was convicted of murder.
Mark Carroll was described as ‘one of the most giving people I knew’ by his daughter Ayisha (Metropolitan Police)
But other questions remain about the “worrying” attack, with charity Hundred Families, who are supporting Mr Carroll’s family, warning that institutions are repeatedly failing to stop unwell people from going on to commit violent crimes.
Rahman was known to Romford mental health services and had suffered from drug psychosis as a result of alcohol and drug misuse, a court was told.
Charity director Julian Hendy said: “It is a worrying case. A man was stabbed by a stranger in a London park and it should never have happened.”
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It is unclear when Rahman first entered the UK, but he told officials he had come to Britain in a lorry through Calais, northern France. On his discovery, he claimed asylum as a child from Sudan and was granted temporary leave to remain in the UK until March 2028.
In the lead up to the fatal attack on Mr Carroll, Rahman had been told that he was due to move out of his flat, which was run by a private company offering supported housing for young people, on 11 April.
At around 2pm in the afternoon the day before the stabbing, Rahman, wearing a green basketball top, blue shorts and a black bandana, signed out a kitchen knife from an Asda set which was kept by the office at the five-bed property, with house manager Idris Bello making a note of it in the “sharp knives log”. Residents were not allowed to own sharp objects and had to have knives booked out if they wanted to cook.
But the knife was never returned. Instead, Rahman left his hostel that afternoon, taking the weapon into central London, and used it to kill Mr Carroll the next day.
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Mark Carroll would frequent St Martins Gardens in Camden (pictured), where he would ultimately die at the hands of Rahman (Metropolitan Police)
Mr Carroll, known as Mogi to his friends, was a Camden local with a huge heart. He would always strike up conversations with people and would accept them as they were, without judgement, his family said.
One of his two daughters, Ayisha Carroll, told The Independent: “He was probably one of the most giving people I knew. He was such a kind person. He didn’t have very much himself but he would always be giving away to people. He was a very down to earth person as well, and accepting of people as they are.”
Referring to Rahman, Ms Carroll added: “I know that he suffered and struggled but that doesn’t entitle you to take someone’s life. I want my dad to be remembered for who he was.”
On the morning of the 10 April, Mr Carroll and his friend of 20-years James Nash were drinking inSt Martins Gardens, Camden – which they visited often – with Mr Carroll seen on CCTV from around 11am.
Over the next two hours, they chatted to other people, including some workmen on their lunch break. The pair had been drinking alcohol and gradually became more vulnerable.
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During the murder trial at Wood Green Crown Court, Mr Nash said he was standing in front of Mr Carroll when someone came at him from behind. “That person was a distance behind him. I saw him lunge at him from behind. There was no argument, nothing,” Mr Nash said.
CCTV footage shown to the court showed Mr Carroll staggering into sight, trying to walk towards Mr Nash before he collapsed to the ground at around 13:11pm.
Ten minutes later, ambulances, paramedics and the police arrived, and he was taken to University College Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Rasheed Rahman was known to police before he killed Mark Carroll in April 2024 (Metropolitan Police)
Louis Mably KC, for the prosecution, told the court that a single fatal knife wound in his back had landed behind his heart, severing his aorta, the main artery in the body that pumps blood from the heart.
“The blade had gone into his back, gone downwards, and cut through everything it had come across… Because the aorta had been damaged, Mr Carroll had suffered massive internal bleeding. It was catastrophic and fatal.”
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While friends and paramedics rushed to help Mr Carroll, Rahman was already walking through Camden, still armed with the murder weapon. A nine-minute walk away in Arlington Road, witness Kamran Khail found him, standing and staring at him, in front of the hostel where Mr Khail was living.
“When I see him staring at me, I thought something was wrong,” Mr Khail recalled. “He didn’t tell me anything at that time, just he was staring. I was in fear, so I thought I should return back to the hostel”.
He added: “When I was walking he was also walking, when I was stopping he was also stopping… as I turned [back] to the hostel, he told me to stop.”
Rahman pulled the knife from the pocket of his jacket and held the blade to Mr Khail’s body. “He was saying in English, come with me… I thought he was going to kill me.”
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Mr Khail was able to escape, fleeing into the hostel, where he alerted police.
The murder weapon Rahman signed out from the kitchen of his accommodation (Metropolitan Police)
Rahman then made his way to Gloucester Avenue, where he approached Kamil Hamma and his friend who were about to dock their Santander bikes. Rahman demanded he take Mr Hamma’s bike instead.
Mr Hamma told the trial: “He was quite adamant, consistently asking me for the bike, obviously I said no. He was about a metre-ish away, that was when he started grabbing the bike and getting a bit closer to me.”
They had a tussle before Rahman pulled out a knife. “I just saw the blade and got very kind of scared. He just took it out and said ‘give me your bike now’, to which I obviously backed off and let him take it.”
Video footage shows Rahman cycling towards Camden market when the knife falls out of a pocket and hits the ground. He stops to pick it up – a moment spotted by a keen-eyed coach driver who phoned the police.
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Just before 2pm, officers tracked Rahman down to Castle Haven park, just half a mile from where the killing took place. There, they found the knife, with Mr Carroll’s blood on it, hidden in a plastic bag in a nearby bush.
A CCTV grab shows Rahman being handed a knife from the set kept in the supported accommodation office. (Metropolitan Police)
Rahman was found guilty of murder, robbery and two other knife offences at his trial last month and will be sentenced at a later date.
He had previously pleaded guilty to affray and actual bodily harm over the events of the 7 April, with his sentencing yet to take place. Though he was charged with burglary over the incident on the 6 April, the Crown Prosecution Service offered no evidence against him.
Though Mr Carroll’s family are relieved they now have a guilty verdict, Mr Hendy said there were still questions to be answered about how Rahman was able to attack people with a knife.
He said: “This is happening far too often. We are seeing repeated problems with mental health support and other services, a lack of joined up working between agencies. Seriously unwell people are not being looked after well enough in the community and it is allowing tragedies to happen.”
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The accommodation where Rahman lived houses young people transitioning from care, or who have complex needs or challenging behaviour, or who are unaccompanied asylum seekers. Rahman’s case did not involve any mental health defence.
Mr Hendy added: “There are certain questions to be asked of the accommodation provider; how was a man with apparently serious mental health illness able to access knives?”
He asked: “Does this warrant an offensive weapons review, and is there learning to be had from this to protect unwell people and members of the public?”
Meanwhile, Ms Carroll described her father as someone you could call on at a moment’s notice.
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“He was always a message, a phone call away. He got up so early so, if I was on night shifts, he would give me a ring and we would have a chat,” she said.
“He had his own mental health difficulties, and I’ve been struggling knowing that he passed away when he should have had more support around him.”
She added: “There’s one Irish gentleman who he knew from the park, Tom, that dad would always go and check in on, when he was recovering from ill-health. Now whenever my sister and I visit the park to drop flowers there, the plants are always so well-kept by those who knew him.”
A grandfather, Mr Carroll loved the simple joy of visiting his eldest daughter, Danielle Morley, and her two children. And remained life-long friends with Ayisha’s mother, supporting her in periods of ill-health.
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Ms Morley remembered his visits fondly, saying: “When dad came down to see me and the girls, the house was always full of laughter, love and happiness. Watching him with his granddaughters created memories that are so special and meaningful to me, and moments I will never forget.
“He absolutely adored them, and I could see how much joy they brought him every single time he was with them.”
She added: “Even though he’s no longer here, the warmth, love and happiness from those moments will always stay with me. The girls will always carry a part of their granddad with them through the stories, memories, and love he gave so freely.”
A Met police spokesperson told The Independent that it would be inappropriate to comment while the internal review is ongoing.
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The force would not need to refer themselves to the regulator (The Independent Office for Police Conduct) over the murder as referrals are only mandatory if officers have had previous contact with the victim, not the perpetrator.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “Our thoughts are with Mr Carrol’s family and friends at this difficult time.
“All foreign national offenders who receive a prison sentence in the UK are referred for deportation at the earliest opportunity, with nearly 70,000 illegal migrants and foreign criminals removed or deported since the 2024 election.”
British actor Anthony Head, who was best known for his roles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Ted Lasso, has died at the age of 72
Emma O’Neill Content Editor and Laura Harding Press Association Entertainment Editor
16:44, 05 Jun 2026
Actor Anthony Head, widely celebrated for his iconic parts in Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Ted Lasso, has passed away aged 72, according to a statement released by his daughters.
The beloved British star was most recognised for portraying librarian Rupert Giles in the cult American supernatural drama featuring Sarah Michelle Gellar, which aired from 1997 to 2003.
His daughters, fellow actresses Emily and Daisy Head, issued the following statement to the Press Association: “It is with heavy hearts that we announce the death of our extraordinary father, Anthony Head.
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“He passed away peacefully of complications due to pneumonia, surrounded by his family. It has been, and forever will be, an honour and a privilege to be his daughters, and to have witnessed firsthand the impact both he and his work have had on so many.
“We know how dearly he will be missed by friends, colleagues, and fans of the shows he was in – he loved his job very much, and he always considered himself incredibly lucky, to have been able to work alongside such exceptionally talented people, in such wonderful productions, across a career that spanned several decades.
“Our grief is far greater than the hole he has left behind, but we know his legacy will live on, in the shows he was a part of, and in the audiences that love them. How lucky we are to know we are able to watch him doing what he loved, even when he is no longer with us.
“We kindly ask that our privacy is respected at this difficult time.” Most recently, Head portrayed former Richmond FC proprietor Rupert Mannion, the ex-spouse of Hannah Waddingham’s character Rebecca, in the football-themed comedy Ted Lasso.
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Among his other prominent performances were the Prime Minister in Little Britain and Uther Pendragon in Merlin, father to Prince Arthur.
Recognised for his distinctive baritone tones, Head initially achieved prominence in Britain during the 1980s through the Nescafe Gold Blend television commercials.
He starred as one half of the Gold Blend duo, opposite Sharon Maughan, embarking on a gradual romance over coffee.
These advertisements, broadcast between 1987 and 1993, remain amongst the most memorable instances of serialised marketing campaigns.
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Head’s performance in Buffy propelled him to stardom across the Atlantic, though he departed the main ensemble during the programme’s sixth series, subsequently appearing as a guest until its finale.
His acting credits also encompassed Motherland, Manchild, Silent Witness, Spooks, Doctor Who and My Family, alongside the film Repo! The Genetic Opera.
In July 2018, he joined BBC Radio 4’s enduring drama The Archers, taking on the role of Robin Fairbrother.
He was additionally a vocalist, gracing West End stages and recording music, including tracks from the Buffy the Vampire Slayer musical episode, as well as independent projects.
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Head’s longstanding partner, animal welfare advocate Sarah Fisher, passed away in December 2025 at 61.
Fisher served as an ambassador for Battersea Dogs And Cats Home and patron of Holly Hedge Animal Sanctuary.
Both their daughters, Emily and Daisy, pursue acting careers. Emily gained prominence for portraying Carli D’Amato in E4’s sitcom The Inbetweeners, while Daisy has featured in television programmes such as Harlots, Shadow And Bone and The Gray House.
His sibling, Murray Head, is likewise an actor recognised for his performance in the Oscar-nominated 1971 picture Sunday Bloody Sunday, and for performing the 1984 hit One Night In Bangkok from the stage production Chess.
A new Colorado law passed this week prohibits speed camera tickets for drivers going 5 mph or less over the speed limit.
Set to take effect August 12, the legislation, signed by Governor Jared Polis, also requires municipalities to mail physical warning notices during the first 30 days after a new camera is installed. In addition, the law sets a maximum fine of $120 for drivers going 25 mph or more over the speed limit, and limits how private vendors can profit from enforcement programs.
The changes were partly driven by a six-month 9News Steve On Your Side investigation led by consumer investigator Steve Staeger, which helped lead to the voiding of $2.3 million in traffic tickets in two Weld County towns.
The investigation began after drivers in Kersey reported steep fines, including $340 tickets issued near a stretch of road where the speed limit drops from 65 to 45 mph.
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At the time, Kersey officials were working under a state statute that did not clearly spell out how to handle violations 25 mph or more over the limit, leaving enforcement open to interpretation, 9News reported.
A new Colorado law bans tickets for drivers going 5 mph or less over the limit and requires strict 30-day warning periods when new radar cameras are installed (Getty)
The town issued $340 fines for weeks until investigators found its own ordinance actually capped photo radar tickets at $40. After that discovery, officials paused the higher penalties, issued more than $500,000 in refunds and ultimately voided over $1.1 million in tickets.
The investigation also uncovered problems with the 30-day warning period for new cameras. While state law called for a warning phase, it said cities “may” issue warnings, which some towns treated as optional. In practice, that meant some jurisdictions skipped mailed notices and simply delayed ticketing, so drivers were not formally alerted that they were being monitored, according to the outlet.
In Kersey, data showed about 1,200 tickets per day during the first month of enforcement before numbers dropped as drivers became aware of the cameras, 9News reported. In nearby Hudson, a separate camera issued more than 31,000 tickets in a matter of weeks before officials later voided $1.2 million in fines.
Those findings helped drive statewide reforms, including a $120 penalty for drivers going 25 mph or more over the limit, which is three times the fine cap for lower speeds.
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It also enforces stricter requirements for mailed warning notices and signage before enforcement begins and new rules requiring vendors to be paid flat hourly or monthly fees rather than being tied to ticket volume.
Prepare to be transported back millions of years as Emerald Park has just launched its new re-themed land, ‘Lost Valley: Land of Dinosaurs’. Building on the popularity of the much-loved Dino Dash coaster, this immersive experience will combine exciting attractions with dramatic theming and more!
At the centre of the new land is SwingoSaurus, Emerald Park’s brand-new dinosaur-themed swing attraction that promises high flying fun for the whole family. Standing 12 metres high, the exciting new family ride features 16 seats across a unique double-sided gondola, giving guests the chance to soar, swing and glide through a world ruled by dinosaurs. Launching just in time for the summer holidays, visitors can also enjoy daily Dino Meet & Greet experiences later this summer, creating unforgettable up-close encounters and magical memories for dinosaur fans of all ages.
Located just 90 minutes outside of Belfast in Ashbourne, Co. Meath, Emerald Park offers something for everyone! Younger adventurers can enjoy the Junior Zone with over 10 attractions to choose from along with multiple playgrounds, and not forgetting the Emerald Park Zoo, which is home to more than 250 animals, including big cats, birds of prey and zoo experiences such as the Petting Farm and Lemur Woods. Thrill-seekers can head to the immersive land of Tír na nÓg, where epic adventures await on rides like Na Fianna Force and The Quest.
To celebrate the launch of Lost Valley: Land of Dinosaurs at Emerald Park, we have 3 family passes to give away!
For your chance to win, simply fill in your details on the form below.
Terms and conditions: Competition open to NI & ROI residents only, entrants must be over 18, Competition closes at 23:45pm on Sunday, June 21, 2026. See entry form for full details.
Earlier, Robert Brovdi, Ukraine’s drone commander, announced that five “illegally loitering vessels” had been struck overnight in the ports of Mariupol, Berdyansk and in the coastal waters of what Ukraine calls the “temporarily occupied territories” – parts of the country that Russia currently controls.
“Avoid screens before bed” is one of the most common pieces of sleep advice. But what if the real problem isn’t screen time − it’s the way we use social media at night?
Sleep deprivation is one of the most widespread yet overlooked public health issues, especially among young adults and adolescents.
Despite needing eight to 10 hours of sleep, most adolescents fall short, while nearly two-thirds of young adults regularly get less than the recommended seven to nine hours.
Poor sleep isn’t just about feeling tired − it’s linked to worsened mental health, emotion regulation, memory and academic performance (Getty Images)
Poor sleep isn’t just about feeling tired − it’s linked to worsened mental health, emotion regulation, memory, academic performance and even increased risk for chronic illness and early mortality.
At the same time, social media is nearly universal among young adults, with 84% using at least one platform daily. While research has long focused on screen time as the culprit for poor sleep, growing evidence suggests that how often people check social media − and how emotionally engaged they are − matters even more than how long they spend online.
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As a social psychologist and sleep researcher, I study how social behaviors, including social media habits, affect sleep and well-being. Sleep isn’t just an individual behavior; it’s shaped by our social environments and relationships.
And one of the most common yet underestimated factors shaping modern sleep? How we engage with social media before bed.
Emotional investment in social media
Beyond simply measuring time spent on social media, researchers have started looking at how emotionally connected people feel to their social media use.
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Some studies suggest that the way people emotionally engage with social media may have a greater impact on sleep quality than the total time they spend online.
In a 2024 study of 830 young adults, my colleagues and I examined how different types of social media engagement predicted sleep problems. We found that frequent social media visits and emotional investment were stronger predictors of poor sleep than total screen time. Additionally, presleep cognitive arousal and social comparison played a key role in linking social media engagement to sleep disruption, suggesting that social media’s effects on sleep extend beyond simple screen exposure.
I believe these findings suggest that cutting screen time alone may not be enough − reducing how often people check social media and how emotionally connected they feel to it may be more effective in promoting healthier sleep habits.
How social media disrupts sleep
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If you’ve ever struggled to fall asleep after scrolling through social media, it’s not just the screen keeping you awake. While blue light can delay melatonin production, my team’s research and that of others suggests that the way people interact with social media may play an even bigger role in sleep disruption.
Here are some of the biggest ways social media interferes with your sleep:
Presleep arousal: Doomscrolling and emotionally charged content on social media keeps your brain in a state of heightened alertness, making it harder to relax and fall asleep. Whether it’s political debates, distressing news or even exciting personal updates, emotionally stimulating content can trigger increased cognitive and physiological arousal that delays sleep onset.
Social comparison: Viewing idealized social media posts before bed can lead to upward social comparison, increasing stress and making it harder to sleep. People tend to compare themselves to highly curated versions of others’ lives − vacations, fitness progress, career milestones − which can lead to feelings of inadequacy and anxiety that disrupt sleep.
Habitual checking: Social media use after lights out is a strong predictor of poor sleep, as checking notifications and scrolling before bed can quickly become an automatic habit. Studies have shown that nighttime-specific social media use, especially after lights are out, is linked to shorter sleep duration, later bedtimes and lower sleep quality. This pattern reflects bedtime procrastination, where people delay sleep despite knowing it would be better for their health and well-being.
Fear of missing out, or FOMO: The urge to stay connected also keeps many people scrolling long past their intended bedtime, making sleep feel secondary to staying updated. Research shows that higher FOMO levels are linked to more frequent nighttime social media use and poorer sleep quality. The anticipation of new messages, posts or updates can create a sense of social pressure to stay online and reinforce the habit of delaying sleep.
Taken together, these factors make social media more than just a passive distraction − it becomes an active barrier to restful sleep. In other words, that late-night scroll isn’t harmless − it’s quietly rewiring your sleep and well-being.
About the author
Brian N. Chin is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Trinity College. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
How to use social media without sleep disruption
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You don’t need to quit social media, but restructuring how you engage with it at night could help. Research suggests that small behavioral changes to your bedtime routine can make a significant difference in sleep quality. I suggest trying these practical, evidence-backed strategies for improving your sleep:
Give your brain time to wind down: Avoid emotionally charged content 30 to 60 minutes before bed to help your mind relax and prepare for sleep.
Create separation between social media and sleep: Set your phone to “Do Not Disturb” or leave it outside the bedroom to avoid the temptation of late-night checking.
Reduce mindless scrolling: If you catch yourself endlessly refreshing, take a small, mindful pause and ask yourself: “Do I actually want to be on this app right now?”
A brief moment of awareness can help break the habit loop.
Sally, who works as a restaurant manager in Clifton in BRistol, was taking her first trip on a rental e-scooter in two years when she hit a pothole and was thrown from the vehicle
Angus McIntyre
16:24, 05 Jun 2026
A woman from Bristol spent five days in hospital recovering from injuries sustained after the e-scooter she was riding struck a pothole.
Sally*, who works as a restaurant manager in Clifton, had been using one of the vehicles to travel home following a shift last week.
However, as she turned onto the dimly-lit Redland Road, she collided with a pothole. The unfortunate woman, who described herself as naturally cautious and was taking her first ride on a rental scooter in two years, was thrown from the vehicle and sustained a deep laceration to her head.
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Following an agonising seven-hour wait in A&E, it was confirmed she had also fractured five ribs and her collarbone. Sally attributes the poor condition of Bristol’s roads, rather than the e-scooter itself, for her accident.
“There are potholes everywhere, and I really did not see this one that I hit,” she said, reports Bristol Live.
“Obviously, Redland Road is not extremely illuminated. There’s not a lot of light, and I did not see that porthole whatsoever.
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“I wasn’t speeding much either, because I’m always quite careful, and I was coming out from one of the minor roads as well, so the only acceleration that I had was to accelerate to restart the e-scooter.”
Sally now faces eight weeks away from work and will only be entitled to statutory sick pay during that period, considerably less than her usual earnings. She has stated her intention to pursue a compensation claim against Bristol City Council.
Councillor Ed Plowden, chair of the transport and connectivity committee, said: “Making roads safe and reliable for all users is a priority. Repairing potholes is an important part of maintaining the road network, and we continue to seek the much-needed additional funding required to more effectively meet this challenge.
“Roads are inspected regularly to check their condition. Every road is checked at least once a year, with busy roads inspected once a month. We aim to repair potholes within 28 days, in line with national guidelines and we are working closely with our contractors to make sure repairs are completed on time.”
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Sally owes a debt of gratitude to a mystery good Samaritan for preventing the situation from deteriorating further following the incident.
A gentleman she knows only as Matthew halted his vehicle upon discovering her lying injured on the carriageway. He contacted emergency services, but upon learning an ambulance wouldn’t arrive promptly he took the initiative and transported Sally to hospital himself.
The injured woman is now eager to locate Matthew to express her gratitude personally. Yet, due to her condition when he assisted her she cannot recall any distinguishing information about him.
“He put me in his car without even thinking about it, even though I was bleeding everywhere,” she said.
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“He tried to talk to me while I was in complete shock and hurt, to keep me awake I suppose. He dropped me off at the emergency ward at Southmead hospital and ensured I was taken care of.”
The extent of injuries sustained by e-scooter riders or resulting from incidents involving these vehicles remains challenging to determine. Based on data from police forces across Great Britain, 1,312 collisions involving e-scooters occurred in 2024, rising from 1,292 in 2023.
Six fatalities resulted from those incidents, with 444 individuals sustaining serious injuries.
The actual number of collisions involving e-scooters is likely considerably higher because, as the Department of Transport – which releases the crash statistics – acknowledges, “It should be noted that a considerable percentage of non-fatal casualties are not reported to the police. Non-fatal casualties for e-scooter users are amongst the most likely to be under-reported in road casualty data since they have no obligation to inform the police of collisions.”
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Sally stated she was fortunate she was travelling at approximately 11.45pm on a Tuesday evening. During a busier period, she could easily have been propelled into the path of an approaching vehicle, or struck by one travelling behind her.
The likelihood of accidents increases on roads in poor condition. Research from the 2021 Dott London trial, conducted alongside cycling safety technology company See.Sense, discovered ‘strong correlations between high levels of braking and swerving, and poor road surface conditions. This could occur in areas with potholes or poor infrastructure, causing riders to swerve or brake to avoid crashes, as well in roads with rough surfaces – such as cobbled streets – resulting in reduced control of the e-scooter’.
Bristol City Council repaired 4,398 potholes during 2024/25. The local authority has received an ‘amber’ classification for road maintenance from the Department of Transport which indicates “room for improvement”.
The Fifa men’s football World Cup is one of the most powerful brands in sport, attracting global attention with a simple formula of rarity, intensity and consequence.
Every four years, this high-stakes tournament feels distinct from everything else in the football calendar. So changing the format is a gamble.
But the 2026 World Cup, held in the US, Canada and Mexico, will be the biggest yet, featuring lots more teams – 48, up from 32 in 2022 (and just 24 back in 1994). And this means a lot more matches – a jump from 64 at Qatar 2022 to 104 in this year’s event.
This level of expansion reflects a broader shift across elite football. Several big tournaments (the Champions League, the Euros, the Club World Cup) are all played with more teams than they used to be.
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And there are clear benefits. A larger World Cup for example, allows more nations to participate, extending the tournament’s reach and audience. For smaller football nations, it increases the likelihood of qualification and the opportunity to appear on the sport’s biggest stage for the first time.
More matches and more countries participating also means the potential for even greater revenue generation in new markets.
But aside from making Fifa more money, or football more inclusive, expansion could also damage the World Cup’s strength as an event.
This strength has traditionally come from the rarity and jeopardy of the occasion.
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Qualification has always mattered because it was a difficult thing to achieve. Reaching the tournament at all was a show of footballing prowess, and once a team was there, the structure of the competition ensured that early matches carried real consequence.
In terms of successful branding, this intensity concentrates fans’ collective competitive and emotional investment in the event.
But dramatically expanding that event risks damaging this setup. More teams means that qualification becomes less selective, while staging more matches reduces the importance of individual games (and demands a level of viewing time that could test even the most committed football fan).
In marketing terms, this weakens what’s known as “perceived consequence”, the extent to which individual matches are seen to meaningfully shape outcomes and command fans’ attention. As the tournament grows (and there are some who want 66 teams to qualify for 2030), it can lose intensity.
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There is more football, but less at stake with every kick.
Different goals
Expansion is often justified on economic and political grounds. The cost pressures on host counties has pushed governing bodies towards larger and more widely dispersed formats (hence this tournament being held across three countries).
But recent research I carried out with a colleague suggests that staging a tournament across multiple countries can be a complicated business too. Different places operate in different ways, with different resources and goals, so alignment can prove tricky.
That said, co-hosted events can work, but only when spectators manage to perceive the tournament as one coherent event, rather than a fragmented set of parts. As scale and complexity increase, sustaining that perception becomes more difficult.
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With more teams, more matches and football stadiums in three large countries, the 2026 World Cup brings these challenges into sharper focus. It also has to deal with a broader shift which has seen elite football become an almost constant, never-ending series
of tournaments and fixtures throughout the year.
Competitions seem to exist as part of an ongoing, always-available media flow rather than isolated events.
In this context, the World Cup risks becoming just another part of high-value extended media property designed to maximise engagement across time rather than concentrate it. But dilution can lead to the weakening of a brand as its defining elements become less clear or less exclusive.
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The qualities that once made the World Cup brand so distinctive risk becoming less sharply defined.
As more teams qualify, entry may feel less exclusive, and as more matches are played, individual fixtures become less decisive. As tournaments grow longer and more complex, the sense of a single, shared global moment becomes more diffused.
The World Cup will almost certainly remain football’s most valuable commodity for the foreseeable future. But its long-term health depends on maintaining the qualities that make it feel exceptional rather than routine.
If expansion continues to prioritise availability over intensity, the risk is not that the World Cup will fail – but that it will gradually lose its value as a global event that transcends the sport itself.
Few would have predicted Morocco’s success at the 2022 Fifa World Cup. Heading into the tournament, they were ranked 22nd in the world and had never progressed beyond the round of 16.
Yet they beat Belgium, Spain and Portugal – countries that both then and now rank inside the world’s top ten – on their way to becoming the first African nation ever to reach the semi-final.
Morocco’s run was not only remarkable (and thoroughly deserved). It also sparked debate beyond football because 14 of the players in their 26-man squad were foreign-born, more than any other nation in the tournament.
The 2026 World Cup will feature more foreign-born players than any previous edition. Nearly a quarter of the 1,248 players selected for national teams were born in a different country from the one they will represent.
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In some squads, the proportions are far higher than this – 96% of Curaçao’s players were born abroad, as were 85% of the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s and 73% of Morocco’s. Overall, foreign-born players make up the majority of footballers in eight of the tournament’s 48 squads.
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Migration has been part of the World Cup story since its inception. At the tournament’s third edition in 1938, for example, 12% of players represented a country other than the one in which they were born.
This was in part because Fifa didn’t introduce regulations governing football players’ eligibility for national teams until 1962, meaning it was not uncommon for players to represent multiple countries throughout their careers.
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Some players represent countries other than those in which they were born because they are eligible through a parent or grandparent. These players often emerge from diaspora communities created by earlier waves of migration.
One example is 2018 World Cup finalist Ivan Rakitić, who was born and raised in Switzerland but chose to represent Croatia. In a 2025 interview, Rakitić explained that when he had to choose between the two countries, his heart told him he should play for Croatia.
Other players qualify through residency requirements. Pepe, for example, was born in Brazil but played in four World Cups for Portugal between 2010 and 2022 after becoming a Portuguese citizen at the age of 24.
Yet foreign-born players are only part of the story. World Cup squads also contain many second-generation migrants. France’s 2018 World Cup-winning squad is perhaps the best-known example: 12 of their 23 players had African parents.
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Such patterns are not random. France’s squad reflected the country’s colonial and postcolonial links with north and west Africa. Similarly, since the mid-2000s, Switzerland’s national team has increasingly been shaped by migration from the former Yugoslavia following the conflicts and displacement that accompanied its breakup in the 1990s.
England’s 2026 squad also tells a story about the country’s migration history. Alongside Marc Guéhi, who was born in Ivory Coast, at least nine players had a parent born overseas. Most have family roots in former British colonies in Africa and the Caribbean, reflecting patterns of post-second world war migration to the UK.
At the same time, 24 players born in England have been selected by other World Cup teams. This includes five representing Scotland and 19 playing for countries beyond the British Isles (including the US, New Zealand and Ghana).
Antoine Semenyo, who was born in London, will play for Ghana at the 2026 World Cup. Ronald Wittek / EPA
Does this matter on the pitch?
Relatively little research has examined whether national teams with more migrant players perform better on the pitch. But the available evidence suggests they do.
One study from 2022 analysed every World Cup between 1970 and 2018 and found that teams with more foreign-born players generally progressed further in the tournament. On average, each additional foreign-born player was associated with roughly 0.15 additional matches played.
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The relationship remained even after accounting for broader differences between countries, suggesting that migration may provide advantages beyond those associated with wealth or footballing tradition alone.
Another study from 2023 examined European national teams competing in World Cups and European Championships between 1970 and 2018. Using players’ surnames to estimate their ancestral origins, it measured the diversity of backgrounds within each squad and found that more diverse teams tended to perform better on average.
Specifically, the research found that a one standard deviation increase in diversity led to an increase in goal difference (the number of goals a team scores minus the number of goals they concede) of around 1.3 per match on average.
There are at least two factors that might explain these results. First, migration can expand the pool of players available to a national team. Ghana’s squad for the 2026 tournament draws heavily on diaspora communities in western Europe. This allows it to recruit players developed in some of the world’s strongest football systems.
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Second, migration may increase the diversity of skills available within a squad. Football players need specific physical traits and technical skills to succeed on the pitch. Central defenders, for example, are usually tall and physically strong. More attacking players, on the other hand, often require speed.
A more diverse population will probably provide a larger pool of potential players for each position, resulting in better complementarity at the team level.
This does not mean that migration wins World Cups. Argentina won the 2022 World Cup without a single foreign-born player in their squad. Success also depends on population size, economic wealth and coaching. Lionel Messi playing for your team helps, too.
Nonetheless, the limited evidence available indicates that migration may influence international football beyond simply changing the make-up of the teams competing.
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If Morocco’s 2022 squad had been limited to players born and raised in Morocco, would they still have reached the semi-finals? We’ll never know for sure. But if Curaçao do so this time around, the role of migration in footballing success may become harder to ignore.
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that developing countries have gained an increasingly important role in the global economy, while the share of output by Western countries has shrunk.
By freezing Russian assets abroad through sanctions, Western nations eroded trust in their own currencies, he said.
“The sanctions and blocking of Russia’s sovereign reserves have irreversibly impacted the standing of international currencies, the dollar and the euro,” he said. “Just like Russia, any other country could lose access to their legitimate assets in dollars or euros, as well as Western financial and payment systems.”
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He alleged that high state debt had helped undermine global trust in Western institutions.
“The roots of the current global turbulence lie in the transition from a vertical, hierarchical model, which served the interests of a small number of states, to a more complex, distributed and multipolar one,” Putin said. “Russia views global changes not only as a threat but also as immense opportunities. And to capitalize on them, we aim to act swiftly and pragmatically.”
The Russian leader said the world needed a “modern, flexible and responsible financial architecture — free from risks, bans and barriers.”
Putin played down Russia’s economic slowdown and sought to emphasize its macroeconomic stability. He noted that Russia’s state debt is a fraction of that in Western countries and its budget deficit is considerably smaller, compared with the West.
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The forum comes at a time when Russia’s economic outlook has clouded amid the conflict in Ukraine. The government raised taxes and increased domestic borrowing to keep its budget deficit under control.
On Thursday, Putin told heads of international media at a question-and-answer session that it was an exaggeration to say Russia’s economy was struggling. He noted that his government had taken deliberate steps to cool the economy to keep inflation under control.
Putin has used the St. Petersburg forum, likened to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, to showcase his country’s economic advances and encourage foreign investment. While Western officials and business leaders have stayed away after Putin sent troops into Ukraine in 2022, Russia has sought guests from elsewhere to underline its declared goal of promoting a “multipolar world.”
Saudi Arabia sent a large delegation this year, and the presidents of Uzbekistan and Tanzania and vice president of China also are present. A U.S. official, Rodney Mims Cook Jr., head of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, is attending for the first time in years.
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Also on Thursday, he acknowledged damaging Ukrainian drone attacks inside Russia and pledged to bolster its defenses.
“To our regret, some of them break through,” Putin told the media session in talking about the drone strikes. “Russia has an air defense system, we need to improve it, strengthen it, and we will do that.”
Hours before the forum opened on Wednesday, a Ukrainian drone attack set ablaze an oil terminal in the city and also hit a nearby naval base.
Putin said Russia is open for a compromise on Ukraine in line with understandings reached at his last year’s summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Anchorage, Alaska, adding that Ukraine needs to accept them to make a deal to end the conflict, now in its fifth year.
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On Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy proposed face-to-face negotiations in a public letter addressed directly to Putin. Zelenskyy acknowledged shifting U.S. priorities, saying it would be wrong to wait for the U.S. to return its attention to Ukraine while it remains heavily focused on the Iran war.
In Washington, Trump said it “would be great” if Putin and Zelenskyy meet.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin hadn’t seen the letter yet and repeated his statement that Zelenskyy could come to Moscow if he wants talks, an offer that Zelenskyy pointedly rejected. Putin said last month he doesn’t exclude a meeting in a third country, but only when there is a deal to sign.
Speaking Thursday, Putin again rejected Zelenskyy’s push for an immediate ceasefire, arguing that Moscow wants a comprehensive settlement, not a temporary truce.
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“Naturally, the Ukrainian side would like us to suspend the advances made by Russian troops,” he said. “But it would be better to end the war by agreeing to the compromises that were discussed in Anchorage.”
Two of the suspects can be seen embracing as they flee the scene where Kayden Moy was stabbed.
15:53, 05 Jun 2026Updated 15:53, 05 Jun 2026
The suspects run from the scene
New footage has shown the teenage killers of Kayden Moy fleeing the scene of the stabbing.
Two teenage boys have been found guilty of murdering the 16-year-old at Irvine beach on May 17 last year.
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Jay Stewart, 18, and a 15-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, fatally stabbed Kayden at the Ayrshire beauty spot. A third teenager, 18-year-old Cole Turley, previously pleaded guilty to the murder before the trial started at the High Court in Glasgow.
A video released by the Crown Office shows the three boys running away from the scene. In the clip, Turley can be seen leading the way at the front with Stewart behind him and the 15-year-old following in the back.
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Stewart is topless with a rucksack on his back, while Turley and the 15-year-old wear tracksuits. Two of the boys put an arm around each other and one claps his hands together as they pelt across the road to the beach front.
Members of the public can be seen enjoying the sunny weather in the background as the boys slow their pace down to a leisurely walk, walk further along the prom, and disappear out of sight.
The three teenagers were part of the Murray Boys gang in East Kilbride in South Lanarkshire, while Moy was a member of the rival Himshie group. Following an initial confrontation at the beach, together with Turley, they pursued Kayden, causing him to fall to the ground where he was repeatedly stabbed on the body with a knife.
Kayden was left so badly injured that he died. The jury unanimously found Stewart guilty, but were divided on the 15-year-old.
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It was said in court that Stewart and the other teenager held ill-will towards Moy, with threats sent to the stricken teen on social media.
Part of a message sent to Moy from Stewart read: “I will rip wee Kayden’s lungs out of him. Yous are f***ing grasses…stop acting bold.”
The trio travelled to the beach after a previous fight between the rival gangs earlier that day. Members of Kayden’s family left the public gallery when horror CCTV and mobile phone footage of the stabbing was played to the court.
Stricken Kayden hobbled down from the sand dune where the stabbing took place to the beach below.
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Members of Kayden’s family became emotional and applauded when the jurors – four of whom were visibly emotional – delivered their verdict.
Those in support of the two teenagers shouted: “Grasses, grasses the lot of you” and “Keep your chin up, we are appealing it.”
As Stewart was being led into the cells, he smirked at Kayden’s family which was met with shouts of “Oh my god.” Judge Lord Scott deferred sentence pending background reports until next month.
The judge later told jurors that it was an “emotive case” due to the ages of the teenagers and offered an exemption from future jury service.
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