Ian Aikman

Four people, including two serving police officers, have been arrested at the Police Federation of England and Wales offices in Leatherhead, Surrey, in a suspected fraud and bribery investigation. The City of London Police said the suspects were questioned over fraud by abuse of position of trust, with two also suspected of bribery and failing to disclose fraud. The arrests follow three earlier arrests in March, including Police Federation chief executive Mukund Krishna, who was suspended after those arrests. Investigators said the complex case was making significant progress.

Italian divers have discovered a more than 2,000-year-old Roman shipwreck approximately 46 metres deep off Mazara del Vallo in Sicily. The 21-metre vessel is believed to date from the second or first century BC and contains hundreds of well-preserved amphorae that once transported goods such as wine, olive oil and grain. Carabinieri specialists are securing the site while experts investigate the wreck and its cargo, which officials describe as a major underwater archaeological discovery.

Italian specialist police divers discovered a Roman shipwreck about 46 metres beneath the sea near Mazara del Vallo, Sicily. Dating from the first or second century BC, the approximately 21-metre vessel is packed with hundreds of well-preserved amphorae once used to transport wine, olive oil and grain. The Italian Ministry of Culture plans to secure the site while experts investigate the wreck and its cargo.

Paris has introduced mandatory helmet and high-visibility vest requirements for privately owned electric scooters and similar devices, with fines of up to €135 for non-compliance. The rules respond to a sharp rise in fatalities and injuries involving e-scooters, despite the city’s 2023 ban on rental scooters. Existing restrictions include a minimum riding age of 14, a ban on passengers and a 25km/h speed limit; several other French regions and European cities have also adopted or announced rental restrictions.

The United States has pledged a $1bn security package to Colombia shortly after Abelardo de la Espriella was sworn in as president. De la Espriella, a right-wing populist and Donald Trump admirer, promised an “all-out war” on drug cartels and armed groups, replacing Gustavo Petro’s negotiation-based “total peace” strategy with a forceful military approach. He also committed Colombia to Trump’s Shield of the Americas partnership and closer security, trade and economic ties with the US and Israel. The move reflects a broader rightward shift in Latin America and gives Washington a more closely aligned partner, while critics remain concerned about militarized policies and the president’s past work defending drug-trafficking paramilitaries.

Victims of historical forced adoption in the UK will receive a formal apology from the prime minister following decades of campaigning by mothers, adoptees and advocacy groups. An estimated 185,000 babies were taken from unmarried mothers between 1949 and 1976, often under pressure from public sector workers amid social stigma. Parliamentary inquiries concluded that government decisions contributed to an environment that shamed and coerced young mothers, recommending improved access to records and greater support for family reunions. Previous apologies were issued by devolved governments and the Church of England, while Northern Ireland plans one after its ongoing inquiry. The formal UK government apology marks a significant acknowledgment of the harm experienced by affected families.

The UK government will issue a formal apology for historical forced adoption practices that affected an estimated 185,000 babies between 1949 and 1976. Campaigners, including former MP Ann Keen, are meeting Prime Minister Keir Starmer before the statement in Parliament. Parliamentary inquiries found unmarried mothers were shamed and coerced into adoption, often by public sector workers, and recommended improved access to records and support services. Previous governments stopped short of a full apology, though devolved administrations in Wales and Scotland have already issued theirs. Religious institutions, including the Church of England, have also apologised for their role in operating mother and baby homes.