Immigration arrests at car wash business
The four men, aged between their 20s and 40s, were arrested at a hand car wash on Hylton Road on Saturday by police working with immigration officers.
Officers also targeted delivery riders using e-bikes and spoke to 19 people in an operation at The Cross and Foregate Street, but no immigration offences were discovered, a West Mercia Police spokesman said.
Police seized four illegal e-bikes and one electric scooter from delivery riders and members of the public.
E-scooters are currently illegal to use on public roads, pavements, cycle lanes and pedestrian-only areas unless part of a legal e-scooter loan scheme, but there are no such schemes in the West Mercia area, the force said.
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Associated Press
30 minutes ago
- Associated Press
A Tunisian musician was detained in LA after living in US for a decade. His doctor wife speaks out
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Dr. Wafaa Alrashid noticed fewer of her patients were showing up for their appointments at the Los Angeles area hospital where she works as immigration raids spread fear among the Latino population she serves. The Utah-born chief medical officer at Huntington Hospital understood their fear on a personal level. Her husband Rami Othmane, a Tunisian singer and classical musician, began carrying a receipt of his pending green card application around with him. Over the past few months, immigration agents have arrested hundreds of people in Southern California, prompting protests against the federal raids and the subsequent deployment of the National Guard and Marines. Despite living in the U.S. for a decade as one of thousands of residents married to U.S. citizens, he was swept up in the crackdown. On July 13, Othmane was stopped while driving to a grocery store in Pasadena. He quickly pulled out his paperwork to show federal immigration agents. 'They didn't care, they said, 'Please step out of the car,'' Alrashid recalled hearing the officers say as she watched her husband's arrest in horror over FaceTime. Alrashid immediately jumped in her car and followed her phone to his location. She arrived just in time to see the outline of his head in the back of a vehicle driving away. 'That was probably the worst day of my life,' she said. The Trump administration's crackdown on illegal immigration has ensnared not only immigrants without legal status but legal permanent residents like Othmane who has green cards. Some U.S. citizens have even been arrested. Meanwhile, many asylum-seekers who have regular check-in appointments are being arrested in the hallways outside courtrooms as the White House works toward its promise of mass deportations. Alrashid said her husband has been in the U.S. since 2015 and overstayed his visa, but his deportation order was dismissed in 2020. They wed in March 2025 and immediately filed for a green card. After his arrest, he was taken to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in downtown Los Angeles where he was held in a freezing cold room with 'no beds, no pillows, no blankets, no soap, no toothbrushes and toothpaste, and when you're in a room with people, the bathroom's open,' she said. The Department of Homeland Security in an emailed statement noted the expiration of his tourist visa but did not address the dismissal of the deportation order in 2020 nor his pending green card application. The agency denied any allegations of mistreatment, and said 'ensuring the safety, security, and well-being of individuals in our custody is a top priority at ICE.' Alrashid said for years her husband has performed classical Arabic music across Southern California. They first met when he was singing at a restaurant. 'He's the kindest person,' Alrashid said, adding that he gave a sweater she brought him to a fellow detainee and to give others privacy, he built a makeshift barrier around the open toilet using trash bags. 'He's brought a lot to the community, a lot of people love his music,' she said. More than a week after his arrest, fellow musicians, immigration advocates and activists joined Alrashid in a rally outside the facility. A few of his colleagues performed classical Arabic music, drumming loud enough that they hoped the detainees inside could hear them. Los Jornaleros del Norte musicians, who often play Spanish-language music at rallies, also were there. 'In Latin American culture, the serenade — to bring music to people — is an act of love and kindness. But in this moment, bringing music to people who are in captivity is also an act of resistance,' said Pablo Alvarado, co-executive director of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network. Leading up to the rally, Alrashid was worried because she hadn't received her daily call from her husband and was told she couldn't visit him that day at the detention facility. She finally heard from him that evening. Othmane told her over the phone he was now at an immigration detention facility in Arizona, and that his left leg was swollen. 'They should ultrasound your leg, don't take a risk,' she said. Alrashid hopes to get her husband out on bail while his case is being processed. They had a procedural hearing on Thursday where the judge verified his immigration status, and have a bail bond hearing scheduled for Tuesday. Until then, she'll continue waiting for his next phone call.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Map reveals parts of Wales where most sexual offences are reported
Sexual offences reported to police soared in Wales last year - as a new estimate suggests one in eight women aged 16 or over was a victim of sexual assault, domestic abuse, or stalking last year. For men, that estimate is one in 12, making the overall average one in 10 for adults in England and Wales. That adds up to more than three million women and around two million men aged over 16 suffering from sexual assault, domestic abuse or stalking. Don't miss a court report by signing up to our crime newsletter here READ MORE: Met Office weather maps show moment Storm Floris wall of rain will cover Wales READ MORE: Met Office issues 24-hour weather warning as Storm Floris to batter Wales It is the first time an estimate has been made of the combined prevalence of sexual assault, domestic abuse, and stalking. Separate Home Office figures show the number of sexual offences that were reported to police in Wales, including rape and sexual assault, increased by 11% in the year ending March, 2025, to 10,577 crimes. That's an increase of 1,113 sexual offences. However, that might be at least partially explained by increased public confidence in reporting crime. Cardiff reported the highest number of offences, with 1,238 crimes recorded by South Wales Police. That was followed by the Cwm Taf Community Safety Partnership area which takes in Rhondda Cynon Taf and Merthyr Tydfil counties (948) and Swansea (857). However, crime rates, the number of crimes recorded in each area for every 1,000 people who live there, allow for a fairer comparison of areas with different population sizes. They show that in Wales, sexual offences were most likely to be recorded by police in Denbighshire. North Wales Police recorded 441 sexual offences in Denbighshire last year, around a third as many as there were in Cardiff. However, when compared to the size of the population, that translates to a crime rate of 4.6 offences for every 1,000 residents living in Denbighshire, or the equivalent of one in 219 people suffering some form of sex crime in the last year alone. That was the highest rate in Wales, and the 26th highest rate of more than 300 community safety partnership areas in England and Wales, which are broadly similar to council areas. Conwy (482 crimes, a rate of 4.2 offences per 1,000 people), and Torfaen (381 crimes, a rate of 4.1) had the next highest crime rates in Wales. In Cardiff, the area with the highest number of crimes, the rate was 3.3 offences per 1,000 residents, the equivalent of one in 301 people reporting a sexual offence. You can see the rates and numbers of sexual offences where you live using our interactive map below. While the Home Office figures show crimes recorded by police, the new estimates of people suffering sexual assault, domestic abuse, or stalking have been published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) using data collected as part of the Crime Survey for England and Wales. This annual poll, based on face-to-face interviews, seeks to measure the amount and impact of crime, including offences which may not have been reported to police. The survey measures experiences of crime, with sexual assault, domestic abuse, and stalking referred to as 'crime types' because in some cases a criminal offence may not have occurred. Despite the grim picture painted by the CSEW and official police figures, the End Violence Against Women Coalition (EVAW) believes even more crimes are being hidden. Rebecca Hitchen, head of policy and campaigns at EVAW, said: 'This new, combined measure of domestic abuse, sexual violence and stalking fails to capture the full spectrum of VAWG (violence against women and girls) incidents, including online abuse, so-called 'honour'-based abuse, child abuse and sexual harassment. "Our concern is that this measure has been created for the ease of government, rather than trying to truly represent the scale and impact of violence against women and girls. 'Even with this narrower approach the figures are stark, with an estimated one in eight women experiencing a form of domestic abuse, stalking or sexual assault last year alone. "There is no more time to waste. We need a plan from the top that sets out clearly how the government intends to tackle this national crisis. 'We're calling for a further consultation process to be opened so that there is transparency and a clear structure around how the VAWG sector and VAWG experts can inform and guide the development of the government's approach to measuring VAWG and the delivery of its mission to halve it. "This must include consultation with smaller specialist VAWG organisations, including those led 'by and for' Black, minoritised and migrant women, and others who are marginalised.' Get daily breaking news updates on your phone by joining our WhatsApp community here. We occasionally treat members to special offers, promotions and ads from us and our partners. See our Privacy Notice
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
'When my brother was killed, I felt I hadn't done my job'
"I remember I didn't speak until the age of five and Anthony used to communicate for me. We used to have our very own secret language which we still use now, and we speak every day." These are the heartfelt words of Dominique Walker, speaking this week about the murder of her brother Anthony and the life they shared before tragedy struck. It has been 20 years since the racially-motivated murder of Anthony Walker. His sister Dominique, reflects on a legacy forged in pain, activism and hope. Speaking candidly about the trauma which reshaped her family's life, Dominique has emerged not just as a sister in mourning, but as a mother, a celebrated academic and an unrelenting advocate for justice and anti-racism. However, it's fair to say those achievements have come with a cost. Anthony Walker was just 18-years-old when he was chased into a park and attacked with an ice axe. It was a brutal and merciless hate crime that shocked the entire country and left Anthony's family and friends completely devastated. READ MORE: People told to stay indoors after man slashed in the neck READ MORE: Dad wants to find woman after what happened on Mathew Street His killers Michael Barton, then 17, and his cousin Paul Taylor, then 20, fled the country in the hope of avoiding justice and answering for their vicious crime. Both were eventually taken into police custody, convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment. Dominique said she had known Barton and Taylor since childhood: "I'd seen Paul [Taylor] the week before Anthony was killed and that was normal. We all grew up in the same area together. "When you're raised in a place like Liverpool, everyone knows everyone. I knew his family and they knew our family. Our mums shared the same playgrounds." But familiarity didn't protect her brother from hatred. The theme of protection is one which resonates with Dominique who saw herself as the protector of her three younger siblings. She said: "When Anthony was killed, I felt I hadn't done my job and that I hadn't understood the level of threat we were living with. "I needed to make sense of what had happened. I wanted to demystify the criminal justice processes, police investigations and also the drivers of hate and prejudice. "I wanted to know why these things happened, why it happened to me and my family and what I could do to try and prevent it happening to anyone else. I knew I couldn't do it for our Anthony but I could do it in his name." In the following twenty years, Dominique has worked tirelessly to accomplish all of those things. After establishing the Anthony Walker Foundation and a career in the police force, she has recently completed her PhD and is a senior lecturer in police and forensics investigations at Liverpool John Moores University. Her next target is to become a professor. Dominique's drive to understand the world and seek out new opportunities for learning are truly inspiring, but she said she does wonder what the motivations are for striving for more and more things. She said: "I think some of it's trauma driven. I think joining the police was trauma driven. I wanted to arrest racists and I did. I was good at my job, but I also wanted to help Black people, to understand the system from the inside.' "The urge to understand and use that information as a tool to protect myself and others - that was intensely motivating. Alongside that, I've had significant therapy because the trauma was so vast and so impactful and the fact I was so young as well. "I don't think people understand the damage that happens to families when something like this happens. There is an inherent damage in relation to your perception of self and your perception of others. "The day Anthony died was the worst day of my life. I remember my mum didn't speak for two weeks afterwards. Nobody could. People look at me now as the mouthpiece of the foundation, but it was born of that time because I needed to speak and I haven't stopped talking since. "I recognise the importance of dialogue because we need wider, deeper, more insightful conversations about race, developing our racial literacy because we've got none. Race is a figment of our imagination, but the realities of racism are very real." Anthony's murderers robbed him of a future filled with so much promise and possibility. At the time of his death, Anthony was a youth worker, an active member of his church and aspired to become a lawyer. Dominique said: "Anthony was the best of us and he had such big plans. "Whereas I was just concerned about going out with my mates, Anthony had already shaped out his path. He used to joke with me that I'd be working for him one day - twenty years after his death, he was spot on about that one!" Through the foundation, Dominique works across Merseyside, running programs that empower young people - of all backgrounds - to recognise and stand up to racism. The foundation is largely split into two teams - one to support victims of hate crime and a second to provide educational opportunities for schools and workplaces to promote equity and inclusion. After two decades, Dominique is looking to the long-term future of the foundation and hopes to pass the baton to a younger generation, she said: "I think about my brother every day and I know he would be happy with the work we've done in his name, but I know he also wants me to be happy outside of that. "I am a mum, I am married and balance my academic career with my work here, but recognised I also needed to heal. I need to find strategies that will also allow me to centre joy. "Part of that is maintaining a relationship with Anthony outside of what happened. To live with the relationship we had and still have. "I have learned that embracing joy is not selfish nor does it lessen the significance of our loss, but that it's essential because it brings people together and it's what makes us human." As the city remembers Anthony Walker, Dominique said it's important to use this moment as an opportunity to reckon with the unfinished fight for racial justice, led by people like her, who turned personal tragedy into transformative power. However, she added that it's equally important to remember Anthony as the person he was - a young man with dreams, passions and surrounded by love.
