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A man arrested in Whitehall with three knives last year told police he was there to send a message to the UK’s « hierarchy », the Old Bailey has heard.

Khalid Ali’s comments, made during police interviews after his arrest, were read to the jury at his trial.

Mr Ali said he had not intended to kill anybody – and that the knives were for his « protection ». He has pleaded not guilty to possessing explosives overseas and preparing an act of terrorism in the UK.

Thursday’s court hearing began with the jury being shown close-up video footage of Mr Ali, from Edmonton, north London, being arrested in Parliament Street by heavily armed officers on 27 April 2017.

Three new Sabatier knives were removed from his pockets and waistband. CCTV footage from earlier that day showed him buying the knives at a Wilko store in west London and then travelling to Westminster via the underground network.

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A soldier in the US has been arrested after stealing an armoured military vehicle and leading police on a two-hour chase through a busy city.

The vehicle was taken from the Ford Pickett National Guard base in Virginia on Tuesday and was driven at speed through the state capital, Richmond.

Footage posted on social media showed more than a dozen police cars in pursuit of the personnel carrier, which was not equipped with any weapons. No injuries or crashes were reported.

The dramatic chase came to an end when the driver drove the vehicle on to a central reservation and was surrounded by police, according to local media.

In a news conference, police spokeswoman Sergeant Keeli Hill told reporters that the suspect was then tasered and later identified as a soldier.

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London’s gangs are now more concerned with profiting from the illegal drugs trade than engaging in turf wars with rivals, a study has suggested.

The report also found more women and girls are becoming involved in gang activity, while some groups use social media to gather personal details of police officers.

The university study centres on Waltham Forest in north-east London. It said there were up to 4,500 people in about 250 gangs in the capital.

Since commissioning the From Postcodes to Profit report by London South Bank University, Waltham Forest Council has pledged extra funds to prevent gang activity in the borough.

The report found gangs were following a new « ruthless » money-driven operating model and are « less interested in postcode rivalries unless it is to protect their drug market ».
« This new operating model rejects visible signs of gang membership as ‘bad for business’ because they attract unwanted attention from law enforcement agencies, » the report said.

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An off-duty FBI agent accidentally shot a bystander in the leg when his gun fell from its holster as he cavorted on the dance-floor of a bar in Denver, Colorado, police said.

Video widely shared on Twitter shows the agent strutting his stuff and then performing a backflip. The gun falls to the floor and, as the agent goes to grab it, fires a shot.

The fellow customer hit by the bullet was taken to hospital with a non-life-threatening injury.

It is unclear if the agent, who has not been named, will face charges or disciplinary action. The video shows that his wild moves on the dance-floor had attracted an appreciative crowd at the Mile High Spirits and Distillery bar on Saturday night. But the mood quickly changed when the gun went off. As shocked patrons look on, the agent retrieves his weapon, holds up his hands and leaves the floor.

Denver Police Department said the agent « was dancing at a nightclub when his firearm became dislodged from its waistband holster and fell on to the floor. When the agent retrieved his handgun an unintended discharge occurred ».

The statement added: « The victim was transported to the hospital with a good prognosis. » Police spokeswoman Marika Putnam said the agent was taken to a police station and later released to an FBI supervisor.

The Denver District Attorney’s office said the incident remained under investigation.

Home Secretary Sajid Javid has revealed plans for MI5 to declassify and share information on UK citizens suspected of having terrorist sympathies.

« Key » biographical data will be given to neighbourhood police, councils and the charity commission in London, Midlands and Manchester trial schemes.

Last year’s wave of terror attacks showed the need for wider and more local exchange of information, he said. There must be no « safe spaces » for terror suspects anywhere, he said.

In his first speech on security since replacing Amber Rudd, Mr Javid said there had been a « step change » in the threat to the UK, with 25 Islamist-linked plots foiled in the last five years and four extreme right plots stopped since March 2017.

To counter this, he called for increased – and faster – sharing of information between security services and the police as well as local authorities and other public agencies such as the Probation Service, the Charity Commission and the Communities department.

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