One dead and several injured with suspect arrested after car driven into crowd in Mannheim, Germany – Europe live

German police shut down the city centre of Mannheim in western Germany after reports that a car was driven into the crowds, with local media reporting multiple people injured.

Mannheim police spokesperson confirmed at at least one person is dead, and several others are seriously injured.

One suspect was arrested at the scene, with officers looking into whether there were other suspects involved.

Police confirmed there was an active police operation with emergency services in attendance.

Local authorities earlier sent an emergency alert warning residents to stay away from the city centre, and confirmed a “major operation” on their social media channels.

The incident took place during the popular carnival season in Germany.

A local carnival market in Mannheim opened last Thursday, and a parade took place yesterday. A further traditional street carnival event was planned for Tuesday, Welt reported.

Local media outlets Die Rheinpfalz and Mannheimer Morgen are reporting heavy police presence on the ground, with a police helicopter circling above the scene.

German police remained on high alert for this year’s carnival parades after social media accounts connected to the Islamic State militant group called for attacks on the events in Cologne and Nuremberg.

While there has been no confirmation that the incident was a deliberate attack, these early reports will cause alarm after recent attacks involving driving cars into crowds in recent months.

In February, an Afghan man drove a car into a group of demonstrators in Munich, killing two people.

In December, six people where killed in Magdeburg after a Saudi-born man drove into the crowds at a Christmas market.

We are following a developing story in Mannheim, Germany, after reports that a car was driven into the crowds, with local police confirming that an active law enforcement operation is under way.

We will also bring you separate updates on Ukraine, whenever something important happens.

Early media reports from Mannheim in Germany say that a black car was driven into the crowds, with multiple people injured.

Regional newspaper Die Rheinpfalz reported that heavily armed police is present at the scene, and local hospital was put on high alert.

Local newspaper Mannheimer Morgen said that a security alert was sent on an emergency warning app, Katwarn, with authorities requesting residents to stay away from the city centre.

This is a developing story.

Meanwhile in Brussels, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said she was planning to inform member states about her plans to strenghten the European defence industry and the EU’s military capabilities on Tuesday.

Von der Leyen, who attended the London summit on Sunday, told reporters that Europe needs “a massive surge in defence, without any question.”

“We want lasting peace, but lasting peace can only be built on strength, and strength begins with strengthening ourselves,” she said.

We’re looking at reports from the city of Mannheim in western Germany, with local media saying that a car was driven into the crowd.

Mannheim Police has confirmed that there is an active police operation in the city centre.

We will bring you more when we have it.

Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau has stayed a bit longer in the UK after yesterday’s summit on Ukraine, meeting King Charles III at the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk.

Trudeau said last night that he would discuss with the monarch all “matters of importance to Canada, to Canadians.”

He pointedly added that “nothing seems more important to Canadians right now than standing up for our sovereignty and our independence as a nation,” after US president Donald Trump’s highly contentious comments about adding Canada as the 51st US state.

On Sunday, Charles also met with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Their meeting came in a similar context, just days after Trump reportedly asked Zelenskyy to leave the White House as the pair clashes over peace deal prospects for Ukraine.

Only a few days earlier, Trump was offered a second state visit to the UK, with a personal invitation from Charles.

European defence stocks soar after London summit

Jasper Jolly

Financial reporter

Share prices in European weapons companies have soared as investors anticipated significantly higher spending after the UK and France led an effort to form a peace deal for Ukraine.

Britain’s BAE Systems rose by 17% in early trading on Monday, Germany’s Rheinmetall gained 14%, France’s Thales increased 16% and Italy’s Leonardo was up 10%.

The moves continued a steep rally in defence stocks as investors expected big increases in defence budgets by European countries, stoked by fears that Washington would withdraw security guarantees.

Defence bosses in Europe have long argued that weapons spending should be higher, and the prospect of the US removing its support has made politicians pay attention.

Former Polish president and 1983 Nobel Peace prize winner Lech Wałęsa signed a letter to US president Donald Trump expressing “horror and distaste” at his argument with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the White House last week.

The letter, signed by Wałęsa and over 30 former Polish political prisoners during the communist era, said that Trump and Vance’s demands that Zelenskyy showed gratefulness were “insulting” in the face of the Ukrainian nation’s heroic fight for freedom.

The signatories said that the “atmosphere in the Oval Office reminded us of that we remember well from interrogations” by Poland’s communist secret services and regime courts.

“The prosecutors and the judges, working on behalf of the omnipotent Communist party police, also told us that they held all the cards, and we held none,” they said.

“We are shocked that you treated Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the same, way,” they said.

They also reminded Trump of the US obligations under the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, which provided security guarantees for Ukraine in exchange for return of Soviet-era nuclear weapons.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has posted a video showing damages sustained from Russian attacks on Ukraine over the last few days, saying the country “needs strong support from our partners.”

Ukraine is fighting for the normal and safe life it deserves, for a just and reliable peace. We want this war to end.

But Russia does not, and continues its aerial terror: over the past week, more than 1,050 attack drones, nearly 1,300 aerial bombs, and more than 20 missiles have been launched at Ukraine to destroy cities and kill people.

Those who seek negotiations do not deliberately strike civilians with ballistic missiles.

To force Russia to stop its attacks, we need greater collective strength from the world. Strengthening our air defense, supporting our army, and ensuring effective security guarantees that will make the return of Russian aggression impossible—this is what we must focus on.

Justice must prevail. We believe in the power of unity, and we will certainly restore lasting peace.

Latvia has had a sleepless night after adventure Flow has won the Oscar for best animated feature. It is the first Latvian film to ever be nominated for an Oscar.

The story follows the journey of a cat who must find safety after its home is devastated by a flood. The film has made $20m worldwide and has become the most-viewed theatrical film in Latvian history. It also won the Golden Globe for best animated film in January.

AP reported that more than 320,000 people have watched the film in theatres across the country of nearly 1.9 million, an audience larger than any other film screened in the country in the last 30 years.

“This is a great and historic day for Latvia! And we will all need time to understand what happened, because something big and beautiful occurred!” Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs wrote on X following the win.

Prime minister Evika Siliņa, in her congratulations on X to the filmmakers, added, “the cat continues to capture the hearts of people worldwide!”

But AP noted Oscars host Conan O’Brien also gave a shoutout – and a challenge – to another Baltic state following the “Flow” victory: “Ball’s in your court, Estonia!”

“We’ve got you, @ConanOBrien. Estonia will do its best to catch up,” Kristen Michal, Estonia’s prime minister, replied on X.

Christian Stocker has been sworn as the new Austrian chancellor today, leading a three-party coalition government formed after five months of political stalemate since last year’s election won by the far-right Freedom party.

The centre-right People’s party (ÖVP), the Social Democrats (SPÖ) and the liberal Neos, whose first attempt at forming a coalition failed in January, will form the new administration.

“Good things come to those who wait,” Austrian president Alexander Van der Bellen was reported by the Austrian media as joking at the ceremony.

Reuters noted that Stocker, a lawyer with no previous ministerial experience, now heads Austria’s first three-party government since the late 1940s. He is the third successive ÖVP chancellor to enter office for the first time without having led the party into the election campaign.

The coalition deal was agreed late last week, and formally cleared the final hurdle on Sunday, after it got approved by the general assembly of the liberal Neos party.