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The family of the ice hockey player who died after his throat was slashed by a skate during a game have said they knew he was “really in trouble” as soon as it happened.

The American player Adam Johnson’s aunt Kari was watching him play for the Nottingham Panthers via a livestream with his father and grandmother when he was fatally injured last Saturday.

“It was terrible, it was horrific, we didn’t know what to do,” she told Sky News from Minnesota in the US. There was “nothing we could do”, she said.

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‘He was such a kind soul’

The 29-year-old had been playing at Sheffield Arena during his team’s derby clash against Sheffield Steelers last Saturday when the freak accident happened – and he died of his injuries in hospital.

A vigil is being held this evening at the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham, where the Panthers are based. Neither the Panthers nor the Steelers are playing this weekend.

“It means a lot to us to see how much everybody thought of our boy,” Ms Johnson said of the vigil. “He liked it there [Nottingham], he thought the fans were great, he was meeting some of them and really enjoying it.

“It means a lot to our family. It means the world.”

She described watching the game via a livestream with his family, and how they “knew right away he was in trouble”.

Lit candles among the flowers and messages left in tribute to Nottingham Panthers' ice hockey player Adam Johnson outside the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham, the home of the Panthers. Mr Johnson died after an accident during a Challenge Cup match with Sheffield Steelers on Saturday night. Picture date: Monday October 30, 2023.
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Flowers and messages left in tribute to Adam Johnson in Nottingham

One of his teammates eventually got hold of his phone and called Johnson’s father, saying he would keep in touch.

After hearing Johnson had died, his aunt said: “We all just broke down – it was a mess, it was a nightmare, it was like it wasn’t real. We were in shock, we couldn’t believe this was happening.”

Ms Johnson described her nephew as a “kind soul” and a “private kid” who would “never would have wanted to be in the limelight like this”.

He simply wanted to be “good at hockey and have fun”, she said, adding that he was “having the time of his life in the UK” and was planning to get engaged to his girlfriend.

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‘It just felt right to travel down’

Over three and a half hours they filed onto the ice in the Motorpoint Arena where Adam Johnson once played.

A Manchester Storm fan fought back tears in the torrential rain and said: “This could have happened to any guy on any team.”

Inside, a huge screen played a video tribute to the no 47, who had only recently joined the Midlands team.

A Panthers fan told me she had cried all day when she heard the news.

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It was announced on Friday that the Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) will not be making neck guards mandatory following Johnson’s death.

Ms Johnson thinks they should be. “When kids start playing in youth hockey, if you get them used to wearing it it’s just going to be like any other piece of equipment,” she said.

A funeral will be held on Sunday in Johnson’s hometown of Hibbing, Minnesota.

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US and EU agree trade deal, says Donald Trump

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US and EU agree trade deal, says Donald Trump

The United States and European Union have agreed a trade deal, says Donald Trump.

The announcement was made as the US president met European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen at one of his golf resorts in Scotland.

Speaking after talks in Turnberry, Mr Trump said the EU deal was the “biggest deal ever made” and it will be “great for cars”.

The US will impose 15% tariffs on EU goods into America, after Mr Trump had threatened a 30% levy.

He said there will be an EU investment of $600bn in the US, the bloc will buy $750bn in US energy and will also purchase US military equipment.

Mr Trump had earlier said the main sticking point was “fairness”, citing barriers to US exports of cars and agriculture.

He went into the talks demanding fairer trade with the 27-member EU and threatening steep tariffs to achieve that, while insisting the US will not go below 15% import taxes.

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For months, Mr Trump has threatened most of the world with large tariffs in the hope of shrinking major US trade deficits with many key trading partners, including the EU.

Ms von der Leyen said the agreement would include 15% tariffs across the board, saying it would help rebalance trade between the two large trading partners.

In case there was no deal and the US had imposed 30% tariffs from 1 August, the EU has prepared counter-tariffs on €93bn (£81bn) of US goods.

Ahead of their meeting on Sunday, Ms von der Leyen described Mr Trump as a “tough negotiator and dealmaker”.

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Michigan: 11 people stabbed in US supermarket – with six in critical condition

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Michigan: 11 people stabbed in US supermarket - with six in critical condition

At least 11 people have been stabbed at a Walmart supermarket in Michigan, with six in a critical condition.

Officials say a suspect is in custody – and at this stage, it is believed the attack was a “random act” that involved a folding-style knife near the checkout area.

Sheriff Michael Shea told reporters: “Eleven is 11 too many, but thank God it wasn’t more.”

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Pic: AP

The suspect, who is from Michigan, is not known to police – and was captured within three minutes thanks to “citizen involvement”.

The attack unfolded in Traverse City – and Tiffany DeFell, who was in the car park at the time, described scenes of chaos.

“It was really scary. Me and my sister were just freaking out,” she said. “This is something you see out of the movies.”

Beyond the six people in a critical condition, it is believed the remaining five were seriously hurt. All 11 are still being treated in hospital.

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Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer said: “Our thoughts are with the victims and the community reeling from this brutal act of violence.”

A Walmart spokesperson added that the retailer is working closely with law enforcement.

“Violence like this is unacceptable. Our thoughts are with those who were injured and we’re thankful for the swift action of first responders,” a statement said.

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Pic: AP

At this stage, the ages of the victims is unclear – but it is not thought any of the victims were Walmart employees.

Traverse City is about 255 miles northwest of Detroit.

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Plane plunges 300ft in 36 seconds to avoid another aircraft

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Plane plunges 300ft in 36 seconds to avoid another aircraft

A US passenger plane made a dramatic plunge minutes after take-off to dodge another aircraft – injuring two cabin crew and causing passengers to shoot out of their seats.

The Southwest flight had just taken off from Burbank in California when the pilot received an alert about a nearby plane.

Data from FlightAware shows the aircraft dropped by 91m (300ft) in just 36 seconds. Those on board said they felt panicked, and some feared the plane was about to crash.

Comedian Jimmy Dore posted on X: “Pilot had to dive aggressively to avoid mid-air collision … myself and plenty of people flew out of their seats and bumped heads on ceiling, a flight attendant needed medical attention.”

Stef Zambrano saw a woman who wasn’t wearing her seatbelt thrown out of her seat, who then said: “I want to get off this plane. I want to be on the ground.”

Another passenger, Steve Ulasewicz, told NBC Los Angeles that it felt like the plane was in freefall for 10 seconds.

“People were screaming. You know, it was pandemonium. People thought the plane was going down,” he added.

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The aircraft was able to continue to its destination of Las Vegas, where it safely landed without any further incident.

It is believed the Boeing 737 was in the same vicinity as a Hawker Hunter Mk. 58, a British fighter jet.

Southwest is now working with the Federal Aviation Administration “to further understand the circumstances” of the event.

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January: Footage of Washington plane crash

This is the second time in a week that a passenger plane has had to make abrupt flight manoeuvres to avoid a potential mid-air collision.

Concerns have been raised about aviation safety in the US following a series of recent incidents.

In January, a mid-air collision in Washington DC killed 67 people.

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