Usman Khan was known to police when he stabbed and killed two people on London Bridge in broad daylight on Friday. Khan had been convicted in February 2012 as part of a terrorist cell that had plotted to blow up the London Stock Exchange and the American embassy, among other targets. Three members of the nine-man cell from Stoke-on-Trent in the UK Midlands, inspired by Al Qaeda, were initially supposed to be held in prison indefinitely because of the threat they posed to the public. A year after the sentencing, however, the Court of Appeal relented and gave its three masterminds – including Khan – fixed-term sentences instead. Presiding appeal judge Lord Justice Leveson said at the time: "Terrorism comes in many different forms. This offence [of preparing for acts of terrorism] is particularly wide, covering acts just short of an attempt to conduct that only just crosses the line into criminality."
On Friday, that deeply troubling decision proved to be fatal. Khan, who was released in December last year after serving exactly half of his 16-year sentence – as the applicable law states – launched a frenzied attack, armed with two knives, killing a man and a woman and injuring at least three others before he was shot dead by police officers.
As London once again contemplates the tragic aftermath of a fatal terrorist attack, questions are rightly being asked about whether there are sufficient measures in place to protect the public. Had the original sentence stood, Khan and his cohort Nazam Hussain, described by the judge as “the more serious jihadists”, would most likely still be behind bars. The new UK Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act, which came into effect in April this year, gave tougher sentencing powers of up to 15 years for lesser crimes such as collecting or disseminating terrorist material. It also offered judges the opportunity to give indeterminate sentences for crimes such as belonging to a proscribed group, rather than having to wait until suspects had committed violent or terrorist acts before issuing such tough penalties.
Last year more than 80 convicted terrorists were due for automatic release because they had come to the end of their sentences
At the time of the appeal hearing, the criminal landscape in Britain was markedly different. Khalid Masood had yet to drive a rental van at pedestrians on London's Westminster Bridge in 2017, killing five people. And a terrorist gang had not yet prowled London Bridge and nearby Borough Market, killing eight people and injuring 48. Nor had 23 people – many of them children – died in a suicide bombing at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester Arena. These fatal incidents had yet to happen when Khan's sentence was downgraded, but they had already taken place before he was released. The Parole Board said he was released automatically on licence after reaching the midway point in his sentence. It suggests a woefully inadequate system that is still missing essential joined-up thinking that could save lives.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said it is a "mistake to allow serious and violent criminals to come out of prison early". The Guardian newspaper last year found more than 80 convicted terrorists were due for automatic release because they had come to the end of their sentences, including extremist preacher Anjem Choudary, a close friend of Khan. The threat comes not just from Islamists like Khan but also right-wing extremists; there is extensive evidence of both being radicalised behind bars. Greater provision must be made to monitor such recruitment by extremists in prison and to properly assess convicts before they are released to ensure they will not reoffend. Probation workers have complained they are overstretched. They must receive proper support and training in recognising those who could be a danger if released as it could mean the difference between life and death for potential victims.
London has proven resilient in bouncing back from such attacks and it will undoubtedly do so again. But it should not take yet more fatalities to serve as a reminder of the need for greater vigilance and care in protecting the public. There are currently more than 220 people being held on terrorism-related offences in Britain. It only takes one lone wolf to cause devastation, as Khan proved on Friday. A counter-narrative to his message of hate must be projected loudly before the ideology that he was indoctrinated with strikes again.
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House-hunting
Top 10 locations for inquiries from US house hunters, according to Rightmove
- Edinburgh, Scotland
- Westminster, London
- Camden, London
- Glasgow, Scotland
- Islington, London
- Kensington and Chelsea, London
- Highlands, Scotland
- Argyll and Bute, Scotland
- Fife, Scotland
- Tower Hamlets, London
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
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Director Ashutosh Gowariker
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The five pillars of Islam
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Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
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Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
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Star rating: 2/5
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
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In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 247hp at 6,500rpm
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Fuel consumption: 7.8L/100km
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Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
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Teaching your child to save
Pre-school (three - five years)
You can’t yet talk about investing or borrowing, but introduce a “classic” money bank and start putting gifts and allowances away. When the child wants a specific toy, have them save for it and help them track their progress.
Early childhood (six - eight years)
Replace the money bank with three jars labelled ‘saving’, ‘spending’ and ‘sharing’. Have the child divide their allowance into the three jars each week and explain their choices in splitting their pocket money. A guide could be 25 per cent saving, 50 per cent spending, 25 per cent for charity and gift-giving.
Middle childhood (nine - 11 years)
Open a bank savings account and help your child establish a budget and set a savings goal. Introduce the notion of ‘paying yourself first’ by putting away savings as soon as your allowance is paid.
Young teens (12 - 14 years)
Change your child’s allowance from weekly to monthly and help them pinpoint long-range goals such as a trip, so they can start longer-term saving and find new ways to increase their saving.
Teenage (15 - 18 years)
Discuss mutual expectations about university costs and identify what they can help fund and set goals. Don’t pay for everything, so they can experience the pride of contributing.
Young adulthood (19 - 22 years)
Discuss post-graduation plans and future life goals, quantify expenses such as first apartment, work wardrobe, holidays and help them continue to save towards these goals.
* JP Morgan Private Bank
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Know your Camel lingo
The bairaq is a competition for the best herd of 50 camels, named for the banner its winner takes home
Namoos - a word of congratulations reserved for falconry competitions, camel races and camel pageants. It best translates as 'the pride of victory' - and for competitors, it is priceless
Asayel camels - sleek, short-haired hound-like racers
Majahim - chocolate-brown camels that can grow to weigh two tonnes. They were only valued for milk until camel pageantry took off in the 1990s
Millions Street - the thoroughfare where camels are led and where white 4x4s throng throughout the festival
