Police stand at the end of a tram platform following a stabbing at Victoria station in Manchester. Reuters
Police stand at the end of a tram platform following a stabbing at Victoria station in Manchester. Reuters

UK police investigating New Year's knifings as 'terrorist attack'



A British police investigation into a stabbing at a Manchester railway station on New Year’s Eve, in which three people were injured, is being treated as “a terrorist investigation”, the city’s chief constable said yesterday.

Counter-terrorism officials arrested a man, who remains in police custody, on suspicion of attempted murder and are searching an address where he recently lived in the city, Chf Const Ian Hopkins said.

Mr Hopkins told of a “horrific attack” on three people, including a police officer, at Victoria station in the northern English city on Monday evening.

“We are treating this as a terrorist investigation which is being led by counter-terrorism officers with support from Greater Manchester Police,” he said.

A British Transport Police officer was stabbed in the shoulder and a man and a woman, both in their 50s, were left with “serious injuries” in the attack.

The two had abdominal wounds and the woman also had injuries to her face.

The incident happened about 8.50pm when many revellers would have been enjoying New Year’s Eve celebrations.

Witness Sam Clack, 38, a BBC radio producer, described the attack.

“I just heard this most blood-curdling scream and looked down the platform,” Mr Clack said. “He came towards me. I looked down and saw he had a kitchen knife with a black handle and a good 30-centimetre blade.

“It was just fear, pure fear.”

Mr Clack said police used a stun gun and pepper spray before six or seven officers jumped on the man.

He said the suspect had shouted: “As long as you keep bombing other countries, this sort of thing is going to keep happening.”

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Another witness, Rebekka, told the UK’s Daily Mirror newspaper that she heard a scream and turned to see people running towards her.

“I jumped off the tram station and started to run down the tram lines, and hid behind some concrete slabs under one of the railway arches,” she said.

“I was really scared. I didn’t know if I was going to die.”

Authorities called the attack a critical incident and Manchester’s assistant chief constable Rob Potts said the investigation was being led by counter-terrorism police, and that all were keeping an “open mind”.

“Tonight’s events will have understandably worried people but I need to stress that the incident is not ongoing, a man is in custody and there is no intelligence to suggest that there is any wider threat at this time,” Mr Potts said.

The city’s New Year celebrations went ahead in the main Albert Square despite the incident, although increased security was brought in.

The city suffered a suicide attack in May last year, when 22 people were killed and 139 injured at a concert by US pop star Ariana Grande at the Manchester Arena.

The bomber, Salman Abedi, 22, was born and raised in Manchester.

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FIXTURES

All kick-off times 10.45pm UAE ( 4 GMT) unless stated

Tuesday
Sevilla v Maribor
Spartak Moscow v Liverpool
Manchester City v Shakhtar Donetsk
Napoli v Feyenoord
Besiktas v RB Leipzig
Monaco v Porto
Apoel Nicosia v Tottenham Hotspur
Borussia Dortmund v Real Madrid

Wednesday
Basel v Benfica
CSKA Moscow Manchester United
Paris Saint-Germain v Bayern Munich
Anderlecht v Celtic
Qarabag v Roma (8pm)
Atletico Madrid v Chelsea
Juventus v Olympiakos
Sporting Lisbon v Barcelona

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Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

Electoral College Victory

Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate. 

 

Popular Vote Tally

The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.

If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.

When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.

How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.

Schedule:

Pakistan v Sri Lanka:
28 Sep-2 Oct, 1st Test, Abu Dhabi
6-10 Oct, 2nd Test (day-night), Dubai
13 Oct, 1st ODI, Dubai
16 Oct, 2nd ODI, Abu Dhabi
18 Oct, 3rd ODI, Abu Dhabi
20 Oct, 4th ODI, Sharjah
23 Oct, 5th ODI, Sharjah
26 Oct, 1st T20I, Abu Dhabi
27 Oct, 2nd T20I, Abu Dhabi
29 Oct, 3rd T20I, Lahore

COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Company%20profile
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Porsche Macan T: The Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo 

Power: 265hp from 5,000-6,500rpm 

Torque: 400Nm from 1,800-4,500rpm 

Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto 

Speed: 0-100kph in 6.2sec 

Top speed: 232kph 

Fuel consumption: 10.7L/100km 

On sale: May or June 

Price: From Dh259,900  

The five types of long-term residential visas

Obed Suhail of ServiceMarket, an online home services marketplace, outlines the five types of long-term residential visas:

Investors:

A 10-year residency visa can be obtained by investors who invest Dh10 million, out of which 60 per cent should not be in real estate. It can be a public investment through a deposit or in a business. Those who invest Dh5 million or more in property are eligible for a five-year residency visa. The invested amount should be completely owned by the investors, not loaned, and retained for at least three years.

Entrepreneurs:

A five-year multiple entry visa is available to entrepreneurs with a previous project worth Dh0.5m or those with the approval of an accredited business incubator in the UAE.  

Specialists

Expats with specialised talents, including doctors, specialists, scientists, inventors, and creative individuals working in the field of culture and art are eligible for a 10-year visa, given that they have a valid employment contract in one of these fields in the country.

Outstanding students:

A five-year visa will be granted to outstanding students who have a grade of 95 per cent or higher in a secondary school, or those who graduate with a GPA of 3.75 from a university. 

Retirees:

Expats who are at least 55 years old can obtain a five-year retirement visa if they invest Dh2m in property, have savings of Dh1m or more, or have a monthly income of at least Dh20,000.

Teams

Punjabi Legends Owners: Inzamam-ul-Haq and Intizar-ul-Haq; Key player: Misbah-ul-Haq

Pakhtoons Owners: Habib Khan and Tajuddin Khan; Key player: Shahid Afridi

Maratha Arabians Owners: Sohail Khan, Ali Tumbi, Parvez Khan; Key player: Virender Sehwag

Bangla Tigers Owners: Shirajuddin Alam, Yasin Choudhary, Neelesh Bhatnager, Anis and Rizwan Sajan; Key player: TBC

Colombo Lions Owners: Sri Lanka Cricket; Key player: TBC

Kerala Kings Owners: Hussain Adam Ali and Shafi Ul Mulk; Key player: Eoin Morgan

Venue Sharjah Cricket Stadium

Format 10 overs per side, matches last for 90 minutes

Timeline October 25: Around 120 players to be entered into a draft, to be held in Dubai; December 21: Matches start; December 24: Finals

How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
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