not all muslims are terrorists ma fucking ass if u are a moderate muslim who doesnt hate other with different beleifs than urs then u didnt read ur book please dont just follow anything that is agreed upon in ur society not all conventions are true Terrorist my ass, this is a set up and it's so suspicious how the so called black male suspect was shot dead yet hooked up to machines to try and revive him. Why do that if his heart is not still beating? Performing CPR on a gunshot victim? Really? The easiest way to understand islam is to understand muhammad. Muhammad is the perfect example of a muslim, this is understood. Muhammad was a warlord, murderer, rapist, pedophile, salve trader, wife beater and jihadist. He spread islam through violence. This is fact, this is understood. Islam is an evil, satanic cult that promotes violence, hatred and bigotry. Islam has no place in western civilization. Muslim population should stay at no more than 3%, anything more than that will create issue, At least when they're 3% of the total population they demand equality after surpassing 3% they demand your death.You can't reason with them because most of them don't have IQ more than 85, and they think they deserve some kind of recognition, they want to be great but they're lacking competence, and they think Islam ideology is the only thing they have to thrive on, much like North Koreans grabs nuke tight, athletes who addictive to steroids.We used to have lots of Muslim problems, they're incompatible to my civilization, then the cultural revolution happens, red guards tearing down mosques, force Muslims raising pigs in mosque, force them eats porks because if they don't it's seem as anti revolution. There's too much conflict between Muslim and other civilization, that's why we have habits of wiping off Muslim population every 100 years right after they created problems

Malcolm Turnbull and Australian Labor leader Bill Shorten are offering condolences to the UK in the Canberra parliament now, with the British High Commissioner Menna Rawlings looking on. Turnbull said: As prime minister Theresa May said earlier this morning, the values of the British parliament command the admiration and respect of free people everywhere. And so they do because they are our values too. We stand, all of us, with the UK. Comforted that we share those values. They’re ours. Freedom of speech, democracy, the rule of law. We will never give in to terror. He said of British MP Tobias Ellwood, who assisted attempts to resuscitate the police officer, PC Keith Palmer, who was fatally stabbed: This act of heroism is just one of the extraordinary stories that are emerging from this tragedy. Shorten paid tribute to Palmer: The murder of the Metropolitan police officer reminds us of the risks our security agencies take on our behalf to keep us safe. And on behalf of all honourable members I want to acknowledge and thank our Australian federal police and the parliamentary security officers for whom this news must strike a particular chord. Thursday’s Guardian editorial calls for solidarity in the wake of the terror attack on Westminster and pays tribute to the officers who intervened: The security forces and police have planned for what they call a “marauding attack” for years. The awful choreography of the response to terror was fast and well-rehearsed. The police officer who later died of his injuries stopped the attacker at the gates off Parliament Square. Before the man had gone a pace or two further, he himself was shot by an armed officer. These two courageous interventions almost certainly saved scores of lives in a busy area thronged with politicians, visitors and some of the hundreds of staff who work in the palace. There will be many questions to ask in the coming days about what was known of the attacker and his associates, but for now, there can only be a wholehearted appreciation of the professionalism with which the police did their job. The Guardian view on the Westminster attack: solidarity against terror | Editorial Donald Trump Jr is facing a backlash for criticising London mayor Sadiq Khan with a scornful tweet sent hours after an attack at the Houses of Parliament left five dead, including a police officer and the attacker. The US president’s eldest son tweeted a link to a September 2016 story in the Independent, which quoted Khan saying terror attacks were “part and parcel of living in a big city … I want to be reassured that every single agency and individual involved in protecting our city has the resources and expertise they need to respond in the event that London is attacked.” “You have to be kidding me?!” Trump Jr tweeted, quoting only the headline: “Terror attacks are part of living in big city, says London Mayor Sadiq Khan”. Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) You have to be kidding me?!: Terror attacks are part of living in big city, says London Mayor Sadiq Khan https://t.co/uSm2pwRTjO Donald Trump Jr called 'a disgrace' for tweet goading London mayor The Hyundai driven by the attacker raced over Westminster Bridge, mounting the pavement and mowing down pedestrians. Three members of the public are now believed to have been killed here, and up to 40 injured. The car then veered across a cycle lane and smashed into parliament’s perimeter wall. A man jumped out of the car and rushed through the gates into New Palace Yard where he fatally stabbed PC Keith Palmer. The attacker was then shot several times by armed officers. What happened in Westminster was witnessed by a number of parliamentary journalists, whose offices immediately overlook New Palace Yard, the cobbled square through which many MPs and peers drive each day to access parliament’s underground carpark: Quentin Letts, the Daily Mail’s parliamentary sketchwriter, has a desk near the window overlooking the yard; on hearing a loud crash and some screams, he told BBC news, he and his colleagues rushed to see what was happening. “Then I saw a thick-set man dressed in black clothes, he looked I would say about 40 years old, I don’t think he had much hair, running … through the gates. He seemed to have something in his hand, a stick or something like that.” A policeman who tried to challenge the man had fallen over, Letts said, “and the attacker was hitting him, possibly striking him or knifing him”. The weapon was a knife, and the stab wounds inflicted would prove fatal. The victim was later named as PC Keith Palmer, a 48-year-old officer with 15 years’ service who was a husband and father. The attacker then ran towards the entrance of the parliament building that is used by MPs each day. “He got about 15 yards or so when he was shot by two plain-clothes men who had come out of the building, having been summoned by the uniformed police,” said Letts. Before shooting, they shouted something at the man, “and he appeared to ignore them and still ran towards them, and they shot him about three times”. 'All hell was let loose': witnesses on the Westminster attack Australian PM pays tribute to 'mother of parliaments' The Australian prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, has extended Australia’s “heartfelt sympathy and resolute solidarity” to the people of the UK. The attack in the British parliament is an attack on parliaments, freedom and democracy everywhere. Westminster is rightly known as the mother of parliaments. Almost every element of our parliamentary tradition, here in Australia, is modelled on that of the houses of parliament in London. We send our condolences, especially to the families of the victims, those injured, including a police officer murdered by the terrorist. Turnbull said he had received briefings on the attack from Australia’s counter-terrorism coordinator, Tony Sheehan, and the high commissioner in London, Alexander Downer. He had also spoken to the Australian federal police commissioner and the director general of security, Duncan Lewis. Turnbull added that there would be an increased police presence in Canberra’s Parliament House on Thursday. Australians should be reassured that our agencies are today, as every day, working relentlessly to keep Australians safe. We are very alert to the vulnerabilities of places of mass gathering and the risk of lone attackers, like the terrorist in London. Keeping Australians safe is our highest priority. It is the first duty of my government. The South Korean embassy in London has sent officials to two London hospitals where five South Korean victims are being treated, media in Seoul have reported. All of the injured South Koreans are believed to be aged in their 50s or 60s. A South Korean foreign ministry official said the embassy had entered emergency mode since the terrorist attack, according to KBS World Radio. The report added that South Korean nationals travelling in the UK had been sent text messages alerting them about possible risks. “Three of the four women and a man sustained relatively light injuries but the other woman sustained an injury to her head and underwent surgery at a nearby hospital,” KBS World Radio reported, saying the tourists were hurt when they were caught in a stampede of people fleeing the attack on Westminster Bridge. The Seoul Shinmun, a daily broadsheet, reported that the 67-year-old female victim, who has been identified only as Park, was not directly injured by the vehicle driven deliberately by the attacker into pedestrians on the bridge, but fell to the floor. She is undergoing surgery at St Mary’s hospital, Paddington. Park arrived in London a day earlier together with her husband and was scheduled to leave for Paris later on Wednesday, Yonhap news agency reported, citing officials. Of the four other South Koreans injured in the incident, two required surgery due to a clavicle fracture or arm fracture, and the remaining two patients complained of pain, according to the Seoul Shinmum. Edge Hill University, in Ormskirk, Lancashire, has confirmed that some of its students were injured on Westminster Bridge. In a statement, the university said the group – believed to have been 13 students and their lecturer – had been visiting the capital on a field trip. Two students were taken to hospital. Owen Lambert, 18, from Morecambe, Lancashire, needed stitches to a head wound, and Travis Frain from Darwen, who, according to a tweet from a local journalist, had a cracked rib plus hand and arm injuries. His mother, Angela Frain, confirmed he was in hospital: I have spoken to him at 3.20pm and I know he’s OK. He’s at the hospital with a police officer. The police officer just said he was in good spirits. Two other students are believed to have minor injuries but were not hospitalised. All others on the trip were safe and accounted for, the university said. Dr John Cater, vice-chancellor of Edge Hill, told BBC North West Tonight: They had just actually finished their session, were leaving the parliament building and in the Westminster Bridge area where we understand … they were involved in the incident. We understand that two students have been taken to hospital but as walking wounded – one with a head wound and one with a wrist injury. There are two other students who have minor injuries who are with police and acting as witnesses. The good news is that the other nine students are now back in a hostel receiving support and will return to the north-west tomorrow. The details are invariably hazy … Our assumption is that they were either knocked over by other people or struck by the vehicle. Obviously all of them will be somewhat traumatised by what they have seen as well.
Are you safe or not safe? That was the question if you were in London yesterday. Photograph: Facebook/PA This morning, after reading the latest news updates about the terror attack on Westminster, I fired up Facebook. There I was met with an atypical request: a friend who lives an eight-hour flight away in Canada had asked me to mark myself “safe”. Clicking on the notification took me to Facebook’s Safety Check page, which revealed that 31 of my friends were marked as safe, and 249 of my friends were “not marked as safe”. The notion that these London-based friends were somehow in peril from an attack that was neutralised many hours ago seemed absurd to me in London. But it probably doesn’t seem quite so silly to people’s friends in New Zealand or Nigeria, who might not be so up to speed. Safety Check works in a fairly simple way: “If you’re in the affected area, you can tell your friends you’re safe and check to see if they’re safe, too,” the company says. But the inevitable dichotomy this process creates – if you are in London during such a catastrophe, you are presumed unsafe until you have checked in as safe – is hopelessly inadequate in a city where 8.7 million people live. The attack on the Palace of Westminster was grave and tragic, but, as rapidly became apparent, it was also crudely undertaken and successfully contained by the police and emergency services. Four people died during the atrocity, 29 people were injured. The need for a vast network of people to check in as safe when only a small fraction of the city was in peril doesn’t stand up to much scrutiny. The problem is one of scale. On the mobile version of Facebook’s Safety Check page, the “affected area” shows a map encompassing as far north as Watford, Hertfordshire, as far west as Slough, Berkshire and as far east as Basildon, Essex. Such an area is more suited to be “affected” by a thermonuclear weapon than such a crude attack in Westminster. In some ways, of course, it makes sense: since the Victorian railway boom, the south-east’s growing army of commuters have come to rely on London as a place to work but not necessarily live. This is especially the case for places such as Westminster or the City of London, which ebb and flow with the tide of civil servants or bankers each day. But Facebook friends who don’t commute to London at all, only visiting the city and “checking in” to different locations from time to time, had also marked themselves as safe, some after friends had requested them to do so. Their friends were probably compelled to enquire after Facebook chose to turn on Safety Check, the action sowing a seed of doubt. It’s the reason my friend asked me. “London is huge so I thought it was very unlikely but then Facebook freaks you out with those ‘not confirmed safe’ statuses,” he wrote to me on Messenger after I’d got in touch to tell him I was OK. “It’s super manipulative, and I knew it, but felt the need to go through with it anyway.” When it was launched in 2014, Safety Check was intended as a tool to let loved ones know you are safe during a natural disaster. It was inspired by the aftermath of the Fukushima earthquake and tsunami in 2011, with Facebook’s Japanese engineers wishing to develop a tool to help people make contact during and after disasters. Facebook first turned Safety Check on for a terror attack after the Paris attacks in November 2015. As much as it was praised for its role in the French capital, it was pilloried for not using the feature for other, non-western attacks. Yet Facebook’s corrective action has sometimes resulted in the spread of fear and falsehoods. In March 2016, Facebook pushed its Safety Check notification following a suicide bombing in Lahore to users as far away as Hawaii, New York and the UK. In Bangkok on Boxing Day 2016, users in the Thailand capital were asked to mark themselves as safe from the “Explosion in Bangkok”. Facebook’s intervention was justified by a link to a BBC news piece about an explosion rocking central Bangkok. But the link was to a video from August 2015. No such event had occurred that day, only a protest reportedly consisting of one man throwing “ping-pong bombs” and firecrackers off the roof of a government building. The problem of how to judge whether an attack is of a large enough scale is a tricky one for Facebook. Algorithmically, turning it on made perfect sense. Yesterday, feeds inevitably filled with people sharing information about their whereabouts and news articles as events unfolded in Westminster. It just wasn’t the large-scale physical event that Safety Check was designed for. There is no doubt that for many Londoners the simple act of checking in that you were safe allayed the fears of far-off loved ones. But it also spread unnecessary worry about people who were simply nowhere near the affected area. The big question for Facebook is: when can a Safety Check make people feel less safe?
PC Keith Palmer “wouldn't have made a fuss” about stopping a terrorist gaining access to the Houses of Parliament, his friend said as he was posthumously honoured for bravery. The unarmed Metropolitan Police officer was stabbed to death by Isis supporter Khalid Masood after he rammed his car into pedestrians in Westminster Bridge and ran towards parliament armed with knives. The 48-year-old was jointly awarded the national Police Bravery Award with another officer who fought the London Bridge attackers and was put in a coma by his injuries. Read more Receiving the accolade on PC Palmer’s behalf, PC Shaun Cartwright described his best friend as the “perfect policeman”. “He wouldn't have made a fuss at all – doing his job, that was Keith…it’s a dangerous job but everybody does the job and that’s how Keith would have viewed it,” he told officers and politicians gathered at an award ceremony in London. “It’s a shame that all the accolades that he gets now he’s not here to receive them in person, because he truly deserves them.” PC Palmer, who was married with a young daughter, has also been posthumously awarded the George Medal for gallantry and tens of thousands of people lined the route of his funeral procession. His colleague and best friend PC Cartwright told how he was getting changed ready to take over his guard post at the gates to the Houses of Parliament when the attack took place. He emerged to see PC Palmer gravely injured on the ground as police officers, security guards, politicians and paramedics worked to save his life. Police line London streets in memory of Pc Keith Palmer By confronting Masood, he had bought time for armed officers to shoot the terrorist, and both were pronounced dead at the scene. “If there was somebody that was going to stand in the way it would have been Keith, he was that brave person that would stand his ground and he bought time for everybody else who was inside the building,” PC Cartwright said. Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick said both PC Palmer and PC Charlie Guenigault, who survived the injuries he sustained during the London Bridge attack, had “put their lives on the line to confront armed terrorists”. “We will never forget the terror brought to our shores in 2017 and the extraordinary acts by so many officers and so many other people,” she added. PC Guenigault was on his way home from a drink with friends when the London Bridge attackers ploughed a van into pedestrians on London Bridge and started a knife rampage in Borough Market last June. “Suddenly I heard a man saying ‘I’ve been stabbed’,” he recalled. “I looked over and it was one, two, three of them in a row and I saw the knives in their hands…I just went running over and barged into the entire group.” PC Guenigault was stabbed and slashed in the back, head, face and eye, sustaining injuries that left him in a coma for three days and caused his spleen to be removed. London Bridge Terror Attack London Bridge Terror Attack 1/16 Armed police on Borough High Street as police are dealing with a "major incident" at London Bridge PA 2/16 Armed Police talk to members of the public outside London Bridge Hospital as police are dealing with a "major incident" at London Bridge PA 3/16 Police Officers outside the Barrowboy and Banker Public House on Borough High Street as police are dealing with a "major incident" at London Bridge PA 4/16 Armed Police talk to members of the public outside London Bridge Hospital as police are dealing with a "major incident" at London Bridge PA 5/16 Armed police on Borough High Street as police deal with a 'major incident' at London Bridge PA 6/16 Emergency services near the scene of the incident Screengrab 7/16 People run down Borough High Street as police are dealing with a "major incident" at London Bridge Reuters 8/16 Emergency services arrive at the scene near Borough market at London Bridge Carl Court/Getty Images 9/16 Emergency personnel on London Bridge as police are dealing with a "major incident" at London Bridge PA 10/16 Police sniffer dogs on London Bridge as police are dealing with a "major incident" at London Bridge PA 11/16 A second helicopter lands on London Bridge as police are responding to three incidents in the capital, amid reports that a vehicle collided with pedestrians on London Bridge, Scotland Yard said. Officers are dealing with reports of stabbings in Borough Market, where armed officers attended and shots were fired. They are also at an incident in the Vauxhall area PA 12/16 Police attend to an incident on London Bridge in London REUTERS 13/16 Police attend to an incident on London Bridge in London, Britain Reuters 14/16 A police officer escorts members of the public to safety at London Bridge Getty Images 15/16 Police attend to an incident on London Bridge in London, Britain REUTERS 16/16 Police attend to an incident near London Bridge in London, Britain Reuters 1/16 Armed police on Borough High Street as police are dealing with a "major incident" at London Bridge PA 2/16 Armed Police talk to members of the public outside London Bridge Hospital as police are dealing with a "major incident" at London Bridge PA 3/16 Police Officers outside the Barrowboy and Banker Public House on Borough High Street as police are dealing with a "major incident" at London Bridge PA 4/16 Armed Police talk to members of the public outside London Bridge Hospital as police are dealing with a "major incident" at London Bridge PA 5/16 Armed police on Borough High Street as police deal with a 'major incident' at London Bridge PA 6/16 Emergency services near the scene of the incident Screengrab 7/16 People run down Borough High Street as police are dealing with a "major incident" at London Bridge Reuters 8/16 Emergency services arrive at the scene near Borough market at London Bridge Carl Court/Getty Images 9/16 Emergency personnel on London Bridge as police are dealing with a "major incident" at London Bridge PA 10/16 Police sniffer dogs on London Bridge as police are dealing with a "major incident" at London Bridge PA 11/16 A second helicopter lands on London Bridge as police are responding to three incidents in the capital, amid reports that a vehicle collided with pedestrians on London Bridge, Scotland Yard said. Officers are dealing with reports of stabbings in Borough Market, where armed officers attended and shots were fired. They are also at an incident in the Vauxhall area PA 12/16 Police attend to an incident on London Bridge in London REUTERS 13/16 Police attend to an incident on London Bridge in London, Britain Reuters 14/16 A police officer escorts members of the public to safety at London Bridge Getty Images 15/16 Police attend to an incident on London Bridge in London, Britain REUTERS 16/16 Police attend to an incident near London Bridge in London, Britain Reuters But he worked his way back to health and ran the London Marathon earlier this year. PC Guenigault paid tribute to PC Palmer for making the “ultimate sacrifice”, adding: “It’s nice to be here and be recognised, but at the end of the day I’m alive, I still get to see my friends and my family get to see me. To me that’s the biggest thing.” Wayne Marques, an unarmed British Transport Police officer, also fought the London Bridge attackers and sustained severe injuries. The chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales, which hosted the awards, praised the officers as “true heroes [who] ran towards a situation that most of us can’t even imagine”. In pictures: Westminster attack In pictures: Westminster attack 1/9 An air ambulance lands after gunfire sounds were heard close to the Palace of Westminster in London PA wire 2/9 MPs wait until the situation is under control in Westminster. 'The alleged assailant was shot by armed police,' David Lidington, leader of the House of Commons, told the house. BBC News 3/9 Crowds gather in Westminster after shooting incident, which police are treating as terror attack BBC News 4/9 Police were also called to an incident on Westminster Bridge nearby AP 5/9 Early reports indicate the car, which mounted the pavement on Westminster Bridge and mowed into around a dozen people, was the same vehicle which then rammed into the railings of the Palace of Westminster, just around the corner Reuters 6/9 Security sources described the suspected assailant as a middle-aged Asian man, who is understood to have left the car before attacking a police officer with a seven-to-eight inch knife PA wire 7/9 Police have asked people to avoid the immediate area to allow emergency services to deal with the ongoing incident AP 8/9 One woman has died and a number of others, including the police officer, have been hurt, according to a junior doctor at St Thomas' Hospital Reuters 9/9 At least three gun shots were heard by those inside Westminster, and proceedings in the House of Commons have been suspended AP 1/9 An air ambulance lands after gunfire sounds were heard close to the Palace of Westminster in London PA wire 2/9 MPs wait until the situation is under control in Westminster. 'The alleged assailant was shot by armed police,' David Lidington, leader of the House of Commons, told the house. BBC News 3/9 Crowds gather in Westminster after shooting incident, which police are treating as terror attack BBC News 4/9 Police were also called to an incident on Westminster Bridge nearby AP 5/9 Early reports indicate the car, which mounted the pavement on Westminster Bridge and mowed into around a dozen people, was the same vehicle which then rammed into the railings of the Palace of Westminster, just around the corner Reuters 6/9 Security sources described the suspected assailant as a middle-aged Asian man, who is understood to have left the car before attacking a police officer with a seven-to-eight inch knife PA wire 7/9 Police have asked people to avoid the immediate area to allow emergency services to deal with the ongoing incident AP 8/9 One woman has died and a number of others, including the police officer, have been hurt, according to a junior doctor at St Thomas' Hospital Reuters 9/9 At least three gun shots were heard by those inside Westminster, and proceedings in the House of Commons have been suspended AP Calum Macleod added: “These awards are a chance to showcase the exceptional bravery that officers protecting our country show day in, day out. The heroic deeds we have heard about today did not happen by accident; they were borne of dedication, selflessness and an overwhelming commitment to keeping the public safe.” Nominees attended a reception at Downing Street on Thursday and politicians including the home secretary, policing minister, shadow policing minister and chair of the Home Affairs Committee were at the awards evening. Sajid Javid, who quipped that he was “still the home secretary as we speak”, told audience members they were “truly the best police service in the world”. “We are deeply indebted and immensely proud of the courageous policemen and women who regularly risk their own safety to protect the people of Britain,” he said. “The last couple of years have put the bravery of all police forces in England and Wales to the test and I would like to pay special tribute to PC Keith Palmer who paid the ultimate price defending our Parliament. “The Police Bravery Awards celebrate the commitment, dedication and resilience of the entire police service – and all officers nominated stand as an example to us all.” Police Bravery Awards nominees in the garden of 10 Downing Street on 12 July 2018 (Police Federation of England and Wales. ) The regional winners were: Northumbria: PCs Gary Sharpe and Victoria Threadgold confronted and disarmed a man waving a 4ft samurai sword at them and later a handgun. Midlands West Mercia: PC Kimberley Morris gave vital first aid to a stabbing victim, while keeping the suspected attacker talking and in view while back up arrived. Eastern Norfolk: A man came at lone officer PC Frances Peters with a sword in each hand. Using her Pava spray and personal safety skills she restrained and handcuffed him until other officers arrived. South East Thames Valley: Off duty officer Sergeant Mark Allmond and PC Alex Quigley followed and detained a man who had killed a stranger in Poundland. The man was walking the streets still clutching the knife and making threats when the officers intervened. South West Wiltshire: Inspector Ian Stevenson pulled a vulnerable woman off a railway track just as a train was approaching. The train missed them by a couple of feet in a scene his colleague described as “like something out of a movie”. Wales North Wales: PCs David Hall and Rhys Rushby were attacked by a wanted murder suspect with a claw hammer. The offender was biting and punching, screaming that he had a gun and was going to kill - before thrusting an unknown object underneath PC Rushby’s throat. The object was a nine inch kitchen knife.

Theresa May says ‘Islamist’ Westminster Attack ‘Not Islamic’ The Prime Minister has said the “Islamist” attack on Parliament was not “Islamic” and Islam is a “great faith”. Taking on the role of a theologian, Theresa May insisted: “It is wrong to describe this as Islamic terrorism. It is Islamist terrorism. It is a perversion of a great faith.” Speaking in Parliament, she also said the attack showed “the importance of all of our faiths working together, and recognising the values that we share”. Adding: “This act of terror was not an act of faith. It was a perversion; a warped ideology, which leads to an act of terrorism like that and it will not prevail.” Islamism is generally defined as a political interpretation of Islam. Some critics argue Islam is intrinsically political – as the Quran mandates a religious state and law – and say the term is irrelevant. MPs almost unanimously agreed with the Prime Minister, lining up to warn against “demonising” and “stigmatising” Muslims, and to condemn “Islamophobia” and “racial and religious” discrimination. Khalid Mahmood, the Labour MP for Birmingham Perry Barr, said the attacker or attackers “pretend to be of a particular religion”. “If they were of a religion they would not be carrying out acts like this,” he added. Tulip Siddiq, the Labour MP for Hampstead and Kilburn, added: “People who commit acts of terrorism in the name of Islam do not speak for the majority of Muslims in this country.” UKIP leader Paul Nuttall, meanwhile, did not shy away from describing the attack as “Islamic”. “We have a cancer within a particular community and it needs to be cut out,” he told Sky News outside Westminster Palace. “The Muslim community I believe needs to do more about this. “We have the problem that we have 800 British citizens out fighting in Syria and Iraq for Islamic State. “I don’t believe they should be allowed to return and I think that, down the line, we’re going to have to look at foreign funding of mosques, particularly from Saudi Arabia, who promote radicalism across the globe.”
Follow the author of this article Follow the topics within this article An inquest into the deaths of five people killed in the Westminster Bridge attack must look at Britain’s failure to tackle online extremism and prison radicalisation, families of those killed have said. Relatives of those killed in Khalid Masood’s car and knife rampage said they could not understand why radical material was still freely available online, or why web giants needed to offer encrypted messaging services. Gareth Patterson QC, representing the families, called for the coroner to examine the problems that are highlighted in "terrorist trial after terrorist trial" at the Old Bailey. Khalid Masood, 52, was shot dead by police after he drove a rental car into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge then fatally stabbed Pc Keith Palmer, 48, as he stood guard at the Palace of Westminster. A pre-inquest hearing at the Old Bailey on Monday heard there was “a high public interest in a comprehensive public investigation”. Mr Patterson said problems repeatedly highlighted in terrorist trials included "the internet, end to end encryption, and radicalisation in prison and failure to get to grips with these problems which occur again and again". Calling on the coroner to shed light on these problems, he said: "Terrorist trial after terrorist trial shows the same problems featuring in the evidence." He went on: "Why is it that radical material continues to be freely available on the internet, we do not understand." The attack wounded dozens of peopleCredit: Simon Dawson/ Bloomberg Mr Patterson said he also wanted the inquest to shed light on “how it was this attacker was able to get through those gates and how it was Pc Palmer was apparently stationed alone and unarmed with, it seems, inadequate body protection. "We would positively encourage further investigation into those areas." An inquest into the deaths of the victims will be heard before Coroner Lucraft at the Old Bailey from September 10 and last up to four weeks. A separate jury inquest would follow immediately afterwards into the death of Masood, the court heard. Mr Lucraft began proceedings offering his condolences to the families of the dead. He said the events of March 22, 2017 had been “less than two minutes of high and terrible drama”. Lawyers representing the Home Office said the issue of end-to-end encryption is too broad for an inquest and is a matter of 'legislation and social policy'. The court heard the inquest would examine Masood's history and his movements before the attack. A "psychological autopsy" would provide a mental profile of him. A further pre-inquest hearing is likely to be heard in June, ahead of the full inquest in the autumn.
Read more “My condolences, thoughts and prayers go to the families of the victims.” His remarks came after a crowdfunding campaign by a group called Muslims United for London raised more than £3,000 for victims and their loved ones within an hour of its launch. The fund had surpassed £9,000 at the time of publication and was continuing to rise rapidly. Muddassar Ahmed said he started the fund after witnessing the attack, having entered Portcullis House just 10 minutes before terror struck and being barricaded inside for four hours. Sadiq Khan on the Westminster attack: "Londoners will never be cowed by terrorism" “I was shocked to see the injuries and loss of life outside my window,” he wrote. “I reflected on what it means to be a born-and-bred Londoner and found myself proud of how security and medical services responded, how ordinary passers-by offered first aid, and what our Parliament means to me, an institution that is the oldest of its kind in the world and how, regardless of our critiques of government policies or political parties, remains an institution that reflects how the will of the people can be expressed with civility and dignity.” The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) commended the Metropolitan Police, emergency services, Prime Minister and Mayor of London for their response to Wednesday’s atrocity, which has been claimed by Isis. Two members of the public – British mother Aysha Frade and American tourist Kurt Cochran – were killed as the attacker ploughed into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge before crashing it into railings guarding the Houses of Parliament. He ran to one of the entrances and fatally stabbed PC Keith Palmer before being shot dead by an armed officer. Mr Khan, who will be joining a memorial for the victims to be half in Trafalgar Square, hailed Mr Palmer’s bravery and thanked the police and emergency services. In pictures: Westminster attack In pictures: Westminster attack 1/9 An air ambulance lands after gunfire sounds were heard close to the Palace of Westminster in London PA wire 2/9 MPs wait until the situation is under control in Westminster. 'The alleged assailant was shot by armed police,' David Lidington, leader of the House of Commons, told the house. BBC News 3/9 Crowds gather in Westminster after shooting incident, which police are treating as terror attack BBC News 4/9 Police were also called to an incident on Westminster Bridge nearby AP 5/9 Early reports indicate the car, which mounted the pavement on Westminster Bridge and mowed into around a dozen people, was the same vehicle which then rammed into the railings of the Palace of Westminster, just around the corner Reuters 6/9 Security sources described the suspected assailant as a middle-aged Asian man, who is understood to have left the car before attacking a police officer with a seven-to-eight inch knife PA wire 7/9 Police have asked people to avoid the immediate area to allow emergency services to deal with the ongoing incident AP 8/9 One woman has died and a number of others, including the police officer, have been hurt, according to a junior doctor at St Thomas' Hospital Reuters 9/9 At least three gun shots were heard by those inside Westminster, and proceedings in the House of Commons have been suspended AP 1/9 An air ambulance lands after gunfire sounds were heard close to the Palace of Westminster in London PA wire 2/9 MPs wait until the situation is under control in Westminster. 'The alleged assailant was shot by armed police,' David Lidington, leader of the House of Commons, told the house. BBC News 3/9 Crowds gather in Westminster after shooting incident, which police are treating as terror attack BBC News 4/9 Police were also called to an incident on Westminster Bridge nearby AP 5/9 Early reports indicate the car, which mounted the pavement on Westminster Bridge and mowed into around a dozen people, was the same vehicle which then rammed into the railings of the Palace of Westminster, just around the corner Reuters 6/9 Security sources described the suspected assailant as a middle-aged Asian man, who is understood to have left the car before attacking a police officer with a seven-to-eight inch knife PA wire 7/9 Police have asked people to avoid the immediate area to allow emergency services to deal with the ongoing incident AP 8/9 One woman has died and a number of others, including the police officer, have been hurt, according to a junior doctor at St Thomas' Hospital Reuters 9/9 At least three gun shots were heard by those inside Westminster, and proceedings in the House of Commons have been suspended AP “I hope my Muslim brothers and sisters will reach out to fellow Londoners and Britons in solidarity to demonstrate that such hatred will not defeat our way of life,” he added. The MCB is the UK’s largest Muslim umbrella organisation and represents more than 500 national and local groups, mosques, charities and schools. Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, urged Muslims to be “vigilant” against the dangers of Islamist ideology and hate preachers. He urged people to ensure young people know “true Islam” from online propaganda to help them combat the risk of grooming and radicalistation. “Terrorists want to attack London is because they hate the fact that we don’t just tolerate each other – whether you’re a Christian, Muslim, Jew, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, member of an organised faith or not, we respect, embrace and celebrate each other and that’s going to carry on,” Mr Khan told the BBC.
The campaign group Cage has expressed sympathy for today’s victims. It also called on the UK government to enact policies that will bring an end to the “global cycles of violence”. Dr Adnan Siddiqui, its director, said: We express our deepest sympathies to all those who have lost their lives in this incident and to those many injured. While we accept that the security services and the police play a crucial role in keeping the public safe, such attacks which require very little planning cannot be thwarted by ever more securitisation and policing of communities. Reactionary policies in the UK have a global ramification and it is important that the government leads with policies that seek to end the global cycles of violence rather than further them. World leaders have condemned the attack in Westminster. The US president, Donald Trump, offered his condolences during a call to the prime minister, Theresa May, the White House said. He also pledged the “full cooperation and support of the United States government in responding to the attack and bringing those responsible to justice”. The Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, also condemned the attack: I was shocked and saddened to learn of the innocent people who were killed and injured as a result of this cowardly attack. Canada and the UK are the closest of friends and allies. Our friendship is based on shared values and history – indeed, Canada’s parliament is a descendant of the chamber targeted this morning. Today’s attack on the UK parliament is an attack on democracies around the world. The Canadian parliament withstood a similar attack not so long ago by those who sought to instil fear and divide Canadians against themselves. Instead, Canadians came together. I am confident the British people will do the same, and will emerge from their grief stronger and more united than ever before. On behalf of all Canadians, I offer our full support to prime minister May and to the people of the United Kingdom. We stand ready to offer all possible assistance to the British government, to do what we can to bring to justice those responsible for this heinous act. Canadians stand united with the British people in the fight against terrorism. We will continue to work together with the UK and all our allies to show the world that freedom and democracy will always triumph. The leader of the Democrats in the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, also released a statement: Today, our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, survivors, and people of the United Kingdom. The American people share in the outrage and horror at this brutal terrorist attack in London. The special relationship between the United Kingdom and the United States has been critical to securing peace around the world. Together, we will remain strong and smart as we confront terrorists and defeat the threats to our nations. The United Kingdom will always have a friend and partner in the American people. Some clarification from the Met police. Acting deputy commissioner Mark Rowley said earlier that the officer who was killed was armed. “It has now been confirmed that he was not armed,” Scotland Yard says. Prime minister's statement on today's attack I have just chaired a meeting of the government’s emergency committee, Cobra, following the sick and depraved terrorist attack on the streets of our capital this afternoon. The full details of exactly what happened are still emerging. But, having been updated by police and security officials, I can confirm that this appalling incident began when a single attacker drove his vehicle into pedestrians walking across Westminster bridge, killing two people and injuring many more, including three police officers. This attacker, who was armed with a knife, then ran towards Parliament, where he was confronted by the police officers who keep us and our democratic institutions safe. Tragically, one officer was killed. The terrorist was also shot dead. The United Kingdom’s threat level has been set at severe for some time and this will not change. Acting deputy commissioner Rowley will give a further operational update later this evening. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all who have been affected; to the victims themselves and their family and friends who waved their loved ones off, but will not now be welcoming them home. For those of us who were in Parliament at the time of this attack, these events provide a particular reminder of the exceptional bravery of our police and security services who risk their lives to keep us safe. Once again today, these exceptional men and women ran towards the danger even as they encouraged others to move the other way. On behalf of the whole country, I want to pay tribute to them and to all our emergency services for the work they have been doing to reassure the public and bring security back to the streets of our capital city. That they have lost one of their own in today’s attack only makes their calmness and professionalism under pressure all the more remarkable. The location of this attack was no accident. The terrorists chose to strike at the heart of our capital city, where people of all nationalities, religions and cultures come together to celebrate the values of liberty, democracy and freedom of speech. These streets of Westminster – home to the world’s oldest parliament – are engrained with a spirit of freedom that echoes in some of the furthest corners of the globe. And the values our parliament represents – democracy, freedom, human rights, the rule of law – command the admiration and respect of free people everywhere. That is why it is a target for those who reject those values. But let me make it clear today, as I have had cause to do before: any attempt to defeat those values through violence and terror is doomed to failure. Tomorrow morning, Parliament will meet as normal. We will come together as normal. And Londoners - and others from around the world who have come here to visit this great city - will get up and go about their day as normal. They will board their trains, they will leave their hotels, they will walk these streets, they will live their lives. And we will all move forward together. Never giving in to terror. And never allowing the voices of hate and evil to drive us apart. May says it is no accident that the attacker chose parliament which stands for democracy, freedom and rule of law. She said that was why it is a target for those who reject those values, adding that any attempt to defeat those values through violence and terror is doomed to fail. Parliament will be open as normal tomorrow. These streets of Westminster are ingrained with the spirit of freedom that echoes in some of the furthest corners of the globe.
Kent-born Muslim convert Masood was hailed as a "soldier of the Islamic State". The jihadi is understood to have been radicalised and changed his name after being banged up in 2003 for stabbing a man in Eastbourne. Terror in the HEART of London: the Westminster attack as it happened The attack in Westminster has left four people dead and up to 20 injured after a man drove his vehicle into pedestrians, then ran into the grounds of the Houses of Parliament before being shot by police 1 / 55 PA The alleged attacker, with the suspected weapons used in the attack highlighted in red


Weʼre raising £5,000 to Support the families of the lives lost during the March 22nd Attack on London. Crowdfunding is a new type of fundraising where you can raise funds for your own personal cause, even if you're not a registered charity. The page owner is responsible for the distribution of funds raised. Story Money doesn't replace lives, but can help towards funeral costs, medical costs(even in the future). Being from London I know the impact today has had not only on our beautiful city but also in solidarity around the world as we remember loved ones taken too soon by acts of terrorism. There is nothing we can do other than send our love to the victims and try to provide a supportive cushion of what we know is going to be a very long and harrowing process. This fund will be split between the families of the victims. It's our way of showing support and standing together against those who try to tear us down. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-39359158 Share this story Updates 11 1 year ago Steve Woody 1 year ago Another update. I'm just reached out to JustGiving again as I've heard nothing back since they told me they were looking into the best way to distribute the funds. I've shared my concern that the right people get the donations so the money is divided fairly. I'll keep you updated. Share this update to help us raise more 1 year ago Steve Woody 1 year ago Just an update. I can't distripute any of the funds right now as Just Giving are holding all funds relating to all westminster accounts whilst they try to establish the best way to ensure that everything is distributed in the right way. I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to say where it goes or if they are taking it over so I'll keep you updated when I know more. Share this update to help us raise more 1 year ago Steve Woody 1 year ago Just to make sure everyone is kept upto date. I've received details from MPS regarding PC Palmer. As stated previously I think other funding options were very successful and well over 750.000 was raised for this appeal so I will be dividing the money between the additional families.





How the Right framed the Westminster attacks The Westminster attacks provided the occasion for anti-immigration, anti-refugee politicians the world over to vindicate their positions in the public narrative. It was not just Britain First and the English Defence League which tried to make political capital out of the deadly attacks in Westminster on 22 March. UK-based politicians and international figures were not slow to add their very unhelpful pennyworths to the supposed analysis of what had gone wrong. At first politicians were blaming migration, as well as asylum policies. When it emerged that the perpetrator, Khalid Masood, was British, politicians shifted their attack to failed multiculturalism. Just hours after the Westminster attacks, Donald Trump Jr. implied in a tweet that London Mayor Sadiq Khan was weak on terrorism. The US president’s eldest son in fact tweeted a link to a two-year-old 2015 story quoting Khan saying terror attacks were ‘part and parcel of living in a big city’. Nothing at all to do with what had happened at Westminster that day. This sleight of hand angered Wes Streeting, MP for Ilford North so much that he tweeted back, ‘You use a terrorist attack on our city to attack London’s Mayor for your own political gain. You’re a disgrace.’ UKIP’s Nigel Farage on Fox News and in other US TV appearances used the event to claim the attacks showed that Trump’s ‘hardline immigration and anti-Muslim policies were correct’. Multiculturalism in the UK had led to ‘divided communities’ and there was now a ‘fifth column living inside … European countries’. Farage also claimed that under Tony Blair’s New Labour, the government had boasted of sending ‘out search parties to find immigrants from all over the world to come to Britain’. While Farage went for Blair, it’s former political donor Arron Banks went for Tory May. He tweeted that ‘over a million illegals’ came into the UK when May was home secretary and ‘we have a huge Islamic problem courtesy of mass immigration’. In its first tweet, Leave.EU too, responded to the attack by linking it to the actions of the prime minister who had allowed ‘unprecedented levels of immigration’ and failed to ‘secure borders’. As it emerged that Khalid Masood was British, it responded by tweeting that ‘British-born means nothing, if he lived in a segregated community and hated the British way of life’. And Katie Hopkins (famous for being Katie Hopkins and nasty) had already told US TV viewers that Great Britain was ‘a nation of ghettoes’. Foreign politicians were quick to seize on the event to justify repressive policies at home. FN leader, Marine Le Pen, speaking on French radio, said that the attack showed that ‘we must control our borders’. For Poland’s extreme-right prime minister Beata Szydlo, it was impossible ‘not to connect’ Europe’s ‘migration policy with terrorism’ and [that] the attacks vindicated Warsaw’s refusal to take in refugees under the EU’s quota system. And Australian immigration minister, Peter Dutton, held that the attack showed that Australia’s decision to reject 500 asylum seekers over security fears was certainly ‘prudent’. It does not seem to matter that the perpetrator of the Westminster attacks was neither an asylum seeker nor an immigrant, or that he was found not to be connected to any terrorist group. The event had provided the occasion for rightists the world over to vindicate their positions in the public narrative. Comments The left and right are both cheeks of the same arse. The Tories, UKIP and right wing parties discriminate and create a growth in economic inequality, and the middle class dominated ‘left’ handwring, criticise, but don’t actually do anything to stop the growth of the neo liberal economic system which makes the very wealthiest even wealthier, the middle class metropolitanistas get the good jobs and careers, and the economic working class which includes black, white, Asian and others fight for the crumbs.


Despite this, Scotland Yard's anti-terror chief has insisted that current arrangements are "proportionate". IG The last photograph of PC Keith Palmer, 45 minutes before his tragic death Our current arrangements have been developed with Parliament over many years and are designed to provide access to the seat of our government balanced with security that is proportionate but not overly intrusive Mark Rowley Mark Rowley said that procedures for keeping Parliament safe had been designed so they were not "overly intrusive". He said: "Our current arrangements have been developed with Parliament over many years and are designed to provide access to the seat of our government balanced with security that is proportionate but not overly intrusive." Parliament's main entrance has two sets of large metal gates which allow vehicles to enter and exit the estate. A pair of smaller gates were introduced recently with two police officers at each to check passes and allow cyclists, cars and delivery drivers to come in. There are usually armed police present just inside the entrance gate. More armed police are also present after the final checkpoint. AP The latest revelation has raised fresh questions that the terror carnage would have been even worse She said: "The one weak spot on our estate is those Carriage Gates. We have four police officers there. Two on the gate going in, two on the gate going out. "We see them every day, we’re friends with lots of them. I think we will need to look at security at the Palace in the wake of this incident but this is a plan for another day. It’s a terrible, terrible day for Parliament.” "It’s a terrible, terrible day for Parliament." Former Met firearms officer Roger Gay said Britain may now need to move away from the idea of unarmed policeman in important locations. He told Sky News: "In my opinion, I would have all of them in that location, I think, should be armed. What you have there, and I hate to use the term, is perhaps a sacrificial pawn. "But one wonders if he had a sidearm, would he have been able to react that quickly and, if he had been carrying a carbine then he would be less of the traditional policeman. Perhaps we should let go of that and ratchet it up one notch.” "Perhaps we should let go of that and ratchet it up one notch." Former civil service Chief Lord Kerslake has also called for "a complete overhaul of security from top to bottom."
Her posts comes after a policeman was stabbed and his attacker shot by officers amid a suspected terrorist incident in central London. The attacker mowed down several pedestrians as he drove a grey Hyundai i40 across Westminster Bridge before crashing it into railings then running through the gates of the Palace of Westminster and stabbing the officer. Eyewitnesses said he was shot by police as he approached a second officer clutching his knife. WENN London terror attack: Katie Price leaving Loose Women today AFP London terror attack: There are reports that a woman has been killed He left a trail of destruction as paramedics tended to his victims on the bridge and at the gate. Prime Minister Theresa May was seen being ushered into a car in the grounds of the palace as what sounded like gunfire rang out at around 2.45pm. Armed police cleared the area around the incident and Parliament Square was closed to traffic while Parliament went into lockdown.


Playing tracks by Tagged Following the tragic events at Westminster this week where four people were killed and many others injured by Khalid Masood, Forge Radio's news team decided to discuss media and public reaction to terror attacks. Presented by Sian Bradley, David Craig, Sarah Kelsey, Sam Birkitt and Carman leung

Thursday, 23 March 2017 Notes on Westminister Attack Tragedy strikes Europe. Yesterday afternoon, on the anniversary of the Brussels attacks from last year, London was on the end of a terrorist assault. According to the BBC, Three people have died and at least 40 have been injured after an attacker drove a car along a pavement in Westminster, stabbed a policeman and was shot dead by police in the grounds of Parliament. The dead police officer - who was unarmed as the attacker charged over and stabbed him - is known as PC Keith Palmer, aged 48, a husband and a father. His former colleague in the Royal Artillery and Conservative MP James Cleverly, paid tribute to him by describing him as a "lovely man". Another victim has been named as 43 year old, mother of two and Spanish language teacher, Aysha Frade. Aysha was mowed down by a the grey Hyundai 4x4 as she walked over Westminster Bridge to collect her two daughters, aged 8 and 11. The third victim was American tourist Kurt Cochran, who was on the final day holiday with his wife celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary when he was killed. At least 40 people are known to have been injured. Among them twelve Britons, four South Koreans, three French youngsters on a school trip, two Romanians, two Greeks, one German, one Polish national, one Irish citizen, one American citizen, one Chinese and one Italian. This attack was an act of Islamist terrorism, ISIS recently claimed responsibility, praising the attacker - a British born jihadist named Khalid Masood- as a "soldier of the Islamic state". However, it remains to be seen whether the attack was directed by ISIS , or inspired by them. It seems more likely that it was the latter, not the former. As usual, after every one of these tragedies, we subject ourselves to the same rituals we always go through. It really is tiring and immensely frustrating to see one side act as if there is no problem, or if they do they severely simplify and misdiagnose the problem, while the other side will exploit what is a legitimate issue in order to spread bigotry, hatred and unneccessary, irrational fear. I write this first and foremost as a human being, who has a sense of empathy, compassion and solidarity with my fellow creatures. In the aftermath of every terrorist attack, All of my thoughts and condolences are with the victims and their families, before anything else. They are the ones whose lives have been taken from them, unable to ever embrace their parents, wives, husbands, brothers, sisters, children and friends again. Just imagine being the children of Aysha Frade, eagerly waiting for their mother at school, looking forward to going home to spend time with the family, only to realise that someone had taken her life. Imagine being the wife of PC Palmer, who everyday says goodbye to her husband as he goes off to work always expecting he will return home from his shift safely, but this time, on this day, he doesn't. Nothing is worse than that and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. Many have described yesterday's assault as an "attack on democracy", or as Theresa May put it, "a shot against our values of ‘democracy, freedom, human rights and the rule of law". True, this Jihadist scumbag and his ideological ilk do hate these values and their universality because it is in direct opposition to everything they stand for: one set of values sets the conditions for human flourishing, happiness and emancipation, while the other set can only bring death, misery and enslavement. However, let us have some perspective. No individual, no matter how well armed they are, no matter how determined, no matter how committed he is to his cause, can overthrow democracy or enslave a free people. These hard won rights and liberties that previous generations have struggled for are too robust, too vigarous, too steeped in the consciousness of all generations, to be overthrown by a twisted zealot with a weaponised vehicle, a knife, and a perverse belief in a reward of 72 virgins in a celestial orgy for killing 'the kuffar'. The only way the terrorist would have any impact on democracy and freedom is if we give him an enourmous helping hand. It will be our response as a society to this act of barbarity that will decide whether democracy is under attack or not. You can rest assured vile bigots and Muslimaphobic chauvanists who desire to stigmatise and demonise an entire community, are talking this attack up as an act of war, the latest blow by an Islamic army slowly, stealthily conquering Europe. These merchants of racism from the far-right have no other purpose but to spread irrational fear and hatred. They claimed Britain was "cowed" by the crime and London was "shut down" and under "lockdown" as a result of the attack. This is of course a total falsehood, London carried on as normal and people were not cowed and went about their business as usual. All these people desire is the power to subjugate and stigmatise muslims, and they seek to undermine the idea that peoples of different faiths can coexist with each other and build a society. Meanwhile those often labelled "the regressive left" will indulge themselves in a toxic mix of victim blaming, masochism and a self hatred before the blood of the victims is even allowed to dry, desperately peddling 'grievance' and 'root cause' narratives of how 'we' brought this horror on ourselves; of how these are the deserved punishements for our numerous crimes and iniquities; of why we somehow triggered this poor guy to slam a car into a pedestrians and slit a man's throat. I have said it before and I will say it again: do not give me this crap that jihadist atrocities are a response (or shall we say 'blowback') to western imperialism. ISIS are not anti-imperialists, or some strange Islamic version of liberation theology. They are pro-imperialism, they seek to revive a lost empire: their imagined caliphate. This is what their Islamic state project is all about, imposing a purritanical, theocratic fascist empire, first in the muslim world, then across the whole world. Obviously, this project is so utopian and so irrational that it could never be fully established, but let us be clear on their intentions and the character of their ideology. In response to these two pathologies, we cannot surrender ourselves to the culture of fear and the politics of suspicion because it will potentially lead to us down the barren road of petty authoritarianism, the security state and foul assaults on the liberties which supposedly needed to be defended from the Islamist threat. While it is understandable and proper that we focus on the tragic nature of this attack and the challenges around other potential attack it provokes. Let us not forget the bravery, heroism and humanity that was on display in the midst of such savagery and the international solidarity and sympathy. We may have seen the worst of humanity, but we also saw the best of it. Our response to yesterday's assault should be to demand more freedom and democracy, not less. It should be to never allow hatred and fear to colonise our hearts. It should be to remember the victims, their memory and humanise them, as opposed to the manner the terrorist dehumanised them. Ultimately, it is to do everything within our power to make sure that while this bloody, savage act may have succeeded in impacting awfully on scores of innocent people, it will have no impact on our values, our political life, our daily lives, and our sense of security. This, of course, on its own won't solve the challenges the global threat we all face from the Jihadist internationale, but it is neccessary step to even begin dealing with the challenge. We must resist terrorism not complete it. 1 comment: I am in my early 40s and have never had a happy relationships or marriages because of the terrible mistake I made in my youthful age (15 years ago), though I have been married for 3times now. This story is ugly but I must share it to clear my conscience and pave the way for a new beginning in life. I broke two homes; their marriage did not mean anything to me as much as I gets what I want. It was fun until I got married, then karma started. My first husband was a cheating machine with both women and men, the second was nothing to write home about. I visited a therapist immediately the second left, to make sure I do not have broken home again, but the third which I have married for a year and two months took in another girl and demanded I leave his house. I did not see that one coming. To cut it shot; dr. wakina via (dr.wakinalovetemple@gmail.com) showed me mercy by rewriting history with a special love spell. Asked me to first go and plead for forgiveness from the homes I broke before the spell can take effect, it was not an easy task, in fact it was a suicide mission but was success. The spell took effect immediately I forgave myself, something strange began to happen, I saw shadows running off my body that morning, my husband who despised me so much did not only call but came to pick me from work to a romantic dinner. Over a year now, my husband has remained a loving and romantic man. I learnt my lesson. Thank you doctor wakina.
Four people, including a police officer and the lone attacker, have died in a terror attack near the Houses of Parliament in London. Two of those killed were among more than 20 pedestrians hit by a car on Westminster Bridge, before it crashed. The man stabbed the officer outside Parliament before being shot dead. PM Theresa May said it was a "sick and depraved" attack on the heart of the capital and attempts to defeat UK values were "doomed to failure". Speaking in Downing Street after chairing a meeting of the government's Cobra emergencies committee, Mrs May paid tribute to the "exceptional men and women" of the police force who responded to the attack. "We will all move forward together, never giving in to terror and never allowing the voices of hate and evil to drive us apart," she said. The prime minister added: "The location of this attack was no accident. The terrorist chose to strike at the heart of our capital city where people of all nationalities, religions and cultures come together to celebrate the values of liberty, democracy and freedom of speech." Acting Deputy Commissioner and head of counter terrorism at the Metropolitan Police, Mark Rowley, said a major investigation was under way into the "marauding terrorist attack". He said emergency services were called at 14.40 GMT after the car was driven over Westminster Bridge, hitting and injuring a number of members of the public and three police officers, who were on their way back from a commendation ceremony. After the car crashed into the railings of the Houses of Parliament, a man armed with a knife "continued the attack" and tried to enter the building. Eyewitnesses said police fired three or four gunshots as the knifeman lunged towards a second officer. 13 students from Edge Hill University in Lancashire were also caught up in the incident - two were taken to hospital and described as walking wounded; two others had minor injuries There are two police casualty bureau numbers: 0800 056 0944 and 0207 158 0010 for people worried about family and friends, or eyewitnesses Kings College Hospital says eight patients are being treated there - six male, and two female. Two are critical and two are stable St Thomas' Hospital said two patients had been admitted - both are stable The Port of London Authority said a woman was pulled alive from the River Thames near the bridge and was being treated for serious injuries Analysis Image copyrightAPImage caption A man believed to be the suspect received medical treatment By Dominic Casciani, home affairs correspondent The incident outside Westminster is exactly the kind of scenario that security chiefs have been planning for. It looks like the type of attack jihadis have wanted to carry out in Britain - namely attacking people with a vehicle and taking on the security forces with knives. In the security services' jargon this is known as a "marauding attack" and is the hardest type of terrorist incident to predict and defend against. That means casualties, as we have seen in Nice and elsewhere, are inevitable. But what matters just as much is how the police then respond. Armed police at Parliament were able to stop the attacker. Within minutes, Westminster was flooded with more armed officers, including counter-terrorism specialists. Inside Scotland Yard, teams of detectives began working on the next critical phase - establishing the suspect's movements, whether he acted alone and, in tandem with their colleagues on the street, making sure London is as secure as it can be in light of these awful events. Westminster remains locked down and it will remain so until Scotland Yard is certain the threat has been contained. If you are happy to be contacted by a BBC journalist please leave a telephone number that we can contact you on. In some cases a selection of your comments will be published, displaying your name as you provide it and location, unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published. When sending us pictures, video or eyewitness accounts at no time should you endanger yourself or others, take any unnecessary risks or infringe any laws. Please ensure you have read the terms and conditions.
New arrests as British police release photo of parliament attacker March 25, 2017 4:41 am By AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE, London, United Kingdom, Mar 23 – British police said Friday they had made further “significant” arrests over the Islamist-inspired terror attack on parliament, as they released the first picture of the homegrown killer who left four people dead. Khalid Masood, a 52-year-old Briton with a history of violent offences but no terrorist convictions, was shot by police on Wednesday after a rampage through Westminster. Two other suspects are in custody following searches at 21 locations, mostly around London, in the central city of Birmingham and in the northwestern city of Manchester. The Islamic State group claimed that Britain’s deadliest terror attack in 12 years was conducted by one of its “soldiers” acting on a call to target countries in the US-led coalition fighting the jihadists. Police said there was no further threat, but counter-terrorism commander Mark Rowley said they were trying to establish whether Masood acted alone “or if others have encouraged, supported or directed him”. Released by police, the passport-style photo of Masood, who also used the names Adrian Elms and Adrian Russell Ajao among other aliases, shows a mixed race man with a shaved head and a beard. Prime Minister Theresa May has said he was known to intelligence services as a “peripheral” figure some years ago but there was no warning of his plans to stage an attack. At least 50 people from 12 different countries were injured when Masood ploughed his rented car into crowds of people walking along the pavement on Westminster Bridge, before crashing the vehicle into the fence outside parliament. Three people on the bridge died after being hit by the speeding car, then the attacker leapt out and fatally stabbed a police officer just inside the gates of the Houses of Parliament before being shot dead. Rowley described the overnight arrests of two men aged 27 and 35 in Birmingham and Manchester as “significant”. – Numerous aliases – The death toll rose late Thursday after life support was withdrawn from a 75-year-old man injured in the attack, whom police named as Leslie Rhodes from south London. The other victims were 48-year-old policeman Keith Palmer and, on the bridge, 43-year-old Briton Aysha Frade, who was on her way to pick up her two daughters, and an American citizen in his 50s, Kurt Cochran. Born into a middle-class family in Kent in southeast England, Masood was described by schoolmates as a popular, “happy-go-lucky” student who excelled academically and at sport. They told the Daily Mail that he later began drinking and using drugs and slipped into criminal behaviour, receiving convictions for assault and possession of offensive weapons between 1983 and 2003. A report dating back to November 2000 shows he was sentenced to two years in prison for slashing the face of a cafe owner in a village in southern England where he lived with his family. According to The Sun tabloid, he married a Muslim woman in 2004 and moved the following year to Saudi Arabia to teach English, returning in 2009, but officials could not confirm this. The Saudi embassy in London on Friday issued a statement saying that Masood was not known to their security services “and does not have a criminal record in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.” Police chief Rowley said police were “looking at his history” and appealed to the public to come forward with any information about him. “Our investigation focuses on understanding his motivation, preparation and associates,” he said. A total of 11 people have been arrested over the attack, their ages ranging from 21 to 58, all on suspicion of preparation of terrorist attacks. All four women have since been released, one on bail, while five of the men were also released, according to police. – Peaceful future – Faith leaders including Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, the chief rabbi and the chief imam of London’s central mosque on Friday gathered near the attack site to remember the victims. “In standing here, we represent the three Abrahamic faith communities, all equally committed to a peaceful future,” Welby said after observing a minute’s silence outside Westminster Abbey. Lawmakers returned to work as normal on Thursday morning, even as forensic officers worked at the scene, but a review of parliamentary security is now under way. Conservative MP Tobias Ellwood, whose attempts to save police officer Palmer were widely praised, was on Friday appointed to the Privy Council, a prestigious role usually reserved for senior ministers, as a reward for his efforts. The IS group said it was responsible for Masood’s actions without naming him, according to the Amaq propaganda agency — its first claim for an attack on British soil. It was the deadliest in Britain since four homegrown suicide bombers killed 52 people on the city’s transport system in July 2005. The attack had echoes of the atrocities in Nice and Berlin when trucks ploughed into crowds of people, killing 86 people in the French Riviera city in July and 12 at a market in the German capital just days before Christmas. AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE Agence France-Presse is a global news agency delivering fast, in-depth coverage of the events shaping our world from wars and conflicts to politics, sports, entertainment and the latest breakthroughs in health, science and technology.
POLITICIANS have revealed they were "expecting" an attack on Westminster following the horrific terror strike which left five dead and 40 injured. Former Labour frontbencher Hilary Benn said he was “expecting something like this” to happen, while Chris Bryant MP said the iconic Houses of Parliament were always going to be a target for would-be terrorists. Mr Benn was coming out of the division lobbies in Parliament when the attack had occurred and remained trapped inside the Westminster Palace for a number of hours as police attempted to bring the situation under control. Related articles I think we have all been expecting something like this to happen at some time in some part of our country Hilary Benn The Leeds Central MP told the Express.co.uk: “Honestly, I think we have all been expecting something like this to happen at some time in some part of our country. “It’s why the police and intelligence services consistently have said consistently and rightly that an attack was highly likely. “They have been absolutely honest with the public in saying we are working day in, day out to protect us and they do an extraordinary job. GETTY Officials look for evidence on Westminster Bridge “But they were also being truthful that it is not possible to stop every attack. “Therefore I suppose I felt at some point, something like this would happen. “But it doesn’t lessen the shock and the pain and sense of grief for, above all, for the families of those who have lost their lives will feel tonight as they realise the loved one they waved off this morning isn’t coming home.” Fellow Labour MP Mr Bryant, who was in the tea room waiting for the second vote in the House of Commons at the time of the attack, also expected a similar horrific event to strike Britain. He said: “I’ve been involved in all these discussions in the House of Commons for quite some time, I was always saying an MP would one day be killed, probably in their constituency, and that happened last summer. He added: “We have always known that building is a target, that’s just a fact. Sometimes its disturbed individuals… but we are a democracy, and the most important thing is that we sit tomorrow… no one will destroy the sprit of the British people.” GETTY Police are continuing their search The Rhondda MP added a member of his staff may have seen some of the carnage which ensued outside Parliament. Mr Bryant said: “My first thought was whether my staff were OK. My office looks straight down onto the area where everything took place. “We could not get very much information but I think my member of staff may have seen some of what might have happened so I’m concerned for her.”
Westminster says cyber attacks targeted Houses of Parliament The UK’s Houses of Parliament have been hit by a cyber-attack according to a parliamentary spokesperson. The “sustained and determined” unauthorised attack was designed to access parliamentary user accounts by identifying weak email passwords, according to an email sent by parliamentary authorities to those affected.
Mr Jones said he had made clear to Prime Minister Theresa May that he was "very concerned that it wouldn't be possible to take any action without civilian casualties and that was something that I wanted to avoid". Ms Wood said Carwyn Jones' party leader at UK level, Jeremy Corbyn, "questioned the legality, the morality and the effectiveness of the strikes". "I have no reason to doubt the soundness of the legal advice," said Mr Jones in response. "There was a chemical attack by the Assad regime; of that, I am convinced. Secondly, I believe that these missile launches were designed to reduce or remove the capacity for a chemical attack in the future," the first minister said. "That surely must be something that should be welcomed in order to avoid those attacks happening in the future."
Statement regarding attacks in Westminster News Release 22 MARCH 2017-London Elder Patrick Kearon, Europe Area President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, issued a statement in response to the attacks in Westminster: “Our heartfelt prayers are with all those affected by today’s tragic attacks in Westminster. We pray that the power of God will bring comfort, healing and peace. May the spirit of goodwill bless the people of the United Kingdom.” Style Guide Note:When reporting about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, please use the complete name of the Church in the first reference. For more information on the use of the name of the Church, go to our online Style Guide. Follow Us Newsroom Notifications Send Feedback You are about to access Constant Contacts (http://visitor.constantcontact.com). You are now leaving a website maintained by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We provide the link to this third party's website solely as a convenience to you. The linked site has its own terms of use, privacy policies, and security practices that differ from those on our website. By referring or linking you to this website, we do not endorse or guarantee this content, products, or services offered. If you would like to stay on the page you are viewing please click Cancel. To download media files, please first review and agree to the Terms of Use. Download a photo or video by clicking or tapping on it. To download all photos or videos related to this article, select the links at the bottom of each section.
War on Terror & neo-con agenda to blame for Westminster attack, says rights group The West’s violent policies at home and abroad were major factors in bringing about the Westminster attack, but British authorities are in denial, according to the advocacy NGO Cage. Four people were killed and up to 50 wounded on March 15 when British-born Khalid Masood ploughed a car into a crowded area on Westminster Bridge before stabbing a police officer. Masood was also shot dead at the scene. Cage, a human rights organization that examines the impact of measures taken in the War on Terror, warned that, though the attack is being widely blamed on a violent ideology, no attention has been paid to where that ideology actually came from. The charity insists that the violent ideas motivating the deadly assault stemmed from flaws in Britain’s own defense and security policies. “We must acknowledge that the global ‘War on Terror’ has unleashed an endless cycle of violence and murder that has caused immeasurable grief and pain, and will only continue to do so if we do not seek constructive ways to end it,” Cage said in a statement. “We must have the courage and honesty to accept that if the inspiration for the Westminster incident and others like it, are groups and individuals in war torn areas, as many are claiming, then the circumstances which led to the war may also be part of the problem,” it added. The charity warned that the nation’s domestic policy concerning Muslims also played a role in the attack. “The relationship between foreign wars and domestic consequences is denied by Western governments,” it said. Cage insists a “counter-terrorism industry functions around this denial.” “At each incident, this industry of counter-terrorism experts, which usually work for institutions funded by pro-war lobbies or governments, provide a shallow, naive explanation that fails to address the real causes of violence and only ever serves the neo-conservative agenda,” the NGO argued. Responding to criticism of their comments on Monday, Cage told the Times: “Our point is simply an atrocious act has occurred, and it would be wise to refrain from knee-jerk measures towards communities already affected by draconian and discriminatory policies.”

Her family has thanked well-wishers for the “outpouring of love and generosity” she has received. Images of Mrs Cochran, 46, recovering in a London hospital were posted on a GoFundMe page today set up to raise money for her and her children. In one, she stands on crutches, with her leg sheathed in a brace and a gash visible on her forehead. In another she can be seen smiling surrounded by her parents Dimmon and Sandra Payne and brother Clint Payne as she lies in bed speaking to relatives by phone. Clint said: “Her health is steadily improving and she has been strengthened by the presence of her family. She is so grateful for the outpouring of love and generosity.” Kurt Cochran, of Utah, who was killed in the Westminster terror attack, pictured with his wife Melissa. The couple, who were visiting London from the US to celebrate 25 years of marriage, were enjoying the final day of a trip of a lifetime when they were caught up in the atrocity. Mrs Cochran was left with a broken leg and rib and a badly cut head. She was comforted on the pavement in one of the defining images of the attack. Clint said: “The most difficult part of all of this is that Kurt is no longer with us, and we miss him terribly. He was an amazing individual who loved everyone and tried to make the world a better place.” The GoFundMe appeal has raised more than £56,000 since the attack on Wednesday last week. Road to recovery: Melissa Cochran in hospital Masood, who stabbed unarmed Pc Keith Palmer, 48, to death in Parliament’s New Palace Yard before being killed, is understood to have been shot dead by one of Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon’s close protection team, which was waiting for the minister outside Parliament. Today, Sir Michael signalled that a security clampdown could result in new restrictions on the public accessing parts of the parliamentary estate. He made clear a review would probe whether more armed officers are needed to protect Westminster and whether public access needed to be cut back to ensure MPs’ safety. Tributes for Westminster & Parliament Attack Tributes for Westminster & Parliament Attack 1/20 A police officer places flowers and a photo of Pc Keith Palmer on Whitehall near the Houses of Parliament in London Dominic Lipinski/PA 2/20 A floral tribute to the victims of yesterday's terror attack is left at the security cordon near Westminster Abbey in central London Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP/Getty Images 3/20 Metropolitan Police in a minute's silence at New Scotland Yard Sky News 4/20 A minute's silence is observed outside New Scotland Yard in London to pay respect to the victims of yesterday's terror attack in Westminster Jonathan Brady/PA 5/20 MP's in a minute's silence at the House of Commons BBC 6/20 Conservative MP James Cleverly pays an emotional tribute to his friend Pc Keith Palmer, telling the Commons he was a "strong, professional public servant". PA 7/20 The flag above the Houses of Parliament in London flies at half mast the day after a terrorist attack Jeremy Selwyn 8/20 People leave flowers at the scene after an attack on Westminster Bridge in London Hannah McKay/Reuters 9/20 Flowers outside the Queen Elizabeth II Centre in London Gareth Fuller/PA 10/20 Flowers at the Police Memorial after yesterday's terror attack on the Houses of Parliament in Westminste Alex Lentati 11/20 Cressida Dick in a minute silence today at New Scotland Yard for Westminster terror victims Jeremy Selwyn 12/20 A bunch of roses is layed at the Metropolitan Police headquarters at New Scotland Yard in central London Justin Tallis/AFP/Getty Images 13/20 Flowers arrive in Westminster the day after the attack Jeremy Selwyn 14/20 The Union Flag on Portcullis House flies at half mast following yesterday's attack Carl Court/Getty Images 15/20 Flowers are laid at the scene after an attack on Westminster Bridge in London 15/20 16/20 17/20 Prime Minister Theresa May makes a statement in Downing Street, London Richard Pohle/The Times/PA 18/20 Flowers are laid at the scene after an attack on Westminster Bridge in London Hannah McKay/Reuters 19/20 Two policemen stand guard at a cordoned off area on the way to the Houses of Parliament in central London Matt Dunham/AP 20/20 The royal standard at full mast above Buckingham Palace in London the day after a terrorist attack Jonathan Brady/PA He also rejected criticism of Theresa May’s close protection team, stressing that the officers had taken her out of Parliament “extremely quickly”. Two reviews of security at Westminster are under way following the attack. The first, an external independent review, will examine the perimeter security of the parliamentary estate, including out-buildings. The second will focus on how Parliament responded to the incident. Armed police have this week been visibly deployed at the Carriage Gates, through which Masood ran. Victim of Westminster attack returns to the scene for vigil The body of Pc Palmer will lie in rest at Westminster’s St Mary Undercroft chapel ahead of his funeral — an honour normally reserved for heads of state. The father of one will be the first person to lie at the 13th-century chapel since Margaret Thatcher in 2013. His funeral will be held at Southwark Cathedral on April 10. A 30-year-old man arrested in Birmingham last week on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts was still being questioned in London today.
Islamophobia up after Westminster attack, say police... but Muslims disagree Hate crime against Muslims has increased in the wake of the terrorist attack in Westminster on March 22, according to the Metropolitan Police acting Commissioner for London. But Islamophobia monitoring group TellMAMA says it’s seen no such evidence. The Met suggested on Wednesday it had seen a “slight uplift” in Islamophobic attacks in the wake of the attack perpetrated by Muslim convert Khalid Massod. “We began tracking [Islamophobic activity] straight away and we keep that tracking in progress as we speak today. We saw a slight uplift in what we call ‘Islamophobic incidents’ the day after the event, but small, and far smaller than we have seen in previous events,” DC Craig Mackey told a London Assembly’s Police and Crime Committee hearing. “I think the strength of all the faith leaders and the communities coming together and putting out a very strong message – that would’ve helped. People met within 24 hours of the incident, those messages went to Friday prayers and other gatherings that weekend and religious events, so I think that would’ve helped,” Mckey said. Unlike the aftermath of other terrorist attacks, such as the shootings in the Charlie Hebdo magazine offices or the November 2015 killings in Paris, there was no major backlash against the Muslim community. “After Westminster, we did not see what was expected and there was no major peak in anti-Muslim hatred picked up across the country. If there was, our work within TellMAMA would have immediately been alerted to this,” the charity said in a statement. “This is the first major terrorist incident in the last three years where there has not been a significant rise and peak in anti-Muslim hatred. There are times when we can feel a sense of hope and the last week provides us with a real window of hope. London truly is a great city.” “I also want to extend our solidarity to the many Muslims and migrants who at this time will be especially fearful of racism and abuse,” said National Union of Student (NUS) president Malia Bouattia said in a statement after the terrorist attack. “We must stand firm against all attempts to stoke up Islamophobia or intolerance against migrants of any nationality, especially at a time of increased hate crime against many communities across society.”
Newspapers criticise JustGiving over Westminster victim's page Fundraising website JustGiving has faced criticism in a number of papers over its refusal to waive fees on fundraising pages for the victims of the Westminister attack. It is the second time this year that the fundraising platform has come under fire for the fees it charges for its service. A number of newspaper articles appeared over the weekend criticising JustGiving’s decision not to waive its fees on the fundraising page of PC Keith Palmer, who died following a terrorist attack on Westminster. The page has so far raised £730,000, meaning JustGiving will receive in the region of £30,000 of fees. However JustGiving has donated £10,000 to the page itself. “There have been questions about the fact that JustGiving charges for its service," the response said. "We are honoured to be chosen to host millions of campaigns each year; saving children with cancer, funding pioneering surgery, remembering loved ones, building community projects, transforming education. “All of these causes are deserving, and each pays a transparent 5 per cent fee which is fully reinvested in innovation to ensure that the next person in need who comes to JustGiving can raise more than on any other platform.” “In these exceptional circumstances where an attack has hit the city that we at JustGiving call home, we opted to join our community and give a donation of £10,000. PC Palmer’s tragic death has touched the whole nation and in fact the world, and we are proud to have played our part in enabling the nation’s moving and generous response in his memory.” The response came after a number of newspapers, including The Sun, The Daily Mail and the Telegraph all criticised JustGiving for not waiving its fee on the pages for PC Palmer and the other victims of the Westminster attack. The Daily Mail accused JustGiving of “greed” and said it was “skimming” the fee off the top. It also reported that “a spokesman” from the Metropolitan Police Federation who set up the page, had said “he was ‘not happy’ about the cash going to JustGiving” and that it may ask JustGiving to make “a further contribution when the campaign ends”. The Sun on Sunday ran an editorial which said “if JustGiving had an ounce of decency it would hand over all donations to PC Keith Palmer’s grieving family” and suggested it would rather “cream a profit on Brits generosity”. Fraud concerns over victim's page JustGiving also confirmed it has taken control of one page set up to raise money for a victim of the Westminster attacks, after suspicions it had been set up to defraud donors. Donors to the page had found that the name of the person who’d set up the page originally had the same name “as a woman who had been convicted of benefit fraud in 2013”. The spokesman said that JustGiving had "some concerns of possible fraud" in relation to the page set up for Ms Frade, and as a result had taken over control of running the fund. “There was one page that was set-up where we had some slight suspicions and concerns of possible fraud,” said the spokesman. “We’ve now taken control of the page and are managing it to ensure that the money raised goes to the right people.” In Fundraising Magazine JustGiving have also put a message on Ms Frade’s fundraising page, and have said: “We’ve been carefully monitoring all of the pages that have been created to help those affected by Wednesday’s attack. We are ensuring that all of your kind donations are being used as intended. Because concerns were raised about this page, we are now managing it ourselves and reaching out to the family.” The page now carries a ‘verified by JustGiving’ sticker and has now raised £23,987 from 1,175 supporters. The spokesman said there was no suspicion or evidence to suggest any fraudulent activity had taken place with any of the other pages set up for victims of the Westminster attack, including the page set up for PC Keith Palmer.

Westminster Bridge attack: South Bank Patrol praised for response Security staff from the South Bank Patrol have been commended for their response to the Westminster Bridge attack on 22 March. Ch Supt Richard Wood with South Bank Patrol members Two members of the South Bank Patrol team were among the first to arrive at the scene of the attack, helping the injured, cordoning off the area, sending curious and confused pedestrians off the bridge and liaising with security and emergency services. Chief Superintendent Richard Wood, Lambeth's borough commander, commended the South Bank Patrol at a ceremony held at County Hall this week. Ch Supt Wood said: "South Bank Patrol were some of the first people to arrive at the scene, they acted quickly and calmly in a chaotic situation where members of the public and professionals can often struggle to think clearly. "We are very grateful and commend the speed and selflessness with which they acted." Govert Deketh, general manager of the London Marriott Hotel County Hall and chair of South Bank BID, added: "The London Marriott Hotel County Hall immediately recognised the need for a base and offered the hotel as an operational triage centre for the Patrol and Met Police. "The nature of this event demonstrates how well people and organisations pull together and collaborate. The London Marriott Hotel County Hall is a member of South Bank BID, and we highly value the work the South Bank Patrol have done for the last nine years." South Bank Patrol is managed by South Bank Employers' Group and funded through the South Bank Visitor Management Group – a public-private partnership of the major organisations on the South Bank and Lambeth Council. Revenue for the service is generated from London Eye section 106 contributions, private contributions from South Bank businesses and South Bank Business Improvement District (BID). • Last month St Thomas' Hospital staff were commended for their response to the attack. Speaking at a board meeting of Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, chairman Sir Hugh Taylor said: "On 22 March the world saw the kind of people who work here. "This was the NHS and this trust at its very very best. We are proud of our clinical staff who went out on to the bridge with no concern for their own safety."
Peer blames Westminster Bridge cycle lane for terrorist attack Lord Carlile has told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that yesterday's terrorist attack in London was, in effect, made easier by a paint-only cycle lane on Westminister Bridge. Lord Carlile is a crossbench peer and, from 2001 to 2011, he was the government's independent reviewer of terrorism legislation. Speaking on the news programme at 7am from a radio car on the bridge he said the driver of the 4x4 which mounted the footway and killed pedestrians walking along the bridge had "uninterrupted" access to the footway because of a cycle lane. The attacker then abandoned his car and fatally stabbed PC Keith Palmer, a policeman guarding the Houses of Parliament. Lord Carlile said parliament was "barely penetrated" but that "there may have to be changes in the way we protect parliament and other major buildings." He added: "We may have to look at the new traffic arrangements around Westminster, which have changed in the last few months and opened up a wide new cycle lane along which this vehicle travelled uninterrupted." The parliamentary estate is ringed by public highways, including roads, footways and a small length of kerb-protected cycleway. However, the cycle lane on Westminster Bridge is protected by paint alone, although work is soon to start on adding kerbs to the cycle lane. Later in the programme a presenter asked London Mayor Sadiq Khan about easy access to the cycle lane, but Khan did not respond to that point. Former mayoral candidate Christian Wolmar said Lord Carlile's remark was an example of "extraordinary hostility to cyclists." He asked, "how can Lord Carlile think Westminster Bridge cycle lane made it easier to attack? Quite the opposite." The spot where the British-born attacker abandoned the 4x4 is just beyond the bridge and where the protected cycleway starts. It is also about 30 metres from where, in December last year, transport minister Chris Grayling "doored" a cyclist. Some MPs and peers blame London's cycleways for, among other things, congestion and air pollution. In 2015, Lord Lawson claimed that cycleways were more damaging to London than anything since the Blitz.
JUST WATCHED Big Ben lit up honoring London attack victims MUST WATCH Big Ben lit up honoring London attack victims 00:46 Jonathan Russell is head of policy at Quilliam, a counter-extremism think tank in London. Joshua Stewart is a strategic communications officer there. The opinions in this article belong to the authors. Such full-spectrum, whole-of-society reactions are the only way to mitigate and dilute the effect of unsophisticated, "lone wolf" acts of terror. Read More Equally, the elasticity with which the police were able to absorb the shock of attack, contain the threat and then coordinate simultaneous raids across the country on known suspects -- without causing substantial fear or disruption to public life -- is remarkable. Despite this, there is, of course, room for us to assess the current security and intelligence picture; evaluate our strengths, limitations and what we can learn from this. "He was not part of our current intelligence picture," British Prime Minister Theresa May read Thursday morning to a reconvened Parliament. From this language, it is possible that the attacker had proactively gone "dormant" in his overt extremist activities, so as to reduce the "threat to life" assessments from security services -- meaning they would turn their attention and resources elsewhere. At this stage, it is hard to say whether this was deliberate. If so, then it is extremely likely that other would-be attackers will be doing exactly the same thing. Digital and signals intelligence can only go so far. To carry out human surveillance on just one target requires several human officers. In short, prioritization is essential. This is where "lone wolf" terrorists, who usually operate outside of a command and control pattern, become immensely difficult to stop: The more sophisticated and preplanned the plot, the more likely security services can detect, deter and disrupt. Terrorists always look for the path of least resistance. This is why they fill post-conflict vacuums. But it is also why we have seen a proliferation of unsophisticated attacks in Europe. Trucks in Nice, France, and Berlin, cars and knives in London. Security services simply cannot prevent these in all cases. So where does this leave us? However tempting it is, we should avoid hinging our response around hard security measures. Counterintuitively, our best way of responding is to innovate and enhance our soft power and preventative approaches, so that would-be lone actors become less likely to slip through the net of society. Counter-extremism initiatives fill this gap. If extremist recruiters seek to manipulate grievances, teachers and youth workers must develop programs to address them through promoting democratic responses. As radicalizers identify the vulnerable experiencing identity crises and promote a ready-made group identity as a quick fix, we must proactively show them alternative pathways, preventing these people from becoming radicalized. Because ISIS promotes its fantasies so effectively online, we must enlist communications firms and social media experts to counter such narratives -- and moderate imams to challenge their pernicious Islamist ideology while also distinguishing it from Islam. It is incumbent on all parts of civil society to support this common cause to prevent terrorism. First responders and the security services do a wonderful job, but there are simply some things they cannot do alone.

George Osborne, a 'signed up, card-carrying Bush fan', told the Commons in 2003 he was persuaded of the 'excellent neoconservative case' for war with Iraq. Photograph: Martin Argles for the Guardian David Cameron's recent offer to intervene in Libya, arming insurgents and enforcing a no-fly zone, was withdrawn almost as quickly as it was articulated. Objections from the US and France sank the idea. But it seems that the idea had enjoyed support from the cabinet, most of all from the hawkish faction around the education secretary Michael Gove – who is a signatory to the neoconservative Henry Jackson Society's statement of principles. Cameron, though no neocon, is a traditional Atlanticist, and has energetically promoted a small fraternity of foreign policy hawks since gaining the Tory leadership in 2005. They first emerged in defence of Tony Blair and his unpopular foreign policies. Cameron himself, though he only reluctantly voted for the Iraq war, greatly admired Blair's stance in the debacle. Even he, though, could hardly match Gove's gushing praise for Blair in the runup to the Iraq war, in a column for the Times entitled "I can't fight my feelings any more: I love Tony". This passion for Blair was not restricted to his stance on foreign policy – it included Blair's position on the firefighters' strike, asylum seekers and tuition fees – but it was on Iraq that Gove maintained Blair was "behaving like a true Thatcherite". Indeed, for many Tories , Blair is neocon rex. Gove is the author of a number of neoconservative tracts. These include Celsius 7/7, which argues that Islamists are waging "total war" against the west, not because of imperialism but because of their root-and-branch rejection of "western values". A more pointed intervention, though, was the essay "The Very British Roots of Neoconservatism and Its Lessons for British Conservatives". In it, Gove was trying to persuade Tory allies sceptical of the adventurism of Rumsfeld and Bush that their policies were ones that the great patriarchs of conservatism would approve of. He argued that neoconservatism had strongly British roots that could be traced back to the statecraft of the Anglo-Irish Tory leader George Canning, whose pre-emptive battles with Bonapartism helped "advance the cause of freedom". Palmerston and Churchill were also given their due as precursors to modern neoconservatism. Significantly, Gove's trinity was entirely composed of Tories with some connections to Liberalism – if a neoconservative is a liberal who has been "mugged by reality", many Tory luminaries from Burke onward have been instinctive Whigs turned counter-revolutionary. Alongside Gove in the neoconservative faction are Ed Vaizey, the under-secretary of state who is, like Gove, has also signed up to the Henry Jackson Society's principles. Similarly, George Osborne, the chancellor, is a "signed up, card-carrying Bush fan", persuaded of the "excellent neoconservative case" for war with Iraq. His PPS, Greg Hands MP, is also a signatory to the Henry Jackson Society. Neoconservative ideas are also propagated in a number of thinktanks such as Policy Exchange whose director, Nicholas Boles MP, is another Henry Jackson Society signatory. The magazine Standpoint provides monthly ballast to this tendency. Despite often crucial tactical differences, such as those which have emerged over Libya, there is a shared vocabulary between neoconservatives and those, like William Hague, who articulate a "liberal conservative" foreign policy. Hague has vocally supported "humanitarian intervention", and was reluctant to criticise even the more controversial stances of Blair, such as his support for the 2006 Israeli invasion of Lebanon. This gave the Tories few opportunities to land any damaging blows against New Labour. Indeed, the "liberal interventionist" stance devised by Hague and Cameron amounts to reheated Blairism. The neoconservative agenda is not restricted to foreign policy, but includes a securitarian drive to contain Islamism and propagate "British values". Cameron's recent speech announcing the failure of multiculturalism can be seen as a tilt toward the neoconservatives in his cabinet. Yet the neoconservative temptation is a dangerous one for Cameron to succumb to. It offers moral and intellectual definition to an aggressive but vacillating government lacking legitimacy. If Cameron is a poorly defined leader, neoconservative belligerence can provide a far more robust political direction than the "big society". But Cameron still needs his Liberal allies, and the electoral base for neoconservatism is smaller even than for the aggressive Thatcherism he jettisoned in opposition. If Cameron were to openly embrace the neoconservative agenda, it would be a retreat from the electoral coalition-building that has temporarily saved the Tories from irrelevance.
One video showed photos of men firing assault rifles and fighters on horseback holding Daesh flags while leading a procession of vehicles. Other featured images of Osama Bin Laden, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of Daesh, and prominent convicted UK extremists including Anjem Choudary and Abu Hamza or called on the viewer to, ‘Take a break, come to jihad’. An eighth video, the only one not made by Staples, featured the logo of a media organisation used by Daesh to release propaganda material. Staples uploaded the video to his YouTube account. In the video an armed man wearing camouflage says that the only path to victory is through sacrifice and jihad. The song that is playing is in English and mentions fighting unbelievers, that there were “maidens of Paradise awaiting the martyrs” and “we are the men who love death just as you love your life”. Staples posted the videos between May and September 2016 and had more than 1,000 followers on the accounts. The CPS argued that each video glorified violent jihad and his intention was to encourage others to fight for Daesh. On 24 January he was found not guilty of one count of encouraging terrorism. When questioned by police, Staples denied having extremist or political views; he said the videos were only pictures with no political purpose. During the trial, he gave evidence that he had created one of the videos but claimed that two men he had limited details for had visited his house and must have created the remaining videos without his knowledge. The court heard that in January 2016 he had been convicted of child cruelty after showing a young child a video of jihadist beheadings. Staples received a nine month prison sentence and began publishing these videos shortly after his release. After his conviction in January, Sue Hemming from the CPS said: “Gary Staples created and published propaganda videos glorifying violent jihad but falsely claimed that he was not an extremist. “When the prosecution presented overwhelming evidence that they were made on his electronic devices he invented a story which the jury clearly saw through and concluded that his intention was to encourage those who viewed them to prepare or commit terrorist acts.” Notes to editors Notes to editors •On 24 January, Gary Staples (dob 25/4/1967) was found guilty of seven counts of encouraging terrorism contrary to section 1(2) of the Terrorism Act 2006 and one count of disseminating a terrorism publication contrary to section 2(1) and 2(2)(a) of the Terrorism Act 2006. He was found not guilty of one further count of encouraging terrorism. •Sue Hemming is Head of the Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division in the CPS. CPS News Centre Find out what's new at the Crown Prosecution Service's digital News Centre.
In a statement Muslims United for London said: “The British Muslim community stands with the community during these difficult times and extends their support in raising funds to help with the immediate, short-term needs of the families of Keith Palmer, the other victims and the families of the victims. “While no amount of money will bring back lives lost or take away from the pain the victims and their families are going through, we hope to lessen their burden in some way.” Muddassar Ahmed, who launched the page, told ITV: “I was in a meeting and suddenly my phone started going off and people started calling me. We looked out of the window and we saw a scene of horror.
Related articles MI5 and counter-terrorism policing got a great deal right – particularly in the case of Manchester – they could have succeeded had the cards fallen differently. David Anderson QC In the case of the London Bridge attack in June, Mr Anderson said the security service was “actively” investigating fanatic Khuram Butt when he masterminded and led the slaughter. Eight people were murdered when British national Butt, 27, Rachid Redouane, 30, and Youssef Zaghba, 22, drove a van at victims on the pavement, then leaped out and began stabbing them. Butt, who led the two other jihadis in the attack before they then targeted drinkers in bars near the bridge, had been the subject of a two-year MI5 probe. All three were shot dead by police. PA The London Bridge attackers were also known to MI5 The inquiry said Butt, who had appeared in Channel 4 documentary The Jihadis Next Door, was the subject of “coverage” from the middle of 2015. Mr Anderson’s report read: “Material relating to Khuram Butt received in the two weeks prior to the attack on June 3 added little to the intelligence picture and did not identify the activity that led up to the attack.” It went on to highlight that Westminster Bridge attacker Khalid Masood also had been a subject of MI5 interest in the past. Masood killed four pedestrians in March by driving into them on the bridge. PA MI5 have been watching 'unprecedented' terror threats to the UK this year He then leaped out and fatally stabbed PC Keith Palmer outside the House of Commons. The report said although Masood carried out trial runs, the 52-year-old was a “closed” subject when the attack was launched. The review findings are published as Britain faces an “unprecedented” terror threat after a total of nine Islamist plots were thwarted in the last year, ministers have been told. MI5 chief Andrew Parker told Theresa May and her senior ministers yesterday that MI5 and counter-terrorism policing are currently running more than 500 “live operations”, a third up since the beginning of the year, involving roughly 3,000 “subjects of interest”. GETTY Andy Burnham said "wrong judgements have been made" In total, 35 innocent people – including children and their parents at the Ariana Grande concert – were killed in the three major attacks. Mr Anderson’s report said: “Substantial and appropriate coverage was in place around key individuals, and mechanisms designed to assess risk were working. “MI5 and counter-terrorism policing got a great deal right – particularly in the case of Manchester – they could have succeeded had the cards fallen differently.” Home Secretary Amber Rudd said blame for the “cowardly” attacks “lies squarely” with the terrorists. However, Manchester’s mayor Andy Burnham said: “It’s clear things could and perhaps should have been done differently and wrong judgments have been made.” Two men arrested by counter terrorism police in London and Birmingham last week have been charged with plotting attacks.
Photographer Jamie Lorriman had been on Westminster Bridge by chance when he took several photos of panicking bystanders in the aftermath of the March attack. An anonymous Muslim woman, featured in the Mr Lorriman's prolific image, was described by Twitter account @SouthLoneStar as "[paying] no mind to the terror attack, casually [walking] by a dying man while checking [her] phone". But the account - which said the user was a "proud Texan and American patriot" - was revealed on Tuesday to be the work of Russian hackers hoping to spread propaganda and misinformation. The image received thousands of retweets, being shared by many from the American alt-right movement, including Richard Spencer, director of the white supremacist National Policy Institute.

Thoughts after the Westminster Bridge Terror Attack I come out of the northern line and walk out of the station. It’s a normal afternoon and I’m meeting a friend after work. As I make my way down the street and towards the bridge, I hear what sounds like a thud. Then I hear screaming, and then three shots. It’s happening on the other side of the bridge, but I feel terror inside me. I half run, half walk, to the accommodation building opposite the bridge. I don’t know how long it takes to get there, time isn’t working properly in my head. I feel sick, and people are filming on their smartphones in confusion. A blonde woman stands staring at me as I lean against the wall, wondering if I’m going to vomit. “It’s okay.” She says, feebly. “Don’t worry, you’re okay.” I’m fine. I was never at risk at all. I was on the other side of the river to where the innocent people were murdered. However, I was scared, frightened, in shock. I want to scream, burst into tears, hit something. Yet I can’t, so I sit down inside the reception and regain my composure. Outside, the sickening sound of ambulances and police cars builds up. Feeling rather morbid I watch, not knowing what else to do. It will take several hours for me to calm down. Everyone is in shock. This is incredibly unlikely, I say to myself, repeatedly. This doesn’t happen regularly at all. London isn’t a war zone. You are fine. My friends are also behaving weirdly in their shock. They go from silent horror, to attempts at humour, to almost excitement. It’s funny how the brain copes with fear. My friend’s mothers, and mine, are checking in on us, erratically. Some want us to come back from university early. London’s not safe. London’s not safe. Hours after the attack, the tension is palpable. Let’s be honest: we are scared. People being murdered in cold blood is scary. Especially when it happens so close to home. Terrorists know that. That’s why they do it. So: Don’t let them win. It’s horrifying, it’s horrific, it’s evil, but don’t be frightened. Go out tomorrow and walk the streets, attend that party and go and watch that film. Show them that we don’t give in to fear; that London is stronger than giving into threats and terror. We don’t need to resort to violence and hatred to get through the day. We will not make a terror attack worth it.
A video of the far-right leader, who led the EDL from 2009 until 8 October 2013, appeared on Rebel Media, a fringe right-wing Canadian media company ( LNP ) Tommy Robinson has been widely condemned for launching into a tirade about Islamic extremism at the scene of a suspected terrorist attack in Westminster. The former English Defence League leader rushed to the Houses of Parliament in London after news of the attacks emerged. Although details about the alleged assailant and their motive remains unclear, Mr Robinson claimed Britain was at “war” with Islamic fundamentalists. While ambulances and other emergency vehicles dominated scenes, Mr Robinson shouted aggressively at those who challenged him and launched into a scathing analysis of the incident for his personal camera crew. After a reporter suggested Mr Robinson has been quick to label the incident a foreign terrorist attack, the far-right leader said: "This is the reality. The reality is these people are waging war on us. "This has been going on for 1,400 years and while it's going on the police leaders and the political leaders want to invite more." But Mr Robinson has been denounced for his intervention, with people accusing him of simply inflaming the situation and exploiting the tragedy for his own gain. “Far-right figures like Tommy Robinson are vile opportunists: using victims of today's attack to spread their anti-Muslim message,” Maya Goodfellow, a journalist, said on Twitter. “Far-right hate preacher Tommy Robinson is in London exploiting today's terror attack. The man lower than vermin,” said Scott Nelson. "Tommy Robinson thinking about himself and his agenda rather than the victims in the immediate aftermath. Tells you all you need to know," added another. “Tommy Robinson really jumped on the 16:09 Southeastern service to come and milk this tragedy,” quipped another critic. A video of the far-right leader, who led the EDL from 2009 until October 2013, outside the Houses of Parliament appeared on Rebel Media, a fringe right-wing Canadian media company after he went down to the scene. Mr Robinson announced he was leaving the EDL in 2013 in a joint conference with think tank Quilliam. His departure was widely covered, with the former leader later telling police he would help with their investigations into alleged racists within the extremist group. Proceedings at Parliament were suspended on Wednesday afternoon after a police officer was stabbed and an alleged assailant shot by armed police outside the Houses of Parliament, shortly after a vehicle is reported to have mowed into members of the public on Westminster Bridge. Police are treating the Westminster shooting which took place on Wednesday afternoon as a terrorist incident until further notice.

Police officers in front of Britain First and EDL (English Defence League) protestors on Embankment in London (Picture: PA) UAF (Unite Against Fascism)demonstrators near Trafalgar Square in London (Picture: PA) Chief Superintendent Catherine Roper said: ‘The right to protest is a fundamental right in our democratic society, but this right must be balanced against the right of people to go about their day without fear of violence, disorder or disruption. ‘Experience has shown us that when groups with conflicting views come together it can create tension and disorder, not just on the day itself but in the longer term.’


New arrest over London attack as govt eyes WhatsApp British police investigating a deadly attack on parliament made a new arrest Sunday as officials set their sights on accessing WhatsApp, the heavily-encrypted messaging service that was used by the killer. The arrest came four days after the lightening assault that unfolded in the shadow of the Houses of Parliament, in which an apparently lone attacker killed four people and wounded 50 before being shot dead by armed police. The latest arrest was a 30-year-old man who was detained in the central city of Birmingham on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts, London's Metropolitan Police said. A dozen people have been arrested since Wednesday's attack by 52-year-old Khalid Masood who deliberately ran down pedestrians on Westminster Bridge then stabbed a policeman just inside the gates of parliament. Nine people have been released without charge, while a 58-year-old man remains in custody and a 32-year-old woman has been released on bail. The arrest came as the government confirmed Masood had used the WhatsApp messaging service, saying it was crucial that the security services be allowed to access the heavily-encrypted app. Media reports said Masood used the Facebook-owned service just minutes before staging his assault, although it was unclear whether he sent any messages or just looked at the app. Speaking to Sky News, Home Secretary Amber Rudd said it was "completely unacceptable" that police and security services had not been able to crack the heavily-encrypted service. "You can't have a situation where you have terrorists talking to each other -- where this terrorist sent a WhatsApp message -- and it can't be accessed," she said. - 'Don't let them hide' - Home Secretary Amber Rudd said it was "completely unacceptable" that police and security services had not been able to crack the heavily-encrypted service WhatsApp Adrian DENNIS, AFP/File Police had on Saturday acknowledged they may never know why Masood, a Muslim convert with a violent criminal past, carried out the attack and that he probably acted alone, despite a claim of responsibility by the Islamic State group. "We must all accept that there is a possibility we will never understand why he did this. That understanding may have died with him," said senior counter-terrorism officer Neil Basu. Although police believe he acted alone on the day, investigators are still trying to find out whether he was encouraged or directed by others. "There should be no place for terrorists to hide," Rudd said in a separate interview with the BBC. "We need to make sure that organisations like WhatsApp -- and there are plenty of others like that -- don't provide a secret place for terrorists to communicate with each other." WhatsApp said it was "horrified" by the attack and was working with the investigating authorities without saying whether it would change its encryption policy. "We are horrified at the attack carried out in London earlier this week and are cooperating with law enforcement as they continue their investigations," a spokeswoman told AFP. - Must be accessible - Rudd acknowledged that end-to-end encryption was vital to cyber security, to ensure that business, banking and other transactions were safe -- but said it must also be accessible. An armed police officer stands at an entrance to the Houses of Parliament in central London on March 26, 2017 DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS, AFP "It's not incompatible. You can have a system whereby they can build it so that we can have access to it when it is absolutely necessary," she told Sky News. Rudd said she did not yet intend to force the industry's hand with new legislation, but would meet key players on Thursday to discuss this issue, as well as the "constant battle" against extremist videos posted online. Tech firms and social media players are coming under increasing pressure over extremists using their websites, applications and technology to communicate extremist content. Last year, US authorities fought a legal battle with tech giant Apple to get it to unlock a smartphone used by one of the shooters in a 2015 attack in San Bernardino, California. The FBI's own experts ended up breaking into the device. And Google has faced a boycott by companies whose adverts appear alongside extremist content on its internet platforms, particularly its video-sharing site YouTube.


Police forces are to receive a £50m funding boost to help the fight against terrorism. The extra cash will increase intelligence and surveillance capabilities and pay for armed officers to patrol city centres. The home secretary, Amber Rudd, secured the rise in next year’s police counter-terrorism budget to at least £757m after convincing the chancellor, Philip Hammond, more money was needed to protect the public. Rudd said: “This represents our commitment to backing the talented and brave counter-terrorism forces with the resources they need to keep people safe. “Since 2015 alone we have increased counter-terrorism spending by 30% and pledged more than £500m in increased funding for the counter-terrorism budget, to protect the UK from the ongoing threat posed by terrorism. “This [latest funding] will allow counter-terrorism policing to meet head on the threat we face, working closely with our communities and continuing to disrupt those who would want to harm us. “We are also reviewing our counter-terrorism strategy to make sure we meet the unprecedented challenge.”
BEATEN TO DEATH A UNIVERSITY of Sheffield student has been murdered abroad after clashing with a gang of youths who made fun of his fiancee. Foreign student Darren Kang Ten Hua, aged 23, was beaten to death during his summer break back home in Kuala Lumpur. The second-year law student, his 24-year-old fiancee and two other friends were about to have a meal in the early hours of Tuesday morning when a fight broke out. As they waited to be seated at the restaurant in Desa Sri Hartamas, Darren's fiancee, Goh Win See, called "I love you" to him. Another group of men sitting nearby, aged between 18 and 26, laughed and made comments. Goh, a customer service officer at an insurance company, said: "Several of the men seemed to laugh at Darren and passed comments among them. "This agitated Darren who then confronted one of them, asking them why the group had behaved in such a way." Goh, who had been dating Darren since they were 15, said she pleaded with him not to get involved. She said: "One of them got up from his seat and began swearing at Darren with several others joining in. "Within seconds, four of them cornered Darren and began kicking and punching him repeatedly. "Others used sticks and the rest used plastic chairs to hit him." The beating lasted for 15 minutes, during which time Darren managed to call his friend on his mobile. The pal said: "He said he was at Uncle Don's Restaurant and was getting beaten to death. He asked me to come quickly." By the time the friend got there half an hour later, Darren had already been taken to hospital. He was pronounced dead on arrival from neck and head injuries. His two friends and Goh were unhurt. 11 men were arrested. Darren, who had a step sister, returned home from Sheffield three weeks ago. He was staying with his mother in the town of Mont Kiara. His 48-year-old mother said: "Was it wrong for Goh to say 'I love you' to my son? It was a conversation between Goh and Darren but for that my only son is gone. Those who killed my son must be brought to justice. "What was said between Goh and Darren was their own business." The couple had been engaged since last July and were planning to marry after Darren graduated. He was due to return to Sheffield at the end of July. Goh said: "We have known each other since we were in secondary school. Darren was a caring and jovial person. We had already bought the air tickets to return to England." It is believed his funeral and cremation have already taken place. Today Sheffield University paid tribute to their student. Student Support and Welfare officer Debora Green said: "Our thoughts and sympathies are with Darren's family, fiancee and friends at this sad time. "This is a tragic loss and Darren will be sorely missed by all those who knew him. "We have contacted Darren's family and friends to pass on our condolences, and to offer our support during this difficult time."



U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's son Donald Trump Jr. arrives ahead of the inauguration with his father aboard a U.S. Air Force jet at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, U.S. January 19, 2017. Within hours of a terrorist attack in London that killed four victims and injured dozens on March 22, the oldest son of US president Donald Trump took aim at the city’s mayor, Sadiq Khan. Referencing the headline of a September 2016 article in the Independent about the mayor, he tweeted: The tweet quickly drew ire on Twitter, not only for the poor judgment and insensitivity so soon after a tragedy, but also because Trump Jr., whether intentionally or by accident, misrepresented the article and words of Khan, the city’s first Muslim mayor. Taken out of context, the article’s headline, “Sadiq Khan: London mayor says terror attacks ‘part and parcel’ of living in a major city,” might suggest that Khan was excusing a terror attack. But a full read of the article, published after a September 2016 explosion at a construction site in New York, makes clear that Khan was advocating for more city preparedness and for Londoners to help combat terror threats: Sadiq Khan has said he believes the threat of terror attacks are “part and parcel of living in a big city” and encouraged Londoners to be vigilant to combat dangers. The Mayor of London revealed he had a “sleepless night” after the recent bombing in New York, and said major cities around the world “have got to be prepared for these sorts of things” to happen when people least expect them. The article went on to quote Khan as saying: “That means being vigilant, having a police force that is in touch with communities, it means the security services being ready, but it also means exchanging ideas and best practice”, Mr Khan told the Evening Standard shortly before a meeting with New York mayor Bill de Blasio. Critics on Twitter surmised that Trump Jr. had only read the article’s headline and jumped to conclusions: @DonaldJTrumpJr he is not saying that at all. Learn to read the article in full before getting outraged.
A terror suspect arrested after a car crashed into a barrier at the Houses of Parliament at high speed is not believed to be known to the security services, police have said. At least three people were injured when the silver Ford Fiesta hit a group of cyclists and pedestrians waiting for traffic lights to change. Rooftop camera footage shows the car mounting a pavement on the wrong side of the road before, witnesses said, it travelled at up to 50mph for around 40 metres (130ft) and hit a bollard. Scotland Yard said a man in his late 20s was arrested after the incident at around 7.30am on Tuesday. The suspect was taken to a south London police station, where he remains on suspicion of terrorism offences. He is not co-operating with officers. Facebook has greatly reduced the distribution of our stories in our readers' newsfeeds and is instead promoting mainstream media sources. When you share to your friends, however, you greatly help distribute our content. Please take a moment and consider sharing this article or page with your friends and family. Thank you. Politics, entertainment, and current events wrapped up in a tidy website & App.
Leslie Rhodes was believed to have been on Westminster Bridge after a visit to St Thomas’ hospital. Photograph: Carl Court/Getty Images The fourth person to die in the terror attack on Westminster has been named as Leslie Rhodes, 75, from Clapham, south London, described as “a lovely man” by shocked neighbours. Rhodes, a retired window cleaner, died on Thursday night in King’s College hospital after his life support system was withdrawn. His identity was confirmed by the Metropolice police’s acting deputy commissioner, Mark Rowley, on Friday morning. London terror attack: police name fourth fatality and make two 'significant' arrests – live Read more Rhodes was unmarried, lived alone in a flat on Macauley Road, just off Clapham Common, and was said by neighbours to have been “fit as a fiddle”. He was believed to have been in the area to visit St Thomas’ hospital, on the south corner of Westminster Bridge, and was crossing the bridge to catch a bus. Some of his neighbours had kept a bedside vigil for him at King’s College hospital. His nextdoor neighbour Michael Carney, 74, who had known Rhodes for about 40 years, described him as “as nice a man as you could meet – he was just like one of my family”. “You couldn’t let someone like that die alone,” he told the Guardian. “I couldn’t get out, but my wife, Christine, and my two daughters went up there and stayed with him. He couldn’t have got better care than the hospital. They were all amazing. The doctors kept on past their shift to stay with him and the nurses were playing him Queen music when they heard he really liked them.” Rhodes had moved to Clapham from Battersea with his family in the 1970s but had lived alone since his parents and brother died some years ago. “He was really healthy. You’d have said he’d have lasted into his 90s at least,” Carney said. “Even though he was supposed to be retired he was still up ladders, he still did some window cleaning for friends and private jobs.” Carney said he and Rhodes both liked betting on horses and on Thursday he had knocked on his friend’s door to ask him to put some money on a race. He got no answer twice, but the third time heard voices and used his spare key to check if the flat was being burgled. “There were two police in there and they said they couldn’t tell me everything, but he was hurt really bad and they didn’t think he’d make it,” he said. Carney said his wife and daughter were heartbroken over their neighbour’s death. “He was a ladies’ man – don’t get me wrong, I mean in the best sense, he liked women and they liked him. He was a lovely man.” London attack: what we know so far Read more Philip Williams, a former neighbour, said: “He would do anything for anybody. It’s such a shock.” Williams said: “I’ve been told he was hit in the midriff. He had many broken bones. Apparently he went into a coma straight away.” The Labour MP Chuka Umunna paid tribute to Rhodes on Twitter. Chuka Umunna (@ChukaUmunna) 1/2 Deeply saddened to hear that my constituent Leslie Rhodes has died from the injuries he sustained in Wednesday's shocking & awful attack The Streatham Central church tweeted that members were praying for Rhodes and his family, and Zepharine Greene tweeted: “RIP Leslie, you will be missed by friends from Macaulay.” The husband of another of the victims, Aysha Frade, who was killed on Westminster Bridge while on her way to pick up their two daughters from school, has also paid tribute to his wife. He posted a message on Facebook describing her as “the most beautiful flower in our garden of joy”. John Frade posted an image of a white ceramic rose on his page with the verse: “Roses are usually red, our angel who was never blue, the most beautiful flower in our garden of joy, protect us from heaven in all that we do.” Friends and relatives poured in messages of sympathy to him and their daughters. Frade is Portuguese, and his wife was born in Britain of Cypriot and Spanish parents. In her mother’s home town, Betanzos, in Galicia, where two of her sisters live, a minute’s silence was held and two days’ mourning declared. She was also mourned by colleagues at the DLD sixth-form college in London, where she worked as an administrator. The principal, Rachel Borland, said: “She was highly regarded and loved by our students and by her colleagues. She will be deeply missed by all of us.”

In a statement on the fundraising page, Ahmed, who describes himself as a "born-and-bred Londoner," writes, "While details of the victims are still emerging, I have been in touch with networks within British Muslim communities and can assure you that we all stand with fellow Londoners during these difficult times and want to extend our support by raising funds to help with the immediate, short-term needs of the families of Keith Palmer, the other victims and their families. While no amount of money will bring back lives lost or take away from the pain the victims and their families are going through, we hope to lessen their burden in some way as citizens, Londoners, and human beings." Throughout the country and around the world, people remained hopeful and strong, refuting Islamophobia and taking to social media to show their support and remembrance for the heroes and victims of the attack Ahmed described how all funds raised by the campaign will go to help those affected. "Thank you for considering supporting the victims and the families of victims of this tragic attack through this fundraiser. We will ensure that 100% of funds collected through this campaign will go to the victims and the families of the victims most affected by the tragic events that unfolded on March 22, 2017. We will be coordinating with the Met Police Foundation (who have coordinated efforts for funds to be raised on behalf of PC Keith Palmer) and others to ensure that the funds go where they are needed."
Gearóid Ó Colmáin On The Events At Westminster Bridge London Gearóid Ó Colmáin is a journalist and political analyst. His work focuses on globalization, geopolitics and class struggle. His articles have been translated into many languages. He is a regular contributor to Global Research, Russia Today International, Press TV, Sputnik Radio France, Sputnik English , Al Etijah TV , Sahar TV Englis, Sahar French and has also appeared on Al Jazeera. He writes in English, Irish Gaelic and French. About Us Chronicling the Fall of the Cabal The Event Chronicle is a daily alternative news blog for people interested in seeking truth and exploring alternate view points not covered in the mainstream. We aggregate consciousness expanding articles and videos that are meant to trigger an awakening within the population to help aid in the liberation process of our planet. Read More...
SMILER RIDE SUED HERE COMES ALI London Ambulance Service confirmed that two people had been treated at the scene of the crash. A spokesman said: "We sent a number of resources to the scene including three ambulance crews, responders in cars and an incident response officer. "We have treated two people at the scene for injuries that are not belie to be serious and have taken them to hospital." We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368. You can WhatsApp us on 07810 791 502. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.
LONDON — One was a police constable who spent 15 years with the Metropolitan Police in London. A second was a teacher who, according to reports, was walking from her school along Westminster Bridge. Another was a man from Utah who was on vacation with his wife, celebrating their 25th anniversary. The fourth was a 75-year-old man, whose family removed him from life support. They were all killed by an assailant who plowed through pedestrians on the bridge — injuring at least 50 others in the heart of the city — crashed his vehicle into a fence and then emerged with knives to stab the constable on Wednesday. Among the wounded, many of them foreign tourists, were 12 Britons, four South Koreans, three French high school students, two Romanians, two Greeks and one citizen each of China, Germany, Ireland, Italy and the United States. On Thursday afternoon local time, the police identified the assailant, who was shot and killed by officers, as Khalid Masood, 52. In a speech at Parliament, Prime Minister Theresa May said the attacker was British-born and was previously investigated by MI5, Britain’s domestic counterintelligence agency, for possible ties to violent extremism. The prime minister visited victims at a hospital in London for 40 minutes on Thursday, according to her office. Many of them had not been publicly identified. At a news conference, Mark Rowley, the assistant police commissioner, cited both the police investigation and the need to notify family members as reasons. But information has dribbled out. Image Keith Palmer, 48, a police constable, was one of three victims killed in the attack in London on Wednesday. The assailant was killed.CreditMetropolitan Police/Press Association, via Associated Press ■ Police Constable Keith Palmer, 48, a member of the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command, was patrolling the Parliament building when the assailant fatally stabbed him. Tributes for Constable Palmer have poured in. “He was someone who left for work today expecting to return home at the end of his shift, and he had every right to expect that would happen,” Commissioner Rowley said in a statement. Mayor Sadiq Khan said, “Keith Palmer was killed while bravely doing his duty — protecting our city and the heart of our democracy from those who want to destroy our way of life.” James Cleverly, a lawmaker, said on Twitter that he had served in the Royal Artillery with Constable Palmer, calling him “a lovely man, a friend.” ■ Kurt Cochran, an American traveling in Europe with his wife, Melissa Payne Cochran, died of injuries sustained in the attack, according to a statement from the family issued through the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City. Clint Payne, Mr. Cochran’s brother-in-law, said in the statement: “Our family is heartbroken to learn of the death of our brother- and son-in-law, Kurt W. Cochran, who was a victim of Wednesday’s terrorist attack in London. Kurt was a good man and a loving husband to our sister and daughter, Melissa. They were in Europe to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary, and were scheduled to return to the United States on Thursday.” Mr. Cochran’s wife was also wounded in the attack, and she was hospitalized with “a broken leg, a broken rib and a cut on her head,” said her sister Sarah Payne-Mcfarlane in a post on Facebook. Their parents were serving as missionaries in London, according to the church. The couple ran a recording studio in West Bountiful, Utah, and Mr. Cochran had shared pictures of their stops in Germany and Scotland. Image A Facebook picture of Aysha Frade, 43, a British teacher who lived in London with her husband and two daughters. ■ Aysha Frade, 43, a British teacher, lived in London with her husband and two daughters. She taught Spanish not far from Westminster Bridge, according to the Spanish newspaper La Voz de Galicia, and she had family in Spain, according to the Spanish Foreign Ministry. Ms. Frade’s mother immigrated to Britain from Betanzos, a Galician town in northwestern Spain. Ms. Frade’s two sisters run the Academia Notting Hill language school in Betanzos and live in a village nearby. Her father is of Turkish Cypriot descent, a family friend said. On Thursday, the Betanzos town hall held a moment of silence at noon to honor Ms. Frade. Local leaders decreed three days of mourning. Ms. Frade, 43, was a British citizen, but “her link with our town was always very strong,” José Luis Pariente, a Betanzos town hall official, said by phone. “She came back here to visit every summer.” Amy Winter, the family friend and a neighbor in the Notting Hill district of London, said on the phone: “When I think of Aysha, I think of her radiant smile. She always cheered people up.” “It crushes me to know that she was going to pick up her girls when she was killed,” she said, adding, “They were everything to her.” Rachel Borland, the principal of DLD College London, said in a statement: “We are all deeply shocked and saddened at the news that one of the victims yesterday was a member of our staff, Aysha Frade. All our thoughts and our deepest sympathies are with her family.” ■ Leslie Rhodes, 75, a retired window cleaner from the Streatham neighborhood of south London, was injured in the rampage. He was removed from life support on Thursday. One of his neighbors, Michael Carney, told local news media that he had known Mr. Rhodes for 40 years, calling him “the nicest mind you ever met.” Another neighbor described Mr. Rhodes as “fit as a fiddle” and said he wasn’t married and had no children. Mr. Carney said his own relatives went to the hospital to be by Mr. Rhodes’s side. “My wife and my two girls went up there and were with him until he died, playing him music,” Mr. Carney said. “He liked Queen and that.” He added: “He had no one. You can’t have someone dying on their own.” ■ Three of the wounded were 10th-grade boys from France who were on the bridge with other visiting students. The three attended St.-Joseph high school in Concarneau, Brittany, according to the French Foreign Ministry. The mother of one of the injured students told the French news media that he had borrowed a friend’s cellphone to text that he was O.K. “His phone didn’t work, but he must have known I would try to reach him because I immediately got a text message from him,” the mother, Isabelle Calvez, said on French television. “He told me he was O.K., but had the incident happened 20 seconds later, he would’ve been hit by the car.” She added that two of the other students had fractured arms and legs, while another had a neck injury. On Thursday, the French Education Ministry said that the injured students from Brittany had been treated and that their conditions were no longer life-threatening. Juliette Meadel, the government minister for victims’ affairs, told CNEWS that the three students were among a group of 56 that went to a nearby hostel after the attack. A second group from the high school, with 36 students, was in another location in London when the attack occurred. Ms. Meadel said the uninjured students would return to France on Thursday. There are more than 4,200 students in London on school trips from France, according to the Education Ministry. Most of the other planned school trips to London on Thursday or Friday have been postponed. Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve of France expressed solidarity with “our British friends” hurt in the attack and offered “full support to the injured French pupils, their families and their classmates.” ■ Five South Koreans were among the 29 people hospitalized. They were wounded when they were mobbed by a crowd fleeing the attack site, according to the South Korean Foreign Ministry. Four of them — three women and a man in their 50s and 60s — sustained fractures and other injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening. A 67-year-old woman, however, suffered a head injury when she was pushed by the fleeing crowd, according to South Korean news reports. She later had surgery to treat her injuries. ■ The two Romanian victims, Andrei Burnaz, 32, and Andreea Cristea, 31, are from the Black Sea port city of Constanta, according to the Romanian news agency Mediafax, which quoted an official as saying they were in London to celebrate Mr. Burnaz’s birthday. Ms. Cristea went into the Thames off Westminster Bridge when the assailant drove through the crowd, and news reports said she suffered serious head injuries and lung damage. She was rescued, and Mr. Burnaz’s foot was fractured. ■ At least three of those injured after being “driven at by a vehicle” were members of the police force, and were in stable condition. ■ A woman described as “an Australian permanent resident” was among the wounded, according to that nation’s government. Australian news outlets reported that the assailant’s vehicle had run over her foot on the bridge. The woman, originally from Germany, lives in South Australia, according to an Australian news report. ■ Two Greeks were hospitalized for minor injuries, according to Alexis Georgiades, the press counselor at the Greek Embassy in London. Hannah Olivennes and Ceylan Yeginsu reported from London, and Gerry Mullany from Hong Kong. Reporting was contributed by Sewell Chan and Iliana Magra from London, Kit Gillet from Bucharest, Romania, Su Hyun Lee from Seoul, South Korea, and Raphael Minder and Richard Pérez-Peña from New York.
Westminster terror attack front pages: i changes front after backlash Share this The i newspaper changed its front page last night after a backlash when it was published online. The original front showed a pool of blood next to the foot of a victim of yesterday’s terror attack in Westminster. Many voiced concern that it was in poor taste and disrespectful to the apparently deceased man. i editor Oly Duff made the decision to change the front shortly after 10pm saying on Twitter: “Thanks for views on front – there seem to be people with strongly opposing feelings about it, but ultimately cover should not be the story..” He later said: “Thanks for the various messages this evening – especially those criticising first front page for poor taste. No intention to offend… “Understand why it did, and apologise. New cover here. Chastened – and grateful for protection we all receive as go about our daily lives.” The second choice for front page image showed Foreign Office minister Tobias Ellwood attempting to save the life of the policeman killed by yesterday’s attacker. No related posts. The Evening Standard, which normally now has one edition going to press at 11am, published a late digital version of the paper with the headline “TERRROR CARNAGE AT WESTMINSTER”. The scale of the attack unfolded from 3pm onwards. Press Gazette understands that the Standard has not had the capacity to bring out a 4pm print edition for eight years. The Daily Mail, Mirror, Telegraph, Star and Sun all led with pictures of the attacker (who was killed by police) being carried into an ambulance. The Times gave its entire front-page to an image of police dealing with the aftermath of the attack outside Parliament. The same image, but with a closer crop, was used on several other front pages: Don’t understand this. Why is the image of a shoe and blood lacking in taste? I’d have thought the picture of the victim with his chest bare was much more intrusive and the one of the armed policeman training his gun on the attacker is more violent. Why would the editor apologise for an image which is more restrained than either of them?
Westminster Attack: European Special Forces 'Are Losing Fight With Terrorists' The terror attacks that have occurred in France, Germany and Britain in the past twelve months indicate that the special services of EU countries are losing the fight against terrorism, Sergey Goncharov, head of the Alpha Anti-Terrorist Unit's International Association of Veterans, told Sputnik. In an interview with Sputnik, Sergey Goncharov, head of the Alpha Anti-Terrorist Unit's International Association of Veterans, referred to the terror attacks that have taken place in France, Germany and Britain in the last past twelve months which he said confirm European special services' inability to effectively contain terrorists. The interview came after Reuters reported that the Daesh (ISIL/ISIS/Islamic State) terrorist group had claimed responsibility for the deadly Westminster attack in the British capital earlier this week. On Wednesday, four people were killed and many others injured after a vehicle drove into a crowd on London's Westminster Bridge near the UK Parliament building. The terrorist was later shot by police after he stabbed an officer inside the Parliament compound. Flowers are laid at the scene after an attack on Westminster Bridge in London, Britain, March 22, 2017. UK Prime Minister Theresa May said that a British-born man inspired by Islamist ideology, who had been previously investigated by MI-5, was responsible for the attack. "The threats earlier posed by Islamic State are now starting to be implemented, especially after their actual defeat in Syria. The chain of similar terrorist acts in the largest countries of Europe, such as France, Germany and the UK, indicates that this process is in progress and aimed at intimidating people," Goncharov said. On July 14, 2016, a truck rammed into a large crowd that was celebrating Bastille Day in Nice. At least 86 people, including children, were killed and over 400 people were injured. The driver was shot dead by police. According to identification documents found inside the truck, the driver was a 31-year-old male resident of Nice of Tunisian origin. Daesh claimed responsibility for the attack. On December 19, Anis Amri, a 24-year-old asylum seeker from Tunisia, drove a heavy truck into a crowd at the Christmas market on the Breitscheidplatz square in Berlin, killing 12 people and injuring almost 50 others. A few days later, Amri was shot by police in Milan, Italy. "It is safe to say that that the European special services are still yielding to terrorists despite the fact that the top terror threat level is still in place in Germany, France and the UK. In this vein, one should ask the special services of these countries why the necessary security measures failed to work," Goncharov said. He stressed that it is almost impossible to fight lone-wolf terrorists. "While obtaining information about a group of terrorists is a task that can be fulfilled, tracking a lone-wolf terrorist or a mentally ill person who can wait and see for a long time is a tricky problem," he said. At the same time, Goncharov said that he does not see the fact that the unarmed policeman was the first to stand in the way of the terrorist in London as an indication of a security breach. "Any protection of a government building is carried out both by armed officers and unarmed employees who conduct visual surveillance; after all, the terrorist was finally killed by armed police officers," he added. Goncharov stressed that it is impossible to provide full-fledged protection from terrorists by "installing concrete obstacles unthinkable fences everywhere." According to him, special services of different EU countries should really unite in the fight against terrorism, but the current political situation in the EU prevents them from "finding common ground." Hello, ! 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‘We stand here also to reiterate our commitment to peace, bridge-building and British values, and to continue to play our role in rooting out this menace from our communities and the wider society.’ Muslims in Britain can be confident in their identity and that their religion is compatible with the values held dear within the UK, the plan states. Notions that Muslims should work to establish and support a so-called Islamic State and that it is a betrayal to help British authorities are wrong’, the plan adds, and will continue to be challenged within mosques and educational institutions as ‘divisive narratives’.


Media captionFootage shows the moment a car sped down Westminster Bridge and a woman fell into the River Thames Three people have died and at least 40 have been injured after an attacker drove a car along a pavement in Westminster, stabbed a policeman and was shot dead by police in the grounds of Parliament. The dead officer was named as PC Keith Palmer, 48, a husband and father. PM Theresa May said the attack on Wednesday was "sick and depraved" and struck at values of liberty, democracy and freedom of speech. The attacker has not been named. Acting Deputy Commissioner and head of counter-terrorism at the Metropolitan Police, Mark Rowley, said they think they know who he is and that he was inspired by international and Islamist-related terrorism, but gave no further details. The attack unfolded at about 14.40 GMT on Wednesday when a single attacker drove a grey Hyundai i40 along a pavement over Westminster Bridge, near the Houses of Parliament in central London, killing three people and injuring many more. The car then crashed into railings outside the Houses of Parliament. The attacker, armed with a knife, ran to Parliament where he was confronted by the police. PC Palmer - who was not armed - was then stabbed and killed. The attacker was shot dead by armed officers. Mr Rowley paid tribute to PC Palmer, saying: "He was someone who left for work today expecting to return home at the end of his shift, and he had every right to expect that would happen." Image copyrightMetropolitan PoliceImage caption Keith Palmer had 15 years service with the police "Heartbroken" former colleague, Conservative MP James Cleverly, paid tribute to the "lovely man" he had known for 25 years. The pair had served together in the Royal Artillery before PC Palmer became a policeman. Mrs May said the attack was a "sick and depraved" attack on the heart of the capital. Such attempts to defeat UK values were "doomed to failure", she said. She paid tribute to the "exceptional men and women" of the police force who responded to the attack, saying: "We will all move forward together, never giving in to terror and never allowing the voices of hate and evil to drive us apart." The prime minister added: "The location of this attack was no accident. "The terrorist chose to strike at the heart of our capital city where people of all nationalities, religions and cultures come together to celebrate the values of liberty, democracy and freedom of speech." She is expected to make a statement in the Commons later. Media playback is unsupported on your device Media captionLondon attack: Where Westminster attacker struck Brendan Cox, the husband of murdered MP Jo Cox, said it was important to remember that "this was a story about people who didn't come home yesterday". London Mayor Sadiq Khan said: "My message to those that want to harm us and destroy our way of life is: You won't succeed; you won't divide us; we won't be cowed by terrorists." BBC Newsnight reported there was a suggestion the car used in the attack was hired from an address in Birmingham. However, this has not been confirmed. Armed police carried out a raid on an address in Hagley Road in the city on Wednesday night. A witness told the Press Association: "They came and arrested three men." The BBC understands the Birmingham raid is linked to the London attack. West Midlands Police referred inquires about the operation to Scotland Yard. In latest developments: There will be more armed and unarmed officers on duty in London and across the country as a "precautionary measure" The prime minister said the UK terror threat level would remain at severe - its second highest - meaning an attack is "highly likely" Home Secretary Amber Rudd urged everyone to remain calm but be vigilant and if they see anything they are concerned about report it to the police People worried about family and friends can call the police casualty bureau on: 0800 056 0944 or 0207 158 0010. Anyone with images or footage of the incident is urged to send them to www.ukpoliceimageappeal.co.uk Analysis Image copyrightPAImage caption A man believed to be the suspect received medical treatment, while two knives lie on the ground By Dominic Casciani, home affairs correspondent The carnage on Westminster Bridge and inside the grounds of Parliament is the attack that security chiefs here in the UK have long been preparing for. Terrorism looks not just to kill and maim - but to create panic and such a sense of disorder that it rocks a city or nation to its foundations. And this attacker sought to do so in as low-tech way as is possible. The days when terrorism meant large, complex bombs and months of planning are gone: Western security agencies - particularly MI5 and its partner agencies - are very, very good at identifying those plots and disrupting them. The longer it takes to plan such an attack, the more people who are involved, the more chances there will be for security services to learn what is going on. If you are happy to be contacted by a BBC journalist please leave a telephone number that we can contact you on. In some cases a selection of your comments will be published, displaying your name as you provide it and location, unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published. 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An attacker stabbed a police officer and was shot by police on the grounds outside Britain’s Parliament, sending the compound into lockdown on Wednesday. Around the same time, a vehicle mowed down pedestrians on nearby Westminster Bridge. Authorities said they were treating the attack as a “terrorist incident until we know otherwise.” London police confirmed four deaths in the attack, including an assailant, a policeman protecting the parliament and one woman. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. London police said they were called to a firearms incident on Westminster Bridge near the British parliament. “We were called at approx 2:40 pm to reports of an incident at #Westminster Bridge. Being treated as a firearms incident - police on scene,” the Metropolitan police tweeted. Meanwhile, Transport for London said the underground station at Westminster has been shut at the request of the police. The threat level for international terrorism in the UK was listed at severe. Wednesday was the anniversary of suicide bombings in the Brussels airport and subway that killed 32 people. London’s police commander said a full counter terrorism investigation is underway. 11:30pm: Head of counter terrorism at London’s Metropolitan Police, Mark Rowley, says they believe there was only one attacker 11:25pm: Rowley confirms four deaths, including one assailant and one policeman. Also confirm 20 injured 11:14pm: BBC reports one policeman is dead 11:13pm: Police search for one more person believed to have been part of the attack. 10:58pm: The London Ambulance Service said on Wednesday it had treated at least 10 people on Westminster Bridge, near Britain’s parliament building, after an attack police have described as a terrorist incident. 10:50pm: India condemns the Westminster terrorist incident and condoles loss of life. An MEA statement on Twitter said, “No place in democracies & civilised societies for terrorism”. Any Indians injured during Westminster incident today may reach Public Response Unit of HCI ASAP:info.london@hcilondon.in; 02086295950 10:45pm: Three French citizens injured in London attack, according to French diplomatic source: Reuters 10:40pm: British port officials say they pulled a woman from the Thames River following the incident on Westminster Bridge. The Port of London Authority says a female member of the public was recovered from the river, injured but alive. 10:34pm: Police say there are an unspecified number of casualties, including police officers 9:19pm: British lawmaker Grant Shapps said on Twitter that he was walking through the cloisters of the House of Commons to vote when he heard four gunshots. Police told lawmakers to get down on the ground and crawl to cover. 9:04pm: A European security official says there was increased chatter on jihadi networks Tuesday following the UK’s adoption of an electronics ban aboard flights from certain mostly Muslim countries, reports AP. He said, however, there was no information that the incident was terror-related. 8:57pm: David Lidington, leader of House of Commons, says there are reports of further violent incidents neaby. Westminster is the area of central London on the north bank of the Thames river that is home to some of London’s most historic buildings, including the Palace of Westminster or the Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey and Westminster Cathedral. Whitehall, a street connecting to Parliament Square, is home to key ministries, including the defence ministry and cabinet office.
Share this article Share 2.4k shares Email videos to: videos@mailonline.co.uk Police closed off the bridge today while members of the public and paramedics helped those injured on the bridge A police officer was stabbed by a knifeman before the attacker was shot by other officers outside Parliament today. The suspected terrorist had driven a 4x4 across Westminster Bridge, ploughing down and seriously injuring pedestrians Emergency services at the scene outside the Palace of Westminster after a policeman was stabbed this afternoon A man, believed to be the attacker, is put on the stretcher and wheeled into an ambulance inside the grounds of Parliament
The shop manager, from Birmingham, has today been charged with the attempted murder of members of the public and police officers, the Met Police said in a statement. He will appear in custody at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday, August 20, where prosecutors will be treating his case as terrorism. MET POLICE SECURITY BARRIER: Police have released an image of the silver Fiesta outside parliament The Metropolitan Police said in a statement: "Salih Khater of Highgate Street, Birmingham, a Sudanese born UK national, will appear in custody at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 20 August, charged with the attempted murder of members of the public and the attempted murder of police officers. "The charges follow an incident in which Khater drove his car into a stationary group of members of the public then at police officers, before crashing into the barriers outside the House of Parliament. "Due to the methodology, iconic location and the alleged targeting of civilians and police officers, the CPS are treating this case as terrorism." “Salih Khater will appear in custody at Westminster Magistrates’ Court” Met Police Khater remains in custody after Westminster Magistrates' Court on Wednesday granted the force a warrant to detain him until Monday. The Metropolitan Police's counter-terror head Neil Basu earlier said Khater was not co-operating, while the priority of the investigation team continues to be to understand the motivation. Mr Basu said the force is treating it as a terrorist incident because of its apparently deliberate nature, the method used and the "iconic" location. The Met said officers have concluded searches at two addresses in Birmingham and one in Nottingham, and continue to search a third in Birmingham. Salih Khater's now-disabled Facebook says he lives in Birmingham, works as a shop manager, and has studied at Sudan University of Science and Technology. BBC WESTMINSTER: The Ford Fiesta hit pedestrians and cyclists before crashing into a barrier The Fiesta used in the alleged attack was driven from Birmingham to London late on Monday and spent almost five hours in the Tottenham Court Road area. It then roved around Westminster for more than 90 minutes before crashing into the barrier just before 7.40am on Tuesday. Footage aired on BBC News showed the car's approach towards Parliament, where it crossed into oncoming traffic and collided with cyclists before entering a small road and crashing into a security barrier. Three people sustained non life-threatening injuries. One man was treated at the scene while another man and a woman were taken to hospital but were discharged by Tuesday evening.
Follow the author of this article Follow the topics within this article Seven terror plots have been foiled in the six months since the Westminster attack, the Sadiq Khan has revealed. The London Mayor said counter-terror experts have told him there has been a shift in the threat, rather than a spike in attacks, this year. There have been five attacks in Britain this year but police have thwarted more potential attacks over the same period of time. In March five people died when Khalid Masood drove at pedestrians on Westminster Bridge in central London before stabbing policeman Keith Palmer to death in the grounds of the Palace of Westminster. Between June 2013 and the Westminster attack, 13 attacks were thwarted. Mr Khan told a Guardian live fringe event at Labour's party conference in Brighton: "The phrase used by police experts, counter-terror experts, in relation to terrorism is what we're seeing is not a spike but a shift. "And the reason why they say that is because if you look at the time when Fusilier Lee Rigby was murdered in 2013 up until the Westminster Bridge attack this year, there were 13 terrorist attacks thwarted because of the excellent work of the police and security services. "If you look at the time between March of this year and now, yes there have been four terrorist attacks (in London) but there have been seven that have been thwarted." The figure is one more than the number previously released. Earlier this month, senior national coordinator for counter-terrorism policing, Neil Basu, said six plots had been stopped since March.
It is not known whether she was thrown in by the impact of the crash or jumped into the water to avoid the carnage. A spokesman for the Port of London Authority, which looks after safety on the River Thames, said: "A female member of the public was recovered from the water near Westminster Bridge. She is alive but undergoing urgent medical treatment on a nearby pier. He said the river has been closed from Vauxhall to Embankment "as part of the security response". The woman was rescued at 2.49pm "She was recovered alive but injured," a spokesman said. "She needed urgent medical attention. We have closed the river. The only person in the river we are aware if following the incident in this female." Police officers said they had received a number of calls about a person being seen in the water. Steve Voake, 55, was walking across the Westminster Bridge towards the South Bank when he saw the aftermath. He said that he had seen a person in the water, as well as at least two bodies lying on the road and one in the water. "I saw a trainer lying in the road and when I looked more closely I saw that there were a couple of bodies the other side of the road," he said. "And when I looked over the side there was another body lying in the water with blood all around it."

“I am a Londoner aged 14 years old - I also happen to be a black Muslim,” the letter reads. “After the tragedies at the Westminster attack I came to the decision that I wanted to do something.” “After hearing of the attack I was very agitated and scared for the people of London and the victims.” The author adds that she knew she would be going to school and “people would expect answers”. One of her classmates asked her where she was the night before but she knew she was joking so she laughed it off. The girl says she felt almost guilty over the attack. Photo: Reddit/CRLXZZZ “We may be Muslim but we don't want to hurt you,” the girl writes. “We aren't terrorists. Every Saturday I pass through Westminster and I had to think twice about it this time. I was scared that maybe I would be assaulted because of the many labels that come with wearing a hijab.” “It's scary being a Muslim as these horrible acts of terror are happening and I hope that I can still live here 50 years down the line, and that my future children will get so see the beauty of London and the amazing people who live here.” Several people have commented on the post with messages of support. Photo: Reddit/CRLXZZZ The post has been met with support for the girl with one Reddit user commenting “genuinely heartbreaking”. Another person said they are a Muslim and in the same situation. “We must learn lessons from our religion and realise that by definition as Muslims we will always be struggling with this life one way or another – the solution is in our religion,” the person said.



Khalid Masood, the man who attacked parliament this week, was born Adrian Elms in Dartford, Kent, on Christmas Day in 1964. He was also later known as Adrian Russell Ajao, after the man his mother married. The 52-year-old killed three pedestrians by driving into them on Westminster Bridge and injured 50 others before fatally stabbing a police officer and being shot by police on Wednesday. Shortly after the attack, police confirmed it was being investigated as a terrorist incident. Masood had a string of criminal convictions and was known to MI5. By Friday, police had made 11 arrests in connection with the attack, but continue to investigate whether he acted alone. Searches have been carried out at addresses in Brighton, southeast London, east London, Surrey, Manchester, Carmarthenshire, and Birmingham. Masood had been investigated “some years ago” as part of an investigation into violent extremism, prime minister Theresa May told MPs on Thursday. But despite a history of violent criminal offences he was only ever seen as "peripheral" in historical terror investigations. It is assumed by police that he was acting on extreme Islamist ideology. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack on Thursday. A former intelligence official told BuzzFeed News: "The service had him as an SOI [subject of interest] a few years ago but think he didn't meet the threshold for investigation so was not investigated further." They added: "My sense is this was pre-ISIL but the increased sophistication online and in messaging has awakened or re-radicalised him and then he's acted as a lone wolf or perhaps as part of a small circle of extremists but with a very small, neat invisible footprint." Metropolitan police Khalid Masood The Metropolitan police said in a statement: "Masood was not the subject of any current investigations and there was no prior intelligence about his intent to mount a terrorist attack.” Masood’s first conviction was in November 1983 for criminal damage and his most recent was in December 2003 for possession of a knife. He was also convicted of GBH, assaults, and public order offences, but nothing terrorism-related. In 2000, while living in the village of Northiam, Sussex, Masood, still known then as Elms, was convicted for slashing a man’s face after an argument in a pub. The victim, Piers Mott, was left needing stitches, and Elms was jailed for two years. Northiam resident Adrian Baker, who said he had lived in the village for the past 25 years, told the Press Association on Friday: “I do remember a fracas involving a guy called Piers Mott. This was a long time ago. I remember Elms being a bit of a troubled character.” Three years later Masood was accused of stabbing a man in the nose in Eastbourne, and was jailed for six months for possession of an offensive weapon. It is understood Masood had a partner and several children, including a 5-year-old boy. A marriage certificate seen by BuzzFeed News showed he married a woman called Farzana Malik in Medway, Kent, in 2004. While Masood is believed to have lived in a string of addresses in the south of England, London, and Luton – the latter with a 39-year-old woman understood to have been arrested in east London this week – it’s believed he most recently lived in a block of new flats on Quayside, a cul-de-sac in Birmingham near the canal. The flat was raided by anti-terror police at 11pm on Wednesday night after the attack. Aisha Gani / BuzzFeed News / Via BuzzFeed News The block of flats where Masood lived most recently in Quayside, a cul-de-sac in Birmingham. A next-door neighbour who gave her name as Iwona, 45, said he had lived there for seven months. "I am really surprised, I cannot believe it, I cannot believe it,” she told BuzzFeed News. “As I said, when I saw him I couldn't even think someone could do something like this. Now I am scared, someone like this living close to me. “Sometimes in the afternoon I saw him taking care of the garden, washing the car, and he was very calm." Iwona described the woman he lived with there as being in her thirties and said she wore "Islamic clothing". The neighbour said she hadn't seen Masood for a few months and that he just "took a van and went". Then, 10 days ago, the woman and child followed. "The family moved quickly and took their things out of the garage," Iwona said. Aisha Gani / BuzzFeed News / Via BuzzFeed News Masood's neighbour Iwona at her flat in Quayside, Birmingham. Another neighbour, who gave her name as Sam, said: “He moved out in December and I never really spoke to him. I didn't know his name before. “He had a little boy who was 5 years old. There was a woman – I didn't know if it was his wife or daughter. We’d just say hello in the street.” It was in Birmingham that Masood hired the Hyundai Tucson from Enterprise-Rent-a-Car that he used in his fatal attack, reportedly telling staff he was a teacher. The Department for Education said Masood never held qualified status as a teacher, but according to The Sun newspaper he claimed on his CV to have an economics degree and to be a “senior English teacher” at a TEFL college in Luton in 2009. The Sun also said Masood travelled to Saudi Arabia in 2005, where he taught English, but this has yet to be verified. It is not known when Masood converted to Islam, or changed his name, although he stopped using his birth name on the electoral roll from at least 2009. Speaking in the House of Commons on Thursday morning, the prime minister confirmed that Masood was known to the security services but said “he was not part of the current intelligence picture” and that “there was no prior intelligence of his intent to attack the capital”. Echoing police, she said the “working assumption is that the attacker was inspired by Islamist ideology”. After leaving Birmingham this week, Masood travelled to Brighton, where he spent Tuesday night in the Preston Park Hotel. Its manager Sabeur Toumi told Sky News Masood gave no indication of what was to happen the next day. “He was just like any other guest who checks into the hotel," he said. "We had a brief conversation about where he came from in Birmingham. “He talked about his family, his mum, his dad, his wife. He said his dad was ill and his mum was upset.” Janet Ajao, Masood's mother, was last night reportedly too upset to speak to reporters from her home in rural Wales. On Friday the earliest picture of Masood, then known as Adrian Ajao, emerged. It showed him as a teenager at school in Tunbridge Wells, posing after a charity football match. Huntleys School website “I am really, really shocked. He was in my class. He was a smashing guy, really nice chap. The picture of us in the football team was after we did a 24-hour sponsored football match to raise money for the sports hall,” said Stuart Knight, who went to school with Masood, to TheGuardian. “We would have been about 14 years old. Everyone got on with Adrian, he was a lovely bloke. He was a bright student, he loved sport. He was in the rugby team.” Two days earlier, Masood began his attack by mounting the pavement on Westminster Bridge and driving into pedestrians, killing 51-year-old American tourist Kurt Cochran, who was celebrating his 25th wedding anniversary; 43-year-old Spanish teacher Aysha Frade, who was travelling to pick up her two young daughters from school; and 75-year-old Leslie Rhodes from south London, who had been visiting someone in hospital. After crashing the car into a fence outside the Palace of Westminster, Masood ran into the parliamentary estate through an open gate, fatally stabbing 48-year-old PC Keith Palmer, a father and husband, before being shot by police. Stefan Rousseau / PA Wire/PA Images Emily Dugan is a senior reporter for BuzzFeed News and is based in London.

A former colleague and friend of Pc Keith Palmer who was killed in the Westminster attacks has described him as "amazing and encouraging". David Darby, 38, met Pc Palmer in 1998 when they were in the Territorial Army together. "Keith was an amazing guy, really encouraging guy, he used to help me out a lot with my fitness and training if I was ever lagging behind, he would encourage me to move on [and] give me motivation," the railway ticket office clerk from south-east London said. "He was just an amazing guy." Mr Darby continued: "Keith always talked to me about joining the police force and I found out later on he joined the police force. "He always wanted to be a firearms officer then jointed the diplomatic police ... just a really nice guy in general, always helped me out."


MP James Cleverly, friend of Keith Palmer, calls for posthumous award James Cleverly, the Tory MP who knew Palmer during his time in the armed forces, has been paying a highly emotional tribute to his friend, which has moved MPs across all sides of the house. May was emotional too in her response. Matt Dathan (@matt_dathan) James Cleverly sheds tears as he pays tribute to Keith Palmer, who he served alongside. Says he was a "strong, professional public servant" pic.twitter.com/HhP2n5sMDV Theresa May's statement - Summary MPs from all sides of the Commons have been praising Theresa May for the tone and the language she used in her statement to the Commons about the Westminster terror attack. It is routine for prime ministers to respond to terrorist killings by saying that democracy will prevail, but May delivered that message this morning with great dignity and sincerity. Here are the key points. May said that attacker was a British-born man who had been investigated in the past in relation to violent extremism, by only as “a peripheral figure”. But he had not been a current suspect, she said. His identity is known to the police and MI5, and when operational considerations allow, he will be publicly identified. What I can confirm is that the man was British born and that – some years ago – he was once investigated by M15 in relation to concerns about violent extremism. He was a peripheral figure. The case is historic – he was not part of the current intelligence picture. (The text issued by Number 10 says the attacker was “once investigated in relation to concerns about violent extremism” but in the chamber May said he was “once investigated by MI5 in relation to concerns about violent extremism.”) She said the attackerwas thought to have acted alone and that the police “have no reason to believe there are imminent further attacks on the public”. She said the “working assumption” was that the attacker was “inspired by Islamist ideology”. She gave details of the nationalities of those injured on Westminster Bridge. Two people were killed and about 40 more were injured, she said: In addition to 12 Britons admitted to hospital, we know that the victims include three French children, two Romanians, four South Koreans, one German, one Pole, one Irish, one Chinese, one Italian, one American and two Greeks. She said the police would increase the number of patrols in cities “as a precautionary measure”. She described the attack as “an attack on free people everywhere”. She said the “best response to terrorism” was for people to carry with their lives as normal. It is in these actions – millions of acts of normality – that we find the best response to terrorism. A response that denies our enemies their victory. That refuses to let them win. That shows we will never give in. A response driven by that same spirit that drove a husband and father to put himself between us and our attacker, and to pay the ultimate price. A response that says to the men and women who propagate this hate and evil: you will not defeat us. One of the Edge Hill University students who was struck by the terrorist’s 4x4 has this morning thanked the emergency services. Owen Lambert, 18, was on Westminster Bridge when the vehicle ploughed into pedestrians, killing two and leaving dozens more injured. Owen, who received stitches for a head wound, said on Thursday: “Battered and bruised but doing fine, massive thanks to Metropolitan police and the Chelsea and Westminster hospital for helping me through this ordeal and an even bigger thanks to all my family and friends for supporting me every step of the way.” His fellow student, Travis Frain, suffered a cracked rib plus hand and arm injuries. His mother, Angela Frain, said last night that he was “OK” and in “good spirits”. He is expected to remain in hospital for several days. Travis Frain, 19, who was injured in the Westminster terror attack went over the bonnet of the killer’s car as the carnage began, his mother said today. Photograph: Family Handout/PA Responding to Corbyn, May paid tribute both to the support received from France and to the bravery of the police. She said France too had “felt the horror and trauma of terrible terrorist attacks.” Police officers like Keith Palmer put their lives on the line every day, she said. Every day, when they put on that uniform, they don’t know what they are going to confront in the course of their duties that day. It’s a fact often forgotten when people see the police officer walking on the streets that actually they do put their lives on the line for our safety and security. They show enormous bravery and we are grateful to them all. Here is the statement from Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, where he called the attack “an appalling atrocity” but urged people not to rush to judgment. Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn responds after Prime Minister Theresa May spoke to MPs in the House of Commons in the aftermath of yesterday’s terror attack on the Palace of Westminster. Photograph: PA What happened yesterday was an appalling atrocity. Today, we are united by our humanity, by our democratic values and by that human impulse for solidarity to stand together in times of darkness and adversity. I express my condolences to the family and friends of PC Keith Palmer, who gave his life yesterday in defence of the public and our democracy – and to the loved ones of those still in a critical condition including the French schoolchildren visiting our capital from Concarneau in Brittany. The injured include people of ten nationalities. Innocent people were killed yesterday walking across Westminster Bridge as many millions of Londoners and tourists have done before them. I thank all the dedicated NHS staff working to save lives, including those from St Thomas’ Hospital who rushed out to help those in need. We are grateful for the public service workers who yesterday, today and every day they pull on their uniforms. It behoves us all not to rush to judgement, but to wait for the police to establish the facts. We must stay united in our communities and not to allow fear or the voices of hatred to divide or cower us. It is by demonstrating our values of solidarity, community, humanity and love that we will defeat the poison and division of hatred. Angus Robertson, the SNP Westminster leader, praised the prime minister for her statement. Today of all days we are reminded that, notwithstanding our differences on political and constitutional issues, we are as one in our dedication to democracy, the rule of law and harmony between peoples of all faiths and none. Does she agree with me that no terrorist outrage is representative of any faith or faith community and we recommit ourselves to strengthening the bonds of tolerance and understanding? In the days to come I hope we will remember the love and bravery of the victim, not just the hatred and cowardice of the attackers. Theresa May's statement - further key extracts Mr Speaker, in terms of security here in Westminster, we should be clear first of all that an attacker attempted to break into Parliament and was shot dead within twenty yards of the gates. If his intention was to gain access to this building, we should be clear that he did not succeed.The police heroically did their job. But as is routine, the police together with the House authorities are reviewing the security of the Parliamentary estate, co-ordinated with the Cabinet Office, who have responsibility for the security measures in place around the Government secure zone. All of us in this House have a responsibility for the security and safety of our staff and advice is available for Members who need it. Mr Speaker, yesterday we saw the worst of humanity, but we will remember the best. We will remember the extraordinary efforts to save the life of PC Keith Palmer, including those by my Rt Hon Friend the Member for Bournemouth East. And we will remember the exceptional bravery of our police, security and emergency services who once again ran towards the danger even as they encouraged others to move the other way ... Mr Speaker, a lot has been said since terror struck London yesterday. Much more will be said in the coming days. But the greatest response lies not in the words of politicians, but in the everyday actions of ordinary people. For beyond these walls today – in scenes repeated in towns and cities across the country –millions of people are going about their days and getting on with their lives. The streets are as busy as ever. The offices full. The coffee shops and cafes bustling. As I speak millions will be boarding trains and aeroplanes to travel to London, and to see for themselves the greatest city on Earth. It is in these actions – millions of acts of normality – that we find the best response to terrorism. A response that denies our enemies their victory. That refuses to let them win. That shows we will never give in. A response driven by that same spirit that drove a husband and father to put himself between us and our attacker, and to pay the ultimate price. A response that says to the men and women who propagate this hate and evil: you will not defeat us. Mr Speaker, let this be the message from this House and this nation today: our values will prevail. And I commend this statement to the House. Theresa May's statement – key extracts Rowena Mason Here are key extracts from Theresa May’s statement. Yesterday an act of terrorism tried to silence our democracy. But today we meet as normal, as generations have done before us and as future generations will continue to do, to deliver a simple message: we are not afraid and our resolve will never waver in the face ofterrorism. And we meet here in the oldest of all parliaments because we know democracy and the values it entails will always prevail. Those values free speech, liberty, human rights and rule of law are embodied here in this place and shared by free people around the world. A terrorist came to the place where people of all nationalities and culture gather to celebrate what it means to be free. He took out his rage indiscriminately on men, women and children. This was an attack on free people everywhere and on behalf of the British people I would like to thank our friends and allies around the world who have made it clear they stand with us. What happened on the streets of Westminster sickened us all. While there is an ongoing police investigation, the House will understand there are limits to what I can say but having been updated by police and security officials let me set out what at this stage I can tell the house. At approximately 2.40pm yesterday a single attacker drove his vehicle at speed into innocent pedestrians crossing Westminster Bridge, killing two people and injuring around 40 more. In addition to 12 Britons admitted to hospital, we know the victims include three French children, two Romanians, four South Koreans, one German, one Pole, one Irish, one Chinese, one Italian, one American and two Greeks. We are in close contacts with the governments of the countries of all those affected. The injured also included three police officers returning from an event to recognise their bravery ... Two of those three remain in a serious condition. The attacker then left the vehicle and approached a police officer at Carriage Gates, attacking that officer with a large knife before he was shot dead by an armed police officer. Tragically 48 year old PC Keith Palmer was killed. He was every inch a hero and his actions will never be forgotten. I can confirm police have searched six addresses and made eight arrests in Birmingham and London. It is still believed this attacker acted alone and police have no reason to believe there are imminent further attacks on the public. His identity is known to the police and MI5. When operational considerations allow he will be publicly identified. What I can confirm is the man was British born and that some years ago he was once investigated by MI5 in relation to concerns about violent extremism. He was a peripheral figure. The case is historic. He is not part of the current intelligence picture. There was no prior intelligence of his intent or the plot. Intensive investigations continue … Our working assumption is that the attacker was inspired by Islamist ideology. We know the threat from Islamist terrorism is very real. But while the public should remain utterly vigilant they should not and will not be cowed by this threat. We are stepping up policing to reassure the public and as a precautionary measure it will mean increasing patrols in cities across the country, with more police and more armed police on the streets.
Popular Videos The Serjeant-at-Arms arrived with the mace. There were the usual prayers, then a minute’s silence then the business of the house, albeit not quite as usual. One by one they rose to say the same, noble thing. To speak of our “values”, to praise a man killed in the “service of his country”. Killed “protecting parliament”, “protecting parliamentary democracy”. Many members sat with their faces set in masks of defiance, diligently nodding along with every repeated sentiment, of how our values will “long outlast theirs”, and quite right too. But one man’s face was not defiant. James Cleverly stared straight ahead as if in a trance. His lower lip curled upward. His entire countenance pointed toward the floor. An army major, and an MP since 2015, he sat behind the Prime Minister as she praised PC Keith Palmer, a man she called “every inch a hero”. But when he rose to speak, James Cleverly did not speak of a hero, but of a mate. “With your indulgence sir, I’d like to turn to PC Keith Palmer,” he said. “Who I first met as Gunner Keith Palmer, twenty five years ago, at Headquarters Battery, 100 Regiment, Artillery. He was a strong, professional, public servant.” It was then that his voice cracked. “It was a delight to meet him again, a few months after being elected.” There was an inescapable sense that he had more to say, but knew the words would not come. He asked the Prime Minister to consider a “posthumous recognition of the work he did”, and returned to his seat. She said she would do so. Read more They queued up to call it business as usual. One read out a picture circulating online, a mockup of a London Underground sign “politely” telling terrorists that “this is London and we will drink tea and jolly well carry on as usual”. But it’s not business as usual. Not really. Tobias Ellwood, the member for Bournemouth East, who spent yesterday afternoon on his knees beneath Big Ben seeking to revive PC Palmer, stood upright by the entrance way. Each time his “heroics” were praised he glanced at his feet. A hero perhaps, and yes, he has arrived at work the next day to carry on as normal. But he knows the paramedics who worked with him, trying to save a life are off elsewhere this morning, trying to save someone else’s. Where they worked there is a blue tent. Workers in white forensic suits are gathering evidence. But that is not to doubt the defiance. When the Serjeant-at-Arms arrives at the end of the day to take the mace away again, the final item on the order paper, the last subject to have been discussed in the oldest parliament in the world? The Ratty’s Lane Incinerator at Hoddesdon. As fitting a tribute as any. The Independent has launched its #FinalSay campaign to demand that voters are given a voice on the final Brexit deal.
THE funeral for PC Keith Palmer has seen thousands of mourners line the streets of London to pay their respects to the hero who was stabbed to death in the London terror attack. The funeral service was led by the Dean of Southwark The Very Reverend Andrew Nunn and is being followed by a private cremation. The Met's senior chaplain, the Reverend Prebendary Jonathan Osborne, led the prayers and Chief Insp Neil Sawyer, who worked with PC Palmer in Bromley and the Territorial Support Group, paid warm tribute to his colleague. Hymns including I Heard The Voice Of Jesus Say were followed by a rendition of The Last Post by a bugler from the Honourable Artillery Company. Officers bowed their heads as the Last Post sounded from the cathedral shortly after a recital of the Lord's Prayer. A few moments' silence then followed a rendition of God Save The Queen, as on-duty officers, medical staff and members of the public stood still in respect for PC Palmer. Around 50 members of PC Palmer's family including his wife, child, mother and father, brother and sisters are attended the service. A floral tribute left on top of the hearse read: "No 1 daddy". The cortege was led by the Metropolitan Police Colour Party and a "Black Guard" of mounted officers. PC Palmer's coffin travelled 2.6 miles along some of the capital's usually bustling streets - but avoiding the scene of last month's atrocity on Westminster Bridge - to arrive for the 2pm ceremony.

London is open, despite the Westminster terror attack London is open, despite the Westminster terror attack We’d had our small weekend stay in London planned for a few weeks. The phrase “London is open” was trending, launched by the Mayor of London to show that our capital was still strong in the face of leaving the EU. Growing up on the border of south-east London, I’m used to the hustle, bustle and trouble brought about in our capital city. But three days before we were due to visit the capital, the Westminster terrorist attack happened. As a result, the meaning behind “London is Open” seemed to evolve. I love London. I always have. Even after four decades on the planet, spending quality time in London is still guaranteed to put a smile on my face. Mrs DannyUK is a born-and-bred Scouser. Well, she is in my eyes. A closer look at her birth certificate would prove otherwise. Having a quick conversation with the lady in my life would reveal that she is, in fact, born and bred on the Wirral. I don’t know what the collective term for people from the Wirral is, though. Wirralites? What’s a small stretch of water when we’re writing a blog post, though? MrsDannyUK and my stepdaughter entranced by the view from The Shard on our visit. Westminster terror attack I’ve no doubt that the Westminster terror attack in the heart of London just a few days before had spooked her, though. Possibly not as much as I’d guess it had shaken her mum who I’m sure was worried about her daughter and granddaughter making their way down to somewhere that seems so dangerous now. I can only speak for myself, though. Being born in the 70s, I grew up in the 80s and was visiting London with friends in the early 90s. I even started work in the city at the tender age of 16. I remember the Bishopsgate bomb. More than that, I remember the constant threat of IRA attacks. I’ve lived through terrorism, peace treaties and also have seen the former shatter the latter. Is London a dangerous place to be? No. Of course not. It’s no more dangerous today than it was last week, last year or last millennium. In fact, with the sheer focus being brought to the capital and the increased police presence it’s probably safer now than it normally is. Either way, life goes on. That’s not meant to be harsh or ignorant of those who have suffered. It’s fact. With the hashtag #LondonIsOpen trending following the attacks, it seems that the fighting spirit and the carry-on-as-normal attitude is the norm. There will always be threats. Whether it’s on an individual level or at an international level. We can’t live in fear. And as I finish this blog post - a few weeks after the tragedy - it seems that life carried on as it should do for the majority. We’ve mourned the dead, we’ve celebrated their lives but the biggest tribute is that London was always open.
Follow the author of this article Follow the topics within this article The police officer killed in the Westminster terror attack has been given a posthumous award for his heroic response. Pc Keith Palmer, who was stabbed to death when he confronted attacker Khalid Masood outside the Houses of Parliament last March, was named the winner of the outstanding bravery of the year prize at the Met Police Excellence Awards. On the day of the attack on March 22, Pc Palmer, a husband and father, was on duty at the Palace of Westminster. The 48-year-old officer came face to face with Masood, who was armed with two large knives, moments after the terrorist drove a car into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge. Intent on protecting his colleagues and the public, Pc Palmer confronted the 52-year-old attacker despite the danger he faced. Video: How the Westminster attack unfolded The policeman was fatally wounded during the incident, which came to a close when Masood was shot dead by armed officers. Pc Palmer had served on the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Group since 2016 and had been with the Met for 16 years. It is not the first honour for Pc Palmer, as last year it was announced that he was to be awarded a George Medal in the Queen's civilian gallantry list. Four other people were killed in the Westminster attack. Conservative MP Tobias Ellwood was also honoured at the ceremony, being given an outstanding contribution award for his efforts in rushing to help Pc Palmer. Mr Ellwood, a former soldier, tried in vain to save the officer, giving him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and applying pressure to staunch the flow of blood from his wounds.
Post navigation Terror Attack in Westminster Kills Four and Injures Many On Wednesday, March 22, 2017, on the Westminster Bridge in London, UK, an unnamed man used his car as a weapon as he ran over several people. After he got out of his car, he stabbed a police officer before he was shot and killed. So far, four people have died, and twenty others are severely injured. The area around the attack, which includes the Parliament, immediately went on lockdown. Civilians were ushered into the viewing compartments of the famous London Eye. It is being treated as a terrorist attack until further details are uncovered. The attacker was uncovered and his name is Khalid Masood and he has been in communication with violent extremists. This attack was the first mass-casualty terrorist outrage since 2005 when someone bombed the London Public Transportation System.

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Investigators say they believe they know the identity of the attacker, and that he is thought to have acted alone but was “inspired by international terrorism”. The House of Commons will sit this morning, with prime ministerTheresa May saying the country would not be cowed: Parliament will meet as normal. We will come together as normal. And Londoners – and others from around the world who have come here to visit this great city – will get up and go about their day as normal. They will board their trains, they will leave their hotels, they will walk these streets, they will live their lives. And we will all move forward together. Never giving in to terror. And never allowing the voices of hate and evil to drive us apart. London is the greatest city in the world and we stand together in the face of those who seek to harm us and destroy our way of life. UK foreign minister Boris Johnson, who is in the US for an international meeting discussing the Isis threat, said: Heartbreaking. This is not the first attack on London or our Parliament - and won’t be the last - but our values will prevail. The terror threat level for the UK remains unchanged, at “severe”. The Metropolitan police said extra patrols, armed and unarmed, would be in place, “particularly in crowded places and iconic locations”. The Queen has postponed a planned visit to Scotland Yard that was due to take place today. A terrorist attack has occurred in the United Kingdom. I offer my deepest condolences to the victims and extend my sympathy to all those who were wounded. Terrorism is absolutely intolerable. Japan stands in solidarity with Prime Minister May of the United Kingdom, as well as with its people during this difficult time. Prime Minister May has conveyed the message that the United Kingdom is firm in the fight against terrorism. Japan offers its full support to Prime Minister May and will combat terrorism in cooperation with the international community. The attack outside the Houses of Parliament in London is the latest in a series of terrorist atrocities involving a vehicle being driven at speed into pedestrians – a tactic actively promoted by Islamic State. “If you are not able to find a bomb or a bullet, then smash his head with a rock, or slaughter him with a knife, or run him over with your car, or throw him down from a high place, or choke him, or poison him,” he said. Though al-Adnani, who was killed in 2016, pointed a finger specifically at France, where there were two vehicle attacks in 2014, he also cited the UK among preferred targets. • This section of the live blog was amended on 23 March 2017 to clarify a reference to the Berlin truck attacker. Comedian and actor Margaret Cabourn-Smith characterised this tenor of the response, tweeting: “#WeAreNotAfraid Or rather I am; but I’m damned if I’m going to let that stop me doing anything differently. Malcolm Turnbull and Australian Labor leader Bill Shorten are offering condolences to the UK in the Canberra parliament now, with the British High Commissioner Menna Rawlings looking on. Turnbull said: As prime minister Theresa May said earlier this morning, the values of the British parliament command the admiration and respect of free people everywhere. And so they do because they are our values too. We stand, all of us, with the UK. Comforted that we share those values. They’re ours. Freedom of speech, democracy, the rule of law. We will never give in to terror. He said of British MP Tobias Ellwood, who assisted attempts to resuscitate the police officer, PC Keith Palmer, who was fatally stabbed: This act of heroism is just one of the extraordinary stories that are emerging from this tragedy. Shorten paid tribute to Palmer: The murder of the Metropolitan police officer reminds us of the risks our security agencies take on our behalf to keep us safe. And on behalf of all honourable members I want to acknowledge and thank our Australian federal police and the parliamentary security officers for whom this news must strike a particular chord. Thursday’s Guardian editorial calls for solidarity in the wake of the terror attack on Westminster and pays tribute to the officers who intervened: The security forces and police have planned for what they call a “marauding attack” for years. The awful choreography of the response to terror was fast and well-rehearsed. The police officer who later died of his injuries stopped the attacker at the gates off Parliament Square. Before the man had gone a pace or two further, he himself was shot by an armed officer. These two courageous interventions almost certainly saved scores of lives in a busy area thronged with politicians, visitors and some of the hundreds of staff who work in the palace. There will be many questions to ask in the coming days about what was known of the attacker and his associates, but for now, there can only be a wholehearted appreciation of the professionalism with which the police did their job. The Guardian view on the Westminster attack: solidarity against terror | Editorial
A property being searched in the eastern Paris suburb of Chelles is understood to be his home and three members of his family have been taken into custody. Anti-terrorism prosecutor Francois Molins said that a note had apparently fallen out of Cheurfi's pocket that defended the Islamic State. Mr Molins said Cheurfi had a long criminal record, including trying to attack police previously. He added that Cheurfi had been arrested in February but released due to lack of evidence. French officials, speaking anonymously, said the suspect had been convicted of attempted murder after firing on two plainclothes police in 2001. While in jail, he also shot and wounded a prison officer after grabbing his gun. Image:A picture of shooting suspect Karim Cheurfi from social media Image:Xavier Jugele, 37, was killed in the attack The policeman he killed has been named as 37-year-old Xavier Jugele, by Flag!, a French LGBT police officers' association. He was one of the officers who responded to the attack on the Bataclan during the Paris attacks in November 2015. As the country prepares to vote, France's prime minister, Bernard Cazeneuve, said more than 50,000 police and gendarmes, as well as 7,000 soldiers, had been mobilised to safeguard the electionand protect polling stations. "Nothing must hamper this democratic moment, essential for our country," said Mr Cazeneuve. 1:48 Video:Family say they were 10ft from the gunman Far-right candidate Marine Le Pen used the aftermath of the attack to call for the government to immediately expel foreigners being monitored by intelligence services and to reinstate France's borders. Conservative candidate Francois Fillon said the fight against "Islamist totalitarianism" should be the priority for France's next president. Image:Police have been searching a house where the attacker is believed to have lived Image:Armed police were on patrol again on Friday on the Champs-Elysees "We are at war, there is no alternative, it's us or them," said Mr Fillon. In a video posted online, frontrunner for the presidency Emmanuel Macron said "the terrorists will is to destabilise the country". "In such circumstances, the role of the president of the Republic as the army chief and guardian of our institutions is to protect the French. I am ready," he said. Image:The public were ushered away from the scene as police drew their weapons Matthias Fekl, the French interior minister, paid tribute to the dead policeman and praised his colleagues who he said had "prevented a bloodbath". US President Donald Trump also tweeted his response to the attack, posting: "Another terrorist attack in Paris. The people of France will not take much more of this. Will have a big effect on presidential election!"

Terrorism in Westminster: London had expected attack for some time and police reaction was rapid Author Disclosure statement David Lowe does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. At least five people are dead and 20 injured following a terrorist incident in London. What had been dreaded finally happened – an attack on UK soil which brought to mind recent tragedies on mainland Europe. Police are conducting a “major terrorist investigation”. It appears that a car was driven at speed into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, which is just in front of the Palace of Westminster – home to the UK parliament. At least two people have died as a result of being injured by the car. The driver then reportedly ran the few metres to the parliament complex and attacked a police officer with a knife before being shot by another officer. The police later confirmed that the stabbed officer was among the dead, as well as the suspected attacker. Parliamentarians were quickly put into lockdown and the prime minister was driven away at speed. The area around Westminster – including Whitehall, where many government departments are based – was shut off. The rapidity with which the authorities reacted proves that London, though horrified by what has happened, was ready for such an event. MPs were kept shut in the House of Commons as the incident unfolded outside.PA The devastation that can be caused when ordinary vehicles are used as weapons on soft targets such as civilian areas has been all too clear in recent years. With so many killed in Nice in July 2016 and Berlin in December 2016 by men driving lorries into crowds, there has been mounting concern about how to protect public spaces. On this occasion it appeared to be a car that was used, but the driver was still able to inflict serious injury on passers by. The terror effect The Metropolitan Police have been preparing for such an incident in London at least since Daesh (IS) struck in Paris in November 2015. And planning has realistically been in the works since long before that. London suffered its last large-scale terrorist attack in 2005, but several smaller scale incidents have occurred since and many more plots foiled. The UK has been on “severe alert” since 2014, meaning an attack is highly likely. Preparations for attacks have included a series of exercises to test responses and effectiveness in dealing with an incident. Just days before the Westminster attack, armed police were out on the river Thames carrying out a large-scale hostage simulation involving a ferry and dozens of actors. Police lock down the area around parliament.EPA/Andy Rain London has long been recognised as a primary target for a terrorist attack, with certain parts of Westminster and the City of London seen as particularly high risk. The capital experienced numerous IRA attacks during the Troubles in Northern Ireland, including a bomb at the Houses of Parliament in 1974 and the killing of Airey Nevey, the shadow Northern Ireland secretary, who died after his car was blown up as he drove out of a car park beneath parliament’s New Palace Yard. Government minister Tobias Ellwood attempted to resuscitate the stabbed policeman.PA The city’s approach to managing the terrorist threat has evolved along the way. These days, physical barriers can be seen at strategic locations all over London. The palace of Westminster itself is surrounded by large black barriers, which make approaching the complex in a vehicle difficult. Police officers are deployed at strategic locations and their numbers have been increased lately. They are on the ground to provide a rapid response to attack and appear to have done exactly that in this case. While the horror of what has happened can’t be denied, the response was incredibly rapid. The suspect was tackled extremely quickly and the area locked down at great speed. This incident shows why the threat level in the UK has been rated as “severe” for some time now – meaning that an attack is highly likely but that there are no details about how, when or where the attack might take place. Details are still emerging but most are in agreement that the police reaction was rapid and worthy of high praise.

Thursday, 23 March 2017 London Terrorist Attack: Five dead in Westminster terror attack The attack unfolded at about 14.40 GMT on Wednesday when a single attacker drove a grey Hyundai i40 along a pavement over Westminster Bridge, near the Houses of Parliament in central London, killing three people and injuring many more. The car then crashed into railings outside the Houses of Parliament. The attacker, armed with a knife, ran to Parliament where he was confronted by the police. PC Palmer - who was not armed - was then stabbed and killed. The attacker was shot dead by armed officers. Mr Rowley paid tribute to PC Palmer, saying: "He was someone who left for work today expecting to return home at the end of his shift, and he had every right to expect that would happen." "Heartbroken" former colleague, Conservative MP James Cleverly, paid tribute to the "lovely man" he had known for 25 years. The pair had served together in the Royal Artillery before PC Palmer became a policeman. The attacker's other victims have not been named yet. One is known to be a woman.[source BBC] Mrs May said the attack was a "sick and depraved" attack on the heart of the capital. Such attempts to defeat UK values were "doomed to failure", she said. She paid tribute to the "exceptional men and women" of the police force who responded to the attack, saying: "We will all move forward together, never giving in to terror and never allowing the voices of hate and evil to drive us apart." The prime minister added: "The location of this attack was no accident. "The terrorist chose to strike at the heart of our capital city where people of all nationalities, religions and cultures come together to celebrate the values of liberty, democracy and freedom of speech."

The event was organised by the Women's March in London organisers, who on Twitter asked participants to stand for five minutes in solidarity with victims of the attack, but also to "resist forces of fear and division." WATCH: I am so unreasonably jealous of this view of the southern lights Mashable is a global, multi-platform media and entertainment company. Powered by its own proprietary technology, Mashable is the go-to source for tech, digital culture and entertainment content for its dedicated and influential audience around the globe.
THERESA MAY has vowed to fight terror in a defiant speech condemning the “sick and depraved” terror attack in London on Wednesday afternoon. The Prime Minister paid tribute to the emergency services for their work and to those who had lost their lives in the sickening attack. She said: “Our thoughts and prayers go out to all that have been affected, to the victims themselves and their family and friends who waved their loved ones off but will not now be welcoming them home.” Mrs May then said those threatening the values of “freedom” and “democracy” were “doomed to failure”. She said: “Parliament, democracy, freedom, human rights, the rule of law command the admiration and respect of free people everywhere.
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The outpouring of grief and solidarity in the aftermath of the Westminster terrorist attack has provided westerners with some modicum of hope, but such reactions are not universal, with many pointing to the lack of response to attacks elsewhere. While many online praised the bravery of PC Keith Palmer, who sacrificed his own life to save others at the gates of the Houses of Parliament, others highlighted conflict zones around the world that suffer from terrorism on a weekly basis. Everyone is asking "what can we do to stop terrorist attacks" the UK has terrorised the middle east for years but ppl seem to forget that?? Several Twitter users questioned the lack of coverage on digital and social media in response to Monday’s car bomb attack attack in Baghdad which killed 23 people and injured many more, bringing into focus the bloody impact of terrorism in the wider world this month alone. In a sad indictment of the modern world, one user simply highlighted both the frequency and severity of attacks that have taken place across the world in recent months, which also overshadowed the dark day in Westminster. Comparisons were also drawn between the terror attack at Westminster and Syria’s long battle with extremists. Some questioned why the London attacker was called a terrorist while various Islamist groups in Syria are referred to as “rebels.” Reminder: The Syrian Army & Russia are fighting terrorists everyday in Syria just like the Westminster criminal on behalf of the whole world
On the news channels on Thursday, they were switching back and forth between updates on the Westminster attacks and live coverage of the funeral of Martin McGuinness. Often those juxtapositions, those split-screen moments, are jarring. Not this time. For the murder and mayhem unleashed in Westminster and the life of McGuinness were two aspects of a timeless story. They were a reminder of the pain terror inflicts, and the precious fragility of any and every effort to make it stop. McGuinness’s life was so complicated, and the response to his death so fraught, because it encompassed both. The murder and mayhem unleased in Westminster and the life of McGuinness were two aspects of a timeless story Start with the pain, which is never a surprise but strikes afresh with each new outrage. Consider the arbitrariness that can end the life of a man from faraway Utah, in London to celebrate his silver wedding, or a college worker collecting her kids from school or a retired window cleaner off to a visit a friend in hospital. The sense of duty that propels an unarmed policeman towards an attacker carrying a knife. The thought that that policeman’s five-year-old daughter will now grow up without a father, a fact that will shape her life, its impact felt every day, many decades into the future. And meanwhile, over in Derry, images from a church, images that would once have made no sense, at least not under a single roof. There was the coffin, draped in the tricolour of Ireland, containing the body of the former IRA commander in the city. Just a few steps away stood the current leader of the Democratic Unionist party, the successor to the Rev Ian Paisley. The DUP leader was there to pay her respects to the former IRA man. Anyone old enough to remember life on these islands before the 1990s can only feel astonishment at such a sight. These were once mortal enemies, with an emphasis on the mortal. In the 1970s, every year but one saw the number of British deaths caused by terrorism top the 100 mark: in 1972, the figure reached 353. In the 80s and early 90s, the annual death toll hovered between 50 and 100. And almost all of those deaths were in Northern Ireland. Strange to recall it now, but the persistence of this lethal conflict became part of the mental furniture: there, but not something you thought about too often. A bombing or shooting in Belfast was a routine news story. Bomb scares at London railway stations or shops were regular occurrences, an inconvenience to be got around. In the first stage of his life, McGuinness was up to his neck in this misery. His reputation was for clear-eyed, unflinching brutality. “We should not forget how effective he was as the head of a ruthless killing machine,” says Mick Fealty, who runs the much-admired Slugger O’Toole blog. He adds that McGuinness’s acts of violence, for instance targeting Protestant-owned businesses in Derry, drove large parts of that community out of their home town. Given all that, one can hardly blame Norman Tebbit – whose wife was left paralysed by the Brighton bombing of 1984 – for hoping that McGuinness will spend eternity burning in “a particularly hot and unpleasant corner of hell”. But McGuinness then applied that same single-minded, disciplined focus to the task of peacemaking. He was a patient, creative negotiator, who deserves much credit for the Good Friday agreement. In the years since that accord was signed, the UK terrorism annual death toll has hovered close to zero, and there it has remained – with the gruesome exception of 2005, the year of 7/7. And this is what makes McGuinness’s life so complicated to assess. He was a core part of both the problem and the solution. His record of violence was not erased by the shift he made, but our view of it is inevitably altered. When I tweeted praise for his peacemaking efforts, someone replied that they preferred peacemakers who hadn’t first been makers of war. Morally, that has to be right – and yet it cannot be denied that it is those who once wielded swords who make the most effective advocates for ploughshares. In 2002, I found myself in the chair at a two-day private meeting, organised by the Guardian, which brought those who had forged the Good Friday agreement face to face with Israeli and Palestinian leaders longing to resolve their own conflict. The most memorable session came when McGuinness sat alongside the loyalist leader David Ervine. The latter explained that each of them had once been hellbent on killing the other. Now they were determined that their children would grow up with better dreams. They held the room rapt. Much as we might wish it were otherwise, their words had a greater impact than those spoken by the Ulster Unionist or SDLP leaders who had always eschewed violence. The explanation was partly practical: the Israelis and Palestinians around the table knew that no peace between their peoples would ever hold unless it included the men of violence. But something more human was at work too: the sense that, because the likes of Ervine and McGuinness had seen into, even fallen into, the abyss, their determination to pull back from it was especially intense. And, as Bill Clinton captured in a masterful eulogy to McGuinness, we cannot help but be inspired by stories of men who abandon war to pursue peace. It gives us hope. Taken together, this week’s events in Westminster and Derry are a reminder of how necessary, rare and delicate a peace accord is. When you have one, you hold it carefully and with both hands. Yet this basic wisdom seems lost on our current leaders. Before last year’s referendum, plenty of voices warned that Brexit threatened the fragile equilibrium that has prevailed in Northern Ireland for nearly two decades. The genius of the SDLP leader John Hume had been to see that a European dimension could remove much of the sting of the conflict: after all, what need for a hard border separating the Republic and the north when both were in the European Union, trading as partners in a single market? ‘No wonder that Gove and his fellow members of what is still, misleadingly, called the Conservative and Unionist party are ready to yank out a plank from an infinitely complex, frail structure, assembled with such patience two decades ago.’ Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/PA Now all that is to be tipped over. True, the common travel area between north and south exists independent of the EU, and should survive. But even without the construction of a hard border – all barbed wire and “Papers, please” – Brexit, and especially a UK exit from the customs union, destabilises a situation that needs calm above all. Perhaps that’s no surprise. Recall that the arch-Brexiteer Michael Gove was a noisy, inconsolable foe of the peacemakers of Northern Ireland. He authored a denunciation of the Good Friday agreement in 2000, two years after it had been signed. Anticipating Donald Trump, he called the referendum that had overwhelmingly backed it “rigged”. The pamphlet’s third chapter was titled The Case Against ‘The Peace Process’. No wonder, then, that Gove and his fellow members of what is still, misleadingly, called the Conservative and Unionist party are ready to yank out a plank from an infinitely complex, frail structure assembled with such patience two decades ago. Just as they don’t mind risking a Scottish vote that would break up the UK, so they are ready to unravel the ties that have bound Northern Ireland together in peace. Like the rest of us, they have seen again this week the pain that terrorism can cause. They know what has kept the lid on the UK’s most lethal source of that pain – and yet they think nothing of kicking it away. In the onward march to Brexit, there is nothing that gives them pause. This article was amended on 27 March 2017. Martin McGuinness’s funeral took place in a church, not a cathedral, as stated in an earlier version.

With Afghanistan and Iraq already lost, the Wall Street bankers were all desperately looking for other ways to control our world, when suddenly and very conveniently, the Sumatran Trench exploded. Trick or Treat? Joe Vialls investigates With the ongoing inquest into the 7/7 terror attacks a correspondent asks: Where and who were Peter Powers’ agents in his mock bombings. Where did they go? Have they been eliminated from the enquiry OR ARE THEY THE ENQUIRY? Fact or fantasy? Admiral Richard B. Byrd’s account of his flight over the North Pole and discovery of a “land beyond the poles” is legend. For those still unfamiliar with it we present his classic account and leave you to decide One response to “Plasticman” […] There are a few other curious bits and pieces that you can read about in places like here as well: Plasticman . We are not being led around the mulberry bush here again are we, just like we were on the North? […]
Police treated the attack as "Islamist-related terrorism". Masood reportedly said in a final text message that he was waging jihad in revenge for Western military action in Muslim countries in the Middle East. Amaq News Agency, which is linked to Islamic State, said the attacker answered the group's calls to target citizens of states that are fighting against it, though the claim was questioned by the UK police and government. Police have found no link with a terrorist organisation and believe Masood acted alone.[1] One of the victims, a Romanian tourist, was thrown by the car's impact over the parapet of the bridge into the River Thames below. Having been knocked unconscious and sustained severe injuries from the fall, she was later rescued by the crew of a river cruise and brought aboard a London Fire Brigade boat.[8] She later died in hospital from her injuries.[14] The car continued, and crashed into railings on Bridge Street at the north perimeter of the Palace of Westminster.[15] Despite attempts to resuscitate him, Masood died at the scene from a single gunshot wound to his chest;[19][20][21] he was pronounced dead at 15:35 at hospital.[22] Passers-by, including MP Tobias Ellwood (the Foreign Minister for the Middle East and Africa) and paramedics, attempted to revive PC Palmer, also without success.[23][21] Police later confirmed that PC Palmer had been wearing a protective vest, which did not appear to have been punctured in the attack.[24] Six people, including the attacker, died as a result of the incident, and around 50 others were injured, some of them severely. Of the five people killed by the attacker, three were British nationals.[13][17] Aysha Frade, a British teacher, believed to have been walking along the bridge to pick up her children from school, was struck by the attacker's car and killed.[40] A tourist from the United States, Kurt Cochran, was also hit by the car and died.[17] Cochran was visiting London from Utah to celebrate his 25th anniversary with his wife Melissa, who was among the injured.[41] The police officer killed was PC Keith Palmer, 48, an unarmed police officer who was on duty with the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection command.[42][43] Palmer had 15 years of experience in the Metropolitan Police Service.[20] The fourth victim was Leslie Rhodes, 75, from Clapham in south-west London, who was hit by the car and later died in hospital after his life support was switched off.[44][45] A fifth victim, Andreea Cristea, a 31-year-old tourist from Romania, fell into the Thames during the attack; she died in hospital as a result of her injuries on 6 April after her life support was withdrawn. Her Romanian boyfriend, who had planned to propose marriage during their trip to London, was also injured during the attack.[46][33] The attacker was identified by the Metropolitan Police as 52-year-old Briton Khalid Masood.[48] He was born Adrian Russell Elms, but later changed the name to Adrian Russell Ajao when he took the name of his stepfather.[49][50][51] He changed his name to Khalid Masood after he converted to Islam. Police said he also used several other aliases, including Khalid Choudry.[49][52] Born in Kent, Masood was brought up in Rye, East Sussex, and later attended secondary school in Tunbridge Wells in Kent. Most recently he was living in the West Midlands.[53] When he was 16, he dropped out of school and by 18 he was described as a heavy cocaine user.[54] In 2000, he was sentenced to two years in prison for grievous bodily harm after a knife attack in a public house in Northiam in Sussex. In 2003, he was sentenced to a further six months in prison for possession of an offensive weapon following another knife attack in Eastbourne in Sussex.[55][56] As well as these two prison terms, Masood had convictions for public order offences going back to 1983.[55][56] A British newspaper obtained a CV of Masood's in which he described himself as having taught English in Saudi Arabia from November 2005 to November 2006, and again from April 2008 to April 2009.[60][61] After this, according to the CV he returned to the United Kingdom and worked at a TEFL college in Luton.[62] In early March 2015, he made a brief trip to Saudi Arabia on an Umrah visa, normally issued to those making a pilgrimage to Mecca.[50][61] During his time in Saudi Arabia he was not recorded as having a criminal record there.[61] In 2010, Masood was a "peripheral figure" in an MI5 investigation of a group of Islamists later convicted of plotting to bomb a Territorial Army base in Luton. Following a risk assessment, MI5 decided he did not pose a threat.[63][64] The Metropolitan Police said he was not the subject of any current investigations and there was no prior intelligence about his intent to mount a terrorist attack.[65] He had not been convicted of any terrorism offences.[66] Farasat Latif, director of the language school in Luton where Masood taught between 2010 and 2012, told The Guardian that when Masood lived in Luton he was apolitical and not aligned with the younger and predominantly Asian local radical Islamist group Al-Muhajiroun. Although aware of violence in Masood's past, Latif had only seen him become angry once, when Masood learnt of plans for a march by the English Defence League through Luton.[67] Between 2012 and 2016, Masood appeared in MI5 investigations as a contact of individuals linked to Al-Muhajiroun.[57] Three days before the attack, Masood carried out reconnaissance of Westminster Bridge in person and online.[57] Masood spent the night before the attack at the Preston Park Hotel in Brighton in Sussex and was described as "laughing and joking" by the manager there.[68] Pre-inquest revealed that he had used anabolic steroids shortly before the terrorist attack.[69] Masood's profile was atypical in that most jihadi terrorists are under 30, while he was 52. On 22 March, the day of the attack, the Metropolitan Police said it believed the attack was inspired by "international terrorism"[70][71] and that they were working under the assumption that it was "Islamist-related terrorism".[72][73][74] On 23 March, the Islamic State-associated Amaq News Agency announced that the attacker was "a soldier of the Islamic State, executing the operation in response to calls to target citizens of coalition nations".[75] The Home Secretary, Amber Rudd, cast doubts on this claim.[76] Analysts monitoring Islamic State online said the claim appeared to be an effort to mask its losses in Iraq and Syria, adding that the lack of biographical information on the attacker and lack of specifics about the attack suggested it was not directly involved.[77] Describing Masood as a "terrorist",[78] the Metropolitan Police said it was investigating whether he was a lone actor inspired by terrorist propaganda or was being directed by others.[79] On 25 March Neil Basu, Deputy Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police and Senior National Coordinator for UK Counter-Terrorism Policing, announced that investigators believed Masood acted alone.[80] On 27 March, Basu announced that Masood clearly had an interest in jihad, that his methods echoed the rhetoric of Islamic State leaders and that investigators have found no evidence he was linked with it or al-Qaeda.[81][63] The security services later recovered the last WhatsApp message sent by Masood shortly before his attack. In it, Masood reportedly said he was waging jihad in revenge for Western military action in Muslim countries of the Middle East.[1] He had written a document named "Jihad in the Quran and Sunnah", with his photograph on the front page and multiple extracts from the Quran that could be seen as supportive of jihad and martyrdom.[57] He sent this document to numerous contacts a few minutes before the attack.[57] Some early reports gave descriptions of two supposed attackers, one described as a "bald white man" and another as a "black man with goatee beard".[17] On the morning after the attack, however, Mark Rowley, the Metropolitan Police's Assistant Commissioner for Specialist Operations, stated that the police believed the attacker acted alone.[70]Abu Izzadeen was also erroneously identified as the attacker on social media, Channel 4 News and The Independent shortly after the attack, although Izzadeen was actually in prison at the time.[82] In April 2017, OFCOM announced an investigation into the Channel 4 News naming of Izzadeen.[83] Police and media outside the Hagley Road premises that were raided on 22 March, seen on the morning following the raid At 23:00 on 22 March, West Midlands Police raided a flat in Hagley Road, Birmingham. By the morning of 23 March, six locations in East London and Birmingham had been raided resulting in the arrests of eight people on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts.[17][48][84] Officials also carried out searches in London, Brighton and Carmarthenshire.[85][48] The investigation was named Operation Classific. By 24 March, three further arrests had taken place, two men overnight in the West Midlands and North West England and a woman during the day in Manchester.[86] A woman, arrested earlier in East London, was released on bail.[87] Later on 24 March, seven of those initially arrested were released without further action and the woman arrested in Manchester was released on bail.[88][20][50] By 25 March, only one man from Birmingham remained in custody and the woman on bail from East London had been removed from police enquiries. Up to that point in the investigation, 2,700 items had been seized and 3,500 witnesses had been contacted.[6] A further arrest was made in Birmingham on 26 March.[89] By 1 April, all 12 suspects arrested after the attack had been released without charge.[90] Both the House of Commons and the House of Lords resumed their normal functions on 23 March, the day after the attack.[20] A one-minute silence in honour of the dead was observed in Parliament, and by London's emergency services, at 09:33. The time was selected to coincide with the start of the day's official parliamentary business.[93][74] In the morning session of parliament, Prime Minister Theresa May said that, "Yesterday an act of terrorism tried to silence our democracy, but today we meet as normal ... to deliver a simple message: We are not afraid and our resolve will never waver in the face of terrorism."[93][74] In a later statement following the June 2017 London attack, May stated that all three recent attacks were "bound together by the single evil ideology of Islamic extremism".[94] The Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, the Leader of the Opposition, described the attack as "an appalling atrocity".[93][74] The speakers of both Houses of Parliament jointly offered sympathy to those affected, and thanked the emergency services.[95] The Scottish Parliament suspended the day's proceedings, including a debate on a second independence referendum.[96] Some MSPs who opposed the decision to suspend parliament said that doing so was "giving in to terrorism".[97] The Metropolitan Police honoured PC Palmer by retiring his shoulder number 4157U; Charlton Athletic F.C. announced that his season ticket seat at the Valley would not be occupied at the club's next home game, but would instead have a club scarf placed over it as a mark of respect.[102] A JustGiving fund was set up, with the target of raising £100,000 for his family, a goal attained in less than 24 hours.[66] A group called "Muslims United for London" also raised over £29,000 to support victims and victims' families, releasing a statement saying, "The British Muslim community stands with the community during these difficult times".[103][104][105] Home Secretary Amber Rudd announced that PC Palmer would be remembered at the National Memorial Arboretum's UK Police Memorial in Staffordshire.[106] On 26 March, in an event organised by Women's March on London, roughly 100 women, including many Muslims, joined hands to form a chain along Westminster Bridge and stood in silence for five minutes to pay tribute to the victims of the attack.[109][110][111] Amber Rudd appeared on BBC's The Andrew Marr Show to call for government backdoor access to encrypted messaging services like WhatsApp, which Masood used to send a message shortly before the attack. She announced a meeting with similar technology industry leaders for 30 March, where she would persuade them to voluntarily co-operate with the government. She refused to rule out passing new legislation to this end if the companies do not comply.[112][1] The BBC TV series Hospital was filming a routine meeting at St Mary's when the attack occurred; within minutes St Mary's declared a "major incident", one of several central London hospitals to do so. The cameras recorded the involvement of the emergency room and intensive care staff over the next few hours, and then followed the cases of three patients until their discharge. The hour-long episode was broadcast in June, resulting in "a powerful, moving portrait of a major trauma centre’s response to such an event, and of the brilliant human beings who work there."[161]
THERESA MAY has vowed to fight terror in a defiant speech condemning the “sick and depraved” terror attack in London on Wednesday afternoon. The Prime Minister paid tribute to the emergency services for their work and to those who had lost their lives in the sickening attack. She said: “Our thoughts and prayers go out to all that have been affected, to the victims themselves and their family and friends who waved their loved ones off but will not now be welcoming them home.” Mrs May then said those threatening the values of “freedom” and “democracy” were “doomed to failure”. She said: “Parliament, democracy, freedom, human rights, the rule of law command the admiration and respect of free people everywhere.
THE Massed Voices of Prima Choral Artists and the York Railway Institute Band will mark the centenary of the First World War’s finale by presenting a Come & Sing performance of The Armed Man, Karl Jenkins’ Mass for Peace, next month. A ROBOTIC milking parlour and automated system for feeding baby cows will be installed at a farm at Askham Bryan College thanks to investment from the York, North Yorkshire and East Riding Local Enterprise Partnership. FRESH from competing triumphantly in the Hardraw Scar Entertainment contest in Wensleydale, York’s Shepherd Group Concert Brass Band will perform at The Hive, Manor School, Poppleton, York on October 20. FRESH from competing triumphantly in the Hardraw Scar Entertainment contest in Wensleydale, York’s Shepherd Group Concert Brass Band will perform at The Hive, Manor CE Academy, Millfield Lane, Nether Poppleton, York, on October 20.



Khalid Masood, the man who attacked parliament this week, was born Adrian Elms in Dartford, Kent, on Christmas Day in 1964. He was also later known as Adrian Russell Ajao, after the man his mother married. The 52-year-old killed three pedestrians by driving into them on Westminster Bridge and injured 50 others before fatally stabbing a police officer and being shot by police on Wednesday. Shortly after the attack, police confirmed it was being investigated as a terrorist incident. Masood had a string of criminal convictions and was known to MI5. By Friday, police had made 11 arrests in connection with the attack, but continue to investigate whether he acted alone. Searches have been carried out at addresses in Brighton, southeast London, east London, Surrey, Manchester, Carmarthenshire, and Birmingham. Masood had been investigated “some years ago” as part of an investigation into violent extremism, prime minister Theresa May told MPs on Thursday. But despite a history of violent criminal offences he was only ever seen as "peripheral" in historical terror investigations. It is assumed by police that he was acting on extreme Islamist ideology. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack on Thursday. A former intelligence official told BuzzFeed News: "The service had him as an SOI [subject of interest] a few years ago but think he didn't meet the threshold for investigation so was not investigated further." They added: "My sense is this was pre-ISIL but the increased sophistication online and in messaging has awakened or re-radicalised him and then he's acted as a lone wolf or perhaps as part of a small circle of extremists but with a very small, neat invisible footprint." Metropolitan police Khalid Masood The Metropolitan police said in a statement: "Masood was not the subject of any current investigations and there was no prior intelligence about his intent to mount a terrorist attack.” Masood’s first conviction was in November 1983 for criminal damage and his most recent was in December 2003 for possession of a knife. He was also convicted of GBH, assaults, and public order offences, but nothing terrorism-related. In 2000, while living in the village of Northiam, Sussex, Masood, still known then as Elms, was convicted for slashing a man’s face after an argument in a pub. The victim, Piers Mott, was left needing stitches, and Elms was jailed for two years. Northiam resident Adrian Baker, who said he had lived in the village for the past 25 years, told the Press Association on Friday: “I do remember a fracas involving a guy called Piers Mott. This was a long time ago. I remember Elms being a bit of a troubled character.” Three years later Masood was accused of stabbing a man in the nose in Eastbourne, and was jailed for six months for possession of an offensive weapon. It is understood Masood had a partner and several children, including a 5-year-old boy. A marriage certificate seen by BuzzFeed News showed he married a woman called Farzana Malik in Medway, Kent, in 2004. While Masood is believed to have lived in a string of addresses in the south of England, London, and Luton – the latter with a 39-year-old woman understood to have been arrested in east London this week – it’s believed he most recently lived in a block of new flats on Quayside, a cul-de-sac in Birmingham near the canal. The flat was raided by anti-terror police at 11pm on Wednesday night after the attack. Aisha Gani / BuzzFeed News / Via BuzzFeed News The block of flats where Masood lived most recently in Quayside, a cul-de-sac in Birmingham. A next-door neighbour who gave her name as Iwona, 45, said he had lived there for seven months. "I am really surprised, I cannot believe it, I cannot believe it,” she told BuzzFeed News. “As I said, when I saw him I couldn't even think someone could do something like this. Now I am scared, someone like this living close to me. “Sometimes in the afternoon I saw him taking care of the garden, washing the car, and he was very calm." Iwona described the woman he lived with there as being in her thirties and said she wore "Islamic clothing". The neighbour said she hadn't seen Masood for a few months and that he just "took a van and went". Then, 10 days ago, the woman and child followed. "The family moved quickly and took their things out of the garage," Iwona said. Aisha Gani / BuzzFeed News / Via BuzzFeed News Masood's neighbour Iwona at her flat in Quayside, Birmingham. Another neighbour, who gave her name as Sam, said: “He moved out in December and I never really spoke to him. I didn't know his name before. “He had a little boy who was 5 years old. There was a woman – I didn't know if it was his wife or daughter. We’d just say hello in the street.” It was in Birmingham that Masood hired the Hyundai Tucson from Enterprise-Rent-a-Car that he used in his fatal attack, reportedly telling staff he was a teacher. The Department for Education said Masood never held qualified status as a teacher, but according to The Sun newspaper he claimed on his CV to have an economics degree and to be a “senior English teacher” at a TEFL college in Luton in 2009. The Sun also said Masood travelled to Saudi Arabia in 2005, where he taught English, but this has yet to be verified. It is not known when Masood converted to Islam, or changed his name, although he stopped using his birth name on the electoral roll from at least 2009. Speaking in the House of Commons on Thursday morning, the prime minister confirmed that Masood was known to the security services but said “he was not part of the current intelligence picture” and that “there was no prior intelligence of his intent to attack the capital”. Echoing police, she said the “working assumption is that the attacker was inspired by Islamist ideology”. After leaving Birmingham this week, Masood travelled to Brighton, where he spent Tuesday night in the Preston Park Hotel. Its manager Sabeur Toumi told Sky News Masood gave no indication of what was to happen the next day. “He was just like any other guest who checks into the hotel," he said. "We had a brief conversation about where he came from in Birmingham. “He talked about his family, his mum, his dad, his wife. He said his dad was ill and his mum was upset.” Janet Ajao, Masood's mother, was last night reportedly too upset to speak to reporters from her home in rural Wales. On Friday the earliest picture of Masood, then known as Adrian Ajao, emerged. It showed him as a teenager at school in Tunbridge Wells, posing after a charity football match. Huntleys School website “I am really, really shocked. He was in my class. He was a smashing guy, really nice chap. The picture of us in the football team was after we did a 24-hour sponsored football match to raise money for the sports hall,” said Stuart Knight, who went to school with Masood, to TheGuardian. “We would have been about 14 years old. Everyone got on with Adrian, he was a lovely bloke. He was a bright student, he loved sport. He was in the rugby team.” Two days earlier, Masood began his attack by mounting the pavement on Westminster Bridge and driving into pedestrians, killing 51-year-old American tourist Kurt Cochran, who was celebrating his 25th wedding anniversary; 43-year-old Spanish teacher Aysha Frade, who was travelling to pick up her two young daughters from school; and 75-year-old Leslie Rhodes from south London, who had been visiting someone in hospital. After crashing the car into a fence outside the Palace of Westminster, Masood ran into the parliamentary estate through an open gate, fatally stabbing 48-year-old PC Keith Palmer, a father and husband, before being shot by police. Stefan Rousseau / PA Wire/PA Images Emily Dugan is a senior reporter for BuzzFeed News and is based in London.

Share this article Share 2.4k shares Email videos to: videos@mailonline.co.uk Police closed off the bridge today while members of the public and paramedics helped those injured on the bridge A police officer was stabbed by a knifeman before the attacker was shot by other officers outside Parliament today. The suspected terrorist had driven a 4x4 across Westminster Bridge, ploughing down and seriously injuring pedestrians Emergency services at the scene outside the Palace of Westminster after a policeman was stabbed this afternoon A man, believed to be the attacker, is put on the stretcher and wheeled into an ambulance inside the grounds of Parliament
Westminster attack: Video shows apparent security flaws Two men remain in custody in connection with Khalid Masood’s London rampage President Michael D Higgins and Taoiseach Enda Kenny attend the British embassy in Dublin to sign a book of condolence for the victims of the recent attack on Westminster. Video: Ronan McGreevy Floral tributes in Parliament Square, London, for the victims of the Westminster terror attack. Photograph: John Stillwell/PA Wire British parliamentarians have said the “soft” outer ring of security at the Palace of Westminster must be enhanced after a video showed the complex’s gates were left open and apparently unmanned after Wednesday’s terror attack, which left five people dead. The footage, captured by The London Times, shows the aftermath of the assault on New Palace Yard which left police officer Keith Palmer fatally wounded. Mr Palmer was knifed by the attacker, Khalid Masood, after the terrorist drove a car at pedestrians on Westminster Bridge before storming the parliamentary estate armed with two knives. He was then shot dead by police. As armed officers swarm the cobbled forecourt after killing Masood, the footage shows that the iron gate which allows vehicles to enter parliament was apparently left wide open. No police officers are visibly guarding the entry point, known as Carriage Gates, fuelling concern that the attack might have been worse had Masood been followed by accomplices. Pedestrians are shown walking past and at one stage a courier on a moped appears to enter unchallenged. Separate footage had shown British prime minister Theresa May being rushed from the building and into a waiting car just yards away. Former Metropolitan police commissioner Lord Ian Blair and ex-House of Commons deputy speaker Nigel Evans have both said security will now have to be stepped up. Prison Meanwhile, fears Khalid Masood was groomed for extremism in prison have heightened after it was claimed he turned to Islam while behind bars. Counter-terrorism officers have spent days piecing together what led the 52-year-old to commit Wednesday’s assault in London. Only two men - a 27-year-old and 58-year-old arrested in Birmingham - remain in custody after a hunt for accomplices saw 11 people detained in raids across England. It remains unclear whether the assault was carried out alone or with support. The Saudi Arabian embassy in London said Masood worked in the country for several years, raising the possibility he was radicalised overseas. A childhood friend of the man who was known then as Adrian Elms told The Sun newspaper that Masood first emerged as a Muslim after serving a jail sentence. Mark Ashdown (52) said: “When he first came out, he told me he’d become a Muslim in prison and I thought he was joking. “Then I saw he was quieter and much more serious. “I gave him some cash-in-hand work for a few months as a labourer. “He said he needed time to pray and read the Koran - something about finding inner peace. “There were still flashes of the old Ade, but they were few and far between. “I heard he’d split from his partner and got even more deeply into religion. But nothing could have prepared me for hearing his name on the radio.” Masood’s conversion will fuel concerns about the rising threat of criminals being brought under the influence of hardened jihadists while in prison. British ministers have announced plans to create specialist units within jails to tackle what a government-ordered review last year concluded was a “growing problem”. Saudi statement The Saudi embassy said Masood lived in the country between November 2005 and 2006 and between April 2008 and April 2009, during which time he worked as an English teacher on a work visa. He travelled to the country again for five days in March 2015. It said in a statement: “During his time in Saudi Arabia, Khalid Masood did not appear on the security services’ radar and does not have a criminal record in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia.” Details of Masood’s history of criminality have continued to come to light, suggesting a propensity for violence which laid the groundwork for his armed rampage on Wednesday. Masood was born in Kent, but moved across the country and used a variety of aliases, including Adrian Russell Ajao. Scotland Yard’s head of counter-terrorism, Mark Rowley, said detectives want to understand his “motivation, preparation and associates” and if he “either acted totally alone, inspired by terrorist propaganda, or if others have encouraged, supported or directed him”. Detectives have seized 2,700 items from the searches, including “massive amounts” of computer data, while about 3,500 witnesses have been spoken to. Searches at three addresses are continuing. Mr Rowley said: “We remain keen to hear from anyone who knew Khalid Masood well, understands who his associates were, and can provide us with information about places he has recently visited. “There might well be people out there who did have concerns about Masood but weren’t sure or didn’t feel comfortable for whatever reason in passing information to us.” Masood was known to police and MI5 but was a “peripheral figure” who was not implicated in any current inquiry. He had convictions for assaults, including grievous bodily harm, as well as possession of offensive weapons and public order offences. ‘Hero MP’ Hero MP Tobias Ellwood, who tried to save Mr Palmer’s life, and security minister Ben Wallace have been appointed to the Privy Council for their roles in responding to the atrocity. Masood’s victims on the bridge included US tourist Kurt Cochran and his wife Melissa, from Utah, who were on the last day of a trip celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary. Mr Cochran was killed and Ms Cochran was badly injured. Aysha Frade, who worked in administration at independent sixth-form school DLD College London, in Westminster, also died. She is believed to be a 43-year-old mother-of-two. Leslie Rhodes, a retired window cleaner from Clapham, south London, died from injuries sustained in the attack. He was described by neighbours as a “lovely man”. Two people remain in hospital in a critical condition, one with life-threatening injuries. Police officer Kristofer Aves and another member of the force hurt in the attack are also in hospital with “significant injuries”. Police said armed patrols would take place at Wembley Stadium and extra officers would be on the ground when England played a World Cup qualifier against Lithuania on Sunday.
“Owned again! Your site is ours Daesh. You have nowhere to hide. You are weak,” reads a message by hackers waging war on Isis’ online “caliphate”. They are celebrating a huge cyber attack that sees anyone attempting to view the terrorist group’s Amaq propaganda website met with malicious software disguised as an update. By creating a virtual “back door” into devices, it is able to activate cameras, log keystrokes, steal files, read phone messages, take screenshots, detect GPS locations and collect contacts from unsuspecting jihadis. The infiltration forced Isis to issue a warning to followers through Amaq’s encrypted Telegram channel, saying its latest Arabic language website had been “penetrated” by a virus, adding: “Please exercise caution.” Hackers installed malware on an Arabic language propaganda website run by Isis to track supporters When The Independent tried to access the site, it was automatically blocked with a warning from Google that attackers “might attempt to install dangerous programs on your computer that steal or delete your information” including photos, passwords and credit cards. It is the latest move to ensnare Isis supporters through the group’s own propaganda, with a fake version of its Android mobile app previously created to track extremists and convincing forgeries of a propaganda magazine released online. Charlie Winter, a senior research fellow at the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation and Political Violence (ICSR), said extremists were becoming “agitated” by intensifying online attacks. “It’s leaving a lot of Isis paranoid and it’s a joy to behold,” he told The Independent. “Something’s afoot. Someone is putting a lot of effort in sowing discord and paranoia – it’s very effective.” Hackers around the world are launching ever more sophisticated attacks on Isis’ websites and communications, with collectives hailing their success using the hashtags #OpIsis and #OpIceIsis on Twitter. Isis was forced to release a warning to followers over 'false and sometimes dangerous' content Among them is CtrlSec, which has declared its mission to limit and destroy “online extremism in all shapes”. Its founder is Mikro, a 20-something hacktivist leading global efforts to get jihadi Twitter accounts taken down. So brazen were communications that in 2015, Mikro and fellow hacktivists chanced upon an Isis cell in Tunisia plotting attacks on British and Jewish tourists and passed the information to security services, resulting in more than a dozen arrests. The accounts of Isis’ most prolific tweeters have long been removed but supporters and “fanboys” continue to start countless new accounts in running battles to evade activists and moderators. British Isis member Aqsa Mahmood tweeted calls for terror attacks and urged people to travel Syria before her account was shut down (Twitter) Mikro believes technology firms and governments are not doing enough to crack down on extremist social networking, claiming activists’ efforts are more effective. “The day we run out of work then enough is done, but I do not see an end to this in sight,” he added. “We are playing whack-a-mole since third parties don’t collaborate.” Mikro said he has received so many death threats that he stopped bothering to record them two years ago, and keeps his name, identity and location a closely guarded secret for his own safety. Similarly secretive is a Muslim collective called Di5s3nSi0N, which has been hacking websites hosting Isis propaganda including its Amaq and Halummu news agencies, al-Furqan video outlet and al-Bayan online radio station. It overwrites sites with its calling card – a red and black picture with the caption “Stand Against Isis” and the message “HaCK3d by Di5s3nSi0N”, accompanied by smiley faces. The group identifies itself as Sunni Muslim, with a mission statement reading: “The steadfast youth of ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jammah can no longer tolerate the obscenities of the Baghdadi gang who abuse religion and insult the dignity of people.” It sends out frequent tweets aiming to enrage Isis supporters, telling them they are “soooooo weak” and “you are not Muslim”, warning: “We’re coming for you.” Hackers have been leaving messages on websites carrying Isis propaganda Meanwhile, the End of Daesh group describes itself as the “online nemesis of Isis”, calling for help to “smash” extremist sites with cyber attacks. Gregg Housh, a former Anonymous activist, said hackers were using a range of methods including distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks that flood websites with traffic until they crash, to great effect. “I think the hacktivists are winning the battle for one very simple reason,” he told The Independent. “When you have to move, your user base has to find the new sites and accounts. “It’s hard to build a large following and a large amount of influence if you have to keep jumping around to new domains, new hosts and new Twitter accounts.” But Mr Winter warned that Isis is continually adapting to spread its message, even as it loses swathes of territory around its most symbolic strongholds in Syria and Iraq. “Certainly the landscape has changed profoundly over the course of the past few years, but the group is still eminently capable in propaganda dissemination,” he said. “A website gets knocked down and it comes back exactly the same in a few days or hours with a slightly different url…it’s a game of cat and mouse.” Timeline: The emergence of Isis Timeline: The emergence of Isis 1/40 2000 Abu Musab al-Zarqawi (pictured here) forms an al-Qaeda splinter group in Iraq, al-Qa’eda in Iraq. Its brutality from the beginning alienates Iraqis and many al-Qaeda leaders. 2/40 2006 Al-Zarqawi is killed in a U.S. strike. Al-Zarqawi’s successor, Abu Ayyub al-Masri, announces the creation of the Islamic State in Iraq (ISI). Reuters 3/40 2009 Still al-Qaeda-linked ISI claims responsibility for suicide bombings that killed 155 in Baghdad, as well as attacks in August and October killing 240, as President Obama announces troop withdrawal from Iraq in March. Getty Images 4/40 2010 Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi becomes head of ISI, at lowest ebb of Islamist militancy in Iraq, which sees last U.S. combat brigade depart. 5/40 2012 In Syria, protests (pictured here starting in Daree) have morphed into what president Assad labelled a “real war” with emergence of a coalition of forces opposed to Assad’s regime. Syria group Jabhat al-Nusra are among rebel groups who refuse to join, denouncing it as a “conspiracy”. Bombings targeting Shia areas, killing more than 500 people, spark fears of new sectarian conflict. Sunni Muslims stage protests across country against what they see as increasingly marginalisation by Shia-led government. AP 6/40 2013 Al-Baghdadi renames ISI as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, or Isis, as the group absorbs Syrian al-Nusra, gaining a foothold in Syria. In response, al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri (Bin Laden’s successor) concerned about Isis’ expansion orders that Isis be dissolved and ISI operations should be confined to Iraq. This order is rejected by al-Baghdadi. AFP 7/40 2014 - January Isis fighters capture the Iraqi cities of Fallujah and Ramadi, giving them base to launch slew of attacks further south. AP 8/40 2014 - June Isis declares itself the Caliphate, calling itself Islamic State (IS). The group captures Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city; Tal Afar, just 93 miles from Syrian border; and the central Iraqi city of Tikrit. These advances sent shockwaves around the world. 9/40 2014 - June Around the same time Isis releases a video calling for western Muslims to join the Caliphate and fight, prompting new evaluations of extremists groups social media understanding. 13/40 2014 - September 14/40 2014 - September Obama tells us that America “will hunt down terrorists who threaten our country” EPA 15/40 2014 - September Isis release a video appearing to show David Haines, who was captured by militants in Syria in 2013, wearing an orange jumpsuit and kneeling in the desert while he reads a pre-prepared script. It later shows what appears to be the aid worker's body. Rex 16/40 2014 - September Peshmerga fighters scrabble to hold positions in the Diyala province (a gateway to Baghdad) as Isis fighters continue to advance on Iraqi capital. AFP 17/40 2014 - October Aid worker Alan Henning is killed. Self-imposed media blackout refuses to show images of him in final moments, instead focuses upon humanitarian care. AP 18/40 2014 - October Isis raise their flag in Kobani, which had been strongly defended by Kurdish troops. The victory goes against hopeful western analysis Isis had overextended itself, while alienating much of the Muslim population through the murder of Henning. Victory causes fresh waves of Kurdish refugees arriving in Turkey. 19/40 2014 - November American hostage, who embarced values of Islam, Peter Kassig and 14 Syrian soldiers are shown meeting the same fate as other captives. But intelligence agencies will be poring over the apparently significant discrepancies between this and previous films. Seramedig.org.uk 20/40 2015 - February Isis has released a video revealing the murder by burning to death of a Jordanian pilot held by the group since the end of December 2014. Reuters 21/40 2015 - February Isis militants have released videos which appear to show the beheading of Japanese hostages Haruna Yukawa and Kenji Goto. 22/40 2015 - February American aid worker, Kayla Mueller was the last American hostage known to be held by Isis. She died, according to her captors, in an airstrike by the Jordanian air force on the city of Raqqa in Syria, though US authorities disputed this. AP 23/40 2015 - February Isis militants have posted a gruesome video online in which they force 21 Egyptian Coptic Christian hostages to kneel on a beach in Libya before beheading them. Egypt vowed to avenge the beheading and launched air strikes on Isis positions. AP 24/40 2015 - February The British Isis militant suspected of appearing in videos showing the beheading of Western hostages has been named in reports as Mohammed Emwazi from London. Rex Features 25/40 2015 - March Isis triple suicide attack has killed more than 100 worshippers and hundreds of others were injured after the group members targeted two mosques in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa. AP 26/40 2015 - April Iraqi forces have claimed victory over Isis in battle for Tikrit and raised the flag in the city. EPA/STR 27/40 2015 - April Isis has claimed responsibility for a suicide bomb attack in Afghanistan that killed at least 35 people queuing to collect their wages and injured 100 more. EPA 28/40 2015 - April Isis’ media arm released a 29-minute video purporting to show militants executing Ethiopian Christians captives. The footage bore the extremist group’s al-Furqan media logo and showed the destruction of churches and desecration of religious symbols. A masked fighter made a statement threatening Christians who did not convert to Islam or pay a special tax. 29/40 2015 - May Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of Isis has been "incapacitated" by a spinal injuries sustained in a US air strike in Iraq. He is being treated in a hideout by two doctors from Isis’ stronghold of Mosul who are said to be "strong ideological supporters of the group". 30/40 2015 - May Isis has also claimed responsibility for killing 300 of Yazidi captives, including women, children and elderly people in Iraq AP 31/40 2015 - May Isis attack on Prophet Mohamed cartoon contest in Texas was its first action on US soil. Two gunmen were shot and killed after launching the attack at the exhibition. Elton Simpson and Nadir Soofi have been named as the attackers at the Curtis Culwell Centre arena in Garland. 32/40 2015 - May Isis’s deputy leader, Abu Alaa Afri, a former physics teacher who was thought to have taken charge of the deadly terrorist group, has been killed in a US-led coalition airstrike. 33/40 2015 - May US special forces have killed a senior Isis leader named as Abu Sayyaf in an operation aiming to capture him and his wife in Syria. Getty Images 34/40 2015 - May Iran-backed militias are sent to Ramadi by the Iraqi government to fight Isis militants who completed their capture of the city. Government soldiers and civilians were reportedly massacred by extremists as they took control and the army fled. Charred bodies were left littering the city streets as troops clung on to trucks speeding away from the city. Ramadi is the latest government stronghold to fall to the so-called Islamic State, despite air strikes by a US-led international coalition aiming to stop its advance in Iraq and Syria. AFP 35/40 2015 - May Isis rounded up civilians trapped in Palmyra and forced them to watch 20 people being executed in the historic city’s ancient amphitheatre. The Unesco World Heritage site was overrun by militants, threatening the future of 2,000 year-old monuments and ruins. Thousands of Palmyra’s residents fled but many are still living within the city walls, while the UN human rights office in Geneva said it had received reports of Syrian government forces preventing people from leaving until they retreated from the city. Getty 36/40 2015 - May A group of Isis-affiliated fighters have captured a key airport in central Libya. The militants took control of the al-Qardabiya airbase in Sirte after a local militia tasked with defending the facility withdrew from their positions. Affiliates of Isis, already control large parts of Sirte, the birthplace of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and a former stronghold of his supporters. 37/40 2015 - June The US Air Force has destroyed an Isis stronghold after an extremist let slip their location on social media. According the Air Force Times, General Herbert "Hawk" Carlisle, commander of Air Combat Command, said that Airmen at Hulburt Field, Florida, used images shared by jihadists to track the location of their headquarters before destroying it in an airstrike. Reuters 38/40 2015 - June Kurdish forces captured a key military base in a significant victory in Raqqa as well as town of Tell Abyad. YPG fighters, backed by US-led airstrikes and other rebels, consolidated their gains, when they seized the key town on the Syria-Turkey border. They are now just 30 miles to the north of Raqqa and have cut off a major supply route deep inside Isis-held territory. Ahmet Silk/Getty 39/40 2015 - June Isis has released gruesome footage claiming to show the murder of more than a dozen men by drowning, decapitation and using a rocket-propelled grenade as it seeks to boost morale among its fanatical supporters. 40/40 2015 - June Isis has begun carrying out its threat to destroy structures in the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra, blowing up at least two monuments at the Unesco-protected site as Syrian government troops made advances on the Islamist’s positions. AFP 1/40 2000 Abu Musab al-Zarqawi (pictured here) forms an al-Qaeda splinter group in Iraq, al-Qa’eda in Iraq. Its brutality from the beginning alienates Iraqis and many al-Qaeda leaders. 2/40 2006 Al-Zarqawi is killed in a U.S. strike. Al-Zarqawi’s successor, Abu Ayyub al-Masri, announces the creation of the Islamic State in Iraq (ISI). Reuters 3/40 2009 Still al-Qaeda-linked ISI claims responsibility for suicide bombings that killed 155 in Baghdad, as well as attacks in August and October killing 240, as President Obama announces troop withdrawal from Iraq in March. Getty Images 4/40 2010 Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi becomes head of ISI, at lowest ebb of Islamist militancy in Iraq, which sees last U.S. combat brigade depart. 5/40 2012 In Syria, protests (pictured here starting in Daree) have morphed into what president Assad labelled a “real war” with emergence of a coalition of forces opposed to Assad’s regime. Syria group Jabhat al-Nusra are among rebel groups who refuse to join, denouncing it as a “conspiracy”. Bombings targeting Shia areas, killing more than 500 people, spark fears of new sectarian conflict. Sunni Muslims stage protests across country against what they see as increasingly marginalisation by Shia-led government. AP 6/40 2013 Al-Baghdadi renames ISI as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, or Isis, as the group absorbs Syrian al-Nusra, gaining a foothold in Syria. In response, al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri (Bin Laden’s successor) concerned about Isis’ expansion orders that Isis be dissolved and ISI operations should be confined to Iraq. This order is rejected by al-Baghdadi. AFP 7/40 2014 - January Isis fighters capture the Iraqi cities of Fallujah and Ramadi, giving them base to launch slew of attacks further south. AP 8/40 2014 - June Isis declares itself the Caliphate, calling itself Islamic State (IS). The group captures Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city; Tal Afar, just 93 miles from Syrian border; and the central Iraqi city of Tikrit. These advances sent shockwaves around the world. 9/40 2014 - June Around the same time Isis releases a video calling for western Muslims to join the Caliphate and fight, prompting new evaluations of extremists groups social media understanding. 13/40 2014 - September 14/40 2014 - September Obama tells us that America “will hunt down terrorists who threaten our country” EPA 15/40 2014 - September Isis release a video appearing to show David Haines, who was captured by militants in Syria in 2013, wearing an orange jumpsuit and kneeling in the desert while he reads a pre-prepared script. It later shows what appears to be the aid worker's body. Rex 16/40 2014 - September Peshmerga fighters scrabble to hold positions in the Diyala province (a gateway to Baghdad) as Isis fighters continue to advance on Iraqi capital. AFP 17/40 2014 - October Aid worker Alan Henning is killed. Self-imposed media blackout refuses to show images of him in final moments, instead focuses upon humanitarian care. AP 18/40 2014 - October Isis raise their flag in Kobani, which had been strongly defended by Kurdish troops. The victory goes against hopeful western analysis Isis had overextended itself, while alienating much of the Muslim population through the murder of Henning. Victory causes fresh waves of Kurdish refugees arriving in Turkey. 19/40 2014 - November American hostage, who embarced values of Islam, Peter Kassig and 14 Syrian soldiers are shown meeting the same fate as other captives. But intelligence agencies will be poring over the apparently significant discrepancies between this and previous films. Seramedig.org.uk 20/40 2015 - February Isis has released a video revealing the murder by burning to death of a Jordanian pilot held by the group since the end of December 2014. Reuters 21/40 2015 - February Isis militants have released videos which appear to show the beheading of Japanese hostages Haruna Yukawa and Kenji Goto. 22/40 2015 - February American aid worker, Kayla Mueller was the last American hostage known to be held by Isis. She died, according to her captors, in an airstrike by the Jordanian air force on the city of Raqqa in Syria, though US authorities disputed this. AP 23/40 2015 - February Isis militants have posted a gruesome video online in which they force 21 Egyptian Coptic Christian hostages to kneel on a beach in Libya before beheading them. Egypt vowed to avenge the beheading and launched air strikes on Isis positions. AP 24/40 2015 - February The British Isis militant suspected of appearing in videos showing the beheading of Western hostages has been named in reports as Mohammed Emwazi from London. Rex Features 25/40 2015 - March Isis triple suicide attack has killed more than 100 worshippers and hundreds of others were injured after the group members targeted two mosques in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa. AP 26/40 2015 - April Iraqi forces have claimed victory over Isis in battle for Tikrit and raised the flag in the city. EPA/STR 27/40 2015 - April Isis has claimed responsibility for a suicide bomb attack in Afghanistan that killed at least 35 people queuing to collect their wages and injured 100 more. EPA 28/40 2015 - April Isis’ media arm released a 29-minute video purporting to show militants executing Ethiopian Christians captives. The footage bore the extremist group’s al-Furqan media logo and showed the destruction of churches and desecration of religious symbols. A masked fighter made a statement threatening Christians who did not convert to Islam or pay a special tax. 29/40 2015 - May Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of Isis has been "incapacitated" by a spinal injuries sustained in a US air strike in Iraq. He is being treated in a hideout by two doctors from Isis’ stronghold of Mosul who are said to be "strong ideological supporters of the group". 30/40 2015 - May Isis has also claimed responsibility for killing 300 of Yazidi captives, including women, children and elderly people in Iraq AP 31/40 2015 - May Isis attack on Prophet Mohamed cartoon contest in Texas was its first action on US soil. Two gunmen were shot and killed after launching the attack at the exhibition. Elton Simpson and Nadir Soofi have been named as the attackers at the Curtis Culwell Centre arena in Garland. 32/40 2015 - May Isis’s deputy leader, Abu Alaa Afri, a former physics teacher who was thought to have taken charge of the deadly terrorist group, has been killed in a US-led coalition airstrike. 33/40 2015 - May US special forces have killed a senior Isis leader named as Abu Sayyaf in an operation aiming to capture him and his wife in Syria. Getty Images 34/40 2015 - May Iran-backed militias are sent to Ramadi by the Iraqi government to fight Isis militants who completed their capture of the city. Government soldiers and civilians were reportedly massacred by extremists as they took control and the army fled. Charred bodies were left littering the city streets as troops clung on to trucks speeding away from the city. Ramadi is the latest government stronghold to fall to the so-called Islamic State, despite air strikes by a US-led international coalition aiming to stop its advance in Iraq and Syria. AFP 35/40 2015 - May Isis rounded up civilians trapped in Palmyra and forced them to watch 20 people being executed in the historic city’s ancient amphitheatre. The Unesco World Heritage site was overrun by militants, threatening the future of 2,000 year-old monuments and ruins. Thousands of Palmyra’s residents fled but many are still living within the city walls, while the UN human rights office in Geneva said it had received reports of Syrian government forces preventing people from leaving until they retreated from the city. Getty 36/40 2015 - May A group of Isis-affiliated fighters have captured a key airport in central Libya. The militants took control of the al-Qardabiya airbase in Sirte after a local militia tasked with defending the facility withdrew from their positions. Affiliates of Isis, already control large parts of Sirte, the birthplace of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and a former stronghold of his supporters. 37/40 2015 - June The US Air Force has destroyed an Isis stronghold after an extremist let slip their location on social media. According the Air Force Times, General Herbert "Hawk" Carlisle, commander of Air Combat Command, said that Airmen at Hulburt Field, Florida, used images shared by jihadists to track the location of their headquarters before destroying it in an airstrike. Reuters 38/40 2015 - June Kurdish forces captured a key military base in a significant victory in Raqqa as well as town of Tell Abyad. YPG fighters, backed by US-led airstrikes and other rebels, consolidated their gains, when they seized the key town on the Syria-Turkey border. They are now just 30 miles to the north of Raqqa and have cut off a major supply route deep inside Isis-held territory. Ahmet Silk/Getty 39/40 2015 - June Isis has released gruesome footage claiming to show the murder of more than a dozen men by drowning, decapitation and using a rocket-propelled grenade as it seeks to boost morale among its fanatical supporters. 40/40 2015 - June Isis has begun carrying out its threat to destroy structures in the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra, blowing up at least two monuments at the Unesco-protected site as Syrian government troops made advances on the Islamist’s positions. AFP Mr Winter said that although it had become more difficult for Isis to circulate its propaganda and posts do not stay online for as long as they once did, the group is still publishing huge amounts of articles, magazines, videos, photos and audio files. “No matter how inhospitable the environment is, they’re still going to be able to use the internet,” he added, warning of far-right websites republishing Isis material that remains “very easy to access”. Mr Winter said: “Islamphobes are circulating propaganda more efficiently than Isis itself can ever do, we need to start having that conversation.” The Westminster attack has once again turned the British Government’s focus on to the group’s online propaganda efforts after Isis claimed responsibility for the massacre the left four victims dead. Revelations that Khalid Masood used the messaging service WhatsApp just minutes before launching his attack sparked fresh debate over encryption and privacy, with communications providers meeting the Home Secretary on Thursday. Amber Rudd said that although progress has been made, she would “like to see the industry to go further and faster in not only removing online terrorist content but stopping it going up in the first place”. “I’d also like to see more support for smaller and emerging platforms to do this as well, so they can no longer be seen as an alternative shop floor by those who want to do us harm,” technology firms were told. Iraqi PM says Isis will be defeated 'within the next few weeks' Michael S Smith II, a terrorism expert who recently gave evidence at the Global Coalition conference hosted by the Foreign Office, agrees, arguing that companies need to “increase the risk of exploiting their technologies to recruit and incite violence”. “There’s really only so much that the UK government can do apart from diplomacy,” he added. “Propaganda is merely one factor in the larger set of problems when you look at Isis’ unprecedented recruitment and incitement capabilities.” He warned that Isis was using social media not only to spread its message, but to incite and control attacks, including a 2015 shooting at an exhibit featuring cartoons of the Prophet Mohamed in Texas. That was linked to British Isis hacker Junaid Hussain, who foreshadowed attack on Twitter after the perpetrators used the social network to pledge allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Mr Smith argued that Western governments had been left behind by Isis’ exploitation of technology created in their own countries, with the group issuing detailed advice on how to encrypt communications and evade detection. He called for more efforts to disrupt the publication of extremist material, warning that once it was flagged and removed, it was “too late” to stop countless copies popping up elsewhere. “When you see all these hactivist groups forming, Isis has succeeded in undermining confidence in our governments’ capability to manage threats emanating from the cyber domain,” he added. The British Government’s Counter Terrorism Internet Referral Unit, which searches for extremist material and works with internet companies to take it down, has helped remove 250,000 pieces of extremist content since 2010, working at a current rate of 2,000 per week.
Tributes poured in for the brave police officer who was killed by a knife-wielding terrorist at Westminster today as the world united in solidarity for London. At least four people are dead after a terror attacker brought carnage to central London today, mowing down pedestrians on Westminster Bridge before attacking police with a knife in the grounds of the Houses of Parliament. More than 12 people are said to have been hit by a vehicle on the bridge after a 4x4 drove into pedestrians and cyclists before crashing into the gates of Parliament. The Metropolitan Police confirmed that one of their servicemen was stabbed to death outside parliament by the attacker. Fellow officers and social media users have paid tribute to the officer, using the hashtag #ThinBlueLine. A police officer was stabbed by the knifeman before he was shot by other officers. Paramedics are now treating the injured Leah‏ wrote on Twitter: 'My thoughts are with everyone involved in the Westminster incident. RIP to the officer who's life was sadly lost. #ThinBlueLine #999Family' Another user said: 'When you run away from danger - we run towards it and put ourselves in harms way to keep you safe. The #ThinBlueLine #RIP' Michelle Nichols posted: 'Thoughts go out to the loved ones and colleagues of the brave officer killed in the line of duty and all those involved. #ThinBlueLine' And Old Bill added: '"Don't weep at my grave, I am not there" Rest in peace #ThinBlueLine'.
● Concerns over post-Brexit policing Police chiefs in the West Midlands have called for clarity over the UK's security plans after Brexit, warning the Prime Minister not to make the country 'less safe'. ● Mauricio Pochettino: Show us some respect Mauricio Pochettino’s cryptic comments about cows and rail-crossings on Monday were supposed to explain his belief that Tottenham’s players must learn from past experience, but on the... ● Controversial quarry set for approval A controversial quarry, which would see 100 lorries going back and forth each day, looks set to be given planning permission – despite an 'unprecedented level of objection'. ● £1k raised in memory of Carl Bridgewater A school friend of murdered paperboy Carl Bridgewater is overjoyed at reaching his £1,000 target for a memorial bench in time for the 40th anniversary of the teenager’s death today.
Sub menu London police release all 12 suspects arrested in wake of Westminster attack All 12 people arrested in connection with the Westminster attack have been released and will face “no further action” according to police. Read Full Article at RT.com Like this: LikeLoading... Aggregated News Aggregated news from around the world, brought to you in a single source for convenience. These snippets of news include a link to the full article. Please peruse our other editorial and original content, as well. View all posts by Aggregated News →
The latest terror attack in London gets prominent coverage in most of the papers. The Daily Telegraph shows the suspect in a padded jacket being held by police after a car was rammed into cyclists and a security barrier. It reports that he was from Birmingham and lived near the Westminster Bridge attacker, Khalid Masood. The paper suggests this latest attempt was a "botched copycat". The Sun injects a note of scorn about the vehicle which was used with its headline "Terrorist in a Fiesta". The Daily Express pictures armed officers surrounding the car and highlights their bravery in running towards the threat. The paper urges that the officers are honoured for their actions. A large picture of a motorway bridge with a huge gap in the middle dominates the Times front page. A lorry can be seen just feet from the edge of a substantial drop in the Italian city of Genoa. The section which collapsed killed at least 26 people. Several lorries and large amounts of rubble are clearly visible. Image copyrightReutersImage caption The bridge in Genoa had been built in the 1960s The Daily Mail is keeping up its pressure on Jeremy Corbyn for going to a Palestinian cemetery in Tunisia where wreaths were laid on the graves of men linked to the 1972 Munich Olympics terror attack. It has photos of Mr Corbyn which it claims are "definitive proof" he took part in the service. The Guardian reports Labour's view on the story that the claims are "false and misleading". The political blogger Guido Fawkes reports that Mr Corbyn has been reported to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards for not declaring the trip to Tunis. It has published the letter of complaint written by the Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen. The Times' diary section tells how a woman in Guernsey used an ancient legal intervention in a bid to halt local roadworks. Rosie Henderson dropped to her knees crying "Haro! Haro! Haro!" followed by a plea to the Duke of Normandy, and a version of the Lord's prayer in Guernsey-French patois. The Telegraph explains that the ancient Norman rite called the Clameur de Haro compels the local courts to make a decision. However, it was all to no avail. Her appeal was rejected on the grounds that she didn't own the land concerned. And the Sun reports on the romantic lengths some people will go to when proposing to their beloved. It has photos of a giant crop circle which reads: "Anisha, Marry Me?" Varun Bhanot took months finding a farmer in Cheshire who would let him do it. As the couple flew over the site, he produced an engagement ring. The Sun said it was a "corny proposal" - but it worked.
Everyone Arrested In Connection With The Westminster Attack Has Now Been Released Khalid Masood, born Adrian Russell Ajao, was named as the attacker. He was among those who died near parliament on March 22. Three civilians, Aysha Frade, Kurt Cochran, Leslie Rhodes, and a police officer, Keith Palmer, have been identified as his victims. What We Know So Far: Khalid Masood, 52, originally from Kent, was named as the Westminster attacker by the Metropolitan police. He was born Adrian Russell Ajao, the Met police said on Friday morning. Other aliases he is believed to have used include the name Adrian Elms. He had no prior terrorism offence convictions, although he had been previously investigated by security services as a "peripheral figure". Police released a picture of him on Friday. At least five people died — including a police officer and Masood — and 31 others required hospital treatment. Eleven arrests were made after several raids across the country, the Met confirmed. Everyone arrested has now been released with no further action. Keith Palmer, a 48-year-old unarmed officer, was stabbed before Masood was shot by police. A government minister administered CPR, but Palmer ultimately died. Aysha Frade, a 43-year-old teacher and mother of two, was one of the civilians killed. Kurt Cochran, an American citizen, was named as among the dead. Leslie Rhodes, 75, from south London, was later named as the fourth victim. The attack began when a vehicle driving over Westminster Bridge rammed into several pedestrians before crashing into railings at the Palace of Westminster. Masood, armed with a knife, continued the attack. ISIS claimed responsibility through its news agency, calling the assailant – who it did not name – its "soldier". Map Shows Locations Of Incidents In Westminster Attack Chris Applegate / Tom Phillips / BuzzFeed News / Google Maps Updates Posted at Apr. 01, 2017, at 12:12 PM All people arrested in connection with the Westminster terror attack have now been released All those arrested in connection with the terrorist attack in Westminster have now been released and police will take no further action. A 30-year-old man arrested on March 26 in Birmingham on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts and detained under the Terrorism Act was released on Sunday, Met police said in a statement. Eleven other people who were previously arrested in connection with the investigation have also been released with no further action. The inquest into the death of Khalid Masood was adjourned on Thursday and a pre-inquest review has been set by the coroner for May 19. Posted at Mar. 30, 2017, at 17:46 PM London attacker killed by single gunshot to chest, coroner says Matt Dunham / AP The man who mowed down pedestrians on Westminster Bridge before fatally attacking a police officer outside parliament was killed by a single gunshot to the chest, coroner's officials said. In all, Khalid Masood killed four people and injured more than 30 others in the March 22 attack before he was shot dead. One other person remains hospitalized in critical condition. Masood's cause of death was revealed Thursday in Westminster coroner's court, the Associated Press reported. —Jason Wells Posted at Mar. 28, 2017, at 07:17 AM Wife of Khalid Masood expresses her sorrow for those killed Dan Kitwood / Getty Images Rohey Hydara, wife of the man who attacked parliament last week, gave a statement through police in which she expressed her "sadness" for those who had lost their lives. "I express my condolences to the families of the victims that have died and wish a speedy recovery to all the injured," the BBC reported her as saying. Hydara, believed to be Masood's second wife, also asked for privacy for "our family, especially the children, at this difficult time". It comes following the mother of Masood, who was born Adrian Elms, stating she was "shocked" and "deeply saddened" by the actions of her son. Masood, 52, drove a car across Parliament Bridge, injuring scores of people, before crashing the vehicle into railings at the side of the houses of parliament. He then assaulted police officer Keith Palmer, who later died of his injuries, before being shot dead by officers on the scene. Posted at Mar. 27, 2017, at 17:05 PM Mother of London attacker says she is "deeply shocked" by his actions Matt Dunham / AP The mother of the man who carried out the deadly attack in London says she is "deeply shocked, saddened, and numbed" by his actions. In a statement issued Monday, Janet Ajao said she in no way condoned the actions of her son Khalid Masood, who was shot dead by police during the attack, which killed four people: I am so deeply shocked, saddened and numbed by the actions my son has taken that have killed and injured innocent people in Westminster. Since discovering that it was my son that was responsible I have shed many tears for the people caught up in this horrendous incident. I wish to make it absolutely clear, so there can be no doubt, I do not condone his actions nor support the beliefs he held that led to him committing this atrocity. I wish to thank my friends, family and community from the bottom of my heart for the love and support given to us. —Jason Wells Posted at Mar. 27, 2017, at 16:13 PM No evidence Masood had any direct connections to ISIS or al-Qaeda, Met police say More information has emerged about the actions of the man who killed four people – including a police officer – outside the houses of parliament before being shot dead. Speaking on Monday, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu, senior national coordinator for UK counterterrorism policing, said there was "no evidence" the man who took the name Khalid Masood in 2005, having been born Adrian Elms, had discussed his intentions prior to the assault. "His attack method appears to be based on low sophistication, low-tech, low-cost techniques copied from other attacks, and echo the rhetoric of IS leaders in terms of methodology and attacking police and civilians, but at this stage I have no evidence he discussed this with others." Basu continued that while there were no direct connections to ISIS or al-Qaeda, "there is clearly an interest in jihad". He also said there was "no evidence" Masood had been radicalised in prison, adding that "this is pure speculation at this time". —Rose Troup Buchanan Posted at Mar. 26, 2017, at 17:24 PM Police make new arrest Richard Vernalls / PA Wire/PA Images Police in Birmingham on Sunday. A 30-year-old man has been arrested in Birmingham in connection with Wednesday's attack in Westminster, it was announced on Sunday night. The Metropolitan police said the man was arrested on Sunday at an address in the city on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts. One other man, aged 58, remains in custody, while a 32-year-old woman has been bailed until later this month. Meanwhile, UK home secretary Amber Rudd has said it is "completely unacceptable" that messages Khalid Masood may have sent on WhatsApp before launching his deadly attack remain encrypted. "There should be no place for terrorists to hide," Rudd said on BBC1's The Andrew Marr Show. "We need to make sure that organisations like WhatsApp, and there are plenty of others like that, don't provide a secret place for terrorists to communicate with each other." —Matthew Champion Posted at Mar. 26, 2017, at 07:26 AM Police: Khalid Masood acted alone Stefan Rousseau / PA Wire/PA Images The Metropolitan police have said they believe Westminster attacker Khalid Masood acted alone, and warned that we may never know why he acted as he did. Masood was shot by police 82 seconds after his murderous attack began and later died, and while 11 arrests were made in the days after the attack, only one man remains in custody and one woman is out on bail. "We still believe that Masood acted alone on the day and there is no information or intelligence to suggest there are further attacks planned," said deputy assistant commissioner Neil Basu, the senior national coordinator for counterterrorism policing. "Even if he acted alone in the preparation we need to establish with absolute clarity why he did these unspeakable acts to bring reassurance to Londoners, and to provide answers and closure for the families of those killed and the victims and survivors of this atrocity." But Basu added: "We must all accept that there is a possibility we will never understand why he did this. That understanding may have died with him. "Nevertheless, we are determined to understand if Masood was a lone actor inspired by terrorist propaganda or if others have encouraged, supported or directed him. If the latter proves to be the case, they will face justice." Appealing for members of the public to help the investigation into the killings, Basu said: "If you knew Khalid Masood and had spoken to him in the months, weeks or days leading up to this attack please come forward." —Matthew Champion Posted at Mar. 26, 2017, at 07:18 AM Family of murdered PC "overwhelmed" by support Metropolitan police The family of slain police officer Keith Palmer have said they are "overwhelmed by the love and support" they have received since the 48-year-old was killed. "Most especially," a statement released through the Metropolitan police added, "the outpouring of love and respect for our Keith." The statement said: "We want to thank everyone who has reached out to us over the past few days for their kindness and generosity. The police have been a constant, unwavering support at this very difficult time. It has made us realise what a caring, strong and supportive family Keith was part of during his career with the police. We can't thank them enough. "We would also like to express our gratitude to the people who were with Keith in his last moments and who were working that day. There was nothing more you could have done. "You did your best and we are just grateful he was not alone. We care about him being remembered for his selfless bravery and loving nature. We miss him so much, but we are also incredibly proud of Keith." Jack Taylor / Getty Images Tory MP Tobias Ellwood shakes hands with police outside parliament as he arrives for work the day after the attack. Meanwhile Foreign Office minister Tobias Ellwood, who gave first aid to Palmer after the officer had been stabbed by Westminster attacker Khalid Masood, has said he is "heartbroken" he could not save him. "I am heartbroken that I could not do more for PC Keith Palmer who gave his life in holding the line against terrorism and defending democracy. I shall be writing to the family of PC Palmer to offer my sincere condolences," he said in a statement. "I'm deeply humbled and overwhelmed by the messages of support, especially from the policing fraternity, which I now realise is as close knit as the military's in supporting its own. "I played only a small part that day, doing what I was taught to do, and am honoured to have been invited to join the Privy Council afterwards. "It is right that we concentrate our thoughts on the victims as we stand side by side to protect all that we hold dear, including our precious values and way of life which will always prevail." —Matthew Champion Posted at Mar. 25, 2017, at 22:56 PM Police say deadly Westminster attack lasted 82 seconds Kirsty Wigglesworth / AP The deadly Westminster attack that left four people dead Wednesday began and was over within 82 seconds, police said Saturday. Police released a timeline of the bloody attack, revealing that in just over a minute Khalid Masood killed three civilians and one police officer, and injured 31 other people. The attack began Wednesday at 2:40 p.m. when Masood drove his car over the Westminster Bridge and then veered on to the footpath. Masood drove through the pedestrian walkway for 30 seconds before crashing into a perimeter fence of the Palace of Westminster, police said. Exactly 21 seconds after the crash, the first call to police was made. Masood then got out of his car and was shot by an officer inside the Palace of Westminster 31 seconds after that call was made. Police said their investigation is still continuing, and asked for people who knew and spoke with Masood in the previous weeks and months to contact authorities. "We must all accept that there is a possibility we will never understand why he did this," Deputy Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu said in a statement. "That understanding may have died with him." Authorities believe he acted alone. "Whilst the attack lasted only 82 seconds it will remain in the memories of many forever," Basu said. —Salvador Hernandez Posted at Mar. 25, 2017, at 17:40 PM Only one person remains in custody over Wednesday's attack On Saturday evening police revealed that one of the two people still in custody in connection with the attack in Westminster had been released. The 27-year-old man arrested late on Thursday in Birmingham was told he would face no further action. A 39-year-old woman arrested in east London and bailed until the end of this month has also been released with no further action. Seven other people have also been released and one woman remains out on bail, meaning only one person remains in custody over Khalid Masood's attack –&nbsp;a 58-year-old man who was arrested on Thursday morning at an address in Birmingham, who is being detained under anti-terror laws. Two men still in custody in connection with attack Victoria Jones / PA Wire/PA Images Seven of the 11 people arrested by police investigating Khalid Masood's attack this week have now been released with no further action, it was announced last night. As well as the six people released from custody last night, a 35-year-old man has been released with no further police action, and a 32-year-old woman has been bailed until the end of the month. Both were arrested in Manchester. Meanwhile, two men remain in custody: a 58-year-old man arrested in Birmingham on Thursday morning, and a 28-year-old man arrested later in the day at a separate address in the city. They are being detained under the Terrorism Act 2000. One other woman remains on police bail: a 39-year-old arrested at an address in east London on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts. She is due to return to police until a date later this month. —Matthew Champion Posted at Mar. 24, 2017, at 20:17 PM Six people arrested in London attack investigation are released Christopher Furlong / Getty Images Authorities on Friday released six people who were arrested as part of the ongoing investigation into the attack in London. Among those released were a 21-year-old woman and a 23-year-old man who were arrested at one address, as well as a 26-year-old woman and three men aged 28, 27, and 26, who were taken into custody at separate locations in Birmingham, the Metropolitan police announced. A 39-year-old woman arrested in east London on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts was also released on bail until a later date in March. Four others arrested in Birmingham and Manchester on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts remain in custody as part of a sweep of 21 locations. While police believe Khalid Masood, a 52-year-old British man with a history of violent crimes, carried out the attack on Westminster Bridge and outside parliament alone, they are investigating what help he may have received and whether he had any accomplices. Khalid Masood – born Adrian Elms – has been named as the man who killed four people and injured 50 others in an attack on Westminster on Wednesday. Here's everything we know about him. —Matthew Champion Posted at Mar. 24, 2017, at 17:18 PM Muslim leaders in Birmingham are holding emergency meetings across the city There are concerns of a ramped up anti-Muslim backlash that communities may face following the London terror attack. Mahmooda Qureshi from Hope Not Hate, an anti-racism campaign group, told BuzzFeed News a rally was being organised in Birmingham city centre on Saturday, and said: "It's to distance ourselves and that it has got nothing to do with Islam and to state: not in our name." Imams from major Birmingham mosques read sermons addressing the attacks, and called for "unity". At a packed Friday prayers with Muslims from all backgrounds, Sheikh Abdur Raheem McCarthy said in a sermon delivered in English that Muslims were "blessed" in the UK as they have freedom of faith. "We also need to increase our relationship with the local community. And instead of making this divide us, let it bring us closer together and let us stand in solidarity against that which is wrong." After prayers, the imam read out a statement from the Metropolitan police reassuring the communities there would be extra patrols on the streets, and that the attack was by "a terrorist and someone not of the faith". Muhammad Afzal, the chairman of Birmingham Central Mosque, called for calm and said in a statement: "We request all communities for the unity and calm." He added: "We call upon those that may have even a shred of sympathy for the like-minded terrorists to shake their conscience and realise that such acts are the work of evil and not the work of God-fearing people." In the aftermath of Wednesday's attack in London, this photo of a woman walking along Westminster bridge went viral. The woman was accused by people on the far-right of ignoring a victim on the road, and not showing emotion after the attack. Now the woman, who has not been named, has provided a statement defending herself via the charity TellMAMA: What the image does not show is that I had talked to other witnesses to try and find out what was happening, to see if I could be any help, even though enough people were at the scene tending to victims. I then decided to call my family to say that i was fine and was making my way home from work, assisting a lady along the way by helping her get to Waterloo station. My thoughts go out to all the victims and their families. I would like to thank Jamie Lorriman, the photographer who took the picture, for speaking to the media in my defence. —Rachael Krishna Posted at Mar. 24, 2017, at 14:29 PM Met police release image of Masood in appeal for information Met Police In an updated statement, the Met police clarified that Masood had previously gone by both Adrian Elms and Adrian Russell Ajao. "He may also be known by a number of other names," they added. The statement also said the number of arrests had risen to 11. A 32-year-old woman was arrested on Friday at a location in Manchester on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts. Ten people remain in custody. —Rose Troup Buchanan Posted at Mar. 24, 2017, at 13:54 PM Downing Street says Google and Facebook "can and must do more" to fight extremism Alamy Downing Street added to pressure on Google and Facebook on Friday, warning the internet giants that they "can and must do more" to stop hateful and violent material appearing on their platforms. Theresa May's official spokesperson would not comment on whether there was specific evidence that the internet had played a role in the apparent radicalisation of the Westminster attacker, Khalid Masood. As a general point, however, he told reporters that the "fight against terrorism and hate speech has to be a joint one" and that the technology companies weren't, in the government's view, pulling their weight. "Social media companies have a responsibility when it comes to making sure that this material is not disseminated," the Number 10 official said. "And we have been clear repeatedly that we think they can and must do more. And we are always talking with them on how to achieve that." "The message that we've delivered consistently is that we want them to do more and the ball is now in their court," he added. "Let's see how they respond." First images of Masood as a schoolchild emerge Huntleys School Website This photograph, taken when Masood was at school, is believed to have been taken after a four-hour five-a-side tournament for charity. Kenton Till, who was part of the charity team, described him to the BBC as an extremely popular student who was thought of as bright and sporty. "He had a big personality and everyone liked him," Till said. It comes as details about Masood's background slowly begin to emerge. Earlier, acting deputy Met police commissioner Mark Rowley said they believed Masood was born Adrian Russell Ajao. Earlier media reports had identified one of his aliases as Adrian Elms, born in the Dartford district of Kent. It is thought he took his stepfather's name, Ajao, after his mother remarried two years after he was born. It is believed Masood was an English teacher, The Sun also reported. The newspaper also claimed to have seen a recent copy of Masood's CV in which he claims to have an economics degree and describes himself as "friendly and approachable". The BBC found he had recently lived in the West Midlands, but he is also thought to have lived in Crawley, West Sussex, and Rye and Eastbourne, both in East Sussex, as well as Luton and east London. The fourth victim, 75-year-old Leslie Rhodes, was named by the Met police today. Rhodes was a retired window cleaner, who was described by neighbours as a "lovely man," according to the Press Association. The neighbour told the news organisation Rhodes had no children and was not married, and that he "would do anything for anybody". American Kurt Cochran was identified yesterday. He and his wife Melissa Payne Cochran were thought to have been celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary in London. Relatives said she suffered serious injuries in the attack and is still being treated in hospital. Clint Payne, understood to be Kurt's brother-in-law, wrote on Facebook: "Our hearts are broken this day as we say goodbye to our dear brother-in-law Kurt. He passed away from the injuries sustained in the London terrorist attack yesterday. We love him so much and will never forget him." Aysha Frade, 43, was reportedly on her way to pick up her children from school when she was struck by the car that drove into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge. The mother of two taught Spanish at DLD College London. " She was highly regarded and loved by our students and by her colleagues. She will be deeply missed by all of us," a spokesperson for the college told BuzzFeed News. Veteran police officer Keith Palmer was killed. The 48-year-old was married with a five-year-old daughter. In a statement on Thursday, his family said he would be remembered as a "wonderful dad and husband," a loving son, brother, and uncle, and a long-time supporter of Charlton FC. He was a friend to "everyone who knew him" and was brave, dedicated, courageous, and proud to be a police officer, they said. Met police release more information about Westminster attacker Khalid Masood's birth name has been stated as Adrian Russell Ajao, acting deputy police commissioner Mark Rowley has said in a briefing outside New Scotland Yard this morning. "We stated he had a number of aliases, and we do know that his birth name was Adrian Russell," Rowley said. Rowley said there was "no evidence of further threats", but that a "large, fast paced investigation" was examining Masood's actions leading up the attack: "Our determination is to find out if he acted totally alone inspired by terrorist propaganda or if others encouraged or supported him." Rowley said two further arrests were made last night: one in the West Midlands, and one in North West England. One woman has been released on bail. Nine people remain in custody. Five searches on addresses were in progress, with 16 searches on properties around the UK concluded. "We have seized 2,700 items from these searches," he said, including "massive of amounts of computer data for us to search through". Addressing those injured in the attack, Rowley named the fourth victim as Leslie Rhodes, 75, from Streatham, in south London. The number of those hurt in the attack rose. Rowley stated at least 50 people were injured, with 31 people requiring hospital treatment, in the attack. "Those affected include a real cross-section of ages, from at least 12 nationalities," he continued. He said of those in hospital, two remained in "critical condition", with one person considered to have "life-threatening" injuries. Two off-duty officers who were caught up in the assault on Westminster Bridge remain in hospital with serious injuries. Earlier, multiple media reports identified Adrian Elms as one of the alias believed to have been used by Masood. Details around the attacker, named by the Metropolitan police as 52-year-old Khalid Masood, continue to emerge on Friday morning. Masood, who operated under a number of aliases, is believed to have been born as Adrian Elms in Kent, the BBC reported. It is believed that Masood was an English teacher, The Sun also reported. The newspaper also claimed to have seen a recent copy of Masood's CV in which he claims to have an economics degree and describes himself as "friendly and approachable". Most recently he lived in the West Midlands, but he is also thought to have lived in Crawley, West Sussex, and Rye and Eastbourne, both in East Sussex, as well as Luton and east London. Masood had a chequered past, according to his police record. His first conviction was in November 1983, aged 19, when he was convicted for criminal damage. His last conviction was in 2003 when he stabbed a 22-year-old man in a nursing home in Eastbourne. He was charged and convicted of GBH, wounding with intent, and possessing an offensive weapon, and served time in prison. Sadiq Khan, who spoke at the vigil, told BuzzFeed News it was a way of showing "evil and twisted individuals" that they were not going to be successful in their aims. The home secretary Amber Rudd also addressed the crowd to pay tribute to PC Keith Palmer. Houses searched in Brighton and Wales Joe Giddens / PA Wire/PA Images Officers search an address in Birmingham connected to Wednesday's attack. The Metropolitan police have confirmed to BuzzFeed News that as part of today's investigations, houses were also searched in Brighton and Wales. Previously police had only said searches were carried out in London, Birmingham, and "elsewhere". The news was confirmed by the Met after Norfolk police issued a statement on their website announcing the searches had been carried out. The Met said searches were ongoing at an address in Carmarthenshire, three in Birmingham, and one in east London. Searches at addresses in Brighton and southeast London have concluded. New information has also been released about the arrests made since yesterday's attack. Overnight a 39-year-old woman was arrested at an address in east London; a 21-year-old woman and a 23-year-old man were arrested at an address in Birmingham; a 26-year-old woman and three men aged 26, 27, and 28 were arrested at a separate address in Birmingham – all on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts. Police have said they believed the attack's perpetrator, Khalid Masood, had acted alone. A 58-year-old man was also arrested at a separate address in Birmingham this morning, also on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts. Meanwhile the police watchdog the IPCC says it has opened an independent investigation into the fatal police shooting of Masood. "It's important to stress that we are currently investigating the circumstances of the incident and no police officers are under investigation," said IPCC deputy chair Sarah Green. "The IPCC and the Metropolitan Police Service are following agreed working arrangements related to terrorist incidents, which are working well. I recognise that this is a very difficult time for the police service, following the tragic loss of PC Keith Palmer and the injuries to other officers. We are giving this investigation the highest priority and we will conclude it as soon as possible." PM visits victims injured in the Westminster attack The PM quietly visited victims who were injured in the attack along Westminster Bridge on Thursday afternoon. In a private visit to an unnamed hospital, Theresa May spent about 40 minutes speaking to victims of yesterday's attacks and hospital staff. – Rose Buchanan Posted at Mar. 23, 2017, at 16:16 PM Keith Palmer's family: "A wonderful dad and husband" Dominic Lipinski / PA Wire/PA Images In a statement, Palmer's family said the former soldier and policeman of 15 years was "dedicated to his job and proud to be a police officer, brave and courageous". Palmer, 48, who was married and had a 5-year-old daughter, was described as "a wonderful dad and husband". "A loving son, brother and uncle. A longtime supporter of Charlton FC. A friend to everyone who knew him. He will bet deeply missed. We love him so much," his family said. The statement came shortly before a number of Palmer's colleagues were due to lay a wreath outside New Scotland Yard in his memory. Colleague PC James Aitkenhead described him as "a genuinely nice person; nobody had a bad word to say about him. When I heard what had happened I knew it would be him because that's just the sort of guy he was, to step straight in when others might step back. "He had a great work ethic, he worked on our warrants' car for years, getting up at 4am to serve warrants and arresting wanted offenders. He was always so positive, always staying late after everyone else and getting in early." The 52-year-old was born in Kent and detectives believe he was most recently living in the West Midlands. Masood was also known by a number of aliases. In a statement, the Metropolitan Police said "was not the subject of any current investigations and there was no prior intelligence about his intent to mount a terrorist attack". He had a range of previous convictions, although none for terrorism offences, including GBH, possession of offensive weapons, and public order offences. His first conviction was in November 1983 for criminal damage and his last conviction was in December 2003 for possession of a knife. He was investigated "some years ago" as part of a historic investigation into violent extremism but was a peripheral figure. It is assumed by police that he was acting on extreme Islamist ideology. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack on Thursday. Former UKIP leader Nigel Farage has been called on to retract his statement that the Westminster terror attack on Wednesday was linked to uncontrolled immigration – after it emerged that the security services believe the attacker was born in Britain. Speaking on Fox News on Wednesday night after the attack, Farage said recent terrorism was the fault of politicians who advocated mass immigration. "The moment has come for us to point the finger of blame. What these politicians have done in the last 15 years will affect how we live for 100 years," he said. Social media was awash with people who challenged him to retract the statement after the prime minister told the House of Commons on Thursday morning that the attacker was born in Britain and had been investigated at some point by security services. Kurt Cochran, from Utah, was killed in terror attack in Westminster, and his wife Melissa was seriously injured and is in hospital in London. The couple were in London to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. Clint Payne, understood to be Kurt's brother-in-law, wrote on Facebook: "Our hearts are broken this day as we say goodbye to our dear brother-in-law Kurt. He passed away from the injuries sustained in the London terrorist attack yesterday. We love him so much and will never forget him." He said his sister, Melissa sustained a broken leg, broken rib and a cut to her head. "We are grateful that she will recover," he said in the post. "Our hearts ache for her and their children in losing their loving companion and father. Please continue to pray for our family. Thank you." Another relative, Shantell Payne, wrote in a separate Facebook post on Thursday: "This pain is so heart wrenching and raw it has rocked our family and all that knew him to its core. We will miss Kurt beyond words. We love you Kurt. RIP." After seeing a picture of his local liaison officer Søren D. Sozza in news coverage of the attack, Mark Oakley, who owns The Eagle pub in Vauxhall, situated near the attack, was moved to share his gratitude on Facebook. "This image has reinforced my love and respect for the many officers who I have worked with for many years and seeing how close this terror is to where I live and work, and knowing that one of his colleagues was murdered on our streets has deeply saddened me tonight," he wrote. Sozza told BuzzFeed News he was "humbled by Mark's very kind words of appreciation and am encouraged by his defiance to being affected by the incident". World leaders express condolences for London and the British people Vladimir Putin, Russia's leader, released the following statement: "Terrorist attacks are becoming increasingly cunning and cynical. It is obvious that all members of the international community should join forces to stand up against the terrorist threat." Earlier, former US president Barack Obama tweeted his support and his sorrow for those killed. Yesterday, White House press secretary Sean Spicer said US president Donald Trump had spoken to Theresa May, and that the US was continuing to monitor the situation. German chancellor Angela Merkel, before more details about the nature of the attack had been established, said: "Even if the background to these attacks has yet to be cleared up, I would like to emphasise on behalf of Germany and its citizens: We stand resolutely on Britain's side in the fight against any form of terrorism." François Hollande, France's leader, declared France's "solidarity and support" for Britain and the victims of the attack. "Terrorism affects us all," he said. "France, which has been so badly hit in recent times, knows what the British people are suffering today." The Netherlands' leader, Mark Rutte, said: "Horrible images from London. The very heart of the city has been struck. Our thoughts are with the British people." And Belgium's leader, Charles Michel, who only yesterday marked the year anniversary of a terror attack on Brussels, expressed his condolences with London and the British people. "Belgium stands with UK in fight against terror," he said. —Rose Troup Buchanan Posted at Mar. 23, 2017, at 13:20 PM Security services could have dropped monitoring attacker because of resources or the closure of an investigation Stressing they did not know the identity of the attacker, a former British intelligence officer told BuzzFeed News that "peripheral figure" would indicate an individual that MI5 would have looked into, and possibly monitored, for reasons of behaviour, background, or connections. After a period of time, the investigation would have been dropped for a number of reasons, including human rights law that demands surveillance be proportional, resources, or the closure of an investigation, but it is difficult to speculate on these until the identity of the attacker is known. An indiscriminate attack by a British-born terrorist was a strike against "free people everywhere" and injured people from various countries, Theresa May told the House of Commons on Thursday. Updating parliament on the ongoing investigation into Wednesday's attack, the prime minister confirmed that the attacker, whose identity has not been publicly disclosed, was born in the UK and was known to the police and intelligence services. The man had been investigated "some years ago" because of concerns about violent extremism but was considered a "peripheral" figure, May said. "The case is historic – he was not part of the current intelligence picture," May said. May chaired a meeting of the government's emergency committee, Cobra, at 7.30pm on Wednesday night. She will have further briefings and meetings with security officials throughout Thursday. There was no intelligence suggesting another attack was imminent. Echoing defiant comments and tributes to the security authorities made by MPs in the House throughout the morning, the prime minister insisted Britain would not be cowed. "We are not afraid. And our resolve will never waver in the face of terrorism," she said. Scotland's first minister has paid tribute to the "vibrant, diverse, and wonderful" city of London Wpa Pool / Getty Images Nicola Sturgeon has paid tribute to the "vibrant, diverse, and wonderful city" of London during a sombre edition of First Minister's Questions at the Scottish parliament in Edinburgh. The weekly event, where the first minister is usually grilled by the four opposition leaders, was dominated this afternoon by tributes to those who lost their lives or were injured in yesterday's attack at Westminster. "Many of us in this chamber have friends and colleagues, indeed some of us have family members, who work within the Palace of Westminster," said Sturgeon. "Parliamentarians, staff, and journalists. "Yesterday was a harrowing day for all of them and they have our support and good wishes. Above all, we stand in solidarity with London – a vibrant, diverse, wonderful city that will never be cowed by mindless acts of violence." Sturgeon went on to confirm that there was "no intelligence of any increased threat" to Scotland in the wake of yesterday's attack in London, but added that security had been stepped up in "key locations" throughout the country. "Acts of terrorism are not the responsibility of any one faith or section of our society," the first minister continued. "The only people to blame for acts of terrorism are the individuals who plan and perpetrate them." Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson expressed her "deep shock" at the events in London, but went on to warn would-be attackers: "We will not be silenced, and we will not be cowed." Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale described Westminster as a "beacon of democracy", and went on to say that "this cannot and must not turn into a war on any one community". The Scottish parliament was debating a referendum on independence when news of yesterday's attack broke and the session was cancelled. It was confirmed this morning that the debate will continue on Tuesday next week. Following the attack, an image of a London Underground sign began to circulate on Twitter. However, immediately after the sign was shared, it was quickly shown to be fake. The sign appears to have been created using an online generator. On Thursday, MP Simon Hoare raised the sign in the Commons. "My judgment is he or she speaks for the whole country irrespective of faith of creed when they wrote: 'All terrorists are politely reminded that this is London and whatever you do to us we will drink tea and jolly well carry on'," he told the house. May called it a "wonderful tribute", and said it "in a very simple way I think has encapsulated everything everybody in this house has said today". "What happened yesterday was an appalling atrocity," he said. "Today, we are united by our humanity, by our democratic values and by that human impulse for solidarity to stand together in times of darkness and adversity. "I express my condolences to the family and friends of PC Keith Palmer, who gave his life yesterday in defence of the public and our democracy – and to the loved ones of those still in a critical condition including the French schoolchildren visiting our capital from Concarneau in Brittany. ... "I thank all the dedicated NHS staff working to save lives, including those from St Thomas' Hospital who rushed out to help those in need. We are grateful for the public service workers who yesterday, today and every day they pull on their uniforms. "It behoves us all not to rush to judgement, but to wait for the police to establish the facts. We must stay united in our communities and not to allow fear or the voices of hatred to divide or cower us. It is by demonstrating our values of solidarity, community, humanity and love that we will defeat the poison and division of hatred." The Scottish National Party's leader in the House of Commons Angus Robertson echoed May and Corbyn's sentiments, saying: "Today of all days we are reminded that notwithstanding our differences on political and constitutional issues we are as one in our dedication to democracy, the rule of law and harmony between peoples of all faiths and none." Robertson also paid tribute to police,and the bravery of the Conservative minister who went to the aid of the stabbed officer: "'We are all hugely grateful to all the police, security staff and first responders who ran towards danger without concern to their safety, and I include in that our colleague the Right Honourable and gallant member for Bournemouth East Tobias Ellwood." Parliament is to review its security procedures in an emergency meeting later today in the wake of yesterday's terror attack. Lindsay Hoyle, deputy speaker of the House of Commons and chairman of parliament's security committee, told the BBC that he would be hosting a meeting to check if additional measures were required. "We will be having an emergency meeting," he said. "We'll be getting information, what else needs to be put in place, and we will reflect, not instantly, we've got to take on board what's happened and we will make decisions accordingly. Of course, we've got to look after both houses." TV footage on Thursday morning showed new concrete blocks being moved into place around the Palace of Westminster in the wake of the attack. The blocks have already been in place around parts of the parliamentary estate as part of longstanding security measures against vehicle attack. People from 10 different countries caught up in attack, PM says Sky News screengrab Speaking in the Commons, Theresa May revealed some details about those injured in the attack. She said around 40 pedestrians were hurt on Westminster Bridge, including 12 Britons, three French children, two Romanians, four South Koreans, one German, one Pole, one Irish person, one Chinese person, one Italian, one American, and two Greeks. "We are in close contact with the governments of the countries of all those affected," the prime minister said. The French foreign minister, Jean-Marc Ayrault, was in the Commons and Speaker John Bercow paid tribute to him earlier that session, noting his presence was indication of the international support given to the UK in the wake of the attack on parliament. May added that the injured included three police officers who were returning from an event recognising their bravery, two of whom remain in a serious condition. Earlier, the acting Metropolitan police commissioner had said there were 29 people in five hospitals across the country. Seven are in a critical condition. —Matthew Champion Posted at Mar. 23, 2017, at 10:49 AM PM Theresa May says attacker was "British-born" and had been previously investigated by MI5 as a "peripheral" figure Addressing the House of Commons, prime minister Theresa May confirmed that the attacker, who has still not been publicly identified, was known to MI5 and police and had been a "peripheral figure" in a "historic" investigation into violent extremism. "It is still believed that this attacker acted alone and there is no reason to believe there are imminent further attacks on the public," she said. "His identity is known to police and MI5 and when operational considerations allow he will be publicly identified. "What I can confirm is that the man was British-born and that some years ago he was once investigated by MI5 in relation to concerns about violent extremism. He was a peripheral figure. The case is historic. He was not part of the current intelligence picture. There was no prior intelligence of his intent or of the plot. Intensive investigations continue." May also reiterated earlier lines from the police and defence secretary Michael Fallon that the investigation is focusing on the "working assumption" the attacker was "inspired by Islamist ideology". "We know the threat from Islamist terrorism is very real," she said. "But while the public should remain utterly vigilant they should not – and will not – be cowed by this threat. "As acting Deputy Commissioner Rowley has made clear, we are stepping up policing to protect communities across the country and to reassure the public." May praised the security and emergency forces for their swift and calm response to the attack, made more remarkable after they had "lost one of their own". "We will remember the exceptional bravery of our police, security, and emergency services who once again ran towards the danger even as they encouraged others to move the other way," she said. "On behalf of the whole country I want to pay tribute to them for the work they have been doing to reassure the public, treat the injured and bring security back to the streets of our capital city. "That they have lost one of their own in yesterday's attack only makes their calmness and professionalism all the more remarkable." —James Ball and Francis Whittaker Posted at Mar. 23, 2017, at 10:43 AM Prime minister reveals nationalities of those wounded and more details on attacker in speech to House of Commons Westminster Bridge survivor: "The car came out of nowhere" Carl Court / Getty Images BuzzFeed News has spoken to a survivor who was hit by the attacker's car and flung to the ground on Westminster Bridge, and who said he was unable to describe the Wednesday's events because of the horrific aftermath. The survivor, who asked not to be named, was visiting London from Liverpool and sustained cuts and bruises to his legs – he was with friends who were also hit by the car but survived. He has now been discharged from hospital. "There was just lot of yelling and commotion," he said. "Then this car came out of nowhere and knocked me and my mates over. The scenes after that I don't really want to describe. They were pretty horrific." —Pat Smith Posted at Mar. 23, 2017, at 10:23 AM Met police have made another arrest in connection to the attack In total eight people have now been arrested, following raids on six properties across the country. The Met has confirmed that these arrests are connected to the attack on Westminster yesterday afternoon. Posted at Mar. 23, 2017, at 09:47 AM Minute's silence held for those killed in Westminster attack The streets around parliament remained closed on Thursday morning. But inside the building life was already back to a strange sort of normal. Hundreds of MPs, peers, staff, and journalists were allowed through police cordons around Westminster to attend parliament. They turned up early for what has been billed as a normal working day, designed to show that the attack would not disrupt British democracy. Security checks were enforced but were no tougher than usual and inside parliament's canteens hundreds of breakfasts were being served. At 9.33am a minute's silence was held, with a packed House of Commons standing together to remember those who lost their lives on Wednesday. They stood, heads bowed, and observed a minute's silence in honour of the lives lost in the attack less than 24 hours earlier. At 9.35am, the doors were opened and members of the press were admitted to the viewing galleries. Speaker John Bercow called the house to order. Liam Fox, the international trade secretary, rose to take ministerial questions as scheduled. He began with a short, defiant statement, insisting that Britain wouldn't be cowed by terrorists. "Such acts of savagery against the innocent can never be justified," Fox said. But he quickly moved on to business. Bob Blackman, a Conservative MP, rose to ask the first question. On the verge of tears, he paid tribute to the police who put their lives on the line to defend parliament every day. It was short, sombre. Then he asked the minister a question about Israeli pharmaceutical exports. A group of MPs shuffled out of the house. There was work to be done. But, while MPs attempted to get on with their days in a show of defiance, it was impossible to avoid the events. The main route linking the two main parliamentary buildings passes along the edge of New Palace Yard, the cobbled square where police officer Keith Palmer was killed by an attacker. Thousands of staff have no choice but to walk along this route several times a day, making it impossible to avoid the sight of a crime scene investigation. An ambulance remained on the scene, next to a tent covering the site where Palmer fell. At the carriage gates, where the attacker allegedly broke through, around a dozen police officers were conducting a fingertip search of the ground. And beyond that Parliament Square and Whitehall, usually packed with tourists, protesters, and office workers, was silent. Aysha Frade, a 43-year-old teacher and mother of two, was one of those killed in Wednesday's attack on Westminster, her place of work confirmed to BuzzFeed News on Thursday morning. She was reportedly on her way to pick up her children from school when she was struck by the car that drove into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge. Frade taught Spanish at DLD College London, which is just over the river from the houses of parliament. The college confirmed to BuzzFeed News she had died in yesterday's attack. "We are all deeply shocked and saddened at the news that one of the victims yesterday was a member of our staff, Aysha Frade. All our thoughts and our deepest sympathies are with her family. We will be offering every support we can to them as they try to come to terms with their devastating loss," Rachel Borland, principal at DLD College London, told BuzzFeed News. "Aysha worked as a member of our administration team at the college. She was highly regarded and loved by our students and by her colleagues. She will be deeply missed by all of us." According to Spanish newspaper La Voz de Galicia, Frade was originally from Betanzos in Galicia, northern Spain. Met police revise death toll to four, including attacker Four people, including the attacker, died in the attack on Westminster yesterday, the Metropolitan police confirmed to BuzzFeed News this morning following Commissioner Mark Rowley's earlier statement. Previous statements from New Scotland Yard had said that five people – including the attacker –&nbsp;had been killed in the assault outside the British parliament. Defence secretary Michael Fallon says security services' working assumption is that the attack was linked to "Islamic terrorism" Andy Buchanan / AFP / Getty Images Defence secretary Michael Fallon, speaking to the BBC's Today programme, said the "working assumption" was that the attack on Westminster was linked to "Islamic terrorism". Fallon said the Metropolitan police were making "urgent" investigations into the alleged attacker and his known associates – although he declined to state whether there was any indication he acted alone. "The working assumption is that this is related to Islamic terrorism in some form, but they [the police] don't yet have a full enough picture of this man and his known associates. That work is still going on," he said. "This kind of attack, this lone-wolf attack, using things from daily life, a vehicle, a knife, are much more difficult to forestall, and we are also dealing with a terrorist enemy that is not making demands or holding people hostage but simply wants to kill as many people as possible. "This is a new element to international terrorism but our forces are working extremely hard. I have every confidence that they will track down his known associates." The defence secretary declined to comment on any security changes, but confirmed he would chair a review when it came. He praised the efforts of police and security forces in the aftermath of the attack. "Although there is intense security around the Palace of Westminster, London is going to work this morning," Fallon said. "Parliament itself will resume at the normal time." "London is getting back to work. London has seen this before and is taking it on the chin," he said. "I do want to reassure you that the police and the security services are doing everything possible to make sure that people can go about their daily life as safely as possible." The Metropolitan police confirm seven arrests made last night Mark Rowley, the national lead for counterterrorism policing and the acting deputy commissioner, confirmed that seven arrests had been made, following raids on six properties across the country. He confirmed that four people were killed by the attacker, including two members of the public: a woman in her mid-forties and a man in his fifties. Among the dead were a "mix of nationalities", Rowley said, declining to name any of those killed other than 48-year-old police officer Keith Palmer. Rowley said 29 individuals were being treated in five hospitals across London. Seven are in a critical condition. Probed on the identity of the alleged attacker, Rowley declined to comment on the individual's nationality and said he would not be naming the suspect – and urged the media to respect that decision. "It is still our belief that this attacker acted alone, and was inspired by international terrorism," Rowley said. Meanwhile, he said London will see an increased police presence, as at least 60 officers continue working on a "large and complicated crime scene" outside Westminster. "We must not allow terrorism to sow discord and fear in our city," he said. —Rose Buchanan Posted at Mar. 23, 2017, at 07:34 AM Police make ”several" arrests following raid on property in Birmingham, multiple reports state Carl Court / Getty Images The police have made "several" arrests after a raid on a property in Birmingham, the BBC, ITV, and Sky News have reported. The BBC subsequently said it had been told police confirmed the raids were linked to the attack outside Westminster on Wednesday afternoon. Press inquiries to West Midlands police were redirected to the Metropolitan police, who declined to comment on the reports when contacted by BuzzFeed News, citing "operational reasons". Last night, the surrounding area of a property on Hagley Road in southwest Birmingham was closed for roughly two hours. "There is an ongoing police operation, no further details are being given at this stage," West Midlands police told The Guardian. Separately, it was reported the car – described by witnesses as a Hyundai 4x4 – used to plough through pedestrians in the cycle line on Westminster Bridge was believed to have been rented from near the raided property in Solihull. The BBC's security correspondent Frank Gardner told the Today programme that there were "indications" that the car began its journey in Birmingham. Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 22:48 PM Slain officer is identified as death toll rises to 5 people BBC The death toll in Wednesday's Westminster attack rose to five people, including the attacker and a police officer, who was identified as a 15-year veteran. The officer, 48-year-old Keith Palmer, was a member of the parliamentary and diplomatic command, said Mark Rowley, the acting deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan police. Palmer's killer was fatally shot by another police officer. Palmer was a husband and a father, Rowley added. Metro Police Getty Keith Palmer. "He was someone who left for work today expecting to return home at the end of his shift, and he had every right to expect that to happen," Rowley said. Three of the victims were members of the public, but not immediately identified. About 40 other people were injured in the attack, some of them seriously, Rowley said. Three of the injured were police officers, two of whom were in serious condition. The identify of the attacker had not been released, but Rowley said police believe he was inspired by international terrorism. Police are working on taking statements from hundreds of people at the scene, reviewing CCTV footage, and seeking information on the attacker and his associates. "Terrorists have a clear aim: that is to create discord, destruction, and to create fear," he said. "The police stand with all communities in the UK and will take action against anyone who seeks to undermine society, especially where their crimes are motivated by hate." —Claudia Koerner Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 21:27 PM Government officials describe crawling on hands and knees to escape attack Carl Court / Getty Images Grant Shapps was walking through from his office to a vote in the House of Commons, making small talk with a handful of fellow Conservative MPs, when he noticed something was amiss at the gates of parliament. At first he dismissed it as another protest and carried on walking. Moments later, he was crawling on his hands and knees for safety, having just witnessed a terror attack. "I could hear a kerfuffle going on, which is not unusual as there's often protests by the gates," the former minister told BuzzFeed News. "As I'm looking around I hear, 'BAM BAM BAM' – what sounded like four shots to me." "Suddenly, a police officer is standing right where we are, shouting, 'Get down, get down, get back!' We crawled, hands and knees, back to a safety position." The former minister was one of hundreds of MPs, parliamentary staff, and journalists who spent several hours in Westminster Abbey as police gathered statements. They began to trickle out of the cathedral at around 8pm. Prime minister Theresa May says attack targeted freedom and democracy BBC Theresa May on Wednesday night said the attack at Westminster was no accident, but rather a direct attack on British democracy. "The location of this attack was no accident," the prime minister said in a speech outside Number 10. "The terrorists chose to strike at the heart of our capital city where people of all nationalities, religions, and cultures come together to celebrate the values of liberty, democracy, and freedom of speech." The single attacker first drove into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, May said, killing two people and injuring others – including three police officers. He then got out of the vehicle and ran toward parliament with a knife. There, he was confronted by officers. One officer was killed, and the attacker was shot dead by police, May said. The prime minister praised police and emergency responders, and said parliament would return to its business as normal on Thursday, as would other Londoners. "And we will all move forward together," she said, "never giving in to terror and never allowing the voices of hate and evil to drive us." News reports identify wrong man as Westminster attacker A Channel 4 News report misidentified a man associated with a British Muslim terrorist group as the Westminster attacker on its evening broadcast. Abu Izzadeen, also known as Trevor Brooks, was in prison on Wednesday, where he has been since January 2016, sources told BuzzFeed News. Channel 4 News originally identified him as the attacker, who was killed outside British Parliament by police. The attacker's name has not been released. The mistaken report was repeated at the top of the Channel 4+1 news, which began to rebroadcast the earlier report. The channel then went dark as "conflicting information came to light," a Channel 4 News statement said. The first doctor to attend to those injured in the Westminster attack was not on duty at the time, but rushed to the scene when he heard screaming. Dr Jeeves Wijesuriya, a junior doctor from London who specialises in general practice, told BuzzFeed News he had been attending an interview nearby when the incident happened. "I heard the screaming so ran to help and the police ran me in," he told us. Wijesuriya treated two people, one of whom had been stabbed and another who had been shot. He said he believed one of the patients was the attacker. —Laura Silver Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 19:30 PM Politicians and staff locked inside buildings in Westminster Niklas Halle'n / AFP / Getty Images Hundreds of politicians and their staff are still locked in Westminster Abbey, while police attempt to collect eyewitness testimony and evidence on this afternoon's attack. As the first reports of the attack filtered through, many in parliament seemed unsure how to react with some cafes staying open in Portcullis House. It took several minutes before security staff swept in and cleared the area. Parliamentary staff told BuzzFeed News they were told to stay in their offices for around 90 minutes after the incident, while police swept the premises and checked they were secure. People still on the premises were then led into the ancient Westminster Hall at around 4.30pm – around 90 minutes after the attack. For some staff this involved walking past the scene of the attack on a police officer. Many were then led out through the St Stephen's Entrance into Westminster Abbey, where "up to 1,000 people" remain, according to one individual, who said others had been left in Westminster Hall. Police are currently preparing to sort individuals according to how useful they are and then collect information which could help their investigation, including any photographs or eyewitness testimony of an attack that could be clearly seen from many parliamentary offices. —Jim Waterson Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 19:08 PM Home secretary praises bravery of emergency services Daniel Sorabji / AFP / Getty Images Forensics officers at work at the scene. Home secretary Amber Rudd has released the following statement on the attack: "We do not yet know the full impact of this terrible incident. But I know that the whole country will be thinking and praying for those who are affected, as I am. "I want to thank the emergency services for the quick response and pay tribute to their bravery, their courage and their professionalism. "I have been briefed by the Met Police and by the security services and the Security Minister has also been updated. This is an ongoing incident and the Government will continue to be updated. The Prime Minister will chair Cobra today. "The Government's top priority is the security of its people and I urge everyone to remain calm but to be vigilant and if they see anything they are concerned about they should report it to the police. "We have the best police, the best security services in the world and we must make sure that we let them get on with doing their job. "The British people will be united in working together to defeat those who would harm our shared values. "Values of democracy, tolerance and the rule of law. Values symbolised by the Houses of Parliament. Values that will never be destroyed." Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 19:03 PM Hospital releases latest update condition of those injured in attack King's College Hospital assistant medical director Dr Chris Palin has told the BBC eight patients from the attack are being treated at the Denmark Hill hospital. "At 3.52pm we went into a major incident. We have received a total of eight patients," Palin said. "Two of those are critically injured, six are stable. Six males and two females. Care is still ongoing. All eight remain in the hospital." Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 18:58 PM Trump offers condolences to Theresa May during call about Westminster attack US president Donald Trump called the UK prime minister to offer support Wednesday afternoon. A readout of the call provided by the White House said: "President Donald J. Trump spoke today with Prime Minister Theresa May of the United Kingdom to offer his condolences on today's terror attack in London and his praise for the effective response of security forces and first responders. "He pledged the full cooperation and support of the United States Government in responding to the attack and bringing those responsible to justice." White House press secretary Sean Spicer also spoke about the attack during his daily briefing. "We obviously condemn today's attack in Westminster, which the United Kingdom is treating as an act of terrorism, and we applaud the quick response that the British police and their first responders made to the situation," he said. "The victims in this are in our thoughts and our prayers. "The city of London and Her Majesty's government have the full support of the US government in responding to the attack and bringing those to justice who are responsible." Both the House of Commons and the House of Lords will sit tomorrow at their normal times. —Alicia Melville-Smith Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 18:34 PM Witnesses on London Eye describe being kept in the air for hours Niklas Halle'n / AFP / Getty Images People are seen inside the pods of the London Eye during the incident Tourists on the London Eye, the landmark ferris wheel not far from parliament on the other side of the Thames, have described how they were kept in their capsules for three hours as the attack unfolded. Jim Hutchinson, from Boston, Massachusetts, and his family were in the last capsule to be boarded before it came to a halt. "The first thing we noticed was the flashing lights of medics attending to the injured people on the bridge, and then the helicopters," he told BuzzFeed News. "There were three separate groups of injured people on the bridge, at each end and in the middle. It took half an hour before anyone was moved." He said that no one in the capsule felt worried for their own safety, although one tourist who could not speak English repeatedly pressed the alarm button to find out why they had stopped. Hutchinson confirmed that police had spoken to everyone on the Eye after they had been allowed off. Matthew Champion / BuzzFeed News Jim Hutchinson Kody and Taylor Davis, from Utah, told BuzzFeed News they were at the top of the London Eye when it came to a stop. Kody said there was initially no phone service in the capsule and it wasn't until news alerts came on their phones they realised what was going on. "We eventually managed to call our families and they told us what had happened." Taylor said they first had an idea something was wrong when they saw "a big commotion and lots of stretchers". Kody and Taylor are due to fly back to the US on Saturday. They were stuck on the London Eye for three hours in total. "The attack started when a car was driven over Westminster Bridge hitting and injuring a number of members of the public, including three police officers on their way back from a commendation ceremony," Rowley said. He added that police "we're satisfied at this stage that there looks to be only one attacker but it would be foolish to be over-confident so early on." Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 17:48 PM Photograph appears to show knives at scene of parliament attack This photograph taken from inside the Palace of Westminster by PA's Stefan Rousseau shows an armed officer standing on what appears to be a knife. Stefan Rousseau / PA Another image appears to show a second knife. Stefan Rousseau / PA Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 17:36 PM France's prime minister says French students were among those injured in attack Bernard Cazeneuve has confirmed that French students were among those injured in the attack. The number of those injured has not been confirmed. "Solidarity with our British friends, terribly stricken, full support to the injured French students, their families, and their comrades," he tweeted. —Sara Spary Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 17:30 PM Eyewitness describes hearing gunshots and seeing bodies on the ground at Westminster Matt Haikin was cycling across Westminster Bridge when he saw what he thought was a car crash. "I saw a body, a man I think, lying in the road and a crashed car. I presumed it was an accident and carried on cycling into Parliament Square. "I didn't think anything else was going on until I saw lots of people gathered near the iron fences, and I went over. That's when I heard the gunshots." Haikin, 44, from London, who works in international development, said lots of armed police were on the scene immediately, and he and others were pushed back by the cordon. "It took a while for what had happened to sink in," he said. "It wasn't scary while it happened, but now after the event, I'm shaken." Matthew Champion / BuzzFeed News Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 17:25 PM Met police say counterterrorism investigation is underway Jack Taylor / Getty Images Commander B.J. Harrington Scotland Yard's Commander B.J. Harrington said the Metropolitan police are remaining open-minded as to the motive at this stage, but that a full counterterrorism investigation is already underway. He urged members of the public to remain vigilant and report anything suspicious to the police. "We received a number of different reports, which included a person in a river, a car in collision with pedestrians, and a man armed with a knife," he said. "Officers were already in that location as part of routine policing. Immediately additional officers were sent to the scene, as were firearms officers." Harrington confirmed that there were a number of casualties, including police officers, but would not confirm how many or the nature of these injuries. "Our response will be ongoing for some time and it is important that we gather all possible information and evidence," he said. "Public safety is our top priority and we are reviewing our policing stance across London, and throughout the course of this afternoon there will be additional police and officers deployed across the capital." The Met police have asked members of the public to avoid the following areas to allow emergency services to deal with the investigation: Parliament Square, Whitehall, Westminster Bridge, Lambeth Bridge, Victoria Street up to the junction with Broadway, and the Victoria Embankment up to Embankment tube. The prime minister will chair a meeting of the government's emergency Cobra committee later today, a spokeswoman in Downing Street said. Government ministers, senior staff, emergency services, and intelligence services will convene to discuss the attacks. Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 17:12 PM Woman pulled from River Thames with serious injuries Daniel Leal-olivas / AFP / Getty Images A woman was pulled alive but seriously injured from the River Thames near Westminster Bridge in the wake of the incident. She is now being dealt with by the emergency services. The Port of London Authority confirmed to BuzzFeed News that just one person was pulled from the water and that the river has now been closed between Vauxhall and Embankment. Earlier, an eyewitness speaking to Sky News said they saw someone fall into the water. He said: "I was walking across Westminster Bridge and a bus stopped right in front of me and everybody started screaming. And I saw a trainer [shoe] in the road, and I thought somebody must have been hit by a car, and then I saw a body on the other side of the road, and then there was another body further up, and then when I looked over the side of the bridge there was another body in the river. "I didn't see anything. The first I was aware of it was when people started to scream and people got off the bus looking very shocked. Then there was a lot of confusion and people started dealing with the casualties. I was just trying to wave people back who were coming onto the bridge. "They were lying face down in the water." The BBC later published camera footage of someone falling into the river as a speeding vehicle plows through: The London Ambulance Service Deputy Director of Operations Pauline Cranmer confirmed 10 people were treated by emergency services. "We can confirm we have treated at least 10 patients on Westminster Bridge and have put a number of hospitals on alert as we continue to respond to this incident," he said in a statement. "We were called at 2.40pm today, with the first ambulance crew arriving within six minutes. "We have sent a number of resources to the scene including ambulance crews, London's Air Ambulance and our Hazardous Area Response Team. "We are working closely with other members of the emergency services at the scene, with our priority being to ensure patients receive the medical help they need as quickly as possible. "We have declared a major incident and our priority is to assess patients and ensure that they are treated and taken to hospital as soon as possible. "As we are very busy dealing with this incident, we would ask the public to only call us in a genuine emergency." —James Ball Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 16:42 PM At least one dead and multiple casualties reported One woman has died, according to an anonymous medical source being quoted by multiple media outlets. There are also unconfirmed reports that several people have "catastrophic injuries". There have been separate and unconfirmed reports of up to three "bodies" on the bridge, including one "face down in the water" that have not been confirmed by police. Eyewitnesses, as well as social media accounts, appear to indicate a number of people were seriously hurt on Westminster Bridge. Earlier, a Reuters photographer, Toby Melville, published pictures of four individuals with injuries on the bridge. —Rose Buchanan and Sara Spary Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 16:35 PM London mayor confirms incidents are being treated as terrorism Stefan Rousseau / PA Wire The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said that the incident is being treated as a terrorist attack until the police know otherwise. "I have spoken to the Acting Commissioner. The Metropolitan Police Service is dealing with the incident and an urgent investigation is underway. My thoughts are with those affected and their families," he said "I would like to express my thanks to the police and emergency services who work so hard to keep us safe and show tremendous bravery in exceptionally difficult circumstances," he added. Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 16:31 PM Photo shows police officer pointing gun at suspect on the ground This afternoon's Scottish parliament debate has been suspended in light of the incident in Westminster, but the Holyrood parliament has been strongly criticised for how long it took to make the decision. Holyrood's MSPs were debating a second referendum on independence for over an hour after initial reports of the incident, and first minister Nicola Sturgeon left the chamber just before 3pm. Inside the chamber, outrage grew that the debate was continuing, with Conservative MSP Murdo Fraser requesting that business was suspended but the deputy presiding officer replying that it would be "business as usual". Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson and Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale urged the presiding officer to suspend business for the day, and half a dozen MSPs left the chamber in protest. However, just before 4pm, presiding officer Ken Macintosh decided to suspend the sitting out of respect for "our sister parliament" and added there will be time to resume the debate in future. Davidson tweeted: "Very pleased that sense has won the day & Holyrood has been suspended until we have a better understanding of what is going on in WM." Sturgeon added: "My thoughts are with everyone in and around Westminster caught up in this dreadful incident – and with the brave emergency services." —Jamie Ross Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 16:02 PM Some MPs and peers have been evacuated from parliament Many politicians inside parliament have been evacuated by armed police, while some other areas remain in lockdown. MP Anna Soubry tweeted that her colleagues were being "taken out of the library at gun point" by counterterrorist police. In a statement, the Metropolitan police said: "Police are asking people to avoid the following areas: Parliament Square; Whitehall; Westminster Bridge; Lambeth Bridge; Victoria Street up to the junction with Broadway and the Victoria Embankment up to Embankment tube. "This is to allow the emergency services to deal with the ongoing incident. Police were called at approximately 14:40 hours to reports of an incident in Westminster Bridge, SW1. It is being treated as a firearms incident. "Officers – including firearms officers – remain on the scene and we are treating this as a terrorist incident until we know otherwise." A police officer was stabbed at Westminster and the attacker was shot by armed police, the leader of the House of Commons said The leader of the House of Commons, David Lidington, has just spoken in parliament and said a police officer was stabbed. He said: "First of all, colleagues will have appreciated that events have been moving rapidly and I want to emphasise that the knowledge that I have .... is so far very limited. What I am able to say to the house is that there has been a serious incident within the estate. "It seems that a police officer has been stabbed, that the alleged assailant was shot by armed police, an air ambulance is currently attending the scene to remove the casualties. There are also reports of further violent incidents in the vicinity of the palace of Westminster but I hope colleagues on all sides will appreciate that it would be wrong of me here to go into further details until we have confirmation from the police and from the house security authorities about what is going on. "I shall endeavour to do the very best I can, both at the despatch box and by communicating with my opposite numbers in other political parties to ensure that members are kept aware of what is happening, but at the moment, the very clear advice from the police and the director of security in the house is that we should remain under suspension and that the chamber should remain in lockdown until we receive advice that it is safe to go back to normal procedures." —Marie Le Conte Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 15:10 PM This is the scene outside parliament shortly after the incident Phil Han / BuzzFeed News Parliament Square is being closed and cleared, with an emergency helicopter parked in the middle of the area. Emergency services are attempting to revive one individual lying down on the pavement on Parliament Street, some way away from the entrance to the building. Approximately a dozen armed police ran into the building shortly after 3pm. —Jim Waterson Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 15:03 PM Picture agency images published shortly after the incident showed a heavy armed police presence outside the Palace of Westminster.

Khalid Masood, the man who attacked parliament this week, was born Adrian Elms in Dartford, Kent, on Christmas Day in 1964. He was also later known as Adrian Russell Ajao, after the man his mother married. The 52-year-old killed three pedestrians by driving into them on Westminster Bridge and injured 50 others before fatally stabbing a police officer and being shot by police on Wednesday. Shortly after the attack, police confirmed it was being investigated as a terrorist incident. Masood had a string of criminal convictions and was known to MI5. By Friday, police had made 11 arrests in connection with the attack, but continue to investigate whether he acted alone. Searches have been carried out at addresses in Brighton, southeast London, east London, Surrey, Manchester, Carmarthenshire, and Birmingham. Masood had been investigated “some years ago” as part of an investigation into violent extremism, prime minister Theresa May told MPs on Thursday. But despite a history of violent criminal offences he was only ever seen as "peripheral" in historical terror investigations. It is assumed by police that he was acting on extreme Islamist ideology. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack on Thursday. A former intelligence official told BuzzFeed News: "The service had him as an SOI [subject of interest] a few years ago but think he didn't meet the threshold for investigation so was not investigated further." They added: "My sense is this was pre-ISIL but the increased sophistication online and in messaging has awakened or re-radicalised him and then he's acted as a lone wolf or perhaps as part of a small circle of extremists but with a very small, neat invisible footprint." Metropolitan police Khalid Masood The Metropolitan police said in a statement: "Masood was not the subject of any current investigations and there was no prior intelligence about his intent to mount a terrorist attack.” Masood’s first conviction was in November 1983 for criminal damage and his most recent was in December 2003 for possession of a knife. He was also convicted of GBH, assaults, and public order offences, but nothing terrorism-related. In 2000, while living in the village of Northiam, Sussex, Masood, still known then as Elms, was convicted for slashing a man’s face after an argument in a pub. The victim, Piers Mott, was left needing stitches, and Elms was jailed for two years. Northiam resident Adrian Baker, who said he had lived in the village for the past 25 years, told the Press Association on Friday: “I do remember a fracas involving a guy called Piers Mott. This was a long time ago. I remember Elms being a bit of a troubled character.” Three years later Masood was accused of stabbing a man in the nose in Eastbourne, and was jailed for six months for possession of an offensive weapon. It is understood Masood had a partner and several children, including a 5-year-old boy. A marriage certificate seen by BuzzFeed News showed he married a woman called Farzana Malik in Medway, Kent, in 2004. While Masood is believed to have lived in a string of addresses in the south of England, London, and Luton – the latter with a 39-year-old woman understood to have been arrested in east London this week – it’s believed he most recently lived in a block of new flats on Quayside, a cul-de-sac in Birmingham near the canal. The flat was raided by anti-terror police at 11pm on Wednesday night after the attack. Aisha Gani / BuzzFeed News / Via BuzzFeed News The block of flats where Masood lived most recently in Quayside, a cul-de-sac in Birmingham. A next-door neighbour who gave her name as Iwona, 45, said he had lived there for seven months. "I am really surprised, I cannot believe it, I cannot believe it,” she told BuzzFeed News. “As I said, when I saw him I couldn't even think someone could do something like this. Now I am scared, someone like this living close to me. “Sometimes in the afternoon I saw him taking care of the garden, washing the car, and he was very calm." Iwona described the woman he lived with there as being in her thirties and said she wore "Islamic clothing". The neighbour said she hadn't seen Masood for a few months and that he just "took a van and went". Then, 10 days ago, the woman and child followed. "The family moved quickly and took their things out of the garage," Iwona said. Aisha Gani / BuzzFeed News / Via BuzzFeed News Masood's neighbour Iwona at her flat in Quayside, Birmingham. Another neighbour, who gave her name as Sam, said: “He moved out in December and I never really spoke to him. I didn't know his name before. “He had a little boy who was 5 years old. There was a woman – I didn't know if it was his wife or daughter. We’d just say hello in the street.” It was in Birmingham that Masood hired the Hyundai Tucson from Enterprise-Rent-a-Car that he used in his fatal attack, reportedly telling staff he was a teacher. The Department for Education said Masood never held qualified status as a teacher, but according to The Sun newspaper he claimed on his CV to have an economics degree and to be a “senior English teacher” at a TEFL college in Luton in 2009. The Sun also said Masood travelled to Saudi Arabia in 2005, where he taught English, but this has yet to be verified. It is not known when Masood converted to Islam, or changed his name, although he stopped using his birth name on the electoral roll from at least 2009. Speaking in the House of Commons on Thursday morning, the prime minister confirmed that Masood was known to the security services but said “he was not part of the current intelligence picture” and that “there was no prior intelligence of his intent to attack the capital”. Echoing police, she said the “working assumption is that the attacker was inspired by Islamist ideology”. After leaving Birmingham this week, Masood travelled to Brighton, where he spent Tuesday night in the Preston Park Hotel. Its manager Sabeur Toumi told Sky News Masood gave no indication of what was to happen the next day. “He was just like any other guest who checks into the hotel," he said. "We had a brief conversation about where he came from in Birmingham. “He talked about his family, his mum, his dad, his wife. He said his dad was ill and his mum was upset.” Janet Ajao, Masood's mother, was last night reportedly too upset to speak to reporters from her home in rural Wales. On Friday the earliest picture of Masood, then known as Adrian Ajao, emerged. It showed him as a teenager at school in Tunbridge Wells, posing after a charity football match. Huntleys School website “I am really, really shocked. He was in my class. He was a smashing guy, really nice chap. The picture of us in the football team was after we did a 24-hour sponsored football match to raise money for the sports hall,” said Stuart Knight, who went to school with Masood, to TheGuardian. “We would have been about 14 years old. Everyone got on with Adrian, he was a lovely bloke. He was a bright student, he loved sport. He was in the rugby team.” Two days earlier, Masood began his attack by mounting the pavement on Westminster Bridge and driving into pedestrians, killing 51-year-old American tourist Kurt Cochran, who was celebrating his 25th wedding anniversary; 43-year-old Spanish teacher Aysha Frade, who was travelling to pick up her two young daughters from school; and 75-year-old Leslie Rhodes from south London, who had been visiting someone in hospital. After crashing the car into a fence outside the Palace of Westminster, Masood ran into the parliamentary estate through an open gate, fatally stabbing 48-year-old PC Keith Palmer, a father and husband, before being shot by police. Stefan Rousseau / PA Wire/PA Images Emily Dugan is a senior reporter for BuzzFeed News and is based in London.
Keith Palmer posed in a photograph with US tourist Staci barely 45 minutes before the attack Two more "significant" arrests have been made in connection to the attack, with police swooping on the West Midlands and north west. New Scotland Yard Deputy Acting Commissioner Mark Rowley said that officers were involved in a "large, fast-paced" investigation. He said: "Our investigation focuses on understanding his motivation, preparation and his associates. "Whilst there is no evidence of further threats you will understand our determination to find out if he either: acted totally alone inspired by terrorist propaganda or, if others have encouraged, supported or directed him."
Victims and their families, alongside the police, NHS hospital workers, fire brigade and ambulance teams took part in the service. Prince William, the Duchess of Cambridge (in Missoni) and Prince Harry arrive after laying a wreath at Westminster Abbey in London. ANDY RAIN/EPA/REX/Shutterstock FRESH MEMORY: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge joined Prince Harry at a ceremony on Wednesday to honor the victims of the terrorist attack in London last month. The incident, which took place outside the Palace of Westminster, and on the nearby bridge, saw five people killed, including the perpetrator, and 50 injured. The Westminster Underground station remained shut that day, and government buildings were in lock down as police dealt with the victims on Westminster bridge, and outside the Houses of Parliament. Victims and their families, alongside the police, NHS hospital workers, fire brigade and ambulance teams took part in the service. About 2,000 people attended the multifaith ceremony, called Service of Hope, which was aired on BBC One TV. After hymns were sung, Britain’s Home Secretary Amber Rudd read a passage from the Book of Jeremiah. Prince William took to the pulpit and recited the parable of the Good Samaritan from Luke 10:25–37 in the Bible. Kate Middleton wore a gray and white Missoni coat, the same one she donned for the Somme Vigil in France last year. The Duchess of Cambridge (in Missoni) after laying a wreath at Westminster Abbey in London. Nils Jorgensen/REX/Shutterstock The victims of the attack were Aysha Frade, who worked at a London college; Kurt Cochran, a tourist from Utah, Leslie Rhodes, from south London; and PC Keith Palmer. The attacker, Khalid Masood, was shot and killed by police. Two male suspects were taken into custody that evening, while seven were released by police. A woman was arrested in Manchester, then released on bail, while another woman was arrested in east London, and also released on bail. London’s Metropolitan Police said they have seized 2,700 items during their investigation, including “massive amounts of computer data.” The attack started when Masood drove his car over Westminster Bridge, hitting and injuring a number of members of the public, also including three police officers who were on their way back from a commendation ceremony. After the car crashed into railings, Masood continued his rampage and tried to enter Parliament, killing a police officer with a knife. Police believe he acted alone. On Tuesday, the duchess attended opening night of the “42nd Street Musical” that stars Sheena Easton at the Theatre Royal on Drury Lane in London’s Covent Garden. Produced by David Merrick and directed by Gower Champion, the West End play originally debuted on Broadway in 1980. In 1984, it debuted at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane and starred Catherine Zeta Jones. The production raised funds for the Nook Appeal, an initiative under EACH, where the duchess is a patron. FREE ALERTS & NEWSLETTERS Social Studies Penelope Cruz wows in a strapless white @chanelofficial feather dress. She is nominated for Best Movie/Limited Series Supporting Actress for The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story. #Emmys Take a peek into Gucci's new Instagram account (@guccibeauty), which is guided by Creative Director Alessandro Michele’s vision of beauty. In typical Gucci fashion, the account already features a series of artworks spanning across history, ethnicity, culture and geography. It will showcase and promote its new cosmetic launches and fragrances as well as looks from the fashion shows and special collaborations with artists and talents. #wwdbeauty Photographed by @delphachardphotos
It was only ever a matter of time. This strike at parliament took aim directly at the heart of British democracy. It was perhaps meant to reach the prime minister – for today, the day of prime minister’s questions, was the one day when her movements would be well known – but more probably it was, like the attack in Berlin just before Christmas, simply an attempt to hit at a European centre of power. The earlier car attack on the dozens of tourists and office workers and three police officers on their way back from a commendation ceremony, caught walking across Westminster Bridge around 2.45pm, was plainly intended to magnify the terror. This is the moment that everyone planned for and hoped would never happen, the Metropolitan police acting deputy commissioner, Mark Rowley, said at his first news conference afterwards. It was also the hardest kind of attack to stop, an apparently lone terrorist using low-tech weaponry seeking to do maximum harm, almost certain of death himself. He got through, but a dozen or more attacks have been foiled in Britain since 2013, 10 of them in the past two years. More than 500 live counter-terror investigations are under way at any given moment, Mr Rowley said recently. The police and the security forces have to be right all the time. The terrorists only need to be lucky once. It is important to hold on to that truth, and to remember that, terrible as the loss of life has been and grim as the aftermath will be, no one would want to live in the kind of world where such an attack had been made entirely impossible. The security forces acted swiftly and courageously to protect parliament and the public. For the families of the dead, and for the injured, this is a horrendous, life-changing event. The shock and distress of eyewitnesses, trapped on buses or simply walking along the pavement, was evident in their voices and their faces as they spoke to reporters. Some of them behaved with impressive presence of mind, including the foreign office minister Tobias Ellwood, who tried to revive the fatally injured policeman. The security forces and police have planned for what they call a “marauding attack” for years. The awful choreography of the response to terror was fast and well-rehearsed. The police officer who later died of his injuries stopped the attacker at the gates off Parliament Square. Before the man had gone a pace or two further, he himself was shot by an armed officer. These two courageous interventions almost certainly saved scores of lives in a busy area thronged with politicians, visitors and some of the hundreds of staff who work in the palace. There will be many questions to ask in the coming days about what was known of the attacker and his associates, but for now, there can only be a wholehearted appreciation of the professionalism with which the police did their job. What now? We often mock our political class, but it is worth remembering that being an MP has never been risk-free. In 1979, the IRA murdered the senior Tory MP Airey Neave with a car bomb only yards from where today’s attack took place. An MP died in the Brighton bomb in 1984, and another was murdered at his home in 1990. Last June, Jo Cox died at the hands of a rightwing extremist, Thomas Mair, as she made her way to her constituency surgery. Security at parliament is tighter than it has ever been. Its one obvious weakness was the main vehicle entrance into New Palace Yard, off the road linking Whitehall with other government offices. This is the very heart of government. It’s where tourists stand taking selfies through the open gates of the place that is still regarded around the world as the birthplace of modern democracy. Today’s attack has long been anticipated. It is not an act of war. It must not be allowed to divide us one from the other. Terror’s purpose is to spread hate and division. The first protection against it must be solidarity.

Katie Hopkins and Nigel Farage: the perfect bedfellows for the US right. Photograph: Getty; Rex; PA/Guardian Design Team Is there any animal, vegetable or mineral less London than Katie Hopkins? There are bits of the Outer Hebrides that have more of the capital to them than Katie, with her dull, self-satirising snobberies and clear sense that the city – perhaps all cities – are a joke in which no one cares to include her. Needless to say, madam has rushed straight from the traps to put her stamp on the Westminster terror attack, with a gazillion-word Daily Mail thunk-piece on London. Or as Katie has it: “An entire city of monkeys: see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil. Blind. Deaf. And dumb.” Mmm. It’s like that bit in Mean Girls where the girl makes a histrionic speech in front of the whole school and the guy at the back says: “She doesn’t even go here!?” “Liberals in London,” Katie also declared, “actually think multiculturalism means we all die together.” Um, you don’t even go here!? YOU LIVE IN DEVON, MATE. I’m not going to say where, because it’s not fair to cause a house price crash (and her exact location may be covered by some sort of Shitness Protection Programme). Still, even as the police urge caution on the Westminster attack, Katie’s intemperate intervention serves as a reminder that where some people see tragedy, others see tragitunity. “No anger for me this time,” wrote Katie. “No rage like I’ve felt before. No desperate urge to get out there and scream at the idiots who refused to see this coming.” There was, however, a desperate urge to get booked on Fox News. And since this is a showbusiness column, may I congratulate Katie and her publicist in pulling the gig off this time. Katie seems marginally more frantic to break America than even Robbie Williams once was. The problem is that Over There hardly lacks for its own supply of reactionary wingnuts. And with a protectionist president openly demanding a return to American-made goods and services, a foreign purveyor of discord will only be first choice in rare situations. Katie knows there are only going to be a few times a news producer is going to call her instead of Ann Coulter. The Westminster attack is one of them. Consequently, we are in what Katie and her agent may well regard as a golden window. These are the hours and days you need to make count. She wants that phone ringing off the hook. She wants to graduate from Tucker Carlson to helping Sean Hannity talk about anything but Trump and the FBI. Deep down, she wants a Vanity Fair cover saying “The Alt-right Brits Are Coming”, in which she and Nigel Farage are in bed like Patsy and Liam were. To read Katie Hopkins is to know that she would have disagreed with the Enlightenment if she thought there was a Loose Women appearance in it. She writes like a not-very-bright sixth former trying to ape the prose style of Tony Parsons – no argument, just a portentous moodboard. Her Westminster article reads like a series of Google calendar reminders to herself. “Shots fired. An Asian man rushed to hospital. And I grew colder. And more tiny.” Here she is on the rest of the country’s relationship with London: “We are taken under the cold water by this heavy right foot in the south, a city of lead …” Oof. Prose of lead. The concrete shoe of no verbs. Too many. Staccato sentences. Passing for gravitas. In fact, having performed a highly scientific linguistic analysis, I can confirm Katie uses fewer active verbs than even Tony Blair or John Keats. Presumably it’s because she really doesn’t have anywhere to go, philosophically. Still, were Katie on hand now, I expect she would retort that what we say is more important than how we say it. In fact, I know she would, because it wasn’t long ago that she said the diametric opposite. “The thing that would hurt me,” she told an interviewer, “is if people suggested that I was bad at writing.” For now, it falls to her to explain London to the Americans. “Londoners can’t even be honest about these attacks,” she told Fox News. “Because it would mean everything they believed in was false.” Ah, the false idols of the decadent metropolis! Had Katie spent more than 10 minutes in the World History aisle of Wikipedia, she would know there have always been people who hated cities for what they stood for. The metropolis has at many times served as shorthand for a kind of moral decay and wicked permissiveness that requires (usually forcible) regression. “This place where monsters lurk and steal lives away in an instant,” thunders Katie of the capital’s wickedness. “For nothing.” Dear, dear – it does all seem rather terminal. I wonder what Katie would do with the failed, corruptive experiment that is London? The Khmer Rouge decided that the only solution was to empty the cities, and send their suspiciously educated denizens to the countryside. Come Katie’s revolution, perhaps Londoners will be forcibly migrated too. Yes, in a sledgehammer irony that will nonetheless have escaped her, Abu Hopkins detests the liberalism of the city. A serial preacher of hate, she speaks of humans as cockroaches, and of non-military matters in terms of struggle and war. “We stand divided,” she tweeted at Sadiq Khan, “cowed by your religion.” She now seeks to demonise London among her faithful, calling for an end to its degenerate values in the most apocalyptic terms she can muster. Fortunately – and I hardly need to state this – she will get about as far with such smallness as she will with breaking America. Devon’s loss remains the capital’s gain. For all the tragedies and assaults enfolded into its history, London is a city that will never be so defeated as to have the time to explain itself to Katie Hopkins.
Advertisement Woman held in Westminster attack investigation released without charge The Metropolitan Police said the woman was released without charge Credit: PA A woman arrested on suspicion of aiding Khalid Masood in preparation for the Westminster terror attack has been released without charge, the Metropolitan Police said. The 32-year-old woman was arrested in Manchester last week, two days after Masood's deadly attack which claimed the life of four victims, including police constable Keith Palmer outside the Palace of Westminster on March 22. She was detained on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act on March 24, and released on Thursday afternoon. A 30-year-old man arrested on March 26 in Birmingham remains in custody after an application for extended detention under the Terrorism Act 2000 on March 27. Ten other people who were previously arrested in connection with the investigation have been released without further action. The inquest into the deaths of victims who died during the attack was opened and adjourned at the Royal Courts of Justice on Wednesday March 29, and a provisional date for the pre-inquest review has been set for May 19. A provisional date for the pre-inquest review into the death of the attacker, who was shot dead by a police marksman at the scene, was also set for May 19 at the Royal Courts of Justice.
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There will be an “enhanced” police presence around train stations and St Albans after the attack on Parliament yesterday. Herts Police and British Transport Police have said they are increasing patrols, after four people were killed in a terrorist attack at Westminster. Herts Police said: “Whilst there is no specific threat to the county, Hertfordshire Constabulary, in line with the rest of the police service across the UK, continues to work to protect and reassure our communities, as well as taking sensible measures to enhance the security of police officers given the recent tragic incident in London. “Our response includes a strong visible police presence across the county, to provide reassurance to all communities and to protect the public from harm.” Both forces have paid tribute to those who died. Herts Police and St Albans district council have held a minute’s silence today. Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate, Daisy Cooper, who was at Parliament during the attack, was told to run by masked police officers after the attack started. She said: “I was in the Lords giving a presentation at 2pm. “When I left I was told I couldn’t leave corridor as there had been a shooting outside. “We tried to go to the cafe and all rooms by river were evacuated. We were herded towards central lobby. “At one point armed masked police men ran in and told us to run so we ran up the stairs “We were then told to come down quickly and were herded into central lobby.” She said there were hundreds of journalists, MPs, visitors and staff stuffed into the lobby, being given water in rationed amounts. The police eventually allowed them to leave at just before 8pm. Ms Cooper has lavished praise on the police for their response to the crisis. She said: “Police response inside Westminster was very quick, controlled and effective. “An event like today’s should I hope encourage more people to stand up. “The more diverse our parliament becomes the more we undermine extremist rhetoric.” A few years back I was fixing a shed in our garden and had enlisted the help of my young son. We were busy moving rotten pieces of wood from the side of the shed when suddenly I felt sharp stabbing pains in my lower legs. Before I had a chance to investigate my son started screaming in pain and it took a few more seconds to realize that we were trampling on a wasps’ nest!
He was then shot dead by armed officers in the courtyard outside the Houses of Parliament after he stabbed Pc Keith Palmer, who died of his wounds. At least 50 people were injured in the attack and 31 needed hospital treatment. It is believed 29 people remain in hospital, five of whom are in a critical condition and two have life threatening injuries.
He gave a minimum of 40 years for making IEDs for the Taliban in 2012 and 25 years for the plot to kill in Britain and attract “maximum publicity and instil terror”. He said: “I am absolutely sure you were in Afghanistan. You were a valued member of a team making IEDs that were detonated in combat between January and July 2012. “I have no doubt whatsoever that there is a very considerable risk of your committing offences of violence in the future and cause death or serious injury as a result. I’m sure your plan was to attack and kill someone in central London. “Your preparations were complete and you very simply had to identify your precise target and his or her death was very likely to be caused by a knife attack. You would kill any police officer you could.”


My Political Ramblings That Are Too Long to Tweet Is This the New Normal? It happened again. How many times is this? Or is there no point in counting? The places are too familiar, Paris, Brussels, Berlin, Nice, to name a few. And now London. This time it felt a little closer to home, a few months ago I stood in the exact spot it happened and watched the joy of a cycling event in front of me. The center point of one of the greatest nations on Earth is soaked in the blood of innocents. It feels like it has gotten to a point where the idea of people ramming vehicles into crowds of innocent bystanders has become accepted and tolerated as sort of the norm, but it shouldn’t be. We shouldn’t have to take terrorism into account when we plan vacations to places like Europe. Attacks like this aren’t just something we have to live with. For the sake of us ALL, we cannot let this become the new normal. The solutions might be confusing, they might anger people, they might make people think we are being counterproductive, but a solution must be followed. And the solution won’t be as easy as “throw ’em out” or “take them all in”. Issues like this are complex, with roots in conflicts that are hundreds of years old. No solution will be easy, but one must be found. Stifling conversations that are “too hard to have” is only going to make our problems worse, and yelling at each other won’t fix it either. We have to take a proactive approach to working out the solutions to this, even if it hurts a little. Or a lot. This is one of our generation’s biggest fights. We can’t sit around and watch things like this happen, offer our thoughts and prayers, change the color of the Eiffel Tower for a night, and sit around until the next one happens. Every one of these attacks should be treated like what they are: affronts against humanity. Whatever solutions we follow, no matter what steps we take, there is one thing we cannot do: We cannot let this become the new normal. Advertisements Share this: Like this: LikeLoading... Related Published by George Alderman "Waste no more time arguing what a good man should be, be one." Freshman Political Science student at Stetson University, proud Eagle Scout, ΛXA. Twitter & Instagram: @TheFlyingAlmond View all posts by George Alderman

The respected pollster John Curtice, professor of politics at the University of Strathclyde, claimed that May’s election gamble might not be as successful as she hopes. He said it was possible that her current opinion poll lead could narrow over the campaign. Speaking on BBC News, Curtice said: “We should bear in mind that Theresa May is very much going for a ‘vote Conservative for my vision of Brexit’. And that perhaps is going to make some Conservative voters unhappy. If that lead were to narrow then we could discover that she is back with a rather smaller majority than perhaps she is hoping for.” But Curtice added: “The Labour party is at sixes and sevens on its stance on Brexit. There are divisions inside the Conservative party but the opposition is probably even more divided on the subject and she’s probably banking that so long as this remains the central issue, the Labour party will not be capable of fighting an effective alternative position.” We still have not had a response from Labour to Theresa May’s announcement, but this is from the Green party’s co-leader, Caroline Lucas. Britain is at a crossroads – and today’s announcement means that people are rightly given a say over the direction this country is going to take. Only the Green party offers a bold, positive vision for a different kind of Britain. At this election we will stand for an economy that works for everyone, not just the privileged few; a Britain that’s open to the world and the protection of our precious environment. We will stand up to the politics of hatred and division that is scarring our communities and give people across the country a chance to vote for a better Britain. Theresa May's statement I have just chaired a meeting of the cabinet, where we agreed that the government should call a general election, to be held on June 8. I want to explain the reasons for that decision, what will happen next and the choice facing the British people when you come to vote in this election. Last summer, after the country voted to leave the European Union, Britain needed certainty, stability and strong leadership, and since I became prime minister the government has delivered precisely that. Despite predictions of immediate financial and economic danger, since the referendum we have seen consumer confidence remain high, record numbers of jobs, and economic growth that has exceeded all expectations. We have also delivered on the mandate that we were handed by the referendum result. Britain is leaving the European Union and there can be no turning back. And as we look to the future, the government has the right plan for negotiating our new relationship with Europe. We want a deep and special partnership between a strong and successful European Union and a United Kingdom that is free to chart its own way in the world. That means we will regain control of our own money, our own laws and our own borders and we will be free to strike trade deals with old friends and new partners all around the world. This is the right approach, and it is in the national interest. But the other political parties oppose it. At this moment of enormous national significance there should be unity here in Westminster, but instead there is division. The country is coming together, but Westminster is not. In recent weeks Labour has threatened to vote against the deal we reach with the European Union. The Liberal Democrats have said they want to grind the business of government to a standstill. The Scottish National party say they will vote against the legislation that formally repeals Britain’s membership of the European Union. And unelected members of the House of Lords have vowed to fight us every step of the way. Our opponents believe that because the government’s majority is so small, our resolve will weaken and that they can force us to change course. They are wrong. They underestimate our determination to get the job done and I am not prepared to let them endanger the security of millions of working people across the country. Because what they are doing jeopardises the work we must do to prepare for Brexit at home and it weakens the government’s negotiating position in Europe. If we do not hold a general election now their political game-playing will continue, and the negotiations with the European Union will reach their most difficult stage in the run-up to the next scheduled election. Division in Westminster will risk our ability to make a success of Brexit and it will cause damaging uncertainty and instability to the country. So we need a general election and we need one now, because we have at this moment a one-off chance to get this done while the European Union agrees its negotiating position and before the detailed talks begin. I have only recently and reluctantly come to this conclusion. Since I became prime minister I have said that there should be no election until 2020, but now I have concluded that the only way to guarantee certainty and stability for the years ahead is to hold this election and seek your support for the decisions I must take. And so tomorrow I will move a motion in the House of Commons calling for a general election to be held on the eighth of June. That motion, as set out by the Fixed-Term Parliaments Act, will require a two-thirds majority of the House of Commons. So I have a simple challenge to the opposition parties, you have criticised the government’s vision for Brexit, you have challenged our objectives, you have threatened to block the legislation we put before parliament. This is your moment to show you mean it, to show you are not opposing the government for the sake of it, to show that you do not treat politics as a game. Let us tomorrow vote for an election, let us put forward our plans for Brexit and our alternative programmes for government and then let the people decide. And the decision facing the country will be all about leadership. It will be a choice between strong and stable leadership in the national interest, with me as your prime minister, or weak and unstable coalition government, led by Jeremy Corbyn, propped up by the Liberal Democrats - who want to reopen the divisions of the referendum - and Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP. Every vote for the Conservatives will make it harder for opposition politicians who want to stop me from getting the job done. Every vote for the Conservatives will make me stronger when I negotiate for Britain with the prime ministers, presidents and chancellors of the European Union. Every vote for the Conservatives means we can stick to our plan for a stronger Britain and take the right long-term decisions for a more secure future. It was with reluctance that I decided the country needs this election, but it is with strong conviction that I say it is necessary to secure the strong and stable leadership the country needs to see us through Brexit and beyond. So, tomorrow, let the House of Commons vote for an election, let everybody put forward their proposals for Brexit and their programmes for government, and let us remove the risk of uncertainty and instability and continue to give the country the strong and stable leadership it demands. Here are some of the things Theresa May has said in the past about ruling out an early election. Just before she assumed the role of prime minister she said there would be no early election under her leadership. On 30 June, in the speech that launched her bid, she explicitly ruled it out. Then in her first major interview after taking office, she told the Andrew Marr Show last September that the UK needed a period of stability after the shock Brexit vote. She said: “I’m not going to be calling a snap election. I’ve been very clear that I think we need that period of time, that stability, to be able to deal with the issues that the country is facing and have that election in 2020.” She said: “Of course, the referendum laid bare some further divisions in our country – between those who are prospering, and those who are not … those for whom our country works well, and those for whom it does not. “As the fantastic MP Jo Cox, who was so tragically taken from us last year, put it: ‘We are far more united and have far more in common than that which divides us.’”
British police said Friday they had made two further “significant” arrests over the Islamist-inspired terror attack on parliament, as they appealed for information about the homegrown killer who left four people dead. Nine people are now in custody over Wednesday’s rampage in Westminster, in which at least 50 people were injured, 31 requiring hospital treatment, counter-terrorism commander Mark Rowley said. Police have searched 16 addresses, with five more raids still underway, mainly in London and the central city of Birmingham, where the attacker reportedly lived and near where he rented the car used in the assault. The police officer also revealed the attacker’s birth name as Adrian Russell Ajao, after naming him Thursday as Khalid Masood, a 52-year-old who used “a number of aliases” and had a history of violent offences but no terrorist convictions. The Islamic State group claimed the assailant behind Britain’s deadliest terror attack in 12 years was one of its “soldiers” acting on a call to target countries in the US-led coalition fighting the jihadists. Prime Minister Theresa May has said that Masood was known to intelligence services as a “peripheral” figure some years ago but there was no warning of his intention to mount an attack. Rowley said Friday that police were trying to establish whether Masood acted totally alone “or if others have encouraged, supported or directed him”. Masood ran over dozens of pedestrians and tourists on Westminster Bridge on Wednesday afternoon before crashing his car into parliament, where he managed to stab a police officer before being shot dead. Lawmakers returned to work as normal on Thursday morning, even as forensic officers worked at the scene, but a review of parliamentary security is now underway. Hundreds of people gathered in nearby Trafalgar Square late Thursday for a vigil led by Mayor Sadiq Khan who vowed that “Londoners will never be cowed by terrorism.” Numerous aliases The death toll rose late Thursday after life support was withdrawn from a 75-year-old man injured in the attack, whom police named as Leslie Rhodes from south London. The other victims were 48-year-old policeman Keith Palmer and, on the bridge, a 43-year-old British woman, Aysha Frade, who was on her way to pick up her two daughters, and an American citizen in his 50s, Kurt Cochran. Police earlier said that five men and three women aged between 21 and 58 were arrested “on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts”. One woman was later released on bail. Rowley gave no details of the new arrests, only to say that they took place in the West Midlands the area of the country that includes Birmingham and the north-west of England. Born in Kent in southeast England, Masood was a British citizen with convictions for assault and possession of offensive weapons dating from 1983 to 2003. According to The Sun tabloid, he married a Muslim woman in 2004 and moved the following year to Saudi Arabia to teach, returning in 2009. Police said he went by numerous aliases, including, reportedly, Adrian Elms, while reports suggest he lived all over England, including in Luton and east London. He was described as “a nice guy” by Iwona Romek, a former neighbour in Birmingham, who told the Birmingham Mail: “He had a wife, a young Asian woman and a small child who went to school.” Rowley said police were “looking at his history” and appealed for any public information about him, adding: “Our investigation focuses on understanding his motivation, preparation and associates.” The crowds at Trafalgar Square late Thursday brought messages of defiance, flags and flowers, and offered their condolences to officers who lost a colleague in the attack. Naveed Mirza, a Muslim student, said he had received “overwhelming” support since the attack described by police as “Islamist-related terrorism”. “We have come to say how, as Muslims, we unequivocally condemn all the violent actions that took place yesterday,” he told AFP. First IS claim of British attack The IS group said it was responsible, according to the Amaq propaganda agency, its first claim of an attack on British soil. The latest attack had echoes of the atrocities in Nice and Berlin when trucks ploughed into crowds of people, killing 86 people in the French Riviera city in July and 12 at a market in the German capital just days before Christmas. The assault on Westminster was the deadliest in Britain since four suicide bombers killed 52 people on the city’s transport system in July 2005. A defiant May had told the reopened parliament that Britain’s resolve “will never waver in the face of terrorism,” as MPs stood heads bowed for a minute’s silence in remembrance of the victims. Britain’s last terror attack was the 2016 assassination of MP Jo Cox by a pro-Nazi sympathiser shortly before the historic but deeply divisive June vote to leave the EU.In 2013, British soldier Lee Rigby was run down and knifed on a London street to death by two Islamist extremists.
Wednesday, 22 March 2017 Attack at Westminster & 322 Today, an incident unfolded in Westminster in London that the BBC are currently describing as a “terrorist incident” and an “Attack at Westminster”. Here is the official account currently posted on the BBC’s website as of approximately 6pm the same day. “A police officer and a woman have been killed near Parliament in central London in what Scotland Yard are treating as a terrorist incident. The woman was among several pedestrians struck by a car on Westminster Bridge, before it crashed into railings. An officer was stabbed in the Houses of Parliament by an attacker, who was shot by police. Police said there were "a number of casualties" and a "full counter-terrorism inquiry" was under way. Writing on Twitter, BBC home affairs correspondent Dominic Casciani said it is understood from multiple sources that two people were in the vehicle on the bridge.”http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-39355940At the time of writing this, few other details about the incident have been disclosed. At present, a single individual has been described as being responsible for the incident. It appears that this individual was shot dead. There has been some speculation that a second individual may have been involved in some manner. At present, the identity of the dead individual nor any details about the individual’s possible motives have been announced. My thoughts are with those innocent bystanders who have been traumatized or injured during this incident. My thoughts and deepest sympathies also go out to the loved ones of those people who have lost their lives as a result of the incident today. My regular readers will know that I have, from time to time, written on this blog about “terrorist incidents” that have taken place throughout recent years. I have no wish to trivialise the events of today, nor do I wish to engage at this point in a lengthy discourse about the alternative nature of certain similar incidents that have taken place in recent times. I will leave that subject for another day. However, I have learned that there are times when it is vital to be observant and vigilant when certain events take place. It is an unbelievably important lesson from history that we never take information that is conveyed to us by the media on blind, face value. An irresponsible observer is one who does not scrutinise all they see and are told. Equally so when we do not ask questions. Please keep this in mind as we are told more about the events in Westminster and we observe the subsequent reactions of those in positions of authority. Moving on…I’m not sure how many people will have noticed, but today is, aside from the tragic events in London, a very important day for those people in the world with certain “belief systems”. Today is 322. More accurately, it is March 22nd. 322 is considered a hugely significant number in certain occult and esoteric circles. Amongst its many diverse associations, 322 is perhaps best known to alternative knowledge researchers as the numerical “emblem” of the Skull and Bones society. Although many men of power and wealth have moved through the ranks of Skull and Bones, its most high profile member is undoubtedly George W Bush. Although some people will remember him for a myriad of reasons, most will remember Bush Jnr as the American president who presided over the US during the events of 9/11 and the formative years of the subsequent Western-led “War on Terror”. Above and beyond the many tragic events that have happened in the last decade and a half, 9/11 is remembered as the most devastating to have been declared a “terrorist” attack. Of course, compelling and exhaustive evidence analysing the events of 9/11 - such as that assembled by Dr Judy Wood in her book “Where Did the Towers Go?” – shows that what really happened that day does not match the “official narrative” that the public were told about 9/11. It is that evidence, and inconsistencies about other subsequent events like 7/7, that has given many people justifiable reason to pay extra attention whenever such events - deemed of a “terrorist” nature - unfold. But back to 322… Historically, March 20 - 22 has been dedicated to the Goddess Ostara. March 20th 2017 celebrates the High Feast of Ostara and is also the Spring Equinox - often dedicated to the worship of the Mother Earth Goddess Gaia. March 21 is allegedly, according to certain sources, one of the Illuminati's "Human Sacrifice Nights." March 22nd 2017 is also the Ceremony of Hilaria - an Ancient Roman rite given to "rejoicing and public sacrifices [...] the eve of that day they spent in tears and lamentations [...] The day of its celebration was the first after the vernal equinox, or the first day of the year which was longer than the night. The winter with its gloom had passed away, and the first day of a better season was spent in rejoicings [...] All kinds of games and amusements were allowed on this day; masquerades were the most prominent among them, and everyone might, in his disguise, imitate whomsoever he liked, and even magistrates." The date is also curious for an assassination plot that took in Ancient Rome. "Maternus against Emperor Commodus [...] planned to disguise himself and his followers as members of the Praetorian Guard, and proceed among the true members of the Guard, until they were close enough to kill Commodus. However, one of Maternus's followers revealed the plot ahead of time..." http://pagancalendar.co.uk/event.php?zodiac=astrological&getdate=20170322&tz=Europe/London&id=1098322 coincides with Uttara Ashadha Nakshatra - indicative of sun symbolism, the "birth star" and the creation of powerful energy. It also represents the first day of the 40 Day "Season of Human Sacrifice", the completion of the three-day process of resurrection from death. The Season of Human Sacrifice will conclude on April 30th 2017 - which is Beltane Eve (often celebrated with bonfires and fertility rites) and considered to be one of the most crucial occult dates in the annual calendar. We are currently seeing trailers for Ridley Scott's "Prometheus" movie "Alien: Covenant". A few weeks ago, a provisional release date for the film was cited, by certain sources, as April 30th. It is now being stated as May 19th. The original "Prometheus" was first shown to the public in Paris on April 11th 2012 - smack bang in the centre of the "40 Day Season of Human Sacrifice". Both "Prometheus" and, from what we have seen in the film trailer, "Alien: Covenant" contain ritualistic sacrifices of innocent humans. "Prometheus" is loaded with 322 symbolism - most notably the inverted name of the planet LV-223, which director Ridley Scott described (on the DVD commentary for the film) rather cryptically as a “very romantic codename”. "Prometheus" is also awash with symbols and themes relating to Saturn worship - another purveyor of ritual and mortal sacrifice. But I digress a little...On March 22nd 2017 (322), the "Attack on Westminster" took place. According to several early sources, the assailant allegedly responsible for the events was shot by police at 2.30pm. A number of witnesses heard 3 shots being fired. One of the London "Red" buses photographed on the Westminster Bridge after the event was the 211. For much of the afternoon, the BBC has been airing helicopter footage of the Westminster Bridge cordoned off. From the time on the Big Ben clock face, we can see this footage was filmed at 3.20pm. The overhead footage clearly shows the two principle lane/direction signs painted on the road. One directs for the A302, the other for the A3211. These are the only road numbers shown on the road surface of Westminster Bridge in the footage. A minister in the House of Commons announced the events in Westminster to his fellow house members at exactly 3pm. Finally, Westminster is located in W1. W is the 23rd letter of the English alphabet. March 22nd 2017 (322) is, to the day, the one year anniversary of the Brussels "terrorist attack".Maybe this is all coincidental... maybe not. I will leave it for you to decide.If nothing else, please remember always to be mindful and observant - especially right now.The Truth Seeker's Guide.Books available from Carl James:Science Fiction and the Hidden Global Agenda - Volume One - http://www.lulu.com/shop/carl-james/science-fiction-and-the-hidden-global-agenda-2016-edition-volume-one/paperback/product-23209429.htmlScience Fiction and the Hidden Global Agenda - Volume Two - http://www.lulu.com/shop/carl-james/science-fiction-and-the-hidden-global-agenda-2016-edition-volume-two/paperback/product-23209433.htmlWhat Really Happened at the London 2012 Olympics - http://www.lulu.com/shop/carl-james/what-really-happened-at-the-london-2012-olympics/paperback/product-23221527.html 3 comments: Hi Carl Another very interesting post my friend. Much food for thought I must say. Thank you for the work you do and share with all of us. I agree that we must all remain very diligent especially in the days we are now living. Keep up the good work. As always my friend, the very best to you and yours always! About The Author Carl James worked for many years in the healthcare profession - including four years as a therapeutic activities co-ordinator for the elderly. He also worked for many years as a singer, songwriter, musician and musical multimedia producer. He has worked on numerous musical projects - including fourteen years fronting one of the UK's leading tribute bands to rock legends The Who. He is the author of the alternative knowledge website "The Truth Seeker's Guide" and several alternative knowledge books. Carl is also an occasional graphic artist.
UK PM May lays wreath to mark anniversary of parliament attack 1 Min Read LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Theresa May laid a wreath on Thursday to remember the five victims of an attack exactly a year ago when a driver mowed down pedestrians on Westminster Bridge before killing an unarmed policeman outside parliament. Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May lays a wreath of flowers on Parliament Square in Westminster on the anniversary of the Westminster Bridge attack in London, Britain, March 22, 2018. REUTERS/Stringer Attached to the floral tribute was a note reading: “In memory of those who were lost and in defiance of those who would seek to silence our democracy.” Slideshow (17 Images) May laid the wreath in Parliament Square, just yards from the scene of the attack by Islamist Khalid Masood, 52, who was shot dead in the attack. It was the first of five attacks on Britain last year which police blamed on terrorism. The dead police officer was PC Keith Palmer, 48. Of the other casualties, two were British, one Romanian and one American. Some 50 people were injured.
Mary Hassell, the senior coroner in inner north London, has revealed the new policy that will dictate how her office decides which deaths to deal with first. Hassell was at the centre of a legal case earlier this year after she refused to prioritise her work on religious grounds. People claiming they were sexually abused by priests filed a class action lawsuit on Monday against eight dioceses in Pennsylvania seeking to compel them to divulge the names of priests accused of such actions over the past 70 years. Schools should take pupils on trips to mosques in an attempt to tackle anti-Muslim sentiment among parents, the faith minister has said. Lord Bourne added that all churches, mosques, synagogues and temples should be twinned with places of worship from other faiths. MPs will vote on whether to decriminalise abortion in Northern Ireland next month. Labour MP Diana Johnson will introduce a 10-minute rule bill that will seek to decriminalise abortion and pave the way to allow women here to have a termination. A large minority of people in the UK believe multiculturalism has undermined British culture and migrants do not properly integrate, according to research. In particular panel discussions regularly revealed negative views about Islam. Twitter has come under fire for allowing a tweet that activists have said is pro–female genital mutilation to be promoted on its site, meaning it showed up on the timelines of users who didn't follow the poster's account. More than half of the Netherlands' senior clerics were involved in covering up sexual assault of children between 1945 and 2010, a press report claimed on Saturday, further engulfing the Catholic Church in a global abuse scandal. The Guardian Fri, 14 Sep 2018 The annual report of the Church Commissioners, the investment arm of the Church of England, shows that Amazon is among its 20 most valuable equity holdings. The revelation follows the archbishop of Canterbury's criticism of the company. Maintaining the ban on same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland should not be used as a "veil for homophobia", the Court of Appeal has been told. Two couples are seeking to overturn a ruling that the prohibition does not breach their human rights under European law. A Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP has said his party will not secularise the education system after he fought to defer a motion calling for the end of Catholic schools at the party's conference last weekend. On Thursday an American bishop in West Virginia was brought down by allegations of sexual misconduct, even as a delegation of American church leaders met urgently with the pope over whether the Vatican had ignored past warnings of abuse by a prominent cardinal. Thu, 13 Sep 2018 Nearly a third of middle-class, professional parents personally know someone who has used "ethically dubious" tactics to get their children into a good school, a new report has found. Common practices cited by parents include attending church services to get a place in a faith school. A cross-party group of MPs has proposed a bill to make moderators and administrators responsible for content on their forums and ban large secret Facebook groups. Jamie Bartlett says the bill would undermine groups which have a reason to stay hidden. Schools may no longer ban pupils from having dreadlocks, after a Rastafarian boy had his hair ban overturned. The Equality and Human Rights Commission, which backed the boy's case, said the dreadlocks were a 'fundamental tenet' of his Rastafarian beliefs. Disclaimer: Links are provided to external websites for information and in the interests of free exchange. We do not accept any responsibility for the content of those sites, nor does a link indicate approval or imply endorsement of those sites.
The Met Police refused to comment but it is understood the raid is linked to the investigation into the London attack, carried out by Birmingham terrorist Khalid Masood. Bredon Croft He was living in Quayside, Winson Green, before carrying out the atrocity which claimed four lives. West Midlands Police had released six people from custody on Friday after a series of arrests since the London terror attacks. The six, from Hockley, had fully co-operated with officers working on the investigation, said the force, and would face no further action. Assistant Chief Constable Marcus Beale, who leads the West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit, said: “As a result of their co-operation and our enquiries we are completely satisfied that they are not connected in any way to the terrorist attack in Westminster on Wednesday.
Mr Ellwood, who has lobbied within government for extra funding for the armed forces, said: "These attacks will continue unless we step forward and actually participate, become more pro-active in dealing with what is a very changing and dark chapter that we are enduring." Mr Ellwood, who had been walking through the Palace of Westminster at the time of the attack, praised the work of the police on duty that day: "They were the ones that were defending Parliament and us, huge tribute to them. "They get up every day, they don't know how their day is going to unfold. They are the heroes."

The 27-year-old man, dressed head to toe in black, was wrestled to the ground by armed police officers as he walked among a crowd of tourists and workers in Parliament Street at just after 2.20pm yesterday. His arrest came just five weeks - and a 100 yards away - from the spot where Khalid Masood was shot and killed within the grounds of the Palace of Westminster, having mowed down bystanders in a hired car driven over Westminster Bridge. The Telegraph understands that the man, who is understood to have been born overseas but who lives in south east London, was known to the security services and was being watched as part of an ongoing counter-terrorism operation. The suspect was detained at the scene for several minutes within view of journalists and passers by before he was eventually taken away in a police vehicle. Recruiters Harry Peasnell, 27, and Andy Burnage, 22, were leaving the adjacent building which houses various Government offices after a meeting with officials when they were told over the tannoy the usual entrance on to Whitehall was closed. As they made their way back towards Parliament from the alternative House Guards Road entrance they said they were pushed back up Great George Street by several plain clothes police officers. They then made their way to Parliament Square where they said they saw a man in his 20s or 30s, who they thought was the suspect, being spoken to by police next to the wall of the offices. Mr Peasnell, who says he regularly has meetings in Westminster, said police were "quick on the scene" and that he was not worried like he was during the terror attack in the area just weeks ago. "Last time all the buildings were on lockdown and no one was allowed to leave," he said. Westminster has been on a state of heightened alert since Masood launched his attack on March 22, killing five people, including Pc Keith Palmer. First test for new Met chief The successful arrest is the first real test for Cressida Dick, the new Metropolitan Police Commissioner, who previously - and notoriously - had been in charge of the operation that led to the death of the innocent Brazilian electrician Jean Charles de Menezes who was mistaken for a terrorist when he was shot on the London Underground in July 2005. Ms Dick briefed London mayor Sadiq Khan on yesterday’s arrest. A spokesman for the mayor said: “Mr Khan is hugely grateful to the police for their swift, decisive and professional actions. He is hugely relieved there have been no casualties.” Reports suspect's family tipped off police Another eyewitness has described what she saw Helen Chandler Wilde told the BBC: "I saw a couple of police officers with a guy interviewing him and then putting him in a car as well as a couple of police forensics officers photographing the scene. "And I did see the knives on the floor with the brown backpack lying next to it which was in the middle of the intersection in Whitehall. "I didn't see the guy, you know, being put on the floor by the police, so all I can imagine is that he was stopped there and dropped his things and then was taken to the other side of the road just outside the Treasury to be arrested and questioned which is where I saw him "I'd say there were a dozen or two dozen [police officers] kind of spread out around Westminster and Parliament Square. "He had his head low, his hood still up of his black hoodie, trying to hide his face from police, I don't know, but from photographs he appeared to be smirking. "[People were] remarkably not scared at all, not worried, the road was shut off but only just, still on the other side of the road there were people on the bus stuck in traffic on the way home just like any normal day, there were even a couple of tourists coming up to me thinking the Queen was coming to visit because the road was shut. I had to disappoint them there." Full quote from Theresa May Theresa May said: "It shows that our police and intelligence and security services are on the alert, as they always are, looking to keep us safe and secure. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to these people, many of whom are unseen, unheard, yet the job they do day in, day out to keep us secure is a really important one and we should thank them for it." Theresa May kept in the loop Prime Minister Theresa May was away from Number 10 on a campaign visit at the time of the incident, which did not disrupt work in Downing Street, said a spokeswoman. "This is an ongoing police operation and we are monitoring it," said the Number 10 spokeswoman. "The Prime Minister has been informed by officials and she will be updated, as usual for incidents like this." Heightened security at Westminster The latest security incident comes after Westminster was put on a heightened state of alert following a major terror attack just over a month ago. Khalid MasoodCredit: PA Security in the area has been noticeably more high profile since Khalid Masood killed four people by ramming them with his car on Westminster Bridge before stabbing to death Pc Keith Palmer just inside the grounds of Parliament on March 22. In the aftermath of the assault, authorities have reviewed how to keep the area as safe as possible. Armed police officers have been more visible patrolling the Palace of Westminster since the attack, which also left Masood dead from gunshot injuries. Incident treated as 'terrorism' Scotland Yard has released this statement confirming the incident is being treated as a suspected terror attack: A man has been arrested in Whitehall this afternoon, at approximately 14:22, following a stop and search as part of an ongoing operation. The man was arrested in Parliament Street, junction with Parliament Square, by armed officers from the Met’s Specialist Firearms Command. The man, aged in his late twenties, was arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon and on suspicion of the commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism. Knives have been recovered from him. He is being detained under the Terrorism Act and is in custody in a south London police station. Detectives from the Counter Terrorism Command are continuing their investigation, and as a result of this arrest there is no immediate known threat.

Three others died in the attack by Khalid Masood, who was shot by police during the incident. Masood's three other victims were police officer Keith Palmer (48), teacher Aysha Frade (43) and US citizen Kurt Cochran (54). Earlier on Thursday, police released a statement detailing arrests made in connection with the attack. A total of eight people have been arrested so far, including seven people in three different locations in Birmingham, while a 39-year-old woman was arrested at an address in east London. The suspects were arrested on suspicion of preparing terrorist attacks. The Metropolitan Police said that the investigation into the deadly attack “continues to develop at a fast pace and involves hundreds of detectives.”
Image:MP Tobias Ellwood (c) was among those who attempted to help the injured police officer Image:Mr Ellwood was given an outstanding contribution award Other winners at the Met Excellence Awards included PC Philip Stone, who coordinates the organisation of the national and international recovery and identification of human remains for the coroner to repatriate them to their families. PC Stone, who last year coordinated the response to terrorist attacks and human disasters across the UK, was given the police officer of the year accolade.
A TERROR attack has rocked Westminster - with a crazed knifeman running over pedestrians in a car and stabbing a police officer before being shot dead. Several Worcestershire MPs were held on lockdown inside the Commons as today's horrifying terror incident unfolded. Former Worcester Labour MP Mike Foster was also at Westminster today and was told by armed police to leave the area for his own safety. The attacker mowed down people on Westminster Bridge before smashing his car into railings, running through gates at the front of parliament and stabbing a police officer. He then tried to enter the building, where hundreds of MPs were gathered, but was shot several times by armed police as he approached a second officer at 2.45pm. It left a trail of destruction, with victims strewn across the bridge and up to a dozen gunshots heard by witnesses amid the chaos. Some county MPs, including Mid-Worcestershire's Nigel Huddleston and Wyre Forest MP Mark Garnier, were put on lockdown in the chamber as police dealt with the aftermath outside. The staff of all six Worcestershire MP's also locked themselves in their offices as police scrambled to close off roads, before the palaces were evacuated. By 10.45pm this evening four people had died, including the stabbed officer and two pedestrians run over at Westminster Bridge, but police said many more have suffered "catastrophic" injuries, with the toll set to rise. The dead police officer was named as Keith Palmer, 48, a dad and husband with more than 15 years experience in the job. The Met Police released a statement saying "at least" 20 people were seriously injured. One woman jumped into the River Thames to avoid the attacker's 4x4 as it drove at her, and is expected to survive after being rescued from the water and taken to hospital. Mr Huddleston said: "Most MPs were in the chamber at the time we heard the news - my staff are all safe and had locked themselves into my office. "My thoughts and prayers are with the injured police officer and everyone on Westminster Bridge." Some MPs also described how armed military-style police stormed sections of the building. Mr Garnier said: "There were quite a lot of impressive looking blokes in body armour with machine guns - it was very reassuring, given the circumstances." Worcester MP Robin Walker, who is in Brussels today, said: "I'm very shocked and very saddened by what's happened." West Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin, who is in Malaysia doing ministerial work in her defence role, is flying back to Britain after being briefed on it. Witnesses described the attacker being an Asian man in 40s with an eight-inch long knife. Prime Minister Theresa May was seen being bundled into a silver Jaguar in the grounds of the palace just 40 yards from where the gunshots unfolded. FORMER WORCESTER MP IN STATE OF "REAL SHOCK" MIKE Foster had a lucky escape today after arriving at the scene just 15 minutes after the attacker was shot dead. Worcester's former Labour MP, who lost his seat in 2010, was at Westminster for meetings about his work fronting up an energy and utilities trade body. He left the palaces just after 1pm and tried to get back in just after 3pm, unaware of what had been unfolding moments earlier. The 54-year-old said: "I'd been in parliament all morning alongside an industry colleague from Worcester Bosch. "After catching up with some former colleagues I left the building just after 1pm. "All was normal - the security level was 'severe', which is not unusual and there is always a strong presence of police, some clearly armed. "It's always a busy place, there's always lots of activity inside the building and lots of tourists outside. "This was no different, so it came as a real shock just after 3pm when I tried to head back to Westminster for further meetings only to see a major police incident was taking place. "I followed the advice and vacated the area. "Something like this was always a possibility, but it's still shocking when it happens. "Obviously my thoughts like everyone else's are with the families of the deceased and those injured in this cowardly attack." Mr Foster, who was Worcester's MP from 1997 to 2010, is now chief executive of the Energy and Utilities Alliance and has not ruled out a return to politics. Ipsoregulated This website and associated newspapers adhere to the Independent Press Standards Organisation's Editors' Code of Practice. If you have a complaint about the editorial content which relates to inaccuracy or intrusion, then please contact the editor here. If you are dissatisfied with the response provided you can contact IPSO here

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He had not been convicted previously for any terrorism offences, it said. In a statement to the House of Commons on Thursday, May said Masood was once investigated by intelligence officers over concerns of "violent extremism". London attacker named by police as Khalid Masood "He was a peripheral figure," she said. "The case is historic, he was not part of the current intelligence picture." The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group claimed responsibility on Thursday for the attack. It said on its Amaq website the attacker "carried out the operation in response to calls for targeting citizens of the coalition" of countries fighting ISIL in Syria and Iraq. It was not possible for Al Jazeera to independently confirm the claim, which did not offer any details of the attack or name Masood, casting doubt on whether there is any direct link between ISIL and the London killings. Joseph Downing, from the London School of Economics, expressed scepticism over ISIL's claim. "To me this is something quite common over the last couple of years, over the terrorist attacks in Europe, that ISIL jumps on the bandwagon in the most horrific way and says 'yeah, this our soldier', when there's actually no link between the person carrying out the attack and any particular group," he told Al Jazeera. Some 40 people were wounded in the attack, 29 of whom were being treated in hospital, according to police. Seven were still in critical condition. May said those wounded in the attack included 12 Britons, three French children, two Romanians, four South Koreans, two Greeks, and one each from Germany, Poland, Ireland, China, Italy and the United States. Three police officers were also wounded. The victims included Keith Palmer, a 48-year-old police officer who was stabbed to death, and two members of the public - a woman in her mid-40s and a man in his mid-50s. Earlier on Thursday, police said eight people had been arrested after raids on six homes in London, Birmingham and other parts of the country in their investigation into the attack, in which a man ploughed into pedestrians in a car and then went on a stabbing spree before being shot dead. Mark Rowley, acting deputy commissioner at the Metropolitan police, also revised down the number of victims to three from four. UK police seek answers after Westminster attack "It is still our belief that the attacker acted alone [and] was inspired by international terrorism," Rowley said. Al Jazeera's Barnaby Phillips, reporting from London, said: "The absolute priority of the police at this point in time would be to know what sort of accomplices, if any, the assailant had. What sort of assistance, if any, did the assailant have and whether he belonged to any sort of network." Rowley said he had no specific information about any further risk to the public, but repeated that more officers were on the streets - armed and unarmed - and that many had leave cancelled or were working extended hours. Some of the wounds suffered by the victims were described as "catastrophic". One woman was pulled out alive from the River Thames with serious injuries by port authorities. "We saw a black vehicle at full speed and it ran down a number of people. I could see people flying all around," tourist Babi Nagy told Al Jazeera. "Immediately it came to mind this was a terrorist attack." Polish politician and journalist Radoslaw Sikorski posted a video on Twitter of the aftermath on the bridge, showing several wounded people lying on the ground. "As I was walking up the steps, there was a man who had fallen and medics were taking care of him. There was a lady who was also stabbed or shot. There was a lot of blood," Martin Pearce told Al Jazeera at the scene. The last major attack to hit London was in July 2005, when a coordinated series of bomb blasts targeted its public transportation system during rush hour. The bombings killed 52 people and wounded more than 700 others.
LONDON — Church and government leaders offered prayers in the aftermath of an attack in London on Wednesday afternoon. “Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by the incident in Westminster this afternoon,” read a post on Twitter from the news page of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales. “We pray tonight for the victims, their families, for all affected by this terrible attack and those who responded so bravely,” said Cardinal Vincent Nichols of Westminster. Details surrounding the March 22 attack in Westminster remained unclear some four hours after an attacker in a car apparently plowed into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge. The assailant then reportedly crashed the car and attempted to enter the Parliament building with a knife before being shot by armed police. According to the U.K.’s TheGuardian, at least five people were killed, including one police officer and one man believed to be the assailant. At least 40 others were reported injured, some severely. Nearby government buildings were placed on lockdown while authorities worked to ensure the safety of the area. Scotland Yard said the attack is being treated “as a terrorist incident until we know otherwise.” British Prime Minister Theresa May condemned it as a “sick and depraved terrorist attack,” according to The Associated Press. March 22 marks the one-year anniversary of the Brussels airport bombings that left more than 30 dead and 300 injured. Those bombings were declared the deadliest act of terrorism in Belgium's history. While details surrounding the London attack remain uncertain, religious and national leaders offered condolences and prayers. “Please join me in praying for the people of #London, especially those killed and injured today. St. George and St. Paul, pray for us,” said Bishop James Conley of Lincoln on Twitter. “Terrible scene in London,” said U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan in a post on Twitter. “Praying for the victims of this apparent act of terror. We stand with our friends in Parliament and Great Britain.” Secretary of State Rex Tillerson also released a statement offering prayers. “On behalf of the United States, I express my condolences to the victims and their families,” he said. “The American people send their thoughts and prayers to the people of the United Kingdom. We condemn these horrific acts of violence, and whether they were carried out by troubled individuals or by terrorists, the victims know no difference.” We encourage a lively and honest discussion of our content. We ask that charity guide your words. By submitting this form, you are agreeing to our discussion guidelines. Comments are published at our discretion. We won't publish comments that lack charity, are off topic, or are more than 400 words. Thank you for keeping this forum thoughtful and respectful.
Four dead and 27 injured in Westminster terror attack A man ploughed into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge before stabbing a policeman outside Parliament Four people have died following a terror attack outside the Houses of Parliament. A man was shot outside the Houses of Parliament after a car mowed down pedestrians on Westminster Bridge and a police officer was stabbed in the terrorist attack this afternoon. Four people died in the attack, including PC Keith Palmer, a woman in her 40s, a man in his 50s, and the attacker – and 29 people were injured. (Note: police originally reported five dead and 40 injured but this was updated on March 23) Southwark News sales assistant Sarah Stewart, who lives in Bermondsey, was at the Lambeth Music Festival at the Southbank Centre when the building was evacuated. She reported three helicopters circling over London Eye, Waterloo Station, and the South Bank Centre, at about 4pm. Lambeth Music Festival was been abandoned and the building evacuated. It is believed 500 people including schoolchildren were attending the event. “I’m outside the South Bank Centre and they’re telling everyone to go to Waterloo Station,” said Sarah, aged 23. “They have put the whole of the South Bank area on lockdown. Nothing is going to reopen until tomorrow. “No one is being allowed back in. They are no letting us near the river. “There about 200 or 300 people around me. I don’t think everyone has heard what happened in Westminster yet. “All the kids who were at the Lambeth Music Festival have gone with their teachers. “About 20 security guards were called down. “It looks like the police are trying to close down Westminster Bridge, Waterloo Bridge and [Hungerford Bridge].” The scene at Westminster after a policeman was stabbed. Credit: Patrick Daly @thepatrickdaly Witnesses told of hearing screams and gunshots ring out near Westminster at about 2.40pm today, Wednesday. It is believed a 4×4 vehicle ploughed down numerous people on Westminster Bridge before crashing into railings outside of Parliament. Some pedestrians either jumped or were knocked over the side of the bridge as the car mounted the pavement and struck a number of pedestrians. A man stabbed an unarmed policeman before being shot three times by an armed policeman. Sitting in the Commons was suspended and MPs and journalists were told to stay inside as the surrounding area continues to be in lockdown. Cmdr Harrington of the Met Police said: “The events near Parliament Square Wesminster has been declared a terrorist incident. “There are a number of casualties including police officers.” A police cordon is in place and people are being asked to avoid the following areas: Parliament Square; Whitehall; Westminster Bridge; Lambeth Bridge; Victoria Street up to the junction with Broadway and the Victoria Embankment up to Embankment tube. Horse Guards Avenue in Westminster has been cordoned off Credit: Kirstie Purnell Southwark MPS are all safe Thoughts with police & pedestrians. My team & I safe. Commons in lockdownhttps://twitter.com/DailyMirror/status/844564437700956165/photo/1
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Everyone Arrested In Connection With The Westminster Attack Has Now Been Released Khalid Masood, born Adrian Russell Ajao, was named as the attacker. He was among those who died near parliament on March 22. Three civilians, Aysha Frade, Kurt Cochran, Leslie Rhodes, and a police officer, Keith Palmer, have been identified as his victims. What We Know So Far: Khalid Masood, 52, originally from Kent, was named as the Westminster attacker by the Metropolitan police. He was born Adrian Russell Ajao, the Met police said on Friday morning. Other aliases he is believed to have used include the name Adrian Elms. He had no prior terrorism offence convictions, although he had been previously investigated by security services as a "peripheral figure". Police released a picture of him on Friday. At least five people died — including a police officer and Masood — and 31 others required hospital treatment. Eleven arrests were made after several raids across the country, the Met confirmed. Everyone arrested has now been released with no further action. Keith Palmer, a 48-year-old unarmed officer, was stabbed before Masood was shot by police. A government minister administered CPR, but Palmer ultimately died. Aysha Frade, a 43-year-old teacher and mother of two, was one of the civilians killed. Kurt Cochran, an American citizen, was named as among the dead. Leslie Rhodes, 75, from south London, was later named as the fourth victim. The attack began when a vehicle driving over Westminster Bridge rammed into several pedestrians before crashing into railings at the Palace of Westminster. Masood, armed with a knife, continued the attack. ISIS claimed responsibility through its news agency, calling the assailant – who it did not name – its "soldier". Map Shows Locations Of Incidents In Westminster Attack Chris Applegate / Tom Phillips / BuzzFeed News / Google Maps Updates Posted at Apr. 01, 2017, at 12:12 PM All people arrested in connection with the Westminster terror attack have now been released All those arrested in connection with the terrorist attack in Westminster have now been released and police will take no further action. A 30-year-old man arrested on March 26 in Birmingham on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts and detained under the Terrorism Act was released on Sunday, Met police said in a statement. Eleven other people who were previously arrested in connection with the investigation have also been released with no further action. The inquest into the death of Khalid Masood was adjourned on Thursday and a pre-inquest review has been set by the coroner for May 19. Posted at Mar. 30, 2017, at 17:46 PM London attacker killed by single gunshot to chest, coroner says Matt Dunham / AP The man who mowed down pedestrians on Westminster Bridge before fatally attacking a police officer outside parliament was killed by a single gunshot to the chest, coroner's officials said. In all, Khalid Masood killed four people and injured more than 30 others in the March 22 attack before he was shot dead. One other person remains hospitalized in critical condition. Masood's cause of death was revealed Thursday in Westminster coroner's court, the Associated Press reported. —Jason Wells Posted at Mar. 28, 2017, at 07:17 AM Wife of Khalid Masood expresses her sorrow for those killed Dan Kitwood / Getty Images Rohey Hydara, wife of the man who attacked parliament last week, gave a statement through police in which she expressed her "sadness" for those who had lost their lives. "I express my condolences to the families of the victims that have died and wish a speedy recovery to all the injured," the BBC reported her as saying. Hydara, believed to be Masood's second wife, also asked for privacy for "our family, especially the children, at this difficult time". It comes following the mother of Masood, who was born Adrian Elms, stating she was "shocked" and "deeply saddened" by the actions of her son. Masood, 52, drove a car across Parliament Bridge, injuring scores of people, before crashing the vehicle into railings at the side of the houses of parliament. He then assaulted police officer Keith Palmer, who later died of his injuries, before being shot dead by officers on the scene. Posted at Mar. 27, 2017, at 17:05 PM Mother of London attacker says she is "deeply shocked" by his actions Matt Dunham / AP The mother of the man who carried out the deadly attack in London says she is "deeply shocked, saddened, and numbed" by his actions. In a statement issued Monday, Janet Ajao said she in no way condoned the actions of her son Khalid Masood, who was shot dead by police during the attack, which killed four people: I am so deeply shocked, saddened and numbed by the actions my son has taken that have killed and injured innocent people in Westminster. Since discovering that it was my son that was responsible I have shed many tears for the people caught up in this horrendous incident. I wish to make it absolutely clear, so there can be no doubt, I do not condone his actions nor support the beliefs he held that led to him committing this atrocity. I wish to thank my friends, family and community from the bottom of my heart for the love and support given to us. —Jason Wells Posted at Mar. 27, 2017, at 16:13 PM No evidence Masood had any direct connections to ISIS or al-Qaeda, Met police say More information has emerged about the actions of the man who killed four people – including a police officer – outside the houses of parliament before being shot dead. Speaking on Monday, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu, senior national coordinator for UK counterterrorism policing, said there was "no evidence" the man who took the name Khalid Masood in 2005, having been born Adrian Elms, had discussed his intentions prior to the assault. "His attack method appears to be based on low sophistication, low-tech, low-cost techniques copied from other attacks, and echo the rhetoric of IS leaders in terms of methodology and attacking police and civilians, but at this stage I have no evidence he discussed this with others." Basu continued that while there were no direct connections to ISIS or al-Qaeda, "there is clearly an interest in jihad". He also said there was "no evidence" Masood had been radicalised in prison, adding that "this is pure speculation at this time". —Rose Troup Buchanan Posted at Mar. 26, 2017, at 17:24 PM Police make new arrest Richard Vernalls / PA Wire/PA Images Police in Birmingham on Sunday. A 30-year-old man has been arrested in Birmingham in connection with Wednesday's attack in Westminster, it was announced on Sunday night. The Metropolitan police said the man was arrested on Sunday at an address in the city on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts. One other man, aged 58, remains in custody, while a 32-year-old woman has been bailed until later this month. Meanwhile, UK home secretary Amber Rudd has said it is "completely unacceptable" that messages Khalid Masood may have sent on WhatsApp before launching his deadly attack remain encrypted. "There should be no place for terrorists to hide," Rudd said on BBC1's The Andrew Marr Show. "We need to make sure that organisations like WhatsApp, and there are plenty of others like that, don't provide a secret place for terrorists to communicate with each other." —Matthew Champion Posted at Mar. 26, 2017, at 07:26 AM Police: Khalid Masood acted alone Stefan Rousseau / PA Wire/PA Images The Metropolitan police have said they believe Westminster attacker Khalid Masood acted alone, and warned that we may never know why he acted as he did. Masood was shot by police 82 seconds after his murderous attack began and later died, and while 11 arrests were made in the days after the attack, only one man remains in custody and one woman is out on bail. "We still believe that Masood acted alone on the day and there is no information or intelligence to suggest there are further attacks planned," said deputy assistant commissioner Neil Basu, the senior national coordinator for counterterrorism policing. "Even if he acted alone in the preparation we need to establish with absolute clarity why he did these unspeakable acts to bring reassurance to Londoners, and to provide answers and closure for the families of those killed and the victims and survivors of this atrocity." But Basu added: "We must all accept that there is a possibility we will never understand why he did this. That understanding may have died with him. "Nevertheless, we are determined to understand if Masood was a lone actor inspired by terrorist propaganda or if others have encouraged, supported or directed him. If the latter proves to be the case, they will face justice." Appealing for members of the public to help the investigation into the killings, Basu said: "If you knew Khalid Masood and had spoken to him in the months, weeks or days leading up to this attack please come forward." —Matthew Champion Posted at Mar. 26, 2017, at 07:18 AM Family of murdered PC "overwhelmed" by support Metropolitan police The family of slain police officer Keith Palmer have said they are "overwhelmed by the love and support" they have received since the 48-year-old was killed. "Most especially," a statement released through the Metropolitan police added, "the outpouring of love and respect for our Keith." The statement said: "We want to thank everyone who has reached out to us over the past few days for their kindness and generosity. The police have been a constant, unwavering support at this very difficult time. It has made us realise what a caring, strong and supportive family Keith was part of during his career with the police. We can't thank them enough. "We would also like to express our gratitude to the people who were with Keith in his last moments and who were working that day. There was nothing more you could have done. "You did your best and we are just grateful he was not alone. We care about him being remembered for his selfless bravery and loving nature. We miss him so much, but we are also incredibly proud of Keith." Jack Taylor / Getty Images Tory MP Tobias Ellwood shakes hands with police outside parliament as he arrives for work the day after the attack. Meanwhile Foreign Office minister Tobias Ellwood, who gave first aid to Palmer after the officer had been stabbed by Westminster attacker Khalid Masood, has said he is "heartbroken" he could not save him. "I am heartbroken that I could not do more for PC Keith Palmer who gave his life in holding the line against terrorism and defending democracy. I shall be writing to the family of PC Palmer to offer my sincere condolences," he said in a statement. "I'm deeply humbled and overwhelmed by the messages of support, especially from the policing fraternity, which I now realise is as close knit as the military's in supporting its own. "I played only a small part that day, doing what I was taught to do, and am honoured to have been invited to join the Privy Council afterwards. "It is right that we concentrate our thoughts on the victims as we stand side by side to protect all that we hold dear, including our precious values and way of life which will always prevail." —Matthew Champion Posted at Mar. 25, 2017, at 22:56 PM Police say deadly Westminster attack lasted 82 seconds Kirsty Wigglesworth / AP The deadly Westminster attack that left four people dead Wednesday began and was over within 82 seconds, police said Saturday. Police released a timeline of the bloody attack, revealing that in just over a minute Khalid Masood killed three civilians and one police officer, and injured 31 other people. The attack began Wednesday at 2:40 p.m. when Masood drove his car over the Westminster Bridge and then veered on to the footpath. Masood drove through the pedestrian walkway for 30 seconds before crashing into a perimeter fence of the Palace of Westminster, police said. Exactly 21 seconds after the crash, the first call to police was made. Masood then got out of his car and was shot by an officer inside the Palace of Westminster 31 seconds after that call was made. Police said their investigation is still continuing, and asked for people who knew and spoke with Masood in the previous weeks and months to contact authorities. "We must all accept that there is a possibility we will never understand why he did this," Deputy Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu said in a statement. "That understanding may have died with him." Authorities believe he acted alone. "Whilst the attack lasted only 82 seconds it will remain in the memories of many forever," Basu said. —Salvador Hernandez Posted at Mar. 25, 2017, at 17:40 PM Only one person remains in custody over Wednesday's attack On Saturday evening police revealed that one of the two people still in custody in connection with the attack in Westminster had been released. The 27-year-old man arrested late on Thursday in Birmingham was told he would face no further action. A 39-year-old woman arrested in east London and bailed until the end of this month has also been released with no further action. Seven other people have also been released and one woman remains out on bail, meaning only one person remains in custody over Khalid Masood's attack –&nbsp;a 58-year-old man who was arrested on Thursday morning at an address in Birmingham, who is being detained under anti-terror laws. Two men still in custody in connection with attack Victoria Jones / PA Wire/PA Images Seven of the 11 people arrested by police investigating Khalid Masood's attack this week have now been released with no further action, it was announced last night. As well as the six people released from custody last night, a 35-year-old man has been released with no further police action, and a 32-year-old woman has been bailed until the end of the month. Both were arrested in Manchester. Meanwhile, two men remain in custody: a 58-year-old man arrested in Birmingham on Thursday morning, and a 28-year-old man arrested later in the day at a separate address in the city. They are being detained under the Terrorism Act 2000. One other woman remains on police bail: a 39-year-old arrested at an address in east London on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts. She is due to return to police until a date later this month. —Matthew Champion Posted at Mar. 24, 2017, at 20:17 PM Six people arrested in London attack investigation are released Christopher Furlong / Getty Images Authorities on Friday released six people who were arrested as part of the ongoing investigation into the attack in London. Among those released were a 21-year-old woman and a 23-year-old man who were arrested at one address, as well as a 26-year-old woman and three men aged 28, 27, and 26, who were taken into custody at separate locations in Birmingham, the Metropolitan police announced. A 39-year-old woman arrested in east London on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts was also released on bail until a later date in March. Four others arrested in Birmingham and Manchester on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts remain in custody as part of a sweep of 21 locations. While police believe Khalid Masood, a 52-year-old British man with a history of violent crimes, carried out the attack on Westminster Bridge and outside parliament alone, they are investigating what help he may have received and whether he had any accomplices. Khalid Masood – born Adrian Elms – has been named as the man who killed four people and injured 50 others in an attack on Westminster on Wednesday. Here's everything we know about him. —Matthew Champion Posted at Mar. 24, 2017, at 17:18 PM Muslim leaders in Birmingham are holding emergency meetings across the city There are concerns of a ramped up anti-Muslim backlash that communities may face following the London terror attack. Mahmooda Qureshi from Hope Not Hate, an anti-racism campaign group, told BuzzFeed News a rally was being organised in Birmingham city centre on Saturday, and said: "It's to distance ourselves and that it has got nothing to do with Islam and to state: not in our name." Imams from major Birmingham mosques read sermons addressing the attacks, and called for "unity". At a packed Friday prayers with Muslims from all backgrounds, Sheikh Abdur Raheem McCarthy said in a sermon delivered in English that Muslims were "blessed" in the UK as they have freedom of faith. "We also need to increase our relationship with the local community. And instead of making this divide us, let it bring us closer together and let us stand in solidarity against that which is wrong." After prayers, the imam read out a statement from the Metropolitan police reassuring the communities there would be extra patrols on the streets, and that the attack was by "a terrorist and someone not of the faith". Muhammad Afzal, the chairman of Birmingham Central Mosque, called for calm and said in a statement: "We request all communities for the unity and calm." He added: "We call upon those that may have even a shred of sympathy for the like-minded terrorists to shake their conscience and realise that such acts are the work of evil and not the work of God-fearing people." In the aftermath of Wednesday's attack in London, this photo of a woman walking along Westminster bridge went viral. The woman was accused by people on the far-right of ignoring a victim on the road, and not showing emotion after the attack. Now the woman, who has not been named, has provided a statement defending herself via the charity TellMAMA: What the image does not show is that I had talked to other witnesses to try and find out what was happening, to see if I could be any help, even though enough people were at the scene tending to victims. I then decided to call my family to say that i was fine and was making my way home from work, assisting a lady along the way by helping her get to Waterloo station. My thoughts go out to all the victims and their families. I would like to thank Jamie Lorriman, the photographer who took the picture, for speaking to the media in my defence. —Rachael Krishna Posted at Mar. 24, 2017, at 14:29 PM Met police release image of Masood in appeal for information Met Police In an updated statement, the Met police clarified that Masood had previously gone by both Adrian Elms and Adrian Russell Ajao. "He may also be known by a number of other names," they added. The statement also said the number of arrests had risen to 11. A 32-year-old woman was arrested on Friday at a location in Manchester on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts. Ten people remain in custody. —Rose Troup Buchanan Posted at Mar. 24, 2017, at 13:54 PM Downing Street says Google and Facebook "can and must do more" to fight extremism Alamy Downing Street added to pressure on Google and Facebook on Friday, warning the internet giants that they "can and must do more" to stop hateful and violent material appearing on their platforms. Theresa May's official spokesperson would not comment on whether there was specific evidence that the internet had played a role in the apparent radicalisation of the Westminster attacker, Khalid Masood. As a general point, however, he told reporters that the "fight against terrorism and hate speech has to be a joint one" and that the technology companies weren't, in the government's view, pulling their weight. "Social media companies have a responsibility when it comes to making sure that this material is not disseminated," the Number 10 official said. "And we have been clear repeatedly that we think they can and must do more. And we are always talking with them on how to achieve that." "The message that we've delivered consistently is that we want them to do more and the ball is now in their court," he added. "Let's see how they respond." First images of Masood as a schoolchild emerge Huntleys School Website This photograph, taken when Masood was at school, is believed to have been taken after a four-hour five-a-side tournament for charity. Kenton Till, who was part of the charity team, described him to the BBC as an extremely popular student who was thought of as bright and sporty. "He had a big personality and everyone liked him," Till said. It comes as details about Masood's background slowly begin to emerge. Earlier, acting deputy Met police commissioner Mark Rowley said they believed Masood was born Adrian Russell Ajao. Earlier media reports had identified one of his aliases as Adrian Elms, born in the Dartford district of Kent. It is thought he took his stepfather's name, Ajao, after his mother remarried two years after he was born. It is believed Masood was an English teacher, The Sun also reported. The newspaper also claimed to have seen a recent copy of Masood's CV in which he claims to have an economics degree and describes himself as "friendly and approachable". The BBC found he had recently lived in the West Midlands, but he is also thought to have lived in Crawley, West Sussex, and Rye and Eastbourne, both in East Sussex, as well as Luton and east London. The fourth victim, 75-year-old Leslie Rhodes, was named by the Met police today. Rhodes was a retired window cleaner, who was described by neighbours as a "lovely man," according to the Press Association. The neighbour told the news organisation Rhodes had no children and was not married, and that he "would do anything for anybody". American Kurt Cochran was identified yesterday. He and his wife Melissa Payne Cochran were thought to have been celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary in London. Relatives said she suffered serious injuries in the attack and is still being treated in hospital. Clint Payne, understood to be Kurt's brother-in-law, wrote on Facebook: "Our hearts are broken this day as we say goodbye to our dear brother-in-law Kurt. He passed away from the injuries sustained in the London terrorist attack yesterday. We love him so much and will never forget him." Aysha Frade, 43, was reportedly on her way to pick up her children from school when she was struck by the car that drove into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge. The mother of two taught Spanish at DLD College London. " She was highly regarded and loved by our students and by her colleagues. She will be deeply missed by all of us," a spokesperson for the college told BuzzFeed News. Veteran police officer Keith Palmer was killed. The 48-year-old was married with a five-year-old daughter. In a statement on Thursday, his family said he would be remembered as a "wonderful dad and husband," a loving son, brother, and uncle, and a long-time supporter of Charlton FC. He was a friend to "everyone who knew him" and was brave, dedicated, courageous, and proud to be a police officer, they said. Met police release more information about Westminster attacker Khalid Masood's birth name has been stated as Adrian Russell Ajao, acting deputy police commissioner Mark Rowley has said in a briefing outside New Scotland Yard this morning. "We stated he had a number of aliases, and we do know that his birth name was Adrian Russell," Rowley said. Rowley said there was "no evidence of further threats", but that a "large, fast paced investigation" was examining Masood's actions leading up the attack: "Our determination is to find out if he acted totally alone inspired by terrorist propaganda or if others encouraged or supported him." Rowley said two further arrests were made last night: one in the West Midlands, and one in North West England. One woman has been released on bail. Nine people remain in custody. Five searches on addresses were in progress, with 16 searches on properties around the UK concluded. "We have seized 2,700 items from these searches," he said, including "massive of amounts of computer data for us to search through". Addressing those injured in the attack, Rowley named the fourth victim as Leslie Rhodes, 75, from Streatham, in south London. The number of those hurt in the attack rose. Rowley stated at least 50 people were injured, with 31 people requiring hospital treatment, in the attack. "Those affected include a real cross-section of ages, from at least 12 nationalities," he continued. He said of those in hospital, two remained in "critical condition", with one person considered to have "life-threatening" injuries. Two off-duty officers who were caught up in the assault on Westminster Bridge remain in hospital with serious injuries. Earlier, multiple media reports identified Adrian Elms as one of the alias believed to have been used by Masood. Details around the attacker, named by the Metropolitan police as 52-year-old Khalid Masood, continue to emerge on Friday morning. Masood, who operated under a number of aliases, is believed to have been born as Adrian Elms in Kent, the BBC reported. It is believed that Masood was an English teacher, The Sun also reported. The newspaper also claimed to have seen a recent copy of Masood's CV in which he claims to have an economics degree and describes himself as "friendly and approachable". Most recently he lived in the West Midlands, but he is also thought to have lived in Crawley, West Sussex, and Rye and Eastbourne, both in East Sussex, as well as Luton and east London. Masood had a chequered past, according to his police record. His first conviction was in November 1983, aged 19, when he was convicted for criminal damage. His last conviction was in 2003 when he stabbed a 22-year-old man in a nursing home in Eastbourne. He was charged and convicted of GBH, wounding with intent, and possessing an offensive weapon, and served time in prison. Sadiq Khan, who spoke at the vigil, told BuzzFeed News it was a way of showing "evil and twisted individuals" that they were not going to be successful in their aims. The home secretary Amber Rudd also addressed the crowd to pay tribute to PC Keith Palmer. Houses searched in Brighton and Wales Joe Giddens / PA Wire/PA Images Officers search an address in Birmingham connected to Wednesday's attack. The Metropolitan police have confirmed to BuzzFeed News that as part of today's investigations, houses were also searched in Brighton and Wales. Previously police had only said searches were carried out in London, Birmingham, and "elsewhere". The news was confirmed by the Met after Norfolk police issued a statement on their website announcing the searches had been carried out. The Met said searches were ongoing at an address in Carmarthenshire, three in Birmingham, and one in east London. Searches at addresses in Brighton and southeast London have concluded. New information has also been released about the arrests made since yesterday's attack. Overnight a 39-year-old woman was arrested at an address in east London; a 21-year-old woman and a 23-year-old man were arrested at an address in Birmingham; a 26-year-old woman and three men aged 26, 27, and 28 were arrested at a separate address in Birmingham – all on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts. Police have said they believed the attack's perpetrator, Khalid Masood, had acted alone. A 58-year-old man was also arrested at a separate address in Birmingham this morning, also on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts. Meanwhile the police watchdog the IPCC says it has opened an independent investigation into the fatal police shooting of Masood. "It's important to stress that we are currently investigating the circumstances of the incident and no police officers are under investigation," said IPCC deputy chair Sarah Green. "The IPCC and the Metropolitan Police Service are following agreed working arrangements related to terrorist incidents, which are working well. I recognise that this is a very difficult time for the police service, following the tragic loss of PC Keith Palmer and the injuries to other officers. We are giving this investigation the highest priority and we will conclude it as soon as possible." PM visits victims injured in the Westminster attack The PM quietly visited victims who were injured in the attack along Westminster Bridge on Thursday afternoon. In a private visit to an unnamed hospital, Theresa May spent about 40 minutes speaking to victims of yesterday's attacks and hospital staff. – Rose Buchanan Posted at Mar. 23, 2017, at 16:16 PM Keith Palmer's family: "A wonderful dad and husband" Dominic Lipinski / PA Wire/PA Images In a statement, Palmer's family said the former soldier and policeman of 15 years was "dedicated to his job and proud to be a police officer, brave and courageous". Palmer, 48, who was married and had a 5-year-old daughter, was described as "a wonderful dad and husband". "A loving son, brother and uncle. A longtime supporter of Charlton FC. A friend to everyone who knew him. He will bet deeply missed. We love him so much," his family said. The statement came shortly before a number of Palmer's colleagues were due to lay a wreath outside New Scotland Yard in his memory. Colleague PC James Aitkenhead described him as "a genuinely nice person; nobody had a bad word to say about him. When I heard what had happened I knew it would be him because that's just the sort of guy he was, to step straight in when others might step back. "He had a great work ethic, he worked on our warrants' car for years, getting up at 4am to serve warrants and arresting wanted offenders. He was always so positive, always staying late after everyone else and getting in early." The 52-year-old was born in Kent and detectives believe he was most recently living in the West Midlands. Masood was also known by a number of aliases. In a statement, the Metropolitan Police said "was not the subject of any current investigations and there was no prior intelligence about his intent to mount a terrorist attack". He had a range of previous convictions, although none for terrorism offences, including GBH, possession of offensive weapons, and public order offences. His first conviction was in November 1983 for criminal damage and his last conviction was in December 2003 for possession of a knife. He was investigated "some years ago" as part of a historic investigation into violent extremism but was a peripheral figure. It is assumed by police that he was acting on extreme Islamist ideology. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack on Thursday. Former UKIP leader Nigel Farage has been called on to retract his statement that the Westminster terror attack on Wednesday was linked to uncontrolled immigration – after it emerged that the security services believe the attacker was born in Britain. Speaking on Fox News on Wednesday night after the attack, Farage said recent terrorism was the fault of politicians who advocated mass immigration. "The moment has come for us to point the finger of blame. What these politicians have done in the last 15 years will affect how we live for 100 years," he said. Social media was awash with people who challenged him to retract the statement after the prime minister told the House of Commons on Thursday morning that the attacker was born in Britain and had been investigated at some point by security services. Kurt Cochran, from Utah, was killed in terror attack in Westminster, and his wife Melissa was seriously injured and is in hospital in London. The couple were in London to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. Clint Payne, understood to be Kurt's brother-in-law, wrote on Facebook: "Our hearts are broken this day as we say goodbye to our dear brother-in-law Kurt. He passed away from the injuries sustained in the London terrorist attack yesterday. We love him so much and will never forget him." He said his sister, Melissa sustained a broken leg, broken rib and a cut to her head. "We are grateful that she will recover," he said in the post. "Our hearts ache for her and their children in losing their loving companion and father. Please continue to pray for our family. Thank you." Another relative, Shantell Payne, wrote in a separate Facebook post on Thursday: "This pain is so heart wrenching and raw it has rocked our family and all that knew him to its core. We will miss Kurt beyond words. We love you Kurt. RIP." After seeing a picture of his local liaison officer Søren D. Sozza in news coverage of the attack, Mark Oakley, who owns The Eagle pub in Vauxhall, situated near the attack, was moved to share his gratitude on Facebook. "This image has reinforced my love and respect for the many officers who I have worked with for many years and seeing how close this terror is to where I live and work, and knowing that one of his colleagues was murdered on our streets has deeply saddened me tonight," he wrote. Sozza told BuzzFeed News he was "humbled by Mark's very kind words of appreciation and am encouraged by his defiance to being affected by the incident". World leaders express condolences for London and the British people Vladimir Putin, Russia's leader, released the following statement: "Terrorist attacks are becoming increasingly cunning and cynical. It is obvious that all members of the international community should join forces to stand up against the terrorist threat." Earlier, former US president Barack Obama tweeted his support and his sorrow for those killed. Yesterday, White House press secretary Sean Spicer said US president Donald Trump had spoken to Theresa May, and that the US was continuing to monitor the situation. German chancellor Angela Merkel, before more details about the nature of the attack had been established, said: "Even if the background to these attacks has yet to be cleared up, I would like to emphasise on behalf of Germany and its citizens: We stand resolutely on Britain's side in the fight against any form of terrorism." François Hollande, France's leader, declared France's "solidarity and support" for Britain and the victims of the attack. "Terrorism affects us all," he said. "France, which has been so badly hit in recent times, knows what the British people are suffering today." The Netherlands' leader, Mark Rutte, said: "Horrible images from London. The very heart of the city has been struck. Our thoughts are with the British people." And Belgium's leader, Charles Michel, who only yesterday marked the year anniversary of a terror attack on Brussels, expressed his condolences with London and the British people. "Belgium stands with UK in fight against terror," he said. —Rose Troup Buchanan Posted at Mar. 23, 2017, at 13:20 PM Security services could have dropped monitoring attacker because of resources or the closure of an investigation Stressing they did not know the identity of the attacker, a former British intelligence officer told BuzzFeed News that "peripheral figure" would indicate an individual that MI5 would have looked into, and possibly monitored, for reasons of behaviour, background, or connections. After a period of time, the investigation would have been dropped for a number of reasons, including human rights law that demands surveillance be proportional, resources, or the closure of an investigation, but it is difficult to speculate on these until the identity of the attacker is known. An indiscriminate attack by a British-born terrorist was a strike against "free people everywhere" and injured people from various countries, Theresa May told the House of Commons on Thursday. Updating parliament on the ongoing investigation into Wednesday's attack, the prime minister confirmed that the attacker, whose identity has not been publicly disclosed, was born in the UK and was known to the police and intelligence services. The man had been investigated "some years ago" because of concerns about violent extremism but was considered a "peripheral" figure, May said. "The case is historic – he was not part of the current intelligence picture," May said. May chaired a meeting of the government's emergency committee, Cobra, at 7.30pm on Wednesday night. She will have further briefings and meetings with security officials throughout Thursday. There was no intelligence suggesting another attack was imminent. Echoing defiant comments and tributes to the security authorities made by MPs in the House throughout the morning, the prime minister insisted Britain would not be cowed. "We are not afraid. And our resolve will never waver in the face of terrorism," she said. Scotland's first minister has paid tribute to the "vibrant, diverse, and wonderful" city of London Wpa Pool / Getty Images Nicola Sturgeon has paid tribute to the "vibrant, diverse, and wonderful city" of London during a sombre edition of First Minister's Questions at the Scottish parliament in Edinburgh. The weekly event, where the first minister is usually grilled by the four opposition leaders, was dominated this afternoon by tributes to those who lost their lives or were injured in yesterday's attack at Westminster. "Many of us in this chamber have friends and colleagues, indeed some of us have family members, who work within the Palace of Westminster," said Sturgeon. "Parliamentarians, staff, and journalists. "Yesterday was a harrowing day for all of them and they have our support and good wishes. Above all, we stand in solidarity with London – a vibrant, diverse, wonderful city that will never be cowed by mindless acts of violence." Sturgeon went on to confirm that there was "no intelligence of any increased threat" to Scotland in the wake of yesterday's attack in London, but added that security had been stepped up in "key locations" throughout the country. "Acts of terrorism are not the responsibility of any one faith or section of our society," the first minister continued. "The only people to blame for acts of terrorism are the individuals who plan and perpetrate them." Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson expressed her "deep shock" at the events in London, but went on to warn would-be attackers: "We will not be silenced, and we will not be cowed." Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale described Westminster as a "beacon of democracy", and went on to say that "this cannot and must not turn into a war on any one community". The Scottish parliament was debating a referendum on independence when news of yesterday's attack broke and the session was cancelled. It was confirmed this morning that the debate will continue on Tuesday next week. Following the attack, an image of a London Underground sign began to circulate on Twitter. However, immediately after the sign was shared, it was quickly shown to be fake. The sign appears to have been created using an online generator. On Thursday, MP Simon Hoare raised the sign in the Commons. "My judgment is he or she speaks for the whole country irrespective of faith of creed when they wrote: 'All terrorists are politely reminded that this is London and whatever you do to us we will drink tea and jolly well carry on'," he told the house. May called it a "wonderful tribute", and said it "in a very simple way I think has encapsulated everything everybody in this house has said today". "What happened yesterday was an appalling atrocity," he said. "Today, we are united by our humanity, by our democratic values and by that human impulse for solidarity to stand together in times of darkness and adversity. "I express my condolences to the family and friends of PC Keith Palmer, who gave his life yesterday in defence of the public and our democracy – and to the loved ones of those still in a critical condition including the French schoolchildren visiting our capital from Concarneau in Brittany. ... "I thank all the dedicated NHS staff working to save lives, including those from St Thomas' Hospital who rushed out to help those in need. We are grateful for the public service workers who yesterday, today and every day they pull on their uniforms. "It behoves us all not to rush to judgement, but to wait for the police to establish the facts. We must stay united in our communities and not to allow fear or the voices of hatred to divide or cower us. It is by demonstrating our values of solidarity, community, humanity and love that we will defeat the poison and division of hatred." The Scottish National Party's leader in the House of Commons Angus Robertson echoed May and Corbyn's sentiments, saying: "Today of all days we are reminded that notwithstanding our differences on political and constitutional issues we are as one in our dedication to democracy, the rule of law and harmony between peoples of all faiths and none." Robertson also paid tribute to police,and the bravery of the Conservative minister who went to the aid of the stabbed officer: "'We are all hugely grateful to all the police, security staff and first responders who ran towards danger without concern to their safety, and I include in that our colleague the Right Honourable and gallant member for Bournemouth East Tobias Ellwood." Parliament is to review its security procedures in an emergency meeting later today in the wake of yesterday's terror attack. Lindsay Hoyle, deputy speaker of the House of Commons and chairman of parliament's security committee, told the BBC that he would be hosting a meeting to check if additional measures were required. "We will be having an emergency meeting," he said. "We'll be getting information, what else needs to be put in place, and we will reflect, not instantly, we've got to take on board what's happened and we will make decisions accordingly. Of course, we've got to look after both houses." TV footage on Thursday morning showed new concrete blocks being moved into place around the Palace of Westminster in the wake of the attack. The blocks have already been in place around parts of the parliamentary estate as part of longstanding security measures against vehicle attack. People from 10 different countries caught up in attack, PM says Sky News screengrab Speaking in the Commons, Theresa May revealed some details about those injured in the attack. She said around 40 pedestrians were hurt on Westminster Bridge, including 12 Britons, three French children, two Romanians, four South Koreans, one German, one Pole, one Irish person, one Chinese person, one Italian, one American, and two Greeks. "We are in close contact with the governments of the countries of all those affected," the prime minister said. The French foreign minister, Jean-Marc Ayrault, was in the Commons and Speaker John Bercow paid tribute to him earlier that session, noting his presence was indication of the international support given to the UK in the wake of the attack on parliament. May added that the injured included three police officers who were returning from an event recognising their bravery, two of whom remain in a serious condition. Earlier, the acting Metropolitan police commissioner had said there were 29 people in five hospitals across the country. Seven are in a critical condition. —Matthew Champion Posted at Mar. 23, 2017, at 10:49 AM PM Theresa May says attacker was "British-born" and had been previously investigated by MI5 as a "peripheral" figure Addressing the House of Commons, prime minister Theresa May confirmed that the attacker, who has still not been publicly identified, was known to MI5 and police and had been a "peripheral figure" in a "historic" investigation into violent extremism. "It is still believed that this attacker acted alone and there is no reason to believe there are imminent further attacks on the public," she said. "His identity is known to police and MI5 and when operational considerations allow he will be publicly identified. "What I can confirm is that the man was British-born and that some years ago he was once investigated by MI5 in relation to concerns about violent extremism. He was a peripheral figure. The case is historic. He was not part of the current intelligence picture. There was no prior intelligence of his intent or of the plot. Intensive investigations continue." May also reiterated earlier lines from the police and defence secretary Michael Fallon that the investigation is focusing on the "working assumption" the attacker was "inspired by Islamist ideology". "We know the threat from Islamist terrorism is very real," she said. "But while the public should remain utterly vigilant they should not – and will not – be cowed by this threat. "As acting Deputy Commissioner Rowley has made clear, we are stepping up policing to protect communities across the country and to reassure the public." May praised the security and emergency forces for their swift and calm response to the attack, made more remarkable after they had "lost one of their own". "We will remember the exceptional bravery of our police, security, and emergency services who once again ran towards the danger even as they encouraged others to move the other way," she said. "On behalf of the whole country I want to pay tribute to them for the work they have been doing to reassure the public, treat the injured and bring security back to the streets of our capital city. "That they have lost one of their own in yesterday's attack only makes their calmness and professionalism all the more remarkable." —James Ball and Francis Whittaker Posted at Mar. 23, 2017, at 10:43 AM Prime minister reveals nationalities of those wounded and more details on attacker in speech to House of Commons Westminster Bridge survivor: "The car came out of nowhere" Carl Court / Getty Images BuzzFeed News has spoken to a survivor who was hit by the attacker's car and flung to the ground on Westminster Bridge, and who said he was unable to describe the Wednesday's events because of the horrific aftermath. The survivor, who asked not to be named, was visiting London from Liverpool and sustained cuts and bruises to his legs – he was with friends who were also hit by the car but survived. He has now been discharged from hospital. "There was just lot of yelling and commotion," he said. "Then this car came out of nowhere and knocked me and my mates over. The scenes after that I don't really want to describe. They were pretty horrific." —Pat Smith Posted at Mar. 23, 2017, at 10:23 AM Met police have made another arrest in connection to the attack In total eight people have now been arrested, following raids on six properties across the country. The Met has confirmed that these arrests are connected to the attack on Westminster yesterday afternoon. Posted at Mar. 23, 2017, at 09:47 AM Minute's silence held for those killed in Westminster attack The streets around parliament remained closed on Thursday morning. But inside the building life was already back to a strange sort of normal. Hundreds of MPs, peers, staff, and journalists were allowed through police cordons around Westminster to attend parliament. They turned up early for what has been billed as a normal working day, designed to show that the attack would not disrupt British democracy. Security checks were enforced but were no tougher than usual and inside parliament's canteens hundreds of breakfasts were being served. At 9.33am a minute's silence was held, with a packed House of Commons standing together to remember those who lost their lives on Wednesday. They stood, heads bowed, and observed a minute's silence in honour of the lives lost in the attack less than 24 hours earlier. At 9.35am, the doors were opened and members of the press were admitted to the viewing galleries. Speaker John Bercow called the house to order. Liam Fox, the international trade secretary, rose to take ministerial questions as scheduled. He began with a short, defiant statement, insisting that Britain wouldn't be cowed by terrorists. "Such acts of savagery against the innocent can never be justified," Fox said. But he quickly moved on to business. Bob Blackman, a Conservative MP, rose to ask the first question. On the verge of tears, he paid tribute to the police who put their lives on the line to defend parliament every day. It was short, sombre. Then he asked the minister a question about Israeli pharmaceutical exports. A group of MPs shuffled out of the house. There was work to be done. But, while MPs attempted to get on with their days in a show of defiance, it was impossible to avoid the events. The main route linking the two main parliamentary buildings passes along the edge of New Palace Yard, the cobbled square where police officer Keith Palmer was killed by an attacker. Thousands of staff have no choice but to walk along this route several times a day, making it impossible to avoid the sight of a crime scene investigation. An ambulance remained on the scene, next to a tent covering the site where Palmer fell. At the carriage gates, where the attacker allegedly broke through, around a dozen police officers were conducting a fingertip search of the ground. And beyond that Parliament Square and Whitehall, usually packed with tourists, protesters, and office workers, was silent. Aysha Frade, a 43-year-old teacher and mother of two, was one of those killed in Wednesday's attack on Westminster, her place of work confirmed to BuzzFeed News on Thursday morning. She was reportedly on her way to pick up her children from school when she was struck by the car that drove into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge. Frade taught Spanish at DLD College London, which is just over the river from the houses of parliament. The college confirmed to BuzzFeed News she had died in yesterday's attack. "We are all deeply shocked and saddened at the news that one of the victims yesterday was a member of our staff, Aysha Frade. All our thoughts and our deepest sympathies are with her family. We will be offering every support we can to them as they try to come to terms with their devastating loss," Rachel Borland, principal at DLD College London, told BuzzFeed News. "Aysha worked as a member of our administration team at the college. She was highly regarded and loved by our students and by her colleagues. She will be deeply missed by all of us." According to Spanish newspaper La Voz de Galicia, Frade was originally from Betanzos in Galicia, northern Spain. Met police revise death toll to four, including attacker Four people, including the attacker, died in the attack on Westminster yesterday, the Metropolitan police confirmed to BuzzFeed News this morning following Commissioner Mark Rowley's earlier statement. Previous statements from New Scotland Yard had said that five people – including the attacker –&nbsp;had been killed in the assault outside the British parliament. Defence secretary Michael Fallon says security services' working assumption is that the attack was linked to "Islamic terrorism" Andy Buchanan / AFP / Getty Images Defence secretary Michael Fallon, speaking to the BBC's Today programme, said the "working assumption" was that the attack on Westminster was linked to "Islamic terrorism". Fallon said the Metropolitan police were making "urgent" investigations into the alleged attacker and his known associates – although he declined to state whether there was any indication he acted alone. "The working assumption is that this is related to Islamic terrorism in some form, but they [the police] don't yet have a full enough picture of this man and his known associates. That work is still going on," he said. "This kind of attack, this lone-wolf attack, using things from daily life, a vehicle, a knife, are much more difficult to forestall, and we are also dealing with a terrorist enemy that is not making demands or holding people hostage but simply wants to kill as many people as possible. "This is a new element to international terrorism but our forces are working extremely hard. I have every confidence that they will track down his known associates." The defence secretary declined to comment on any security changes, but confirmed he would chair a review when it came. He praised the efforts of police and security forces in the aftermath of the attack. "Although there is intense security around the Palace of Westminster, London is going to work this morning," Fallon said. "Parliament itself will resume at the normal time." "London is getting back to work. London has seen this before and is taking it on the chin," he said. "I do want to reassure you that the police and the security services are doing everything possible to make sure that people can go about their daily life as safely as possible." The Metropolitan police confirm seven arrests made last night Mark Rowley, the national lead for counterterrorism policing and the acting deputy commissioner, confirmed that seven arrests had been made, following raids on six properties across the country. He confirmed that four people were killed by the attacker, including two members of the public: a woman in her mid-forties and a man in his fifties. Among the dead were a "mix of nationalities", Rowley said, declining to name any of those killed other than 48-year-old police officer Keith Palmer. Rowley said 29 individuals were being treated in five hospitals across London. Seven are in a critical condition. Probed on the identity of the alleged attacker, Rowley declined to comment on the individual's nationality and said he would not be naming the suspect – and urged the media to respect that decision. "It is still our belief that this attacker acted alone, and was inspired by international terrorism," Rowley said. Meanwhile, he said London will see an increased police presence, as at least 60 officers continue working on a "large and complicated crime scene" outside Westminster. "We must not allow terrorism to sow discord and fear in our city," he said. —Rose Buchanan Posted at Mar. 23, 2017, at 07:34 AM Police make ”several" arrests following raid on property in Birmingham, multiple reports state Carl Court / Getty Images The police have made "several" arrests after a raid on a property in Birmingham, the BBC, ITV, and Sky News have reported. The BBC subsequently said it had been told police confirmed the raids were linked to the attack outside Westminster on Wednesday afternoon. Press inquiries to West Midlands police were redirected to the Metropolitan police, who declined to comment on the reports when contacted by BuzzFeed News, citing "operational reasons". Last night, the surrounding area of a property on Hagley Road in southwest Birmingham was closed for roughly two hours. "There is an ongoing police operation, no further details are being given at this stage," West Midlands police told The Guardian. Separately, it was reported the car – described by witnesses as a Hyundai 4x4 – used to plough through pedestrians in the cycle line on Westminster Bridge was believed to have been rented from near the raided property in Solihull. The BBC's security correspondent Frank Gardner told the Today programme that there were "indications" that the car began its journey in Birmingham. Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 22:48 PM Slain officer is identified as death toll rises to 5 people BBC The death toll in Wednesday's Westminster attack rose to five people, including the attacker and a police officer, who was identified as a 15-year veteran. The officer, 48-year-old Keith Palmer, was a member of the parliamentary and diplomatic command, said Mark Rowley, the acting deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan police. Palmer's killer was fatally shot by another police officer. Palmer was a husband and a father, Rowley added. Metro Police Getty Keith Palmer. "He was someone who left for work today expecting to return home at the end of his shift, and he had every right to expect that to happen," Rowley said. Three of the victims were members of the public, but not immediately identified. About 40 other people were injured in the attack, some of them seriously, Rowley said. Three of the injured were police officers, two of whom were in serious condition. The identify of the attacker had not been released, but Rowley said police believe he was inspired by international terrorism. Police are working on taking statements from hundreds of people at the scene, reviewing CCTV footage, and seeking information on the attacker and his associates. "Terrorists have a clear aim: that is to create discord, destruction, and to create fear," he said. "The police stand with all communities in the UK and will take action against anyone who seeks to undermine society, especially where their crimes are motivated by hate." —Claudia Koerner Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 21:27 PM Government officials describe crawling on hands and knees to escape attack Carl Court / Getty Images Grant Shapps was walking through from his office to a vote in the House of Commons, making small talk with a handful of fellow Conservative MPs, when he noticed something was amiss at the gates of parliament. At first he dismissed it as another protest and carried on walking. Moments later, he was crawling on his hands and knees for safety, having just witnessed a terror attack. "I could hear a kerfuffle going on, which is not unusual as there's often protests by the gates," the former minister told BuzzFeed News. "As I'm looking around I hear, 'BAM BAM BAM' – what sounded like four shots to me." "Suddenly, a police officer is standing right where we are, shouting, 'Get down, get down, get back!' We crawled, hands and knees, back to a safety position." The former minister was one of hundreds of MPs, parliamentary staff, and journalists who spent several hours in Westminster Abbey as police gathered statements. They began to trickle out of the cathedral at around 8pm. Prime minister Theresa May says attack targeted freedom and democracy BBC Theresa May on Wednesday night said the attack at Westminster was no accident, but rather a direct attack on British democracy. "The location of this attack was no accident," the prime minister said in a speech outside Number 10. "The terrorists chose to strike at the heart of our capital city where people of all nationalities, religions, and cultures come together to celebrate the values of liberty, democracy, and freedom of speech." The single attacker first drove into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, May said, killing two people and injuring others – including three police officers. He then got out of the vehicle and ran toward parliament with a knife. There, he was confronted by officers. One officer was killed, and the attacker was shot dead by police, May said. The prime minister praised police and emergency responders, and said parliament would return to its business as normal on Thursday, as would other Londoners. "And we will all move forward together," she said, "never giving in to terror and never allowing the voices of hate and evil to drive us." News reports identify wrong man as Westminster attacker A Channel 4 News report misidentified a man associated with a British Muslim terrorist group as the Westminster attacker on its evening broadcast. Abu Izzadeen, also known as Trevor Brooks, was in prison on Wednesday, where he has been since January 2016, sources told BuzzFeed News. Channel 4 News originally identified him as the attacker, who was killed outside British Parliament by police. The attacker's name has not been released. The mistaken report was repeated at the top of the Channel 4+1 news, which began to rebroadcast the earlier report. The channel then went dark as "conflicting information came to light," a Channel 4 News statement said. The first doctor to attend to those injured in the Westminster attack was not on duty at the time, but rushed to the scene when he heard screaming. Dr Jeeves Wijesuriya, a junior doctor from London who specialises in general practice, told BuzzFeed News he had been attending an interview nearby when the incident happened. "I heard the screaming so ran to help and the police ran me in," he told us. Wijesuriya treated two people, one of whom had been stabbed and another who had been shot. He said he believed one of the patients was the attacker. —Laura Silver Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 19:30 PM Politicians and staff locked inside buildings in Westminster Niklas Halle'n / AFP / Getty Images Hundreds of politicians and their staff are still locked in Westminster Abbey, while police attempt to collect eyewitness testimony and evidence on this afternoon's attack. As the first reports of the attack filtered through, many in parliament seemed unsure how to react with some cafes staying open in Portcullis House. It took several minutes before security staff swept in and cleared the area. Parliamentary staff told BuzzFeed News they were told to stay in their offices for around 90 minutes after the incident, while police swept the premises and checked they were secure. People still on the premises were then led into the ancient Westminster Hall at around 4.30pm – around 90 minutes after the attack. For some staff this involved walking past the scene of the attack on a police officer. Many were then led out through the St Stephen's Entrance into Westminster Abbey, where "up to 1,000 people" remain, according to one individual, who said others had been left in Westminster Hall. Police are currently preparing to sort individuals according to how useful they are and then collect information which could help their investigation, including any photographs or eyewitness testimony of an attack that could be clearly seen from many parliamentary offices. —Jim Waterson Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 19:08 PM Home secretary praises bravery of emergency services Daniel Sorabji / AFP / Getty Images Forensics officers at work at the scene. Home secretary Amber Rudd has released the following statement on the attack: "We do not yet know the full impact of this terrible incident. But I know that the whole country will be thinking and praying for those who are affected, as I am. "I want to thank the emergency services for the quick response and pay tribute to their bravery, their courage and their professionalism. "I have been briefed by the Met Police and by the security services and the Security Minister has also been updated. This is an ongoing incident and the Government will continue to be updated. The Prime Minister will chair Cobra today. "The Government's top priority is the security of its people and I urge everyone to remain calm but to be vigilant and if they see anything they are concerned about they should report it to the police. "We have the best police, the best security services in the world and we must make sure that we let them get on with doing their job. "The British people will be united in working together to defeat those who would harm our shared values. "Values of democracy, tolerance and the rule of law. Values symbolised by the Houses of Parliament. Values that will never be destroyed." Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 19:03 PM Hospital releases latest update condition of those injured in attack King's College Hospital assistant medical director Dr Chris Palin has told the BBC eight patients from the attack are being treated at the Denmark Hill hospital. "At 3.52pm we went into a major incident. We have received a total of eight patients," Palin said. "Two of those are critically injured, six are stable. Six males and two females. Care is still ongoing. All eight remain in the hospital." Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 18:58 PM Trump offers condolences to Theresa May during call about Westminster attack US president Donald Trump called the UK prime minister to offer support Wednesday afternoon. A readout of the call provided by the White House said: "President Donald J. Trump spoke today with Prime Minister Theresa May of the United Kingdom to offer his condolences on today's terror attack in London and his praise for the effective response of security forces and first responders. "He pledged the full cooperation and support of the United States Government in responding to the attack and bringing those responsible to justice." White House press secretary Sean Spicer also spoke about the attack during his daily briefing. "We obviously condemn today's attack in Westminster, which the United Kingdom is treating as an act of terrorism, and we applaud the quick response that the British police and their first responders made to the situation," he said. "The victims in this are in our thoughts and our prayers. "The city of London and Her Majesty's government have the full support of the US government in responding to the attack and bringing those to justice who are responsible." Both the House of Commons and the House of Lords will sit tomorrow at their normal times. —Alicia Melville-Smith Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 18:34 PM Witnesses on London Eye describe being kept in the air for hours Niklas Halle'n / AFP / Getty Images People are seen inside the pods of the London Eye during the incident Tourists on the London Eye, the landmark ferris wheel not far from parliament on the other side of the Thames, have described how they were kept in their capsules for three hours as the attack unfolded. Jim Hutchinson, from Boston, Massachusetts, and his family were in the last capsule to be boarded before it came to a halt. "The first thing we noticed was the flashing lights of medics attending to the injured people on the bridge, and then the helicopters," he told BuzzFeed News. "There were three separate groups of injured people on the bridge, at each end and in the middle. It took half an hour before anyone was moved." He said that no one in the capsule felt worried for their own safety, although one tourist who could not speak English repeatedly pressed the alarm button to find out why they had stopped. Hutchinson confirmed that police had spoken to everyone on the Eye after they had been allowed off. Matthew Champion / BuzzFeed News Jim Hutchinson Kody and Taylor Davis, from Utah, told BuzzFeed News they were at the top of the London Eye when it came to a stop. Kody said there was initially no phone service in the capsule and it wasn't until news alerts came on their phones they realised what was going on. "We eventually managed to call our families and they told us what had happened." Taylor said they first had an idea something was wrong when they saw "a big commotion and lots of stretchers". Kody and Taylor are due to fly back to the US on Saturday. They were stuck on the London Eye for three hours in total. "The attack started when a car was driven over Westminster Bridge hitting and injuring a number of members of the public, including three police officers on their way back from a commendation ceremony," Rowley said. He added that police "we're satisfied at this stage that there looks to be only one attacker but it would be foolish to be over-confident so early on." Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 17:48 PM Photograph appears to show knives at scene of parliament attack This photograph taken from inside the Palace of Westminster by PA's Stefan Rousseau shows an armed officer standing on what appears to be a knife. Stefan Rousseau / PA Another image appears to show a second knife. Stefan Rousseau / PA Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 17:36 PM France's prime minister says French students were among those injured in attack Bernard Cazeneuve has confirmed that French students were among those injured in the attack. The number of those injured has not been confirmed. "Solidarity with our British friends, terribly stricken, full support to the injured French students, their families, and their comrades," he tweeted. —Sara Spary Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 17:30 PM Eyewitness describes hearing gunshots and seeing bodies on the ground at Westminster Matt Haikin was cycling across Westminster Bridge when he saw what he thought was a car crash. "I saw a body, a man I think, lying in the road and a crashed car. I presumed it was an accident and carried on cycling into Parliament Square. "I didn't think anything else was going on until I saw lots of people gathered near the iron fences, and I went over. That's when I heard the gunshots." Haikin, 44, from London, who works in international development, said lots of armed police were on the scene immediately, and he and others were pushed back by the cordon. "It took a while for what had happened to sink in," he said. "It wasn't scary while it happened, but now after the event, I'm shaken." Matthew Champion / BuzzFeed News Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 17:25 PM Met police say counterterrorism investigation is underway Jack Taylor / Getty Images Commander B.J. Harrington Scotland Yard's Commander B.J. Harrington said the Metropolitan police are remaining open-minded as to the motive at this stage, but that a full counterterrorism investigation is already underway. He urged members of the public to remain vigilant and report anything suspicious to the police. "We received a number of different reports, which included a person in a river, a car in collision with pedestrians, and a man armed with a knife," he said. "Officers were already in that location as part of routine policing. Immediately additional officers were sent to the scene, as were firearms officers." Harrington confirmed that there were a number of casualties, including police officers, but would not confirm how many or the nature of these injuries. "Our response will be ongoing for some time and it is important that we gather all possible information and evidence," he said. "Public safety is our top priority and we are reviewing our policing stance across London, and throughout the course of this afternoon there will be additional police and officers deployed across the capital." The Met police have asked members of the public to avoid the following areas to allow emergency services to deal with the investigation: Parliament Square, Whitehall, Westminster Bridge, Lambeth Bridge, Victoria Street up to the junction with Broadway, and the Victoria Embankment up to Embankment tube. The prime minister will chair a meeting of the government's emergency Cobra committee later today, a spokeswoman in Downing Street said. Government ministers, senior staff, emergency services, and intelligence services will convene to discuss the attacks. Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 17:12 PM Woman pulled from River Thames with serious injuries Daniel Leal-olivas / AFP / Getty Images A woman was pulled alive but seriously injured from the River Thames near Westminster Bridge in the wake of the incident. She is now being dealt with by the emergency services. The Port of London Authority confirmed to BuzzFeed News that just one person was pulled from the water and that the river has now been closed between Vauxhall and Embankment. Earlier, an eyewitness speaking to Sky News said they saw someone fall into the water. He said: "I was walking across Westminster Bridge and a bus stopped right in front of me and everybody started screaming. And I saw a trainer [shoe] in the road, and I thought somebody must have been hit by a car, and then I saw a body on the other side of the road, and then there was another body further up, and then when I looked over the side of the bridge there was another body in the river. "I didn't see anything. The first I was aware of it was when people started to scream and people got off the bus looking very shocked. Then there was a lot of confusion and people started dealing with the casualties. I was just trying to wave people back who were coming onto the bridge. "They were lying face down in the water." The BBC later published camera footage of someone falling into the river as a speeding vehicle plows through: The London Ambulance Service Deputy Director of Operations Pauline Cranmer confirmed 10 people were treated by emergency services. "We can confirm we have treated at least 10 patients on Westminster Bridge and have put a number of hospitals on alert as we continue to respond to this incident," he said in a statement. "We were called at 2.40pm today, with the first ambulance crew arriving within six minutes. "We have sent a number of resources to the scene including ambulance crews, London's Air Ambulance and our Hazardous Area Response Team. "We are working closely with other members of the emergency services at the scene, with our priority being to ensure patients receive the medical help they need as quickly as possible. "We have declared a major incident and our priority is to assess patients and ensure that they are treated and taken to hospital as soon as possible. "As we are very busy dealing with this incident, we would ask the public to only call us in a genuine emergency." —James Ball Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 16:42 PM At least one dead and multiple casualties reported One woman has died, according to an anonymous medical source being quoted by multiple media outlets. There are also unconfirmed reports that several people have "catastrophic injuries". There have been separate and unconfirmed reports of up to three "bodies" on the bridge, including one "face down in the water" that have not been confirmed by police. Eyewitnesses, as well as social media accounts, appear to indicate a number of people were seriously hurt on Westminster Bridge. Earlier, a Reuters photographer, Toby Melville, published pictures of four individuals with injuries on the bridge. —Rose Buchanan and Sara Spary Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 16:35 PM London mayor confirms incidents are being treated as terrorism Stefan Rousseau / PA Wire The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said that the incident is being treated as a terrorist attack until the police know otherwise. "I have spoken to the Acting Commissioner. The Metropolitan Police Service is dealing with the incident and an urgent investigation is underway. My thoughts are with those affected and their families," he said "I would like to express my thanks to the police and emergency services who work so hard to keep us safe and show tremendous bravery in exceptionally difficult circumstances," he added. Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 16:31 PM Photo shows police officer pointing gun at suspect on the ground This afternoon's Scottish parliament debate has been suspended in light of the incident in Westminster, but the Holyrood parliament has been strongly criticised for how long it took to make the decision. Holyrood's MSPs were debating a second referendum on independence for over an hour after initial reports of the incident, and first minister Nicola Sturgeon left the chamber just before 3pm. Inside the chamber, outrage grew that the debate was continuing, with Conservative MSP Murdo Fraser requesting that business was suspended but the deputy presiding officer replying that it would be "business as usual". Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson and Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale urged the presiding officer to suspend business for the day, and half a dozen MSPs left the chamber in protest. However, just before 4pm, presiding officer Ken Macintosh decided to suspend the sitting out of respect for "our sister parliament" and added there will be time to resume the debate in future. Davidson tweeted: "Very pleased that sense has won the day & Holyrood has been suspended until we have a better understanding of what is going on in WM." Sturgeon added: "My thoughts are with everyone in and around Westminster caught up in this dreadful incident – and with the brave emergency services." —Jamie Ross Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 16:02 PM Some MPs and peers have been evacuated from parliament Many politicians inside parliament have been evacuated by armed police, while some other areas remain in lockdown. MP Anna Soubry tweeted that her colleagues were being "taken out of the library at gun point" by counterterrorist police. In a statement, the Metropolitan police said: "Police are asking people to avoid the following areas: Parliament Square; Whitehall; Westminster Bridge; Lambeth Bridge; Victoria Street up to the junction with Broadway and the Victoria Embankment up to Embankment tube. "This is to allow the emergency services to deal with the ongoing incident. Police were called at approximately 14:40 hours to reports of an incident in Westminster Bridge, SW1. It is being treated as a firearms incident. "Officers – including firearms officers – remain on the scene and we are treating this as a terrorist incident until we know otherwise." A police officer was stabbed at Westminster and the attacker was shot by armed police, the leader of the House of Commons said The leader of the House of Commons, David Lidington, has just spoken in parliament and said a police officer was stabbed. He said: "First of all, colleagues will have appreciated that events have been moving rapidly and I want to emphasise that the knowledge that I have .... is so far very limited. What I am able to say to the house is that there has been a serious incident within the estate. "It seems that a police officer has been stabbed, that the alleged assailant was shot by armed police, an air ambulance is currently attending the scene to remove the casualties. There are also reports of further violent incidents in the vicinity of the palace of Westminster but I hope colleagues on all sides will appreciate that it would be wrong of me here to go into further details until we have confirmation from the police and from the house security authorities about what is going on. "I shall endeavour to do the very best I can, both at the despatch box and by communicating with my opposite numbers in other political parties to ensure that members are kept aware of what is happening, but at the moment, the very clear advice from the police and the director of security in the house is that we should remain under suspension and that the chamber should remain in lockdown until we receive advice that it is safe to go back to normal procedures." —Marie Le Conte Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 15:10 PM This is the scene outside parliament shortly after the incident Phil Han / BuzzFeed News Parliament Square is being closed and cleared, with an emergency helicopter parked in the middle of the area. Emergency services are attempting to revive one individual lying down on the pavement on Parliament Street, some way away from the entrance to the building. Approximately a dozen armed police ran into the building shortly after 3pm. —Jim Waterson Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 15:03 PM Picture agency images published shortly after the incident showed a heavy armed police presence outside the Palace of Westminster.
Leslie Rhodes (75) was named by police as the fourth victim of the attack. From Streatham in South London, Rhodes died in hospital on Thursday night after life support was withdrawn as a result of injuries he sustained during the attack. The three other victims of the attack were police officer Keith Palmer (48), teacher Aysha Frade (43) and US citizen Kurt Cochran (54). 08:31 GMT Nine people are in custody following police raids in London and Birmingham, Assistant Commissioner for Specialist Operations Mark Rowley told reporters at a press conference this morning. Rowley said police were trying to establish if the attacker acted alone. He revealed the birth name of the attacker, Khalid Masood, as Adrian Russell Ajao. 08:29 GMT The death toll from Wednesday’s attack in London stands at five after a fourth victim of attacker Khalid Masood, who also died, was confirmed late Thursday.
Media captionThe Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were joined by Prince Harry at the service Relatives of those killed in the Westminster terror attack have joined members of the Royal Family at a "service of hope" at Westminster Abbey. Khalid Masood killed three people when he drove into crowds on 22 March and stabbed a policeman to death before being shot dead at the UK Parliament. Emergency services staff were among the 2,000-strong multi-faith congregation. Melissa Cochran, whose husband died in the attack, said the service was "the most beautiful thing I've ever seen". "My husband was a big fan of cathedrals and he would have very much liked to have seen that place - it was beautiful," she added. Image copyrightGetty ImagesImage caption Melissa Cochran was injured in the attack which killed her husband of 25 years, Kurt Cochran She said: "The support of my family and the outpouring of love from everyone has given me the strength to to do what I have to do. My husband would want me to continue and wouldn't want me to not move forward as quickly as possible." Mrs Cochran was seriously injured during the attack which left her with a broken leg, broken ribs and head injuries. Media playback is unsupported on your device Media captionMelissa Cochran: 'Kurt was the love of my life' "Kurt was probably the best man I've ever met. He was sweet and kind and I'm extremely proud of him. I'm very happy that the world now knows what a wonderful man he was", she added. 'It crushed me' Speaking to the BBC, Mrs Cochran said she could recall "the panic of not being able to see my husband anywhere" and the moment she found out her husband had died. "It was after the surgery on my leg, I had come out of recovery and they placed me in a hospital room. My parents had come to visit and were there waiting for me when I came out and I had asked them to find out what had happened to my husband. "Previously to that no-one could tell me... no-one had any information. My parents walked out of the room and came back in. "Both grabbed my hand and said that he didn't make it, which crushed me." Image copyrightGetty Images Addressing the congregation earlier, the Dean of Westminster, the Very Reverend John Hall praised the unity of Londoners and Britons in the aftermath of the attack. He said: "We stand together just as in this service the world faiths are represented and we will pray together above all for the gift of hope. "Our prayer and commitment is to live together peacefully and respectfully rich in our diversity and to sing together in harmony." However, he said the attack had left the nation "bewildered". He added: "What could possibly motivate a man to hire a car and take it from Birmingham to Brighton to London, and then drive it fast at people he had never met, couldn't possibly know, against whom he had no personal grudge, no reason to hate them and then run at the gates of the Palace of Westminster to cause another death? It seems likely that we shall never know." 'Best of humanity' Labour MP Mary Creagh said the mood at the service was both sombre and resolute. Image caption The Very Reverend John Hall praised the unity of Londoners and Britons She said: "We saw the worst of humanity with the terror attack... but we also saw the best of humanity, coming together, and we saw that again today, in renewed resolution, and solidarity with the families." The Dean invited members of the congregation to light candles to honour the commitment. Prince William lit the first candle and the light was passed around to people at the service. Home Secretary Amber Rudd gave the first reading at the service from Jeremiah 31: 15-17, reflecting the service's theme of hope. The second reading was made by Prince William, who told the story of the Good Samaritan. Those who died in the attack were Aysha Frade, 44, who worked at a London sixth-form college; American tourist Kurt Cochran, 54, from Utah; retired window cleaner Leslie Rhodes, 75, from south London; and father-of-two PC Keith Palmer, 48. It is the first time members of all their families have come together in the same place.
Here is how Microsoft helped British authorities following the Westminster Bridge attack Following the terror attack that took place in Westminster, London, last week Microsoft assisted British authorities by handing over information upon receiving a legal request to do so. In a statement (via Mashable), the company explained how quickly its team responded to a legal request for information: Our team responded in under 30 minutes last week to verify that the legal order was valid and provided law enforcement the information that was sought Microsoft’s President, Brad Smith, continued by explaining that the team responsible for handing over information when requested was available “24/7,” while defending the company’s decision to comply with legal requests: Our global team is on call 24/7 and responds when it receives a proper and lawful order. This of course is different from helping a government outside the rule of law to turn over private information or hack or attack a customer, which we’ve said clearly we will not do. We’re committed both to protecting public safety and safeguarding personal privacy, and we believe that proper legal process is the key to striking this balance. Microsoft’s response comes after the UK’s Home Secretary, Amber Rudd, called for companies to not “provide a secret place for terrorists,” saying that WhatApp’s end-to-end encryption is “completely unacceptable.” How do you feel about Microsoft handing over the data upon request? Let us know in the comments below!
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Mr Basu today said: ‘Given that this appears to be a deliberate act, the method and this being an iconic site, we are treating it as a terrorist incident and the investigation is being led by officers from the Counter Terrorism Command. ‘Officers are searching the vehicle and no other weapons have been found at this time. ‘At this early stage of the investigation, no other suspects at the scene have been identified or reported to police. There is no intelligence of further danger to Londoners or the rest of the UK in connection with this incident. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Armed police descended on the scene immediately after the crash (Picture: ITV) The driver of the car did not immediately get out of the vehicle (Picture: GMB/ITV) ‘Our priority is to formally identify the suspect and establish his motivations if we can. He is not currently co-operating. Advertisement Advertisement ‘However, as you would expect, detectives from the Counter Terrorism Command are making various other urgent enquiries to ensure there is no outstanding risk to the public.’
In September, Mr Khan said being prepared for terror attacks had become “part and parcel” of living in a big city. Yesterday, as police shot dead 52-year-old Khalid Masood, Mr Trump Jr tweeted the article with the caption, “You have to be kidding me?! Terror attacks are part of living in big city, says London Mayor Sadiq Khan.” You have to be kidding me?!: Terror attacks are part of living in big city, says London Mayor Sadiq Khan https://t.co/uSm2pwRTjO However, Mr Trump Jr neglected to mention that Mr Khan was noting that residents need to “be prepared” for such attacks. Mr Khan chose not to respond to the 39-year-old New Yorker’s comments directly, telling CNN: “I’m not going to respond to a tweet from Donald Trump Jr. I’ve been doing far more important things over the last 24 hours.” London Mayor Sadiq Khan: "I'm not going to respond to a tweet from Donald Trump Jr, I've been doing more important things over the past 24h" pic.twitter.com/JGibM7vWOT “Part and parcel of living in a great global city is you’ve got to be prepared for these things. You’ve got to be vigilant. You’ve got to support the police doing an incredibly hard job,” he had said. Mr Trump Jr was widely criticised for the tweet, with British Member of Parliament Wes Streeting calling him a “a disgrace” and accusing him of using a terrorist attack for “political gain.” US President Donald Trump with his children Ivanka and Donald Jr. Picture: AFP/Timothy A ClarySource:AFP It comes as President Donald Trump tweeted his condolences to the American killed in the London attack. Kurt Cochran, 54, was touring Europe with his 46-year-old wife, Melissa, when they were mowed down by the terrorist on the south end of Westminster Bridge. Mr Cochran died from his injuries, while his wife is recovering in hospital. “A great American, Kurt Cochran, was killed in the London terror attack. My prayers and condolences are with his family and friends,” Mr Trump tweeted on Thursday. American Kurt Cochran was killed in the London terror attack. Picture: Facebook/Kurt CochranSource:Supplied


A suspected terrorist attack was foiled after armed police arrested a man who is alleged to have been found carrying knives near the Houses of Parliament. The Guardian understands the operation was triggered following a tip-off to police by a member of Britain’s Muslim community who was concerned about the man’s behaviour. Officers were lying in wait for the suspect whose movements were being tracked by a joint police and MI5 operation as he travelled into central London on Thursday. They swooped close to Westminster underground station. The scene where the man, aged 27, was arrested is metres away from where Khalid Masood launched his attacks on Westminster Bridge and the parliamentary estate five weeks ago, leaving five people dead, including himself. Masood used a vehicle to mow down pedestrians before using a knife to stab a police officer to death. Thursday’s daylight arrest followed a tense intelligence operation following the tip-off from someone who knew the suspect, with further investigation identifying the man detained as being of concern to counter-terrorism investigators. One source said the stop was “not random, it was targeted”. The man was pinned to the ground after his arrest at 2.22pm, with armed officers standing over him. Shortly afterwards, forensic experts examined the ground where two knives had fallen, along with a bag, which is believed to have contained the knives. It is thought the suspect, who is believed to be from the London area but born outside the United Kingdom was acting alone. Given the location of the arrest, investigators believe one possibility was an attack on the Westminster or Whitehall areas. Past Islamist propaganda has called for attacks on civilians or symbols of power. Security is especially tight around Whitehall following last month’s attack . Police said the arrest came at the junction of Parliament Street and Parliament Square, barely 30 metres from Westminster Bridge. Witnesses said the suspect wrestled to the floor by police but appeared calm after his detention. MI5 and Scotland Yard’s counter-terrorism command will try to establish if the suspect had any direction from overseas, and whether Islamic State played any role – either directly, through contact, or indirectly through its propaganda urging attacks. The motivation of the suspect will be a key part of the investigation and his mental health will be of keen interest to investigators. At least two knife attacks, in Leytonstone in 2015 and Russell Square in 2016, thought initially to be terrorist acts, were later determined to be best explained by the suspects’ severe mental health problems. Police said in a statement: “A man has been arrested in Whitehall this afternoon, at approximately 14.22, following a stop and search as part of an ongoing operation. The man was arrested in Parliament Street … by armed officers from the Met’s specialist firearms command. “The man, aged in his late 20s, was arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon and on suspicion of the commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism. Knives have been recovered from him. “He is being detained under the Terrorism Act and is in custody in a south London police station. Detectives from the counter-terrorism command are continuing their investigation, and as a result of this arrest there is no immediate known threat.” The suspect was held on Parliament Street for more than half an hour, without speaking or struggling. While two officers detained him, about two dozen heavily armed police blocked off the traffic and pedestrians on one side of the road with tape. A forensic officer examines items at the scene. Photograph: Will Oliver/EPA He was led away into a police car at around 3.15pm, while scene-of-crime officers examined knives and a rucksack on the traffic island in the middle of Parliament Street at the junction with Parliament Square. The prime minister, Theresa May, praised the work by police and MI5, saying: “I think it shows that our police and our intelligence and security services are on the alert as they always are, looking to keep us safe and secure. “I would say that we owe a huge debt of gratitude to these people, many of whom are unseen, unheard, yet the job they do day in, day out to keep us secure is a really important one and we should thank them for it.” Features of the arrest were highly unusual. Police prefer to arrest terrorism suspects in dawn raids at their homes, away from any potential target of attack. One source said there may have been a need to gather evidence to secure a conviction. Arresting someone in their home with knives poses challenges of convincing a jury that a terrorist attack was planned. Harry Peasnell, 27, and Andy Burnage, 22, were leaving a building adjacent to the scene which houses various government offices after a meeting with officials when they were told the usual entrance on to Whitehall was closed. As they left the area via an alternative route, they said they saw a man in his 20s or 30s, who they thought was the suspect, being spoken to by police next to the wall of the offices. Peasnell said police were “quick on the scene” and that he was not worried like he was during the terror attack in the area just weeks ago. “Last time, all the buildings were on lockdown and no one was allowed to leave,” he said. Witness Ian Moss, who was travelling on a bus through Whitehall at the time, said the suspect was on the ground in the middle traffic island. He said police “looked like they were tending” to him, adding: “He was arrested. He could walk so no idea if he was injured.” Asked if he was struggling while on the ground, Moss said: “No, not at all. He had police pointing arms at him though.” A French tourist who declined to be named, said: “We just saw the man arrested and that’s all. He was very calm. I think they got him on the ground, then they stood him up against the wall. There were lots of policemen.” The incident unfolded with few MPs present in the Palace of Westminster because parliament is winding down before the election and May has already headed out on to the campaign trail. However, civil servants were still working as normal and a number of HMRC staff were locked outside their building when the Whitehall entrance was closed off. The atmosphere in parliament remained calm and all gates were operating as normal during the incident. The nervousness around security at Westminster was heightened when, in a separate incident, packages addressed to parliamentarians containing white powder were intercepted before they could reach their victims. The terrorism threat level for the United Kingdom remains at severe, meaning an attack by terrorists is assessed to be highly likely. The biggest threat is seen as coming from Islamic State, which constantly urges followers to stage attacks.
Terror in the HEART of London: the Westminster attack as it happened The attack in Westminster has left four people dead and up to 20 injured after a man drove his vehicle into pedestrians, then ran into the grounds of the Houses of Parliament before being shot by police 1 / 55 PA The alleged attacker, with the suspected weapons used in the attack highlighted in red More than 50 schoolchildren were also placed in a high-security cordon inside Parliament. Tourists were held in the London Eye ferris wheel while police dealt with the situation. A woman was amazingly pulled out of the Thames River alive some time later. Commons Leader David Lidington has told MPs: "The alleged assailant was shot by armed police, an ambulance is currently attending the scene to remove the casualities. "There are also reports of further violent incidents in the Palace of Westminster but it would be wrong of me to go into further details before confirmation from the police." TWITTER TERROR ATTACK: London has been hit by an attack as a man drove a car into pedestrians “A guy came past my right shoulder with a big knife and just started plunging it into the policeman” Rick Longley MPs and staff sent messages to friends and family to let them know they were safe. Labour MP Jon Trickett tweeted during the incident saying: "Democracy will not be intimidated by terror." Dennis Burns described the chaotic scenes after the attack saying: "When I got inside I was wondering what the hell was going on and I saw dozens of panicked people running down the street. "The first stream was around 30 people and the second stream was 70 people. "It looked like they were running for their lives." Another witness Rick Longley fought back tears as he described seeing the attacker stab a police officer. He said: "We were just walking up to the station and there was a loud bang and a guy, someone, crashed a car and took some pedestrians out. SG LOCKDOWN: Police have halted the London Eye "They were just laying there and then the whole crowd just surged around the corner by the gates just opposite Big Ben. "A guy came past my right shoulder with a big knife and just started plunging it into the policeman. "I have never seen anything like that. I just can't believe what I just saw." Prime Minister Theresa May has called an emergency Cobra meeting for later today. The House of Commons and the House of Lords will sit as normal tomorrow. Metropolitan police said members of public should avoid the following areas: Parliament Square, Whitehall, Westminster Bridge, Lambeth Bridge, Victoria Street up to the junction with Broadway and Victoria Embankment up to Embankment Tube station. REUTERS INJURED: Cops have said that many people are injured Tube services at Westminster were cancelled. People around the world reacted in horror to the terrifying incident. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said: “Our thoughts are with the victims of this horrific attack, their families and friends." The Scottish Parliament at Holyrood suspended their vote on an independence referendum as a result of the chaos.
Flags flying at half-mast in Walthamstow in respect for Westminster terror attack victims FLAGS are flying at half-mast today in respect for the victims of the deadly assault at the heart of British democracy. Union flags outside Walthamstow Town Hall are flying at half-mast in respect for the victims of yesterday’s terror attack in Westminster that left four dead and injured at least 40 people. The dead are PC Keith Palmer, Aysha Frade who worked at a London college, a man in his 50s and the attacker. The Met’s Acting Deputy Commissioner Mark Rowley Acting Deputy Commissioner Mark Rowley said eight arrests have been made in London, Birmingham and elsewhere. Seven of the injured are still in hospital in a critical condition, while a further 29 had been treated in hospital. Making a statement today, council leader Chris Robbins said: "On behalf of myself, the Mayor, the Chief Executive and residents of Waltham Forest, I would like to express our deepest sympathies for those who have died or been injured and their families following last night’s appalling terrorist attack in Westminster. “We have all been shocked and saddened at what has happened but I am very proud of the way the emergency services responded so quickly. "This morning Waltham Forest Council staff, representing all of the communities in the borough, gathered together to show their respects by lowering the flag to half-mast and holding a minute’s silence. “We know our communities are strong and resilient and we know that in times like these they come together to show the best of the borough, supporting our neighbours. "To echo the words of the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan yesterday; ‘London will never be cowed by terrorism.’" Ipsoregulated This website and associated newspapers adhere to the Independent Press Standards Organisation's Editors' Code of Practice. If you have a complaint about the editorial content which relates to inaccuracy or intrusion, then please contact the editor here. If you are dissatisfied with the response provided you can contact IPSO here
Police treated the attack as "Islamist-related terrorism". Masood reportedly said in a final text message that he was waging jihad in revenge for Western military action in Muslim countries in the Middle East. Amaq News Agency, which is linked to Islamic State, said the attacker answered the group's calls to target citizens of states that are fighting against it, though the claim was questioned by the UK police and government. Police have found no link with a terrorist organisation and believe Masood acted alone.[1] One of the victims, a Romanian tourist, was thrown by the car's impact over the parapet of the bridge into the River Thames below. Having been knocked unconscious and sustained severe injuries from the fall, she was later rescued by the crew of a river cruise and brought aboard a London Fire Brigade boat.[8] She later died in hospital from her injuries.[14] The car continued, and crashed into railings on Bridge Street at the north perimeter of the Palace of Westminster.[15] Despite attempts to resuscitate him, Masood died at the scene from a single gunshot wound to his chest;[19][20][21] he was pronounced dead at 15:35 at hospital.[22] Passers-by, including MP Tobias Ellwood (the Foreign Minister for the Middle East and Africa) and paramedics, attempted to revive PC Palmer, also without success.[23][21] Police later confirmed that PC Palmer had been wearing a protective vest, which did not appear to have been punctured in the attack.[24] Six people, including the attacker, died as a result of the incident, and around 50 others were injured, some of them severely. Of the five people killed by the attacker, three were British nationals.[13][17] Aysha Frade, a British teacher, believed to have been walking along the bridge to pick up her children from school, was struck by the attacker's car and killed.[40] A tourist from the United States, Kurt Cochran, was also hit by the car and died.[17] Cochran was visiting London from Utah to celebrate his 25th anniversary with his wife Melissa, who was among the injured.[41] The police officer killed was PC Keith Palmer, 48, an unarmed police officer who was on duty with the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection command.[42][43] Palmer had 15 years of experience in the Metropolitan Police Service.[20] The fourth victim was Leslie Rhodes, 75, from Clapham in south-west London, who was hit by the car and later died in hospital after his life support was switched off.[44][45] A fifth victim, Andreea Cristea, a 31-year-old tourist from Romania, fell into the Thames during the attack; she died in hospital as a result of her injuries on 6 April after her life support was withdrawn. Her Romanian boyfriend, who had planned to propose marriage during their trip to London, was also injured during the attack.[46][33] The attacker was identified by the Metropolitan Police as 52-year-old Briton Khalid Masood.[48] He was born Adrian Russell Elms, but later changed the name to Adrian Russell Ajao when he took the name of his stepfather.[49][50][51] He changed his name to Khalid Masood after he converted to Islam. Police said he also used several other aliases, including Khalid Choudry.[49][52] Born in Kent, Masood was brought up in Rye, East Sussex, and later attended secondary school in Tunbridge Wells in Kent. Most recently he was living in the West Midlands.[53] When he was 16, he dropped out of school and by 18 he was described as a heavy cocaine user.[54] In 2000, he was sentenced to two years in prison for grievous bodily harm after a knife attack in a public house in Northiam in Sussex. In 2003, he was sentenced to a further six months in prison for possession of an offensive weapon following another knife attack in Eastbourne in Sussex.[55][56] As well as these two prison terms, Masood had convictions for public order offences going back to 1983.[55][56] A British newspaper obtained a CV of Masood's in which he described himself as having taught English in Saudi Arabia from November 2005 to November 2006, and again from April 2008 to April 2009.[60][61] After this, according to the CV he returned to the United Kingdom and worked at a TEFL college in Luton.[62] In early March 2015, he made a brief trip to Saudi Arabia on an Umrah visa, normally issued to those making a pilgrimage to Mecca.[50][61] During his time in Saudi Arabia he was not recorded as having a criminal record there.[61] In 2010, Masood was a "peripheral figure" in an MI5 investigation of a group of Islamists later convicted of plotting to bomb a Territorial Army base in Luton. Following a risk assessment, MI5 decided he did not pose a threat.[63][64] The Metropolitan Police said he was not the subject of any current investigations and there was no prior intelligence about his intent to mount a terrorist attack.[65] He had not been convicted of any terrorism offences.[66] Farasat Latif, director of the language school in Luton where Masood taught between 2010 and 2012, told The Guardian that when Masood lived in Luton he was apolitical and not aligned with the younger and predominantly Asian local radical Islamist group Al-Muhajiroun. Although aware of violence in Masood's past, Latif had only seen him become angry once, when Masood learnt of plans for a march by the English Defence League through Luton.[67] Between 2012 and 2016, Masood appeared in MI5 investigations as a contact of individuals linked to Al-Muhajiroun.[57] Three days before the attack, Masood carried out reconnaissance of Westminster Bridge in person and online.[57] Masood spent the night before the attack at the Preston Park Hotel in Brighton in Sussex and was described as "laughing and joking" by the manager there.[68] Pre-inquest revealed that he had used anabolic steroids shortly before the terrorist attack.[69] Masood's profile was atypical in that most jihadi terrorists are under 30, while he was 52. On 22 March, the day of the attack, the Metropolitan Police said it believed the attack was inspired by "international terrorism"[70][71] and that they were working under the assumption that it was "Islamist-related terrorism".[72][73][74] On 23 March, the Islamic State-associated Amaq News Agency announced that the attacker was "a soldier of the Islamic State, executing the operation in response to calls to target citizens of coalition nations".[75] The Home Secretary, Amber Rudd, cast doubts on this claim.[76] Analysts monitoring Islamic State online said the claim appeared to be an effort to mask its losses in Iraq and Syria, adding that the lack of biographical information on the attacker and lack of specifics about the attack suggested it was not directly involved.[77] Describing Masood as a "terrorist",[78] the Metropolitan Police said it was investigating whether he was a lone actor inspired by terrorist propaganda or was being directed by others.[79] On 25 March Neil Basu, Deputy Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police and Senior National Coordinator for UK Counter-Terrorism Policing, announced that investigators believed Masood acted alone.[80] On 27 March, Basu announced that Masood clearly had an interest in jihad, that his methods echoed the rhetoric of Islamic State leaders and that investigators have found no evidence he was linked with it or al-Qaeda.[81][63] The security services later recovered the last WhatsApp message sent by Masood shortly before his attack. In it, Masood reportedly said he was waging jihad in revenge for Western military action in Muslim countries of the Middle East.[1] He had written a document named "Jihad in the Quran and Sunnah", with his photograph on the front page and multiple extracts from the Quran that could be seen as supportive of jihad and martyrdom.[57] He sent this document to numerous contacts a few minutes before the attack.[57] Some early reports gave descriptions of two supposed attackers, one described as a "bald white man" and another as a "black man with goatee beard".[17] On the morning after the attack, however, Mark Rowley, the Metropolitan Police's Assistant Commissioner for Specialist Operations, stated that the police believed the attacker acted alone.[70]Abu Izzadeen was also erroneously identified as the attacker on social media, Channel 4 News and The Independent shortly after the attack, although Izzadeen was actually in prison at the time.[82] In April 2017, OFCOM announced an investigation into the Channel 4 News naming of Izzadeen.[83] Police and media outside the Hagley Road premises that were raided on 22 March, seen on the morning following the raid At 23:00 on 22 March, West Midlands Police raided a flat in Hagley Road, Birmingham. By the morning of 23 March, six locations in East London and Birmingham had been raided resulting in the arrests of eight people on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts.[17][48][84] Officials also carried out searches in London, Brighton and Carmarthenshire.[85][48] The investigation was named Operation Classific. By 24 March, three further arrests had taken place, two men overnight in the West Midlands and North West England and a woman during the day in Manchester.[86] A woman, arrested earlier in East London, was released on bail.[87] Later on 24 March, seven of those initially arrested were released without further action and the woman arrested in Manchester was released on bail.[88][20][50] By 25 March, only one man from Birmingham remained in custody and the woman on bail from East London had been removed from police enquiries. Up to that point in the investigation, 2,700 items had been seized and 3,500 witnesses had been contacted.[6] A further arrest was made in Birmingham on 26 March.[89] By 1 April, all 12 suspects arrested after the attack had been released without charge.[90] Both the House of Commons and the House of Lords resumed their normal functions on 23 March, the day after the attack.[20] A one-minute silence in honour of the dead was observed in Parliament, and by London's emergency services, at 09:33. The time was selected to coincide with the start of the day's official parliamentary business.[93][74] In the morning session of parliament, Prime Minister Theresa May said that, "Yesterday an act of terrorism tried to silence our democracy, but today we meet as normal ... to deliver a simple message: We are not afraid and our resolve will never waver in the face of terrorism."[93][74] In a later statement following the June 2017 London attack, May stated that all three recent attacks were "bound together by the single evil ideology of Islamic extremism".[94] The Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, the Leader of the Opposition, described the attack as "an appalling atrocity".[93][74] The speakers of both Houses of Parliament jointly offered sympathy to those affected, and thanked the emergency services.[95] The Scottish Parliament suspended the day's proceedings, including a debate on a second independence referendum.[96] Some MSPs who opposed the decision to suspend parliament said that doing so was "giving in to terrorism".[97] The Metropolitan Police honoured PC Palmer by retiring his shoulder number 4157U; Charlton Athletic F.C. announced that his season ticket seat at the Valley would not be occupied at the club's next home game, but would instead have a club scarf placed over it as a mark of respect.[102] A JustGiving fund was set up, with the target of raising £100,000 for his family, a goal attained in less than 24 hours.[66] A group called "Muslims United for London" also raised over £29,000 to support victims and victims' families, releasing a statement saying, "The British Muslim community stands with the community during these difficult times".[103][104][105] Home Secretary Amber Rudd announced that PC Palmer would be remembered at the National Memorial Arboretum's UK Police Memorial in Staffordshire.[106] On 26 March, in an event organised by Women's March on London, roughly 100 women, including many Muslims, joined hands to form a chain along Westminster Bridge and stood in silence for five minutes to pay tribute to the victims of the attack.[109][110][111] Amber Rudd appeared on BBC's The Andrew Marr Show to call for government backdoor access to encrypted messaging services like WhatsApp, which Masood used to send a message shortly before the attack. She announced a meeting with similar technology industry leaders for 30 March, where she would persuade them to voluntarily co-operate with the government. She refused to rule out passing new legislation to this end if the companies do not comply.[112][1] The BBC TV series Hospital was filming a routine meeting at St Mary's when the attack occurred; within minutes St Mary's declared a "major incident", one of several central London hospitals to do so. The cameras recorded the involvement of the emergency room and intensive care staff over the next few hours, and then followed the cases of three patients until their discharge. The hour-long episode was broadcast in June, resulting in "a powerful, moving portrait of a major trauma centre’s response to such an event, and of the brilliant human beings who work there."[161]
Phillip Schofield has paid a powerful tribute on Instagram in the aftermath of the shocking Westminster terror attack on Wednesday 22 March. The This Morning host posted a photograph of the city’s iconic Palace of Westminster, his view as he walked across the bridge the following day, captioning the photograph: “Walking across Westminster Bridge in tribute and defiance.” Fans praised the presenter's meaningful sentiment, with one writing: “Well done! People should show those terrorists we shall stand strong and united!!”. Another follower said: “I knew you would do this Phil this makes you have that touch of class just that bit more much love,” while a third added: “Well done, we have to show people that they can't live in fear! #wearenotafraid.” Earlier in the day, Phillip spoke passionately to viewers on This Morning about the importance of carrying on with their lives and not letting fear win. Giving a powerful speech at the beginning of the programme, he spoke to the nation: “We are not afraid. It was a scene of tragedy, but among the harrowing images are heroes,” he said. “PC Keith Palmer, who lost his life while trying to protect our democracy. The doctors and nurses who ran towards the carnage to help. And the kindness of the passers by. They are the Britain we love, the country we know – the spirit that one man tried to destroy.” The show also saw Phillip and his co-presenter, Holly Willoughby, interview Tony Davis, a former soldier who performed CPR on PC Keith Palmer, one of the victims of the terror attack who sadly lost his life as a result of his injuries. The heroic man told the hosts how he had tried to save the life of the married father, saying: "Initially when he fell to the ground, I put him in the recovery position, checked his pulse, he had a weak pulse, he had an initial head wound and another in his arm and another near his rib cage, that I believe was the fatal one. I put my raincoat underneath and tried to stem the blood as much as I could." Holly then broke down in tears as she questioned the brave man about the horrific incident, asking him: "You're not a paramedic, you're not trained for this… How can you process that in your head?" Tony said: "Maybe tomorrow it'll sink in a bit. I stayed at the scene... everyone just came together. A great show of solidarity." One of Keith's former colleagues Nina Whitehead also appeared on the show to pay tribute to him. She said: "I was the passenger and he was one of the police officers who actually saved my life. I owe him everything. He was a wonderful dad, and wonderful husband to his wife and everything." Latest comments Please note, all comments are those of readers and do not represent the opinion of Hellomagazine.com Hellomagazine.com reserves the right to remove comments it considers offensive or not relevant Please focus on the topic
Weʼve raised £29,608 to provide an emergency fund for the two young children who lost their mother in the Westminster Attacks on Wednesday 22nd March 2017. Crowdfunding is a new type of fundraising where you can raise funds for your own personal cause, even if you're not a registered charity. The page owner is responsible for the distribution of funds raised. Story On Wednesday afternoon, Aysha Frade was on the way to collect her children from school when she was tragically killed in the attack on Westminster Bridge. We have seen so much compassion for all the families of the victims and this page will raise money to help Aysha’s children and family in their hour of need. MESSAGE FROM JUSTGIVING: We've been carefully monitoring all of the pages that have been created to help those affected by Wednesday's attack. We are ensuring that all of your kind donations are being used as intended. Because concerns were raised about this page, we are now managing it ourselves and reaching out to the family. Updates 0 Updates appear here 1 year ago JustGiving Crowdfunding started crowdfunding Leave a message of support Page last updated on: 4/22/201710:39 AM Supporters 1384 Pawel Serafin Apr 22, 2017 £5.00 Diane J Orlebar Apr 17, 2017 For the children to lose their mother at such tender ages is tragic. While their mummy can never be replaced, this effort can hopefully reduce some of the financial stress the family will now face.



Channel 5 first aired the episode at 1.45pm yesterday afternoon, just an hour before the tragic terror incident in London, which saw a lone attacker drive a vehicle into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge and fatally stab a police officer. Four people, including the attacker, were killed in the incident while many more were injured. Staff from the real-life St Thomas' Hospital rushed to Westminster Bridge to help the injured yesterday, and have been widely praised for their actions. When Channel 5 repeated Wednesday's Neighbours episode at 5.30pm, an on-air continuity announcement was used to remind viewers that the episode had been filmed months ago and the London storyline was entirely coincidental. Channel 5's continuity announcer confirmed: "Please be aware that today's episode of Neighbours was filmed before today's events in London." No cuts were made to the episode in its second airing, with footage of Toadie's accident and Karl's arrival at Westminster remaining in the edit. Alan Fletcher, who plays Karl, filmed his scenes at Westminster last October. Ryan Moloney, better known as Toadie, filmed all of his on-location scenes in London in January. Thursday's episode, due to air twice today on Channel 5 as usual, also contains further scenes set in St Thomas' Hospital – although these studio-based scenes were actually filmed at Neighbours HQ in Melbourne last year.





British-Born Khalid Masood Identified as London Attacker1:18 Police on Thursday identified the man responsible for a terror attack outside Britain's Parliament as 52-year-old Khalid Masood. The attack left at least four dead and dozens injured. Photo: Stefan Rousseau/Associated Press. March 24th 2017 a year ago /display/newscorpaustralia.com/Web/NewsNetwork/Network News/World/ Four people were killed in the London terror attack, and here’s some detail about the victims. Picture: Carl Court/Getty ImagesSource:Getty Images AN Alice Springs jeweller has recalled how he and his family recently posed for a photo with the police officer killed in the terror attack on London. Andrew Thorogood was in the English capital in October and crossed paths with PC Keith Palmer when the family visited the Houses of Parliament. “We passed him on the way in and watched one of the debates, then on the way out we had to hand in our passes and we were waiting for Claire’s parents,” Mr Thorogood told the NT News. “I said ‘mate would you mind if we get a photo?’” “He picked up our accents and we told him where we were from. He said he’d love to take his family out to Australia one day and that’s when the girls said: ‘if you are ever out that way, come and look us up in Alice Springs’”. Mr Thorogood, originally from Townsville, met his wife Claire in Alice Springs when she was a backpacker, on holiday from the UK. The family visit Mrs Thorogood’s home country every year to help her parents harvest grapes, and the trip to London was a treat during one of their days off. “We have never felt unsafe in London,” Mr Thorogood said. “There’s always a heavy security presence up there these days but you know, how do you stop people driving a car?” He recognised the slain policeman when he was named in Australia on Thursday morning. Mr Thorogood still had the photo with PC Palmer on his phone. “It sends a shiver down your spine. You just think of how small the world is,” Mr Thorogood said. “He was there on the front gate and quite happy to be the face of the police. He seemed like a genuinely nice guy. We talked about the desert and Alice Springs. What it’s like in London and how he wished he could see the sunshine as much as we see the sunshine. It was just a general conversation.” Keith Palmer was a police officer killed during the terrorist attack. Already there is more than $500k raised for his family.Source:AP DEATH TOLL STANDS AT FOUR Meantime, four people were killed in the terror attack outside Britain’s parliament: a woman picking up her children from school, a man from Utah, a 75-year-old man, and an unarmed police officer. Westminster Bridge, where the attacker mowed down pedestrians before stabbing a police officer, is a busy tourist spot with its views of parliament’s Big Ben clock tower. Those injured in the attack included many foreigners. Here is what we know about the victims so far. ‘Hero’ police officer Unarmed police officer Keith Palmer, who was fatally stabbed as he stood guard at an entrance to parliament, has been hailed as a hero. The 48-year-old husband and father had been a police officer for 15 years and was part of the parliamentary protection force. He previously served in the British army alongside James Cleverly, now a Conservative MP, who tweeted: “A lovely man, a friend. I’m heartbroken.” As a tribute, Charlton Athletic football club placed a scarf in its red and white colours on Seat 166 of its stadium, which Palmer held as a season ticket holder. Thousands of people also donated money to Palmer’s family via a crowdfunding page set up by the police force union. Within a day, it had already collected more than $500,000. Facebook photo of Aysha Frade who was killed on the Westminster Bridge. Picture: FacebookSource:Facebook Mother-of-two Colleagues of Aysha Frade, a mother who was run down and killed as she was on her way to pick up her children, said she was “loved” and would be “deeply missed”. A Spanish diplomatic source confirmed to AFP that Frade was a 43-year-old British national whose mother was Spanish. Media reports said her daughters were seven and nine years old. Rachel Borland, principal of DLD College London where Frade worked in the administration team, said she was “highly regarded and loved by our students and by her colleagues”. Kurt Cochran was in London celebrating his 25th wedding anniversary with wife Melissa (right).Picture: Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFPSource:AFP ‘A great American’ Kurt Cochran from Utah in the United States has been named as the third victim. US President Donald Trump took to Twitter to pay tribute to “a great American” adding that his “prayers and condolences are with the family and friends”. Clint Payne, Cochran’s brother-in-law, explained in a statement that Cochran and his wife Melissa Payne Cochran had been in London to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. “Our family is heartbroken,” he said in a statement emailed to AFP. Cochran’s wife is reportedly in hospital, where she is recovering from a broken leg and rib and a cut on her head. The police said only that a man in his 50s had died. Melissa Payne Cochran can be seen bleeding on the front page of the New York Post after the London attack. Picture: New York PostSource:Supplied A 75-year-old man who was injured in the attack died of his wounds on Thursday evening, police said. “The man had been receiving medical treatment in hospital following the attack and life support was withdrawn this evening,” police said in a statement, without giving further details of the victim’s background. DOZENS INJURED Police said 29 of around 40 people wounded were treated in hospital. Seven remained in “critical condition” on Thursday. Four of the five Koreans who were injured in the attack have been released from hospital, according to The Korea Herald. Three Korean women and one man suffered broken bones during the attack. All were aged in their 50s and 60s. The four people discharged will return home on Saturday. The fifth person is awaiting a progress report after undergoing an operation. Ms Neis-Beer, 54, who has a 26-year-old son called Jordan and a 19-year-old daughter called Paige and who works in an organic market and cafe in Stirling in Adelaide, was one of those injured in the first mass-casualty terrorism attacks on British soil in more than a decade. She is currently recovering in hospital after undergoing surgery for a crushed foot but is in good spirits, Australian High Commissioner to the UK Alexander Downer told Channel Seven’s Sunrise program on Friday morning In an odd coincidence, Mr Downer said Ms Neis-Beer lived in the Adelaide Hills town where he was born, Bridgewater. South Australian woman Patricia or “Trish” Neis-Beer was injured in the Westminster Bridge terror attack. Picture: SuppliedSource:News Corp Australia “I have been to the place where she works to have a coffee on many an occasion,” he said. “She is well known to many of us in the Adelaide Hills. “It is quite a coincidence that she should have been here on that occasion. Mr Downer said Ms Neis-Beer was being well cared for and the consulate was providing her with assistance. “In these sorts of circumstances, we don’t want to be doing more for her than she wants, we want to make sure she is properly looked after and cared for,” he said. “At the moment, at the hospital she is in she is being well looked after. The quality of care is very good and we keep an eye on her.” Dramatic footage shows a woman identified as Romanian tourist Andreea Cristea, 29, plummeting six meters into the freezing River Thames as a speeding car flies past, smashing into pedestrians on the bridge. Andreea Cristea, 29, plummeted into the River Thames. Picture: FacebookSource:Supplied The Port of London Authority said she was in a critical condition and was given emergency care on a pier before being rushed to hospital. The British media is reporting that Ms Cristea was in London with her fiance Andrei Burnaz to celebrate his birthday today. Mr Burnaz is reported to have suffered a minor injury. Paul Ciocoiu, a spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Romania, told Digi 24 TV: “According to information we have, she (Ms Cristea) would be the pedestrian hit by a car and thrown into the Thames and then recovered. Ministry contacted the family. “We do not know when the family arrived in Britain. If the family require consular assistance, of course, the ministry provides help punctually. “There is a crisis cell set up immediately after the conclusion of the terrorist attack. There are the usual procedures, to keep in touch with British authorities, hospital authorities and family seriously injured citizen.” Three French pupils on a school trip to London, all aged 15 or 16, were among those hurt, including two who suffered broken bones but were not reported to be in life-threatening condition. Francisco Lopes, a Portuguese national who was injured during the London terror attack, at his home in London. Picture: AP/Sophie BermanSource:AP The teenagers are from a high school in Concarneau, in the western Brittany region, and were joined by their families on Wednesday evening. French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault arrived in London on Thursday to visit them. Five South Korean tourists — four women and a man in their 50s and 60s — were also wounded after being knocked to the ground by people fleeing as the assailant mowed down pedestrians, Seoul said. In an address to parliament on Thursday, May said that among the people admitted to hospital were 12 Britons as well as two Greeks and two Romanians, one German, one Pole, one Irish citizen, one Chinese national, one Italian and one American. Four people were killed in the attack by ‘lone wolf’ killer Khalid Masood, 52.Picture: Carl Court/Getty ImagesSource:Getty Images A woman with serious injuries rescued from the River Thames near Westminster Bridge after the attack, as well as her fiance, are believed to be the two Romanians. Local media in the eastern European country have named them as Andreea Cristea, a 29 year-old architect and Andrei Burnez. Authorities did not confirm the reports. The injured also included three police officers who were returning from an event recognising their bravery, two of whom remain in serious condition. Among the injured British nationals were four students from Edge Hill University in Ormskirk in northwest England, who were on an educational visit to the parliament.
Have we been told the truth about the alleged terror attack on Westminster Bridge, London in March 2017? The incidence occurred on 3/22 (March 22) 2017, exactly a year after the Brussels terror event on the same day last year, that in itself is very suspicious. The video and photo evidence of the Westminster attack suggests it was all staged and the only death may have been the Policeman’s. He may have been sacrificed to give the whole event some reality. False flag staged attacks are psychological warfare operations targeting the minds of the masses. Fabricated events can be used to further an agenda of the deep state and the perpetrators typically include CIA, MI6, MI5, MOSSAD, and DGSE (French Intelligence). The Muslim or Arab patsie is sent there to do the crime or blackmailed into doing it to enforce the idea to the world that the “boogieman” Muslim terrorist is still real. If this was a white man that allegedly drove this car along the bridge then it would not be classed as a terrorist event, only because this man was classed as a ‘Muslim’ is it then labelled a terror event. Look at the incident in Times Square, New York on May 18th 2017 were a man mowed down 20 pedestrians and killing one, it was labelled by Police as not a terrorist incident in fact New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said there was "no indication" it was an act of terrorism and this was because the perpetrator was not a Muslim. We are told the person who carried out the Westminster attack was Khalid Masood (Adrian Russell Elms) who was a Christian until he allegedly converted to Islam in 2005, so he is not really a Muslim. What did this Muslim have to gain from this event, what was his objective in carrying it out, well he had none whatsoever. These false flags are now becoming so obvious with so many mistakes. The mainstream media never bothers to bring up the anomalies or mistakes just like they did with 9/11 or 7/7 and that is because they are controlled and they are there to repeat the governments version of events. Let us look at 13 reasons why this could be a fabricated or staged event. 1.Suspicious Video. The first piece of evidence is the video below which shows the only footage known of the car that was reported to have been involved in the Westminster terrorist attack. First the car looks more like a cartoon or ghost car in comparison to the other vehicles on the bridge. The video is below if you want to look at it. Look at the splash in the water on the video below, the splash is followed by a black streak. What is the black streak or trail? It is CGI, not real. Notice how the person (if it was a person) jumped into the water after the car has already gone by. Research has shown that the building were this video was taken was the upper half of the Milbank Tower which houses the Government/Political agencies. In the past and in the present Milbank Tower has been used by a cluster of predominantly political organisations including the Conservative and Labour parties and the United Nations to name a few. Today it hosts a wide range of companies from PR agencies to the Ministry of Justice Records Management Service. One company in the Milbank Tower is Altitude London which was opened by former PM David Cameron in 2010. Altitude states on its own website it is: “A firm supporter of the UK film industry and arts in general, Altitude has helped some of the foremost film and television production companies gain footage that is just not possible anywhere else”. So we are led to believe the person who took this video just happened to have a video camera pointed at Westminster Bridge when this alleged car started its journey. What a coincidence? I don’t think so, they were part of the staged attack. The one thing that looks really odd is that the attacker was able to drive at speed over Westminster Bridge and mow down pedestrians. It is a very busy bridge – why was it empty enough for anyone to drive at speed at that hour? It should have been jam packed with traffic – you would be lucky to do 10mph! If one looks at the pictures afterwards, there are several buses and cars stopped on the South bound lane … but almost nothing stopped on the North bound lane used by the attacker, that lane is almost empty. What a coincidence? 2.SuspiciousPhotographers. Did you know nearly all the photographs of the Westminster attack which were used by the media were taken by Toby Melville a photographer for Reuters based in London? Reuters Media, we know is owned by the Rothschild’s. You could say Melville is an elite photographer because he took the photo of Kate Middleton’s baby when it was first shown to the world as well as many photos of the Queen and Obama when he visited the Queen. Melville took the photo which shows a woman’s pair of legs (it was a mannequin) sticking out from under a bus during the Westminster attack. Other photographs of the events of the attack were taken by one Stefan Rouseau who states on his website that he has spent the past 15 years travelling with and taking photographs of the Prime Minister. So all the photographs of the Westminster attack were taken by trusted Government/Royal photographers, two high profile insiders. There is no footage from people’s phones and they would be because on the other side of the road there was a queue of traffic with several buses, so someone would have taken videos and photos but there is none available. 3. The Woman under the Bus The two pair of legs sticking out from under the bus do not belong to a human being, it is a dummy or mannequin. We are told this woman got hit by a car and then the front wheels of a double decker bus went over this woman and then the back wheels went over this woman. Does any sensible person believe that? Where is the blood, if a 12 ton bus went over you twice there would be blood and your body would be squashed? It is not believable. It looks like this dummy was placed under the bus for shock effect meant to manipulate public consciousness. As mention earlier this photo was taken by Toby Melville. The hand looks to white to be the hand of a human and why would your shoes be off? I love the way the cop is just walking by as if nothing has happened! Just a double-decker bus driving over someone, nothing special, don’t’ even try to help her. "I can tell you the girl under the bus is bullshit, a fact! I used to be a fireman in London many years ago, and seen some real gory shit, trains that ran over people, trucks, all sorts. If she had been run over as depicted, she would have been flat, and there would have been a mass pool of blood and shit, up to a 3 to 4 meter radius of her body with all sorts splattered everywhere, be like you standing on a fly only much bigger of course. That picture is taking the piss for sure! " – Ex London Fireman 4. The Lady in Pink Now this piece of evidence for me makes this Westminster attack to be nothing more than a false flag hoax. Now there is a few videos on Youtube which shows videos of someone moving along Westminster Bridge just after the alleged car mowed down pedestrians. It shows alleged injured people on the floor been attended to by members of the public. Below is a screenshot of an alleged injured person been attended to and standing near is a lady in pink holding her arms up taking photos and near her is a man also taking photos and he has blue\grey jeans and a dark grey jacket on. At the point that the lady in the pink jacket is taking photos, the car that allegedly mowed down all the pedestrians has already gone along past were she is standing because there is an injured person already near her on the floor. A screenshot is below. Do you get that, the lady in pink was not hit by the car. Now there is a another video of her lying injured in the same spot with blood near her as if she has been hit by the car and the same man standing next to her taking the photos is now acting as her helper. The screen shot is below of her lying injured. She was not hit by the car, it is a staged scene and she is an actor and probably paid huge sums for this fakery. Notice the man helping her, it is the same man who was stood near her taking photos. Also would you really take photos if there was someone lying next to you injured? 5. The Shoes Shoes were placed into a scene for some unknown reason. Since when does a car hitting you knock your shoes off? Here we have a photo which shows a man being attended to and there are no shoes by the side of the road. We now see a photo of the same man being attended to but this time with shoes carefully placed by the side of the road. Who placed the shoes there neatly and why? Take a closer look at this picture. In the video online the man’s backside never touches the road underneath (that his hard to do), his knees are up and so is his left arm and hand, he does not seem to move. If he was in pain his knees would be resting on the ground, flopped over to the left or right and so would his left arm. It takes a lot of effort to stay in the position he is in, it is not believable. Look at the photo above, does the hand look real. It is to white, is it a dummy? The video is below which shows this more clearly. Also as you watch these videos going along Westminster Bridge there is not many people injured but we are told that over 40 people were injured, somehow I don’t think so. Video was removed by the Jewish run Youtube, sorry. You have got to ask why? 6. Strange Photos Look at the photo below. If this is a dead Policeman under the white sheet then why is he left alone this is supposed to be a crime scene, why is it not cordoned off with tape? Why is the ambulance empty? Why is the member of the public attending to the dying Policeman but the Doctor and Paramedics are just watching? In the photo below look at the man with the blue gloves he is holding the Policeman up by his feet now the Policemans head must be touching the floor. Why? We are told there was 44 victims? In the photos below were are these victims? 7. No CCTV, again! London has more CCTV per square mile than any city in the world, so where’s the footage of this incident? The CCTV cameras for Westminster were taken off-line during the attack. CCTV offline? Again? It’s the same old story, just like London 7/7 underground bombings, no CCTV. CCTV on board the bus that blew up was also offline. The same Israeli Company who ran 911 airport security (No CCTV), ran the London bus CCTV during the attack. Of course they were taken offline as they don’t want the people who monitor the CCTV to see what actually happened on the Bridge. This alleged car that came onto the bridge must have came from somewhere in London. So where is the CCTV of this car approaching the bridge from its starting point, well they can't show it can they. London has more CCTV than any city in the world per population. 8. No Security The main gate into the grounds of parliament was left open and reportedly nobody was guarding the gate. Normally these gates are always kept shut. Why was the main gate into the grounds of parliament left open and why was nobody guarding the gate? There are claims that no-one was on duty on the gate when the attacker entered. That place is a fortress. There is no way anyone could get into that area. There are armed guards at every entrance. At least four staff are usually stationed at all the gates, two outside and two inside. How did he get inside those gates? No one can enter that region. How could he knife down a constable? 9. The London Eye The London Eye was stopped during the Westminster attack for 3 hours. Whoever was behind the attacks had the London Eye stopped because if someone on the London Eye took a video of what really happened on the bridge then got off the London Eye with this evidence and disappeared, the this evidence could be the used at some point to prove the hoax. To stop this happening the London eye was stopped and as people got off their phones were checked by the Police to make sure they had no evidence of the alleged car driving along the bridge at high speed. 10. The Shot Assailant: Lack of Blood There was first news of the assailant being a Mr. Abu Izzadeen but later identity of killed assailant was given as Khalid Masood. The man originally alleged to be the main attacker, Trevor Brooks aka Abu Izzadeen, has links to MI6. The media found out they made a blunder and that Abu Izzadeen was alive in jail. But there is no real blood anywhere, including on the knife which was used to stab a Police officer. Where are the bullet wounds? His eyes are open, is he dead? Where is all the blood? The terrorist was shot – not taken into interrogation, because he had to be disposed of – as in Nice, Berlin, Paris 13 Nov. 2015, Brussels 3/22 2016 etc. Maybe that is why they always kill him or get him killed: So that the alleged perpetrator isn’t alive to explain what really happened. At first, there were two assailants:”The BBC understands from multiple sources that two assailants were in the vehicle on Westminster Bridge,” BBC correspondent Dominic Casciani said on Twitter. What happened to the other guy? 11. Iconic date Another sign of a false flag is the “iconic date,” often featuring the numbers 9, 11 or 7 or multiples thereof. The London bombings happened on 7/7 and we of course we have 9/11. The Westminster attack happened on 3/22, the first anniversary of the false flag attack in Brussels Airport which was also 3/22, 3+2+2=7. 322 is a big time satanic number and date, is the identifier of the Skull and Bones secret society of which many American Presidents were a member of. In the recent terror attack at Manchester Arena, the date was 22/05. 2+2+5=9. The truck attack in Stockholm, Sweden happened on April 7 th. 7+4=11 and the Berlin truck attack happened on the 9 th. Is it all just a coincidence? Believe me the same organisation planned all the attacks and then convinced some patsie to carry it out and it was not Isis or Al Qaeda. The Illuminati and its intelligent (Psychopaths) agencies such as Mossad, CIA, MI5 and MI6 were behind all these attacks. What are the chances that the 8 attacks below spread out over 6 years in 6 different countries would all be carried out on the 22nd of the month? It is not possible that these were random events. Norway attack- 22-07-11 Lee Rigby – 22-05-2013 Pakistan tourist shooting – 22-06-13 Canada shootings parliament – 22-10-14 Brussels attack – 22-03-16 Munich attack – 22-07-16 London Westminster attack- 22-03-17 Manchester Arena attack- 22-05-17 Just to note that the 22 nd is a very significant date for the Jews because that was the date they blew up the British headquarters at the King David hotel (July 22 nd, 1946) and killed 91 civilians. Also these Jewish terrorists tried to make people believe that the Arabs did it (akin to 9/11) by dressing up as Palestinian Arabs to plant the bombs. In July 2006 Netanyahu and former Irgun gang members attended a 60th anniversary celebration of this outrage and continue to claim that it was all the fault of the British and not the fault of the bombers. 12. Terror Drills Every major terrorist incident has had terror drills or training at exactly the same time as the terror incident was happening. 9/11 did so did 7/7 London, Boston, Paris etc.. and so did Westminster. 13. Israel Connection Every terror event from Manchester to Nice seems to get blamed on ISIS or ISIS claims responsibility. Did you know that an Israeli group SITE (Search for International Terrorist Entities) always announces first that terror events like Westminster, Manchester and Nice were allegedly done by ISIS. Can we really believe them? In fact any ISIS related news come from SITE first. It is run by a Jewish woman Rita Katz whose father was a Mossad spy. Look at this message that SITE tweeted before the Westminster attacks, seems they knew this would happen before it did. Well that’s no coincidence when you realise that ISIS was created by Israel and America. Or maybe it was just a Mossad (Israeli Intelligence) operation from the start. Click on the ISIS section of this website to see more information on that. Why do these events happen? My research says the ones behind the planning of this event were Mossad (Israeli Intelligence) with the help of MI5 and MI6. It is a psychological operation to keep in the minds of the masses of people and politicians that the Muslims are the real threat and that gives Israel the support it needs to slaughter the Palestinians and gives a legitimate reason to keep the wars in the Middle East rolling along, more Muslims slaughtered (4 million since 1990). But there are other reasons. After the Westminster attack Home Secretary Amber Rudd has demanded more action from social media such as Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp and Youtube to take down extremist videos, really she means videos that expose the false flag lies so no one will be able to find out the truth. She said new proposals are going to be implemented by the government to make internet giants take down so called hate videos. But in reality they are not hate videos but truth videos that try to expose the lies of the government. Also in government plans in the wake of this alleged attack is to deploy 5000 soldiers on the streets of the UK. This secret plan is codenamed Operation Temperer. The attack stopped parliament from voting on leaving the EU. So it disrupted the Brexit debate. Terror attacks also keep us divided especially Muslims and Christians. These terror attacks are happening in Christian countries in Europe and America and we are told the perpetrators are always Muslims. But who would profit from Muslims and Christians hating each other? Could it be the people of Asia or could it be the Jewish Zionists? Could it be a prelude to the coming Economic Collapse? The global elites know full well that the Global Economic & Financial System is on the verge of collapse and that the banksters in London are the primary culprits. Hence, they feel compelled to put into place all of the controls and safeguards, laws and technology necessary to preclude a replay of the French Revolution … … … in London France announced that in the wake of the so-called “Charlie Hebdo Shooting,” it passed a controversial new bill granting security agencies unprecedented powers to tap the communications of France’s population without judicial overview. This would have been Impossible to pass without having the Charlie Hebdo Shooting. Once again, CCTV cameras were missing, drills and events that mimic the event played out just days earlier, and, the aftermath, the loss of personal freedoms and freedom of speech, plus troops on our streets being proposed. Dr. Kevin Barrett, a founding member of the Scientific Panel for the Investigation of 9/11, made these remarks in an interview with Press TV when he was asked to name the biggest false flag operations of 2015. “2015 saw an outrageous number of false flag events, and the two biggest ones were the attacks in Paris, France; the second attack in Paris on November 13 was followed up quickly by a sequel attack in San Bernardino, California,” Dr. Barrett said. “It seems that the people behind the so-called war on terror, and that would be neoconservative Zionists, have decided to use Paris as their center of operations, or at least this past year they did,” he added. “I think that was perhaps because Paris is perhaps the capital of world secularism, and they are trying to stir up a strategy of tensions pitting Islam against the West, and in particular against the secular tendencies of the West,” he stated. “They are concerned that many progressive intellectuals… are turning against Zionism.” French youth turning against Zionism Dr. Barrett, an editor at Veterans Today, said “Alain Soral is absolutely right when he says in a new book that I am editing on the Paris attacks, Another French False Flag, that they chose victims in these trendy youth neighborhoods of Paris – young people who were partying at a rock concert, young people who were hanging out at cafes – because these young people in the 11th Arrondissement of Paris are precisely the demographic in France that has been turning against Zionism and supporting the Palestinians.” “So I think that Paris was targeted as the new fulcrum in this clash of civilizations in order to continue to try to push the West into the Zionist camp, and bring the West into a long-term war on Islam on behalf of Israel,” he noted. Isis\Daesh exposed as false flag group Dr. Barrett said that “regarding other false flag stories of this year, many of them are also related to the same theme.” “I think the other great false flag story of 2015 is that the so-called Islamic States (Daesh/ISIS) has been exposed as a false flag group. It has been exposed in many many ways, as essentially a band of cutthroat mercenaries organized by the West in order to destabilize the Middle East and particularly to destabilize and even to depopulate the countries on the borders of Israel in support of the Greater Israel project, in which Israel is trying to expand and ultimately occupy everything from the Nile to Euphrates,” he stated. “Daesh has been exposed in so many ways, and in particular by the intervention of Russia in Syria. The Russians have potentially blown the whistle on the fact that the US war on Daesh was a fake. In 2015, we learnt that Daesh is a fake false flag group and the war on Daesh by the West was phony,” the analyst pointed out. “So I think these were the biggest false flag stories of the year 2015.”
Westminster attack condemned abroad The attack in the heart of London brought swift messages of condemnation and solidarity from political leaders overseas. US President Donald Trump who apologised for being late to a meeting due to being kept updated on events in the UK left it to his press officer Sean Spicer to give the official White House response. “The President has been briefed on the situation in London. The city of London and her Majesty’s government have the full support of the U.S. government in responding to the attack and in bringing those to justice who are responsible.” My thoughts are with all those affected by the horrific attack at the very heart of #London. #NATO stands united against terrorism. With the events unfolding in London on the anniversary of the terror attacks in Brussels, it was an emotional EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker who was asked to comment: “The fact that exactly the same day, something similar happened in London and to London, is really putting me in the situation of someone who has a language that doesn’t have the words enough to express what I am deeply feeling.”

A source told the paper: “Incidents such as last Wednesday’s attack always highlight weaknesses in any security system. “No system is perfect but it’s important that any perceived weaknesses are addressed. People need to know how to react in an emergency.” Extra measures including SAS soldiers training cabinet ministers how to react during terrorist attacks may also be carried out. The SAS already has a permanent presence in the capital, with regular troops working in London. Both HQ Squadron and A Squadron of the reservist 21 SAS Regiment are also located in the city. The increased threat of urban terrorism saw the SAS operating bizarre-looking helicopters over central London in 2016.The unusual-looking Osprey V22 aircraft – which is effectively half plane, half helicopter – were flown and up and down the Thames several times in May. British pilots were training to fly the Osprey, touted as being capable of delivering 24 special forces soldiers from Hereford to London within 30 minutes in the event of a major terrorist attack.

He added: "During the attack she was knocked into the River Thames and was taken to the Royal London Hospital by ambulance. "She was then taken to St Bartholomew's Hospital. In pictures: Westminster attack In pictures: Westminster attack 1/9 An air ambulance lands after gunfire sounds were heard close to the Palace of Westminster in London PA wire 2/9 MPs wait until the situation is under control in Westminster. 'The alleged assailant was shot by armed police,' David Lidington, leader of the House of Commons, told the house. BBC News 3/9 Crowds gather in Westminster after shooting incident, which police are treating as terror attack BBC News 4/9 Police were also called to an incident on Westminster Bridge nearby AP 5/9 Early reports indicate the car, which mounted the pavement on Westminster Bridge and mowed into around a dozen people, was the same vehicle which then rammed into the railings of the Palace of Westminster, just around the corner Reuters 6/9 Security sources described the suspected assailant as a middle-aged Asian man, who is understood to have left the car before attacking a police officer with a seven-to-eight inch knife PA wire 7/9 Police have asked people to avoid the immediate area to allow emergency services to deal with the ongoing incident AP 8/9 One woman has died and a number of others, including the police officer, have been hurt, according to a junior doctor at St Thomas' Hospital Reuters 9/9 At least three gun shots were heard by those inside Westminster, and proceedings in the House of Commons have been suspended AP 1/9 An air ambulance lands after gunfire sounds were heard close to the Palace of Westminster in London PA wire 2/9 MPs wait until the situation is under control in Westminster. 'The alleged assailant was shot by armed police,' David Lidington, leader of the House of Commons, told the house. BBC News 3/9 Crowds gather in Westminster after shooting incident, which police are treating as terror attack BBC News 4/9 Police were also called to an incident on Westminster Bridge nearby AP 5/9 Early reports indicate the car, which mounted the pavement on Westminster Bridge and mowed into around a dozen people, was the same vehicle which then rammed into the railings of the Palace of Westminster, just around the corner Reuters 6/9 Security sources described the suspected assailant as a middle-aged Asian man, who is understood to have left the car before attacking a police officer with a seven-to-eight inch knife PA wire 7/9 Police have asked people to avoid the immediate area to allow emergency services to deal with the ongoing incident AP 8/9 One woman has died and a number of others, including the police officer, have been hurt, according to a junior doctor at St Thomas' Hospital Reuters 9/9 At least three gun shots were heard by those inside Westminster, and proceedings in the House of Commons have been suspended AP "Her time of death was recorded as 3.11pm on April 6." Coroner's officer Eric Sword told the inquest a post-mortem examination had given her main cause of death as "multiple organ failure" with a secondary cause given as "head injury ... and immersion". Mr Burnaz, who suffered a broken foot in the attack, did not attend Wednesday's hearing. The inquest was adjourned to a preliminary hearing on May 19 at the Royal Courts of Justice.

Floral tributes to the victims of the Westminster attack in March. Photograph: Matt Dunham/AP The media regulator has found that Channel 4 News seriously breached the broadcasting code by naming the wrong man as the Westminster terror attacker, and has heavily criticised the programme for a string of major mistakes in recent years. Ofcom has taken the highly unusual step of forcing Channel 4 News to make an on-air broadcast of the outcome of its investigation. The programme reported that Abu Izzadeen, an Islamist activist formerly known as Trevor Brooks, was the person responsible for the terror attack who had been shot dead by police. During coverage of the attack in March, which left four people dead, Simon Israel, Channel 4 News’s senior home affairs correspondent, identified Izzadeen as the attacker. Later in the programme Jon Snow, the newsreader, interrupted the broadcast to issue a correction saying that Izzadeen’s brother had been in contact to say that he was, in fact, still in jail. “Sorry to cut you off. We’ve got a little bit more on this fast-developing story about today’s attack in Westminster,” said Snow. “Channel 4 News has been contacted by Abu Izzadeen’s brother, who tells this programme that he is in fact still serving a prison sentence. That from Yusuf Brooks, brother of Trevor Brooks, also known as Abu Izzadeen.” Snow apologised at the end of the programme, which was subsequently pulled from the Channel 4+1 service. “We found Channel 4 News committed a serious breach of broadcasting rules, after it wrongly identified the Westminster terror attacker,” said Ofcom in a statement. “Channel 4 News incorrectly referred to the same person throughout its report, and subsequent steps to mitigate the error were insufficient.” In a statement, the broadcaster said the mistake came during a “fast-moving story” and that Channel 4 News had “moved swiftly to correct and clarify the facts as conflicting information came to light”. “We note that Ofcom acknowledges Channel 4 News made appropriate corrections while on air; removed the programme from other platforms and carried a full correction and apology the following day,” said a spokeswoman. “We are working with Channel 4 News to review and improve their existing editorial and oversight procedures.” Channel 4 News said it had not made an apology or offered payment for reputational damage done to Izzadeen in the case of mistaken identity. A spokeswoman added that the programme had not received any request or demand for financial amends or an apology from or on behalf of Izzadeen. The programme also said no action was taken against Simon Israel over the on-air gaffe, and that he continues to report in the same role. The media regulator took the unusual step of ordering Channel 4 News to broadcast its decision because it is the latest in a string of accuracy lapses in recent years. It is very rare for Ofcom to order such a public broadcast of a decision – especially against one of the UK’s most high-profile and respected news organisations. “This is the fourth time in three years we have found Channel 4 in breach of its requirement to report news with due accuracy,” said Ofcom. “We are particularly concerned that another serious breach has happened, given Channel 4’s previous assurances to Ofcom that improvements to its compliance processes were being made. Considering the seriousness of this breach, we are requiring Channel 4 News to air a summary of our breach decision.” The spokeswoman for Channel 4 News, which is produced by ITN, said: “Channel 4 News takes its obligations under the Ofcom Broadcasting Code extremely seriously and is committed to providing audiences with high-quality, accurate and impartial news programming. “We have participated fully in Ofcom’s investigation and note the regulator’s ruling which takes into account the immediate steps taken to correct and clarify the error during the course of the programme.” A 2014 news report covering the publication of the Ellison review in to possible corruption and the role of undercover policing in the Metropolitan police in the Stephen Lawrence case. Short interview clips with five supposedly random members of the public asking whether they trusted the police turned out to all be from the same organisation, with which the reporter had links. A 2014 report on Russia’s assertive military and foreign policy that included an audio clip supposedly of an RAF pilot intercepting and warning a Russian military plane in British airspace. It turned out to be an intercept of a Latvian cargo plane.


"We need to make sure that organisations like WhatsApp, and there are plenty of others like that, don't provide a secret place for terrorists to communicate with each other," she said. "It used to be that people would steam open envelopes or listen in on phones when they wanted to find out what people were doing, legally, through warrantry [sic]. But in this situation, we need to make sure that our intelligence services have the ability to get into situations like encrypted WhatsApp." Rudd's comment came after media reports on Sunday that the Westminster Bridge attacker had sent a WhatsApp message prior to the incident that cannot be accessed because it was encrypted. Fifty-two-year-old Briton Khalid Masood used a car and a knife to carry out an attack in the heart of London on Wednesday that left four people dead. He was killed by law enforcement on the scene. Rudd said she was not arguing for the government to access all messages on such platforms. Instead, she wants encrypted services to recognise they have a responsibility to engage with law enforcement agencies to counter terrorism. "They cannot get away with saying 'we are a different situation,'" she said. "They are not." A WhatsApp spokesperson said the company was horrified at the London attack, adding that it is "cooperating with law enforcement as they continue their investigations." "Compelling companies to put backdoors into encrypted services would make millions of ordinary people less secure online." The rhetoric on Sunday highlighted a clash between digital privacy and national security that has been playing out globally in recent years. The most famous case so far has been Apple's tussle with the FBI. In 2016, the security service took on the Silicon Valley giant in an attempt to bypass the lock screen of the iPhone 5C used by San Bernardino gunman Syed Farook. Farook and his wife killed 14 people and wounded 22 more in San Bernardino, California in Dec., 2015. The U.S. Justice Department obtained a court order ordering Apple to assist the FBI in bypassing the phone's security, fearing that too many attempts to guess the passcode would wipe the phone's memory. Security experts warn that building a backdoor into the iPhone or services like WhatAspp would compromise the safety of users in unintended ways: If UK police can somehow read encrypted messages, for example, what's to prevent law enforcement in countries with a poor human rights record from demanding the same level of access? The UK-based digital rights advocate Open Rights Group has warned that undermining encryption would make ordinary internet activities more vulnerable. "Compelling companies to put backdoors into encrypted services would make millions of ordinary people less secure online," the group's executive director, Jim Killock, said in a statement. "We all rely on encryption to protect our ability to communicate, shop and bank safely." The UK already has extensive laws allowing the government access to the internet footprint of its citizens. In late 2016, it passed the Investigatory Powers Act, also known as the Snoopers' Charter. The bill creates a quasi-internet history database that's accessible to law enforcement upon request, among other measures. The Associated Press contributed to this report. WATCH: Signs you're reading too much into instant messages with emoji Mashable is a global, multi-platform media and entertainment company. Powered by its own proprietary technology, Mashable is the go-to source for tech, digital culture and entertainment content for its dedicated and influential audience around the globe.
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He told BBC Breakfast: "It was an incredible and shocking event. A normal day in Parliament, very busy, very bustling. "The divisional bell went and MPs were migrating to the chamber then we heard a sound you never expect to hear - anywhere, let alone in Parliament - that was high-velocity gunshots that caused understandable panic and chaos. "I found myself coming out to where the incident was unfolding to find police officers, including Pc Keith Palmer, who every day deal with the public and tourists and are part of our community, had then moved into operational mode. "There was a gunline of about 30 guns, all trained towards the gates themselves. "Beyond that, that's where I saw Pc Keith Palmer was on the ground and he was bleeding and a couple of officers were trying to help. That's when I ran forward." Tobias Ellwood is visibly emotional on BBC BreakfastCredit: BBC Mr Ellwood added: "I didn't feel I did anything more than was the product of my training and background. "I am medically trained. I saw what was going on , so I stepped forward. I was one of many people that stepped forward that day to do what we could. It's the heroes of the police force who guarded Parliament. "But very sadly, the injuries that Pc Keith Palmer had sustained were just too complicated. "We had a wave of medics come through and then a helicopter landed in Parliament Square. "And still, we were unable to save his life. And it's a profound regret that that happened." He struggles to control his emotions during the interviewCredit: BBC Asked about how he explained the attack to his family, Mr Ellwood said: "A vivid image I have is returning home after what had happened and finding my son on the top of the stairs and he was in tears and he was on his own." Pausing for a moment to compose himself, he added with his voice breaking: "I sat next to him and he just asked 'why?'. "He couldn't understand why I stepped forward, why somebody had been killed, why somebody was wielding a knife in a place he had visited many times. "All I could offer was 'there are some bad people in the world, but there are a lot more good people and it's the good people who win'." As he was thanked for sharing his "raw emotions" by interviewer Charlie Stayt, a tear rolled down Mr Ellwood's cheek. A tear runs down Mr Ellwood's cheekCredit: BBC UK is dealing with 'dark chapter' of terrorism Mr Ellwood also warned that the threats faced by the UK are not going away and involve not just terrorism, but "resurgent nations challenging the world order". Describing how the UK is going through a "dark chapter" facing the terrorist threat, he paid tribute to the police for their work in a country "that seems to be getting more dangerous and more volatile". Mr Ellwood, who has lobbied within government for extra funding for the Armed Forces, said: "There are some big questions, wider questions, about what we do because this terrorist attack - non-state, caused by Daesh - they are not going away. "These attacks will continue unless we step forward and actually participate, become more pro-active in dealing with what is a very changing and dark chapter that we are enduring." He told BBC Radio 4's Today: "From 2002 to today, extremism is still there. We are still not able to better understand why people with a scant understanding of Islam are able to be recruited with a false promise of a fast-track to paradise. "Until that is grasped, until we can better ensure that the peaceful religion of Islam is better understood - probably at a very younger age - so these people aren't recruited, this threat will continue." The threats faced around the world meant "the relative peace that we have had for the last three or four decades is going to be challenged", Mr Ellwood said. "We are in a difficult time at the moment, there's no doubt about it," he added. 'Hero' police officers 'defending Parliament' Mr Ellwood was walking through the Palace of Westminster when Masood ploughed into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge before fatally stabbing unarmed police officer Pc Palmer a year ago on Thursday. He praised the work of the police on duty that day: "They were the ones that were defending Parliament and us, huge tribute to them. "They get up every day, they don't know how their day is going to unfold." #LondonUnited: Memorial tribute to vicims and survivors of attacks Plans have been revealed for a memorial for victims and survivors of the four terror attacks in London last year. Well-wishers will be able to leave messages in a digital book of hope at City Hall from Thursday, a year since Khalid Masood's attack in Westminster. Members of the public will be able to send messages to the installation - which will remain open until June - using #LondonUnited on social media, and their words will be projected on to a map of the capital. The tribute has been set up to mark the four terrorist atrocities that took place in the city last year - at Westminster Bridge, London Bridge, Finsbury Park and Parsons Green. The phrase #LondonUnited will be projected on to the Houses of Parliament, London Bridge, Finsbury Park Mosque and Parsons Green Tube station on the anniversaries of the attacks. #LondonUnited is projected onto the Houses of ParliamentCredit: Mayor of London London Mayor Sadiq Khan said: "Londoners will never forget the horrific terror attacks on our city in 2017. We will never forget the bravery of our emergency services and first responders who ran towards danger while urging the rest of us to run to safety. "And we will never forget the courage of Pc Keith Palmer, who paid the ultimate sacrifice whilst protecting Parliament. "These were not only attacks on our city and our country, but on the very heart of our democracy and the values we cherish most - freedom, justice and tolerance. "We know that families, friends and communities have their own private arrangements in place to mark this tragic anniversary, and our plans here at City Hall are intended to complement, without intruding on, individual private commemorations. "I hope these arrangements will help people to come together and remember those who were killed and injured, to show solidarity and support for their families and friends and the people whose lives have been affected by these tragic attacks. "As we enter this period of remembrance and reflection, we stand together as Londoners, united against terrorism and in hope for the future." Five innocent people were killed in Masood's rampage - 48-year-old Pc Palmer, who was on duty at the Palace of Westminster, along with US tourist Kurt Cochran, Romanian tourist Andreea Cristea, 31, and Britons Aysha Frade, 44, and 75-year-old Leslie Rhodes, who were mown down on the bridge. The planned memorial was agreed following meetings with bereaved families, survivors, members of the emergency services and local councils. MPs hold minute's silence to remember victims Leader of Westminster City Council Nickie Aiken said she would join the Lord Mayor to lay flowers in Parliament Square on Thursday. She said: "This week's anniversary will inevitably lead to feelings of huge sadness and loss for so many. But we will continue to stand together, united by what we have in common and not what separates us. "That will be the true legacy of a senseless act of violence and murderous hate. It will only make the bonds that bind us all together even stronger." 'He wouldn't like any of the fuss': Pc Palmer's friend pays tribute to 'modest' officer A police officer has paid tribute to his friend and fellow officer who was killed in the Westminster attack. Pc Shaun Cartwright, who had been friends with Pc Keith Palmer for more than 10 years, said: "Keith was a very modest man. "He wouldn't like any of the fuss. He's just see whatever he was doing as just performing his job and doing it to the best of his ability." The pair had previously worked together on the on the Territorial Support Group and Pc Cartwright was due to be on shift after Pc Palmer at the gates on the day of the attack. Pc Keith Palmer with Staci Martin, an American tourist, 45 minutes before his death He told LBC radio: "I was getting myself changed when the alarm went off, that there'd been a terrorist attack, there'd been a large explosion in the area of Portcullis House, Westminster Bridge, so I quickly pulled on all of my kit. "It took me 30 seconds or so, run down towards the scene once I'd picked up my radio and battery and I went down to very close to the scene... I saw roughly what had happened. "Obviously, we were unsure what was happening, whether it was going to be like a lone wolf attack or if it was a multi, marauding attack. That's the thing that most people were unsure about. We didn't know whether the person was acting alone or whether he was part of a bigger team." Video: Thousands attend Pc Keith Palmer's funeral He told LBC that getting back to work had been "incredibly tough for an awful lot of people," especially for those that responded first of all, and that PC Palmer's family were "coping as best they can, like people do in terrible circumstances".
Follow the author of this article Follow the topics within this article It was the image that divided social media in the hours after the Westminster terror attack as a Muslim woman apparently walked past victims whilst looking at her phone. Now it can be revealed that one of the accounts which prompted the misleading image to go viral and fueled a racist backlash was actually a troll backed by the Russian Government. It is one of a series of tweets from 2016 and 2017 which show for the first time how a network of Kremlin-backed accounts posted a number of anti-immigration and pro-Brexit messages around the time of the referendum and in the wake of major terror attacks. In the case of the Westminster Bridge attack, the user @SouthLoneStar, who claimed to be a "Proud TEXAN and AMERICAN patriot", posted just one of a series of images of the women in a hijab with the message: "Muslim woman pays no mind to the terror attack, casually walks by a dying man while checking phone #PrayForLondon #Westminster #BanIslam". The account has now been identified by Twitter in evidence to the US congress as being backed by the Russians. The reaction that the tweet provoked at the time of the attack in March, in which five people were killed by Khalid Masood before he was shot dead by armed police, prompted the woman release a statement through Tell Mama, a group which monitors hate incidents against Muslims. "I'm shocked and totally dismayed at how a picture of me is being circulated on social media," the unnamed woman said. "To those individuals who have interpreted and commented on what my thoughts were in that horrific and distressful moment. The account Texas Lone Star has been identified by Twitter as being backed by the Russians "I would like to say not only have I been devastated by witnessing the aftermath of a shocking and numbing terror attack, I've also had to deal with the shock of finding my picture plastered all over social media by those who could not look beyond my attire, who draw conclusions based on hate and xenophobia. "My thoughts at that moment were one of sadness, fear, and concern. "What the image does not show is that I had talked to other witnesses to try and find out what was happening, to see if I could be of any help, even though enough people were at the scene tending to the victims. "I then decided to call my family to say that I was fine and was making my way home from work, assisting a lady along the way by helping her get to Waterloo station. "My thoughts go out to all the victims and their families." She also thanked photographer Jamie Lorriman, who had spoken out in her defence and pointed out that other photographs had shown she was visibly upset. It was not the only time that the user @SouthLoneStar meddled in British affairs and after the EU referendum vote the account, which had 16,826 followers, tweeted: "I hope UK after #BrexitVote will start to clean their land from muslim invasion!" and "UK voted to leave future European Caliphate! #BrexitVote". It was one of many accounts identified as Kremlin linked which were mainly focused on US politics but dabbled in wider issues in Europe. They have all been suspended by Twitter. "There's this consistent and relentless focus on anti-immigrant sentiment, attacking Muslims in particular. [They are] making this sort of broad-brush, blanket link between Islam and terrorism," said Jonathon Morgan, CEO of New Knowledge, the security company which compiled the tweets. The news comes as MPs prepare to begin an inquiry into Russian interference in British politics to which both Twitter and Facebook have been asked to give evidence. Damian Collins, head of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee who is leading the inquiry, said that it showed Russian accounts were trying to "influence political debate in the UK and also to insight hatred and turn communities against each other". "I think it shows that Russian-controlled accounts have been politically active in the UK as well as America," Mr Collins told Wired UK. "This could just be the tip of the iceberg because we've only really just started looking and doing a proper detailed study of what accounts linked to Russian organisations have been doing politically."

It was a careful choice of words, Bernard Lewis being nothing if not careful. In 2004, the West audibly gasped when its preeminent scholar of Islam famously told the German newspaper Die Welt,“Europe will be Islamic by the end of the century,” if not sooner. Listen carefully. He did not say that Muslims will be the majority population in what is still recognizably Europe. No, Professor Lewis said “Europe will be Islamic.” We are not talking about Muslims here. We are talking about Islam. Lots of individual Muslims desire peaceful coexistence, even assimilation. But Islam’s aim is to prevail. So, yet again this week, Lewis’s foreboding has been brought to the fore by a jihadist mass-murder attack, this time in London. Advertisement As we go to press, five innocent people are dead after Khalid Masood, a terrorist acting on unambiguous scriptural commands to war against non-Muslims, rammed his rental Hyundai SUV into dozens of pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, many of them tourists taking in the iconic views of Parliament. About 50 people suffered injuries, some of them grave, so the death toll may yet rise. Masood, a burly 52-year-old weightlifter with a long criminal record that included vicious stabbings, then crashed the car through the gate at Westminster Palace, home of the West’s most venerable democratic legislature. He alighted brandishing two long knives, which he used to kill Keith Palmer, a police officer who, pursuant to British policy, was unarmed despite being assigned to provide security at one of the world’s foremost terror targets. Masood was finally shot dead by a protection officer attached to England’s defense minister. Advertisement There immediately began the ritual media pondering over Masood’s motive. Yes, what could it possibly have been? I’m going to stick with the patently obvious. Masood was born as Adrian Russell Ajao on Christmas Day, 1964, in Kent county, just outside London. His 17-year-old single mother remarried two years later, and he was known as Adrian Elms (his stepfather’s surname) until converting to Islam when he was about 40. Prior to that point, while fathering three children with his wife, he had several arrests, some for violent attacks. During at least one of the resulting stints in prison, like many inmates, he began indoctrination into Islam. Between 2004 and 2005 came the critical transition: the formal conversion, marriage to a Muslim woman, and relocation to Saudi Arabia (you know, be our “ally” against terrorism). For five years, Masood was immersed in the kingdom’s Wahhabism — fundamentalist Islam rooted in scriptural literalism. He became an English language-teacher working for the Saudi government. When we speak of Islam, as opposed to Muslims, we are not speaking about a mere religious belief system. We are talking about a competing civilization. Masood returned to England from Jeddah about seven years ago. By the time of Wednesday’s attack on Westminster Bridge, he had seamlessly gravitated to Birmingham, a city increasingly enveloped by sharia enclaves that, to varying degrees, have become “no-go zones” for non-Muslims and agents of the state, including police. Advertisement There is diversity in Islam, including millions of Muslims who adhere only to its spiritual elements or see themselves as more culturally than doctrinally Islamic. But when we speak of Islam, as opposed to Muslims, we are not speaking about a mere religious belief system. We are talking about a competing civilization — that is very much how Islam self-identifies. It has its own history, principles, values, mores, and legal system. Advertisement Islam, thus understood, is not non-Western. It is anti-Western. Like the conversion of Masood, the conversion of Birmingham has been a function of this defining Islamic attribute. Individual Muslims may assimilate, but Islam doesn’t do assimilation. Islam does not melt into your melting pot. Islam, as Muslim Brotherhood founder Hassan al-Banna proclaimed, is content with nothing less than political, cultural, and civilizational dominance. As Soeren Kern relates in a comprehensive Gatestone Institute report on Islam in Britain, the metamorphosis of Birmingham, along with several other U.K. population centers, signifies this resistance. When the Islamic presence in a Western community reaches a critical mass, Islam’s hostility to Western mores and demands for sharia governance result in non-Muslim flight. Marriages between Muslims resident in the Western community and Muslims overseas tend to result in childbirth rates and household growth that dwarfs that of the indigenous population. Arranged, intra-familial, and polygamous marriages, endorsed by Islamic mores, drastically alter the fabric of communities in short order. Birmingham, in particular, has been ground zero of “Operation Trojan Horse,” a sharia-supremacist scheme to Islamize the public schools. Kern repeats an account of life in “inner-city Birmingham” by the wife of a British clergyman, first published by Standpoint in 2011. She explained how the neighborhood in which she’d lived for four years had become a “police no-go zone,” in which the large number of newly arrived Somali immigrants now approached that of Pakistanis already resident. Then she recalled her husband’s encounter with an immigrant who had just arrived from Belgium — on an EU passport, like an increasing number of Muslims these days. The migrant was surprised when the clergyman asked why he had chosen to move into their neighborhood. Finally, he replied, “Everybody knows. Birmingham—best place in Europe to be pure Muslim.” Advertisement The memory moved the clergyman’s wife to a salient insight: Well, there must be many places in Europe where Muslims are entirely free to practice their faith, but I suspect there are few places in which they can have so little contact with the civic and legal structure of a Western state if they choose. To a London reader, born and bred with multiculturalism, I know that my stories may come across as outlandish and exaggerated. . . . When I recently told a friend how a large Taliban flag fluttered gaily on a house near St Andrew’s football stadium for some months, her cry of “Can’t you tell the police?” made me reflect how far many of our inner cities have been abandoned by our key workers: our doctors and nurses drive in from afar, the police, as mentioned before, have shut down their stations and never venture in unless in extremis — they and ambulance crews have been known to be attacked — even the local imam lives in a leafier area. Advertisement Advertisement It is in that milieu that Khalid Masood made his decision, rented an SUV, and drove to Westminster Bridge. Naturally, the Islamic State terror network (ISIS) took credit for the atrocity, as it has been wont to do since issuing its plea that Muslims conduct attacks “in place” — i.e., against the Western societies where they live. Western leaders have been content to accept these claims, at least as inspirational, if not operational. It is easier to indulge the fiction that ISIS catalyzes jihadism then to ask what catalyzed ISIS. But the remorseless fact is that before ISIS and al-Qaeda and the Khomeini revolution and Hezbollah and the Blind Sheikh and the Brotherhood and Khalid Masood, there was the single thing that unites them all. There was Islam. Western political and opinion elites remain willfully blind to this. They cannot help but project onto Islamic beliefs and practices their own progressive pieties — which take seriously neither religion nor the notion that there is any civilization but their own. In their minds, and therefore ingrained in the media’s coverage, is the notion that a Muslim community is just like any other community. Same with the mosque — it is just a “house of worship,” no different from a church, a safe harbor from worldly concerns and hostilities. Islam, however, does not separate mosque from state; the mosque is every bit as much a center for sharia indoctrination, assimilation resistance, and anti-Western politics as it is a prayer venue. That is why al-Banna regarded the mosque and the Islamic community center commonly attached to it as the “axis” of the “movement” in every community where Islam takes hold. The movement does not want cohabitation. It wants conquest. It starts with assimilation-resistant enclaves that nurture sharia supremacism today and thereby breed the jihadists of tomorrow. This week, it took the campaign to Westminster Bridge. Recommended Articles Most Popular The allegations against Brett Kavanaugh — outlined now on the record in the Washington Post by Palo Alto University professor Christine Blasey Ford — are substantial and serious. She claims that Kavanaugh knocked her down, groped her, and attempted to remove her clothes. Here’s the core of her ... Read More Will this be the week? 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THE driver of the car involved in today's Westminster “terror attack” outside the House of Parliament is "not cooperating" with police, according to the counter-terror officer leading the investigation. The 29-year-old man, a UK national and believed to be from the Midlands, was arrested by armed officers on suspicion of terror offences after a car mowed down pedestrians and cyclists before crashing into security barriers, installed to prevent terror attacks. Met Police confirmed they are treating the crash as a "terrorist incident". The Met Police have confirmed that counter-terrorism officers are carrying out searches at three addresses in the Midlands, which include two in Birmingham and one in Nottingham. Dozens of emergency vehicles swarmed the area and members of public were ordered to clear the area as as more than 200 police officers descended on the scene within minutes. They said the house is shared by six occupants and is home to six Sudanese people. Ibrahim Ahmed, 24, who lives in the same terrace row, said: "It's Sudanese people who live there." Benas Butkevicius, who lives next door to the house that was raided, said: "I was asleep when it happened. I just heard some banging and scratching. "I work night shifts - at about 4pm I woke up to the scratching." An occupant of the house said: "They thought the car was insured or registered here but it isn't. They were asking about a silver Fiesta. They said they were investigating what happened in Westminster." The Met Police says the suspect travelled from Birmingham to London late on Monday night and arrived in the London area just after midnight on Tuesday morning. The Ford Fiesta was in the Tottenham Court Road area from approximately 1:25am until 5:55am and then drove around Westminster and Whitehall from approximately 6:00am until the incident at 7:37am. Specialist officers from Project Servator, who are trained to recognise when a person is displaying minute signs of anxiety, have also been deployed in Westminster to identify anyone who may be in the area for terrorist or other criminal purposes. A spokesman for the Prime Minister said the terror threat remains severe and that today's suspected attack in Westminster was "shocking". Parliament crash: A man was led away in handcuffs (Image: SKY NEWS ) Mrs May said: "Today's suspected attack outside the Houses of Parliament is shocking. "For the second time in as many years, the home of our democracy, which is a potent symbol of our precious values of tolerance and freedom, has witnessed terrible scenes just yards from its door. "The threat to the UK from terrorism remains severe. I would urge the public to remain vigilant - but also to come together and carry on as normal, just as they did after the sickening attacks in Manchester and London last year. "The twisted aim of the extremists is to use violence and terror to divide us. They will never succeed." Chancellor Philip Hammond is the ranking minister in London at the moment but Mrs May is being kept informed while she is away in Switzerland on holiday, her spokesman said. Home Secretary Sajid Javid is returning to London from his own family break "so that he can take a briefing in person on events", the spokesman added. Security minister Ben Wallace has called for the public to be vigilant about odd behaviour and report it to police to help stop future terror attacks. The MP said:"These type of attacks use cars, they use knives - everyday items to attack us when we're at our most vulnerable. "In crowded spaces, when we're going about our normal jobs, going to work, and they do that because they know that that's where in our society - in a free and open society - we are vulnerable. "We need to think about people behaving badly. If we see odd behaviour we need to report it to the police, we need to report it to the local authorities, report it to our community leaders." The MP for Wyre and Preston North added: "It's also why we need to work with the private sector like car hire companies to say, 'Are you suspicious', 'Why is this person who's never driven an HGV hiring an HGV'." Officers cordoned off the whole square and members of the public were ordered to move back further as police put up a "Terrorism Act cordon", according to an officer at the scene. Parliament crash: Police have cordoned off the surrounding area (Image: BBC NEWS ) Jason Williams, 45, from Kennington, was walking to work when he saw the rush hour smash. He said: "I saw a car going at high speed towards Parliament. It hit a bollard. It looked deliberate. It didn't look like an accident. How do you do that by accident? It was a loud bang." Mr Williams told how he saw "10 people lying down" following the incident outside the Houses of Parliament. He told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: "He had driven it at speed - more than 40 mph. There was smoke coming out of the car. "I have seen people on the ground, lying on the road. I don't know if they have actually been hit by the vehicle or not. I saw at least 10 people lying down. Parliament crash: A car has carried into security barriers outside the Houses of Parliament (Image: NC) He said: "Straight away I thought 'Oh no, this is another terrorist attack' so I just started to run and the police were saying 'get out, get out of the area'." "The car was behind me. I didn’t see anyone else involved. I just saw this one vehicle, so it seems to be deliberate.” Police vans were seen rushing through the City of London on their way to Westminster moments after the incident unfolded. Firearms officers and at least two police dogs were seen stationed inside Parliament Square. Another eyewitness Ewalina Ochab descrbed the moment she saw the incident unfold. She said: "I think it looked intentional - the car drove at speed and towards the barriers.” Bus driver Victor Ogbomo, 49, was driving passengers past the front of Westminster when he saw the crash. He told the Press Association: ”All I saw was the smoke coming out of a vehicle, a silver vehicle. I just stopped the bus. Parliament crash: A number of pedestrians have been injured (Image: PA ) "The police said we have to move back, then in less than five minutes the response team came. They went to the vehicle, so we had to push back. I saw the car in the barrier, I didn't know how it got there. "I think someone was inside the vehicle because many police went towards the vehicle." He said officers had their guns out when they arrested the driver. Mr Ogbomo added: ”I was walking on the other side of the road. I heard some noise and someone screamed. I turned around and I saw a silver car driving very fast close to the railings, maybe even on the pavement." MPs have also reacted to the terror attack, which took place during parliament recess for summer. On arrival at Parliament, Boris Johnson said: "If it is indeed confirmed to be a terror incident, then it's very sad and very troubling indeed. "Hopefully people will be able to go about their normal days as soon as possible." Home Secretary Sajid Javid said: "Huge thanks to our emergency services for their rapid reaction to incident in Westminster this morning. My thoughts are with those injured." Parliament crash: Armed police are on the scene in Westminster (Image: PA ) Roger Godsiff, the Labour MP for Birmingham Hall Green, has tweeted: "Today's attack at Westminster was carried out by an individual who is believed to have been living in my constituency in Birmingham. "My deepest sympathies to the cyclists and pedestrians who were injured in the attack. "I have told the police and security services that they have my total support in doing whatever is necessary to protect the public in London and Birmingham." David Lammy, Labour MP for Tottenham, said: “Awful news from Westminster. My thoughts are with all those injured. Thanks for a quick response from @metpoliceuk, Parliament security and the London Ambulance Service.” Parliament crash: Sniffer dogs are also involved in the investigation (Image: PA ) Neil O’Brien Tory MP for Harborough said: “Awful news - thoughts very much with those currently receiving medical treatment, and everyone else affected by this. "Please remain vigilant if working in/visiting Westminster today.” Vince Cable, leader of the Liberal Democrats, tweeted: "Our thoughts are with those who have been injured in the incident outside the Houses of Parliament this morning, and our thanks go out to the quick and effective response of our police and medical services. "Thank goodness the barriers are in place and worked." Parliament crash: Most of Westminster and large parts of central London to be closed this morning. (Image: PA ) Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn tweeted: "My thoughts are with those hurt and injured outside Parliament this morning in what is being treated as a terrorist incident. "Our thanks go to our emergency services who responded immediately. Their bravery keeps us safe day in, day out." London Mayor Sadiq Khan said he is in "close contact" with the Police Crime Commissioner. He tweeted: "I’m in close contact with @MetPoliceUK Commissioner about the incident at Parliament Square this morning. Thank you to the first responders who were on the scene so quickly. Enquiries are continuing. Westminster tube station is currently closed. The Speaker of the House of Commons and the Lord Speaker offered their sympathies to those injured this morning outside Parliament. They said: "We would like to offer our thoughts and sympathies to those who were injured or affected by the incident. Parliament crash: Firefighters are on the scene at Westminster (Image: REUTERS ) Our heartfelt thanks go to the emergency services who responded so quickly and to those who work every day to keep all of us who work in Parliament safe." The Houses of Parliament are surrounded with security barriers of steel and concrete. The measures were extended in the wake of the Westminster Bridge attack in March 2017 when Khalid Masood ploughed a car into crowds on Westminster Bridge, killing five people, inlcuding a police officer. Khalid Masood ploughed a 4X4 into crowds before he was shot outside Parliament, injuring 50 people. Masood abandoned his car then stabbed and killed unarmed PC Keith Palmer before he was shot by armed police in a courtyard outside Parliament. A spokesman for the Prime Minister said that since March 2017 13 Islamist plots and four far-right plots have been successfully foiled. There were 676 live investigations being carried out by the security services and counter-terror police at the end of June, up from more than 500 in March, the Prime Minister's official spokesman said. There are roughly 3,000 active "subjects of interest" at any one time - while there is also a wider pool of more than 20,000 individuals who have previously featured in probes whose threat must be kept under review. Earlier this year, the Government unveiled a refreshed counter-terror strategy. Under the blueprint, MI5 intelligence will be shared with bodies outside the security community in an attempt to stop suspects before attack plots can crystallise, while anti-terror laws are to be strengthened to allow earlier interventions. Scotland Yard is appealing to witnesses for information on Tuesday's crash to call 0800 789 321.
The terrorist who killed five people in the Westminster attack had taken steroids before launching the frenzied rampage, a court has heard. The possible effect of steroid use on Khalid Masood will be considered alongside a “psychological autopsy” during the inquest into his death. It will examine whether he was radicalised in prison, the extent of his contact with Anjem Choudary’s al-Muhajiroun network and what the security services learned during an MI5 investigation that declared Masood a “subject of interest” in 2009. The inquest, where Masood’s widow is among interested parties, will piece together his preparations including obtaining the knives and car used in the attack and consider “whether his activities gave any warning signs”. Judge Mark Lucraft QC, the Chief Coroner of England and Wales, ruled that the inquest will be held before a jury, as required for all deaths involving contact with police. Specialist witnesses will be called to hearings at the Old Bailey to reconstruct the events of 22 March and Masood’s preparations, including body armour experts charged with examining PC Palmer’s “inadequate” protection. Judge Lucraft expressed his condolences to their families and the hope that answering their many questions could “provide some comfort”. “The inquest can point everyone in the right direction to do more to address these problems... which occur again and again in trial after trial,” Mr Patterson said. “We do not understand why radicalising material remains freely available on the internet. “We do not understand why it’s necessary for WhatsApp, Telegram and other applications to have end-to-end encryption.” Mr Patterson also questioned how Masood managed to get through the gates surrounding the Houses of Parliament and “how it was PC Palmer was apparently stationed alone and unarmed with, it seems, inadequate body protection”. Masood, 52, was born in Kent as Adrian Russell and was known to police after seven convictions for violent crime leading up to 2003, when he may have converted to Islam during his last spell in prison. In pictures: Westminster attack In pictures: Westminster attack 1/9 An air ambulance lands after gunfire sounds were heard close to the Palace of Westminster in London PA wire 2/9 MPs wait until the situation is under control in Westminster. 'The alleged assailant was shot by armed police,' David Lidington, leader of the House of Commons, told the house. BBC News 3/9 Crowds gather in Westminster after shooting incident, which police are treating as terror attack BBC News 4/9 Police were also called to an incident on Westminster Bridge nearby AP 5/9 Early reports indicate the car, which mounted the pavement on Westminster Bridge and mowed into around a dozen people, was the same vehicle which then rammed into the railings of the Palace of Westminster, just around the corner Reuters 6/9 Security sources described the suspected assailant as a middle-aged Asian man, who is understood to have left the car before attacking a police officer with a seven-to-eight inch knife PA wire 7/9 Police have asked people to avoid the immediate area to allow emergency services to deal with the ongoing incident AP 8/9 One woman has died and a number of others, including the police officer, have been hurt, according to a junior doctor at St Thomas' Hospital Reuters 9/9 At least three gun shots were heard by those inside Westminster, and proceedings in the House of Commons have been suspended AP 1/9 An air ambulance lands after gunfire sounds were heard close to the Palace of Westminster in London PA wire 2/9 MPs wait until the situation is under control in Westminster. 'The alleged assailant was shot by armed police,' David Lidington, leader of the House of Commons, told the house. BBC News 3/9 Crowds gather in Westminster after shooting incident, which police are treating as terror attack BBC News 4/9 Police were also called to an incident on Westminster Bridge nearby AP 5/9 Early reports indicate the car, which mounted the pavement on Westminster Bridge and mowed into around a dozen people, was the same vehicle which then rammed into the railings of the Palace of Westminster, just around the corner Reuters 6/9 Security sources described the suspected assailant as a middle-aged Asian man, who is understood to have left the car before attacking a police officer with a seven-to-eight inch knife PA wire 7/9 Police have asked people to avoid the immediate area to allow emergency services to deal with the ongoing incident AP 8/9 One woman has died and a number of others, including the police officer, have been hurt, according to a junior doctor at St Thomas' Hospital Reuters 9/9 At least three gun shots were heard by those inside Westminster, and proceedings in the House of Commons have been suspended AP He appeared on MI5 records for the first time the following year as a contact of a terror network aiming to launch bomb attacks in the UK, becoming a subject of interest in 2009 after being misidentified as an al-Qaeda facilitator in Saudi Arabia. Masood’s case was closed in 2012 following a security review, appearing intermittently as contact of subject in Choudary’s network before starting preparations for his attack in 2016. From the end of that year, he told his family he was considering working overseas, but his job and visa applications failed. Masood bought the knives used in the attack on 9 March, sending himself an email with the subject line “Retaliation” on the same day. Six days later, he created a document entitled “Jihad in the Quran and Sunnah”, with his photograph on the front page and multiple extracts from the Quran that could be seen as supportive of jihad and martyrdom. He collected the Hyundai Tucson on 16 March, conducted reconnaissance of Westminster Bridge three days later and browsed YouTube for videos relating to terrorism and suicide attacks. Minutes before launching the attack, Masood shared his document with numerous WhatsApp contacts, which was soon sent onwards via iMessage and SMS A review of the intelligence gathered in the run-up to the Westminster, Manchester, London Bridge and Finsbury Park attacks found that Masood had not been re-considered as a potential threat by MI5. “No intelligence was being gathered on him and neither MI5 nor the police had any reason the anticipate the attack,” said David Anderson QC. “You’re looking at someone who is such a long way from the top of anyone’s grid that frankly, it’s a bit difficult to see how they would have been easily stopped, whatever agencies had done.”
Related articles Sergeant Saltwell said a member of the public handed the police officers at Westminster thank yous Sgt Saltwell posted a picture of the note with the caption: “I’m currently on the policing operation in @MPSWestminster. A member of the public has just given each of us one of these. #WeStandTogether.” Emergency services responding to the tragedy have received huge praise. "We will remember the exceptional bravery of our police, security and emergency services who once again ran towards the danger even as they encouraged others to move the other way. "On behalf of the whole country I want to pay tribute to them for the work they have been doing to reassure the public, treat the injured and bring security back to the streets of our capital city.” Emergency services rushed the scenes in central London after the attacker, later identified as Khalid Masood, drove his car through pedestrians on Westminster Bridge before forcing his way into the grounds of Houses of Parliament.
Advertisement Police officer who died in the Westminster terror attack to be awarded medal for bravery PC Keith Palmer, who died in the Westminster attack, is to be awarded a George Medal for bravery in The Queen's civilian gallantry list. Credit: Metropolitan Police The list, published on Friday, commends Keith's heroic actions in protecting members of the public and Parliament from an armed terrorist on Wednesday, 22 March. PC Palmer, who had served on the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Group since April 2016, was confronted by an attacker - armed with knives - who just moments before had been responsible for the murder of several members of the public on Westminster Bridge. "Keith acted that day with no thought for his own safety, intent simply on doing his job and protecting members of the public and Parliament. He paid the ultimate price for his selfless actions. We continue to grieve the loss of a much-loved and respected colleague and friend while supporting his family through this truly difficult time." – Cressida Dick, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Keith had been in the Metropolitan Police Service for 16 years. Prior to joining the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Group he was a member of the Territorial Support Group, based at Catford but patrolling and working across London. He was based on Bromley borough between 2002 and 2009. Keith was nominated in 2015 for best thief taker in the Commissioner's Excellence Awards, having made more than 150 arrests in 12 months.

The prime minister was in Leeds to launch government plans to upgrade rail links in the north of England. A member of Mr Cameron's security team intervened as a man appeared to dart towards the prime minister. Officers then bundled the man away as the prime minister got into a waiting vehicle. 'Funny side' Mr Farley later revealed himself to be the man at the centre of the incident, saying he was not a protester and was totally unaware the prime minister was visiting the city. "I didn't see David Cameron. I didn't know it was David Cameron until they let me out of the police van an hour later," Mr Farley, who was eventually released without charge, said. The 28-year old said he was on the way to his local gym for a session with his personal trainer when he crossed the road outside the council building. "All I saw were a group of men in suits who came out of the Civic Hall." He added: "It begs the question - how good is Cameron's security if I managed to run between it before they stopped me?" Mr Farley, who was carrying a towel but no ID at the time, said it had been "harrowing" to find himself "harangued and manhandled" by police and not being told why he had been arrested. "I'm quite shook up. I was almost in shock, like I'd been in an accident or something." The media reaction to the incident had been "insane", he said, adding that many of his friends wanted to buy him a drink and he could see the "funny side". "I kind of wish I had been protesting something or I had had something to say", he added. 'No threats' Following the incident, Chief Inspector Derek Hughes of West Yorkshire Police said: ''Around midday, a 28-year-old local man was briefly arrested after he came close to the prime minister's group who had just left the Civic Hall in Leeds. ''No threats were made, and after the man's details were checked, he was de-arrested and allowed on his way.'' The BBC's Tom Symonds said a member of Mr Cameron's party told him the prime minister stepped back as the man ran towards him and was not in contact with him. The prime minister's close security is generally provided by officers from SO1 Specialist Protection, part of the Metropolitan Police's Protection Command. Labour MP Keith Vaz said he would be "astonished" if there was not a review of procedures. "It could have ended in a completely different scenario," he told Sky News, adding that Mr Farley's actions had caused a "great deal of concern". 'Prescott punch' But former Met officer Peter Power said that although "questions would be asked" about the incident, it was "not catastrophic" and was unlikely to lead to major changes. He told BBC News that the fact that the man had been taken away so quickly showed the police response "worked reasonably well". Image caption Dean Farley, running, heads towards the PM, third from left Image caption A security man grapples with the Mr Farley as he collides with the PM But former Deputy Prime Minister Lord Prescott, who punched a protester during the 2001 general election campaign after being hit by an egg, said the episode proved that security around top politicians needed to be "tightened up". And speaking during a parliamentary statement on last week's EU summit, Mr Cameron jokingly made reference to the so-called "Prescott punch". "I was actually in a meeting in Leeds speaking to a group of city leaders and other politicians and John Prescott was in the room as I gave the speech," he told MPs. "And as I left the room I thought the moment of maximum danger had probably passed but clearly that wasn't the case." Mr Cameron said he wanted to put on record the "debt" he owed to those who protect him on a daily basis, saying they did a "very good job". It comes less than a week after a man threw a bag of marbles at the glass screen which separates the public from MPs in the House of Commons.

What happened? Attacker Khalid Masood, 52, killed four pedestrians and injured about 50 others as he mowed down members of the public with a car on Westminster Bridge at about 2:40pm on Wednesday. He then crashed his hired Hyundai SUV into the railings in front of Parliament Yard before bursting through the gate to the Palace of Westminster with two large knives where he fatally stabbed unarmed Pc Keith Palmer, 48. The attack sent Westminster into lockdown and MPs were forced to stay put in the House of Commons for more than four hours while the area was made safe. Prime Minister Theresa May had just voted and was standing in members' lobby with other Tory MPs. She was seen being quickly ushered into a silver Jaguar in the grounds of the Palace of Westminster and whisked away to the safety of Downing Street. Pc Palmer and Masood also died despite attempts by paramedics to save them both. PC Keith Palmer, 48, died in the attack. Aysha Frade with husband John Frade Westminster attack victim Kurt Cochran . At least 50 people of 12 different nationalities were injured, including 12 Britons, three French children, two Romanians, four South Koreans, two Greeks, and one each from Germany, Poland, Ireland, China, Italy and the United States. One of the injured has life-threatening injuries and two others are in a critical condition. Three police officers were also hurt, two of whom remained in hospital in Friday with "significant injuries". Who was the attacker? Burly body-building enthusiast Khalid Masood, 52, was born in Dartford in Kent on Christmas Day 1964. His mother Janet Ajao gave birth when she was just 17 years old and brought him up as Adrian Russell Ajao. The married father-of-three spent years moving round the country - and the prison system - with a host of different identities, including Adrian Elms. He was most recently based in the West Midlands and had a history of violent knife crime, converting to Islam after years of criminality.
Sushma Swaraj released two helpline numbers for Indian nationals to seek help from. At least three people were killed and 20 injured as terror struck the British capital when a man mowed down pedestrians on a bridge and stabbed a police officer outside parliament complex before being shot dead by Scotland Yard officers. A search is underway to make certain no other attackers are in the area though police believe there was only one attacker. "We are carrying out a full investigation into the events. Our strength as a city is our ability to stand together. We will do all we can to protect the people of London," added a police officer. With inputs from PTI Do You Like This Story? Awesome! Now share the story Too bad. Tell us what you didn't like in the comments

Today's headlines: Updates on the Westminster attack 6:02 - 24 Mar 2017 A 75-year-old man has become the fourth innocent victim to die following the horrifying terror attack in Westminster. He died after life support was withdrawn at King's College Hospital on Thursday night. His family is receiving support from specially-trained liaison officers, Scotland Yard said. Other victims have been named as Pc Keith Palmer, Kurt Cochran and Aysha Frade. Kurt Cochran, a US tourist from Utah celebrating his 25th wedding anniversary. His wife Melissa was badly injured. They were visiting her parents, who are working as Mormon missionaries in London. Aysha Frade, was a 'highly regarded and loved' member of college staff. She worked in administration at independent sixth-form school DLD College London, in Westminster, is understood to have been 43 and married with two daughters. The attacker has now been named as British born Khalid Masood. The Kent-born 'lone-wolf' attacker, who was living in the Birmingham area, has a series of convictions for assault and other crimes but police insist there was no intelligence suggesting he was about to unleash a terror attack. The Islamic State has claimed the killer was one of its 'soldiers'. Reports said he was a married English teacher and a religious convert who was into bodybuilding. It is believed he lived in the Winson Green area of Birmingham, where neighbours claimed he lived with a woman and a young child. Neighbours said he was 'well spoken'. Theresa May has visited victims and staff at hospital yesterday, it was a private visit and she spent 40 minutes there. Forty people were injured in the attack, with 29 treated in hospital. Five people remained in a critical condition on Thursday evening, two with life-threatening injuries. The casualties included 12 Britons, three French children, two Romanians, four South Koreans, two Greeks, and one each from Germany, Poland, Ireland, China, Italy and the United States. A minute's silence was held nationwide on Thursday and crowds later gathered in Trafalgar Square for a candlelit vigil. A Just Giving page for Pc Keith Palmer's family set up by the Metropolitan Police Federation reached it's £250,000 target, just ten hours after it was launched. It was already above £358,000 last night. Three other police officers were also hurt, two of them seriously.
London attack: police investigate terrorist Khalid Masood as death toll rises – live Summary Here is what we now know about Wednesday’s terrorist attack in Westminster: The victims The number of victims has risen to four, after a 75-year-old man died in hospital on Thursday. He had been on life support since the attack. He has not been named. The three others killed have been identified as PC Keith Palmer, who was stabbed outside parliament; and Aysha Frade and Kurt Cochran, who died on Westminster bridge. Four people remain in hospital in a serious condition, one with life-threatening injuries. Westminster attack: friends and relatives remember the victims Read more The attacker Police have said that Khalid Masood was born in Kent on Christmas day 1964, and that this was not his birth name. Multiple reports now say he was born as Adrian Elms and converted to Islam. This name has not been confirmed. He had a number of convictions – for assaults, grievous bodily harm, possession of offensive weapons and public order offences – spanning 20 years, and had spent time in jail, though not for terrorist-related offences. Masood was previously known to MI5 was once investigated in relation to concerns about violent extremism, but was considered “a peripheral figure”, prime minister Theresa May said. The Sun reports today that Masood spent the night before the attack at the Preston Park hotel in Brighton. The Guardian has not been able to verify this. Westminster attacker named by police as Khalid Masood Read more The arrested Eight people were arrested as a number of addresses were raided in London, Birmingham and elsewhere: A 39-year-old woman at an address in east London on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts. A 21-year-old woman and a 23-year-old man at an address in Birmingham on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts. A 26-year-old woman and three men aged 28, 27 and 26 at a separate address in Birmingham on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts. A 58-year-old man at a separate address in Birmingham on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts. Intelligence services are working hard to put together the whole picture, but I would caution drawing conclusions yet. I would wait and see what comes forward from the intelligence that’s going on now. Rudd said it “seems likely” Masood was radicalised online: We know there’s an onslaught of radicalisation online, there’s so much information that tries to go out as propaganda to persuade people to take this sort of action. The man who photographed a Muslim woman walking past a victim of the Westminster terrorist attack has defended her and said the image has been “misappropriated”. The photograph – showing a woman holding her phone as a group of people gathered around someone injured in the attack on Westminster bridge – was criticised by some on social media as alleged evidence of her lack of concern. As investigators piece together the background of Khalid Masood, reports are emerging about his past. Police have said that Masood was born in Kent on Christmas day 1964, and that this was not his birth name. Multiple reports now say he was born – and lived till at least 2003 – as Adrian Elms. Police have not commented on that, but according to the Press Association, a spokesman said he was known by a number of different names and research into them was continuing. As well as Kent, he was believed to have lived for some time in the West Midlands, where police raids took place after the attack in London. The Sun reports today that Masood spent the night before the attack at the Preston Park hotel in Brighton. The Guardian has not been able to verify this, and Press Association says it was told by staff there that they had been “instructed not to talk”. Theresa May said the right things this week, writes Martin Kettle. But will she put them into practice? This consensual approach was the right course. It also allowed her to get some politically difficult information out into the public domain early and without provoking any blowback. May’s statement contained a disturbing admission, one familiar from the 7/7 events and from Woolwich, and which could yet become a stick to beat her with. Khalid Masood had been known to the authorities. He had come to MI5’s attention in the past. But he was off the radar in the run-up to his act of terror. There was no prior intelligence of his readiness to act. When attacks like this happen people rally round. The popular wisdom is difficult to mistake in London this week. Britain’s wartime self-image as the nation that could take it, that was not afraid, could keep calm and carry on or, this week, go on drinking tea came effortlessly to the fore. Newspapers that are too puffed up with their own importance, especially post-Brexit, got it badly wrong by trying to be divisive or demanding unspecified tough action. A politician who pretended to be Winston Churchill would get it wrong too. Read the full column here: Theresa May talks the talk on British values, but that’s not enough | Martin Kettle She was plucked to safety when the crew on a passing boat saw her floating downstream. Staff on the Milennium Diamond used a boat hook to grab her clothing. She was then picked up by a rescue boat and treated by paramedics. Andreea Cristea. Photograph: Facebook Kyle Haughton, managing director at the firm, said: “City Cruises’ Millennium Diamond was in the area of the incident at the time and worked alongside London’s emergency services to support in the rescue efforts of a woman in the water. “Once alerted by people on the bridge, the ship’s captain reacted fast on spotting her. He halted the boat in order to hold her out of the water and stop her from being carried any further by the current. The emergency services were called immediately and arrived within minutes to take over the rescue operation.” Khalid Masood was a violent criminal convicted of multiple offences spanning 20 years, Robert Booth and Nazia Parveen report: His offences included assaults, grievous bodily harm, possession of offensive weapons and public order offences. He had spent time in jail but not for terrorist-related offences, according to Amber Rudd, the home secretary. The 52-year-old’s first conviction was in November 1983 for criminal damage and his last conviction was in December 2003 for possession of a knife, said the Metropolitan police. It also emerged that Masood had been previously known to MI5 although the prime minister said he had been considered “a peripheral figure” in relation to suspected Islamist terror threats. He was once investigated in relation to concerns about violent extremism, said Theresa May. Downing Street declined to say whether that was between 2010 and 2016 during May’s time as home secretary. A spokesperson repeated her position that Masood came across the radar of the security services “some years ago”. Since then, there had been no intelligence to suggest his intent to mount a terrorist attack. The news that the London attacker was born in Britain and inspired by extremist Islamist ideology was entirely predictable, as was his criminal record. The standout detail from the sketchy profile we have of Khalid Masood is his age: 52, nearly twice that of most contemporary attackers. The significance of Masood’s age will later become clear. For the moment it simply underlines the variety of extremist profiles, and the unpredictability of the threat. Most Islamic militants have been between the ages of 18 and 35, with the average age declining in recent years. Some analysts see their attraction to radicalism as partly a generational rebellion. Violent rightwing militants tend to be much older. Thomas Mair, who killed MP Jo Cox last year, was 52. Every case is, of course, unique. And the reality is that, much as all politics is essentially local, so is terrorism. Islamic extremist strategists have wrestled with this challenge to their global vision for years, and have yet to evolve an adequate response. Western experts argue interminably over whether the motives of individuals are 10% ideology and 90% local context or vice versa. But the sad reality is that, though it may be reassuring to blame bad guys, or bad ideas, from a long way away for violence at home, no one should be surprised that the man who attacked one of Britain’s most symbolically charged locations was born in the UK. No surprise that London attacker was born in UK | Jason Burke The Australian prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, has suggested the country’s controversial far-right politician Pauline Hanson is playing into the hands of Islamist terrorists, after she used the London attack as an opportunity to push for a Muslim ban, AAP reports. The One Nation leader tweeted after the attack, calling for people to pray for a ban on Muslims in Australia. “The object of the Islamist terrorist is to get the broader society to turn on Muslims at large,” Turnbull told Melbourne radio. Turnbull said he had already made that position clear to Senator Hanson, adding: If you seek to attribute to all Australian Muslims responsibility for the crimes of Isil [Islamic State] then you are doing what Isil wants. Four of the five South Koreans who were injured in the attack have been released from hospital. They are all aged in their 50s and 60s. The Korea Herald reports that the four who have been released from hospital – three women and a man – suffered injuries such as broken bones when they were caught in the rush following the attack. They are likely to return to South Korea today, the Korea JoongAng Daily reports. A 67-year-old woman who underwent surgery for a head injury was “awaiting progress after the operation”, South Korean foreign ministry spokesperson Cho June-hyuck told reporters at a news briefing. “We will provide all necessary assistance to the injured citizens and their families until they come home safely,” he said. The South Korean government yesterday issued a statement saying it “strongly condemns the barbarian attack on civilians” and would actively participate in the global fight against terrorism.
London hospitals have also increased security, with patients attending Guy's or St Thomas' hospitals asked to bring photo ID with them to appointments. 1:41 Video:New footage of London Bridge attacks Although the capital was striving to return to normal on Monday morning, commuters going back to work faced some delays, with cordons remaining in place around the scene of the attack. London Bridge itself reopened in a limited capacity on Monday morning, for exit-only traffic, while parts of Borough High Street and Borough Market remained closed, as well as Montague Close and Stoney Street.
The mind goes numb at times like these. A disconnect between brain and feeling. So it took me the best part of an hour to make sense of what I had seen. But the simple truth is this. Today I saw a man die. A police officer, someone I had almost certainly said “hello” to at some point over the years. Possibly even this morning. Who knows? It was about 2.50pm when a reporter from Bloomberg came running into the Guardian office in the House of Commons to say there had been an incident outside. I ran into the offices of the Daily Telegraph that overlook New Palace Yard to see two bodies lying near the entrance to Westminster Hall, just yards from where Airey Neave had been murdered nearly 40 years previously. I asked what had happened. “Some bloke just attacked a policeman with a knife,” I was told. “And then another policeman shot him three times in the chest.” Westminster attack: four confirmed dead including police officer and attacker - live Read more Armed police officers ran to the scene. Some started tending to the bodies; others stood around. Another man came running out. I didn’t recognise him. None of us did, we must have all been in shock. It later turned out he was Tobias Ellwood, a junior foreign minister whom we had all seen countless times before. Time stretched out as people began to do CPR on both bodies. Then after what felt like an age later, but can only have been a matter of minutes, there was the noise overhead of the air ambulance preparing to land in Parliament Square. Several armed police officers ran from New Palace Yard to talk to three paramedics dressed in yellow. They bypassed the first body – the assailant – and went straight to work on the fallen policeman. The scene became more ordered, yet more urgent. They worked for several minutes, hoping for a miracle that never came. At some point one of the medics must have decided they had done all they could and they agreed to stop. They went to help those attending to the man who had been shot. Lines were put into him and further CPR administered. The man was taken away in an ambulance. A short while later the air ambulance took off, leaving only the dead policeman inside the parliamentary estate. His body was wrapped in a white bag on the cobbles where he had fallen. I went back to my desk, unsure of what to do. I had come to work that day expecting to sketch prime minister’s questions and had ended up as one of many witnesses to a terrorist attack. At various points in the afternoon, with the whole of the Houses of Parliament locked down, I returned to the window to see what was going on. It was as if I was somehow hoping that I could rewind time, that I could make what had happened unhappen.
Five people died and nearly 40 others injured when a knife-wielding man rampaged through a street in his car and tried to storm the UK Parliament in London. Five people died and nearly 40 others injured when a knife-wielding man rampaged through a street in his car and tried to storm the UK Parliament in London. (Reuters image) London terror attack: Four people died and nearly 40 others were injured when a knife-wielding man rampaged through a street in his car and tried to storm the UK Parliament in London. The incident has been termed as “Islamist-related terrorism” attack. The dead included the attacker, who was “known” to the Metropolitan Police, and the 48-year-old police officer he stabbed. The police identified the officer as Keith Palmer. Three civilians were killed when the man plowed his grey Hyundai i40 through the pedestrians on Westminster Bridge just outside the British Parliament. The knife-man then tried to gain entry to the Parliament via the main entrance and stabbed a police officer. Plainclothes armed officers shouted warnings at him before shooting a number of rounds. Track here for LIVE Updates: 7:45 am: In a message to the police, British Queen Elizabeth II said, “My thoughts, prayers and deepest sympathy are with all those who have been affected by the awful violence.” 7:00 am: Before he killed at least four people in Britain’s deadliest attack since the 2005 London bombings, Khalid Masood was considered by intelligence officers to be a criminal who posed little serious threat. 6:55 am: A British-born former teacher and Muslim convert, Masood had shown up on the periphery of previous terrorism investigations that brought him to the attention of Britain’s MI5 spy agency. 3:56 AM: No evidence that British-born London attacker Khalid Masood travelled overseas to join Jihadist groups: US Government sources 2:33 AM: A Utah couple was enjoying the final day of their European trip to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary when they were among the crowd of people on London’s Westminster Bridge who were struck by an SUV. Kurt W. Cochran was one of two people killed and his wife, Melissa Cochran, was among dozens who were injured. 12:50 AM: Nigel Farage, former leader of the right-wing UK Independence Party, blamed the attack on “multiculturalism,” which he said “leads to divided communities.” (AP) 11:50 PM: Chinese Premier Li Keqiang talking about the terrorist attack outside British Parliament said, “we condemn terrorism and we stand against all forms of terrorism”. 09:20 PM: British police named the man behind the attack as Khalid Masood (52), saying he had a string of criminal convictions but none for terrorism-related offences. Masood, who killed three people near parliament before being shot dead, was born in Kent to the southeast of London and had been most recently living in central England, London police said. 8:30 PM: A video filmed by British lawmaker David Davies shows scenes of panic in Westminster during the attack 07:45 PM: Pope Francis was “deeply saddened” by the terror attack outside the British parliament and prayed for all those affected. In a message of solidarity to the head of the Roman Catholic church in Britain, the Archbishop of Westminster Vincent Nicholsthe, the Holy See said, “His Holiness Pope Francis expresses his prayerful solidarity with all those affected by this tragedy.” 6:30 PM: A picture of British Foreign Officer, Tobias Ellwood has come out in which he is seen giving first aid to a wounded police officer, one of four casualties of the London terror attack. The police constable has been identified as Keith Palmer. 5:55 PM: Terrorist organisation ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attacks, according to the news agency Reuters. Earlier in the day, PM May said Islamist thinking was behind the attack. 5:10 PM: The British Prime Minister also confirmed that this attack won’t change her approach on Brexit. The country is set to start the negotiations once again on 29th March and the PM’s spokesperson told reporters that they won’t be delayed. 4:40 PM: The British Prime Minister also confirmed that attacker was London based. She said, “What I can confirm is that the man was British-born and that some years ago he was once investigated by MI5 in relation to concerns about violent extremism. 4:22 PM: May says the attack was inspired by Islamist ideology. Meanwhile, British High Commissioner to India Dominic Asquith has thanked India for support by saying, “I want to thank those who have offered wishes of condolence and support from here in India for what has happened. It is a reminder of those links between our two countries the values we share. Secondly, it is still being investigated so I’m not going to dive into the details of the incidence.” 4:18 PM: PM has confirmed that eight arrests have been made overnight and is increasing patrols across the country with more police on streets as precautionary measure. She said terrorists took out rage on innocent women, men and children. 4:15 PM: PM Theresa May says we are not afraid and will never waver in face of terrorism. She added that it was an act of terrorism and free speech, liberty, human rights and rule of law are embodies in Parliament. 3:55 PM: London mayor Sadiq Khan has invited all the citizens for a candlenight vigil. A statement released by his office said, “London is the greatest city in the world. We will never be cowed by terrorism. We stand together, in the face of those who seek to harm us and destroy our way of life. We always have, and we always will.” 3:23 pm: Sikh Federation (UK) called for unity against all violence and terrorism and urged Sikhs to remain “calm and extra vigilant”. 3:19 pm: The British Parliament has observed a minute of silence to remember those killed in the attack at that heart of the government. Watch this video 3:15 pm: British envoy to India today said it was an attack on the values shared by Britain, India and many other countries, and pitched for greater cooperation to defeat the menace. 3:04 pm: British parliament reopens a day after terror attack, according to AFP. 3:02 pm: British Prime Minister Theresa May will make a statement in Parliament 3:00 pm: Three French high-school students aged 15 or 16, who were on a school trip to London with fellow students from Brittany, were among the injured. 2:57 pm: French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault was expected to arrive in London to visit them at hospital, French media reported. 2:55 pm: Experts say the tactic of mowing people down avoids the need to obtain any explosives or weapons and can be carried out by a “lone-wolf” attacker without using a network of fellow militants – all lessening the risk of alerting security agencies. 2:50 pm: “This kind of attack doesn’t need special preparation, it is very low-cost, within anybody’s reach,” said Sebastien Pietrasanta, a French Socialist lawmaker and terrorism expert. 2:45 pm: The Lok Sabha also condemned the terror attack on the British Parliament in London that killed five people including the attacker. 2:20PM: The pound hit a month’s high against the dollar on Thursday as investors awaited UK retail sales data expected to turn positive for the first time in three months. This was above Wednesday’s low of $1.2424 the pound had briefly hit after the attack in London. 2:15PM: Meanwhile, Poland’s prime minister Beata Szydlo drew a link on Thursday between an attack in London targeting the British parliament and the European Union’s migrant policy, saying the assault vindicated Warsaw’s refusal to take in refugees. 2:10PM: British police believe the attack was linked to Islamic terrorism and are checking whether the lone attacker was supported by anyone else, the defence minister said on Thursday. “The police are investigating this man, his associates, where he came from,” Michael Fallon told BBC Radio 2:05PM: Russian President Vladimir Putin says the attack outside Parliament in London underlined the need for pooling global efforts against terrorism. In a letter to British Prime Minister Theresa May released by the Kremlin Thursday, Putin said the “forces of terror are acting in an increasingly treacherous and cynical way.” 2:00PM: Britain’s most senior counter-terrorism officer Mark Rowley said that there was a mix of nationalities among the dead but gave no details. He said the latest figures were that there were four dead including the attacker and 29 people being treated in hospital, seven of whom were in a critical condition 1:54PM: UK’s Defence Minister Fallon says police are checking whether other people are involved in London attack 1:50PM: South Korea’s foreign ministry said in Seoul that five of its citizens for wounded near the British parliament on Wednesday in what police called a “marauding terrorist attack” 1:46 pm: Britain’s most senior counter-terrorism officer Mark Rowley has said the latest figures were that there were four dead including the attacker and 29 people being treated in hospital, seven of whom were in a critical condition. 1:35 pm: British police have searched six addresses. 1:23 pm: Seven persons have been arrested over British parliament terror attack says Police, according to AFP report. 12:52 pm: The Rajasthan Assembly today condemned the terror attack near the UK Parliament and paid homage to the victims. 12:50 pm: As soon as the Question Hour got over, Speaker Kailash Meghwal said the attack which left four persons dead and nearly 40 injured took place yesterday when Parliament in London was functioning. 12:21 pm: British police made several arrests in a raid on a house in Birmimgham as part of an investigation into Wednesday’s attack on parliament, Sky News television channel quoted unidentified sources as saying on Thursday. 12:20 pm: I want to thank those who have offered wishes of condolence&support frm here in India, says D Asquith Watch this video 12:15 pm: Business of life will carry on.Will do our utmost so people go on doing that in confidence and safety, says D Asquith, UK High Commissioner to India on London attack. 10:50 am: In the wake of the unfortunate terror attack outside the Houses of Parliament in London on Wednesday, the music fraternity across the world, have come forward and shared their condolences and prayers for the people of London. 10: 45 am: Artists like Katy Perry, Nicki Minaj, Ellie Goulding and many others took to their Twitter and condemned the attack on Westminster Bridge in London. 10:40 am: The Scotland Yard has urged public to “remain vigilant” and said a review of policing strategy in London was underway, with additional policemen being deployed across the city. 10:37 am: The first mass casualty terrorist strike on Britain in over a decade was condemned as “sick and depraved terrorist attack” on democratic values by Prime Minister Theresa May. 10:32 am: The incident happened on the first anniversary of attacks in Brussels by Islamist militants that killed 32 people, and the use of a vehicle was a copy of an Islamic State tactic used previously in the French city Nice and Germany’s Berlin. 10:27 am: Sterling lower after London attack. Watch this video 10:25 am: The lights of the Eiffel Tower were turned off at midnight to pay respect for the victims of Wednesday’s vehicle and knife attack in Westminster. 10:20 am: “India stands by UK; terrorism must be met through collective action by international community,” says President Mukherjee 10:18 am: “Shocked to hear of terrorist attack in London ; condolences to bereaved families & prayers for recovery of injured,” says President Pranab Mukherjee. Watch this video 10:16 am: Donald Trump Jr is facing criticism for posting a distasteful tweet featuring London Mayor Sadiq Khan hours after a major terror attack on the Houses of Parliament in London. 10:16 am: Check out PM Modi’s tweet Deeply saddened by the terror attack in London. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. 10:15 am: At this difficult moment, India stands with UK in the fight against terrorism, says PM Modi. 10:14 am: Deeply saddened by the terror attack in London. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families, says PM Narendra Modi. 10:13 am: Prime Minister Theresa May also paid tributes to the “exceptional men and women” of the police force who responded to the attack. 10:12 am: “We will all move forward together, never giving in to terror and never allowing the voices of hate and evil to drive us apart,” she said. 10:10 am: The Metropolitan Police named the police officer killed as 48-year-old Keith Palmer and also confirmed that the attacker was ‘known’ to the police. 10:08 am: “I can also now confirm three members of the public also lost their lives in this attack. And I confirmed earlier, the suspected attacker was shot dead by an armed officer -therefore meaning we now have five people in total who have died, said Mark Rowley, national lead for Counter Terrorism Policing and the Acting Deputy Commissioner.
People in Westminster have no clue about the concept of friendship Sign Up Get the New Statesman's Morning Call email. For months, I’ve been scratching my head over last summer’s outrage at the idea a Labour MP would refuse to befriend their Tory colleagues. I was genuinely shocked by the volcanic reaction to that simple concept: that you’d be expected to sup with the people who are actively hurting your community, your friends, your family. It seemed pure common sense, so at first I thought it was faux outrage. Now I realise that it is part of a deep dysfunction. Since working in Westminster (for Laura Pidcock, the MP who initiated this debate) and viewing it from an anthropological perspective, I’ve realised it is a case of two distinct, common senses colliding, and it needs unpicking. It’s not Laura’s remarks they don’t understand, but the entire meaning of friendship. So, let’s start from the beginning. We know that, until recently, the route into politics, on both sides, was fairly standard, a well-trodden path: a disproportionate number of MPs came from public schools, or elite universities, especially Oxbridge. Not all, of course – there were other routes, (eg. through trade unions or as “self-made” business people). But certainly among those who “made it” to higher office, there was a very specific culture. Anyone who has spent any time with those who have been incubated in those “elite” schools and universities know that alongside a very prominent sense of entitlement, there is also a culture of competition, a slightly dysfunctional concept of friendship, and a deep sense of loneliness. Parliament, in many senses, is a mirror of that bizarre culture, with all those facets of competition, unstable alliances, and loneliness. Spend a week in Parliament and you will feel the alienation – it’s tangible. Imagine then, that you’re a young, northern, working-class woman, who went to a comp and Manchester Metropolitan Uni, with very different values. To anyone from the culture and history that most of us inhabit, the atmosphere of Parliament – not just the tradition, rules or the building, but the transient human relationships, the proximity of gossiping journalists in almost all parts of Westminster and the enclosed, privileged spaces – is absolutely alienating, if not hostile. As Laura said, it’s the strangest workplace anyone of us has ever inhabited. To find it normal in any sense, you must have emerged from a very different reality. That different reality is the privileged bubble of the elite, as educated inside the cloisters of Oxbridge colleges and comfortingly expensive private schools. Of course, people say: “But Tony Benn was great friends with Enoch Powell.” And it’s true that he did spend time in the House with the old racist, as he did with Ian Paisley. Reading the diaries, there is no evidence that their friendship extended much beyond Westminster. I doubt Caroline would have allowed it. Benn did, however, attend Powell’s funeral and allegedly told worried New Labour spin doctors that he would be going because Powell was “his friend”. I didn’t know him well enough to quiz him on that concept of friendship and what it meant to him, but I do remember him talking about Powell in similar terms to Thatcher: that he hated his ideology, but respected the fact that he was, in his terms, a signpost rather than a weathervane and he admired that. Is that friendship? Is that as deep as the friendship he had with Dennis Skinner, Joan Maynard or Eric Heffer? I suppose we can only guess, but my own view is that, because he was from a privileged and politically pluralist background, Benn had learned the parliamentary game. That doesn’t mean that he and Powell were the greatest of friends, only that in the lonely rooms of the Palace of Westminster, they shared some common personal ground, just as Clement Attlee and Winston Churchill did. In among the feather-spitting, one small sentence of Laura Pidcock’s has been completely missed, but it offers a clue to the real issue here. She said: “I have friends I choose to spend time with.” That isn’t a deliberate, provocative dismissal of the people she is now surrounded by in Parliament, but a genuine sentiment, and those of us who aren’t career politicians will recognise it as such. Friends aren’t people who we share chit-chat with on the Terrace or in the Strangers’ Bar. They aren’t a journalist who we “hit it off” with over a coffee in Portcullis House, someone we exchange jokes with about how bad Arsenal were at the weekend – and definitely not someone we say “hi” to as we pass them in the corridor between votes. It isn’t even someone we find common cause with, or chat over an issue with (whatever party). None of that is friendship, at least not the way we conceive it. Close friends are people who you share your home with, your darkest secrets and most fanciful ideas. They are people who’ve seen you through weddings, break-ups, who’ve seen you be sick, who’ve laughed at your disasters and frailties. People you’ve cried with, who understand your very soul, despite the jokes that might permeate that bond. To many of us, friendships are permanent, binding contracts. If we want to talk about unconditional friendships, that’s where politics don’t matter. Values do, but not formal politics. I have friends who don’t share my politics, but I love them dearly. For people to confuse that and the kind of relationships we are offered in Parliament is absolutely bizarre. They aren’t the same thing. New Labour MPs, whether new or not, whether young or old, would slot into the expected culture a lot easier than those who come from the outside in, as it were. If the 2015 Labour intake included many people from outside the political bubble, then the 2017 intake took it one stage further. One of the most incredible consequences of the unexpectedly good result in June 2017 was the entry of a new generation of MPs, which almost accidently ended up being exactly what the Labour Party needed: MPs like Marsha de Cordova, Laura Smith and Ruth George, who are a huge breath of fresh air. Obviously, we should all expect political capital to be made out of any sense that the mould is being broken. There are many people in that place with a real interest in preserving the status quo. So the zealous right-wing press, licking its lips, helped by a strengthened hard right on the Tory benches, has attempted to portray this quiet revolution, this slow gathering of MPs who are truly representative of the population at large rather than a political establishment, as something sinister. Irony died when the Express bemoaned the “politics of hate” seeping into Westminster. You’ve got to admire the chutzpah, if nothing else. The purveyors of hate almost betraying their fear in the process. The media is central to this, because it’s as much a part of this dysfunctional culture as the politicians themselves. Journalists hang around the cafés and bars like charming, ingratiating hyenas. And they have a deep interest in perpetuating these paper-thin, fake friendships of convenience. So, in some ways, this has been nothing more than a terrible miscommunication. What they are really asking working-class MPs elected over the last three years isn’t: “Are you going to be friends with Tories?” Literally, who cares about that? No, the real question behind it is: “Are you going to conform?”. “Are you going to bow down to the status quo? To the power of the media and the mush of centrism?” And the answer to that, I’m pleased to say, is a firm “No”. Ben Sellers works for Laura Pidcock, Labour MP for North West Durham and shadow labour minister. This was written in a personal capacity, and is an edited version of the piece originally published here. Having made some of the most intricate and desirable timepieces in the history of watchmaking, Parmigiani's master watchmaker describes what his career has taught him about the principles of art, craft and business.
The Metropolitan police said they are treating the incident as a “terrorist attack". As is often the case, misinformation began circulating quickly after the attack. 1. Britain's Channel 4 reported that a man named Abu Izzadeen is the suspect in the attack, but he was jailed a year ago. Sources confirmed to BuzzFeed News that Izzadeen is still in prison. The network has since retracted its claim. 3. One tweet of a screenshot from Al Jazeera's live Facebook coverage said "the Muslim world" is laughing at the London attack. It's difficult to know whether the screenshot is real, but it is possible to see all the reactions a video got on Facebook. Al Jazeera's video shows a very small minority of viewers "laughed" at the video. Facebook / Al Jazeera English Because it's possible to keep clicking the reaction button to flood the screen with emojis, there's no way of knowing whether one person reacted or 80. There's also no way of knowing where viewers clicking the emoji are from. 4. An interview with Sadiq Khan, the London mayor, in which he said terrorist attacks are "part and parcel" of life in big cities, has been taken out of context. The interview was published in September 2016. In it, Khan said large cities “have got to be prepared for these sorts of things”, adding: "It is my job to try to make sure that we are as safe as we can be.” 5. In what has become a recurring hoax, comedian Sam Hyde has once again been falsely called the suspect.
Media captionFootage shows the moment a car sped down Westminster Bridge and a woman fell into the River Thames Three people have died and at least 40 have been injured after an attacker drove a car along a pavement in Westminster, stabbed a policeman and was shot dead by police in the grounds of Parliament. The dead officer was named as PC Keith Palmer, 48, a husband and father. PM Theresa May said the attack on Wednesday was "sick and depraved" and struck at values of liberty, democracy and freedom of speech. The attacker has not been named. Acting Deputy Commissioner and head of counter-terrorism at the Metropolitan Police, Mark Rowley, said they think they know who he is and that he was inspired by international and Islamist-related terrorism, but gave no further details. The attack unfolded at about 14.40 GMT on Wednesday when a single attacker drove a grey Hyundai i40 along a pavement over Westminster Bridge, near the Houses of Parliament in central London, killing three people and injuring many more. The car then crashed into railings outside the Houses of Parliament. The attacker, armed with a knife, ran to Parliament where he was confronted by the police. PC Palmer - who was not armed - was then stabbed and killed. The attacker was shot dead by armed officers. Mr Rowley paid tribute to PC Palmer, saying: "He was someone who left for work today expecting to return home at the end of his shift, and he had every right to expect that would happen." Image copyrightMetropolitan PoliceImage caption Keith Palmer had 15 years service with the police "Heartbroken" former colleague, Conservative MP James Cleverly, paid tribute to the "lovely man" he had known for 25 years. The pair had served together in the Royal Artillery before PC Palmer became a policeman. Mrs May said the attack was a "sick and depraved" attack on the heart of the capital. Such attempts to defeat UK values were "doomed to failure", she said. She paid tribute to the "exceptional men and women" of the police force who responded to the attack, saying: "We will all move forward together, never giving in to terror and never allowing the voices of hate and evil to drive us apart." The prime minister added: "The location of this attack was no accident. "The terrorist chose to strike at the heart of our capital city where people of all nationalities, religions and cultures come together to celebrate the values of liberty, democracy and freedom of speech." She is expected to make a statement in the Commons later. Media playback is unsupported on your device Media captionLondon attack: Where Westminster attacker struck Brendan Cox, the husband of murdered MP Jo Cox, said it was important to remember that "this was a story about people who didn't come home yesterday". London Mayor Sadiq Khan said: "My message to those that want to harm us and destroy our way of life is: You won't succeed; you won't divide us; we won't be cowed by terrorists." BBC Newsnight reported there was a suggestion the car used in the attack was hired from an address in Birmingham. However, this has not been confirmed. Armed police carried out a raid on an address in Hagley Road in the city on Wednesday night. A witness told the Press Association: "They came and arrested three men." The BBC understands the Birmingham raid is linked to the London attack. West Midlands Police referred inquires about the operation to Scotland Yard. In latest developments: There will be more armed and unarmed officers on duty in London and across the country as a "precautionary measure" The prime minister said the UK terror threat level would remain at severe - its second highest - meaning an attack is "highly likely" Home Secretary Amber Rudd urged everyone to remain calm but be vigilant and if they see anything they are concerned about report it to the police People worried about family and friends can call the police casualty bureau on: 0800 056 0944 or 0207 158 0010. Anyone with images or footage of the incident is urged to send them to www.ukpoliceimageappeal.co.uk Analysis Image copyrightPAImage caption A man believed to be the suspect received medical treatment, while two knives lie on the ground By Dominic Casciani, home affairs correspondent The carnage on Westminster Bridge and inside the grounds of Parliament is the attack that security chiefs here in the UK have long been preparing for. Terrorism looks not just to kill and maim - but to create panic and such a sense of disorder that it rocks a city or nation to its foundations. And this attacker sought to do so in as low-tech way as is possible. The days when terrorism meant large, complex bombs and months of planning are gone: Western security agencies - particularly MI5 and its partner agencies - are very, very good at identifying those plots and disrupting them. The longer it takes to plan such an attack, the more people who are involved, the more chances there will be for security services to learn what is going on. If you are happy to be contacted by a BBC journalist please leave a telephone number that we can contact you on. In some cases a selection of your comments will be published, displaying your name as you provide it and location, unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published. 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Popular Videos Khalid Ali, 28, spent five years waging violent jihad alongside Islamic extremists, as he built the improvised explosives responsible for killing Coalition soldiers. He returned to the UK in November 2016 with “murderous intentions”, set on police officers, military personnel or MPs in a deadly knife attack in central London, the Old Bailey heard. Ali, who had been under surveillance since re-entering the country, was stopped by armed police in Whitehall on April 27 last year, as he marched towards Downing Street and Parliament armed with three knives. His fingerprints had been linked by the FBI to Taleban bomb components in Afghanistan, and during his police interview Ali confessed he had helped to construct around 300 explosive devices. At trial, Ali claimed he had been kidnapped in Pakistan and forced to build the bombs, and he insisted that he was not planning a terrorist attack when he was arrested in Whitehall. Arrest: the moment Khalid Ali was tackled to the ground in Whitehall (PA) But a jury today convicted him of plotting a terrorist atrocity and two explosives charges. "If he hadn't had been stopped, who knows how many more people would be lying dead or mortally wounded on the streets of Westminster,' said Brian Altman QC, prosecuting. "That was to be his message; a killing in the heart of Westminster, a spectacular, making headline news around the world." The Met’s Deputy Assistant Commissioner Dean Haydon, who is in charge of the UK’s counter terrorism policing, said British authorities had kept a close watch on Ali since his return to the UK but had been unable to arrest him on bomb charges despite the fingerprint match. He said the Met was “pushing its allies and international partners hard” to get the evidence they needed to charge him, but were hampered by lengthy “due process” between authorities in the US and Afghanistan. The fingerprint match was finally sent to the UK within hours of Ali’s arrest in Whitehall, when it was clear he was facing an allegation of plotting a home-grown terror attack. “Quite clearly he had come back her with murderous intentions”, said Mr Haydon. “He is an incredible dangerous individual and was determined to kill police officers, military, or Parliamentarians here in the UK.” Ali’s mother had called the police the day before his arrest, concerned after she found four knives in his bedroom at the family home in Edmonton, north London. Firearms officers making the arrest in Whitehall (Getty) The following day, he was tracked as he went to Wilko in Ealing to replenish his knife collection, putting two blades in each pocket and another stuffed into the waistband of his trousers. He had already conducted reconnaissance on potential targets, including the MI6 building, New Scotland Yard, the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Bridge, and Downing Street, in the month before his arrest, stopping to excitedly quiz police officers about their work and the local area. He was stopped by armed officers in Whitehall, and in interview talked of his time with the Taleban – though claimed he had been acting under duress. He described himself as a “Mujahid” – a soldier of Islam – and admitted working on around 300 Al Qaeda bombs, adding menacingly: “If you thought the atom bomb was bad I don't think that's nothing compared to what's coming.” “I have to defend my fellow Muslim brothers and sisters”, he told officers. Weapons stash: Knives found on Khalid Ali after his arrest (PA) “There is a lot that is out there that you guys don't know about. In order to get this message across I came back in person. To let you know, those who are running the country, to give them that message. “Leave the Muslim lands, just leave them.” Ali had told his family he was going on a plumbing job in Birmingham when he left the country in 2011, only returning to the UK to bring “violent global Jihad to this country”, said prosecutor Brian Altman QC. Ali denied but was convicted of preparation of terrorist acts and two counts of possessing explosive substances with intent. Judge Nicholas Hilliard QC, the Recorder of London, will now decide when to sentence Ali.
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Ellwood, who has been an MP for Bournemouth East since 2005, has been vocal on his opposition to British military intervention in Syria. Ellwood has also talked publicly about losing his brother Jon in the Bali bombings of October 2002.




PM visits injured in London hospital Theresa May has made a 40-minute private visit to an unnamed London hospital to comfort victims of yesterday’s attacks and thank medical staff, her spokesman said at this afternoon’s lobby briefing. May also travelled to Buckingham Palace last night, at about 6pm, to hold her usual audience with the Queen, the spokesman confirmed. He said May had signed the condolence book for the victims of the attacks and had received calls from a series of world leaders since the attack, including the French president, François Hollande, German chancellor Angela Merkel and Donald Trump. Keith Palmer's family pay tribute to 'brave and courageous' officer The family of PC Keith Palmer have released a statement through the Met police: Keith will be remembered as a wonderful dad and husband. A loving son, brother and uncle. A longtime supporter of Charlton FC. Dedicated to his job and proud to be a police officer, brave and courageous. A friend to everyone who knew him. He will be deeply missed. We love him so much. His friends and family are shocked and devastated by his loss and ask that they are left to grieve alone in peace. The police have also released more details of Palmer’s career, he joined the parliamentary and diplomatic protection command in April 2016 and before that was in the territorial support group, based at Catford but patrolling and working across London. Before the TSG, he was based in Bromley borough between 2002 and 2009. Keith was 48 and joined the Met in November 2001. He was married with a five-year-old daughter. He was nominated in 2015 for best thief taker in the Commissioner’s Excellence Awards, having made more than 150 arrests in 12 months. PC James Aitkenhead, who worked alongside him in the TSG, called him a “genuinely nice person”. When I heard what had happened I knew it would be him because that’s just the sort of guy he was, to step straight in when others might step back. He had a great work ethic, he worked on our warrants’ car for years, getting up at 4am to serve warrants and arresting wanted offenders. He was always so positive, always staying late after everyone else and getting in early. In his personal life he was a massive Charlton Athletic fan and had a season ticket. We will miss him so much. Insp Mark Turner, from the parliamentary and diplomatic protection command, who most recently worked withPalmer, said: He really was a solid reliable member of the team – he came in and just got the job done, quietly and efficiently. He was a fantastic member of staff and will be sorely missed. As a mark of respect, Palmer’s shoulder number – 4157U – will be retired and not reissued to any other officer. Jeremy Corbyn has been laying flowers on Westminster Bridge as a tribute to those killed yesterday. He also said he had signed the book of condolence for PC Keith Palmer. He said Palmer was “a great man who did a great job in parliament”. A woman from an inner-city Birmingham estate that was raided by anti-terror police has claimed the dead London terrorist was her neighbour. Iwona Romek, a factory worker who did not know the attacker’s name, described the killer as a father who was a keen gardener and lived with his Asian wife and young child. Romek, 45, who has lived in Quayside in Winson Green for 12 years, confirmed she knew the London terrorist when she was shown a photograph of him on the stretcher. I have been so shocked by it all. They were a nice family, very reserved. He was very calm. I saw the photos on the TV and knew it was the man who lived here. He had a wife, a young Asian woman, and a small child who went to school. Romek said the family moved out a few months ago. The house is now occupied by new tenants. On Thursday afternoon a police van remained parked outside the white front door. He was a nice guy. I used to see him outside doing his garden. Never any trouble. Romek said the man and his family moved out around Christmas very suddenly and did not say goodbye. Describing the late-night raid, she said officers had swarmed the terraced mews house. I just heard a lot of banging and shouting. They were shouting to open the door. It was all a bit scary. There was a helicopter above and men in white suits. The JustGiving page set up to support the family of PC Keith Palmer has now raised more than £100,000, a spokesman for the site said. It is now the fastest growing JustGiving crowdfunding page in history. The site reached its £100,000 target in just over six hours with donations from more than 5,500 members of the public. JustGiving has also made a donation of £10,000. Boris Johnson is addressing the UN security council in New York on Thursday. He was in Washington when the attack took place, where he was offered President Trump’s personal condolences by vice-president Mike Pence. Sources close to the former mayor of London said he was “shocked and disgusted” by the attack on his home city and that the terrorist attack underlined the importance of confronting Daesh [Isis], the topic of yesterday’s talks in the US capital. He is expected to travel on to Turkey, where he will discuss heightened aviation security measures. This is what he tweeted about the attack yesterday. Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) Heartbreaking. This is not the first attack on London or our Parliament - and won't be the last - but our values will prevail.
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Express.co.uk relies on cookies to collect and process data. We may use this data to make assumptions on what content or advertising may interest you. By clicking "Continue and Accept All", you agree to allow cookies to be placed. You can decline these settings . To get more information about these cookies and the processing of your personal data, check our Privacy Policy & Cookie Policy. A WITNESS of the Westminster attack has described the terror as she saw a knifeman running towards Parliament as three shots were fired in the London attack. Car mowed down up to a dozen people on Westminster Bridge - just outside the Palace of Westminster Police officer dies after being stabbed by knife-wielding attacker Scotland Yard says five people have died including a policeman and the suspected attacker At least 40 people injured Houses of Parliament on lockdown Met Police treating incident as terror attack Theresa May was in the division lobby when she was whisked away by plain clothes policeman in a car Eyewitnesses said bodies were scattered on the ground on Westminster Bridge near Parliament. Scotland Yard said the attack is being treated "as a terrorist incident until we know otherwise". At least five people have died after a knifeman mowed down pedestrians on Westminster Bridge then stabbed a policeman in front of Parliament before being shot by armed officers. One witness said she saw an Asian man carrying an eight-inch knife heading towards the building. Jayne Wilkinson said: "We were taking photos of Big Ben and we saw all the people running towards us, and then there was an Asian guy in about his 40s carrying a knife about seven or eight inches long. Westminster terror attack in pictures Emergency services at the scene outside the Palace of Westminster, London, after policeman has been stabbed and his apparent attacker shot by officers in a major security incident at the Houses of Parliament PA Security services staff pick through debris, including a car number plate, left following the March 22 terror attack on Westminster Bridge in central London AFP/Getty Images Police forensic officers in Parliament Square outside the Houses of Parliament in London, after seven people were arrested in raids in London, Birmingham and elsewhere linked to the Westminster terror attack PA Concrete blocks en route to reinforce security in London Twitter Concrete blocks en route to reinforce security in London Twitter Concrete blocks en route to reinforce security in London Twitter Police forensic tent on Westminster Bridge SWNS.com Forensics investigators and police officers work at the site near Westminster Bridge the morning after an attack by a man driving a car and weilding a knife left five people dead and dozens injured, in London REUTERS A forensics investigator works near Westminster Bridge the morning after an attack by a man driving a car and weilding a knife left five people dead and dozens injured, in London REUTERS Conservative MP Tobias Ellwood (left) stands amongst the emergency services at the scene outside the Palace of Westminster, London PA London terror attack in Westminster Twitter Westminster terror map PA Emergency services at the scene outside the Palace of Westminster, London, after policeman has been stabbed and his apparent attacker shot by officers in a major security incident at the Houses of Parliament PA Emergency services at the scene outside the Palace of Westminster, London, after policeman has been stabbed and his apparent attacker shot by officers in a major security incident at the Houses of Parliament PA Armed police following major incidents outside the Houses of Parliament in central London EPA Emergency services at the scene outside the Palace of Westminster, London, after policeman has been stabbed and his apparent attacker shot by officers in a major security incident at the Houses of Parliament PA A member of the public is treated by emergency services near Westminster Bridge and the Houses of Parliament Getty Images An injured woman is assisted after an incident on Westminster Bridge in London REUTERS Emergency personnel close to the Palace of Westminster, London, after policeman has been stabbed and his apparent attacker shot by officers in a major security incident at the Houses of Parliament PA Emergency services make their way down Westminster Bridge towards the Houses of Parliament Getty Images A member of the public is treated by emergency services near Westminster Bridge and the Houses of Parliament Getty Images Mounted police in Trafalgar Square, London, after policeman has been stabbed and his apparent attacker shot by officers in a major security incident at the Houses of Parliament PA Armed police respond outside Parliament during an incident on Westminster Bridge in London REUTERS Armed police respond outside Parliament during an incident on Westminster Bridge in London REUTERS A member of the public is treated by emergency services near Westminster Bridge and the Houses of Parliament Getty Images A member of the public is treated by emergency services near Westminster Bridge and the Houses of Parliament Getty Images Armed police respond outside Parliament during an incident on Westminster Bridge in London REUTERS Police close to the Palace of Westminster, London, after policeman has been stabbed and his apparent attacker shot by officers in a major security incident at the Houses of Parliament PA Armed police following major incidents outside the Houses of Parliament in central London, Britain 22 March 2017 EPA Injured people are assisted after an incident on Westminster Bridge in London REUTERS London terror outside in Westminster Twitter Injured people are assisted after an incident on Westminster Bridge in London REUTERS London terror outside in Westminster Twitter Palace of Westminster incident PA CPR inside palace gardens grounds Facebook London terror outside in Westminster An Air Ambulance outside the Palace of Westminster, London, after sounds similar to gunfire have been heard close to the Palace of Westminster PA Police outside the Palace of Westminster, London, after sounds similar to gunfire have been heard close to the Palace of Westminster An armed police officer gets out of a car inside a police cordon outside the Houses of Parliament AFP/Getty Images Police tapes off Parliament Square after reports of loud bangs, in London REUTERS London terror outside in Westminster Watching the incident unfold from the press gallery inside the Houses of Parliament, George Eaton the political editor of the New Statesman told Sky News: "I saw a large crowd fleeing the attacker who appeared to be carrying a knife, fleeing him from close to the Tube station. "He then entered the gates of Parliament and charged at officers. We now know that one of them was sadly stabbed. He was then very swiftly shot by armed police." Kathy Casatelli, 58, saw a car rammed into the front gates of the palace and a man being treated on the floor. She said: "We were coming up from the Tube and we walked out and there were officers there with their guns drawn. She said: ”I saw this car that was smashed into the gate. It was a grey BMW, it looked like a nice car. The whole windshield was smashed. "There was a man on the ground, it looked like he was moving. I don't know if he was the driver." Police extended the cordon back up Broad Sanctuary beyond Westminster Abbey to the junction with Victoria Street. After the incident, Radoslaw Sikorski posted a video to Twitter purporting to show people lying injured in the road on Westminster Bridge. Mr Sikorski, a senior fellow at Harvard's Centre for European Studies, wrote: "A car on Westminster Bridge has just mowed down at least five people." At least four people were seen lying on the ground, some bleeding heavily and apparently unconscious, on Westminster Bridge near Britain's parliament on Wednesday, Reuters photographs showed. One of the photographs showed a body lying under the wheels of a London bus. An assailant was shot outside parliament by armed police, the leader of the House of Commons said after loud bangs were heard with at least a dozen injured people on the nearby bridge. Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron said: "I can see people injured on Westminster bridge. There are a lot of ambulances. I was coming down the escalators with loads of other people and police suddenly stopped us all. There was no way back up and it was a bottleneck. It was very scary. “Everyone was panicking but the solidarity shown was inspiring. We're not sure if it was one or two attackers, or if it was the bloke in the 4x4 who attacked everyone on the bridge. I heard gunshots, but that was the police taking down the attacker.” Witness Quentin Letts said he saw a man in black attack a police officer outside Parliament before being shot two or three times as he tried to storm into the House of Commons. "I saw a thick-set man in black clothes come through the gates into New Palace Yard, just below Big Ben," he told the BBC. "He had something in his hand, it looked like a stick of some sort, and he was challenged by a couple of policemen in yellow jackets. "And one of the yellow-jacketed policemen fell down and we could see the man in black moving his arm in a way that suggested he was stabbing or striking the yellow-jacketed policeman." PA Scotland Yard are treating the incident as a terror attack The other officer ran to get help and the man in black ran about 15 yards towards the entrance. Mr Letts said: "As this attacker was running towards the entrance two plain-clothed guys with guns shouted at him what sounded like a warning, he ignored it and they shot two or three times and he fell." Kevin Schofield, the editor of PoliticsHome.com heard "a very loud bang" from the press gallery inside the Houses of Parliament followed by lots of shouting and men running around. He initially thought it was a car crash but then he looked outside the window to a heavily-guarded area outside which is out of bounds to the public. He told Sky News: "Someone rushed through, attacked a policeman, a policeman went down, another policeman came and he was rescued. "The man who had assaulted him got up and he appeared to be carrying either a knife or a gun. Then we heard gunfire, lots of gunfire, maybe five or six rounds. EPA Shocked witnesses said they saw bodies lying on the ground on Westminster Bridge near Parliament "All I remember seeing is the man approaching the police officer probably with a knife and then there was gunfire. "He was walking towards a second policeman with his arm outstretched, with what looked like a knife in his hand, having already assaulted another policeman. "It was at that moment that you realised that something serious was happening - a man had broken in to Parliament and had a weapon." Steve Voake, 55, was walking across the Westminster Bridge towards the South Bank when he saw the aftermath. He said he saw at least two bodies lying on the road and one in the water. "I saw a trainer lying in the road and when I looked more closely I saw that there were a couple of bodies the other side of the road," he told the Press Association. "And when I looked over the side there was another body lying in the water with blood all around it." Westminster underground station has been closed and pedestrians moved away from the scene. One witness told Express.co.uk: "There's no tubes, no taxis, and people can't even walk anywhere because the police are moving people further and further away. It's chaos." In the Commons, MP John Pugh says MPs are being evacuated from the building. Helicopters are circling overheard as officers at the scene say they are unable to confirm how long the cordon will be in place. Police have cordoned off the Mall to cars with officers seen in Trafalgar Square. EXPRESS The attacker struck on Westminster Bridge Metropolitan Police said in a statement: “Police are asking people to avoid the following areas: Parliament Square; Whitehall; Westminster Bridge; Lambeth Bridge; Victoria Street up to the junction with Broadway and the Victoria Embankment up to Embankment tube. “This is to allow the emergency services to deal with the ongoing incident. “Police were called at approximately 14:40 hours to reports of an incident in Westminster Bridge, SW1. It is being treated as a firearms incident. “Officers - including firearms officers - remain on the scene and we are treating this as a terrorist incident until we know otherwise. “We thank the public for their assistance. “Police are appealing for any members of the public who may have images or footage of the incident to send them to this address: www.ukpoliceimageappeal.co.uk.”


Watford Muslims joined thousands of people on Westminster Bridge to pay their respects to the four people who were killed in last week’s terror attack. At 2.40pm on Wednesday, a week after Khalid Masood killed three pedestrians and stabbed PC Keith Palmer to death, crowds fell silent. Members of the Watford Chapter of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community were among the crowds, wearing t-shirts emblazoned with, “I’m a Muslim, ask me anything” and holding banners that read “love for all, hatred for none”. They stood side-by-side with Christian and Jewish faith leaders, tourists, locals and schoolchildren in remembrance of those who died. The Watford Ahmadiyya Muslim youth leader, Jawad Qamar, said: “It is the responsibility of all Muslims to show the true teachings of Islam which are peace, love, mercy and compassion. “We offer our deepest sympathies to all the victims and those affected. Our only response to this aggression is to deepen our bond of unity with our country and nation. “Our motto is ‘love for all and hatred for none’ and we truly believe this encompasses the message of Islam.” In the days following the attack, the caliph of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Mirza Masroor Ahmah, also spoke out. He said: “The terrorist attack in London, in which innocent and defenceless people were targeted, was completely abhorrent and cruel. “It is up to Muslims to stand up and reject all forms of extremism and terrorism. “Wherever and whenever such attacks take place they must be condemned in the strongest possible terms.” Ipsoregulated This website and associated newspapers adhere to the Independent Press Standards Organisation's Editors' Code of Practice. If you have a complaint about the editorial content which relates to inaccuracy or intrusion, then please contact the editor here. If you are dissatisfied with the response provided you can contact IPSO here

Phillip Schofield mocked for walk over Westminster Bridge in 'defiance' after London terror attack 'Defiance': Phillip Schofield's walk across Westminster Bridge in tribute to the London attack victims has been ridiculed: Rex Television presenter Phillip Schofield has been ridiculed for walking across Westminster Bridge in "defiance" of the London terror attack. The This Morning presenter posted a picture on Istagram of the Houses of Parliament enveloped in shadow on Thursday evening, a day after fanatic Khalid Masood ran down dozens of pedestrians, killing three of them. Schofield wrote: “Walking across Westminster Bridge in tribute and defiance.” But while he received dozens of messages praising him on Instagram, on Twitter his walk was widely mocked. @Mnrrnt tweeted: "Donald Trump promised and failed to defeat ISIS in 30 days. Philip Schofield just did it in 10 minutes." @DeltaDeltaOBE added: "Philip Schofield's walk of tribute and defiance was an amazing and inspirational. ISIS you will never win" Philip Schofield's walk of tribute and defiance was an amazing and inspirational. ISIS you will never win pic.twitter.com/BpYKLSA6gI
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Officer who witnessed Westminster attack among police recognised in New Year Honours A senior police officer who witnessed the Westminster terror attack is among those recognised for their service in the New Year Honours. Craig Mackey, the Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, has been awarded a knighthood for achievements throughout his long career in policing [ Source: www.independent.co.uk] [ Comments ] [ See why this is trending] About Trendolizer™ Trendolizer™ (patent pending) automatically scans the internet for trending content. The website you are looking at has no human editors at all: links to trending stories are automatically posted from a selection of the data Trendolizer™ picked up. If you are interested in using the Trendolizer™ engine, dashboard or API for your own projects, more information is available at get.trendolizer.com. Trendolizer™ is owned by Lead Stories LLC. Privacy policy This site uses cookies to track user behaviour on this site, without linking to personally identifiable data. Advertisers may also use cookies, but the scope and nature of this use is beyond our control.

Video shows injured in Westminster attack Video uploaded to social media by an eyewitness shows two injured people lying on the Westminster Bridge after an apparent terrorist incident. Rough Cut (no reporter narration). ▲ Hide Transcript ▶ View Transcript ROUGH CUT (NO REPORTER NARRATION) A policeman was stabbed, an assailant shot and several people injured on Wednesday (March 22) close to Britain's Houses of Parliament in what police said they were treating as a terrorist incident. Video uploaded to social media website by one of the eyewitnesses shows two injured people lying on Westminster Bridge. Police said they had been called to an incident at Westminster Bridge, officers were on the scene and it was being treated as a firearms incident. The number of casualties was unclear. Reuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the world’s largest international multimedia news provider reaching more than one billion people every day. Reuters provides trusted business, financial, national, and international news to professionals via Thomson Reuters desktops, the world's media organizations, and directly to consumers at Reuters.com and via Reuters TV. Learn more about Thomson Reuters products:

POLICE officers attending PC Keith Palmer’s funeral today have been told not to wear their uniforms when travelling to Westminster for “personal safety reasons”. More than 5,000 police officers from every force in the UK have turned out to pay their final respects to hero PC Keith Palmer, who was killed in the line of duty during the London terror attack in March. The largest-ever gathering of British police officers will line the route to Southwark Cathedral, where the officer's funeral service is taking place. Changing cubicles have been provided for officers who have been advised not to travel to the city wearing their uniforms for “personal safety reasons”. The advisory has been issued by the Metropolitan Police Federation. GETTY Thousands of people will turn out to pay their respects to the murdered policeman Related articles About 50 members of PC Keith Palmer’s family, including his wife, daughter, parents and siblings, will attend the service. More than 50,000 members of the public are also expected to turn out to pay their respects to the murdered officer, who was stabbed to death outside Parliament during Khalid Masood’s murderous rampage across Westminster. Officers from the Metropolitan Police Service and from the wider service will be joined by colleagues from the forces of England and Wales to honour their fallen colleague. The Armed Forces will be represented at the funeral by a number of serving and former members. They will include an Officer and 21 soldiers from across the Regiment acting as ‘Route Markers’ outside of Southwark Cathedral. Two Royal Artillery Association Standard Bearers will attend as well as an Honourable Artillery Company Bugler. The bugler, Lance Corporal Graham Haynes of the Honourable Artillery Company, is also a serving officer within the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command. In addition, there will be a number of serving officers and soldiers from 106 (Y) Regiment Royal Artillery Regimental Headquarters and a small representation of serving officers and soldiers from 266 Battery 104 Regiment Royal Artillery. GETTY Officers changed in specially provided cubicles for 'safety reasons' The Senior Serving Officer in attendance will be Lieutenant General R E Nugee CVO CBE who is the Honorary Colonel of 106 (Y) RA. It is also expected that approximately 50 ex-serving Regimental personnel will be in attendance at the Cathedral, including Lt Colonel James Cleverly MP. PC Palmer's body was brought to the chapel at 2pm on Sunday, with a special escort by the Metropolitan Police, where it was greeted by a guard of honour. A group of officers wearing white gloves formed two lines to meet the vehicle as the coffin was carried inside. Uniformed police lined the edge of the square and crowds of people gathered to pay their respects. The 48-year-old's coffin was granted permission by the Queen to rest in Westminster's Chapel of St Mary Undercroft before his funeral. It is an honour normally reserved for heads of state and which was bestowed on former prime minister Margaret Thatcher and Labour politician Tony Benn.
All political parties will now be seeking injections of cash to help fight the general election on 8 June. Compared with the year running up to the 2015 general election, much less money has been raised by political parties over the past year, according to Electoral Commission records. Over the previous recorded year of 2016, the Conservatives raised £19.5m, while Labour has raised £21.7m. The Liberal Democrats have raised £6.425m and the Scottish National party has raised £1.5m. The 2015 general election was the most expensive in history – the Conservatives managed to raise £38m and Labour got about £32m in the year before polling day, suggesting David Cameron probably outspent Ed Miliband. Under Jeremy Corbyn, Labour has become almost wholly reliant upon donations from trade unions and individual members. In contrast, the Tories rely on money from individual wealthy donors. New donation and spending rules begin once the official “regulated period” begins, after an election is called and parliament is dissolved. Before the 2001 general election, there were no limits on what political parties could spend on national campaigns. The limit is calculated depending on how many seats a party contests; those that field candidates in all 650 seats are allowed to spend up to £19.5m, equivalent to £30,000 for each of the UK’s 650 constituencies. Each party must ensure it abides by the spending limits in Great Britain. Separate limits apply in Northern Ireland. UK political parties spent £31.1m for the 2010 general election. The Conservatives accounted for 53% of this total, the Labour party spent 25% of it and the Liberal Democrats 15%. Guardian/ICM poll gives Conservatives 18-point lead over Labour ICM carried out a state of the parties poll over the weekend. These are the first polling figures to be published since Theresa May’s announcement, although the fieldwork was carried out beforehand. Here are the figures. ICM Unlimited interviewed a representative sample of 2,052 adults aged 18+ online from 14 to 17 April 2017. Interviews were conducted across the country and the results have been weighted to the profile of all adults. ICM is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules. Since you’re here ... we’ve got a small favour to ask. More people are reading the Guardian than ever, but far fewer are paying for it. Advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. And unlike many news organisations, we haven’t put up a paywall – we want to keep our journalism as open as we can. So you can see why we need to ask for your help. The Guardian’s independent, investigative journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce. But we do it because we believe our perspective matters – because it might well be your perspective, too.

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London attack: Five dead in Westminster terror attack Four people, including a police officer, were killed and about 40 others were wounded Wednesday in a terrorist attack at Britain’s Parliament that sent crowds running for their lives before police shot and killed the attacker. Police for several hours said the attacker had killed three people. Acting Deputy Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mark Rowley said Wednesday night that a fourth victim had died. The victims included London Metropolitan Police Constable Keith Palmer, 48, a 15-year veteran who was a husband and a father, Rowley said. Palmer was stabbed at the House of Commons and died despite the efforts of doctors and a passing government minister to save him.
The Westminster Attacks Interested by this? Share it on social media. Join our monthly e-newsletter to keep up to date with our latest research and events. And check out our Friends Programme to find out how you can help our work. You hear a lot of sirens where we work; about one an hour I would guess. There was a chorus of them at around 3pm yesterday. Everyone in the office realised that something different was happening. Twitter kicked into action. For an hour or so, a scattering of tweets and photos filled in spots of detail, giving us a blurry picture, one pixel at a time, of what was apparently still going on. Then came the official media reports, clinging on to endlessly–repeated, solitary established facts, like they were so many pieces of wreckage from a disaster. By the evening news, we knew more: sequences and consequences, actions and reactions; but still not we really wanted to know: who did this and why? Strangely, given this general confusion and uncertainty, I spoke to a friend last night who told me exactly what had happened, and who had done it, and why he had done it, and why those who denied that the murder’s actions had anything to do with a particular religion were kidding no–one. You can join the dots. I’ll wager he wasn’t alone. I suspect he was right, and that this will be revealed as the deeds of a terrorist, motivated by (his understanding of) Islam to shed blood in the symbolic precincts of democratic liberty. But the speed with which he rushed to this judgement worried me. When violence of this nature erupts, we seek reassurance and return to established narratives. We know what’s going on even when, technically speaking, we don’t. A pre–existing narrative makes sense of the events. One such narrative widely prevalent today is that many British Muslims sympathise with acts like this and too few do enough to condemn them. In the likelihood of this narrative being further established, it is worth noting what the Muslim Council of Britain said yesterday straightaway or hearing the voice of New Horizons in British Islam: An attack on our democracy, the police, people on our streets, is an attack on our nation, on all of us. We condemn this act, an attack not just on the capital but on the values that people across Britain hold dear. We pay tribute to the bravery and prompt reaction of police officers and the emergency services, whose work keeps us safe… We urge people to report any suspicious activity to the Anti–Terrorist Hotline on 0800 789 321… Terrorist attacks like this seek to divide us, but they will fail and we will remain united. Rowan Williams was a few yards from the World Trade Centre when the first plane hit. He afterwards penned a short book entitled Writing in the Dust, in which he used the story of Jesus’ reaction to the woman caught in adultery to encourage a pause before response. Instead of responding immediately to the accusation and the imminent vengeance, Jesus “bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger.” Instead of eye–balling an instant reaction to his famous advice about casting stones, “again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.” It is a good example to follow. When the atmosphere is thick with aggression and violence, we stop, pause, wait, and try to write something new. Nick is Senior Fellow at Theos. He is the author of a number of books and reports, most recently The Political Samaritan: how power hijacked a parable (Bloomsbury, 2017), The Evolution of the West (SPCK, 2016) and Atheists: The Origin of the Species (Bloomsbury, 2014). Outside of Theos, Nick is Visiting Research Fellow at the Faiths and Civil Society Unit, Goldsmiths, University of London and a Fellow of the International Society for Science and Religion Theos Theos conducts research, publishes reports, and holds debates, seminars and lectures on the relationship between religion, politics and society in the contemporary world. We are a Christian think tank based in the UK. We are part of The British and Foreign Bible Society, charity number 232759.
The Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 provides for fixed days for polls for parliamentary general elections. The polling day for elections will ordinarily be the first Thursday in May every five years. The first such polling day will be on 7 May 2015. The Prime Minister will be able to defer, by statutory instrument, the polling day for such parliamentary general elections to a day not more than two months later than the scheduled polling day. The Act also makes provision to enable the holding of early parliamentary general elections. The trigger for such general elections would be either a vote of no confidence in the Government, following which the House of Commons did not pass a motion of confidence in a Government within 14 days, or a vote by at least two-thirds of all MPs in favour of an early election. There has also been speculation about May making an announcement relating to direct rule in Northern Ireland. But she has shown little interest in Northern Ireland affairs, and James Brokenshire, the Northern Ireland secretary, would be expected to make an announcement of this kind. The City of London is gripped with excitement over Theresa May’s statement. The pound took an immediate dip, from $1.26 to $1.253, as traders brace for fresh political drama in Westminster. The pound versus the US dollar today Photograph: Thomson Reuters The selloff was triggered by talk of a snap general election, as Neil Wilson of ETX Capital explains: “The pound plunged like a stone on news that Prime Minister Theresa May is about to make a major announcement outside Number 10 at 11:15 (BST). The rumour mill says it’s going to be a snap election – that would throw up a huge cluster grenade of political risk, uncertainty and potential volatility in the markets. At the extreme this could even spark a reversal in the entire Brexit process. May would have to get parliament to agree to this but we know most MPs are positively brimming to head back to the polls to seek fresh mandates in the wake of the Brexit vote. The Tories have a thumping majority in the polls at the moment so the PM may just be gambling on significantly boosting her rather slender majority in Parliament. It’s an old cliche that markets hate uncertainty (also untrue, as some investors thrive on it). But right now, all the excitement in Downing Street is certainly weighing on the pound. Joshua Raymond (@Josh_RaymondUK) Current rumours on PM announcement: 1. Snap Election2. PM to resign on health Grounds3. No one has a clue#GBP Downing Street have had almost an hour now to discourage journalists from speculating about an early election. They are not doing that, which increases the chances that it will be an election announcement. Buckingham Palace has confirmed that the Queen is currently resident at Windsor Castle, my colleague Matthew Taylor reports. Before the Fixed-term Parliaments Act that was a consideration, because the prime minister had to see the Queen to call an election. Now that is no longer necessary, although David Cameron did call a courtesy call on the Queen before the 2015 election anyway. 2 - If May is going to call a surprise election, during the Brexit negotiations, now would be a good time to do it. May would be able to get the election out of way within about six weeks, which would not really interfere with the negotiations. The big advantage in having an election now is that during the negotiations she is almost certainly going to have to make compromises that will be unpalatable to hardline pro-leave voters and Tory MPs. If the election is in 2020, as it is meant to be, she may have to go to the polls explaining why the UK is still paying money to the EU, accepting European court of justice rulings etc. If she could win a majority now, she would be safe for another five years. 4 - The Crown Prosecution Service is due to make a decision quite soon about whether to charge Tories in relation to alleged over-spending at the general election in South Thanet and in other constituencies. An election now would eliminate the risk of prosecutions leading to byelections in these seats. 5 - May would have shown that she has learnt the lesson from Gordon Brown’s “election that never was” in 2007. He dithered over calling an election at a time when it would have suited him, but called it off at the last moment, having let public speculation get out of hand. May until now has firmly ruled out an election, meaning that if she called one now, it would come as a complete surprise. 2 - May has until now prided herself on being straightforward and being a prime minister who is just “getting on with the job”. 3 - There is no evidence that the public want an early election. In fact, having had the referendum last year, people may be suffering from voting fatigue. And there is some evidence that voters punish politicians who haul them to the polls unnecessarily. 4 - There are already important elections planned for 4 May. It is too late to hold a general election then, and so a general election campaign would have to start after then. Voters would end up with two elections within two months. 5 - A Conservative election victory now, with a large majority, would be a major boost to the SNP’s argument that Scotland needs to vote for independence to protect itself from permanent Tory rule.
A police officer has died after being stabbed by a knifeman in a terror attack outside the Houses of Parliament that has Westminster on lockdown Another woman was killed when the attacker ploughed his car into pedestrians on the pavement of Westminster Bridge by the parliament buildings before launching his assault on the police officers. A number of people were being treated in London hospitals after suffering "catastrophic" injuries in the attack. Witnesses described hearing people screaming and seeing bodies scatter as the car is understood to have mounted the pavement just in front of the Houses of Parliament. Another witness said they had seen a person in the River Thames - a woman was later rescued from the water. The car then smashed into railings surrounding the Palace of Westminster, close to Big Ben in Parliament Square, where the attacker got out and stabbed a policeman. As he approached a second officer, he was shot by armed police. A video has emerged showing two officers pulling up outside the Houses of Parliament and then the sounds of three shots rings out. Three police officers are said to be among those injured in the attack and the French prime minister had confirmed that three French teenage students had also been hurt in the incident. Foreign Office minister and former army office Tobias Ellwood gave mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to one of the police officers injured in the knife attack in New Palace Yard, the cobbled courtyard in front of Parliament. Parliament was immediately shut down and the Prime Minister bundled into a car as officers searched the building, evacuating floors one by one. However, the evacuation was delayed after a suspicious package was found in a vehicle and the bomb squad were called in to deal with it. Staff in other buildings around Westminster were being asked by police to stay inside their offices and Parliament was suspended for the day. Sightseers on the London Eye were being held inside the viewing pods. Scotland Yard said the attack was being treated "as a terrorist incident until we know otherwise". An air ambulance landed in Parliament Square and medics were treating a number of people who had been injured in the incident, including the man who had been shot by police. Pictures showed a number of people lying in the road on the bridge, another image showed a man lying bleeding at the foot of stairs next to the Parliament building. At least 10 people were treated on Westminster Bridge and a number of London hospitals had been put on alert, London Ambulance Service said. Witnesses described seeing an "Asian guy in his 40s" carrying a knife and running across the bridge and towards the Houses of Parliament. Alan Parry, of Sky Sports News, was at Westminster for a meeting when he heard "an almighty crash" just outside the underground station . He said he could see a vehicle on the other side of the road which had crashed into some railings. He said: "There was smoke coming this vehicle. I walked on a few paces further and saw what I assumed to be either a pedestrian or a cyclist who had clearly been hit and wasn't moving, although he did then gently move. "The guy who I assumed was the driver of this 4x4 got out of the car and suddenly sprinted away from the scene - that was followed by four of what sounded much like gunshots. "All of a sudden all hell was let loose. Police descended everywhere and the whole area was locked down." Jayne Wilkinson said: "We were taking photos of Big Ben and we saw all the people running towards us, and then there was an Asian guy in about his 40s carrying a knife about seven or eight inches long. "And then there were three shots fired, and then we crossed the road and looked over. The man was on the floor with blood. "He had a lightweight jacket on, dark trousers and a shirt. "He was running through those gates, towards Parliament, and the police were chasing him." One of the key witnesses to the attack was the Acting Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police. He was unable to make a statement because he was giving vital evidence to officers. Metropolitan Police Commander BJ Harrison said a "terrorist incident" had been declared and a "full counter terrorism operation" was under way. He said that officers had received a number of different reports which "included a person in the river, a car in collision with pedestrians and a man armed with a knife". He added: "We know there are a number of casualties including police officers but at this stage we cannot confirm numbers or the nature of these injuries." The Government has said it will chair a meeting of the Government's emergency Cobra committee later today. Buckingham Palace declined to comment about its security arrangements but it was clear some precautions had been taken as the gates, patrolled by armed police, had been closed. MSPs have delayed a vote on a possible second independence referendum in light of the attack.
POPULAR CATEGORY NOTE: There are more then 1700 groups in the world calling themselves 'Templars' or 'Knights Templar' which is a name they can freely use. KTI (Knights Templar International) however is not associated with any one of them and our Logos and Coat of Arms are protected by trademark registration.
Conspiring With Terror in the West The liberal paradigm is dying before our eyes. At twelve midday on March 22, Theresa May announced at Prime Minister’s Questions that she had sent her condolences to the family of Martin McGuinness, who had been the capo di capi of the IRA.
A statement on the mayor’s website said: ‘There will be a candlelit vigil in Trafalgar Square from 6pm this evening – Thursday 23 March. ‘The Mayor invites all Londoners – and everyone visiting our city – to come together in solidarity to remember those who have lost their lives, to express sympathy with their families and loved ones and to show the world that we are more committed than ever to the values that we hold dear – that we remain united and open. ‘London is the greatest city in the world. We will never be cowed by terrorism. We stand together, in the face of those who seek to harm us and destroy our way of life. We always have, and we always will.’ MPs will fall silent at 9.33am (Pictures: Reuters) (Picture: PA) Two people in overalls and masks were seen sorting through material near the area in New Palace Yard where the attacker was shot and Pc Keith Palmer stabbed, and an area in the courtyard remained cordoned off. The popular Terrace cafeteria was open and serving a hot breakfast as normal as MPs, peers and staff arrived for work. Advertisement Advertisement The Union flag was flying at half-mast over the Houses of Parliament and other nearby buildings. Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon said Westminster was a sombre place in the wake of the loss of a member of the parliamentary family. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video ‘The mood in Parliament will be pretty sombre,’ Sir Michael told the BBC. ‘We’ve lost one of our own parliamentary police officers, who we talk to every morning going in and out of Parliament, and who gave his life to protect Parliament. ‘It will be sombre, but I think you will also find determination. This was an attack on Parliament for a reason. ‘We come together in Parliament to discuss very sharp differences, but we do so respectfully and we do so together. That’s not what terrorists believe in, that’s not what they want. ‘It’s no accident that this was an attack on Parliament, and I think you will find a very real determination and solidarity that we reinforce the values that keep us together.’ A sombre calm hung over Westminster the morning after the attack. There were none of the large groups of tourists usually seen taking photos outside Big Ben. Instead the whole area was cordoned off as MPs and staff working in Parliament flashed their passes and filed quietly into an entrance at the side of the building. The police presence is heavy with dozens of officers, many armed with guns, keeping guard at the entrance. Advertisement But despite the shock of the terror attack, MPs were determined it will be business as usual in Parliament. SNP MP Alan Brown (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) told the Press Association on his way in: ‘I feel a slight sense of apprehension, but we can’t let the crimes of one person prevent the working of Parliament. ‘Obviously, our thoughts are with the family of the policeman and other people who were killed. ‘I suspect it will be an emotional day, it will certainly be a very sombre day, in Parliament. ‘Today it is back to business. ‘I’ve got a question on the order paper and a constituency matter to raise, so it is back to the day job of being an MP.’ Mr Brown had just voted in the division lobbies when the attack took place and he sought refuge with a group of other MPs in the members’ tea room, where they sat glued to the television as the events unfolded. He praised the bravery of Tobias Ellwood, the Foreign Office Minister who ran towards the gunfire and tried to save the life of Pc Keith Palmer, who died from his injuries. Mr Brown said: ‘I think that was so brave of him. ‘I saw the pictures showing him with blood on his face having tried to give CPR. ‘It is also a testament to the training he has received.’ Barry Gardiner, the shadow international trade secretary, told the Press Association: ‘Everything has to be seen to get back to normal as quickly as possible so that people realise that this sort of attack is ultimately a futile gesture. Advertisement ‘I think the police have been absolutely right not to release details of the attacker, to give it no publicity. ‘What happened yesterday was sordid, shameful and vile. ‘The attacker caused the most appalling carnage in the lives of 20 to 25 families. ‘I think everyone in Parliament will want to pay tribute to the security services and the police and how they responded yesterday, and the officer who tragically died.’ What happened outside Parliament? Members of the emergency services work to help vicitms on Westminster Bridge, alongside the Houses of Parliament in central London on March 22, 2017, during an emergency incident (Picture: Getty) A massive police investigation is under way after a terror attack in central London. Here's everything we know so far about the Westminster attack: Six people have died - a police officer, the attacker, a woman named as Aysha Frade, 43, US tourist Kurt Cochran, 75-year-old Leslie Rhodes and Romanian tourist Andreea Cristea who died 15 days after being pulled from the Thames. The officer was Pc Keith Palmer, a 48-year-old husband and father with 15 years of police service.
Prosecutors have confirmed they are treating the case of a man who crashed into cyclists and police outside Parliament as terrorism. Salih Khater, of Birmingham, is facing two counts of attempted murder, following the alleged attack in Westminster last Tuesday. The 29-year-old Sudanese-born suspect, who is a British citizen, is accused of deliberately driving his Ford Fiesta into pedestrians and cyclists before swerving towards police officers. At Westminster Magistrates Court today, prosecutor Samuel Main said: 'His choice of Parliament being an iconic national site and attempting to kill police officers guarding the Palace of Westminster suggests that he was trying to make a political statement. 'The Crown is therefore treating this case as terrorism.' Salih Khater, accused of crashing a car into cyclists and police outside Parliament, has appeared in court charged with attempted murder Khater faces two counts of attempted murder. Prosecutors are treating the case as terrorism Khater was arrested after a car crashed into cyclists before narrowly missing police last week Friends have described Khater as a quiet loner who spent much of his time listening to pop music, smoking shisha and surfing online at an internet cafe below his old flat in the Sparkhill area of Birmingham. He had also been studying accountancy at Coventry University but dropped out in May.
Adele emotionally paid tribute to the Westminster attack victims during a concert One day after the terrorist attack near the London Parliament building claimed four lives on Wednesday, British-native Adele gave an emotional tribute to the victims during a performance in Auckland, New Zealand, Buzzfeed reported. "Today there was a terror attack in my home town of London. I’m literally on the other side of the world and I want them to see our lights and to hear us," Adele said to a crowd of 45,000. Everyone [I know] is fine, but there are four people that aren't fine," she continued. "So let's dedicate this to them tonight, and to my hometown, which is my soulmate.' This wasn't the first time the Grammy award winning singer-songwriter spoke out about terrorism. Nearly one year to the day, Adele remembered the lives lost during the Brussels terrorist attack, which killed 32.

You are here Letter to MP After PM Exonerates Islam after Westminster Attack Tags: This letter was sent by a supporter of Sharia Watch to their MP after Theresa May effectively exonerated Islam following the Westminster attack: Dear xxxxx Given that sharia law mandates establishment of a caliphate and offensive jihad toward non-believers until Islamic hegemony is globally secured, I am puzzled why you asked in Parliament, "Will the Prime Minister agree with me that what happened was not Islamic..." Trying to wish away an intruder by closing ones eyes, thinking nice thoughts and singing Kumbaya will fail. Similarly, people will not end sharia-supremacism by pretending it has 'nothing to do with Islam': that just gives it plenty of space to operate globally as Western non-Islamic obfuscation and blindness continues. ...Certificates of authenticity attest to the English translation from the governments of Egypt, Syria, and Saudi Arabia; al-Azhar University has certified that "this translation corresponds to the Arabic original and conforms to the practice and faith of the orthodox Sunni community". The manual's introduction states, "The four Sunni schools of Islamic law, Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i, and Hanbali, are identical in approximately 75 percent of their legal conclusions, while the remaining questions, variances within a single family of explainers of the Holy Koran and prophetic sunna, are traceable to methodological differences in understanding or authentication of the primary textual evidence, differing viewpoints sometimes reflected in even a single school". While some development is possible within sharia-law, not every kind of change would be acceptable -- for example, the change must not be contrary to the basic teachings and objectives in Islam. Under Islamic law, injunctions laid down in the Qur'an and the Sunnah (Muhammad's way of life, as transmitted in traditional reports of his words, actions and approvals) cannot be changed by any human agency. Note also what is written on "scholarly consensus", p. 23>b7.0 - 24>b7.4: briefly "When the four necessary integrals of consensus exist {see manual for definition}, the ruling agreed upon is an authoritative part of [sharia-law] that is obligatory to obey and not lawful to disobey. Nor can [jurists] of a succeeding era make the thing an object of new [independent reasoning], because the ruling on it, verified by scholarly consensus, is an absolute legal ruling which does not admit of being contravened or annulled." Though Islamic law makes allowances for an individual Muslim's circumstances (e.g being in environments unsupported of Islamic law), the only way to 'change' such rulings found in mainstream orthodox Islam as the mandate for caliphate, offensive jihad, and pressing forward for world domination under Islamic law, is to leave Islam or to become a Muslim who rejects the binding nature of these laws (and for some Muslims that, too, equates, with apostasy): the law has painted them into a corner. See p. 638>o25.0 - 645>o25.6 on caliphate and its obligatory nature; here is a brief excerpt from p. 638: "The investiture of someone from the Islamic Community (Umma) able to fulfill the duties of the caliphate is obligatory by scholarly consensus, though scholars differ as to whether its obligatory character is established through reason or through Revealed Law." From p. 599>o9.0 - 606>o10.3 on jihad (war against non-Muslims): "Jihad is a communal obligation. When enough people perform it to successfully accomplish it, it is no longer obligatory upon others"; “If none of those concerned perform jihad, and it does not happen at all, then everyone who is aware that it is obligatory is guilty of sin, if there was a possibility of having performed it. In the time of the Prophet … jihad was a communal obligation after his emigration (hijra) to Medina. As for subsequent times, there are two possible states in respect to non-Muslims. The first is when they are in their own countries, in which case {offensive} jihad is a communal obligation … upon the Muslims each year. The second state is when non-Muslims invade a Muslim country or near to one, in which case jihad is personally obligatory upon the inhabitants of that country, who must repel the non-Muslims with whatever they can"; "The caliph makes war upon Jews, Christians, and Zoroastrians (provided he has first invited them to enter Islam in faith and practice, and if they will not, then invited them to enter the social order of Islam by paying the non-Muslim poll tax (jizya)) ... until they become Muslim or else pay the [jizya] ... The caliph fights all other peoples until they become Muslim (according to the Hanafi school, peoples of all other religions ... are permitted to live under the protection of the Islamic state if they either become Muslim or agree to pay the poll tax, the sole exceptions to which are apostates from Islam and idol worshippers who are Arabs, neither of whom has any choice but becoming Muslim"; "Whoever enters Islam before being captured may not be killed or his property confiscated, or his young children taken captive. When a child or a woman is taken captive, they become slaves by the fact of capture, and the woman's previous marriage is immediately annulled" (plus p. 932 w37.1 (2nd para.: "whom their right hands own" refers to their slaves; the Arabic chapter on slavery has not been translated)); "Interests that justify making a truce are such things as Muslim weakness because of lack of numbers or materiel, or the hope of an enemy becoming Muslim … If the Muslims are weak, a truce may be made for ten years if necessary … It is not permissible to stipulate longer than that, save by means of new truces, each of which does not exceed ten years." Jihad al-talab (offensive jihad) is the sharia-law-based imperative to subjugate the world:http://www.meforum.org/2767/offensive-jihad. See p. 607>o11.0 - 609>o11.11 on non-Muslim subjects of an Islamic state. There are other sections of similar interest to non-Muslims (e.g p. 652>p1.0 - 653>p1.3 (on "shirk"); 664>p17.0 - 665>p17.3 (on homosexuality); p. 846>w4.0 - 851>w4.7 (on religious supersession, unbelievers, finality of Islam: for example, "Previously revealed religions were valid in their own eras, as is attested to by many verses of the Holy Koran, but were abrogated by the universal message of Islam … {I}t is unbelief (kufr) to hold that the remnant cults now bearing the names of formerly valid religions, such as 'Christianity' or 'Judaism,' are acceptable to Allah Most High after He has sent the final Messenger … to the entire world … This is a matter over which there is no disagreement among Islamic scholars, and if English-speaking Muslims at times discuss it as if there were some question about it, the only reason can be that no one has yet offered them a translation of a scholarly Koranic exegesis (tafsir) to explain the accord between the various Koranic verses, and their agreement with the sunna"; "The Prophet … said: 'By Him in whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, any person of this Community, any Jew, or any Christian who hears of me and dies without believing in what I have been sent with will be an inhabitant of hell.' This is a rigorously authenticated (sahih) hadith"); p. 1040>x91 (on an element of Islamic eschatology, stating "The Antichrist ... is Ibn Sayyad al-Masih al-Dajjal of Bani Isra'il" {False Messiah of the Children of Israel}); and others; note that non-Muslim Arabic-reader Mark Durie has stated that p. 59>e4.3 on circumcision has been mistranslated and should read "Circumcision is obligatory (for every male and female) by cutting off the piece of skin on the glans of the penis of the male, but circumcision of the female is by cutting out the clitoris"). While it may not be tactful (toward Muslims who are not sharia-supremacists) nor prudent to ask the Prime Minister to affirm publicly the Islamic nature of the attack, surely asking her to confirm a falsehood as truth publicly undermines the nation's clarity and security? These links and any other content or links on this website are provided for information only. No warranty is provided regarding their accuracy, and no liability is accepted for reliance on them. Sharia Watch UK Ltd. is not responsible for the content of external sites. We do not necessarily endorse any or all of the views expressed on these external sites.
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The Rt Rev Michael Nazir-Ali, the Bishop of Rochester and the Church's only Asian bishop, says that people of a different race or faith face physical attack if they live or work in communities dominated by a strict Muslim ideology. The Muslim Council of Britain today described his comments as "frantic scaremongering", while William Hague, the shadow foreign secretary, said the bishop had "probably put it too strongly". Writing in The Sunday Telegraph, Bishop Nazir-Ali compares the threat to the use of intimidation by the far-Right, and says that it is becoming increasingly difficult for Christianity to be the nation's public religion in a multifaith, multicultural society. His comments come as a poll of the General Synod - the Church's parliament - shows that its senior leaders, including bishops, also believe that Britain is being damaged by large-scale immigration. Bishop Nazir-Ali, who was born in Pakistan, gives warning that attempts are being made to give Britain an increasingly Islamic character by introducing the call to prayer and wider use of sharia law, a legal system based on the Koran. In an attack on the Government's response to immigration and the influx of "people of other faiths to these shores", he blames its "novel philosophy of multiculturalism" for allowing society to become deeply divided, and accuses ministers of lacking a "moral and spiritual vision". Echoing Trevor Phillips, the chairman of the Commission for Equalities and Human Rights, who has said that the country is "sleepwalking into segregation", the bishop argues that multiculturalism has led to deep divisions. David Davis, the shadow home secretary, has accused Muslims of promoting a kind of "voluntary apartheid" by shutting themselves in closed societies and demanding immunity from criticism. In the Synod survey, to be published this week, bishops, senior clergy and influential churchgoers said that an increasingly multi-faith society threatens the country's Christian heritage and blamed the divisions on the Government's failure to integrate immigrants into their communities. It found that more than one in three believe that a mass influx of people of other faiths is diluting the Christian nature of Britain and only a quarter feel that they have been integrated into society. The overwhelming majority - 80 per cent - said that the Government has not upheld the place of religion in public life and up to 63 per cent fear that the Church will be disestablished within a generation, breaking a bond that has existed between the Church and State since the Reformation. Calls for disestablishment have grown following research showing that attendance at Mass has overtaken the number of worshippers at Church of England Sunday services. Bishop Nazir-Ali, whose father converted from Islam to Catholicism, was criticised by Ibrahim Mogra, of the Muslim Council of Britain. He said: "It's irresponsible for a man of his position to make these comments. "He should accept that Britain is a multicultural society in which we are free to follow our religion at the same time as being extremely proud to be British. We wouldn't allow 'no-go' areas to happen. I smell extreme intolerance when people criticise multiculturalism without proper evidence of what has gone wrong." But the Bishop's concerns are shared by other members of the General Synod. The Rt Rev Nicholas Reade, the Bishop of Blackburn, which has a large Muslim community, said that it was increasingly difficult for Christians to share their faith in areas where there was a high proportion of immigrants of other faiths. He believes that increasing pressure will be put on the Government to begin the process of disestablishment and end the preferential status given to the Church of England. "The writing is on the wall," he said. Gordon Brown relinquished Downing Street's involvement in appointing bishops in one of his first facts as Prime Minister - a move viewed by some as a significant step towards disestablishment. Last night, Mr Davis said: "Bishop Nazir-Ali has drawn attention to a deeply serious problem. The Government's confused and counter-productive approach risks creating a number of closed societies instead of one open, cohesive one. It generates the risk of encouraging radicalisation and creating home-grown terrorism." Inayat Bunglawala, assistant secretary-general of the Muslim Council of Britain, said: "Bishop Nazir-Ali appears to be exercised by what he perceives as the decline in the influence of Christianity upon this country, but trying to frantically scaremonger about Islam and Muslims seems to us to be a rather unethical way of trying to reverse this. "He talks about the rise of 'Islamic extremism' but fails to mention how some of the policies of our government and especially that of the United States in the Middle East over several decades now has clearly contributed to this phenomenon."
Four people, including a police officer and an attacker, are dead and 40 others have been injured in a terror attack in Westminster. EPA Four people, including a police officer and an attacker, died and 40 others were injured in the attack at the Palace of Westminster and Westminster Bridge. PA Emergency services sealed off the area just after 14:40 GMT after an officer was killed and his attacker shot by armed police inside the gates. PA An air ambulance landed in the middle of Parliament Square as medics rushed to help. PA MP Tobias Ellwood tried to help save the officer after he was stabbed by giving mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. PA Nearby, police could be seen holding a gun to a man on the cobbles inside the grounds of the palace. AP The suspect was taken to a waiting ambulance on a stretcher. He was later confirmed to have died. Getty Images The prime minister was taken by police back to Downing Street from the House of Commons. Alison Baskerville Armed police looked after visitors inside Parliament as the Commons was suspended and the site went into lockdown. BBC Ambulance crews were treating people on Westminster Bridge and on the road down to Parliament Square after a car hit pedestrians. Getty Images They treated several people who were hit by the car, before it was driven into the railings of Parliament. Getty Images Those injured on the bridge were helped from the scene. Some had "catastrophic" injuries. Getty Images Tourists and Londoners were caught up as roads were closed. Reuters They rushed from the bridge and headed away from Parliament Square. AFP/Getty Images Tourists travelling on the London Eye at the time of the incident were stranded for three hours. Getty Images "This was a day we've planned for but hoped would never happen," said the Met Police's Head of Counter Terrorism Mark Rowley. AFP Patrol boats were out on the Thames. A woman was pulled from the river and treated for injuries. EPA People were told to avoid Parliament Square, Whitehall, Lambeth Bridge, Victoria Street to the junction of Broadway, and the Embankment between Westminster and Embankment Tube. Getty Images The attacks unfolded as the Scottish Parliament was debating holding a second referendum, where proceedings were stopped. PA Prime Minister Theresa May ordered flags to be lowered to half mast on government buildings as a mark of respect to those who died. Reuters Police and intelligence services remained on the scene into the evening as they continued their investigation into the Westminster attack. AFP/Getty Images In a statement outside Number 10, Mrs May called the attacks "sick and depraved". She said the streets of Westminster were "ingrained with a spirit of freedom" and "any attempt to defeat those values through violence and terror is doomed to failure." Metropolitan Police The police officer killed in the attack at Westminster was later named by Scotland Yard as PC Keith Palmer. The 48-year-old husband and father was a member of the Met's parliamentary and diplomatic protection command and had 15 years service. Reuters Flowers were laid at the scene close to the scene of the attack. Forty others have been injured.

Detectives have made "immense" progress in the investigation into the Manchester bombing and are confident they have arrested some "key players", Britain's top counter-terror officer has said. Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley said police have made "significant" arrests and "finds" and have got hold of a "large part of the network" being sought over the atrocity. Mr Rowley said: "They are very significant, these arrests. "We are very happy we've got our hands around some of the key players that we are concerned about but there's still a little bit more to do." Fresh raids were carried earlier today as security services brace for more attacks during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan beginning tomorrow. Islamic State has called on its followers to rise up in an “all-out war” on "infidels” in the West. Saturday marks the start of a 30-day period of fasting and reflection in the Islamic world, which has in recent years seen a large increase in terror attacks. As detectives revealed the youngest man in custody over the Manchester attack is 18, early-hours searches were on Friday launched at a Manchester barbershop and a takeaway on Merseyside. Possible detonator of Manchester bomb in a picture released as part of US leaks It comes amid fears the attacker might have built a second device that is now in the hands of fellow jihadists. Security sources now believe he assembled the bomb himself after learning his trade in Libya. But the amount of material in his home has led to fears that he could have built more than one device and and distributed them to other British-based extremists. A security source told the Telegraph: "The worry is there was enough to build two or three bombs and we can't rule that out." Police today revealed that the eight men in custody "on suspicion of offences contrary to the Terrorism Act" in connection with Monday's atrocity, which killed 22 people - including seven children - are aged between 18 and 38. Meanwhile, with the General Election campaign resuming, Jeremy Corbyn’s suggestion that Britain’s involvement in military action abroad is linked to the Manchester attack has been condemned as “twisted reasoning” by the Security Minister. The 22 Manchester attack victims - including seven children British police have resumed "working closely" with US authorities on the probe after a tense showdown between the allies over leaked intelligence. After Theresa May warned the transatlantic row risked hampering the "special relationship" between the UK and America, US Secretary of State is making his first official trip to Britain today. With Britain on critical alert, stay with us for the latest updates today amid the huge operation to dismantle a suspected "network" linked to Abedi. Rise in local hate crime since attack A spike in hate crime has hit Manchester in the wake of Monday's suicide bombing, Greater Manchester Police say. A total of 56 hate crimes were recorded by the force on Wednesday, a significant rise on the 28 reported on Monday. Chief constable Ian Hopkins said: "Whilst we can't directly link this to the events of Monday night, we are continuing to monitor the situation and support our communities." "Manchester has come together this week, the public has seen that, they have seen that compassion. "But it is important that we continue to stand together here, in Greater Manchester. "Particularly standing together against some of the hateful views that we have seen from a very small minority of the community that have no place here in Greater Manchester." He added: "I have sent a personal message out to all the faith leaders and places of worship today and have thanked them for the support they have shown and stressed that hate crime will not be tolerated." 'A lot of the risk contained, but still some uncertainty' "Having made enormous progress and made some significant arrests and had some significant finds, there still remain important lines of inquiry for us to pursue. "We've got to try to understand everything we can about the dead terrorist, his associates. "We need to understand the whole network and how they acquired and built the bomb that exploded on Monday night. "It's going to take a little more time to close down those gaps in our understanding. "We are working as fast as we can do because everyone wants answers to this." "We've got a lot of the risk contained but we still have some uncertainty. "As we chase down those lines of inquiry we will keep this strong policing presence. "We need to grow our confidence that we have got every component of the network and we have got as full an understanding as possible about how the device was constructed and whether there's any remaining risk. "Clearly we haven't covered all the territory we want to but we have covered a large part of it. "Our confidence has been increasing over recent days but there's still more to do to get to the degree of confidence we want." Tourists gather for the Changing the Guard ceremonyCredit: John Stillwell/PA Cameras aloft, tourists crowd around The MallCredit: John Stillwell/PA The spokeswoman said a rehearsal for Trooping the Colour - also known as the Queen's Birthday Parade - which was due to be held today had been moved to next Wednesday. She said: "This decision has been taken by General Officer Commanding London District as preparations were ahead of schedule. "We take these rehearsals for Queen's Birthday Parade very seriously to ensure we are able to equal and even exceed the standards of excellence expected for this important and high-profile annual event." In January, it was confirmed Changing the Guard was switching to fixed days in the autumn and winter after security was stepped up in the wake of the Berlin terror attack. Extra police at Scottish Cup Final in Glasgow Enhanced policing and security will also be in place for Saturday's Scottish Cup Final at Hampden Park in Glasgow. Police Scotland are asking ticket holders for the match between Celtic and Aberdeen to arrive early to allow for checks, and to not take bags into the stadium. Superintendent Mark Hargreaves, match commander for the event, said: "Whilst I understand that some people may be inconvenienced by the increased security, public safety is our priority and I am sure everyone in Scotland will co-operate with us and support this. "There is no specific threat against Scotland, or the Scottish Cup Final; however, people should remain calm but vigilant and report anything suspicious to police." Great City Games and Great Manchester run to go ahead despite terror threat Manchester is hosting the Great City Games and Great Manchester run this weekend, putting pressure on the local police force. Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Ian Hopkins said: "There are no military personnel patrolling Manchester but we are therefore able to receive additional armed policing support because of this plan. "We are using this to help in our efforts enable the Manchester Games and Manchester 10k to go ahead. "We are working with event organisers and Manchester City Council to review and enhance our safety and security." The athletics event will go ahead as planned on Friday afternoon and evening. Events start from 4.45pm and run until 7.20pm. Tillerson: The special relationship will withstand Manchester leaks Speaking on his first official visit to the UK, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the US took "full responsibility" for and "regrets" the leaking of information from the Manchester bombing. A row erupted between the US and British authorities after a host of sensitive information, including photographs from the scene of the attack, was leaked to American news outlets in the wake of Monday's attack. Mr Tillerson said: "This special relationship that exists between our two countries will certainly withstand this particular unfortunate event." Isil calls for more attacks on West at start of Ramadan European security services are bracing for more attacks during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan beginning tomorrow, after Islamic State called on its followers to rise up in an “all-out war” on "infidels” in the West, reports Middle East Correspondent Josie Ensor in Beirut. “Muslim brothers in Europe who can’t reach the Islamic State lands, attack them in their homes, their markets, their roads and their forums,” the jihadist group said in a message entitled Where are the lions of war? and published on YouTube. Defending themselves after the suicide attack on Manchester Arena, which left 22 mostly children and teenagers dead, the group said: “Do not despise the work. Your targeting of the so-called innocents and civilians is beloved by us and the most effective, so go forth and may you get a great reward or martyrdom in Ramadan.” Last year, Abu Mohammed al-Adnani, the late Isil spokesman, issued a call to arms to followers to carry out lone wolf attacks during the holy month. It was the bloodiest Ramadan month on record. Isil took credit for a lone jihadist gunman, an Afghan American who perpetrated America’s deadliest mass shooting in history and worst terrorism on US soil since 9/11 during early morning hours of June 12 at an Orlando gay nightclub, killing 49 and wounding 53. An Islamist jihadist then stabbed a police officer and his wife in a Paris suburb in front of their son. The killer explicitly claimed in a live broadcast of the murder that he was responding to Adnani’s call. Later that month, three Isil suicide bombers opened fire then blew themselves up at Istanbul’s main airport, killing 45 and wounding more than 250. The final global body count after the month-long rampage was 421 dead and 729 wounded. Hitting multiple targets in many different countries is designed to send the message that no person on earth is safe or can be protected from terrorism. Speaking after chairing a meeting of the Government's emergency Cobra committee, Home Secretary Amber Rudd disclosed that the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre has assessed that the terror threat level should remain at critical while the "live" police operation continues. The rating was raised to critical, the highest level, for the first time in a decade in the wake of the Manchester outrage. It indicates that an attack may be imminent. Jeremy Corbyn: It's not unpatriotic to question British foreign wars after Manchester attack Jeremy Corbyn has denied he is being unpatriotic by claiming that the deployment of British troops overseas is linked to the suicide bombing of a pop concert in Manchester, reports Christopher Hope and Laura Hughes. "We are working closely with both the Football Association (FA) and Wembley to ensure this weekend’s iconic football matches pass off without incident. "Together we have a long history of delivering safe and secure major sporting events. The focus is the safety and security of fans. "Anyone coming to the FA Cup Final or the other play off matches over the weekend will see an increase in police numbers in and around the stadium. “This will include extra armed officers on foot patrol around the environs of the Stadium, and the deployment of police armoured vehicles to support road closures. “At Twickenham rugby fans will see more armed officers on foot around the stadium. “If you have a ticket for any of the matches please help us out. Arrive earlier as there will be additional security and entry searches which may take a bit longer than fans are used to. “Our operations will include a range of highly visible but also covert and discrete tactics and this will run far beyond the final whistle and away from specific stadia. This will also apply right throughout the transport network." Barbershop raided by police 'has not opened since Arena bombing' The owner of a shop next door to a barbershop raided by armed police overnight in Moss Side said the premises involved has not opened since Monday's suicide bombing at the Manchester Arena. It is understood that an armed response unit arrived at the Fade Away shop in Princess Road in the early hours of Friday and that the shutter to the barbershop was cut open at about 5.15am to gain access to the front door. A cordon was then placed around the building at 6am and stretched to an adjoining chemist, cafe and upstairs flats. The cordon was lifted at 10.40am. A marked police van is parked outside the store next to a bus stop with a number of uniformed officers guarding the cordon. A detective removes items from a barbers shop in Moss SideCredit: Christopher Furlong/Getty West Indian-born Byron Gibbs, 79, who has run Gibbs Hardware for the past 33 years, said that the shop next door had opened about 12 months ago. He said a number of men appeared to work there but had never come into his shop to buy anything. He said: "I never go there to talk to them, I don't have my hair cut there. Everyone round here has noticed that the shop has not opened since Monday and they usually open every day, including Sundays." Mr Gibbs said he had recognised the face of suicide bomber Abedi from the television. Manchester Arena bomber Salman Abedi He said: "I have seen him a few times just walking past in the street. I don't know if he used this barbershop or he is involved with anyone there. "We're all shocked around here about what happened on Monday and how close we are to all this. You don't know who these people are." Earlier, Greater Manchester Police said they were searching a property in Moss Side in connection with Monday's attack and had also arrested a man in the area. A spokesman said: "The search is being carried out at a separate property to the address where a man was arrested earlier this morning." The money raised from the Manchester show, at the O2 Ritz on May 30, will be donated to the Manchester Evening News' British Red Cross appeal, which was set up to help relatives of those affected by the tragedy. Speaking to the paper about his decision, he said: "I just knew I had to. I'm not in it for the money. The gig was going to happen anyway and we all have to do what we can. I want to try and help pick people up. People like me, doing what we do, it's our duty to give people a good time." Jeremy Corbyn’s suggestion that Britain’s involvement in military action abroad is linked to terror attacks like the Manchester suicide bomb has been condemned as “twisted reasoning” by the Government’s Security Minister. Mr Corbyn will deliver a speech in London this morning in which he will point to "the connections between wars the Government has supported or fought in other countries and terrorism here at home". But Ben Wallace said the timing of Mr Corbyn’s speech is “appalling” and “crass” as he rejected the idea that there is a link between UK foreign policy and terror. Ben Wallace, the Security MinisterCredit: JULIAN SIMMONDS for The Telegraph Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I’m sitting here in Manchester, a place where 21 years ago the IRA detonated a bomb that injured 212 people. “That was the last terrorist act in Manchester. They are all terrorists. We have to be unequivocal that no amount of excuses, no amount of twisted reasoning about a foreign policy here or a foreign policy there can be an excuse. “The reality is these people hate our values. You only have to look at their propaganda to realise.” End of control orders to monitor terror suspects a 'grave mistake' A former independent terror watchdog has said it was a "grave mistake" to abolish control orders to monitor terrorism suspects. Lord Carlile said the sweeping powers "may have saved dozens of lives" between 2005 and 2011. The independent peer and top QC also urged Theresa May to use their replacements "to their full effect now", with just a handful of people currently subject to terrorism prevention and investigation measures (TPIMs). Control orders restricted the freedom of terrorism suspects and could be used to force people to move or restrict their use of phones and computers. But they were abolished by the coalition government in 2012 amid concerns over their impact on civil liberties. Lord Carlile told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "In my view control orders worked very well in the period between 2005 and 2011. Although they were criticised for breaching civil liberties, in fact they were upheld by the courts, every control order was subject to automatic review by senior judges. "Fifty-three people were placed on control orders, 23 of them with relocation requirements and restrictions on their use of the internet and so on. "I believe that may have saved dozens of lives and my view is that it was a grave mistake by the coalition government to remove control orders and to produce something more dilute. I do wish at least that TPIMs would be used to their full effect now." TPIMs place restrictions on those suspected of being involved in terrorism, but where there is not enough evidence to charge or deport them. Just seven people are subject to TPIMs at the moment, Lord Carlile said, adding that they were "better than nothing". Lord Carlile was previously a Liberal Democrat peer but quit the party given its stance on security issues. Pictures: Police raid barbershop after smashing open shutters A police cordon is in place around the Fade Away barbershop in Princess Road, Moss Side, after a police raid early today. The shutters were down on the shop but part of it appeared to have been smashed open to gain access to the front door. A cordon was then placed around the building at 6am, which stretches to an adjoining chemist, cafe and upstairs flats. A marked police van is parked outside the store next to a bus stop with a number of officers guarding the cordon. A police officer outside a barber's shop in Moss Side that was raided by officers in ManchesterCredit: DARREN STAPLES/Reuters A police officer is reflected in the window of a barber's shop in Moss Side as plain clothes officers search insideCredit: DARREN STAPLES/Reuters Meanwhile, Merseyside Police said a search of a property - believed to be leased to a pizza takeaway - in St Helens is complete. A spokesman said: "This phase of the operation is still in its infancy. There is currently no specific threat to Merseyside." Superintendent Louise Harrison said: "I understand that this kind of activity can cause concern for people living in nearby communities and would like to thank them for their understanding and patience. “As a result of today’s operation, Merseyside Police is working very closely with community groups, community leaders, partner agencies and individuals to make sure concerns are addressed and that we provide the best possible service to local people. “Over the coming days and weeks we will be continuing to work with our local communities to address any concerns they may have. We always need the public’s help to defeat terrorism by being extra vigilant and letting us know of any suspicious behaviour or activity.” “Terrorists want to create discord in our communities, but Merseyside has a long history of our communities living and working together. This is a time for us all to work closely together and unite against those who seek, through violence and extremism, to divide us. “Public safety is the paramount concern for the police and will continue to be our top priority and we have a duty to act and protect the public. We cannot be complacent and cannot take chances in situations such as this and police and the security services must act on information received.” Sources believe Abedi may have used the £75 a night apartment to put all the components of the device together, before heading off late on Monday evening to make his way to the Manchester Arena where he killed 22 people. The use of two addresses to assemble the device was a tactic used by the 7/7 bombers who also spent months learning how to build a bomb at a training camp in Pakistan. Former Metropolitan Police officer, David Videcette, who helped investigate the tube bombings said it was likely Abedi had spent many months abroad practising how to assemble a device before returning to the UK. He said: "This is not something you can just put together by reading a book or watching a YouTube video. He will have spent time at a camp somewhere, possibly in Libya, being shown how to do it. "But once you have the skills and the materials, assembling the device itself can be done fairly quickly." Where the new searches are taking place St Helens Greater Manchester Police said officers have been carrying out searches at an address in the St Helens area of Merseyside this morning. A spokesman said: "These searches are connected to Monday’s attack on the Manchester Arena, but this is a fast moving investigation and we are keeping an open mind at this stage." Moss Side Officers are also searching an address at a property in Moss Side in connection with the attack on the Manchester Arena on Monday. The search is being carried out at a separate property to the address where a man was arrested earlier this morning. A police spokesman said: "As it stands ten people in total have been arrested in connection with the investigation, of which a man and a woman have since been released without charge. Eight men remain in custody for questioning." The Labour leader is expected to make a veiled attack on the Conservatives for underfunding the police service at a time of heightened threat, while linking Britain's overseas military campaigns with terrorism at home. Mark Rowley, the UK's most senior counter-terrorism officer, confirmed British chiefs had "received fresh assurances" from their overseas counterparts that they could be trusted with confidential material. Home Secretary Amber Rudd said she expected the "critical" assessment of the terror threat - suggesting a fresh attack may be imminent - to remain in place in the coming days. Ms Rudd told BBC1's Question Time: "During this period of 'critical', which we hope will only last for a few days - it could be longer, it will depend on the operation - we've pulled out additional support from the Army so we can go about our normal life." The developments followed a fraught day in which Greater Manchester Police severed intelligence-sharing ties with the US due to evidence being repeatedly passed to journalists without permission. "While we do not usually comment on information-sharing arrangements with international law enforcement organisations, we want to emphasise that, having received fresh assurances, we are now working closely with our key partners around the world including all those in the Five Eyes intelligence alliance," Mr Rowley said. Abedi, who was known to security services for his radical views, was said to have been in close contact with family members moments before slaughtering concert-goers on Monday. Music fans were targeted at an Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena in the worst terrorist attack on British soil since the July 7 bombing in London in 2005. As Abedi's route to mass murder continued to be probed: Downing Street announced the Government's emergency Cobra committee will meet in Whitehall on Friday morning to discuss the latest developments, chaired by the Home Secretary. Officers also carried out searches at properties in Manchester, Wigan and Nuneaton. A bomb disposal unit returned to the Wigan address on Thursday night so experts could examine "potentially suspicious items". British investigative efforts remained focused on smashing the potential terror ring which may have assisted Abedi, despite the belief of Libyan authorities that he acted alone. Twenty-three people remained in critical care across eight hospitals. They included five children at the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital. British Transport Police announced that specialist firearms officers are to patrol on trains nationwide for the first time. NHS England warned health organisations to "ensure care is in place should it be needed" as Britain remained on high alert in the run-up to the bank holiday weekend. A man and a woman arrested as part of the probe were released without charge. At the Nato summit in Brussels, Theresa May confronted Donald Trump with her concerns about security lapses which allowed crucial evidence to be handed to US journalists by his officials. He vowed to investigate, calling the leaks "deeply troubling" and warning the sources of the security lapse could be prosecuted. In the years leading up to Monday's attack, it was said Abedi was known to security services, but his risk to the public remained "subject to review" and MI5 considered him a "former subject of interest", a Whitehall source said. Police hunting the "network" behind his attack said they had made "significant" arrests and seized "very important" items in raids. Emergency services on the night and aftermath of the Manchester attack were criticised by the widower of one victim, who accused them of leaving families in the dark. Steve Howe, whose wife Alison, 45, died as she was waiting to collect their daughter from the concert, told Channel 4 News: "I gave them all the details, all the information from security in the arena, no-one has rang us... I was so frustrated."


Crowdfunding to help victims of the Westminster attack Everyone's thoughts at JustGiving go out to all the victims and families of the attacks in London. Our community have responded by raising money to support those affected. If you'd like to support them, here are the pages that have already been set up. Supporting Kris Aves and two other officers Kris Aves suffered life-changing injuries as a result of the attack, and two other officers were hurt. Trevor from Police Hour is crowdfunding to help. Raising £10,000 for the families of the victims Support the Police Dependants' Trust campaign The Police Dependants' Trust have launched a campaign to help the officers affected in the attack and their families, including the family of PC Keith Palmer. You can donate to their campaign or start your own Fundraising Page to support it. How you can help Create Launch When you're ready to start raising money, launch your page and share it with friends on Facebook, Twitter, Email, SMS or even WhatsApp - we help you get the word out. Raise You have between 30 and 120 days to get out there and raise money. Then we'll send you the funds you raised*, even if you don't hit your original target.*minus our small 5% fee on donations and very low card charges of 1.3% or 16p per donation.
Police and security services are investigating the background of the man who killed four people and injured dozens in a terrorist rampage at Westminster as security was visibly stepped up in the capital on Thursday. While the Houses of Parliament prepared to sit as normal, officers were attempting to establish the motivation and any terrorist links of the attacker – who was known to counter-terrorism officials – and look into his connections and associates. A raid was carried out by armed police overnight at a flat above a shop in Birmingham just west of the city centre, with surrounding roads closed for several hours. BBC Newsnight reported late on Wednesday that the vehicle used in the attack – a Hyundai i40 – could have been rented in Birmingham. A direct link between the two events is yet to be established, however, West Midlands police referred enquiries to the Metropolitan police in London, which said it would not be commenting for “operational reasons”. In London, extra officers – armed and unarmed – have been ordered onto the streets and Parliament Square remains closed as the capital wakes up. Westminster Bridge remains closed and the tube station is open but for interchange only. Up to 40 people were injured when a lone terrorist attacked Westminster, stabbing a police officer to death as he tried to storm parliament, and killing three members of the public as he careered through the heart of the capital in a 4x4 vehicle. The attacker was among those killed in the first mass-casualty terrorist attack on Britain in over a decade. The Commons and Lords were locked down for several hours because of fears of further attacks. PC Keith Palmer. Photograph: HO/AFP/Getty Images The policeman who died was named as Keith Palmer, 48, a member of the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Service. He was married with children and had been a police officer for 15 years. The Met’s head of counter-terrorism, Mark Rowley, said the motivation of the attacker was assumed to be “Islamist related” and he had tried to enter parliament but had been stopped. Rowley said Palmer “was someone who left for work today expecting to return home at the end of his shift, and he had every right to expect that would happen”. People fled for their lives as a Hyundai 4x4 driven by the terrorist at about 2.40pm indiscriminately ran into people on Westminster Bridge. The use of the vehicle to attack civilians was a direct copy of an Islamic State tactic used previously with murderous effect in Nice and Berlin. The vehicle then careered off the road on to pavement a few metres away from Big Ben and the attacker tried to storm parliament armed with a knife. Play Video 0:22 People flee parliament as gunshots ring out – video Moments later, a police officer who was guarding parliament was fatally stabbed. The attacker, dressed in black, was shot by another armed officer and died of his injuries. The Guardian understands the initial working theories of the police investigation are the attacker was inspired by Isis and was most likely a “lone actor”. The attacker was already known to counter-terrorism officials. Rowley said investigators were trying to establish the attacker’s associates and his preparations for the attack. Theresa May was rushed out of parliament as the attack unfolded and later chaired an emergency meeting of the government’s crisis committee, Cobra. Shortly before 9pm on Wednesday, her voice cracking with emotion, the prime minister confirmed that what she called the “sick and depraved” attack had been carried out by a single assailant. She also praised the bravery of the police and other emergency services, who “ran towards the danger, even as they encouraged others to move the other way”. The prime minister added that Britain’s threat level would remain at severe, where it has been for some time; but she struck a defiant tone, insisting it would be business as usual for MPs and Londoners on Thursday. “The location of this attack was no accident. The terrorists chose to strike at the heart of our capital city where all nationalities, religions and cultures come together to celebrate the values of liberty, democracy and freedom of speech,” she said. Rowley said: “This is a day that we had planned for – that we all hoped would never happen – but sadly it is now a reality.” On Wednesday night, a massive investigation involving Scotland Yard’s counter-terrorism command and domestic security service MI5 was under way. Police chiefs have ordered extra officers, armed and unarmed, on to the streets of the capital. Keeping the national terrorism threat level at severe means an attack is feared to be highly likely but there is no intelligence a specific plot is imminent. Parliament was filled with MPs at the time – a couple of hours after prime minister’s question time. They were alerted to the incident by the sound of shots being fired. Within minutes, David Lidington, the leader of the Commons, told stunned MPs: “What I am able to say to the house is there has been a serious incident within the estate. It seems that a police officer has been stabbed, that the alleged assailant was shot by armed police.” A visual guide to the Westminster attack Read more Witnesses described how a scene of horror suddenly unfolded at what is one of the UK’s busiest tourist spots. Rob Lyon, 34, from Rugby, was walking along Westminster Bridge with a colleague when he saw a 4x4 vehicle travelling at high speed, hitting pedestrians. He said: “I heard a wheel definitely hit a kerb, quite a loud crunch noise, I looked up and saw a car clearly hitting people as it came towards me. A colleague I was with, James, I heard him sort of shout. I instinctively jumped off the pavement. I could see people being hit. And then the car just carried on up the bridge and I just looked around and was really in shock.” Radosław Sikorski, a former Polish foreign minister, saw at least five people lying on the ground after being “mown down” by a car. “I heard what I thought was just a collision and then I looked through the window of the taxi and saw someone down, obviously in great distress,” he said. Play Video 0:35 Members of the public helping the injured on Westminster Bridge – video Pictures emerged after the incident showing people lying injured on Westminster Bridge, some of them bleeding seriously. A woman was pulled alive from the Thames with serious injuries after having fallen into the water during the attack. The car then sped towards the Palace of Westminster, and came to a halt on the pavement, up against railings to the north of New Palace Yard, the green space adjacent to Big Ben, opposite an entrance to Westminster tube station. A man with a knife was then seen running through the gates of the Palace of Westminster, across New Palace Yard and stabbing a police officer. The attacker continued his rampage, targeting a second officer, according to witnesses. But he was shot by police as he approached, knife in hand. Witness Rick Longley said he saw the car crash into the railings and a man leaping out. He said: “We were just walking up to the station and there was a loud bang and a guy, someone, crashed a car and took some pedestrians out. “They were just laying there and then the whole crowd just surged around the corner by the gates just opposite Big Ben. A guy came past my right shoulder with a big knife and just started plunging it into the policeman.” UK terror attacks since 11 September 2001 The Bournemouth MP, a former soldier, was pictured with blood on his forehead, helping the police officer in Parliament Square. Ellwood’s brother Jonathan was killed in the 2002 Bali terror attack. Two people could be seen lying within New Palace Yard, immediately outside Westminster Hall. The sitting in the House of Commons was suspended while police officers sealed off the area. Parliamentary staff were told to stay in their offices. Minutes after the incident, an air ambulance landed in Parliament Square, as sirens were heard outside, but the officer could not be saved. Up to 1,000 people were evacuated at various locations, including Westminster Abbey. It took several hours for parliament to be evacuated. The Westminster attack is a tragedy, but it’s not a threat to democracy | Simon Jenkins Read more Hospitals in London were put on alert and of the 20 injured, eight were taken to the major trauma centre at King’s College hospital, with two people in critical condition and six stable. Those at King’s were six men and two women. Two casualties were treated at St Thomas’ hospital, immediately opposite the Houses of Parliament, a man and a woman, both of whom were stable. The ambulance service said eight of those injured were treated at the scene. In a statement the Muslim Council of Britain said: “We condemn this attack and while it is still too early to speculate on the motives, our thoughts and prayers are for the victims and those affected. We pay tribute, too, to the police and emergency services who handled this with bravery. The Palace of Westminster is the centre of our democracy and we must all ensure that it continues to serve our country and its people with safety and security.” London mayor Sadiq Khan said in a video message: “London is the greatest city in the world and we stand together in the face of those who seek to harm us and destroy our way of life. We always have, and we always will. Londoners will never be cowed by terrorism.” The headline of this article was changed on 23 March 2017 after the death toll from the terrorist attack was revised downwards from five to four.
She said: "What I'd love to hear from you, and love to hear articulated, are some of the very angry voices, that think I am wrong. That believe I am wrong for saying the things I've said. "That think I'm wrong for saying 'yes, our country is a little cowed', 'our country is a little sad'. Not because of this one incident, not because of this one horrible man, who mowed down individuals, mowed down a mother on her way to pick up her children. "Two children, 11 and eight, just like my own girls. You know, girls waiting at school for their mum, just to come around the corner. Getting their spelling books, getting their PE kits, rounding up their blazers, sorting themselves out, to go out and meet their mum - who never came. "And you tell me 'you carry on'. You tell me 'we're united'. You put up there, Phillip Schofield, that as an act of defiance, you walked across Westminster Bridge? You are pathetic. You are pathetic. You walked across a bridge, you walked down a pavement? "Dan Snow, you took a video on your way to work, showing pictures of pretty flowers? No you are not brave. You are not united. You are cowed. You happen to think, that that's the new normal? "You happen to think, cracking on like you did yesterday, somehow shows that you are fighting back, that you are resilient? That is not good enough. "The terrorists in this country have made it so that you now believe walking down a pavement, is brave. You now believe doing the things you always did, is somehow resilient? "You now believe, just because you're still continent, what you're still doubly continent? Does that make you not cowed. Does that make us united? "No it does not. This country is not united, you can stand there, just outside this building, you can see how cross I am, I'm really, really cross, in Leicester Square, you stand there in Trafalgar Square, with your little tea lights. "You stand there with your hash tags. You stand there and make hearts up to the heavens, because you know ants do, when a few of them are stood on? The rest crack on like normal and wait for the next footstep to fall. "My challenge to you; is that's exactly what we're doing to society, we're carrying on. We are in denial. Now if you think that makes you not cowed, I say you're the fool." Follow Us Your privacy is important to us. We want to better help you understand how and why we use your data. You’ll continue to enjoy LBC and all of its great content and features! View our Privacy Statement for more details.


A Muslim-born restaurateur has told how he fed hundreds of emergency service workers for free in the aftermath of Wednesday's terror attack. When police ordered Ibrahim Dogus to evacuate and close his three restaurants in the wake of the incident, he decided to keep Troia, on Belvedere Road yards from Westminster Bridge, open so police officers had a place to eat and keep warm. “I went to one of the officers and said 'I can shut all the businesses, but I want you guys and all the emergency staff to use this place for food, drinks, and for warmth for free',” he told The Independent. “All these great people need our support. Some of them tried to give us money—one said, 'I'm a police officer, you have to take my money.' We said, 'We're not going to take any money from you.” Emergency workers eat at IbrahimDogus' Troia restaurant () Mr Dogus, the founder of the British Kebab Awards, kept the restaurant open until 11.30pm “until the last officer was fed”. He estimates he fed between 300 and 500 emergency workers from the police, London Ambulance Service, and London Fire Brigade. “We wanted to play our role in terms of supporting the emergency crew. This was happening right at our doorstep. If you walk two seconds on my doorstep I would be on the bridge. I use the bridge to take my kids to school, not on that day, but I live next to the area, I work next to the area.” All three of Mr Dogus' Kurdish restaurants—Troia, Cucina and Westminster Kitchen—were inside an exclusion zone cordoned off by police in the aftermath of Wednesday's attack. “It could have been any of us killed by these lunatics,” he said. “It's so terrible, but London has pulled together very quickly. The first day after business was quiet but now it's back to normal.” Mr Dogus said he was born into a Muslim family but does not currently practise any religion. A Muslim-led fund to support victims and victims’ families of the terror attack in Westminster, in which five people were killed including the attacker and 50 were injured, has raised more than £25,000 in a few days.




Everyone Arrested In Connection With The Westminster Attack Has Now Been Released Khalid Masood, born Adrian Russell Ajao, was named as the attacker. He was among those who died near parliament on March 22. Three civilians, Aysha Frade, Kurt Cochran, Leslie Rhodes, and a police officer, Keith Palmer, have been identified as his victims. What We Know So Far: Khalid Masood, 52, originally from Kent, was named as the Westminster attacker by the Metropolitan police. He was born Adrian Russell Ajao, the Met police said on Friday morning. Other aliases he is believed to have used include the name Adrian Elms. He had no prior terrorism offence convictions, although he had been previously investigated by security services as a "peripheral figure". Police released a picture of him on Friday. At least five people died — including a police officer and Masood — and 31 others required hospital treatment. Eleven arrests were made after several raids across the country, the Met confirmed. Everyone arrested has now been released with no further action. Keith Palmer, a 48-year-old unarmed officer, was stabbed before Masood was shot by police. A government minister administered CPR, but Palmer ultimately died. Aysha Frade, a 43-year-old teacher and mother of two, was one of the civilians killed. Kurt Cochran, an American citizen, was named as among the dead. Leslie Rhodes, 75, from south London, was later named as the fourth victim. The attack began when a vehicle driving over Westminster Bridge rammed into several pedestrians before crashing into railings at the Palace of Westminster. Masood, armed with a knife, continued the attack. ISIS claimed responsibility through its news agency, calling the assailant – who it did not name – its "soldier". Map Shows Locations Of Incidents In Westminster Attack Chris Applegate / Tom Phillips / BuzzFeed News / Google Maps Updates Posted at Apr. 01, 2017, at 12:12 PM All people arrested in connection with the Westminster terror attack have now been released All those arrested in connection with the terrorist attack in Westminster have now been released and police will take no further action. A 30-year-old man arrested on March 26 in Birmingham on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts and detained under the Terrorism Act was released on Sunday, Met police said in a statement. Eleven other people who were previously arrested in connection with the investigation have also been released with no further action. The inquest into the death of Khalid Masood was adjourned on Thursday and a pre-inquest review has been set by the coroner for May 19. Posted at Mar. 30, 2017, at 17:46 PM London attacker killed by single gunshot to chest, coroner says Matt Dunham / AP The man who mowed down pedestrians on Westminster Bridge before fatally attacking a police officer outside parliament was killed by a single gunshot to the chest, coroner's officials said. In all, Khalid Masood killed four people and injured more than 30 others in the March 22 attack before he was shot dead. One other person remains hospitalized in critical condition. Masood's cause of death was revealed Thursday in Westminster coroner's court, the Associated Press reported. —Jason Wells Posted at Mar. 28, 2017, at 07:17 AM Wife of Khalid Masood expresses her sorrow for those killed Dan Kitwood / Getty Images Rohey Hydara, wife of the man who attacked parliament last week, gave a statement through police in which she expressed her "sadness" for those who had lost their lives. "I express my condolences to the families of the victims that have died and wish a speedy recovery to all the injured," the BBC reported her as saying. Hydara, believed to be Masood's second wife, also asked for privacy for "our family, especially the children, at this difficult time". It comes following the mother of Masood, who was born Adrian Elms, stating she was "shocked" and "deeply saddened" by the actions of her son. Masood, 52, drove a car across Parliament Bridge, injuring scores of people, before crashing the vehicle into railings at the side of the houses of parliament. He then assaulted police officer Keith Palmer, who later died of his injuries, before being shot dead by officers on the scene. Posted at Mar. 27, 2017, at 17:05 PM Mother of London attacker says she is "deeply shocked" by his actions Matt Dunham / AP The mother of the man who carried out the deadly attack in London says she is "deeply shocked, saddened, and numbed" by his actions. In a statement issued Monday, Janet Ajao said she in no way condoned the actions of her son Khalid Masood, who was shot dead by police during the attack, which killed four people: I am so deeply shocked, saddened and numbed by the actions my son has taken that have killed and injured innocent people in Westminster. Since discovering that it was my son that was responsible I have shed many tears for the people caught up in this horrendous incident. I wish to make it absolutely clear, so there can be no doubt, I do not condone his actions nor support the beliefs he held that led to him committing this atrocity. I wish to thank my friends, family and community from the bottom of my heart for the love and support given to us. —Jason Wells Posted at Mar. 27, 2017, at 16:13 PM No evidence Masood had any direct connections to ISIS or al-Qaeda, Met police say More information has emerged about the actions of the man who killed four people – including a police officer – outside the houses of parliament before being shot dead. Speaking on Monday, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu, senior national coordinator for UK counterterrorism policing, said there was "no evidence" the man who took the name Khalid Masood in 2005, having been born Adrian Elms, had discussed his intentions prior to the assault. "His attack method appears to be based on low sophistication, low-tech, low-cost techniques copied from other attacks, and echo the rhetoric of IS leaders in terms of methodology and attacking police and civilians, but at this stage I have no evidence he discussed this with others." Basu continued that while there were no direct connections to ISIS or al-Qaeda, "there is clearly an interest in jihad". He also said there was "no evidence" Masood had been radicalised in prison, adding that "this is pure speculation at this time". —Rose Troup Buchanan Posted at Mar. 26, 2017, at 17:24 PM Police make new arrest Richard Vernalls / PA Wire/PA Images Police in Birmingham on Sunday. A 30-year-old man has been arrested in Birmingham in connection with Wednesday's attack in Westminster, it was announced on Sunday night. The Metropolitan police said the man was arrested on Sunday at an address in the city on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts. One other man, aged 58, remains in custody, while a 32-year-old woman has been bailed until later this month. Meanwhile, UK home secretary Amber Rudd has said it is "completely unacceptable" that messages Khalid Masood may have sent on WhatsApp before launching his deadly attack remain encrypted. "There should be no place for terrorists to hide," Rudd said on BBC1's The Andrew Marr Show. "We need to make sure that organisations like WhatsApp, and there are plenty of others like that, don't provide a secret place for terrorists to communicate with each other." —Matthew Champion Posted at Mar. 26, 2017, at 07:26 AM Police: Khalid Masood acted alone Stefan Rousseau / PA Wire/PA Images The Metropolitan police have said they believe Westminster attacker Khalid Masood acted alone, and warned that we may never know why he acted as he did. Masood was shot by police 82 seconds after his murderous attack began and later died, and while 11 arrests were made in the days after the attack, only one man remains in custody and one woman is out on bail. "We still believe that Masood acted alone on the day and there is no information or intelligence to suggest there are further attacks planned," said deputy assistant commissioner Neil Basu, the senior national coordinator for counterterrorism policing. "Even if he acted alone in the preparation we need to establish with absolute clarity why he did these unspeakable acts to bring reassurance to Londoners, and to provide answers and closure for the families of those killed and the victims and survivors of this atrocity." But Basu added: "We must all accept that there is a possibility we will never understand why he did this. That understanding may have died with him. "Nevertheless, we are determined to understand if Masood was a lone actor inspired by terrorist propaganda or if others have encouraged, supported or directed him. If the latter proves to be the case, they will face justice." Appealing for members of the public to help the investigation into the killings, Basu said: "If you knew Khalid Masood and had spoken to him in the months, weeks or days leading up to this attack please come forward." —Matthew Champion Posted at Mar. 26, 2017, at 07:18 AM Family of murdered PC "overwhelmed" by support Metropolitan police The family of slain police officer Keith Palmer have said they are "overwhelmed by the love and support" they have received since the 48-year-old was killed. "Most especially," a statement released through the Metropolitan police added, "the outpouring of love and respect for our Keith." The statement said: "We want to thank everyone who has reached out to us over the past few days for their kindness and generosity. The police have been a constant, unwavering support at this very difficult time. It has made us realise what a caring, strong and supportive family Keith was part of during his career with the police. We can't thank them enough. "We would also like to express our gratitude to the people who were with Keith in his last moments and who were working that day. There was nothing more you could have done. "You did your best and we are just grateful he was not alone. We care about him being remembered for his selfless bravery and loving nature. We miss him so much, but we are also incredibly proud of Keith." Jack Taylor / Getty Images Tory MP Tobias Ellwood shakes hands with police outside parliament as he arrives for work the day after the attack. Meanwhile Foreign Office minister Tobias Ellwood, who gave first aid to Palmer after the officer had been stabbed by Westminster attacker Khalid Masood, has said he is "heartbroken" he could not save him. "I am heartbroken that I could not do more for PC Keith Palmer who gave his life in holding the line against terrorism and defending democracy. I shall be writing to the family of PC Palmer to offer my sincere condolences," he said in a statement. "I'm deeply humbled and overwhelmed by the messages of support, especially from the policing fraternity, which I now realise is as close knit as the military's in supporting its own. "I played only a small part that day, doing what I was taught to do, and am honoured to have been invited to join the Privy Council afterwards. "It is right that we concentrate our thoughts on the victims as we stand side by side to protect all that we hold dear, including our precious values and way of life which will always prevail." —Matthew Champion Posted at Mar. 25, 2017, at 22:56 PM Police say deadly Westminster attack lasted 82 seconds Kirsty Wigglesworth / AP The deadly Westminster attack that left four people dead Wednesday began and was over within 82 seconds, police said Saturday. Police released a timeline of the bloody attack, revealing that in just over a minute Khalid Masood killed three civilians and one police officer, and injured 31 other people. The attack began Wednesday at 2:40 p.m. when Masood drove his car over the Westminster Bridge and then veered on to the footpath. Masood drove through the pedestrian walkway for 30 seconds before crashing into a perimeter fence of the Palace of Westminster, police said. Exactly 21 seconds after the crash, the first call to police was made. Masood then got out of his car and was shot by an officer inside the Palace of Westminster 31 seconds after that call was made. Police said their investigation is still continuing, and asked for people who knew and spoke with Masood in the previous weeks and months to contact authorities. "We must all accept that there is a possibility we will never understand why he did this," Deputy Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu said in a statement. "That understanding may have died with him." Authorities believe he acted alone. "Whilst the attack lasted only 82 seconds it will remain in the memories of many forever," Basu said. —Salvador Hernandez Posted at Mar. 25, 2017, at 17:40 PM Only one person remains in custody over Wednesday's attack On Saturday evening police revealed that one of the two people still in custody in connection with the attack in Westminster had been released. The 27-year-old man arrested late on Thursday in Birmingham was told he would face no further action. A 39-year-old woman arrested in east London and bailed until the end of this month has also been released with no further action. Seven other people have also been released and one woman remains out on bail, meaning only one person remains in custody over Khalid Masood's attack –&nbsp;a 58-year-old man who was arrested on Thursday morning at an address in Birmingham, who is being detained under anti-terror laws. Two men still in custody in connection with attack Victoria Jones / PA Wire/PA Images Seven of the 11 people arrested by police investigating Khalid Masood's attack this week have now been released with no further action, it was announced last night. As well as the six people released from custody last night, a 35-year-old man has been released with no further police action, and a 32-year-old woman has been bailed until the end of the month. Both were arrested in Manchester. Meanwhile, two men remain in custody: a 58-year-old man arrested in Birmingham on Thursday morning, and a 28-year-old man arrested later in the day at a separate address in the city. They are being detained under the Terrorism Act 2000. One other woman remains on police bail: a 39-year-old arrested at an address in east London on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts. She is due to return to police until a date later this month. —Matthew Champion Posted at Mar. 24, 2017, at 20:17 PM Six people arrested in London attack investigation are released Christopher Furlong / Getty Images Authorities on Friday released six people who were arrested as part of the ongoing investigation into the attack in London. Among those released were a 21-year-old woman and a 23-year-old man who were arrested at one address, as well as a 26-year-old woman and three men aged 28, 27, and 26, who were taken into custody at separate locations in Birmingham, the Metropolitan police announced. A 39-year-old woman arrested in east London on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts was also released on bail until a later date in March. Four others arrested in Birmingham and Manchester on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts remain in custody as part of a sweep of 21 locations. While police believe Khalid Masood, a 52-year-old British man with a history of violent crimes, carried out the attack on Westminster Bridge and outside parliament alone, they are investigating what help he may have received and whether he had any accomplices. Khalid Masood – born Adrian Elms – has been named as the man who killed four people and injured 50 others in an attack on Westminster on Wednesday. Here's everything we know about him. —Matthew Champion Posted at Mar. 24, 2017, at 17:18 PM Muslim leaders in Birmingham are holding emergency meetings across the city There are concerns of a ramped up anti-Muslim backlash that communities may face following the London terror attack. Mahmooda Qureshi from Hope Not Hate, an anti-racism campaign group, told BuzzFeed News a rally was being organised in Birmingham city centre on Saturday, and said: "It's to distance ourselves and that it has got nothing to do with Islam and to state: not in our name." Imams from major Birmingham mosques read sermons addressing the attacks, and called for "unity". At a packed Friday prayers with Muslims from all backgrounds, Sheikh Abdur Raheem McCarthy said in a sermon delivered in English that Muslims were "blessed" in the UK as they have freedom of faith. "We also need to increase our relationship with the local community. And instead of making this divide us, let it bring us closer together and let us stand in solidarity against that which is wrong." After prayers, the imam read out a statement from the Metropolitan police reassuring the communities there would be extra patrols on the streets, and that the attack was by "a terrorist and someone not of the faith". Muhammad Afzal, the chairman of Birmingham Central Mosque, called for calm and said in a statement: "We request all communities for the unity and calm." He added: "We call upon those that may have even a shred of sympathy for the like-minded terrorists to shake their conscience and realise that such acts are the work of evil and not the work of God-fearing people." In the aftermath of Wednesday's attack in London, this photo of a woman walking along Westminster bridge went viral. The woman was accused by people on the far-right of ignoring a victim on the road, and not showing emotion after the attack. Now the woman, who has not been named, has provided a statement defending herself via the charity TellMAMA: What the image does not show is that I had talked to other witnesses to try and find out what was happening, to see if I could be any help, even though enough people were at the scene tending to victims. I then decided to call my family to say that i was fine and was making my way home from work, assisting a lady along the way by helping her get to Waterloo station. My thoughts go out to all the victims and their families. I would like to thank Jamie Lorriman, the photographer who took the picture, for speaking to the media in my defence. —Rachael Krishna Posted at Mar. 24, 2017, at 14:29 PM Met police release image of Masood in appeal for information Met Police In an updated statement, the Met police clarified that Masood had previously gone by both Adrian Elms and Adrian Russell Ajao. "He may also be known by a number of other names," they added. The statement also said the number of arrests had risen to 11. A 32-year-old woman was arrested on Friday at a location in Manchester on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts. Ten people remain in custody. —Rose Troup Buchanan Posted at Mar. 24, 2017, at 13:54 PM Downing Street says Google and Facebook "can and must do more" to fight extremism Alamy Downing Street added to pressure on Google and Facebook on Friday, warning the internet giants that they "can and must do more" to stop hateful and violent material appearing on their platforms. Theresa May's official spokesperson would not comment on whether there was specific evidence that the internet had played a role in the apparent radicalisation of the Westminster attacker, Khalid Masood. As a general point, however, he told reporters that the "fight against terrorism and hate speech has to be a joint one" and that the technology companies weren't, in the government's view, pulling their weight. "Social media companies have a responsibility when it comes to making sure that this material is not disseminated," the Number 10 official said. "And we have been clear repeatedly that we think they can and must do more. And we are always talking with them on how to achieve that." "The message that we've delivered consistently is that we want them to do more and the ball is now in their court," he added. "Let's see how they respond." First images of Masood as a schoolchild emerge Huntleys School Website This photograph, taken when Masood was at school, is believed to have been taken after a four-hour five-a-side tournament for charity. Kenton Till, who was part of the charity team, described him to the BBC as an extremely popular student who was thought of as bright and sporty. "He had a big personality and everyone liked him," Till said. It comes as details about Masood's background slowly begin to emerge. Earlier, acting deputy Met police commissioner Mark Rowley said they believed Masood was born Adrian Russell Ajao. Earlier media reports had identified one of his aliases as Adrian Elms, born in the Dartford district of Kent. It is thought he took his stepfather's name, Ajao, after his mother remarried two years after he was born. It is believed Masood was an English teacher, The Sun also reported. The newspaper also claimed to have seen a recent copy of Masood's CV in which he claims to have an economics degree and describes himself as "friendly and approachable". The BBC found he had recently lived in the West Midlands, but he is also thought to have lived in Crawley, West Sussex, and Rye and Eastbourne, both in East Sussex, as well as Luton and east London. The fourth victim, 75-year-old Leslie Rhodes, was named by the Met police today. Rhodes was a retired window cleaner, who was described by neighbours as a "lovely man," according to the Press Association. The neighbour told the news organisation Rhodes had no children and was not married, and that he "would do anything for anybody". American Kurt Cochran was identified yesterday. He and his wife Melissa Payne Cochran were thought to have been celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary in London. Relatives said she suffered serious injuries in the attack and is still being treated in hospital. Clint Payne, understood to be Kurt's brother-in-law, wrote on Facebook: "Our hearts are broken this day as we say goodbye to our dear brother-in-law Kurt. He passed away from the injuries sustained in the London terrorist attack yesterday. We love him so much and will never forget him." Aysha Frade, 43, was reportedly on her way to pick up her children from school when she was struck by the car that drove into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge. The mother of two taught Spanish at DLD College London. " She was highly regarded and loved by our students and by her colleagues. She will be deeply missed by all of us," a spokesperson for the college told BuzzFeed News. Veteran police officer Keith Palmer was killed. The 48-year-old was married with a five-year-old daughter. In a statement on Thursday, his family said he would be remembered as a "wonderful dad and husband," a loving son, brother, and uncle, and a long-time supporter of Charlton FC. He was a friend to "everyone who knew him" and was brave, dedicated, courageous, and proud to be a police officer, they said. Met police release more information about Westminster attacker Khalid Masood's birth name has been stated as Adrian Russell Ajao, acting deputy police commissioner Mark Rowley has said in a briefing outside New Scotland Yard this morning. "We stated he had a number of aliases, and we do know that his birth name was Adrian Russell," Rowley said. Rowley said there was "no evidence of further threats", but that a "large, fast paced investigation" was examining Masood's actions leading up the attack: "Our determination is to find out if he acted totally alone inspired by terrorist propaganda or if others encouraged or supported him." Rowley said two further arrests were made last night: one in the West Midlands, and one in North West England. One woman has been released on bail. Nine people remain in custody. Five searches on addresses were in progress, with 16 searches on properties around the UK concluded. "We have seized 2,700 items from these searches," he said, including "massive of amounts of computer data for us to search through". Addressing those injured in the attack, Rowley named the fourth victim as Leslie Rhodes, 75, from Streatham, in south London. The number of those hurt in the attack rose. Rowley stated at least 50 people were injured, with 31 people requiring hospital treatment, in the attack. "Those affected include a real cross-section of ages, from at least 12 nationalities," he continued. He said of those in hospital, two remained in "critical condition", with one person considered to have "life-threatening" injuries. Two off-duty officers who were caught up in the assault on Westminster Bridge remain in hospital with serious injuries. Earlier, multiple media reports identified Adrian Elms as one of the alias believed to have been used by Masood. Details around the attacker, named by the Metropolitan police as 52-year-old Khalid Masood, continue to emerge on Friday morning. Masood, who operated under a number of aliases, is believed to have been born as Adrian Elms in Kent, the BBC reported. It is believed that Masood was an English teacher, The Sun also reported. The newspaper also claimed to have seen a recent copy of Masood's CV in which he claims to have an economics degree and describes himself as "friendly and approachable". Most recently he lived in the West Midlands, but he is also thought to have lived in Crawley, West Sussex, and Rye and Eastbourne, both in East Sussex, as well as Luton and east London. Masood had a chequered past, according to his police record. His first conviction was in November 1983, aged 19, when he was convicted for criminal damage. His last conviction was in 2003 when he stabbed a 22-year-old man in a nursing home in Eastbourne. He was charged and convicted of GBH, wounding with intent, and possessing an offensive weapon, and served time in prison. Sadiq Khan, who spoke at the vigil, told BuzzFeed News it was a way of showing "evil and twisted individuals" that they were not going to be successful in their aims. The home secretary Amber Rudd also addressed the crowd to pay tribute to PC Keith Palmer. Houses searched in Brighton and Wales Joe Giddens / PA Wire/PA Images Officers search an address in Birmingham connected to Wednesday's attack. The Metropolitan police have confirmed to BuzzFeed News that as part of today's investigations, houses were also searched in Brighton and Wales. Previously police had only said searches were carried out in London, Birmingham, and "elsewhere". The news was confirmed by the Met after Norfolk police issued a statement on their website announcing the searches had been carried out. The Met said searches were ongoing at an address in Carmarthenshire, three in Birmingham, and one in east London. Searches at addresses in Brighton and southeast London have concluded. New information has also been released about the arrests made since yesterday's attack. Overnight a 39-year-old woman was arrested at an address in east London; a 21-year-old woman and a 23-year-old man were arrested at an address in Birmingham; a 26-year-old woman and three men aged 26, 27, and 28 were arrested at a separate address in Birmingham – all on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts. Police have said they believed the attack's perpetrator, Khalid Masood, had acted alone. A 58-year-old man was also arrested at a separate address in Birmingham this morning, also on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts. Meanwhile the police watchdog the IPCC says it has opened an independent investigation into the fatal police shooting of Masood. "It's important to stress that we are currently investigating the circumstances of the incident and no police officers are under investigation," said IPCC deputy chair Sarah Green. "The IPCC and the Metropolitan Police Service are following agreed working arrangements related to terrorist incidents, which are working well. I recognise that this is a very difficult time for the police service, following the tragic loss of PC Keith Palmer and the injuries to other officers. We are giving this investigation the highest priority and we will conclude it as soon as possible." PM visits victims injured in the Westminster attack The PM quietly visited victims who were injured in the attack along Westminster Bridge on Thursday afternoon. In a private visit to an unnamed hospital, Theresa May spent about 40 minutes speaking to victims of yesterday's attacks and hospital staff. – Rose Buchanan Posted at Mar. 23, 2017, at 16:16 PM Keith Palmer's family: "A wonderful dad and husband" Dominic Lipinski / PA Wire/PA Images In a statement, Palmer's family said the former soldier and policeman of 15 years was "dedicated to his job and proud to be a police officer, brave and courageous". Palmer, 48, who was married and had a 5-year-old daughter, was described as "a wonderful dad and husband". "A loving son, brother and uncle. A longtime supporter of Charlton FC. A friend to everyone who knew him. He will bet deeply missed. We love him so much," his family said. The statement came shortly before a number of Palmer's colleagues were due to lay a wreath outside New Scotland Yard in his memory. Colleague PC James Aitkenhead described him as "a genuinely nice person; nobody had a bad word to say about him. When I heard what had happened I knew it would be him because that's just the sort of guy he was, to step straight in when others might step back. "He had a great work ethic, he worked on our warrants' car for years, getting up at 4am to serve warrants and arresting wanted offenders. He was always so positive, always staying late after everyone else and getting in early." The 52-year-old was born in Kent and detectives believe he was most recently living in the West Midlands. Masood was also known by a number of aliases. In a statement, the Metropolitan Police said "was not the subject of any current investigations and there was no prior intelligence about his intent to mount a terrorist attack". He had a range of previous convictions, although none for terrorism offences, including GBH, possession of offensive weapons, and public order offences. His first conviction was in November 1983 for criminal damage and his last conviction was in December 2003 for possession of a knife. He was investigated "some years ago" as part of a historic investigation into violent extremism but was a peripheral figure. It is assumed by police that he was acting on extreme Islamist ideology. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack on Thursday. Former UKIP leader Nigel Farage has been called on to retract his statement that the Westminster terror attack on Wednesday was linked to uncontrolled immigration – after it emerged that the security services believe the attacker was born in Britain. Speaking on Fox News on Wednesday night after the attack, Farage said recent terrorism was the fault of politicians who advocated mass immigration. "The moment has come for us to point the finger of blame. What these politicians have done in the last 15 years will affect how we live for 100 years," he said. Social media was awash with people who challenged him to retract the statement after the prime minister told the House of Commons on Thursday morning that the attacker was born in Britain and had been investigated at some point by security services. Kurt Cochran, from Utah, was killed in terror attack in Westminster, and his wife Melissa was seriously injured and is in hospital in London. The couple were in London to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. Clint Payne, understood to be Kurt's brother-in-law, wrote on Facebook: "Our hearts are broken this day as we say goodbye to our dear brother-in-law Kurt. He passed away from the injuries sustained in the London terrorist attack yesterday. We love him so much and will never forget him." He said his sister, Melissa sustained a broken leg, broken rib and a cut to her head. "We are grateful that she will recover," he said in the post. "Our hearts ache for her and their children in losing their loving companion and father. Please continue to pray for our family. Thank you." Another relative, Shantell Payne, wrote in a separate Facebook post on Thursday: "This pain is so heart wrenching and raw it has rocked our family and all that knew him to its core. We will miss Kurt beyond words. We love you Kurt. RIP." After seeing a picture of his local liaison officer Søren D. Sozza in news coverage of the attack, Mark Oakley, who owns The Eagle pub in Vauxhall, situated near the attack, was moved to share his gratitude on Facebook. "This image has reinforced my love and respect for the many officers who I have worked with for many years and seeing how close this terror is to where I live and work, and knowing that one of his colleagues was murdered on our streets has deeply saddened me tonight," he wrote. Sozza told BuzzFeed News he was "humbled by Mark's very kind words of appreciation and am encouraged by his defiance to being affected by the incident". World leaders express condolences for London and the British people Vladimir Putin, Russia's leader, released the following statement: "Terrorist attacks are becoming increasingly cunning and cynical. It is obvious that all members of the international community should join forces to stand up against the terrorist threat." Earlier, former US president Barack Obama tweeted his support and his sorrow for those killed. Yesterday, White House press secretary Sean Spicer said US president Donald Trump had spoken to Theresa May, and that the US was continuing to monitor the situation. German chancellor Angela Merkel, before more details about the nature of the attack had been established, said: "Even if the background to these attacks has yet to be cleared up, I would like to emphasise on behalf of Germany and its citizens: We stand resolutely on Britain's side in the fight against any form of terrorism." François Hollande, France's leader, declared France's "solidarity and support" for Britain and the victims of the attack. "Terrorism affects us all," he said. "France, which has been so badly hit in recent times, knows what the British people are suffering today." The Netherlands' leader, Mark Rutte, said: "Horrible images from London. The very heart of the city has been struck. Our thoughts are with the British people." And Belgium's leader, Charles Michel, who only yesterday marked the year anniversary of a terror attack on Brussels, expressed his condolences with London and the British people. "Belgium stands with UK in fight against terror," he said. —Rose Troup Buchanan Posted at Mar. 23, 2017, at 13:20 PM Security services could have dropped monitoring attacker because of resources or the closure of an investigation Stressing they did not know the identity of the attacker, a former British intelligence officer told BuzzFeed News that "peripheral figure" would indicate an individual that MI5 would have looked into, and possibly monitored, for reasons of behaviour, background, or connections. After a period of time, the investigation would have been dropped for a number of reasons, including human rights law that demands surveillance be proportional, resources, or the closure of an investigation, but it is difficult to speculate on these until the identity of the attacker is known. An indiscriminate attack by a British-born terrorist was a strike against "free people everywhere" and injured people from various countries, Theresa May told the House of Commons on Thursday. Updating parliament on the ongoing investigation into Wednesday's attack, the prime minister confirmed that the attacker, whose identity has not been publicly disclosed, was born in the UK and was known to the police and intelligence services. The man had been investigated "some years ago" because of concerns about violent extremism but was considered a "peripheral" figure, May said. "The case is historic – he was not part of the current intelligence picture," May said. May chaired a meeting of the government's emergency committee, Cobra, at 7.30pm on Wednesday night. She will have further briefings and meetings with security officials throughout Thursday. There was no intelligence suggesting another attack was imminent. Echoing defiant comments and tributes to the security authorities made by MPs in the House throughout the morning, the prime minister insisted Britain would not be cowed. "We are not afraid. And our resolve will never waver in the face of terrorism," she said. Scotland's first minister has paid tribute to the "vibrant, diverse, and wonderful" city of London Wpa Pool / Getty Images Nicola Sturgeon has paid tribute to the "vibrant, diverse, and wonderful city" of London during a sombre edition of First Minister's Questions at the Scottish parliament in Edinburgh. The weekly event, where the first minister is usually grilled by the four opposition leaders, was dominated this afternoon by tributes to those who lost their lives or were injured in yesterday's attack at Westminster. "Many of us in this chamber have friends and colleagues, indeed some of us have family members, who work within the Palace of Westminster," said Sturgeon. "Parliamentarians, staff, and journalists. "Yesterday was a harrowing day for all of them and they have our support and good wishes. Above all, we stand in solidarity with London – a vibrant, diverse, wonderful city that will never be cowed by mindless acts of violence." Sturgeon went on to confirm that there was "no intelligence of any increased threat" to Scotland in the wake of yesterday's attack in London, but added that security had been stepped up in "key locations" throughout the country. "Acts of terrorism are not the responsibility of any one faith or section of our society," the first minister continued. "The only people to blame for acts of terrorism are the individuals who plan and perpetrate them." Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson expressed her "deep shock" at the events in London, but went on to warn would-be attackers: "We will not be silenced, and we will not be cowed." Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale described Westminster as a "beacon of democracy", and went on to say that "this cannot and must not turn into a war on any one community". The Scottish parliament was debating a referendum on independence when news of yesterday's attack broke and the session was cancelled. It was confirmed this morning that the debate will continue on Tuesday next week. Following the attack, an image of a London Underground sign began to circulate on Twitter. However, immediately after the sign was shared, it was quickly shown to be fake. The sign appears to have been created using an online generator. On Thursday, MP Simon Hoare raised the sign in the Commons. "My judgment is he or she speaks for the whole country irrespective of faith of creed when they wrote: 'All terrorists are politely reminded that this is London and whatever you do to us we will drink tea and jolly well carry on'," he told the house. May called it a "wonderful tribute", and said it "in a very simple way I think has encapsulated everything everybody in this house has said today". "What happened yesterday was an appalling atrocity," he said. "Today, we are united by our humanity, by our democratic values and by that human impulse for solidarity to stand together in times of darkness and adversity. "I express my condolences to the family and friends of PC Keith Palmer, who gave his life yesterday in defence of the public and our democracy – and to the loved ones of those still in a critical condition including the French schoolchildren visiting our capital from Concarneau in Brittany. ... "I thank all the dedicated NHS staff working to save lives, including those from St Thomas' Hospital who rushed out to help those in need. We are grateful for the public service workers who yesterday, today and every day they pull on their uniforms. "It behoves us all not to rush to judgement, but to wait for the police to establish the facts. We must stay united in our communities and not to allow fear or the voices of hatred to divide or cower us. It is by demonstrating our values of solidarity, community, humanity and love that we will defeat the poison and division of hatred." The Scottish National Party's leader in the House of Commons Angus Robertson echoed May and Corbyn's sentiments, saying: "Today of all days we are reminded that notwithstanding our differences on political and constitutional issues we are as one in our dedication to democracy, the rule of law and harmony between peoples of all faiths and none." Robertson also paid tribute to police,and the bravery of the Conservative minister who went to the aid of the stabbed officer: "'We are all hugely grateful to all the police, security staff and first responders who ran towards danger without concern to their safety, and I include in that our colleague the Right Honourable and gallant member for Bournemouth East Tobias Ellwood." Parliament is to review its security procedures in an emergency meeting later today in the wake of yesterday's terror attack. Lindsay Hoyle, deputy speaker of the House of Commons and chairman of parliament's security committee, told the BBC that he would be hosting a meeting to check if additional measures were required. "We will be having an emergency meeting," he said. "We'll be getting information, what else needs to be put in place, and we will reflect, not instantly, we've got to take on board what's happened and we will make decisions accordingly. Of course, we've got to look after both houses." TV footage on Thursday morning showed new concrete blocks being moved into place around the Palace of Westminster in the wake of the attack. The blocks have already been in place around parts of the parliamentary estate as part of longstanding security measures against vehicle attack. People from 10 different countries caught up in attack, PM says Sky News screengrab Speaking in the Commons, Theresa May revealed some details about those injured in the attack. She said around 40 pedestrians were hurt on Westminster Bridge, including 12 Britons, three French children, two Romanians, four South Koreans, one German, one Pole, one Irish person, one Chinese person, one Italian, one American, and two Greeks. "We are in close contact with the governments of the countries of all those affected," the prime minister said. The French foreign minister, Jean-Marc Ayrault, was in the Commons and Speaker John Bercow paid tribute to him earlier that session, noting his presence was indication of the international support given to the UK in the wake of the attack on parliament. May added that the injured included three police officers who were returning from an event recognising their bravery, two of whom remain in a serious condition. Earlier, the acting Metropolitan police commissioner had said there were 29 people in five hospitals across the country. Seven are in a critical condition. —Matthew Champion Posted at Mar. 23, 2017, at 10:49 AM PM Theresa May says attacker was "British-born" and had been previously investigated by MI5 as a "peripheral" figure Addressing the House of Commons, prime minister Theresa May confirmed that the attacker, who has still not been publicly identified, was known to MI5 and police and had been a "peripheral figure" in a "historic" investigation into violent extremism. "It is still believed that this attacker acted alone and there is no reason to believe there are imminent further attacks on the public," she said. "His identity is known to police and MI5 and when operational considerations allow he will be publicly identified. "What I can confirm is that the man was British-born and that some years ago he was once investigated by MI5 in relation to concerns about violent extremism. He was a peripheral figure. The case is historic. He was not part of the current intelligence picture. There was no prior intelligence of his intent or of the plot. Intensive investigations continue." May also reiterated earlier lines from the police and defence secretary Michael Fallon that the investigation is focusing on the "working assumption" the attacker was "inspired by Islamist ideology". "We know the threat from Islamist terrorism is very real," she said. "But while the public should remain utterly vigilant they should not – and will not – be cowed by this threat. "As acting Deputy Commissioner Rowley has made clear, we are stepping up policing to protect communities across the country and to reassure the public." May praised the security and emergency forces for their swift and calm response to the attack, made more remarkable after they had "lost one of their own". "We will remember the exceptional bravery of our police, security, and emergency services who once again ran towards the danger even as they encouraged others to move the other way," she said. "On behalf of the whole country I want to pay tribute to them for the work they have been doing to reassure the public, treat the injured and bring security back to the streets of our capital city. "That they have lost one of their own in yesterday's attack only makes their calmness and professionalism all the more remarkable." —James Ball and Francis Whittaker Posted at Mar. 23, 2017, at 10:43 AM Prime minister reveals nationalities of those wounded and more details on attacker in speech to House of Commons Westminster Bridge survivor: "The car came out of nowhere" Carl Court / Getty Images BuzzFeed News has spoken to a survivor who was hit by the attacker's car and flung to the ground on Westminster Bridge, and who said he was unable to describe the Wednesday's events because of the horrific aftermath. The survivor, who asked not to be named, was visiting London from Liverpool and sustained cuts and bruises to his legs – he was with friends who were also hit by the car but survived. He has now been discharged from hospital. "There was just lot of yelling and commotion," he said. "Then this car came out of nowhere and knocked me and my mates over. The scenes after that I don't really want to describe. They were pretty horrific." —Pat Smith Posted at Mar. 23, 2017, at 10:23 AM Met police have made another arrest in connection to the attack In total eight people have now been arrested, following raids on six properties across the country. The Met has confirmed that these arrests are connected to the attack on Westminster yesterday afternoon. Posted at Mar. 23, 2017, at 09:47 AM Minute's silence held for those killed in Westminster attack The streets around parliament remained closed on Thursday morning. But inside the building life was already back to a strange sort of normal. Hundreds of MPs, peers, staff, and journalists were allowed through police cordons around Westminster to attend parliament. They turned up early for what has been billed as a normal working day, designed to show that the attack would not disrupt British democracy. Security checks were enforced but were no tougher than usual and inside parliament's canteens hundreds of breakfasts were being served. At 9.33am a minute's silence was held, with a packed House of Commons standing together to remember those who lost their lives on Wednesday. They stood, heads bowed, and observed a minute's silence in honour of the lives lost in the attack less than 24 hours earlier. At 9.35am, the doors were opened and members of the press were admitted to the viewing galleries. Speaker John Bercow called the house to order. Liam Fox, the international trade secretary, rose to take ministerial questions as scheduled. He began with a short, defiant statement, insisting that Britain wouldn't be cowed by terrorists. "Such acts of savagery against the innocent can never be justified," Fox said. But he quickly moved on to business. Bob Blackman, a Conservative MP, rose to ask the first question. On the verge of tears, he paid tribute to the police who put their lives on the line to defend parliament every day. It was short, sombre. Then he asked the minister a question about Israeli pharmaceutical exports. A group of MPs shuffled out of the house. There was work to be done. But, while MPs attempted to get on with their days in a show of defiance, it was impossible to avoid the events. The main route linking the two main parliamentary buildings passes along the edge of New Palace Yard, the cobbled square where police officer Keith Palmer was killed by an attacker. Thousands of staff have no choice but to walk along this route several times a day, making it impossible to avoid the sight of a crime scene investigation. An ambulance remained on the scene, next to a tent covering the site where Palmer fell. At the carriage gates, where the attacker allegedly broke through, around a dozen police officers were conducting a fingertip search of the ground. And beyond that Parliament Square and Whitehall, usually packed with tourists, protesters, and office workers, was silent. Aysha Frade, a 43-year-old teacher and mother of two, was one of those killed in Wednesday's attack on Westminster, her place of work confirmed to BuzzFeed News on Thursday morning. She was reportedly on her way to pick up her children from school when she was struck by the car that drove into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge. Frade taught Spanish at DLD College London, which is just over the river from the houses of parliament. The college confirmed to BuzzFeed News she had died in yesterday's attack. "We are all deeply shocked and saddened at the news that one of the victims yesterday was a member of our staff, Aysha Frade. All our thoughts and our deepest sympathies are with her family. We will be offering every support we can to them as they try to come to terms with their devastating loss," Rachel Borland, principal at DLD College London, told BuzzFeed News. "Aysha worked as a member of our administration team at the college. She was highly regarded and loved by our students and by her colleagues. She will be deeply missed by all of us." According to Spanish newspaper La Voz de Galicia, Frade was originally from Betanzos in Galicia, northern Spain. Met police revise death toll to four, including attacker Four people, including the attacker, died in the attack on Westminster yesterday, the Metropolitan police confirmed to BuzzFeed News this morning following Commissioner Mark Rowley's earlier statement. Previous statements from New Scotland Yard had said that five people – including the attacker –&nbsp;had been killed in the assault outside the British parliament. Defence secretary Michael Fallon says security services' working assumption is that the attack was linked to "Islamic terrorism" Andy Buchanan / AFP / Getty Images Defence secretary Michael Fallon, speaking to the BBC's Today programme, said the "working assumption" was that the attack on Westminster was linked to "Islamic terrorism". Fallon said the Metropolitan police were making "urgent" investigations into the alleged attacker and his known associates – although he declined to state whether there was any indication he acted alone. "The working assumption is that this is related to Islamic terrorism in some form, but they [the police] don't yet have a full enough picture of this man and his known associates. That work is still going on," he said. "This kind of attack, this lone-wolf attack, using things from daily life, a vehicle, a knife, are much more difficult to forestall, and we are also dealing with a terrorist enemy that is not making demands or holding people hostage but simply wants to kill as many people as possible. "This is a new element to international terrorism but our forces are working extremely hard. I have every confidence that they will track down his known associates." The defence secretary declined to comment on any security changes, but confirmed he would chair a review when it came. He praised the efforts of police and security forces in the aftermath of the attack. "Although there is intense security around the Palace of Westminster, London is going to work this morning," Fallon said. "Parliament itself will resume at the normal time." "London is getting back to work. London has seen this before and is taking it on the chin," he said. "I do want to reassure you that the police and the security services are doing everything possible to make sure that people can go about their daily life as safely as possible." The Metropolitan police confirm seven arrests made last night Mark Rowley, the national lead for counterterrorism policing and the acting deputy commissioner, confirmed that seven arrests had been made, following raids on six properties across the country. He confirmed that four people were killed by the attacker, including two members of the public: a woman in her mid-forties and a man in his fifties. Among the dead were a "mix of nationalities", Rowley said, declining to name any of those killed other than 48-year-old police officer Keith Palmer. Rowley said 29 individuals were being treated in five hospitals across London. Seven are in a critical condition. Probed on the identity of the alleged attacker, Rowley declined to comment on the individual's nationality and said he would not be naming the suspect – and urged the media to respect that decision. "It is still our belief that this attacker acted alone, and was inspired by international terrorism," Rowley said. Meanwhile, he said London will see an increased police presence, as at least 60 officers continue working on a "large and complicated crime scene" outside Westminster. "We must not allow terrorism to sow discord and fear in our city," he said. —Rose Buchanan Posted at Mar. 23, 2017, at 07:34 AM Police make ”several" arrests following raid on property in Birmingham, multiple reports state Carl Court / Getty Images The police have made "several" arrests after a raid on a property in Birmingham, the BBC, ITV, and Sky News have reported. The BBC subsequently said it had been told police confirmed the raids were linked to the attack outside Westminster on Wednesday afternoon. Press inquiries to West Midlands police were redirected to the Metropolitan police, who declined to comment on the reports when contacted by BuzzFeed News, citing "operational reasons". Last night, the surrounding area of a property on Hagley Road in southwest Birmingham was closed for roughly two hours. "There is an ongoing police operation, no further details are being given at this stage," West Midlands police told The Guardian. Separately, it was reported the car – described by witnesses as a Hyundai 4x4 – used to plough through pedestrians in the cycle line on Westminster Bridge was believed to have been rented from near the raided property in Solihull. The BBC's security correspondent Frank Gardner told the Today programme that there were "indications" that the car began its journey in Birmingham. Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 22:48 PM Slain officer is identified as death toll rises to 5 people BBC The death toll in Wednesday's Westminster attack rose to five people, including the attacker and a police officer, who was identified as a 15-year veteran. The officer, 48-year-old Keith Palmer, was a member of the parliamentary and diplomatic command, said Mark Rowley, the acting deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan police. Palmer's killer was fatally shot by another police officer. Palmer was a husband and a father, Rowley added. Metro Police Getty Keith Palmer. "He was someone who left for work today expecting to return home at the end of his shift, and he had every right to expect that to happen," Rowley said. Three of the victims were members of the public, but not immediately identified. About 40 other people were injured in the attack, some of them seriously, Rowley said. Three of the injured were police officers, two of whom were in serious condition. The identify of the attacker had not been released, but Rowley said police believe he was inspired by international terrorism. Police are working on taking statements from hundreds of people at the scene, reviewing CCTV footage, and seeking information on the attacker and his associates. "Terrorists have a clear aim: that is to create discord, destruction, and to create fear," he said. "The police stand with all communities in the UK and will take action against anyone who seeks to undermine society, especially where their crimes are motivated by hate." —Claudia Koerner Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 21:27 PM Government officials describe crawling on hands and knees to escape attack Carl Court / Getty Images Grant Shapps was walking through from his office to a vote in the House of Commons, making small talk with a handful of fellow Conservative MPs, when he noticed something was amiss at the gates of parliament. At first he dismissed it as another protest and carried on walking. Moments later, he was crawling on his hands and knees for safety, having just witnessed a terror attack. "I could hear a kerfuffle going on, which is not unusual as there's often protests by the gates," the former minister told BuzzFeed News. "As I'm looking around I hear, 'BAM BAM BAM' – what sounded like four shots to me." "Suddenly, a police officer is standing right where we are, shouting, 'Get down, get down, get back!' We crawled, hands and knees, back to a safety position." The former minister was one of hundreds of MPs, parliamentary staff, and journalists who spent several hours in Westminster Abbey as police gathered statements. They began to trickle out of the cathedral at around 8pm. Prime minister Theresa May says attack targeted freedom and democracy BBC Theresa May on Wednesday night said the attack at Westminster was no accident, but rather a direct attack on British democracy. "The location of this attack was no accident," the prime minister said in a speech outside Number 10. "The terrorists chose to strike at the heart of our capital city where people of all nationalities, religions, and cultures come together to celebrate the values of liberty, democracy, and freedom of speech." The single attacker first drove into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, May said, killing two people and injuring others – including three police officers. He then got out of the vehicle and ran toward parliament with a knife. There, he was confronted by officers. One officer was killed, and the attacker was shot dead by police, May said. The prime minister praised police and emergency responders, and said parliament would return to its business as normal on Thursday, as would other Londoners. "And we will all move forward together," she said, "never giving in to terror and never allowing the voices of hate and evil to drive us." News reports identify wrong man as Westminster attacker A Channel 4 News report misidentified a man associated with a British Muslim terrorist group as the Westminster attacker on its evening broadcast. Abu Izzadeen, also known as Trevor Brooks, was in prison on Wednesday, where he has been since January 2016, sources told BuzzFeed News. Channel 4 News originally identified him as the attacker, who was killed outside British Parliament by police. The attacker's name has not been released. The mistaken report was repeated at the top of the Channel 4+1 news, which began to rebroadcast the earlier report. The channel then went dark as "conflicting information came to light," a Channel 4 News statement said. The first doctor to attend to those injured in the Westminster attack was not on duty at the time, but rushed to the scene when he heard screaming. Dr Jeeves Wijesuriya, a junior doctor from London who specialises in general practice, told BuzzFeed News he had been attending an interview nearby when the incident happened. "I heard the screaming so ran to help and the police ran me in," he told us. Wijesuriya treated two people, one of whom had been stabbed and another who had been shot. He said he believed one of the patients was the attacker. —Laura Silver Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 19:30 PM Politicians and staff locked inside buildings in Westminster Niklas Halle'n / AFP / Getty Images Hundreds of politicians and their staff are still locked in Westminster Abbey, while police attempt to collect eyewitness testimony and evidence on this afternoon's attack. As the first reports of the attack filtered through, many in parliament seemed unsure how to react with some cafes staying open in Portcullis House. It took several minutes before security staff swept in and cleared the area. Parliamentary staff told BuzzFeed News they were told to stay in their offices for around 90 minutes after the incident, while police swept the premises and checked they were secure. People still on the premises were then led into the ancient Westminster Hall at around 4.30pm – around 90 minutes after the attack. For some staff this involved walking past the scene of the attack on a police officer. Many were then led out through the St Stephen's Entrance into Westminster Abbey, where "up to 1,000 people" remain, according to one individual, who said others had been left in Westminster Hall. Police are currently preparing to sort individuals according to how useful they are and then collect information which could help their investigation, including any photographs or eyewitness testimony of an attack that could be clearly seen from many parliamentary offices. —Jim Waterson Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 19:08 PM Home secretary praises bravery of emergency services Daniel Sorabji / AFP / Getty Images Forensics officers at work at the scene. Home secretary Amber Rudd has released the following statement on the attack: "We do not yet know the full impact of this terrible incident. But I know that the whole country will be thinking and praying for those who are affected, as I am. "I want to thank the emergency services for the quick response and pay tribute to their bravery, their courage and their professionalism. "I have been briefed by the Met Police and by the security services and the Security Minister has also been updated. This is an ongoing incident and the Government will continue to be updated. The Prime Minister will chair Cobra today. "The Government's top priority is the security of its people and I urge everyone to remain calm but to be vigilant and if they see anything they are concerned about they should report it to the police. "We have the best police, the best security services in the world and we must make sure that we let them get on with doing their job. "The British people will be united in working together to defeat those who would harm our shared values. "Values of democracy, tolerance and the rule of law. Values symbolised by the Houses of Parliament. Values that will never be destroyed." Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 19:03 PM Hospital releases latest update condition of those injured in attack King's College Hospital assistant medical director Dr Chris Palin has told the BBC eight patients from the attack are being treated at the Denmark Hill hospital. "At 3.52pm we went into a major incident. We have received a total of eight patients," Palin said. "Two of those are critically injured, six are stable. Six males and two females. Care is still ongoing. All eight remain in the hospital." Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 18:58 PM Trump offers condolences to Theresa May during call about Westminster attack US president Donald Trump called the UK prime minister to offer support Wednesday afternoon. A readout of the call provided by the White House said: "President Donald J. Trump spoke today with Prime Minister Theresa May of the United Kingdom to offer his condolences on today's terror attack in London and his praise for the effective response of security forces and first responders. "He pledged the full cooperation and support of the United States Government in responding to the attack and bringing those responsible to justice." White House press secretary Sean Spicer also spoke about the attack during his daily briefing. "We obviously condemn today's attack in Westminster, which the United Kingdom is treating as an act of terrorism, and we applaud the quick response that the British police and their first responders made to the situation," he said. "The victims in this are in our thoughts and our prayers. "The city of London and Her Majesty's government have the full support of the US government in responding to the attack and bringing those to justice who are responsible." Both the House of Commons and the House of Lords will sit tomorrow at their normal times. —Alicia Melville-Smith Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 18:34 PM Witnesses on London Eye describe being kept in the air for hours Niklas Halle'n / AFP / Getty Images People are seen inside the pods of the London Eye during the incident Tourists on the London Eye, the landmark ferris wheel not far from parliament on the other side of the Thames, have described how they were kept in their capsules for three hours as the attack unfolded. Jim Hutchinson, from Boston, Massachusetts, and his family were in the last capsule to be boarded before it came to a halt. "The first thing we noticed was the flashing lights of medics attending to the injured people on the bridge, and then the helicopters," he told BuzzFeed News. "There were three separate groups of injured people on the bridge, at each end and in the middle. It took half an hour before anyone was moved." He said that no one in the capsule felt worried for their own safety, although one tourist who could not speak English repeatedly pressed the alarm button to find out why they had stopped. Hutchinson confirmed that police had spoken to everyone on the Eye after they had been allowed off. Matthew Champion / BuzzFeed News Jim Hutchinson Kody and Taylor Davis, from Utah, told BuzzFeed News they were at the top of the London Eye when it came to a stop. Kody said there was initially no phone service in the capsule and it wasn't until news alerts came on their phones they realised what was going on. "We eventually managed to call our families and they told us what had happened." Taylor said they first had an idea something was wrong when they saw "a big commotion and lots of stretchers". Kody and Taylor are due to fly back to the US on Saturday. They were stuck on the London Eye for three hours in total. "The attack started when a car was driven over Westminster Bridge hitting and injuring a number of members of the public, including three police officers on their way back from a commendation ceremony," Rowley said. He added that police "we're satisfied at this stage that there looks to be only one attacker but it would be foolish to be over-confident so early on." Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 17:48 PM Photograph appears to show knives at scene of parliament attack This photograph taken from inside the Palace of Westminster by PA's Stefan Rousseau shows an armed officer standing on what appears to be a knife. Stefan Rousseau / PA Another image appears to show a second knife. Stefan Rousseau / PA Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 17:36 PM France's prime minister says French students were among those injured in attack Bernard Cazeneuve has confirmed that French students were among those injured in the attack. The number of those injured has not been confirmed. "Solidarity with our British friends, terribly stricken, full support to the injured French students, their families, and their comrades," he tweeted. —Sara Spary Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 17:30 PM Eyewitness describes hearing gunshots and seeing bodies on the ground at Westminster Matt Haikin was cycling across Westminster Bridge when he saw what he thought was a car crash. "I saw a body, a man I think, lying in the road and a crashed car. I presumed it was an accident and carried on cycling into Parliament Square. "I didn't think anything else was going on until I saw lots of people gathered near the iron fences, and I went over. That's when I heard the gunshots." Haikin, 44, from London, who works in international development, said lots of armed police were on the scene immediately, and he and others were pushed back by the cordon. "It took a while for what had happened to sink in," he said. "It wasn't scary while it happened, but now after the event, I'm shaken." Matthew Champion / BuzzFeed News Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 17:25 PM Met police say counterterrorism investigation is underway Jack Taylor / Getty Images Commander B.J. Harrington Scotland Yard's Commander B.J. Harrington said the Metropolitan police are remaining open-minded as to the motive at this stage, but that a full counterterrorism investigation is already underway. He urged members of the public to remain vigilant and report anything suspicious to the police. "We received a number of different reports, which included a person in a river, a car in collision with pedestrians, and a man armed with a knife," he said. "Officers were already in that location as part of routine policing. Immediately additional officers were sent to the scene, as were firearms officers." Harrington confirmed that there were a number of casualties, including police officers, but would not confirm how many or the nature of these injuries. "Our response will be ongoing for some time and it is important that we gather all possible information and evidence," he said. "Public safety is our top priority and we are reviewing our policing stance across London, and throughout the course of this afternoon there will be additional police and officers deployed across the capital." The Met police have asked members of the public to avoid the following areas to allow emergency services to deal with the investigation: Parliament Square, Whitehall, Westminster Bridge, Lambeth Bridge, Victoria Street up to the junction with Broadway, and the Victoria Embankment up to Embankment tube. The prime minister will chair a meeting of the government's emergency Cobra committee later today, a spokeswoman in Downing Street said. Government ministers, senior staff, emergency services, and intelligence services will convene to discuss the attacks. Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 17:12 PM Woman pulled from River Thames with serious injuries Daniel Leal-olivas / AFP / Getty Images A woman was pulled alive but seriously injured from the River Thames near Westminster Bridge in the wake of the incident. She is now being dealt with by the emergency services. The Port of London Authority confirmed to BuzzFeed News that just one person was pulled from the water and that the river has now been closed between Vauxhall and Embankment. Earlier, an eyewitness speaking to Sky News said they saw someone fall into the water. He said: "I was walking across Westminster Bridge and a bus stopped right in front of me and everybody started screaming. And I saw a trainer [shoe] in the road, and I thought somebody must have been hit by a car, and then I saw a body on the other side of the road, and then there was another body further up, and then when I looked over the side of the bridge there was another body in the river. "I didn't see anything. The first I was aware of it was when people started to scream and people got off the bus looking very shocked. Then there was a lot of confusion and people started dealing with the casualties. I was just trying to wave people back who were coming onto the bridge. "They were lying face down in the water." The BBC later published camera footage of someone falling into the river as a speeding vehicle plows through: The London Ambulance Service Deputy Director of Operations Pauline Cranmer confirmed 10 people were treated by emergency services. "We can confirm we have treated at least 10 patients on Westminster Bridge and have put a number of hospitals on alert as we continue to respond to this incident," he said in a statement. "We were called at 2.40pm today, with the first ambulance crew arriving within six minutes. "We have sent a number of resources to the scene including ambulance crews, London's Air Ambulance and our Hazardous Area Response Team. "We are working closely with other members of the emergency services at the scene, with our priority being to ensure patients receive the medical help they need as quickly as possible. "We have declared a major incident and our priority is to assess patients and ensure that they are treated and taken to hospital as soon as possible. "As we are very busy dealing with this incident, we would ask the public to only call us in a genuine emergency." —James Ball Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 16:42 PM At least one dead and multiple casualties reported One woman has died, according to an anonymous medical source being quoted by multiple media outlets. There are also unconfirmed reports that several people have "catastrophic injuries". There have been separate and unconfirmed reports of up to three "bodies" on the bridge, including one "face down in the water" that have not been confirmed by police. Eyewitnesses, as well as social media accounts, appear to indicate a number of people were seriously hurt on Westminster Bridge. Earlier, a Reuters photographer, Toby Melville, published pictures of four individuals with injuries on the bridge. —Rose Buchanan and Sara Spary Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 16:35 PM London mayor confirms incidents are being treated as terrorism Stefan Rousseau / PA Wire The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said that the incident is being treated as a terrorist attack until the police know otherwise. "I have spoken to the Acting Commissioner. The Metropolitan Police Service is dealing with the incident and an urgent investigation is underway. My thoughts are with those affected and their families," he said "I would like to express my thanks to the police and emergency services who work so hard to keep us safe and show tremendous bravery in exceptionally difficult circumstances," he added. Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 16:31 PM Photo shows police officer pointing gun at suspect on the ground This afternoon's Scottish parliament debate has been suspended in light of the incident in Westminster, but the Holyrood parliament has been strongly criticised for how long it took to make the decision. Holyrood's MSPs were debating a second referendum on independence for over an hour after initial reports of the incident, and first minister Nicola Sturgeon left the chamber just before 3pm. Inside the chamber, outrage grew that the debate was continuing, with Conservative MSP Murdo Fraser requesting that business was suspended but the deputy presiding officer replying that it would be "business as usual". Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson and Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale urged the presiding officer to suspend business for the day, and half a dozen MSPs left the chamber in protest. However, just before 4pm, presiding officer Ken Macintosh decided to suspend the sitting out of respect for "our sister parliament" and added there will be time to resume the debate in future. Davidson tweeted: "Very pleased that sense has won the day & Holyrood has been suspended until we have a better understanding of what is going on in WM." Sturgeon added: "My thoughts are with everyone in and around Westminster caught up in this dreadful incident – and with the brave emergency services." —Jamie Ross Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 16:02 PM Some MPs and peers have been evacuated from parliament Many politicians inside parliament have been evacuated by armed police, while some other areas remain in lockdown. MP Anna Soubry tweeted that her colleagues were being "taken out of the library at gun point" by counterterrorist police. In a statement, the Metropolitan police said: "Police are asking people to avoid the following areas: Parliament Square; Whitehall; Westminster Bridge; Lambeth Bridge; Victoria Street up to the junction with Broadway and the Victoria Embankment up to Embankment tube. "This is to allow the emergency services to deal with the ongoing incident. Police were called at approximately 14:40 hours to reports of an incident in Westminster Bridge, SW1. It is being treated as a firearms incident. "Officers – including firearms officers – remain on the scene and we are treating this as a terrorist incident until we know otherwise." A police officer was stabbed at Westminster and the attacker was shot by armed police, the leader of the House of Commons said The leader of the House of Commons, David Lidington, has just spoken in parliament and said a police officer was stabbed. He said: "First of all, colleagues will have appreciated that events have been moving rapidly and I want to emphasise that the knowledge that I have .... is so far very limited. What I am able to say to the house is that there has been a serious incident within the estate. "It seems that a police officer has been stabbed, that the alleged assailant was shot by armed police, an air ambulance is currently attending the scene to remove the casualties. There are also reports of further violent incidents in the vicinity of the palace of Westminster but I hope colleagues on all sides will appreciate that it would be wrong of me here to go into further details until we have confirmation from the police and from the house security authorities about what is going on. "I shall endeavour to do the very best I can, both at the despatch box and by communicating with my opposite numbers in other political parties to ensure that members are kept aware of what is happening, but at the moment, the very clear advice from the police and the director of security in the house is that we should remain under suspension and that the chamber should remain in lockdown until we receive advice that it is safe to go back to normal procedures." —Marie Le Conte Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 15:10 PM This is the scene outside parliament shortly after the incident Phil Han / BuzzFeed News Parliament Square is being closed and cleared, with an emergency helicopter parked in the middle of the area. Emergency services are attempting to revive one individual lying down on the pavement on Parliament Street, some way away from the entrance to the building. Approximately a dozen armed police ran into the building shortly after 3pm. —Jim Waterson Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 15:03 PM Picture agency images published shortly after the incident showed a heavy armed police presence outside the Palace of Westminster.

Plastic candles lie along Westminster Bridge in tribute to the victims of the terrorist attack. Photograph: Andy Rain/EPA What Khalid Masood wreaked on Westminster last week was depraved and shocking. It was not, however, another 7/7. The attacks on the tube and a bus by four suicide bombers on 7 July 2005 were relatively sophisticated; the bombers had been commissioned and trained by al-Qaida and their actions carefully choreographed. Wednesday’s attack was, in comparison, as crude and as low-tech as such attacks could be – a man causing mayhem armed simply with a car and a knife. The crudity of the Westminster attack is of a piece with much recent Islamist violence in Europe. There are certainly co-ordinated, well-planned operations, such as the slaughter on the streets of Paris in November 2015, in which 130 people lost their lives, and that in Brussels, a year to the day before the Westminster attack. Increasingly, though, jihadi violence involves individuals, without access to semtex or AK-47s, but with a desire to cause bloody turmoil. Low-tech terrorists driving vehicles into pedestrians is becoming more common, such as the assault on a Christmas market in Berlin last December, or, most horrifically, the truck attack on Bastille Day revellers in Nice last year. The day after the Westminster horror, a similar attack, in which a man tried to drive a car into a crowd, was foiled in Antwerp. Knife attacks, too, are becoming a common feature of low-tech terrorism, from the beheading of Lee Rigby on the streets of south London in 2013 by Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale, to the wounding in 2015 of three people in Leytonstone tube station in east London when 29-year-old Muhaydin Mire, ran amok with a knife, apparently as some form of deluded response to the war in Syria, to the murder last year of a priest, Father Jacques Hamel, in a church in Saint Etienne-du-Rouvray, in northern France by two teenage Islamists, Adel Kermiche and Abdel Malik Petitjean. What such attacks expose is the continuing degeneration of Islamist terror and the increasingly blurred lines between ideological violence and sociopathic rage. Last August, Zakaria Bulhan, a 19-year-old Norwegian of Somali descent, went on a rampage in Russell Square in London, stabbing six people, one of whom died from her injuries. It was originally seen as a terrorist incident. Later, Bulhan was diagnosed as suffering from paranoid schizophrenia. Last month, a court ordered him to be detained indefinitely in Broadmoor maximum security hospital. A week before Bulhan’s rampage, a 21-year-old Syrian refugee had hacked a woman to death in Reutlingen, near Stuttgart in Germany. That, too, was first regarded as a terrorist incident, only later as the actions of a mentally disturbed man. In both cases, many refused to believe that these were not terrorist incidents and social media spawned dark conspiracy theories of official cover-ups. Such theories may be irrational, but they reflect, too, the difficulty, often, in drawing a distinction between jihadi violence and the fury of disturbed minds. James Harris Jackson appears in court last week accused of killing a black man on the streets of New York. Photograph: Steven Hirsch/AP The death last week of Martin McGuinness, the former IRA leader, has led to much discussion about the relationship between the young, violent firebrand and the older patient peacemaker. What has been less discussed is the changing character of terrorism from the IRA to Islamic State. In the past, groups employing terror, whether the IRA or the PLO, were driven by specific political aims – a united Ireland or an independent Palestine. There was generally a close relationship between the organisation’s political cause and its violent activities. And, whatever one thinks of such groups, those activities were governed by certain norms and contained a rational kernel. Many civilians were certainly killed through IRA violence, but, unlike jihadis, the starting point of the IRA was not the mere killing of random individuals. It is the arbitrariness of jihadist violence, and its disregard for any moral bounds, that can make it seem so terrifying. Isis has claimed responsibility for the Westminster attack, calling Masood one of its “soldiers” (though it did not name him). Whether Masood had any real links to Isis remains unclear. “Soldiers of the Islamic State” are often just unstable young men with only the most tenuous relationship to Isis but driven by a sense of inchoate, personal rage. Masood’s story, a petty criminal, lacking direction, but converting to Islam after finding in Salafism a sense of order and meaning, and of making sense of his inner furies, is not unusual among jihadis. Deranged fury cloaked in ideological rage is not uniquely Islamist. Two days before Masood mowed down his victims on Westminster Bridge, James Harris Jackson allegedly stabbed to death Timothy Caughman in Manhattan. Jackson was white, Caughman black. Jackson is said to have come to New York from Baltimore armed with a knife and a sword and with the aim of killing as many black people as possible. “I hate blacks,” he allegedly told police. He chose to make New York the scene of his murderous act because it was “the media capital of the world” and he “wanted to make a statement”, investigators say. The police are uncertain whether Jackson had any formal links to racist groups. But, as with many Islamist killings, this stabbing blurs the line between ideological violence and psychotic rage. At his arraignment, the prosecutor called it “an act, most likely, of terrorism”. Defence counsel talked of Jackson’s “obvious psychological issues”. This murderous act is not an isolated incident. In 2015, Dylann Roof, a 21-year-old American obsessed with white supremacist ideas, shot dead nine African-American worshippers in a church in Charleston, South Carolina. Last July, Ali David Sonboly went on a rampage in a Munich shopping mall, shooting dead nine people, and injuring another 36. He was of Iranian origin. But being Iranian meant to him not “Muslim”, but “Aryan”. He was obsessed by mass shootings and lauded Anders Behring Breivik, the Norwegian neo-Nazi. A month earlier, in Britain, Thomas Mair, a 53-year-old man with links to far-right groups, had shot and stabbed to death Jo Cox, a Labour MP, while she was campaigning in the EU referendum, in Birstall, Yorkshire. All this exposes both how the character of ideological violence has degenerated and how rage has become a feature of public life. The social and moral boundaries that act as firewalls against such behaviour have weakened. Western societies have become socially atomised. The influence of institutions that once helped socialise individuals and inculcate them with a sense of obligation to others, from the church to trade unions, has declined. So has that of progressive movements that gave social grievance a political form. Dylann Roof appears at a hearing in Charleston, South Carolina, in 2015. Photograph: Reuters The Khalid Masoods and James Harris Jacksons of this world may be few but they are proliferating – angry, unbalanced individuals, detached from wider society and its norms, denied political outlets for their disaffections and who find in Islamism or white nationalism the salve for their resentments and justification for their actions. From one perspective, low-tech terrorism reveals the weaknesses of jihadi groups and the difficulties they have in organising more high-profile atrocities such as 7/7 or the Paris attacks. From another perspective, however, we have to accept that because such attacks are low-tech, they are more difficult to prevent. This raises questions about how the authorities, the media and the public should react to such events. The immediate response to the Masood attack – the courage of those who went to help the injured, the stoicism of Londoners carrying on as usual – was measured and inspiring. But the wall-to-wall media coverage and speculation that followed, and the high-publicity nationwide police operations, have had the effect of making a low-tech attack seem more like a major 7/7 kind of incident. The authorities need to gather information on perpetrators and ensure public safety. But what the past week has shown is the need to reset the balance between pursuing such aims and giving exaggerated weight to the attack. Otherwise the reaction to terror will itself provide the ‘statement’ that terrorists crave. While low-tech terror may become more common, we need to maintain a sense of perspective. The Westminster attack, like similar ones before it, reveals how easy it is to cause mayhem and disruption in an open, urban, society. But it should also remind us that, given how easy it is to sow terror, these kinds of attacks are relatively infrequent, even allowing for the fact that many are prevented before they come to fruition. Most people have access to cars and knives. The fact that such attacks are, nevertheless, so rare – and, hence, so shocking when they do occur – tells us something powerful about the enduring strength of social bonds.

Everyone Arrested In Connection With The Westminster Attack Has Now Been Released Khalid Masood, born Adrian Russell Ajao, was named as the attacker. He was among those who died near parliament on March 22. Three civilians, Aysha Frade, Kurt Cochran, Leslie Rhodes, and a police officer, Keith Palmer, have been identified as his victims. What We Know So Far: Khalid Masood, 52, originally from Kent, was named as the Westminster attacker by the Metropolitan police. He was born Adrian Russell Ajao, the Met police said on Friday morning. Other aliases he is believed to have used include the name Adrian Elms. He had no prior terrorism offence convictions, although he had been previously investigated by security services as a "peripheral figure". Police released a picture of him on Friday. At least five people died — including a police officer and Masood — and 31 others required hospital treatment. Eleven arrests were made after several raids across the country, the Met confirmed. Everyone arrested has now been released with no further action. Keith Palmer, a 48-year-old unarmed officer, was stabbed before Masood was shot by police. A government minister administered CPR, but Palmer ultimately died. Aysha Frade, a 43-year-old teacher and mother of two, was one of the civilians killed. Kurt Cochran, an American citizen, was named as among the dead. Leslie Rhodes, 75, from south London, was later named as the fourth victim. The attack began when a vehicle driving over Westminster Bridge rammed into several pedestrians before crashing into railings at the Palace of Westminster. Masood, armed with a knife, continued the attack. ISIS claimed responsibility through its news agency, calling the assailant – who it did not name – its "soldier". Map Shows Locations Of Incidents In Westminster Attack Chris Applegate / Tom Phillips / BuzzFeed News / Google Maps Updates Posted at Apr. 01, 2017, at 12:12 PM All people arrested in connection with the Westminster terror attack have now been released All those arrested in connection with the terrorist attack in Westminster have now been released and police will take no further action. A 30-year-old man arrested on March 26 in Birmingham on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts and detained under the Terrorism Act was released on Sunday, Met police said in a statement. Eleven other people who were previously arrested in connection with the investigation have also been released with no further action. The inquest into the death of Khalid Masood was adjourned on Thursday and a pre-inquest review has been set by the coroner for May 19. Posted at Mar. 30, 2017, at 17:46 PM London attacker killed by single gunshot to chest, coroner says Matt Dunham / AP The man who mowed down pedestrians on Westminster Bridge before fatally attacking a police officer outside parliament was killed by a single gunshot to the chest, coroner's officials said. In all, Khalid Masood killed four people and injured more than 30 others in the March 22 attack before he was shot dead. One other person remains hospitalized in critical condition. Masood's cause of death was revealed Thursday in Westminster coroner's court, the Associated Press reported. —Jason Wells Posted at Mar. 28, 2017, at 07:17 AM Wife of Khalid Masood expresses her sorrow for those killed Dan Kitwood / Getty Images Rohey Hydara, wife of the man who attacked parliament last week, gave a statement through police in which she expressed her "sadness" for those who had lost their lives. "I express my condolences to the families of the victims that have died and wish a speedy recovery to all the injured," the BBC reported her as saying. Hydara, believed to be Masood's second wife, also asked for privacy for "our family, especially the children, at this difficult time". It comes following the mother of Masood, who was born Adrian Elms, stating she was "shocked" and "deeply saddened" by the actions of her son. Masood, 52, drove a car across Parliament Bridge, injuring scores of people, before crashing the vehicle into railings at the side of the houses of parliament. He then assaulted police officer Keith Palmer, who later died of his injuries, before being shot dead by officers on the scene. Posted at Mar. 27, 2017, at 17:05 PM Mother of London attacker says she is "deeply shocked" by his actions Matt Dunham / AP The mother of the man who carried out the deadly attack in London says she is "deeply shocked, saddened, and numbed" by his actions. In a statement issued Monday, Janet Ajao said she in no way condoned the actions of her son Khalid Masood, who was shot dead by police during the attack, which killed four people: I am so deeply shocked, saddened and numbed by the actions my son has taken that have killed and injured innocent people in Westminster. Since discovering that it was my son that was responsible I have shed many tears for the people caught up in this horrendous incident. I wish to make it absolutely clear, so there can be no doubt, I do not condone his actions nor support the beliefs he held that led to him committing this atrocity. I wish to thank my friends, family and community from the bottom of my heart for the love and support given to us. —Jason Wells Posted at Mar. 27, 2017, at 16:13 PM No evidence Masood had any direct connections to ISIS or al-Qaeda, Met police say More information has emerged about the actions of the man who killed four people – including a police officer – outside the houses of parliament before being shot dead. Speaking on Monday, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu, senior national coordinator for UK counterterrorism policing, said there was "no evidence" the man who took the name Khalid Masood in 2005, having been born Adrian Elms, had discussed his intentions prior to the assault. "His attack method appears to be based on low sophistication, low-tech, low-cost techniques copied from other attacks, and echo the rhetoric of IS leaders in terms of methodology and attacking police and civilians, but at this stage I have no evidence he discussed this with others." Basu continued that while there were no direct connections to ISIS or al-Qaeda, "there is clearly an interest in jihad". He also said there was "no evidence" Masood had been radicalised in prison, adding that "this is pure speculation at this time". —Rose Troup Buchanan Posted at Mar. 26, 2017, at 17:24 PM Police make new arrest Richard Vernalls / PA Wire/PA Images Police in Birmingham on Sunday. A 30-year-old man has been arrested in Birmingham in connection with Wednesday's attack in Westminster, it was announced on Sunday night. The Metropolitan police said the man was arrested on Sunday at an address in the city on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts. One other man, aged 58, remains in custody, while a 32-year-old woman has been bailed until later this month. Meanwhile, UK home secretary Amber Rudd has said it is "completely unacceptable" that messages Khalid Masood may have sent on WhatsApp before launching his deadly attack remain encrypted. "There should be no place for terrorists to hide," Rudd said on BBC1's The Andrew Marr Show. "We need to make sure that organisations like WhatsApp, and there are plenty of others like that, don't provide a secret place for terrorists to communicate with each other." —Matthew Champion Posted at Mar. 26, 2017, at 07:26 AM Police: Khalid Masood acted alone Stefan Rousseau / PA Wire/PA Images The Metropolitan police have said they believe Westminster attacker Khalid Masood acted alone, and warned that we may never know why he acted as he did. Masood was shot by police 82 seconds after his murderous attack began and later died, and while 11 arrests were made in the days after the attack, only one man remains in custody and one woman is out on bail. "We still believe that Masood acted alone on the day and there is no information or intelligence to suggest there are further attacks planned," said deputy assistant commissioner Neil Basu, the senior national coordinator for counterterrorism policing. "Even if he acted alone in the preparation we need to establish with absolute clarity why he did these unspeakable acts to bring reassurance to Londoners, and to provide answers and closure for the families of those killed and the victims and survivors of this atrocity." But Basu added: "We must all accept that there is a possibility we will never understand why he did this. That understanding may have died with him. "Nevertheless, we are determined to understand if Masood was a lone actor inspired by terrorist propaganda or if others have encouraged, supported or directed him. If the latter proves to be the case, they will face justice." Appealing for members of the public to help the investigation into the killings, Basu said: "If you knew Khalid Masood and had spoken to him in the months, weeks or days leading up to this attack please come forward." —Matthew Champion Posted at Mar. 26, 2017, at 07:18 AM Family of murdered PC "overwhelmed" by support Metropolitan police The family of slain police officer Keith Palmer have said they are "overwhelmed by the love and support" they have received since the 48-year-old was killed. "Most especially," a statement released through the Metropolitan police added, "the outpouring of love and respect for our Keith." The statement said: "We want to thank everyone who has reached out to us over the past few days for their kindness and generosity. The police have been a constant, unwavering support at this very difficult time. It has made us realise what a caring, strong and supportive family Keith was part of during his career with the police. We can't thank them enough. "We would also like to express our gratitude to the people who were with Keith in his last moments and who were working that day. There was nothing more you could have done. "You did your best and we are just grateful he was not alone. We care about him being remembered for his selfless bravery and loving nature. We miss him so much, but we are also incredibly proud of Keith." Jack Taylor / Getty Images Tory MP Tobias Ellwood shakes hands with police outside parliament as he arrives for work the day after the attack. Meanwhile Foreign Office minister Tobias Ellwood, who gave first aid to Palmer after the officer had been stabbed by Westminster attacker Khalid Masood, has said he is "heartbroken" he could not save him. "I am heartbroken that I could not do more for PC Keith Palmer who gave his life in holding the line against terrorism and defending democracy. I shall be writing to the family of PC Palmer to offer my sincere condolences," he said in a statement. "I'm deeply humbled and overwhelmed by the messages of support, especially from the policing fraternity, which I now realise is as close knit as the military's in supporting its own. "I played only a small part that day, doing what I was taught to do, and am honoured to have been invited to join the Privy Council afterwards. "It is right that we concentrate our thoughts on the victims as we stand side by side to protect all that we hold dear, including our precious values and way of life which will always prevail." —Matthew Champion Posted at Mar. 25, 2017, at 22:56 PM Police say deadly Westminster attack lasted 82 seconds Kirsty Wigglesworth / AP The deadly Westminster attack that left four people dead Wednesday began and was over within 82 seconds, police said Saturday. Police released a timeline of the bloody attack, revealing that in just over a minute Khalid Masood killed three civilians and one police officer, and injured 31 other people. The attack began Wednesday at 2:40 p.m. when Masood drove his car over the Westminster Bridge and then veered on to the footpath. Masood drove through the pedestrian walkway for 30 seconds before crashing into a perimeter fence of the Palace of Westminster, police said. Exactly 21 seconds after the crash, the first call to police was made. Masood then got out of his car and was shot by an officer inside the Palace of Westminster 31 seconds after that call was made. Police said their investigation is still continuing, and asked for people who knew and spoke with Masood in the previous weeks and months to contact authorities. "We must all accept that there is a possibility we will never understand why he did this," Deputy Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu said in a statement. "That understanding may have died with him." Authorities believe he acted alone. "Whilst the attack lasted only 82 seconds it will remain in the memories of many forever," Basu said. —Salvador Hernandez Posted at Mar. 25, 2017, at 17:40 PM Only one person remains in custody over Wednesday's attack On Saturday evening police revealed that one of the two people still in custody in connection with the attack in Westminster had been released. The 27-year-old man arrested late on Thursday in Birmingham was told he would face no further action. A 39-year-old woman arrested in east London and bailed until the end of this month has also been released with no further action. Seven other people have also been released and one woman remains out on bail, meaning only one person remains in custody over Khalid Masood's attack –&nbsp;a 58-year-old man who was arrested on Thursday morning at an address in Birmingham, who is being detained under anti-terror laws. Two men still in custody in connection with attack Victoria Jones / PA Wire/PA Images Seven of the 11 people arrested by police investigating Khalid Masood's attack this week have now been released with no further action, it was announced last night. As well as the six people released from custody last night, a 35-year-old man has been released with no further police action, and a 32-year-old woman has been bailed until the end of the month. Both were arrested in Manchester. Meanwhile, two men remain in custody: a 58-year-old man arrested in Birmingham on Thursday morning, and a 28-year-old man arrested later in the day at a separate address in the city. They are being detained under the Terrorism Act 2000. One other woman remains on police bail: a 39-year-old arrested at an address in east London on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts. She is due to return to police until a date later this month. —Matthew Champion Posted at Mar. 24, 2017, at 20:17 PM Six people arrested in London attack investigation are released Christopher Furlong / Getty Images Authorities on Friday released six people who were arrested as part of the ongoing investigation into the attack in London. Among those released were a 21-year-old woman and a 23-year-old man who were arrested at one address, as well as a 26-year-old woman and three men aged 28, 27, and 26, who were taken into custody at separate locations in Birmingham, the Metropolitan police announced. A 39-year-old woman arrested in east London on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts was also released on bail until a later date in March. Four others arrested in Birmingham and Manchester on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts remain in custody as part of a sweep of 21 locations. While police believe Khalid Masood, a 52-year-old British man with a history of violent crimes, carried out the attack on Westminster Bridge and outside parliament alone, they are investigating what help he may have received and whether he had any accomplices. Khalid Masood – born Adrian Elms – has been named as the man who killed four people and injured 50 others in an attack on Westminster on Wednesday. Here's everything we know about him. —Matthew Champion Posted at Mar. 24, 2017, at 17:18 PM Muslim leaders in Birmingham are holding emergency meetings across the city There are concerns of a ramped up anti-Muslim backlash that communities may face following the London terror attack. Mahmooda Qureshi from Hope Not Hate, an anti-racism campaign group, told BuzzFeed News a rally was being organised in Birmingham city centre on Saturday, and said: "It's to distance ourselves and that it has got nothing to do with Islam and to state: not in our name." Imams from major Birmingham mosques read sermons addressing the attacks, and called for "unity". At a packed Friday prayers with Muslims from all backgrounds, Sheikh Abdur Raheem McCarthy said in a sermon delivered in English that Muslims were "blessed" in the UK as they have freedom of faith. "We also need to increase our relationship with the local community. And instead of making this divide us, let it bring us closer together and let us stand in solidarity against that which is wrong." After prayers, the imam read out a statement from the Metropolitan police reassuring the communities there would be extra patrols on the streets, and that the attack was by "a terrorist and someone not of the faith". Muhammad Afzal, the chairman of Birmingham Central Mosque, called for calm and said in a statement: "We request all communities for the unity and calm." He added: "We call upon those that may have even a shred of sympathy for the like-minded terrorists to shake their conscience and realise that such acts are the work of evil and not the work of God-fearing people." In the aftermath of Wednesday's attack in London, this photo of a woman walking along Westminster bridge went viral. The woman was accused by people on the far-right of ignoring a victim on the road, and not showing emotion after the attack. Now the woman, who has not been named, has provided a statement defending herself via the charity TellMAMA: What the image does not show is that I had talked to other witnesses to try and find out what was happening, to see if I could be any help, even though enough people were at the scene tending to victims. I then decided to call my family to say that i was fine and was making my way home from work, assisting a lady along the way by helping her get to Waterloo station. My thoughts go out to all the victims and their families. I would like to thank Jamie Lorriman, the photographer who took the picture, for speaking to the media in my defence. —Rachael Krishna Posted at Mar. 24, 2017, at 14:29 PM Met police release image of Masood in appeal for information Met Police In an updated statement, the Met police clarified that Masood had previously gone by both Adrian Elms and Adrian Russell Ajao. "He may also be known by a number of other names," they added. The statement also said the number of arrests had risen to 11. A 32-year-old woman was arrested on Friday at a location in Manchester on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts. Ten people remain in custody. —Rose Troup Buchanan Posted at Mar. 24, 2017, at 13:54 PM Downing Street says Google and Facebook "can and must do more" to fight extremism Alamy Downing Street added to pressure on Google and Facebook on Friday, warning the internet giants that they "can and must do more" to stop hateful and violent material appearing on their platforms. Theresa May's official spokesperson would not comment on whether there was specific evidence that the internet had played a role in the apparent radicalisation of the Westminster attacker, Khalid Masood. As a general point, however, he told reporters that the "fight against terrorism and hate speech has to be a joint one" and that the technology companies weren't, in the government's view, pulling their weight. "Social media companies have a responsibility when it comes to making sure that this material is not disseminated," the Number 10 official said. "And we have been clear repeatedly that we think they can and must do more. And we are always talking with them on how to achieve that." "The message that we've delivered consistently is that we want them to do more and the ball is now in their court," he added. "Let's see how they respond." First images of Masood as a schoolchild emerge Huntleys School Website This photograph, taken when Masood was at school, is believed to have been taken after a four-hour five-a-side tournament for charity. Kenton Till, who was part of the charity team, described him to the BBC as an extremely popular student who was thought of as bright and sporty. "He had a big personality and everyone liked him," Till said. It comes as details about Masood's background slowly begin to emerge. Earlier, acting deputy Met police commissioner Mark Rowley said they believed Masood was born Adrian Russell Ajao. Earlier media reports had identified one of his aliases as Adrian Elms, born in the Dartford district of Kent. It is thought he took his stepfather's name, Ajao, after his mother remarried two years after he was born. It is believed Masood was an English teacher, The Sun also reported. The newspaper also claimed to have seen a recent copy of Masood's CV in which he claims to have an economics degree and describes himself as "friendly and approachable". The BBC found he had recently lived in the West Midlands, but he is also thought to have lived in Crawley, West Sussex, and Rye and Eastbourne, both in East Sussex, as well as Luton and east London. The fourth victim, 75-year-old Leslie Rhodes, was named by the Met police today. Rhodes was a retired window cleaner, who was described by neighbours as a "lovely man," according to the Press Association. The neighbour told the news organisation Rhodes had no children and was not married, and that he "would do anything for anybody". American Kurt Cochran was identified yesterday. He and his wife Melissa Payne Cochran were thought to have been celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary in London. Relatives said she suffered serious injuries in the attack and is still being treated in hospital. Clint Payne, understood to be Kurt's brother-in-law, wrote on Facebook: "Our hearts are broken this day as we say goodbye to our dear brother-in-law Kurt. He passed away from the injuries sustained in the London terrorist attack yesterday. We love him so much and will never forget him." Aysha Frade, 43, was reportedly on her way to pick up her children from school when she was struck by the car that drove into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge. The mother of two taught Spanish at DLD College London. " She was highly regarded and loved by our students and by her colleagues. She will be deeply missed by all of us," a spokesperson for the college told BuzzFeed News. Veteran police officer Keith Palmer was killed. The 48-year-old was married with a five-year-old daughter. In a statement on Thursday, his family said he would be remembered as a "wonderful dad and husband," a loving son, brother, and uncle, and a long-time supporter of Charlton FC. He was a friend to "everyone who knew him" and was brave, dedicated, courageous, and proud to be a police officer, they said. Met police release more information about Westminster attacker Khalid Masood's birth name has been stated as Adrian Russell Ajao, acting deputy police commissioner Mark Rowley has said in a briefing outside New Scotland Yard this morning. "We stated he had a number of aliases, and we do know that his birth name was Adrian Russell," Rowley said. Rowley said there was "no evidence of further threats", but that a "large, fast paced investigation" was examining Masood's actions leading up the attack: "Our determination is to find out if he acted totally alone inspired by terrorist propaganda or if others encouraged or supported him." Rowley said two further arrests were made last night: one in the West Midlands, and one in North West England. One woman has been released on bail. Nine people remain in custody. Five searches on addresses were in progress, with 16 searches on properties around the UK concluded. "We have seized 2,700 items from these searches," he said, including "massive of amounts of computer data for us to search through". Addressing those injured in the attack, Rowley named the fourth victim as Leslie Rhodes, 75, from Streatham, in south London. The number of those hurt in the attack rose. Rowley stated at least 50 people were injured, with 31 people requiring hospital treatment, in the attack. "Those affected include a real cross-section of ages, from at least 12 nationalities," he continued. He said of those in hospital, two remained in "critical condition", with one person considered to have "life-threatening" injuries. Two off-duty officers who were caught up in the assault on Westminster Bridge remain in hospital with serious injuries. Earlier, multiple media reports identified Adrian Elms as one of the alias believed to have been used by Masood. Details around the attacker, named by the Metropolitan police as 52-year-old Khalid Masood, continue to emerge on Friday morning. Masood, who operated under a number of aliases, is believed to have been born as Adrian Elms in Kent, the BBC reported. It is believed that Masood was an English teacher, The Sun also reported. The newspaper also claimed to have seen a recent copy of Masood's CV in which he claims to have an economics degree and describes himself as "friendly and approachable". Most recently he lived in the West Midlands, but he is also thought to have lived in Crawley, West Sussex, and Rye and Eastbourne, both in East Sussex, as well as Luton and east London. Masood had a chequered past, according to his police record. His first conviction was in November 1983, aged 19, when he was convicted for criminal damage. His last conviction was in 2003 when he stabbed a 22-year-old man in a nursing home in Eastbourne. He was charged and convicted of GBH, wounding with intent, and possessing an offensive weapon, and served time in prison. Sadiq Khan, who spoke at the vigil, told BuzzFeed News it was a way of showing "evil and twisted individuals" that they were not going to be successful in their aims. The home secretary Amber Rudd also addressed the crowd to pay tribute to PC Keith Palmer. Houses searched in Brighton and Wales Joe Giddens / PA Wire/PA Images Officers search an address in Birmingham connected to Wednesday's attack. The Metropolitan police have confirmed to BuzzFeed News that as part of today's investigations, houses were also searched in Brighton and Wales. Previously police had only said searches were carried out in London, Birmingham, and "elsewhere". The news was confirmed by the Met after Norfolk police issued a statement on their website announcing the searches had been carried out. The Met said searches were ongoing at an address in Carmarthenshire, three in Birmingham, and one in east London. Searches at addresses in Brighton and southeast London have concluded. New information has also been released about the arrests made since yesterday's attack. Overnight a 39-year-old woman was arrested at an address in east London; a 21-year-old woman and a 23-year-old man were arrested at an address in Birmingham; a 26-year-old woman and three men aged 26, 27, and 28 were arrested at a separate address in Birmingham – all on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts. Police have said they believed the attack's perpetrator, Khalid Masood, had acted alone. A 58-year-old man was also arrested at a separate address in Birmingham this morning, also on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts. Meanwhile the police watchdog the IPCC says it has opened an independent investigation into the fatal police shooting of Masood. "It's important to stress that we are currently investigating the circumstances of the incident and no police officers are under investigation," said IPCC deputy chair Sarah Green. "The IPCC and the Metropolitan Police Service are following agreed working arrangements related to terrorist incidents, which are working well. I recognise that this is a very difficult time for the police service, following the tragic loss of PC Keith Palmer and the injuries to other officers. We are giving this investigation the highest priority and we will conclude it as soon as possible." PM visits victims injured in the Westminster attack The PM quietly visited victims who were injured in the attack along Westminster Bridge on Thursday afternoon. In a private visit to an unnamed hospital, Theresa May spent about 40 minutes speaking to victims of yesterday's attacks and hospital staff. – Rose Buchanan Posted at Mar. 23, 2017, at 16:16 PM Keith Palmer's family: "A wonderful dad and husband" Dominic Lipinski / PA Wire/PA Images In a statement, Palmer's family said the former soldier and policeman of 15 years was "dedicated to his job and proud to be a police officer, brave and courageous". Palmer, 48, who was married and had a 5-year-old daughter, was described as "a wonderful dad and husband". "A loving son, brother and uncle. A longtime supporter of Charlton FC. A friend to everyone who knew him. He will bet deeply missed. We love him so much," his family said. The statement came shortly before a number of Palmer's colleagues were due to lay a wreath outside New Scotland Yard in his memory. Colleague PC James Aitkenhead described him as "a genuinely nice person; nobody had a bad word to say about him. When I heard what had happened I knew it would be him because that's just the sort of guy he was, to step straight in when others might step back. "He had a great work ethic, he worked on our warrants' car for years, getting up at 4am to serve warrants and arresting wanted offenders. He was always so positive, always staying late after everyone else and getting in early." The 52-year-old was born in Kent and detectives believe he was most recently living in the West Midlands. Masood was also known by a number of aliases. In a statement, the Metropolitan Police said "was not the subject of any current investigations and there was no prior intelligence about his intent to mount a terrorist attack". He had a range of previous convictions, although none for terrorism offences, including GBH, possession of offensive weapons, and public order offences. His first conviction was in November 1983 for criminal damage and his last conviction was in December 2003 for possession of a knife. He was investigated "some years ago" as part of a historic investigation into violent extremism but was a peripheral figure. It is assumed by police that he was acting on extreme Islamist ideology. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack on Thursday. Former UKIP leader Nigel Farage has been called on to retract his statement that the Westminster terror attack on Wednesday was linked to uncontrolled immigration – after it emerged that the security services believe the attacker was born in Britain. Speaking on Fox News on Wednesday night after the attack, Farage said recent terrorism was the fault of politicians who advocated mass immigration. "The moment has come for us to point the finger of blame. What these politicians have done in the last 15 years will affect how we live for 100 years," he said. Social media was awash with people who challenged him to retract the statement after the prime minister told the House of Commons on Thursday morning that the attacker was born in Britain and had been investigated at some point by security services. Kurt Cochran, from Utah, was killed in terror attack in Westminster, and his wife Melissa was seriously injured and is in hospital in London. The couple were in London to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. Clint Payne, understood to be Kurt's brother-in-law, wrote on Facebook: "Our hearts are broken this day as we say goodbye to our dear brother-in-law Kurt. He passed away from the injuries sustained in the London terrorist attack yesterday. We love him so much and will never forget him." He said his sister, Melissa sustained a broken leg, broken rib and a cut to her head. "We are grateful that she will recover," he said in the post. "Our hearts ache for her and their children in losing their loving companion and father. Please continue to pray for our family. Thank you." Another relative, Shantell Payne, wrote in a separate Facebook post on Thursday: "This pain is so heart wrenching and raw it has rocked our family and all that knew him to its core. We will miss Kurt beyond words. We love you Kurt. RIP." After seeing a picture of his local liaison officer Søren D. Sozza in news coverage of the attack, Mark Oakley, who owns The Eagle pub in Vauxhall, situated near the attack, was moved to share his gratitude on Facebook. "This image has reinforced my love and respect for the many officers who I have worked with for many years and seeing how close this terror is to where I live and work, and knowing that one of his colleagues was murdered on our streets has deeply saddened me tonight," he wrote. Sozza told BuzzFeed News he was "humbled by Mark's very kind words of appreciation and am encouraged by his defiance to being affected by the incident". World leaders express condolences for London and the British people Vladimir Putin, Russia's leader, released the following statement: "Terrorist attacks are becoming increasingly cunning and cynical. It is obvious that all members of the international community should join forces to stand up against the terrorist threat." Earlier, former US president Barack Obama tweeted his support and his sorrow for those killed. Yesterday, White House press secretary Sean Spicer said US president Donald Trump had spoken to Theresa May, and that the US was continuing to monitor the situation. German chancellor Angela Merkel, before more details about the nature of the attack had been established, said: "Even if the background to these attacks has yet to be cleared up, I would like to emphasise on behalf of Germany and its citizens: We stand resolutely on Britain's side in the fight against any form of terrorism." François Hollande, France's leader, declared France's "solidarity and support" for Britain and the victims of the attack. "Terrorism affects us all," he said. "France, which has been so badly hit in recent times, knows what the British people are suffering today." The Netherlands' leader, Mark Rutte, said: "Horrible images from London. The very heart of the city has been struck. Our thoughts are with the British people." And Belgium's leader, Charles Michel, who only yesterday marked the year anniversary of a terror attack on Brussels, expressed his condolences with London and the British people. "Belgium stands with UK in fight against terror," he said. —Rose Troup Buchanan Posted at Mar. 23, 2017, at 13:20 PM Security services could have dropped monitoring attacker because of resources or the closure of an investigation Stressing they did not know the identity of the attacker, a former British intelligence officer told BuzzFeed News that "peripheral figure" would indicate an individual that MI5 would have looked into, and possibly monitored, for reasons of behaviour, background, or connections. After a period of time, the investigation would have been dropped for a number of reasons, including human rights law that demands surveillance be proportional, resources, or the closure of an investigation, but it is difficult to speculate on these until the identity of the attacker is known. An indiscriminate attack by a British-born terrorist was a strike against "free people everywhere" and injured people from various countries, Theresa May told the House of Commons on Thursday. Updating parliament on the ongoing investigation into Wednesday's attack, the prime minister confirmed that the attacker, whose identity has not been publicly disclosed, was born in the UK and was known to the police and intelligence services. The man had been investigated "some years ago" because of concerns about violent extremism but was considered a "peripheral" figure, May said. "The case is historic – he was not part of the current intelligence picture," May said. May chaired a meeting of the government's emergency committee, Cobra, at 7.30pm on Wednesday night. She will have further briefings and meetings with security officials throughout Thursday. There was no intelligence suggesting another attack was imminent. Echoing defiant comments and tributes to the security authorities made by MPs in the House throughout the morning, the prime minister insisted Britain would not be cowed. "We are not afraid. And our resolve will never waver in the face of terrorism," she said. Scotland's first minister has paid tribute to the "vibrant, diverse, and wonderful" city of London Wpa Pool / Getty Images Nicola Sturgeon has paid tribute to the "vibrant, diverse, and wonderful city" of London during a sombre edition of First Minister's Questions at the Scottish parliament in Edinburgh. The weekly event, where the first minister is usually grilled by the four opposition leaders, was dominated this afternoon by tributes to those who lost their lives or were injured in yesterday's attack at Westminster. "Many of us in this chamber have friends and colleagues, indeed some of us have family members, who work within the Palace of Westminster," said Sturgeon. "Parliamentarians, staff, and journalists. "Yesterday was a harrowing day for all of them and they have our support and good wishes. Above all, we stand in solidarity with London – a vibrant, diverse, wonderful city that will never be cowed by mindless acts of violence." Sturgeon went on to confirm that there was "no intelligence of any increased threat" to Scotland in the wake of yesterday's attack in London, but added that security had been stepped up in "key locations" throughout the country. "Acts of terrorism are not the responsibility of any one faith or section of our society," the first minister continued. "The only people to blame for acts of terrorism are the individuals who plan and perpetrate them." Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson expressed her "deep shock" at the events in London, but went on to warn would-be attackers: "We will not be silenced, and we will not be cowed." Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale described Westminster as a "beacon of democracy", and went on to say that "this cannot and must not turn into a war on any one community". The Scottish parliament was debating a referendum on independence when news of yesterday's attack broke and the session was cancelled. It was confirmed this morning that the debate will continue on Tuesday next week. Following the attack, an image of a London Underground sign began to circulate on Twitter. However, immediately after the sign was shared, it was quickly shown to be fake. The sign appears to have been created using an online generator. On Thursday, MP Simon Hoare raised the sign in the Commons. "My judgment is he or she speaks for the whole country irrespective of faith of creed when they wrote: 'All terrorists are politely reminded that this is London and whatever you do to us we will drink tea and jolly well carry on'," he told the house. May called it a "wonderful tribute", and said it "in a very simple way I think has encapsulated everything everybody in this house has said today". "What happened yesterday was an appalling atrocity," he said. "Today, we are united by our humanity, by our democratic values and by that human impulse for solidarity to stand together in times of darkness and adversity. "I express my condolences to the family and friends of PC Keith Palmer, who gave his life yesterday in defence of the public and our democracy – and to the loved ones of those still in a critical condition including the French schoolchildren visiting our capital from Concarneau in Brittany. ... "I thank all the dedicated NHS staff working to save lives, including those from St Thomas' Hospital who rushed out to help those in need. We are grateful for the public service workers who yesterday, today and every day they pull on their uniforms. "It behoves us all not to rush to judgement, but to wait for the police to establish the facts. We must stay united in our communities and not to allow fear or the voices of hatred to divide or cower us. It is by demonstrating our values of solidarity, community, humanity and love that we will defeat the poison and division of hatred." The Scottish National Party's leader in the House of Commons Angus Robertson echoed May and Corbyn's sentiments, saying: "Today of all days we are reminded that notwithstanding our differences on political and constitutional issues we are as one in our dedication to democracy, the rule of law and harmony between peoples of all faiths and none." Robertson also paid tribute to police,and the bravery of the Conservative minister who went to the aid of the stabbed officer: "'We are all hugely grateful to all the police, security staff and first responders who ran towards danger without concern to their safety, and I include in that our colleague the Right Honourable and gallant member for Bournemouth East Tobias Ellwood." Parliament is to review its security procedures in an emergency meeting later today in the wake of yesterday's terror attack. Lindsay Hoyle, deputy speaker of the House of Commons and chairman of parliament's security committee, told the BBC that he would be hosting a meeting to check if additional measures were required. "We will be having an emergency meeting," he said. "We'll be getting information, what else needs to be put in place, and we will reflect, not instantly, we've got to take on board what's happened and we will make decisions accordingly. Of course, we've got to look after both houses." TV footage on Thursday morning showed new concrete blocks being moved into place around the Palace of Westminster in the wake of the attack. The blocks have already been in place around parts of the parliamentary estate as part of longstanding security measures against vehicle attack. People from 10 different countries caught up in attack, PM says Sky News screengrab Speaking in the Commons, Theresa May revealed some details about those injured in the attack. She said around 40 pedestrians were hurt on Westminster Bridge, including 12 Britons, three French children, two Romanians, four South Koreans, one German, one Pole, one Irish person, one Chinese person, one Italian, one American, and two Greeks. "We are in close contact with the governments of the countries of all those affected," the prime minister said. The French foreign minister, Jean-Marc Ayrault, was in the Commons and Speaker John Bercow paid tribute to him earlier that session, noting his presence was indication of the international support given to the UK in the wake of the attack on parliament. May added that the injured included three police officers who were returning from an event recognising their bravery, two of whom remain in a serious condition. Earlier, the acting Metropolitan police commissioner had said there were 29 people in five hospitals across the country. Seven are in a critical condition. —Matthew Champion Posted at Mar. 23, 2017, at 10:49 AM PM Theresa May says attacker was "British-born" and had been previously investigated by MI5 as a "peripheral" figure Addressing the House of Commons, prime minister Theresa May confirmed that the attacker, who has still not been publicly identified, was known to MI5 and police and had been a "peripheral figure" in a "historic" investigation into violent extremism. "It is still believed that this attacker acted alone and there is no reason to believe there are imminent further attacks on the public," she said. "His identity is known to police and MI5 and when operational considerations allow he will be publicly identified. "What I can confirm is that the man was British-born and that some years ago he was once investigated by MI5 in relation to concerns about violent extremism. He was a peripheral figure. The case is historic. He was not part of the current intelligence picture. There was no prior intelligence of his intent or of the plot. Intensive investigations continue." May also reiterated earlier lines from the police and defence secretary Michael Fallon that the investigation is focusing on the "working assumption" the attacker was "inspired by Islamist ideology". "We know the threat from Islamist terrorism is very real," she said. "But while the public should remain utterly vigilant they should not – and will not – be cowed by this threat. "As acting Deputy Commissioner Rowley has made clear, we are stepping up policing to protect communities across the country and to reassure the public." May praised the security and emergency forces for their swift and calm response to the attack, made more remarkable after they had "lost one of their own". "We will remember the exceptional bravery of our police, security, and emergency services who once again ran towards the danger even as they encouraged others to move the other way," she said. "On behalf of the whole country I want to pay tribute to them for the work they have been doing to reassure the public, treat the injured and bring security back to the streets of our capital city. "That they have lost one of their own in yesterday's attack only makes their calmness and professionalism all the more remarkable." —James Ball and Francis Whittaker Posted at Mar. 23, 2017, at 10:43 AM Prime minister reveals nationalities of those wounded and more details on attacker in speech to House of Commons Westminster Bridge survivor: "The car came out of nowhere" Carl Court / Getty Images BuzzFeed News has spoken to a survivor who was hit by the attacker's car and flung to the ground on Westminster Bridge, and who said he was unable to describe the Wednesday's events because of the horrific aftermath. The survivor, who asked not to be named, was visiting London from Liverpool and sustained cuts and bruises to his legs – he was with friends who were also hit by the car but survived. He has now been discharged from hospital. "There was just lot of yelling and commotion," he said. "Then this car came out of nowhere and knocked me and my mates over. The scenes after that I don't really want to describe. They were pretty horrific." —Pat Smith Posted at Mar. 23, 2017, at 10:23 AM Met police have made another arrest in connection to the attack In total eight people have now been arrested, following raids on six properties across the country. The Met has confirmed that these arrests are connected to the attack on Westminster yesterday afternoon. Posted at Mar. 23, 2017, at 09:47 AM Minute's silence held for those killed in Westminster attack The streets around parliament remained closed on Thursday morning. But inside the building life was already back to a strange sort of normal. Hundreds of MPs, peers, staff, and journalists were allowed through police cordons around Westminster to attend parliament. They turned up early for what has been billed as a normal working day, designed to show that the attack would not disrupt British democracy. Security checks were enforced but were no tougher than usual and inside parliament's canteens hundreds of breakfasts were being served. At 9.33am a minute's silence was held, with a packed House of Commons standing together to remember those who lost their lives on Wednesday. They stood, heads bowed, and observed a minute's silence in honour of the lives lost in the attack less than 24 hours earlier. At 9.35am, the doors were opened and members of the press were admitted to the viewing galleries. Speaker John Bercow called the house to order. Liam Fox, the international trade secretary, rose to take ministerial questions as scheduled. He began with a short, defiant statement, insisting that Britain wouldn't be cowed by terrorists. "Such acts of savagery against the innocent can never be justified," Fox said. But he quickly moved on to business. Bob Blackman, a Conservative MP, rose to ask the first question. On the verge of tears, he paid tribute to the police who put their lives on the line to defend parliament every day. It was short, sombre. Then he asked the minister a question about Israeli pharmaceutical exports. A group of MPs shuffled out of the house. There was work to be done. But, while MPs attempted to get on with their days in a show of defiance, it was impossible to avoid the events. The main route linking the two main parliamentary buildings passes along the edge of New Palace Yard, the cobbled square where police officer Keith Palmer was killed by an attacker. Thousands of staff have no choice but to walk along this route several times a day, making it impossible to avoid the sight of a crime scene investigation. An ambulance remained on the scene, next to a tent covering the site where Palmer fell. At the carriage gates, where the attacker allegedly broke through, around a dozen police officers were conducting a fingertip search of the ground. And beyond that Parliament Square and Whitehall, usually packed with tourists, protesters, and office workers, was silent. Aysha Frade, a 43-year-old teacher and mother of two, was one of those killed in Wednesday's attack on Westminster, her place of work confirmed to BuzzFeed News on Thursday morning. She was reportedly on her way to pick up her children from school when she was struck by the car that drove into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge. Frade taught Spanish at DLD College London, which is just over the river from the houses of parliament. The college confirmed to BuzzFeed News she had died in yesterday's attack. "We are all deeply shocked and saddened at the news that one of the victims yesterday was a member of our staff, Aysha Frade. All our thoughts and our deepest sympathies are with her family. We will be offering every support we can to them as they try to come to terms with their devastating loss," Rachel Borland, principal at DLD College London, told BuzzFeed News. "Aysha worked as a member of our administration team at the college. She was highly regarded and loved by our students and by her colleagues. She will be deeply missed by all of us." According to Spanish newspaper La Voz de Galicia, Frade was originally from Betanzos in Galicia, northern Spain. Met police revise death toll to four, including attacker Four people, including the attacker, died in the attack on Westminster yesterday, the Metropolitan police confirmed to BuzzFeed News this morning following Commissioner Mark Rowley's earlier statement. Previous statements from New Scotland Yard had said that five people – including the attacker –&nbsp;had been killed in the assault outside the British parliament. Defence secretary Michael Fallon says security services' working assumption is that the attack was linked to "Islamic terrorism" Andy Buchanan / AFP / Getty Images Defence secretary Michael Fallon, speaking to the BBC's Today programme, said the "working assumption" was that the attack on Westminster was linked to "Islamic terrorism". Fallon said the Metropolitan police were making "urgent" investigations into the alleged attacker and his known associates – although he declined to state whether there was any indication he acted alone. "The working assumption is that this is related to Islamic terrorism in some form, but they [the police] don't yet have a full enough picture of this man and his known associates. That work is still going on," he said. "This kind of attack, this lone-wolf attack, using things from daily life, a vehicle, a knife, are much more difficult to forestall, and we are also dealing with a terrorist enemy that is not making demands or holding people hostage but simply wants to kill as many people as possible. "This is a new element to international terrorism but our forces are working extremely hard. I have every confidence that they will track down his known associates." The defence secretary declined to comment on any security changes, but confirmed he would chair a review when it came. He praised the efforts of police and security forces in the aftermath of the attack. "Although there is intense security around the Palace of Westminster, London is going to work this morning," Fallon said. "Parliament itself will resume at the normal time." "London is getting back to work. London has seen this before and is taking it on the chin," he said. "I do want to reassure you that the police and the security services are doing everything possible to make sure that people can go about their daily life as safely as possible." The Metropolitan police confirm seven arrests made last night Mark Rowley, the national lead for counterterrorism policing and the acting deputy commissioner, confirmed that seven arrests had been made, following raids on six properties across the country. He confirmed that four people were killed by the attacker, including two members of the public: a woman in her mid-forties and a man in his fifties. Among the dead were a "mix of nationalities", Rowley said, declining to name any of those killed other than 48-year-old police officer Keith Palmer. Rowley said 29 individuals were being treated in five hospitals across London. Seven are in a critical condition. Probed on the identity of the alleged attacker, Rowley declined to comment on the individual's nationality and said he would not be naming the suspect – and urged the media to respect that decision. "It is still our belief that this attacker acted alone, and was inspired by international terrorism," Rowley said. Meanwhile, he said London will see an increased police presence, as at least 60 officers continue working on a "large and complicated crime scene" outside Westminster. "We must not allow terrorism to sow discord and fear in our city," he said. —Rose Buchanan Posted at Mar. 23, 2017, at 07:34 AM Police make ”several" arrests following raid on property in Birmingham, multiple reports state Carl Court / Getty Images The police have made "several" arrests after a raid on a property in Birmingham, the BBC, ITV, and Sky News have reported. The BBC subsequently said it had been told police confirmed the raids were linked to the attack outside Westminster on Wednesday afternoon. Press inquiries to West Midlands police were redirected to the Metropolitan police, who declined to comment on the reports when contacted by BuzzFeed News, citing "operational reasons". Last night, the surrounding area of a property on Hagley Road in southwest Birmingham was closed for roughly two hours. "There is an ongoing police operation, no further details are being given at this stage," West Midlands police told The Guardian. Separately, it was reported the car – described by witnesses as a Hyundai 4x4 – used to plough through pedestrians in the cycle line on Westminster Bridge was believed to have been rented from near the raided property in Solihull. The BBC's security correspondent Frank Gardner told the Today programme that there were "indications" that the car began its journey in Birmingham. Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 22:48 PM Slain officer is identified as death toll rises to 5 people BBC The death toll in Wednesday's Westminster attack rose to five people, including the attacker and a police officer, who was identified as a 15-year veteran. The officer, 48-year-old Keith Palmer, was a member of the parliamentary and diplomatic command, said Mark Rowley, the acting deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan police. Palmer's killer was fatally shot by another police officer. Palmer was a husband and a father, Rowley added. Metro Police Getty Keith Palmer. "He was someone who left for work today expecting to return home at the end of his shift, and he had every right to expect that to happen," Rowley said. Three of the victims were members of the public, but not immediately identified. About 40 other people were injured in the attack, some of them seriously, Rowley said. Three of the injured were police officers, two of whom were in serious condition. The identify of the attacker had not been released, but Rowley said police believe he was inspired by international terrorism. Police are working on taking statements from hundreds of people at the scene, reviewing CCTV footage, and seeking information on the attacker and his associates. "Terrorists have a clear aim: that is to create discord, destruction, and to create fear," he said. "The police stand with all communities in the UK and will take action against anyone who seeks to undermine society, especially where their crimes are motivated by hate." —Claudia Koerner Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 21:27 PM Government officials describe crawling on hands and knees to escape attack Carl Court / Getty Images Grant Shapps was walking through from his office to a vote in the House of Commons, making small talk with a handful of fellow Conservative MPs, when he noticed something was amiss at the gates of parliament. At first he dismissed it as another protest and carried on walking. Moments later, he was crawling on his hands and knees for safety, having just witnessed a terror attack. "I could hear a kerfuffle going on, which is not unusual as there's often protests by the gates," the former minister told BuzzFeed News. "As I'm looking around I hear, 'BAM BAM BAM' – what sounded like four shots to me." "Suddenly, a police officer is standing right where we are, shouting, 'Get down, get down, get back!' We crawled, hands and knees, back to a safety position." The former minister was one of hundreds of MPs, parliamentary staff, and journalists who spent several hours in Westminster Abbey as police gathered statements. They began to trickle out of the cathedral at around 8pm. Prime minister Theresa May says attack targeted freedom and democracy BBC Theresa May on Wednesday night said the attack at Westminster was no accident, but rather a direct attack on British democracy. "The location of this attack was no accident," the prime minister said in a speech outside Number 10. "The terrorists chose to strike at the heart of our capital city where people of all nationalities, religions, and cultures come together to celebrate the values of liberty, democracy, and freedom of speech." The single attacker first drove into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, May said, killing two people and injuring others – including three police officers. He then got out of the vehicle and ran toward parliament with a knife. There, he was confronted by officers. One officer was killed, and the attacker was shot dead by police, May said. The prime minister praised police and emergency responders, and said parliament would return to its business as normal on Thursday, as would other Londoners. "And we will all move forward together," she said, "never giving in to terror and never allowing the voices of hate and evil to drive us." News reports identify wrong man as Westminster attacker A Channel 4 News report misidentified a man associated with a British Muslim terrorist group as the Westminster attacker on its evening broadcast. Abu Izzadeen, also known as Trevor Brooks, was in prison on Wednesday, where he has been since January 2016, sources told BuzzFeed News. Channel 4 News originally identified him as the attacker, who was killed outside British Parliament by police. The attacker's name has not been released. The mistaken report was repeated at the top of the Channel 4+1 news, which began to rebroadcast the earlier report. The channel then went dark as "conflicting information came to light," a Channel 4 News statement said. The first doctor to attend to those injured in the Westminster attack was not on duty at the time, but rushed to the scene when he heard screaming. Dr Jeeves Wijesuriya, a junior doctor from London who specialises in general practice, told BuzzFeed News he had been attending an interview nearby when the incident happened. "I heard the screaming so ran to help and the police ran me in," he told us. Wijesuriya treated two people, one of whom had been stabbed and another who had been shot. He said he believed one of the patients was the attacker. —Laura Silver Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 19:30 PM Politicians and staff locked inside buildings in Westminster Niklas Halle'n / AFP / Getty Images Hundreds of politicians and their staff are still locked in Westminster Abbey, while police attempt to collect eyewitness testimony and evidence on this afternoon's attack. As the first reports of the attack filtered through, many in parliament seemed unsure how to react with some cafes staying open in Portcullis House. It took several minutes before security staff swept in and cleared the area. Parliamentary staff told BuzzFeed News they were told to stay in their offices for around 90 minutes after the incident, while police swept the premises and checked they were secure. People still on the premises were then led into the ancient Westminster Hall at around 4.30pm – around 90 minutes after the attack. For some staff this involved walking past the scene of the attack on a police officer. Many were then led out through the St Stephen's Entrance into Westminster Abbey, where "up to 1,000 people" remain, according to one individual, who said others had been left in Westminster Hall. Police are currently preparing to sort individuals according to how useful they are and then collect information which could help their investigation, including any photographs or eyewitness testimony of an attack that could be clearly seen from many parliamentary offices. —Jim Waterson Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 19:08 PM Home secretary praises bravery of emergency services Daniel Sorabji / AFP / Getty Images Forensics officers at work at the scene. Home secretary Amber Rudd has released the following statement on the attack: "We do not yet know the full impact of this terrible incident. But I know that the whole country will be thinking and praying for those who are affected, as I am. "I want to thank the emergency services for the quick response and pay tribute to their bravery, their courage and their professionalism. "I have been briefed by the Met Police and by the security services and the Security Minister has also been updated. This is an ongoing incident and the Government will continue to be updated. The Prime Minister will chair Cobra today. "The Government's top priority is the security of its people and I urge everyone to remain calm but to be vigilant and if they see anything they are concerned about they should report it to the police. "We have the best police, the best security services in the world and we must make sure that we let them get on with doing their job. "The British people will be united in working together to defeat those who would harm our shared values. "Values of democracy, tolerance and the rule of law. Values symbolised by the Houses of Parliament. Values that will never be destroyed." Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 19:03 PM Hospital releases latest update condition of those injured in attack King's College Hospital assistant medical director Dr Chris Palin has told the BBC eight patients from the attack are being treated at the Denmark Hill hospital. "At 3.52pm we went into a major incident. We have received a total of eight patients," Palin said. "Two of those are critically injured, six are stable. Six males and two females. Care is still ongoing. All eight remain in the hospital." Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 18:58 PM Trump offers condolences to Theresa May during call about Westminster attack US president Donald Trump called the UK prime minister to offer support Wednesday afternoon. A readout of the call provided by the White House said: "President Donald J. Trump spoke today with Prime Minister Theresa May of the United Kingdom to offer his condolences on today's terror attack in London and his praise for the effective response of security forces and first responders. "He pledged the full cooperation and support of the United States Government in responding to the attack and bringing those responsible to justice." White House press secretary Sean Spicer also spoke about the attack during his daily briefing. "We obviously condemn today's attack in Westminster, which the United Kingdom is treating as an act of terrorism, and we applaud the quick response that the British police and their first responders made to the situation," he said. "The victims in this are in our thoughts and our prayers. "The city of London and Her Majesty's government have the full support of the US government in responding to the attack and bringing those to justice who are responsible." Both the House of Commons and the House of Lords will sit tomorrow at their normal times. —Alicia Melville-Smith Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 18:34 PM Witnesses on London Eye describe being kept in the air for hours Niklas Halle'n / AFP / Getty Images People are seen inside the pods of the London Eye during the incident Tourists on the London Eye, the landmark ferris wheel not far from parliament on the other side of the Thames, have described how they were kept in their capsules for three hours as the attack unfolded. Jim Hutchinson, from Boston, Massachusetts, and his family were in the last capsule to be boarded before it came to a halt. "The first thing we noticed was the flashing lights of medics attending to the injured people on the bridge, and then the helicopters," he told BuzzFeed News. "There were three separate groups of injured people on the bridge, at each end and in the middle. It took half an hour before anyone was moved." He said that no one in the capsule felt worried for their own safety, although one tourist who could not speak English repeatedly pressed the alarm button to find out why they had stopped. Hutchinson confirmed that police had spoken to everyone on the Eye after they had been allowed off. Matthew Champion / BuzzFeed News Jim Hutchinson Kody and Taylor Davis, from Utah, told BuzzFeed News they were at the top of the London Eye when it came to a stop. Kody said there was initially no phone service in the capsule and it wasn't until news alerts came on their phones they realised what was going on. "We eventually managed to call our families and they told us what had happened." Taylor said they first had an idea something was wrong when they saw "a big commotion and lots of stretchers". Kody and Taylor are due to fly back to the US on Saturday. They were stuck on the London Eye for three hours in total. "The attack started when a car was driven over Westminster Bridge hitting and injuring a number of members of the public, including three police officers on their way back from a commendation ceremony," Rowley said. He added that police "we're satisfied at this stage that there looks to be only one attacker but it would be foolish to be over-confident so early on." Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 17:48 PM Photograph appears to show knives at scene of parliament attack This photograph taken from inside the Palace of Westminster by PA's Stefan Rousseau shows an armed officer standing on what appears to be a knife. Stefan Rousseau / PA Another image appears to show a second knife. Stefan Rousseau / PA Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 17:36 PM France's prime minister says French students were among those injured in attack Bernard Cazeneuve has confirmed that French students were among those injured in the attack. The number of those injured has not been confirmed. "Solidarity with our British friends, terribly stricken, full support to the injured French students, their families, and their comrades," he tweeted. —Sara Spary Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 17:30 PM Eyewitness describes hearing gunshots and seeing bodies on the ground at Westminster Matt Haikin was cycling across Westminster Bridge when he saw what he thought was a car crash. "I saw a body, a man I think, lying in the road and a crashed car. I presumed it was an accident and carried on cycling into Parliament Square. "I didn't think anything else was going on until I saw lots of people gathered near the iron fences, and I went over. That's when I heard the gunshots." Haikin, 44, from London, who works in international development, said lots of armed police were on the scene immediately, and he and others were pushed back by the cordon. "It took a while for what had happened to sink in," he said. "It wasn't scary while it happened, but now after the event, I'm shaken." Matthew Champion / BuzzFeed News Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 17:25 PM Met police say counterterrorism investigation is underway Jack Taylor / Getty Images Commander B.J. Harrington Scotland Yard's Commander B.J. Harrington said the Metropolitan police are remaining open-minded as to the motive at this stage, but that a full counterterrorism investigation is already underway. He urged members of the public to remain vigilant and report anything suspicious to the police. "We received a number of different reports, which included a person in a river, a car in collision with pedestrians, and a man armed with a knife," he said. "Officers were already in that location as part of routine policing. Immediately additional officers were sent to the scene, as were firearms officers." Harrington confirmed that there were a number of casualties, including police officers, but would not confirm how many or the nature of these injuries. "Our response will be ongoing for some time and it is important that we gather all possible information and evidence," he said. "Public safety is our top priority and we are reviewing our policing stance across London, and throughout the course of this afternoon there will be additional police and officers deployed across the capital." The Met police have asked members of the public to avoid the following areas to allow emergency services to deal with the investigation: Parliament Square, Whitehall, Westminster Bridge, Lambeth Bridge, Victoria Street up to the junction with Broadway, and the Victoria Embankment up to Embankment tube. The prime minister will chair a meeting of the government's emergency Cobra committee later today, a spokeswoman in Downing Street said. Government ministers, senior staff, emergency services, and intelligence services will convene to discuss the attacks. Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 17:12 PM Woman pulled from River Thames with serious injuries Daniel Leal-olivas / AFP / Getty Images A woman was pulled alive but seriously injured from the River Thames near Westminster Bridge in the wake of the incident. She is now being dealt with by the emergency services. The Port of London Authority confirmed to BuzzFeed News that just one person was pulled from the water and that the river has now been closed between Vauxhall and Embankment. Earlier, an eyewitness speaking to Sky News said they saw someone fall into the water. He said: "I was walking across Westminster Bridge and a bus stopped right in front of me and everybody started screaming. And I saw a trainer [shoe] in the road, and I thought somebody must have been hit by a car, and then I saw a body on the other side of the road, and then there was another body further up, and then when I looked over the side of the bridge there was another body in the river. "I didn't see anything. The first I was aware of it was when people started to scream and people got off the bus looking very shocked. Then there was a lot of confusion and people started dealing with the casualties. I was just trying to wave people back who were coming onto the bridge. "They were lying face down in the water." The BBC later published camera footage of someone falling into the river as a speeding vehicle plows through: The London Ambulance Service Deputy Director of Operations Pauline Cranmer confirmed 10 people were treated by emergency services. "We can confirm we have treated at least 10 patients on Westminster Bridge and have put a number of hospitals on alert as we continue to respond to this incident," he said in a statement. "We were called at 2.40pm today, with the first ambulance crew arriving within six minutes. "We have sent a number of resources to the scene including ambulance crews, London's Air Ambulance and our Hazardous Area Response Team. "We are working closely with other members of the emergency services at the scene, with our priority being to ensure patients receive the medical help they need as quickly as possible. "We have declared a major incident and our priority is to assess patients and ensure that they are treated and taken to hospital as soon as possible. "As we are very busy dealing with this incident, we would ask the public to only call us in a genuine emergency." —James Ball Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 16:42 PM At least one dead and multiple casualties reported One woman has died, according to an anonymous medical source being quoted by multiple media outlets. There are also unconfirmed reports that several people have "catastrophic injuries". There have been separate and unconfirmed reports of up to three "bodies" on the bridge, including one "face down in the water" that have not been confirmed by police. Eyewitnesses, as well as social media accounts, appear to indicate a number of people were seriously hurt on Westminster Bridge. Earlier, a Reuters photographer, Toby Melville, published pictures of four individuals with injuries on the bridge. —Rose Buchanan and Sara Spary Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 16:35 PM London mayor confirms incidents are being treated as terrorism Stefan Rousseau / PA Wire The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said that the incident is being treated as a terrorist attack until the police know otherwise. "I have spoken to the Acting Commissioner. The Metropolitan Police Service is dealing with the incident and an urgent investigation is underway. My thoughts are with those affected and their families," he said "I would like to express my thanks to the police and emergency services who work so hard to keep us safe and show tremendous bravery in exceptionally difficult circumstances," he added. Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 16:31 PM Photo shows police officer pointing gun at suspect on the ground This afternoon's Scottish parliament debate has been suspended in light of the incident in Westminster, but the Holyrood parliament has been strongly criticised for how long it took to make the decision. Holyrood's MSPs were debating a second referendum on independence for over an hour after initial reports of the incident, and first minister Nicola Sturgeon left the chamber just before 3pm. Inside the chamber, outrage grew that the debate was continuing, with Conservative MSP Murdo Fraser requesting that business was suspended but the deputy presiding officer replying that it would be "business as usual". Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson and Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale urged the presiding officer to suspend business for the day, and half a dozen MSPs left the chamber in protest. However, just before 4pm, presiding officer Ken Macintosh decided to suspend the sitting out of respect for "our sister parliament" and added there will be time to resume the debate in future. Davidson tweeted: "Very pleased that sense has won the day & Holyrood has been suspended until we have a better understanding of what is going on in WM." Sturgeon added: "My thoughts are with everyone in and around Westminster caught up in this dreadful incident – and with the brave emergency services." —Jamie Ross Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 16:02 PM Some MPs and peers have been evacuated from parliament Many politicians inside parliament have been evacuated by armed police, while some other areas remain in lockdown. MP Anna Soubry tweeted that her colleagues were being "taken out of the library at gun point" by counterterrorist police. In a statement, the Metropolitan police said: "Police are asking people to avoid the following areas: Parliament Square; Whitehall; Westminster Bridge; Lambeth Bridge; Victoria Street up to the junction with Broadway and the Victoria Embankment up to Embankment tube. "This is to allow the emergency services to deal with the ongoing incident. Police were called at approximately 14:40 hours to reports of an incident in Westminster Bridge, SW1. It is being treated as a firearms incident. "Officers – including firearms officers – remain on the scene and we are treating this as a terrorist incident until we know otherwise." A police officer was stabbed at Westminster and the attacker was shot by armed police, the leader of the House of Commons said The leader of the House of Commons, David Lidington, has just spoken in parliament and said a police officer was stabbed. He said: "First of all, colleagues will have appreciated that events have been moving rapidly and I want to emphasise that the knowledge that I have .... is so far very limited. What I am able to say to the house is that there has been a serious incident within the estate. "It seems that a police officer has been stabbed, that the alleged assailant was shot by armed police, an air ambulance is currently attending the scene to remove the casualties. There are also reports of further violent incidents in the vicinity of the palace of Westminster but I hope colleagues on all sides will appreciate that it would be wrong of me here to go into further details until we have confirmation from the police and from the house security authorities about what is going on. "I shall endeavour to do the very best I can, both at the despatch box and by communicating with my opposite numbers in other political parties to ensure that members are kept aware of what is happening, but at the moment, the very clear advice from the police and the director of security in the house is that we should remain under suspension and that the chamber should remain in lockdown until we receive advice that it is safe to go back to normal procedures." —Marie Le Conte Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 15:10 PM This is the scene outside parliament shortly after the incident Phil Han / BuzzFeed News Parliament Square is being closed and cleared, with an emergency helicopter parked in the middle of the area. Emergency services are attempting to revive one individual lying down on the pavement on Parliament Street, some way away from the entrance to the building. Approximately a dozen armed police ran into the building shortly after 3pm. —Jim Waterson Posted at Mar. 22, 2017, at 15:03 PM Picture agency images published shortly after the incident showed a heavy armed police presence outside the Palace of Westminster.
"The first public awareness of the nexus between Mossad and Mormon secret agents was published by Norman Mailer in A Harlot High and Low in the 60's.." According to an article at Scoop (Bush And The Mormons), Mormons have had 'a disproportionate representation in the CIA and FBI through the years, and J. Edgar Hoover started the FBI with Mormon agents'. 50 comments: The (perhaps Jewish) King Abdullah II of Jordan to be soon a key figurehead on the world stage ... 'leading the Muslim world away from terrorism'? Five major Muslim national leaders said to be Jewish: (1) President Al-Sisi (El-Sissi etc) of Egypt, has a Moroccan Jewish mother connected to the founders of the regime in Israel -http://www.veteranstoday.com/2013/09/16/al-sisi-jew/ (2) The Saud monarchs ruling Arabia are said to be Jewish in origin, & their Wahhab religious cult is also said to be founded by a Jewish familyhttp://aanirfan.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/moslems.html (3) Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan & his wife, are said to be crypto-Jews, as is also said of the Turkish Republic's founder, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, in Turkey's long tradition of 'Donmeh' Jews associated with 17th century Turkish Jewish 'violate all laws' false messiah Shabtai Tzvi (Sabbatai Zevi etc)http://aanirfan.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/turks-elect-jewish-president.html (5) King Abdullah II of Jordan, is said to be Jewish, with his mother Princess Muna al-Hussein, born Antoinette 'Toni' Avril Gardiner, said to be an 'aristocratic British Jew', her great-grandmother being 'Ruth Green' & a grand-mother being a 'Tovell', names which can be Jewish King Abdullah II via his father is a Hashemite, a clan said to be descendants of Islam's Prophet Mohammed, with his British(-Jewish?) mother said to be giving King Abdullah the heritage of the British & Roman Empires as well The (Jewish?) Sauds are Custodians of the top 2 Muslim holy places, Makkah including the Ka'aba, & Medinah, whilst (Jewish?) King Abdullah II is the Custodian of Islam's 3rd holiest site, the Al-Aqsa Mosque - Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem ... So all three of Islam's holiest places are maybe in the custody of Jews? King Abdullah's Hashemite ancestors ruled over the Muslim holy areas of Mecca & Medina over many hundreds of years & through the Ottoman period ... King Abdullah II & his Hashemites may soon become rulers of that part of Arabia once again if the West decides to depose & remove the Sauds King Abdullah II, with his suave 'moderate' image much-promoted by Western media, & his combining Muslim & British 'royal' heritages, is said thus to be a possible new grand caliph of the Muslim world; a figurehead for the New World Order, that may have a new headquarters declared in Jerusalem ... or also in events involving a possible coming of true or false messiahs, Mahdi, anti-Christ etc An estimated 30 percent of ISIS members are of Jordanian nationality ... King Abdullah II oversees semi-secret regular military manoeuvres in Jordon by the Gulf States & the Western powers, exactly in the area where ISIS - Daesh can be covertly supplied thru Jordan Yeah, I read all of that at HenryMakow.com the other day. I like Henry, he understands that Putin is an NWO stooge and his fake fight with the west is a total scam. That sort of thinking will get a person censored on a surprising number of sites. " Putin is an NWO stooge and his fake fight with the west " :of course he is :if he wouldn't be , he wouldn't be THERE in russian govt, on a first position.There's a LOT of watering down and disinfo among konspiracy truthers, purposedly ( For the sheeples who believe to be better more aware sheeples, believing in fairy tales like fulton, white brotherhood scams etc. ) Deeper through the rabbit hole !Myself, feel deeply that is better to practise spiritual life and meditation ( best is Vedic ) than indulge in non ending analysys and speculations on the topic what happened in London, 9/11 etc. Read bedlam burning blogger recently, sane view. NO HOAX, REAL people were hurt and died. But , most like body double was used as attacker. MK and this dark stuff. You need to look into some of the crisis actors that where used.Masonic.This lad, Owen Lambert is a political student (as where all his friends). His dad is the Masonic editor of the local newspaper, The Visitor (which took an interest but refused to run my child abuse story)...'causalities taken to a nearby hotel' Why would they take some of the injured past the ambulances and into the Marriott Hotelhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5QWDidkH7MThe one on a stretcher looks like the (terrorist)(Marriott hotels are really unlucky being involved in lots of terrorist incidences)Also so many people that have lost there shoes.Looking at the very poor video of the car passing the busses. The Busses come to a stop quite quickly. It does not look like they travel a busses length before stopping after the car passes in front of each of them. bridge warning sign would stop car driving down bridge.injured before and after sign. The car would have to swerve into and off buss lane. Also most if not all the busses would have cameras. For insurance and safety It's not terrible! Certainly gave me a laugh. I think you are right, they aren't trying very hard. Seems the message could be "we are going to construct your reality and we don't give a stuff if you know it." There’s already enough information here to debunk the official story on the Westminster terrorist attack, in the following thread some more: http://letsrollforums.com//brussels-sprouts-one-year-t32227.html 1) The ridiculous picture of Aysha Frade under a red bus.2) A second picture of the attacker on a stretcher, with a photoshopped face.3) A second (better) picture of the face of Khalid Masood.4) The crash scene of the Hyundai car leaving no damage to the fence (why would the attacker crash?). And a victim in front below the car.5) Doctors on the scene financed with millions from the London Freemasons. The identity of Ms Cristea is in doubt. Look at the photo of her with her alleged boyfriend where she's doing the V sign. She has a very pronounced notch in her chin. Look at the photo of her with red hair and huge red lips and the chin is smooth. Look at the photo where she has her back to the swimming pool looking out on a night time city scape. That girl has a totally different build and arm thickness compared to the super-model-like girl coming out of the sea. Try to find online coverage of the two Romanians in Romanian websites and you will be out of luck. The dearth of stories is a giveaway. There are so many Andreea Cristeas and they all look like super models and are very similar. The main Romanian "Andreea Cristea" visible on Facebook is like a Bond Girl with a lavish lifestyle and she works for and is the owner of Medical PR. She has left clues to the attack - by way of a Tissot watch with the time the "Hero" (indicated by a tiny wristband and a badge saying Hero) did his stuff outside Westminster is timed at 2:52pm - 12 minutes after the attack went down. You cannot find the two Romanians in Facebook that appear in the Sun article. ~ TM "Three boys from St Joseph’s school in Brittany, in London on a visit, were seriously injured when the British Muslim convert Khalid Masood ploughed into a crowd last Wednesday. A former pupil from the same school was murdered during the Bataclan attack in Paris." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfuXc36kMsIPhotographs from the event provided by two photographers with top connections.https://widerimage.reuters.com/photographer/toby-melvillehttp://stefanrousseau.com/about-contact Took them a while to come up with this ......http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4371770/Vile-video-shows-knife-expert-penetrating-stab-vest.html Many people (not least on here) questioned how the police officer was stabbed to death in seconds even though all police wear stab vests, so here's the Daily Mail and their attempt at damage limitation for the sheeple I’ve been investigating this false flag attack since March 23; my research is finished: http://letsrollforums.com//brussels-sprouts-one-year-t32227p5.html First I will introduce “independent” star witness Graham Neale: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39VJfKdhSR8 Since August 2016 Graham Neale is copywriter and editor for Aflatoun International; an international NGO affiliated with the United Nations that specialises in teaching children and young people about their responsibilities (to become a good slave?) and “limited” resources (the problem of overpopulation...): https://himself.wordpress.com/2014/06/18/progressivism-re-education-via-video-game-for-teens-aflateen-digital-demonics-aflatoun/ Aflatoun was launched in 2005 by Princess (now Queen) Maxima of the Netherlands.Aflatoun is even promoted by the Brookings Institute: https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/FINAL-Aflatoun-Case-Study.pdf From 2012 – 2015 Neale was chairman for the Green Liberal Democrats, lobbying for a sustainable policy framework (the problem of overpopulation...): https://www.linkedin.com/in/grahamnealepublic/Since April 2016 Graham Neale is producer for the Italian state network RAI Uno housed in the Millbank towerThe Millbank tower is interesting because from here the video of the see-through Hyundai car racing over Westminster Bridge was shot. The Reuben brothers (David and Simon), who own the Millbank tower, have financed a campaign of Boris Johnson (who was in the infamous Bullingdon club with Nat Rothschild and David Cameron).The Millbank tower is also home to the Henry Jackson Society (a think tank), whose members include MP’s, former heads of British intelligence agencies, CFR, Homeland security, Israel, NATO, and former CIA-director James Woolsey. The Henry Jackson Society is one of those organisations that push for a strong military to fight the “War on terror”.Dr. Alan Mendoza, founder and executive director of the Henry Jackson Society, quickly proclaimed that the Westminster attack follows “the modus operandi of ISIS-related attacks”.The terrorist was part of a “vast network” of British-based Islamists.According to “research” by the Henry Jackson Society “anywhere between 2,000 and 3,000 people” are so “dangerous” that they require “active surveillance”: http://www.breitbart.com/london/2017/03/23/mendoza-westminster-attacks-modus-operandi-islamic-state-related-attacks/ There are even connections with the “hero MP” Tobias Ellwood, who was appointed to the Queen’s Privy Council for his heroic efforts to save “hero” cop Keith Palmer.In 2010, Ellwood was involved in a discussion with the Henry Jackson Society about terrorism: http://henryjacksonsociety.org/2010/07/22/the-dynamics-of-terrorism-in-the-afpak-conflict/Ellwood is also listed as co-writer for a paper for the Henry Jackson Society in 2013: http://henryjacksonsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Blue-light-Report_LR.pdf Just 4 weeks before the Westminster “terror attack” (on 21 February 2017), Robert Kagan of the Brookings Institute was invited by the Henry Jackson Society to come over from the USA to discuss urgent matters.They claim it was about Donald Trump’s influence on the “international world order”: http://henryjacksonsociety.org/2017/02/21/event-summary-the-trump-administration-and-international-relations/ So there you have it, my conclusion is that 29 days before 22 March, the final details for this false flag attack were figured out by the Brookings Institute and the Henry Jackson Society.The trail of Aflatoun International leads directly to the Dutch Royal crime family.And “independent” star witness Radoslaw Sikorksi was present at the 2016 Bilderberg meeting... The old name for the Tower card was "Le maison Dieu" or the House of God. The image is of a tower being hit by lightning and two figures are shown falling. Tarot cards can be interpreted positively or hegatively depending on the cards around them or if they are the right way up or inverted. Some say the tower is the Tower of Bavel (Babylon) which is traditionally considered to have been destroyed by God for daring to aspire to the heights of heaven. So the lesson is that going against the will of God/Goddess/Nature/Tao brings destruction whether due to hubris or stupidity. That's the positive meaning. The negative reading would suggest the person is ignoring this message and continuing to believe themself as superhuman. Some say the figures are male and female and the male falls while the female glides. This represents the contrasting natures of ego/will and subconscious/acceptance for male and female respectively, and suggests it is better to go with the Tao/flow rather than try to resist or fight the inevitable. In the Golden Dawn deck there is an illustration of the Qliphoth to the left of the tower and the Tree of Life on the right. In the Book of Thoth the All-Seeing Eye features at the top of the card and a fire-breathing serpent appears at the bottom. The card is ruled by Scorpio with loys of reds, oranges and flame yellows. The Tower is Atu or Trump no. 16. For synchronicity with topic of this article ( and as I've just finished reading the book and am tarot reader) see book below. WARNING - not for the easily upset, there are some really gruesome passages. There seems to be a lot of creepy occult imagery concealed in much of Anglo-zionist media and entertainment industry.I Used to think this was all so much tin-foil hat stuff in my less enlightened days but now i keep an open mind. The burning tower or tower struck by lightning is an important card of the Tarot deck a form of divination replete with Kabbalistic symbolism. Amongst other things it foretells Physical disaster, upheaval, revolutionary change. On some decks it is surmounted by a falling crown symbolising among other things the fall of kings, materialistic thought etc. On the Rider-Waite deck small flames representing the Hebrew letter Yod are depicted. Yod represents the divine spark or potential God within man which the Kabbalists hope to liberate ( Ye Shall be as Gods ). Interesting to see the numerous references to Crowns, Reigns, triangles, eyes, Red bracelets in the current r&b, Rap, Hip-Hop " culture" Could they be trying to tell us that the work is near completion? NWO, New Age, Fabian Utopia, Open Conspiracy Jewish Messianic Age. Whatever the moniker it smells evil and you can be sure there is Money behind it and its been a long time in the making. On the other hand perhaps its all just one big CIA PsyOp. Just a thought regarding the Magician card depicted on The Economist cover. In this depiction there is a factory and conveyer belt on the magician's table. This is churning out housing units. Could there be a connection with the Grenfell Fire and the very rapid condemnation of a large number of High rises in London?( normally reports would have been commissioned over months) Could it be " foretelling " a strategy of mass construction to boost a flagging economy whilst simultaneously re- structuring the social composition of Electoral Wards? Any Thoughts? The Magician manipulates all four tarot suit symbols and adopts a Baphomet pose with one hand pointing up and the other pointing down - as above so below - signifying connecting the spiritual with the material. Or this could be understood as the process of making ideas manifest, so your explanation makes a lot of sense. This whole scam would constitute a typical magician's trick - everyone watches the fire while the real action is elsewhere. Listening to the " Ministry Of Truth " on the radio today they were saying samples from 75 high rises have been sent to the Building Standards laboratory for analysis. This suggests pre-planning to me akin to the " Je Suis Charlie " placards i.e too quickly on the heels of the actual event. Perhaps this housing will be used to house the new commonwealth Gastarbeiter needed post Brexit. Poor souls they aren't to blame they just want a living wage. It seems to me our Government however are intent on destroying what is left of British culture outside of obesity, illiteracy, tattoos and the conspicuous consumption of crap in pursuit of some vision of Britain a la Rhodes-Milner. Wish I had emigrated in my Youth. Anonymous @ 04:47, interesting point regarding Baphomet. During Trump's Inaugoral swearing-in ceremony, I noticed for the first time how the left hand on the Bible and right hand raised is precisely the Baphomet gesture (as above ,so below). And of course it is the same gesture used to swear an oath in court.I never saw it before even though it was in plain sight! For those interested in Baphomet symbolism I would suggest taking a look at the highly engaging and entertaining "In Search of Black Assassins" blog. While I don't always agree with everything on this site, I've spent many hours lost in the rich mix of occult exposes of celebrities and people of power. This site is funny and scary in equal measure and well worth visiting. Strange how so many Mormons crop up as victims in the "attacks". Mormons are of course Zionists who apparently used to believe Black skin was the " Mark Of Cain ", but no longer do. Absolutely remarkable coincidence that a terror drill involving a body being thrown into the Thames is replicated in real life several days later (Ms Cristea). Also remarkable that two unarmed Tory MPs Tobias Elwood and Ben Wallace, both with high level military connections emerge to grapple with crazed " Muslim covert". Probably just coincidence. I used to live adjacent to the regional office of the Church of Latter Day Saints and their young missionaries would often call at our house. They were mostly intelligent well-spoken young people but a few seemed pretty vacant and (looking back with more knowledge) possible mind kontrol candidates. So in response to the interesting comment above, I agree, it probably was more than a coincidence, which of course is what you ironically suggest. This article is about false flags. Can I ask the community what ppl think about the Internet show, False Flag Weekly News? The show goes out weekly on No LIes Radio and is hosted by Prof Anthony Hall of Lethbridge Uni, Canada and editor of the International Herald Tribune, and Dr Kevin Barrett, senior editor at Veterans Today and author of various books and articles about 9/11, Charlie Hebdo and other "truther" works. I've been watching for a while now and several things are making me feel uneasy. I'll give three example; Their admiration for the Islamic Republic of Iran for a start. The men are regualrly on PressTV and attend lots of conferences in Iran This site and others have provided plenty of evidence that the Iranian leadership have very suspicious connections to western powers and Israel. Yet the guys never mention that. As far as I know from talking to Iranians, the religious goons killed all the real student revolutionaries and subverted the revolution against the Shah. On Friday they claimed that Qatar supports "democratic Islamic government". Yet according to wikipedia, "Qatar is a hereditary monarchy and its head of state is Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qatar They claim they are being attacked by B'nai B'rith, and seem to expose ZioNazi bad deeds, yet something doesn't feel right to me. No mention of historical links to SAS, MI5/6, Special Branch or police. Yet includes this claim, "... al-Muhajiroun was allowed to recruit in towns across the UK for years, largely unfettered by the state ..."
“We think we know who the attacker is,” Acting Deputy Commissioner & national lead for Counter Terrorism Policing Mark Rowley said but stated that they were not willing to divulge the assailant’s name at this time, though they did admit that it “Islamic terrorism is our assumption.” A/Dep Cmsr Rowley: "At this stage - but it may change - we believe approx 40 people were injured including three police officers." London Ambulance Service says it has treated at least 10 patients on Westminster Bridge. An eyewitness has told Sky News he saw a body "face down" in the Thames. Witnesses said people either jumped or were knocked over the side of the bridge as the car mounted the pavement and struck a number of pedestrians. A spokesman for the Port of London Authority, which looks after safety on the river, said a female member of the public had been recovered from the water near Westminster bridge after she "fell" or "jumped" in. "A female member of the public was recovered alive from the water, but with serious injuries. She has been brought ashore and is undergoing urgent medical treatment. The working assumption is that she fell or jumped from the bridge." “I came out of Westminster Tube at about 2:45pm when police were locking down the tube, ushering people out away from Parliament. I was ushered onto Westminster Bridge, and then I looked across the bridge, onto the west pavement,” he recalled. “For the whole length of the bridge, from south to north, there were people lying on the ground and I was then told that a car had driven from the south end all the way up the pavement to the north end of the bridge. I counted at least eight people clearly injured on the ground.” Incident in #Westminster: We are treating this as a terrorist incident until we know otherwise Another witness described seeing a middle-aged man carrying a knife running towards the Palace of Westminster. Kamal Alam, a Syrian military analyst whose office isn’t far from where the attack took place, also spoke with RT. “I thought it’s just some kind of school drill, but within a few seconds heard what sounded like gunshots and a lot of screaming, and all of a sudden there [were] dozens of armed policemen telling everyone to run away from Parliament Square and Westminster Tube Station,” he said. Jayne Wilkinson told Sky News: "We were taking photos of Big Ben and we saw all the people running towards us, and then there was an Asian guy in about his 40s carrying a knife about seven or eight inches long. "And then there were three shots fired, and then we crossed the road and looked over. The man was on the floor with blood. "He had a lightweight jacket on, dark trousers and a shirt. "He was running through those gates, towards parliament, and the police were chasing him." Impossible to be sure from here, but judging by the lack of resuscitation efforts it doesn't look good for either police officer or attacker According to Doug Weeks, terrorism expert at London Metropolitan University, the attack, while softened by the high security presence in the area, could have been far bloodier. “Well certainly within the Parliament compound itself, that is by far one of the most secure areas within London. There are numerous police officers and other security personnel that work in that area as well as around that area, thus it’s not surprising that the police have a very rapid response to this incident,” Weeks told RT. Following the attack, Number 10 said Prime Minister Theresa May was safe. The spokesman declined to say where May was when the attack took place. It is understood, however, she was rushed to a car 40 yards from the gates outside parliament where the shots were fired minutes after the attack. She was ushered by at least eight armed undercover police, some with their firearms drawn. The leader of the House of Commons David Lidington said the alleged assailant was shot by armed police "inside the parliament perimeter." Terror attack outside U.K. Parliament. 2 men down on road. Man with knife/machete got into Parliament and stabbed policeman. He's been shot pic.twitter.com/aYNktTiF4d The London Eye was stopped and temporarily held all its "guests" within the attraction. An air ambulance landed in Parliament Square shortly after the incident. London Ambulance Service deputy director of operations Pauline Cranmer said it has "declared a major incident and our priority is to assess patients and ensure that they are treated and taken to hospital as soon as possible." The US State Department said it was closely following the "concerning situation" in the UK. "The Department of Homeland Security stands in solidarity alongside our friends in the United Kingdom in condemning the terrible attack at Parliament today. With our partners in federal law enforcement, we are in close contact with our British counterparts to monitor the tragic events and to support the ongoing investigation," it said in a statement. .@POTUS has been briefed on the situation in the U.K. Continuing to monitor and update
You are here: Talking to pupils about critical incidents and terrorism Ref: 8182 Last updated on 22 November 2017 School types: All · School phases: All In-depth article Is there guidance on talking to pupils about distressing events? We relay advice on discussing upsetting and frightening events with pupils, including terrorist attacks. We also link to another of our articles with guidance on supporting pupils who have experienced traumatic events. Article tools Share this page with a colleague Please note: only members of The Key will be able to access the article Tips for parents The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) has published tips for parents on how to talk to children about terrorism. When speaking to children, parents should avoid "complicated, worrying explanations" as they may struggle to process information and may be left feeling more frightened and confused. It is acceptable to agree with children that attacks are frightening and sad, and that you can't stop them. In addition, the guidance says that it is important to address victimisation following a terrorist attack as some children may feel targeted because of their faith or background. Discussing incidents and terrorism in lessons The PSHE Association has developed guidance for primary and secondary schools on discussing unforeseen events. Primary The guidance for the primary phase offers practical tips for discussing a terrorist attack and structuring questioning. It says: To ignore, dismiss, or not answer these questions, or to pretend that nothing has happened, can be counterproductive. It is important to answer children’s questions honestly and in an age-appropriate way, in order to allay possible fears, but also to ensure that children are clear about separating basic facts about an event from speculation, rumour or untruths. Further practical suggestions cover: Offering reassurance Clarifying facts Encouraging community cohesion You can download the guidance document from the webpage below, under the subheading 'Attachments'. Secondary For secondary schools, the PSHE Association has published a framework that identifies the importance of deconstructing events, identifying the difference between factual information, speculation and rumour. It also provides examples of questions that can be used to explore initial feelings. These include: How do we feel about what has happened? How do other people appear to be feeling – locally or nationally – through the media? Are these feelings appropriate? Are these events causing us (or encouraging us) to feel differently about a group of people or community Are we in danger of 'generalising' the actions of a few to a larger group or community? What activities can we undertake to prevent terrorist attacks from dividing our community? You can download the framework from the webpage below, under the subheading 'Attachments'. Factors to consider when speaking to children We spoke to 3 of our associate education experts, Jeremy Bird, Nina Siddall-Ward and Jenny Moss, about what factors schools should consider when speaking to children. We outline these factors below. School context Jeremy advised that schools consider the cultural background of the school community and the potential risk of radicalisation before speaking to children. Both Jeremy and Nina emphasised the importance of communicating to parents and pupils that the school is not demonising or attacking any particular faith or culture when discussing these events. Age and maturity of pupils Nina and Jeremy explained that teachers may differentiate the way they approach speaking to pupils depending on their age and/or emotional maturity. Jeremy explained that regardless of pupils' age, teachers should be willing to listen to pupils' concerns and reassure pupils about their safety. Nina suggested that when speaking to younger pupils, teachers may want to: When speaking to younger pupils, teachers may want to emphasise the importance of staying close to parents and listening to instructions Emphasise the importance of staying close to parents and listening to instructions Help children to understand who their 'safe' adults are and who they should speak to if they do not feel safe Discuss the importance of rules and making the right choices, explaining that people who commit violence are making bad choices With older pupils, Nina and Jeremy suggested that teachers may want to Stress the importance of spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) education and British values, particularly tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs and the rule of law Special educational needs Jenny said that for pupils with special educational needs (SEN), it will be important to ensure that the vocabulary you use when speaking to them is “at a developmentally appropriate level”. For example, the level of understanding of a 16 year old with SEN who functions at the level of a 7 year old may be similar to that of primary-aged children without SEN. She advised that the 3 points suggested by Winston's Wish for adults to follow in discussions with children, which we relay above, are also likely to be appropriate for pupils with SEN, and added that staff could: Provide information in “bite-size chunks” Give pupils a safe environment in which to speak and ask questions Ensure they answer pupils' questions honestly Jenny also said that some children with SEN may be on the autistic spectrum, and may therefore tend to “think in black and white”. It is therefore important to encourage them to be open-minded, as well as approaching the subject in a way which ensures they are not fearful of everybody. Informing parents Nina also advised that schools should notify parents before talking to pupils as some parents may not want the school to speak to their child about these incidents. Additionally, by informing parents beforehand they can be more prepared if pupils ask any questions at home. More from The Key Covering topics including differentiation, assessment, SEND and growth mindset, CPD Toolkit has been created by subject experts and tested by teachers to guarantee practical, engaging training that's also excellent value for money. The Key has taken great care in publishing this article. However, some of the article's content and information may come from or link to third party sources whose quality, relevance, accuracy, completeness, currency and reliability we do not guarantee. Accordingly, we will not be held liable for any use of or reliance placed on this article's content or the links or downloads it provides. 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Candle-lit Abbey tribute to those killed in Westminster terror attack Hope, not despair: the Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry in Westminster Abbey on Wednesday Hope, not despair: the Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry in Westminster Abbey on Wednesday HUNDREDS of candles were lit in Westminster Abbey on Wednesday as London’s political and faith leaders gathered for a service of hope — 14 days after five people were killed and 50 injured in a terrorist attack just a stone’s throw away across Parliament Square. “Together let us affirm our shared humanity and our resolve to bring light and life to all,” the Dean of Westminster, the Very Revd John Hall, said, as candles held by the congregation were lit one by one along the rows of national dignitaries, police officers, paramedics, and relatives of those killed. The service was sombre but intended to inspire, its organisers conscious that it was taking place just a fortnight after Khalid Masood mowed down pedestrians on Westminster Bridge and knifed PC Keith Palmer in the grounds of the Palace of Westminster (News, 24 March). On Friday morning it was confirmed that a fourth person, Romanian tourist Andreea Cristea, had died from her injuries suffered after being hit by Mr Masood's car on the bridge. Ms Cristea was knocked into the River Thames, while her boyfriend, Andrei Burnaz — who had been planning to propose to Ms Cristea during their holiday in Britain — suffered a broken foot. The families of PC Palmer and those who died on the bridge through the terrorist’s actions had lost the most, the Dean said, while everyone had been left “bewildered and disturbed”. Quoting John Donne, the Dean reminded the Abbey: “No man is an island, entire of itself”; because of this “any man’s death diminishes me”. Indeed, the attack was not just against London but against the world, he said. Those killed and injured included visitors from countries as far afield as South Korea, Australia, and the United States. Mr Masood’s deadly assault on Westminster defied sense, the Dean said. “What could possibly motivate a man to drive fast at people he had never met, against whom he had no personal grudge, no reason to hate them, and then run at the gates of the Palace of Westminster to cause another death?” After his address ended, the haunting melody of a cellist, playing a traditional Catalan melody in the nave, echoed around the Abbey. The Old Testament reading, from the book of Jeremiah, pursued the theme of lament: “A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children . . . because they are no more.” But the second reading, the parable of the Good Samaritan, was chosen as a direct challenge to those who sought to drive a wedge between those of different faiths who lived in London, just as it originally tackled the enmity between Jews and their brethren in Samaria, the Dean explained. It was read by the Duke of Cambridge, who was joined at the service by his wife and Prince Harry. “That enmity is no bar to the Samaritan doing a good deed for the Jew,” Dean Hall said. “The people who should have been the first responders, the ones who walked past quickly, were of the same faith and nationality as the injured man. But they did nothing.” Perhaps they feared the man was dead and thus ceremonially unclean, the Dean suggested; but “Jesus condemns them — they have failed the test of compassion and love, the test of mercy, which Jesus rates far more highly than adherence to narrow religious conventions.” Christ was calling people to reach out in “brotherly and sisterly love” to those of other faiths and backgrounds, the Dean said. He recalled the example of the Archbishops of Canterbury and Westminster, who joined the Chief Rabbi and leading Sunni and Shia Muslim imams to proclaim a mutual respect and abhorrence for violence outside the Abbey in the days after the attack (News, 31 March). “We stand together; just as in this service the world faiths are represented and will pray together — above all for the gift of hope,” the Dean concluded. Prayers were said by faith representatives, including a Commander of the Metropolitan Police, Mak Chishty, a Muslim, and Constable Jaskaran Garcha, a Sikh. The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, concluded the time of prayer by quoting the prayer ascribed to St Francis of Assisi: “Lord, make us channels of your peace. . . Where there is hatred let us bring your love. . . . Where there is despair in life, let us bring hope. Where there is darkness, only light.”
A former colleague and friend of Pc Keith Palmer who was killed in the Westminster attacks has described him as "amazing and encouraging". David Darby, 38, met Pc Palmer in 1998 when they were in the Territorial Army together. "Keith was an amazing guy, really encouraging guy, he used to help me out a lot with my fitness and training if I was ever lagging behind, he would encourage me to move on [and] give me motivation," the railway ticket office clerk from south-east London said. "He was just an amazing guy." Mr Darby continued: "Keith always talked to me about joining the police force and I found out later on he joined the police force. "He always wanted to be a firearms officer then jointed the diplomatic police ... just a really nice guy in general, always helped me out."


London Mayor Sadiq Khan has found himself embroiled in a row with Donald Trump’s son, who used the attack on parliament to condemn comments made by the mayor last year that terrorist attacks are “part and parcel of living in a big city.” Donald Trump Jr took to Twitter to slam the mayor’s comments, made during an interview to the Evening Standard back in September 2016. You have to be kidding me?!: Terror attacks are part of living in big city, says London Mayor Sadiq Khan https://t.co/uSm2pwRTjO “I want to be reassured that every single agency and individual involved in protecting our city has the resources and expertise they need to respond in the event that London is attacked,” Khan had added in the interview, according to the Independent. The mayor, however, told BBC’s Radio 4 Today program on Thursday morning that he would not respond to Trump’s tweets. “What I will say about this is the threat level in London and our country remains the same: it’s severe.“That means according to experts an attack is highly likely. The commissioner who just retired said last year that as far as an attack was concerned it’s a question of when not if. “Thankfully the police and the security services and the emergency services practice for such incidents. One I’m afraid has happened yesterday,” Khan said. Trump Jr’s remarks were not well-received in Britain. MP for Ilford North, Wes Streeting, hit out at Trump Jr for exploiting the London terrorist attack to criticize the mayor. @DonaldJTrumpJr You use a terrorist attack on our city to attack London's Mayor for your own political gain. You're a disgrace. Criticism of Khan Khan, however, has faced other accusations of falling short in the way he dealt with the crisis following the assault on Parliament on Wednesday that killed four and left 40 injured. Khan made a statement at 4:26pm, almost two hours after the attack, saying: “There has been a serious incident near to Parliament Square this afternoon which is being treated as a terrorist attack until the police know otherwise.“I have spoken to the Acting Commissioner. The Metropolitan Police Service is dealing with the incident and an urgent investigation is underway.“My thoughts are with those affected and their families.” Khan also thanked the police and emergency services for their “tremendous bravery” and “hard work” to protect London. Some of the public, however, took to social media to question why he failed to say anything about the attack earlier, with some calling his silence “deafening.” Others criticized him for making "zero difference". Point of #sadiqkahn making a statement? Why does he need to be in contact with counter terrorism cops? He is making zero difference. Khan released another statement later on Wednesday evening saying: “We stand together in the face of those who seek to harm us and destroy our way of life.“We always have, and we always will. Londoners will never be cowed by terrorism,” he said.
Site Navigation Site Mobile Navigation The Trail of Terror Across Westminster Bridge A driver plowed into pedestrians on the Westminster Bridge in London on Wednesday before crashing outside the British Parliament. The driver left the vehicle and stabbed a police officer. Five people died, including the police officer and an attacker.Related Article Parliament Square The assailant’s vehicle hit the fence here and stopped outside the Palace of Westminster. The driver left the vehicle and stabbed a police officer before he was shot and killed by police. Big Ben Portcullis House DIRECTION OF VEHICLE Westminster subway station Parliament members were locked down inside the House of Commons. Prime Minister Theresa May was rushed to safety in a silver Jaguar. Palace of Westminster British Parliament Injured pedestrian Westminster Bridge A woman was pulled from the river alive. Several people were wounded on the bridge, and three died. River Thames “I didn’t see the impact, I heard it — it sounded like a car hitting a sheet of metal,” said Radoslaw Sikorski, who was in a taxi on the bridge. A woman was injured here. The police arrived at about 2:40 p.m. after reports of gunfire. DIRECTION OF VEHICLE The assailant’s vehicle hit the fence here and stopped outside the Palace of Westminster. Big Ben The driver left the vehicle and stabbed a police officer before he was shot and killed by police. Portcullis House Palace of Westminster British Parliament Injured pedestrian Parliament members were locked down inside the House of Commons. Prime Minister Theresa May was rushed to safety in a silver Jaguar.
Search This Blog UKIP leader Paul Nuttall has called on the government to block Saudi Arabian funding of UK mosques following Wednesday’s “Islamist inspired” terror attack in London that resulted in four dead and 40 more injured.
A suspected Islamist terrorist has been shot dead after killing three people and injuring 40 more in a car and knife attack on London's Westminster Bridge and inside the grounds of the Houses of Parliament. "We've declared this as a terrorist incident and the counter-terrorism command are carrying out a full-scale investigation into the events today," Mark Rowley, Britain's most senior counter-terrorism officer, told reporters. He would not comment on the identity of the attacker, but said police were working on the assumption that the attack was "Islamist-related terrorism". Hundreds of officers are investigating the attack, and the investigation is working at a "very fast pace", Mr Rowley said. 'Catastrophic' injuries among casualties from Westminster Bridge Video aired by the BBC showed a woman falling off Westminster Bridge into the River Thames. It was unclear whether she jumped in or was hit, but the BBC reported she was later pulled from the river and taken to hospital. A doctor who treated the wounded from the bridge said some had "catastrophic" injuries. Three French schoolchildren aged 15 or 16 were among those injured in the attack, French officials said. Others injured on the bridge included three police officers, two Romanian tourists and five South Korean visitors. The Australian permanent resident who was injured had her foot run over by the car and is now recovering in hospital. Attorney-General George Brandis said she had been offered consular assistance. US President Donald Trump said he had spoken with Ms May to offer his condolences, and pledged the "full cooperation and support" of the US Government in responding to the attack. London Mayor Sadiq Khan released a statement saying his thoughts were with those affected and their families, and thanking the police and emergency services who show "tremendous bravery in exceptionally difficult circumstances". On Westminster Bridge, witness Steve Voake told the ABC: "Nobody had any idea what was going on so we just started trying to get everybody off the bridge. "I was walking across the bridge and suddenly a bus stopped and people started screaming. "There were a couple of bodies on the other side of the bridge and then the side I was on there was a body in the water with blood around it and then quite quickly a police launch came up and then there was a medic motorcycle."
Search This Blog On The Listening Post this week: The attack at Westminster saw British media revert to a familiar template. We dissect the coverage. Plus, corrupt politicians vs corrupted media in Romania. Westminster Attack: The Media's 'terror' template From breaking news to a familiar story: A deadly attack at the gates of the UK parliament has the news media reaching for well-worn templates and the government calling for greater powers of surveillance. •Governments in Moscow and Minsk seemed to be on the same page when dealing with political demonstrations in the two countries – and contending with the journalists covering them •Journalists take to the streets in Mexico to protest a climate of impunity for journalist murders, after a third reporter is killed in a month •Three years since the Thai military ousted the civilian government and took over the reins of the country, it’s tightening the screws on dissent – suspending a TV channel for what it deems 'biased and unfair reporting' Corruption in Romania's media Are media in Romania caught in a conflict of interest when reporting the country's top news story?

Police are appealing for information as they try to establish whether Westminster attacker Khalid Masood acted alone or was directed by others. They said the investigation would focus on Masood's "motivation, preparation and his associates". His fourth victim has been named as Leslie Rhodes, 75, from Clapham, south London - one of three people killed by Masood's car on Westminster Bridge. Police have now released seven of the 11 people arrested since Wednesday. The Metropolitan Police said they had been released "with no further police action". Six of those had been arrested in Hockley, Birmingham, on Thursday morning and one had been arrested in Manchester. A 32-year-old woman, who was arrested in Manchester, has been released on bail until late March. A 39-year-old woman, from east London, had already been released on bail until late March. Those still in custody are: A 58-year-old man from Birmingham A 27-year-old man from Birmingham Earlier, in appealing for information from the public, Mark Rowley, of the Metropolitan Police, said they would investigate whether Masood "acted totally alone inspired by terrorist propaganda, or if others have encouraged, supported or directed him". The assistant deputy commissioner added: "There might be people out there who did have concerns about Masood but did not feel comfortable for whatever reason in passing those concerns to us." Image copyrightTravis FrainImage caption Prince Charles has visited some of the injured at King's College Hospital, including Travis Frain Fifty people were injured in Wednesday's attack, with 31 receiving hospital treatment. Two are in a critical condition, and one has life-threatening injuries. The injured include Andreea Cristea, who had an operation for a blood clot on her brain after Masood's car hit her on Westminster Bridge and knocked her into the River Thames. Two officers remain in hospital with "very significant" injuries, one of whom has been identified as PC Kristofer Aves. PC Keith Palmer, 48, died on Wednesday after being stabbed by Masood. On Friday evening it was announced that Tobias Ellwood, the MP who battled to save the life of PC Palmer, and security minister Ben Wallace have been appointed to the Privy Council - the historic group that advises monarchs - in recognition of their responses to the attack. Of those killed on Westminster Bridge, Aysha Frade, a teacher in her 40s, and US tourist Kurt Cochran, 54, died on Wednesday, while Mr Rhodes, a retired window cleaner, died on Thursday evening when his life support machine was turned off. Masood, 52, had driven his car onto the pavement and into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, before crashing the vehicle into railings and running into the grounds of Parliament. He was armed with a knife and stabbed PC Palmer, before being shot dead by police. The Metropolitan Police said Masood, who had a number of previous convictions but none for terrorism, had used a number of aliases. Registered as Adrian Russell Elms, in Dartford, Kent, at birth, Masood was also known as Adrian Russell Ajao in childhood.



Khalid Masood, the man who attacked parliament this week, was born Adrian Elms in Dartford, Kent, on Christmas Day in 1964. He was also later known as Adrian Russell Ajao, after the man his mother married. The 52-year-old killed three pedestrians by driving into them on Westminster Bridge and injured 50 others before fatally stabbing a police officer and being shot by police on Wednesday. Shortly after the attack, police confirmed it was being investigated as a terrorist incident. Masood had a string of criminal convictions and was known to MI5. By Friday, police had made 11 arrests in connection with the attack, but continue to investigate whether he acted alone. Searches have been carried out at addresses in Brighton, southeast London, east London, Surrey, Manchester, Carmarthenshire, and Birmingham. Masood had been investigated “some years ago” as part of an investigation into violent extremism, prime minister Theresa May told MPs on Thursday. But despite a history of violent criminal offences he was only ever seen as "peripheral" in historical terror investigations. It is assumed by police that he was acting on extreme Islamist ideology. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack on Thursday. A former intelligence official told BuzzFeed News: "The service had him as an SOI [subject of interest] a few years ago but think he didn't meet the threshold for investigation so was not investigated further." They added: "My sense is this was pre-ISIL but the increased sophistication online and in messaging has awakened or re-radicalised him and then he's acted as a lone wolf or perhaps as part of a small circle of extremists but with a very small, neat invisible footprint." Metropolitan police Khalid Masood The Metropolitan police said in a statement: "Masood was not the subject of any current investigations and there was no prior intelligence about his intent to mount a terrorist attack.” Masood’s first conviction was in November 1983 for criminal damage and his most recent was in December 2003 for possession of a knife. He was also convicted of GBH, assaults, and public order offences, but nothing terrorism-related. In 2000, while living in the village of Northiam, Sussex, Masood, still known then as Elms, was convicted for slashing a man’s face after an argument in a pub. The victim, Piers Mott, was left needing stitches, and Elms was jailed for two years. Northiam resident Adrian Baker, who said he had lived in the village for the past 25 years, told the Press Association on Friday: “I do remember a fracas involving a guy called Piers Mott. This was a long time ago. I remember Elms being a bit of a troubled character.” Three years later Masood was accused of stabbing a man in the nose in Eastbourne, and was jailed for six months for possession of an offensive weapon. It is understood Masood had a partner and several children, including a 5-year-old boy. A marriage certificate seen by BuzzFeed News showed he married a woman called Farzana Malik in Medway, Kent, in 2004. While Masood is believed to have lived in a string of addresses in the south of England, London, and Luton – the latter with a 39-year-old woman understood to have been arrested in east London this week – it’s believed he most recently lived in a block of new flats on Quayside, a cul-de-sac in Birmingham near the canal. The flat was raided by anti-terror police at 11pm on Wednesday night after the attack. Aisha Gani / BuzzFeed News / Via BuzzFeed News The block of flats where Masood lived most recently in Quayside, a cul-de-sac in Birmingham. A next-door neighbour who gave her name as Iwona, 45, said he had lived there for seven months. "I am really surprised, I cannot believe it, I cannot believe it,” she told BuzzFeed News. “As I said, when I saw him I couldn't even think someone could do something like this. Now I am scared, someone like this living close to me. “Sometimes in the afternoon I saw him taking care of the garden, washing the car, and he was very calm." Iwona described the woman he lived with there as being in her thirties and said she wore "Islamic clothing". The neighbour said she hadn't seen Masood for a few months and that he just "took a van and went". Then, 10 days ago, the woman and child followed. "The family moved quickly and took their things out of the garage," Iwona said. Aisha Gani / BuzzFeed News / Via BuzzFeed News Masood's neighbour Iwona at her flat in Quayside, Birmingham. Another neighbour, who gave her name as Sam, said: “He moved out in December and I never really spoke to him. I didn't know his name before. “He had a little boy who was 5 years old. There was a woman – I didn't know if it was his wife or daughter. We’d just say hello in the street.” It was in Birmingham that Masood hired the Hyundai Tucson from Enterprise-Rent-a-Car that he used in his fatal attack, reportedly telling staff he was a teacher. The Department for Education said Masood never held qualified status as a teacher, but according to The Sun newspaper he claimed on his CV to have an economics degree and to be a “senior English teacher” at a TEFL college in Luton in 2009. The Sun also said Masood travelled to Saudi Arabia in 2005, where he taught English, but this has yet to be verified. It is not known when Masood converted to Islam, or changed his name, although he stopped using his birth name on the electoral roll from at least 2009. Speaking in the House of Commons on Thursday morning, the prime minister confirmed that Masood was known to the security services but said “he was not part of the current intelligence picture” and that “there was no prior intelligence of his intent to attack the capital”. Echoing police, she said the “working assumption is that the attacker was inspired by Islamist ideology”. After leaving Birmingham this week, Masood travelled to Brighton, where he spent Tuesday night in the Preston Park Hotel. Its manager Sabeur Toumi told Sky News Masood gave no indication of what was to happen the next day. “He was just like any other guest who checks into the hotel," he said. "We had a brief conversation about where he came from in Birmingham. “He talked about his family, his mum, his dad, his wife. He said his dad was ill and his mum was upset.” Janet Ajao, Masood's mother, was last night reportedly too upset to speak to reporters from her home in rural Wales. On Friday the earliest picture of Masood, then known as Adrian Ajao, emerged. It showed him as a teenager at school in Tunbridge Wells, posing after a charity football match. Huntleys School website “I am really, really shocked. He was in my class. He was a smashing guy, really nice chap. The picture of us in the football team was after we did a 24-hour sponsored football match to raise money for the sports hall,” said Stuart Knight, who went to school with Masood, to TheGuardian. “We would have been about 14 years old. Everyone got on with Adrian, he was a lovely bloke. He was a bright student, he loved sport. He was in the rugby team.” Two days earlier, Masood began his attack by mounting the pavement on Westminster Bridge and driving into pedestrians, killing 51-year-old American tourist Kurt Cochran, who was celebrating his 25th wedding anniversary; 43-year-old Spanish teacher Aysha Frade, who was travelling to pick up her two young daughters from school; and 75-year-old Leslie Rhodes from south London, who had been visiting someone in hospital. After crashing the car into a fence outside the Palace of Westminster, Masood ran into the parliamentary estate through an open gate, fatally stabbing 48-year-old PC Keith Palmer, a father and husband, before being shot by police. Stefan Rousseau / PA Wire/PA Images Emily Dugan is a senior reporter for BuzzFeed News and is based in London.
Westminster attack Following events today in London, Paul Parker, Recording Clerk for Quakers in Britain, made this statement. By the River Thames: the Houses of Parliament "As Quakers throughout Britain, our thoughts are with all those touched by today's violent events in Westminster. For Quakers all human life is precious, we deplore all killing. Our prayers are with the injured, their families, and all those involved in this tragic incident."
Professor Anthony Glees, from the Centre for Security and Intelligence Studies programme at the University of Buckingham, has called for staff from car hire companies to tell the police of any concerns they have about people renting vehicles. Masood hired the Hyundai Tucson used on Westminster Bridge from Enterprise car rentals in Spring Hill, Birmingham. “I would say that if… somebody [renting out] a car may suspect the motives of the person hiring the car, that should be recorded and passed on… to the police. Security policy is a dial, not a switch. When times are tough, you turn the dial up and I would say times are tough at moment. “What are the telltale signs? I think people hiring cars should be asked to give a purpose, so that people can give a judgment. What was the purpose of this man hiring a car?” The vehicles used in some of the most recent high-profile terror attacks are linked in that none of them have been owned by the attackers who used them. In the Nice attack, Lahouaiej-Bouhlel used a lorry he had rented from a local company, while in the Berlin attack last December, 12 people died when Anis Amri ploughed a hijacked lorry into a Christmas market. This link has given rise to theories that the use of vehicles not owned by the perpetrators is a deliberate tactic. “If you compare this attack to the Nice attack or the Berlin attack, on all three occasions, the vehicles used did not belong to the attacker. The Nice lorry was rented, the Berlin lorry was hijacked. And the car used [in London] was hired. It raises the question of whether this is a modus operandi, if terrorists are told, in using a car as a weapon, ‘you should not use your own car’,” said Glees. “It is quite an important clue. If you are going into a jihad operation, you almost certainly expect you are going to die – why wouldn’t you use your own vehicle? So hiring a car, hijacking a car, would seem to be part of a plan. In that context at the moment, it would make very good security sense to put car hire companies on the alert and to enable data to be shared. “We know that people copy other people and we have to be on the alert. And one of the ways we could be on the alert is asking a few questions about why people are hiring cars – for what purpose?” The chief executive of British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA), the trade body which represents the majority of car hire companies, said members can use databases to identify “problem renters”. “The car rental industry takes security very seriously. We will continue to work closely with police to ensure that our members are kept abreast of latest threats or security concerns,” said Gerry Keaney. A spokesman for the organisation declined to comment on what level of cooperation there was between companies and the police. “I can’t comment on the current procedures that are in place,” he said. An industry database called Risc contains the details of drivers who have used fake IDs or damaged vehicles. This, however, would not necessarily work to prevent the hiring of a vehicle for criminal use. “As we saw during the week, the people who intend to use hire vehicles either for dishonest, illegal or appalling purposes will often produce valid credentials,” said the spokesperson. In the United States, the FBI and the Department of Justice have distributed flyers to local businesses highlighting potential suspicious activities. People working in vehicle rental businesses have been told to be aware of those who have a reluctance to provide personal information, who use cash for a large transaction or who question the exact dimensions or fuel capacity of a car.

Thursday, 30 March 2017 Tech firms privacy protections questioned after Westminster attack Google, Twitter and Facebook will be asked later to explain their positions on extremist content on their platforms and on government access to encrypted communications of the public. After the Westminster attack, Amber Rudd said police and intelligence agencies need access to messages sent on WhatsApp and other encrypted services like Apple's iMessage and Telegram. Technology companies have resisted the move, saying it would make millions of users less safe online. Speaking to Sky News, the Home Secretary said: "Just to be clear - all I am trying to have potential access to is for the intelligence services, under warrant from the Home Secretary, to be able to find out where and how the terrorists are talking to each other. "That's completely different to what is sometimes being suggested in terms of end-to-end encryption - I don't want to do that, I recognize the importance of cyber security, a secure cyber environment is incredibly important for our economy and our country. "But should the terrorists have somewhere safe to hide? No, I don't think they should and I'm talking to organisations to find out what else they can do to help us find a solution to this." It is unclear what distinction the Home Secretary is drawing between different types of encryption. Technology experts say that a partial or selective weakening of encryption on an app is impossible. Antony Walker, deputy CEO of TechUK, a trade association for tech organisations, told Sky News: "End-to-end encryption is incredibly important to the UK's national security. "The question is then: what role does it play in terms of these messaging services? "What is very clear is that end-to-end encryption is binary: you either have it or you don't. "There's no real way you can have a back door into these services that won't eventually become an open door to criminals and terrorists and hostile states." In fact, the Government already has the legal power to compel technology companies to hand over unencrypted data, as part of the Investigatory Powers Act, or so-called Snoopers' Charter, passed last year. So far, this power remains untested. Lord Carlile QC, the former independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, told Sky News: "The Government has little appetite for either going to court against technology companies or enlarging the legal provisions. "And they're right about that. It is to be hoped that technology companies can be persuaded they should co-operate fully. "If they don't of course, we'll have to think again." On Wednesday, the acting head of Scotland Yard, Craig Mackey, said the Westminster attack must act as a "wake up" call for tech companies.
St Mary’s hospital, London, 22 March of this year. In the chief executive’s office, the director of nursing is chairing a staff resource meeting. The vacancy rate is running between 12% and 14%. Perhaps this episode of Hospital (BBC2) was going to be mainly about recruitment in the shadow of Brexit. Someone’s phone rings, though, then someone else’s. There has been a major incident on Westminster Bridge. It seems anomalous and a bit wrong to talk of fortunate timing when you’re also talking about a terror attack, in which people have been injured and lost their lives. But it was, in some way, lucky that the cameras were there and could record the immediate aftermath of one of the horrors that seem to be becoming part of our everyday existence. The result is extraordinary television – a powerful, moving portrait of a major trauma centre’s response to such an event, and of the brilliant human beings who work there. The first job is the logistical nightmare of shunting people around: out of beds, out of theatres, cancelling operations, making way. It makes you wonder how a system already under so much pressure would cope with this kind of incident. But there’s no time to worry about that as the first patient arrives, a gunshot victim on a blood-soaked stretcher. He is the attacker himself, accompanied by several anti-terror police, and he is quickly declared “RIP”. Which seems generous. But to the staff, he’s just another patient, of course, with clinical problems to be addressed like anyone else. “It does test your faith in humanity, seeing how horrible people can be to each other,” says consultant anaesthetist Dr Helgi Johannsson. “But also we see a lot of very uplifting things that make you think: d’you know, actually, humanity is all right.” Next in is one of the French school kids who ended up caught up in the chaos. Victor, 16 – who was hit by the car head on – has a dislocated elbow, spinal injuries, multiple rib fractures and a collapsed lung. He is scanned, patched up, stabilised, then handed a phone. He asks his parents back home in France whether they are going to come to the hospital. That was my first choke-up (of a few), because suddenly it’s just not a shocking news story, or a worrying one about the NHS under strain; it’s the story of a frightened child who has been hurt in a foreign country and just wants to see his mum and dad. Victor’s friend Yann, 18, arrives, with a big head wound. He’s immediately taken for life-saving surgery. And there’s Stephen, with injuries to his face, chest and lower leg. It’s Stephen’s 40th birthday; he had been to the London Aquarium with his wife Cara. They were on the bridge to catch a taxi because Cara was nervous about going on the tube, in case something happened. She’s here, in tears. “It’s really hard when you spend so much time with somebody and then they’re taken away and you’re suddenly really, really alone,” she says. It makes you wonder, if the attacker, Khalid Masood, wasn’t RIP or RIH, or whatever, if he had survived and looked over from his bed where NHS doctors were doing their damnedest to save his life, and he’d seen young Victor and Yann, Stephen and Cara in tears, would he really have thought, ‘Yeah, I did good there’? Doctor Johannsson was right though – there’s plenty of evidence here of the all-rightness of humanity as well. From him and all the other docs and staff at St Mary’s, of course, doing their amazing work, and from the patients, too. The loveliest moments are Victor and Yann seeing each other again. “Your new look is working for you,” Victor deadpanly tells his friend (whose head is shaved and stapled and stitched – basically, he looks like a Halloween mask). Victor asks Yann about the souvenirs from Harrods they had been carrying . “I have nothing, just my underpants,” says Yann. “The guy fucked me into nakedness on the pavement.” Congratulations Yann, it’s only June but I think you’ve already won the Subtitled Quote of the Year award. And you and Victor both pull through, with your excellent Gallic charm and wit intact. In fact, Masood was the only one of the St Mary’s patients not to make it. Elsewhere, five others also died. And that really was down to luck, the very worst luck. For the staff of St Mary’s, there’s another trauma incident to deal with: a bad stabbing, unrelated. Back to work.

There is a grim history of the use of vehicles as deadly weapons by terrorists. It is often a tool of Palestinian militants because vehicles can quickly cause mass injuries and are difficult for security services to stop. Isis has instructed its supporters across the world to carry out terror attacks with vehicles. Here are some of the most high-profile terror attacks with vehicles in recent years. London, UK - 22 March 2017 A terrorist attack took place in the vicinity of the Palace of Westminster in London. The attack was carried out by Briton Khalid Masood, who drove a car into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, injuring dozens, four of them fatally. It was later confirmed that a fifth victim, named as 31-year-old Andreea Cristea, had died. She had fallen off the bridge into the River Thames during the attack. Berlin, Germany — 19 December 2016 A hijacked truck driven by 24-year-old Anis Amri ploughed into a Christmas market in central Berlin killing 12 people, including the Polish driver from who the vehicle was stolen, and injuring 56. Amri, a failed Tunisian asylum seeker, had pledged allegiance to Isis before carrying out the attack. He went on the run for several days before being discovered in Milan, Italy, where he was shot dead during a confrontation with police. Nice, France — 14 July 2016 On the evening of 14 July 2016, a 19-tonne truck was deliberately driven through crowds celebrating Bastille Day on a promenade in Nice in southern France. The driver, Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel, a Tunisian resident of France, zig-zagged his way through the crowds, resulting in the deaths of 86 people, including children. He injured more than 400. The attack ended after an exchange of gunfire, during which Lahouaiej-Bouhlel was shot and killed by police. Islamic State later claimed responsibility for the attack. Flowers lay where the Nice attack took placeAnne-Christine Poujoulat/AFP Jerusalem — 14 December 2015 Fourteen people were injured when Palestinian 21-year-old Abdul Mohsen Hassouna ploughed his car into a group of people at a bus stop in Jerusalem. The assailant was shot dead by a civilian, a member of Israel's security forces and a private security guard, according to a police spokesperson. Nantes, France — 22 December 2014 In Nantes, one person died and 10 people were injured when 37-year-old Sébastien Sarron drove his van into a Christmas market shouting "Allah akbar". Police said he was a mentally ill alcoholic. Sarron hanged himself in prison in April 2016. Dijon, France — 21 December 2014 Over the course of 30 minutes, the driver of a van travelled to five different areas of Dijon, injuring 13 people as he yelled "Allah akbar". The AFP reported he had also been heard shouting that he was "acting for the children of Palestine". French prosecutors said the 40-year-old man was mentally unstable and had "serious and long-established psychiatric issues". Jerusalem — 22 October 2014 In October 2014, a 21-year-old Palestinian man called Abdel-Rahman Shaloudi drove his car into a crowd of people at a light rail stop in Jerusalem, killing a three-month-old girl and a 22-year-old tourist from Ecuador. Seven other people were injured and Shaloudi was shot and killed by police. The child killed in the attack was later named as Chaya Zissel Braun, a US citizen. Shaloudi's family told journalists the incident was an accident, but Israeli officials stated Shaloudi was a nephew of Mohiyedine Sharif, a known bombmaker for Hamas. An attacker drove a vehicle into a Christmas market in Berlin in 2016Fabrizio Bensch/Reuters Quebec, Canada — 20 October 2014 Two members of the Canadian Armed Forced were killed when Martin Couture-Rouleau deliberately drove his car into them in a shopping centre car park in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec. The 25-year-old had reportedly been watching the two victims for several hours before the attack. He was eventually shot and killed by police. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police later stated officials had been monitoring Couture-Rouleau closely with concerned "he had become radicalised." A report by the Toronto Sun reported Couture-Rouleau had called 911 before the attack to state his acts were carried out in the name of Allah. London, UK — 22 May 2013 British soldier Lee Rigby was attacked and killed by Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale near the Royal Artillery Barracks in Woolwich, southeast London. The attackers ran Rigby over with a car before killing him with knives. The Islamic extremists were sentenced to life imprisonment in February 2014. Apeldoorn, Netherlands — 30 April 2009 Eight people were killed in Apeldoorn, a small town south-east of Amsterdam, when 38-year-old Karst Roeland Tates drove his car into spectators attending a royal parade in 2009. Eleven people were injured in the attack. The Dutchman steered the car at high speed through police barriers, missing the royal family, before crashing the vehicle into a monument. Tates later died of head injuries sustained in the attack. The motive is still unclear.
During an engagement in London earlier today, The Duchess of Cambridge paid tribute to the victims of the terrorist attack in Westminster, also admitting as a parent she struggles with a lack of confidence under the desire to be ‘perfect’. At the Royal College for Obstetricians and Gynaecologists near Regent’s Park, Catherine attended a reception for Best Beginnings’ Out of the Blue series, a programme of educational films promoting mental health for parents and their children. Her engagement was not altered, though The Queen cancelled her engagement to open New Scotland Yard to ease pressure on the police force. Best Beginnings works with Heads Together, which William, Kate and Harry founded to end the stigma of mental health. In a speech at the event, the Duchess remembered those affected by the incident yesterday, which has now claimed four lives, plus that of the attacker. “I know you will all want to join me in sending our thoughts and prayers to all those sadly affected by yesterday’s terrible attack in Westminster. We will be thinking of all the families as we discuss the important issues we are here to talk about.” Kate then spoke of the hardships of becoming a mother, calling it a combination of ‘joy, exhaustion, love, and worry’. “Nothing can really prepare you for you the sheer overwhelming experience of what it means to become a mother.” “Personally, becoming a mother has been such a rewarding and wonderful experience. However, at times it has also been a huge challenge – even for me who has support at home that most mothers do not,” she said, recognising that as a Royal she has the chance to have nannies and housekeepers to help look after Prince George and Princess Charlotte. The Duchess of Cambridge and her family – today she spoke of the pressures of parenting, trying to be perfect (Picture by Stephen Lock / i-Images) “Nothing can really prepare you for you the sheer overwhelming experience of what it means to become a mother. It is full of complex emotions of joy, exhaustion, love, and worry, all mixed together. Your fundamental identity changes overnight. “You go from thinking of yourself as primarily an individual, to suddenly being a mother, first and foremost. And yet there is no rule book, no right or wrong – you just have to make it up and do the very best you can to care for your family.” The Duchess then admitted: “For many mothers, myself included, this can, at times lead to lack of confidence and feelings of ignorance.” “Many of these women also suffer in silence, overwhelmed by negative feelings, but also afraid to admit to the struggles they are facing due to the fear or shame of what others might think if they ‘aren’t coping’. “Some of this fear is about the pressure to be a perfect parent; pretending we’re all coping perfectly and loving every minute of it. “It’s right to talk about motherhood as a wonderful thing, but we also need to talk about its stresses and strains. It’s ok not to find it easy. Asking for help should not be seen as a sign of weakness.” As has been compared so many times before in speeches on mental health, Kate stated that no one would question seeking medical advice if a woman caught a fever during pregnancy. “Getting help with our mental health is no different – our children need us to look after ourselves and get the support we need,” she said. “Conversations are crucial for mental wellbeing and they should be part of everyday family life. Talking about a problem with a friend or another trusted person can be the beginning of getting better. The Duchess of Cambridge at a parent support group spoke with mums and dads about how becoming a parent affected their mental health, as she attended the launch of Best Beginnings ‘Out of the Blue’ short films. (Picture by i-Images / Pool) “This week, as we look forward to Mother’s Day, I would love to see everyone celebrate and value the fundamental importance that mothers play in family life. “Mothers take on an overwhelming responsibility of caring for their families. Their role is vital in providing unconditional love, care, and support at home, particularly in the early years of a child’s development. We therefore should do everything we can to support and value their hard work. ” After her speech and seeing the short films, The Duchess of Cambridge sat in on a parental support group where mothers and fathers told her of their experiences. Kirsty Francois was 19 when she had her daughter Tegan-Mia, now 2. She found herself homeless after experiencing problems with her daughter’s father, despite working in a nursery. Nothing she dealt with at work, she told Catherine, compared to having to deal with being a mother herself. “It got to a point where I was trying to support all three of us and I just was’t coping. I became so withdrawn from her. My nurse recognised that there was clearly some depression there. That unleashed everything I had held back for long,” Kirsty said in the discussion. Share this: Victoria has a passion for British history and Constitutional Monarchy, hence her reasons for founding The Crown Chronicles. Her specialism is the Early Modern era, with particular emphasis on the Tudor and Stuart dynasties. She is also a keen reader (usually something historical), baker and shopper. Her motto is to have a full bookcase, but a fuller wardrobe. Miss Howard also works closely with the British Monarchist Foundation as their Press Secretary and Spokesman.
Edge Hill University student injured in Westminster attack Emergency services seen on Westminster Bridge on March 22, 2017 in London, England. A police officer was stabbed near to the British Parliament and the alleged assailant shot by armed police.. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images) A student from Edge Hill University in Ormskirk has reportedly been injured in today’s suspected terrorist attack near Parliament in London. A lecturer and a group of students from the university were in Westminster when the attack happened.




A police officer places flowers and a photo of Pc Keith Palmer on Whitehall after the Westminster attacks ( Dominic Lipinski/PA ) Tomorrow we will remember those who tragically lost their lives in the Westminster terrorist attack a year ago. Over the past year Londoners of every faith and race have come together to show enduring resilience and unity, rather than let a pathetic individual divide us. We value our freedom highly and remain a city rich with cultural and religious diversity. The hearts and minds of this city have carried on, free of the hatred that drives those seeking to incite division through violence. By taking positive action in our local communities and going about our daily business as usual we are ensuring that the attempts made by terrorists are in vain. A city that is united tackles terrorism together.Mustafa Field, Faiths Forum for London As conscious as I am of PC Palmer’s exceptional bravery last year when confronting an intruder at the gates of Parliament, I still do not understand why this brave officer was left without armed support? I recall when queuing to enter Westminster Hall for the lying-in-state of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, I was confronted by an armed policeman simply for being in a queue of mourners. What’s the difference?David Alston EDITOR'S REPLY Dear Mustafa & David Thank you for your letters. Tomorrow’s anniversary will inevitably bring sad memories but it’s right to say that despite the succession of terror attacks which followed Westminster, one of the heartening things about the past year has been the resilience and unity displayed by Londoners. That’s not to say there aren’t concerns. The rise of far-Right extremism is one, while police believe the Westminster murders inspired the later London Bridge attack and that the Islamist threat has grown too. Indeed, they warned recently of the danger of the rival ideologies feeding off each other to justify violence. Fortunately, most people remain immune to such poison but vigilance is needed. The question of whether PC Palmer should have been armed is understandable. But Met Commissioner Cressida Dick says she is unsure whether he would have been able to fire because so many members of the public were nearby. Martin Bentham, Home Affairs Editor What's the point in having superhighways if cyclists don't use them? Having put up with several years of inconvenience and congestion as cycle superhighways were installed at great expense, I am disappointed to see how few cyclists actually use them. Most of the hi-vis crowd use the main roads, causing friction (sometimes literally) with buses, taxis and lorries, which now have only one lane in each direction to use. Worse still, many of these cycling commuters seem to be a law unto themselves. I realise that stopping at a red light is a pain as it adds time to your journey, but cyclists must adhere to the same laws as everyone else. I have also observed that some only have one light or none at all. As a cyclist and motorcyclist, I consider myself to be subject to the same rules, obligations and constraints. Sadly, many do not.Tim Davies More clarity over EU workers It's good that that the UK and EU have now agreed an “orderly withdrawal” from the EU. However, there are still many unanswered questions for businesses. An agreement on the rights of EU citizens in the UK and vice versa is said to have been reached but when will there be full transparency about this? We have staff located in Europe and many of our UK-based workforce are from the EU. We need a diverse range of language skills as well as an understanding of the nuances of how different cultures travel. But we are still no clearer on what Brexit will mean in terms of trading conditions or for our staff. Until the Government fully clarifies what Brexit will look like both during and after the transitional period, we remain in limbo.Rob Russell, Joint-CEO, AC Group Clarke's right about the customs union In his interview with the Evening Standard Ken Clarke was absolutely right in calling for a free vote on staying in the customs union after Brexit [“Get May off hook by voting to stay in customs union, Ken Clarke urges MPs”, March 19]. At a stroke this would solve the Irish border issue, prevent the likely 30-mile tailbacks on the Dover road, and minimise the economic damage to both the UK and Ireland. Also, given the fact that we are already nearly 650 days past the date of the referendum and with around 2,000 young people a day reaching the age of 18 — most of them who are likely to be strongly against the idea of Brexit — it would reduce the inevitable demand for rejoining in a few years’ time. I would have thought Brexiteers would welcome this.Alan Pavelin Businesses should help new parents The Women and Equalities Committee’s call for ministers to look at giving fathers 12 weeks off for paternity leave is long overdue but welcome. It is positive to see the Government finally recognising that longer periods of time off are a crucial part of effective policies for working parents. While we wait for these new policies to come into effect businesses should be working to provide all new parents with flexible working hours. Not only does this allow dads and mums to adjust to returning to work while balancing family life, it also makes strong business sense. The tools and technology are available to enable new parents to remain productive while returning to work from paternity and maternity leave, so there is little standing in businesses’ way.Jason Downes
The man being taken away by armed police was arrested on suspicion of terror offences - Sky News A terror suspect arrested after a car crashed into a barrier at the Houses of Parliament at high speed is not believed to be known to the security services, police have said. At least three people were injured when the silver Ford Fiesta hit a group of cyclists and pedestrians waiting for traffic lights to change. Rooftop camera footage shows the car mounting a pavement on the wrong side of the road before, witnesses said, it travelled at up to 50mph for around 40 metres (130ft) and hit a bollard. Scotland Yard said a man in his late 20s was arrested after the incident at around 7.30am on Tuesday. The suspect was taken to a south London police station, where he remains on suspicion of terrorism offences. He is not co-operating with officers. The Met's counter-terrorism command is leading the investigation into the latest attack. Officers are seeking to formally identify the suspect, but "don't believe this person is known to either MI5 or counter-terrorism police". The suspect is reported to be from the Midlands and it is believed that he might have travelled to London from Birmingham. The man being taken away by armed police was arrested on suspicion of terror offencesCredit: Sky News Westminster was in lockdown as armed police swarmed the scene. One witness said: "It looked intentional - the car drove at speed and towards the barriers." Images showed a man being led away in handcuffs after armed police surrounded the eight-year-old car. A second image appears to show pedestrians hit by the vehicle at least 40 metres (130ft) away from where the car hit the barrier. Injured pedestrians can be seen at the top of the shot - around 40 metres from where the car crashed into a barrierCredit: BBC News/PA No one else was in the car and police said no weapons had been recovered from the scene. Speaking outside New Scotland Yard, Neil Basu, the Met’s Assistant Commissioner for counter-terrorism, said police and the intelligence services were working to establish if the suspect was part of a wider terror cell and if he had received assistance from others in planning the attack. Mr Basu said: “It appears to have been a deliberate act, but what the motive was we can’t answer at the moment. We haven’t formally identified the suspect, but we don’t believe he’s known to MI5.” He added the attacker was not been pursued by police before he struck the entrance to the Palace of Westminster and that the blue lights seen behind him in footage of the incident were those of an ambulance coincidentally answering a separate emergency call. Witness Barry Williams said the car had accelerated towards the barrier after hitting the cyclists. "I turned round to see a silver car heading towards the cyclists on the wrong side of the road, they were parked waiting for the lights to change," he told the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme. "He hit the cyclists then swerved over towards where the safety barrier is.... and accelerated and hit it at quite a high speed. "I wasn't sure whether he meant to hit the cyclists, they might have just been in the way, but once he did, he accelerated towards the barrier. Smoke rises from the car after it crashed into a barrier outside ParliamentCredit: Ewelina U Ochab /PA He added: "The police were very fast, they vaulted over the safety barrier and headed towards the car. "What also happened was the police started to head away to block off people heading towards us. The cyclists...there was a few on the ground, some were holding their arms, there was bikes everywhere. It was frightening." Mr Williams added: "There was about 10 cyclists waiting for the lights to change... he hit about four or five - one of the cyclists got up and was about to chase the car." Palace of Westminster car crash Aerial footage of the crash shows the silver Ford Fiesta coming along the road next to Parliament Square before moving to turn right towards Westminster Abbey. As an ambulance passes the car on its right-hand side, the vehicle swerves left - crossing oncoming traffic and a pavement before entering a small road and crashing into a security barrier. A police officer can be seen jumping another barrier that runs along the side of the road to get away. The car, circled, drives past Westminster Abbey After knocking down cyclists, the car mounts a pavement A police officer jumps a barrier as the car approaches Parliament Square was evacuated as a large number of police cars descended on the heart of Westminster, which has seen heightened security since the Westminster Bridge attack in March 2017. Streets around Parliament Square, Millbank and Victoria Tower Gardens were also cordoned off as dozens of armed police swooped on the scene. A series of ambulances had been sent to the scene and the London Ambulance Service said two people were treated for injuries that are not thought to be serious and taken to hospital. A third person was assessed for minor injuries at the scene. 'It looked deliberate... he hit bollard at 50mph' Local businessman Jason Williams was walking to work when he saw the crash unfold. The 45-year-old, from Kennington, south London, said: "He had driven it at speed - more than 40 mph. There was smoke coming out of the car." He told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: "I have seen people on the ground, lying on the road. I don't know if they have actually been hit by the vehicle or not. I saw at least 10 people lying down. "I was told basically to move away, to run. I have run for my life." Injured cyclists on the ground after the car crashed into themCredit: Twitter Mr Williams told Good Morning Britain: "I saw a car going at high speed towards Parliament. It hit a bollard." He added: "It looked deliberate. It didn't look like an accident. How do you do that by accident? It was a loud bang." Mr Williams added: "He's obviously gone into the bollard at high speed. "It seemed it was about 40-50mph, there wasn't any shouting or anything - I've seen smoke coming from the vehicle. "He did get out [of the car], I was behind and I did hear a loud bang and I'm seeing what's going on, but I couldn't hear if the police asked him to get out. The specialists came soon after, I'd say within 5-9 minutes." He said the suspect was quiet when he was taken away by the police. A circled aerial image shows where the car ended up after the attackCredit: pixel GRG Metropolitan Police statement as man arrested The man arrested over the Westminster car crash is in his 20s and is being held on suspicion of terrorist offences, Scotland Yard said. It said in a statement: "At 07:37hrs on Tuesday 14 August, a silver Ford Fiesta collided with a number of cyclists and pedestrians, before crashing into barriers outside the Houses of Parliament. "The driver of the car, a man in his late 20s, was arrested at the scene by armed officers. He has been taken to a south London police station where he remains in police custody. "He was arrested on suspicion of terrorist offences. "There was nobody else in the vehicle, which remains at the scene and is being searched. No weapons have been recovered at this stage." Armed police in Parliament Square as the heart of Westminster is in lockdownCredit: HANNAH MCKAY /Reuters The force spokesman added: "At this stage, we are treating this as a terrorist incident and the Met's Counter Terrorism Command is now leading the investigation." Ambulance service: Three injured people treated Two people were treated at the scene in Westminster for injuries that are not thought to be serious, London Ambulance Service said. A third person was assessed for minor injuries but not taken to hospital. A bicycle lies on the ground after the Westminster attackCredit: Eddie Mulholland for The Telegraph Assistant Director of Operations Peter Rhodes said: "We were called at 7.40am today (14 August) to reports of an incident on St Margaret Street, SW1. "We sent a number of resources to the scene including three ambulance crews, responders in cars and an incident response officer. "We have treated two people at the scene for injuries that are not believed to be serious and have taken them to hospital." 'Cyclists were scattered everywhere... then we heard this huge bang' Witness Kirsty Moseley, 31, was sitting in a car behind the cyclists at the traffic lights. She said: “The first thing we noticed was his car driving at high speed into the cyclists. Then he went straight through them and rather than continuing and hitting us he swerved and went over the central reservation. “The cyclists were scattered everywhere and then we just heard this huge bang. That’s when we looked round and he had driven into the barriers. One cyclist got up and started screaming at him to come back. We were all in shock at that point. “There was an ambulance that happened to be driving past at that very moment, so it was there to help the injured within seconds. Then the police were there so quickly and there were so many of them.” Bicycles lie on the ground at the scene of the crash outside the Houses of Parliament Credit: HANNAH MCKAY /Reuters On the driver, she said: "I saw him drive past. He wasn’t shouting and he just had two hands on the wheel. He was just staring straight ahead. He looked quite sure. He was just peering over the steering wheel. He knew what he was doing and he was focused on what was in front of him rather than being erratic or shouting. “After seeing how he drove into them, we are amazed that only one woman has been seriously injured.” Miss Moseley was on her way to work in Oxford Circus with her husband, Patrick Moseley, 34, from their Brixton home. “We don’t usually drive,” she said. “We usually cycle, but for some reason we decided to drive this morning.” Video: Minute-by-minute - how the crash unfolded Westminster council leader: Our democracy, and our way of life, will continue to defy those who try to undermine it Responding to the attack, Nickie Aiken, the leader of Westminster City Council, said: “Our thoughts are with those hurt and our thanks to the brilliant emergency services who were so quickly at the scene. “The House of Commons was targeted again today – as it was last year – but our democracy, and our way of life, will continue to defy those who try to undermine it. “The safety of the people who live, work and visit in Westminster remains our priority and we will work to ensure our capital remains a welcoming city.” US ambassador: America's prayers are with all the innocent people hurt Woody Johnson, US ambassador to the UK, wrote on Twitter that "America's prayers are with all the innocent people hurt", as he also praised the emergency services: Terrible events at Westminster. America’s prayers are with all the innocent people hurt this morning. As the investigation continues, one thing is clear: the police, the paramedics, the ambulance drivers – they ALWAYS do this country proud. Police have stopped 17 terror plots in 18 months The terrorist threat against the UK is seen as unprecedented. In addition to five attacks last year, authorities say they have stopped 13 Islamist and four extreme right-wing plots since the Westminster atrocity in March 2017. Police and MI5 are running at least 500 live operations involving roughly 3,000 active "subjects of interest" at any one time - while there is also a wider pool of more than 20,000 individuals who have previously featured in investigations whose threat must be kept under review. Earlier this year, the Government unveiled a refreshed counter-terror strategy. Under the blueprint, MI5 intelligence will be shared with bodies outside the security community in an attempt to stop suspects before attack plots can crystallise, while anti-terror laws are to be strengthened to allow earlier interventions. Tobias Ellwood: This is stark reminder of threats we continue to face Defence Minister Tobias Ellwood, who was branded a hero after stepping in to help emergency services in the wake of the 2017 attack outside Parliament, said today's incident was a "stark reminder of the threats we continue to face". He wrote on Twitter: WESTMINSTER INCIDENT: A stark reminder of the threats we continue to face, the need to remain vigilant and the professionalism of @metpoliceuk in once again swiftly and courageously responding to what looks like a crude and deliberate attack on Parliament.#westminsterpic.twitter.com/kxNO6Ra3cu And Vince Cable, leader of the Liberal Democrats, said: "Thank goodness the barriers are in place and worked." Our thoughts are with those who have been injured in the incident outside the Houses of Parliament this morning, and our thanks go out to the quick and effective response of our police and medical services. Thank goodness the barriers are in place and worked. Police treating Westminster car crash as terror attack Scotland Yard said in a new statement: "At 07:37hrs on Tuesday 14 August, a silver Ford Fiesta collided with a number of cyclists and pedestrians, before crashing into barriers outside the Houses of Parliament. "The driver of the car, a man in his late 20s, was arrested at the scene by armed officers. He has been taken to a south London police station where he remains in police custody. "He was arrested on suspicion of terrorist offences. There was nobody else in the vehicle, which remains at the scene and is being searched. No weapons have been recovered at this stage." Armed police swoop on a car that crashed outside the Houses of ParliamentCredit: VinnyMcAv/EuronewsNBC The force spokesman added: "At this stage, we are treating this as a terrorist incident and the Met's Counter Terrorism Command is now leading the investigation." Counter-terror expert: Chances of getting through barrier are very slim Chris Phillips, the former head of the National Counter Terrorism Security Office, said: "It looks a bit like a copycat of the incident from the other occasion, but however may be this is someone who has fallen asleep at the wheel, we don't know as yet, so this is what the officers will be trying to ascertain. "I think the key point is the barriers around that building are designed to stop a vehicle travelling at 50mph, but the chances of getting through that barrier are very, very slim. "Of course, now the police officers need to make sure the vehicle itself is safe, that's what they'll spend most of their time doing." And a television cameraman who happened to be on the scene described the dramatic moment armed police swooped on the car, reports Patrick Sawer. Donovan Parsons, who was filming for ITN nearby, said: “We saw people running away from the crash and quickly realised it was more than just an accident. “As I got there I saw a silver car smoking against the barrier at the entrance to Westminster Palace and armed police scouting the area. “Then four 4x4 police vehicles turned up and armed cops jumped out and pointed their guns inside the car. They then dragged this guy out and I could see them pointing their guns inside the car. That’s when we got pushed back behind the cordons.”

Searches took place at two addresses in Birmingham and a residential property in the Radford and Arboretum area of Nottingham. A woman who witnessed police arriving to search the Nottingham property told the BBC the raid took place between about 15:00 and 16:00 BST. She said other officers in plain clothes remained at the scene for a few hours. Sham Khatun said: "A van parked up outside the house, they broke into the house. They shouted 'Police!', they broke a couple of doors." Suspect 'not co-operating' Scotland Yard's head of counter terrorism Neil Basu said: "Given that this appears to be a deliberate act, the method and this being an iconic site, we are treating it as a terrorist incident." The assistant commissioner added there was "no intelligence at this time of further danger" to London or the UK as a whole. The suspect, who has not been formally identified, is being held at a south London police station but police said he was not co-operating with officers. Security minister Ben Wallace said he was British but originally from another country. Image caption A residential property in Nottingham (seen on the left of this picture) was raided by police in connection with the inquiry Labour's Roger Godsiff, MP for Birmingham Hall Green, tweeted that the driver was "believed to have been living in my constituency". Home Secretary Sajid Javid said: "The briefing I have received from counter-terrorism police and the security services is that work is ongoing and they are doing everything they can to find out more about the incident. Image copyrightAFPImage caption Only the area around the scene of the crash remains sealed off Image caption Cyclists were seen on the ground after the crash Police say the vehicle was driven from Birmingham to London on Monday night, was in the Tottenham Court Road area until about 06:00 and was seen driving around Westminster and Whitehall for 90 minutes before the incident. A number of eyewitnesses have said the silver Ford Fiesta, which was travelling westbound in Parliament Square, appeared to deliberately hit members of the public as it swerved into the opposite lane. 'Formidable courage' Footage released by the BBC shows the moment when the car then crosses over a traffic island in the middle of the road before crashing into the security barriers. A police officer can be seen jumping over another barrier to get out of the way. Media playback is unsupported on your device Media captionWitness: "I saw a man drive towards Parliament at speed" Westminster Tube station was closed and streets around Millbank and Parliament Square cordoned off for several hours. The immediate area around the incident remains taped off and screened by white temporary fencing. Parliament is not currently sitting. British Transport Police said it was increasing patrols in England, Scotland and Wales and that its officers would be "highly visible on trains and at stations". The prime minister paid tribute to the "formidable courage" and professionalism of the emergency services who "ran towards a dangerous situation in order to protect the public". Urging the public to remain vigilant but "carry on as normal", Theresa May added: "For the second time in as many years the home of our democracy, which is a potent symbol of our precious values of tolerance and freedom, has witnessed terrible scenes just yards from its door." The Houses of Parliament are surrounded with security barriers of steel and concrete. The measures were extended in the wake of the Westminster Bridge attack in March 2017 when Khalid Masood ploughed a car into crowds on Westminster Bridge, killing four people. Analysis By Dominic Casciani, BBC News home affairs correspondent Security arrangements at Parliament have progressively tightened since 2001. In the aftermath of the 7/7 attacks, new truck bomb-proof barriers were installed in an effort to "target harden" Westminster. These include the reinforced low black rampart-like walls that surround Parliament itself and a highly visible armed police presence. Visitors need to go through a chicane-like system designed to help armed officers spot suspects. The one significant weak spot was the main vehicle gates - as became apparent in March 2017's one-man attack. That triggered an internal security review that has led to changes that remain secret - although it's apparent to Londoners that there are now more armed police than ever before patrolling the area. The threat of terrorism is a constant concern for Parliamentarians - it's not new. Irish republican paramilitaries murdered Airey Neave MP in 1979 in a car bomb that exploded within the palace grounds. And the dilemma remains the same: how best to balance security with guaranteeing that the heart of British democracy remains open to the people. The prime minister's official spokesman said as of the end June 2018 there were 676 live investigations into potential terrorist plots. He said since March 2017, 13 Islamist plots and four far-right plots had been foiled. Scotland Yard is asking anyone with information on Tuesday's crash to call 0800 789 321. Anyone with video or pictures of the crash is asked to send them to police.



Tony Walter suffered shrapnel injuries in 2005 after a bomb was detonated near Edgware Road station ( ) A man who survived the 2005 terror attacks in London was found dead at his home just hours after Manchester bomber Salman Abedi blew himself up, killing 22 people, at an Ariana Grande concert last week. Friends of Tony Walter, 52, say he took his own life because he “didn’t want to live in a world where these terror attacks continue”. One friend claimed he was the “23rd victim” of the Manchester Arena bombing. His friends claimed the most recent attack in Manchester, combined with the stabbing at Westminster in March, triggered traumatic memories. Manchester explosion in pictures Manchester explosion in pictures 1/37 People running down stairs as they attempt to exit the Manchester Arena after a blast, where U.S. singer Ariana Grande had been performing, in Manchester Twitter/@ZACH_BRUCE/ via REUTERS 2/37 Helpers attend to people inside the Manchester Arena after a suspected suicide bomber detonated an explosive device at the end of an Ariana Grande concert, killing 22 people PA wire 3/37 Armed officers guard outside a hotel near the Manchester Arena following reports of an explosion, in Manchester, Britain EPA 4/37 Police officers are seen outside the Manchester Arena, where U.S. singer Ariana Grande had been performing, in Manchester, northern England Reuters 5/37 Getty Images 6/37 Getty Images 7/37 Getty Images 8/37 AFP/Getty Images 9/37 Police and fans close to the Manchester Arena, after reports of an explosion Getty Images 10/37 There have been reports of explosions at Manchester Arena where Ariana Grande had performed Getty Images 11/37 Police deploy at scene of explosion in Manchester, England, at a concert in Manchester Arena AFP/Getty Images 12/37 Police stand by a cordoned off street close to the Manchester Arena Getty Images 13/37 Police deploy at scene of explosion in Manchester, England AFP/Getty Images 14/37 Police deploy at scene of a reported explosion during a concert in Manchester, England, on May 23, 2017. British police said early May 23 there were "a number of confirmed fatalities" after reports of at least one explosion during a pop concert by US singer Ariana Grande. Ambulances were seen rushing to the Manchester Arena venue and police added in a statement that people should avoid the area AFP/Getty Images 15/37 An ambulance drives away from the Manchester Arena, where U.S. singer Ariana Grande had been performing, in Manchester Reuters 16/37 Police escort members of the public from the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England. Getty Images 17/37 A woman sits in the street in a blanket near the Manchester Arena as police guard the area following reports of an explosion, in Manchester, Britain EPA 18/37 Two women wrapped in thermal blankets stand near the Manchester Arena, where US singer Ariana Grande had been performing, in Manchester Reuters 19/37 A Royal Logistic Corps (RLC) bomb disposal robot is unloaded outside the Manchester Arena following reports of an explosion, in Manchester. At least 19 people have been confirmed dead and others 50 were injured, authorities said. It is being treated as a terrorist incident until police know otherwise EPA 20/37 A Royal Logistic Corps (RLC) bomb disposal robot is unloaded outside the Manchester Arena following reports of an explosion, in Manchester EPA 21/37 Members of the public receive treatment from emergency service staff at Victoria Railway Station close to the Manchester Arena on May 23, 2017 in Manchester, England. There have been reports of explosions at Manchester Arena where Ariana Grande had performed this evening. Greater Manchester Police have have confirmed there are fatalities and warned people to stay away from the area Getty Images 22/37 Armed police after a suspected terrorist attack at the Manchester Arena at the end of a concert by US star Ariana Grande left 19 dead PA wire 23/37 Emergency services arrive close to the Manchester Arena in Manchester Getty Images 24/37 An amoured police vehicle patrols near Manchester Arena in Manchester Getty Images 25/37 A man carries a young girl on his shoulders near Victoria station in Manchester AFP/Getty Images 26/37 Police officers stand at the Miller Street and Corporation Street Crossroads, in front of the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England Getty Images 27/37 Police block a road near to the Manchester Arena in central Manchester, England AP 28/37 Armed police patrol near Victoria station in Manchester, northwest England. Twenty two people have been killed and dozens injured after a suspected suicide bomber targeted fans leaving a concert of US singer Ariana Grande in Manchester Getty Images 29/37 Police forensic officers leave the Manchester Arena as they investigate the scene of an explosion in Manchester Getty Images 30/37 A forensic officer collects evidence on a walkway between Victoria station and Manchester Arena following a deadly terror attack in Manchester, Getty Images 31/37 A woman and a young girl wearing a t-shirt of US singer Ariana Grande talks to police near Manchester Arena following a deadly terror attack in Manchester, Getty 32/37 EPA 33/37 Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham and Manchester City Council Leader Sir Richard Leese speak to the media outside Manchester Town Hall after a suicide bomber killed 22 people, including children, as an explosion tore through fans leaving a pop concert in Manchester Dave Higgens/PA Wire 34/37 The media gather behind a police cordon in Manchester Getty Images 35/37 Flowers left close to the Manchester Arena, the morning after a suicide bomber killed 22 people, including children, as an explosion tore through fans leaving a pop concert in Manchester Danny Lawson/PA Wire 36/37 Ariana Grande concert attendees Karen Moore and her daughter Molly Steed, aged 14, from Derby, leave the Park Inn where they were given refuge after last night's explosion at Manchester Arena Getty 37/37 Signs saying 'We love Manchester' are displayed in a window in Manchester, England Getty Images 1/37 People running down stairs as they attempt to exit the Manchester Arena after a blast, where U.S. singer Ariana Grande had been performing, in Manchester Twitter/@ZACH_BRUCE/ via REUTERS 2/37 Helpers attend to people inside the Manchester Arena after a suspected suicide bomber detonated an explosive device at the end of an Ariana Grande concert, killing 22 people PA wire 3/37 Armed officers guard outside a hotel near the Manchester Arena following reports of an explosion, in Manchester, Britain EPA 4/37 Police officers are seen outside the Manchester Arena, where U.S. singer Ariana Grande had been performing, in Manchester, northern England Reuters 5/37 Getty Images 6/37 Getty Images 7/37 Getty Images 8/37 AFP/Getty Images 9/37 Police and fans close to the Manchester Arena, after reports of an explosion Getty Images 10/37 There have been reports of explosions at Manchester Arena where Ariana Grande had performed Getty Images 11/37 Police deploy at scene of explosion in Manchester, England, at a concert in Manchester Arena AFP/Getty Images 12/37 Police stand by a cordoned off street close to the Manchester Arena Getty Images 13/37 Police deploy at scene of explosion in Manchester, England AFP/Getty Images 14/37 Police deploy at scene of a reported explosion during a concert in Manchester, England, on May 23, 2017. British police said early May 23 there were "a number of confirmed fatalities" after reports of at least one explosion during a pop concert by US singer Ariana Grande. Ambulances were seen rushing to the Manchester Arena venue and police added in a statement that people should avoid the area AFP/Getty Images 15/37 An ambulance drives away from the Manchester Arena, where U.S. singer Ariana Grande had been performing, in Manchester Reuters 16/37 Police escort members of the public from the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England. Getty Images 17/37 A woman sits in the street in a blanket near the Manchester Arena as police guard the area following reports of an explosion, in Manchester, Britain EPA 18/37 Two women wrapped in thermal blankets stand near the Manchester Arena, where US singer Ariana Grande had been performing, in Manchester Reuters 19/37 A Royal Logistic Corps (RLC) bomb disposal robot is unloaded outside the Manchester Arena following reports of an explosion, in Manchester. At least 19 people have been confirmed dead and others 50 were injured, authorities said. It is being treated as a terrorist incident until police know otherwise EPA 20/37 A Royal Logistic Corps (RLC) bomb disposal robot is unloaded outside the Manchester Arena following reports of an explosion, in Manchester EPA 21/37 Members of the public receive treatment from emergency service staff at Victoria Railway Station close to the Manchester Arena on May 23, 2017 in Manchester, England. There have been reports of explosions at Manchester Arena where Ariana Grande had performed this evening. Greater Manchester Police have have confirmed there are fatalities and warned people to stay away from the area Getty Images 22/37 Armed police after a suspected terrorist attack at the Manchester Arena at the end of a concert by US star Ariana Grande left 19 dead PA wire 23/37 Emergency services arrive close to the Manchester Arena in Manchester Getty Images 24/37 An amoured police vehicle patrols near Manchester Arena in Manchester Getty Images 25/37 A man carries a young girl on his shoulders near Victoria station in Manchester AFP/Getty Images 26/37 Police officers stand at the Miller Street and Corporation Street Crossroads, in front of the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England Getty Images 27/37 Police block a road near to the Manchester Arena in central Manchester, England AP 28/37 Armed police patrol near Victoria station in Manchester, northwest England. Twenty two people have been killed and dozens injured after a suspected suicide bomber targeted fans leaving a concert of US singer Ariana Grande in Manchester Getty Images 29/37 Police forensic officers leave the Manchester Arena as they investigate the scene of an explosion in Manchester Getty Images 30/37 A forensic officer collects evidence on a walkway between Victoria station and Manchester Arena following a deadly terror attack in Manchester, Getty Images 31/37 A woman and a young girl wearing a t-shirt of US singer Ariana Grande talks to police near Manchester Arena following a deadly terror attack in Manchester, Getty 32/37 EPA 33/37 Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham and Manchester City Council Leader Sir Richard Leese speak to the media outside Manchester Town Hall after a suicide bomber killed 22 people, including children, as an explosion tore through fans leaving a pop concert in Manchester Dave Higgens/PA Wire 34/37 The media gather behind a police cordon in Manchester Getty Images 35/37 Flowers left close to the Manchester Arena, the morning after a suicide bomber killed 22 people, including children, as an explosion tore through fans leaving a pop concert in Manchester Danny Lawson/PA Wire 36/37 Ariana Grande concert attendees Karen Moore and her daughter Molly Steed, aged 14, from Derby, leave the Park Inn where they were given refuge after last night's explosion at Manchester Arena Getty 37/37 Signs saying 'We love Manchester' are displayed in a window in Manchester, England Getty Images “Everyone is distraught by Tony taking his life. After the Westminster attack he really struggled,” an unnamed friend of Mr Walter told The Sun. “He was off work for a few days saying he couldn’t cope with how it brought back the memories of 7/7.” Mr Walter returned to work after the Westminster attack but colleagues at London firm The Legal 500, where he had worked for 17 years, said he seemed “withdrawn”.
The terrorist who killed five people in the Westminster attack had taken steroids before launching the frenzied rampage, a court has heard. The possible effect of steroid use on Khalid Masood will be considered alongside a “psychological autopsy” during the inquest into his death. It will examine whether he was radicalised in prison, the extent of his contact with Anjem Choudary’s al-Muhajiroun network and what the security services learned during an MI5 investigation that declared Masood a “subject of interest” in 2009. The inquest, where Masood’s widow is among interested parties, will piece together his preparations including obtaining the knives and car used in the attack and consider “whether his activities gave any warning signs”. Judge Mark Lucraft QC, the Chief Coroner of England and Wales, ruled that the inquest will be held before a jury, as required for all deaths involving contact with police. Specialist witnesses will be called to hearings at the Old Bailey to reconstruct the events of 22 March and Masood’s preparations, including body armour experts charged with examining PC Palmer’s “inadequate” protection. Judge Lucraft expressed his condolences to their families and the hope that answering their many questions could “provide some comfort”. “The inquest can point everyone in the right direction to do more to address these problems... which occur again and again in trial after trial,” Mr Patterson said. “We do not understand why radicalising material remains freely available on the internet. “We do not understand why it’s necessary for WhatsApp, Telegram and other applications to have end-to-end encryption.” Mr Patterson also questioned how Masood managed to get through the gates surrounding the Houses of Parliament and “how it was PC Palmer was apparently stationed alone and unarmed with, it seems, inadequate body protection”. Masood, 52, was born in Kent as Adrian Russell and was known to police after seven convictions for violent crime leading up to 2003, when he may have converted to Islam during his last spell in prison. In pictures: Westminster attack In pictures: Westminster attack 1/9 An air ambulance lands after gunfire sounds were heard close to the Palace of Westminster in London PA wire 2/9 MPs wait until the situation is under control in Westminster. 'The alleged assailant was shot by armed police,' David Lidington, leader of the House of Commons, told the house. BBC News 3/9 Crowds gather in Westminster after shooting incident, which police are treating as terror attack BBC News 4/9 Police were also called to an incident on Westminster Bridge nearby AP 5/9 Early reports indicate the car, which mounted the pavement on Westminster Bridge and mowed into around a dozen people, was the same vehicle which then rammed into the railings of the Palace of Westminster, just around the corner Reuters 6/9 Security sources described the suspected assailant as a middle-aged Asian man, who is understood to have left the car before attacking a police officer with a seven-to-eight inch knife PA wire 7/9 Police have asked people to avoid the immediate area to allow emergency services to deal with the ongoing incident AP 8/9 One woman has died and a number of others, including the police officer, have been hurt, according to a junior doctor at St Thomas' Hospital Reuters 9/9 At least three gun shots were heard by those inside Westminster, and proceedings in the House of Commons have been suspended AP 1/9 An air ambulance lands after gunfire sounds were heard close to the Palace of Westminster in London PA wire 2/9 MPs wait until the situation is under control in Westminster. 'The alleged assailant was shot by armed police,' David Lidington, leader of the House of Commons, told the house. BBC News 3/9 Crowds gather in Westminster after shooting incident, which police are treating as terror attack BBC News 4/9 Police were also called to an incident on Westminster Bridge nearby AP 5/9 Early reports indicate the car, which mounted the pavement on Westminster Bridge and mowed into around a dozen people, was the same vehicle which then rammed into the railings of the Palace of Westminster, just around the corner Reuters 6/9 Security sources described the suspected assailant as a middle-aged Asian man, who is understood to have left the car before attacking a police officer with a seven-to-eight inch knife PA wire 7/9 Police have asked people to avoid the immediate area to allow emergency services to deal with the ongoing incident AP 8/9 One woman has died and a number of others, including the police officer, have been hurt, according to a junior doctor at St Thomas' Hospital Reuters 9/9 At least three gun shots were heard by those inside Westminster, and proceedings in the House of Commons have been suspended AP He appeared on MI5 records for the first time the following year as a contact of a terror network aiming to launch bomb attacks in the UK, becoming a subject of interest in 2009 after being misidentified as an al-Qaeda facilitator in Saudi Arabia. Masood’s case was closed in 2012 following a security review, appearing intermittently as contact of subject in Choudary’s network before starting preparations for his attack in 2016. From the end of that year, he told his family he was considering working overseas, but his job and visa applications failed. Masood bought the knives used in the attack on 9 March, sending himself an email with the subject line “Retaliation” on the same day. Six days later, he created a document entitled “Jihad in the Quran and Sunnah”, with his photograph on the front page and multiple extracts from the Quran that could be seen as supportive of jihad and martyrdom. He collected the Hyundai Tucson on 16 March, conducted reconnaissance of Westminster Bridge three days later and browsed YouTube for videos relating to terrorism and suicide attacks. Minutes before launching the attack, Masood shared his document with numerous WhatsApp contacts, which was soon sent onwards via iMessage and SMS A review of the intelligence gathered in the run-up to the Westminster, Manchester, London Bridge and Finsbury Park attacks found that Masood had not been re-considered as a potential threat by MI5. “No intelligence was being gathered on him and neither MI5 nor the police had any reason the anticipate the attack,” said David Anderson QC. “You’re looking at someone who is such a long way from the top of anyone’s grid that frankly, it’s a bit difficult to see how they would have been easily stopped, whatever agencies had done.”
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Khalid Masood, the man who attacked parliament this week, was born Adrian Elms in Dartford, Kent, on Christmas Day in 1964. He was also later known as Adrian Russell Ajao, after the man his mother married. The 52-year-old killed three pedestrians by driving into them on Westminster Bridge and injured 50 others before fatally stabbing a police officer and being shot by police on Wednesday. Shortly after the attack, police confirmed it was being investigated as a terrorist incident. Masood had a string of criminal convictions and was known to MI5. By Friday, police had made 11 arrests in connection with the attack, but continue to investigate whether he acted alone. Searches have been carried out at addresses in Brighton, southeast London, east London, Surrey, Manchester, Carmarthenshire, and Birmingham. Masood had been investigated “some years ago” as part of an investigation into violent extremism, prime minister Theresa May told MPs on Thursday. But despite a history of violent criminal offences he was only ever seen as "peripheral" in historical terror investigations. It is assumed by police that he was acting on extreme Islamist ideology. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack on Thursday. A former intelligence official told BuzzFeed News: "The service had him as an SOI [subject of interest] a few years ago but think he didn't meet the threshold for investigation so was not investigated further." They added: "My sense is this was pre-ISIL but the increased sophistication online and in messaging has awakened or re-radicalised him and then he's acted as a lone wolf or perhaps as part of a small circle of extremists but with a very small, neat invisible footprint." Metropolitan police Khalid Masood The Metropolitan police said in a statement: "Masood was not the subject of any current investigations and there was no prior intelligence about his intent to mount a terrorist attack.” Masood’s first conviction was in November 1983 for criminal damage and his most recent was in December 2003 for possession of a knife. He was also convicted of GBH, assaults, and public order offences, but nothing terrorism-related. In 2000, while living in the village of Northiam, Sussex, Masood, still known then as Elms, was convicted for slashing a man’s face after an argument in a pub. The victim, Piers Mott, was left needing stitches, and Elms was jailed for two years. Northiam resident Adrian Baker, who said he had lived in the village for the past 25 years, told the Press Association on Friday: “I do remember a fracas involving a guy called Piers Mott. This was a long time ago. I remember Elms being a bit of a troubled character.” Three years later Masood was accused of stabbing a man in the nose in Eastbourne, and was jailed for six months for possession of an offensive weapon. It is understood Masood had a partner and several children, including a 5-year-old boy. A marriage certificate seen by BuzzFeed News showed he married a woman called Farzana Malik in Medway, Kent, in 2004. While Masood is believed to have lived in a string of addresses in the south of England, London, and Luton – the latter with a 39-year-old woman understood to have been arrested in east London this week – it’s believed he most recently lived in a block of new flats on Quayside, a cul-de-sac in Birmingham near the canal. The flat was raided by anti-terror police at 11pm on Wednesday night after the attack. Aisha Gani / BuzzFeed News / Via BuzzFeed News The block of flats where Masood lived most recently in Quayside, a cul-de-sac in Birmingham. A next-door neighbour who gave her name as Iwona, 45, said he had lived there for seven months. "I am really surprised, I cannot believe it, I cannot believe it,” she told BuzzFeed News. “As I said, when I saw him I couldn't even think someone could do something like this. Now I am scared, someone like this living close to me. “Sometimes in the afternoon I saw him taking care of the garden, washing the car, and he was very calm." Iwona described the woman he lived with there as being in her thirties and said she wore "Islamic clothing". The neighbour said she hadn't seen Masood for a few months and that he just "took a van and went". Then, 10 days ago, the woman and child followed. "The family moved quickly and took their things out of the garage," Iwona said. Aisha Gani / BuzzFeed News / Via BuzzFeed News Masood's neighbour Iwona at her flat in Quayside, Birmingham. Another neighbour, who gave her name as Sam, said: “He moved out in December and I never really spoke to him. I didn't know his name before. “He had a little boy who was 5 years old. There was a woman – I didn't know if it was his wife or daughter. We’d just say hello in the street.” It was in Birmingham that Masood hired the Hyundai Tucson from Enterprise-Rent-a-Car that he used in his fatal attack, reportedly telling staff he was a teacher. The Department for Education said Masood never held qualified status as a teacher, but according to The Sun newspaper he claimed on his CV to have an economics degree and to be a “senior English teacher” at a TEFL college in Luton in 2009. The Sun also said Masood travelled to Saudi Arabia in 2005, where he taught English, but this has yet to be verified. It is not known when Masood converted to Islam, or changed his name, although he stopped using his birth name on the electoral roll from at least 2009. Speaking in the House of Commons on Thursday morning, the prime minister confirmed that Masood was known to the security services but said “he was not part of the current intelligence picture” and that “there was no prior intelligence of his intent to attack the capital”. Echoing police, she said the “working assumption is that the attacker was inspired by Islamist ideology”. After leaving Birmingham this week, Masood travelled to Brighton, where he spent Tuesday night in the Preston Park Hotel. Its manager Sabeur Toumi told Sky News Masood gave no indication of what was to happen the next day. “He was just like any other guest who checks into the hotel," he said. "We had a brief conversation about where he came from in Birmingham. “He talked about his family, his mum, his dad, his wife. He said his dad was ill and his mum was upset.” Janet Ajao, Masood's mother, was last night reportedly too upset to speak to reporters from her home in rural Wales. On Friday the earliest picture of Masood, then known as Adrian Ajao, emerged. It showed him as a teenager at school in Tunbridge Wells, posing after a charity football match. Huntleys School website “I am really, really shocked. He was in my class. He was a smashing guy, really nice chap. The picture of us in the football team was after we did a 24-hour sponsored football match to raise money for the sports hall,” said Stuart Knight, who went to school with Masood, to TheGuardian. “We would have been about 14 years old. Everyone got on with Adrian, he was a lovely bloke. He was a bright student, he loved sport. He was in the rugby team.” Two days earlier, Masood began his attack by mounting the pavement on Westminster Bridge and driving into pedestrians, killing 51-year-old American tourist Kurt Cochran, who was celebrating his 25th wedding anniversary; 43-year-old Spanish teacher Aysha Frade, who was travelling to pick up her two young daughters from school; and 75-year-old Leslie Rhodes from south London, who had been visiting someone in hospital. After crashing the car into a fence outside the Palace of Westminster, Masood ran into the parliamentary estate through an open gate, fatally stabbing 48-year-old PC Keith Palmer, a father and husband, before being shot by police. Stefan Rousseau / PA Wire/PA Images Emily Dugan is a senior reporter for BuzzFeed News and is based in London.
The statement continues: ‘We received a number of different reports – which included a person in the river, a car in collision with pedestrians and a man armed with a knife.’ The police have confirmed that four people have died in the incident, including a police officer and the attacker. They are calling on anyone who has photos or videos of the incident to pass them onto the police, by uploading them here. In the statement, the police ask the public to avoid the following places: Parliament Square, Whitehall, Westminster Bridge, Lambeth Bridge, Victoria Street up to the junction with Broadway and the Victoria Embankment up to Embankment tube. TfL has also warned that buses in central London will be delayed, diverted and terminating early because of the incident. There is currently no service on the 507 bus, but you can get up-to-date information on which buses are running on the TfL Bus Alerts Twitter account. Bus tickets are being accepted on the tube. Westminster tube station is closed and TfL is asking the public to avoid travelling to and from Victoria station, if possible.

The Nigeria Football Federation has proposed to the organisers of the Nigeria versus Senegal international friendly tonight in London if they can pay tribute to the victims of Wednesday’s terror attack, by wearing black arm bands and observe a minute silence in honour of those that lost their lives in the suspected terror attack in Westminster, central London . On Wednesday Five people were killed and dozens injured when a suspected terrorist drove through pedestrians on Westminster bridge, killing three members of the public before stabbing a 48-year-old man to death. Meanwhile, the arrivals on Wednesday evening and Thursday morning of goalkeepers Ikechukwu Ezenwa and Daniel Akpeyi have helped bring down the blood pressure of technical officials of the Super Eagles ahead of the two international friendly matches against Senegal and Burkina Faso. An interesting match is at hand as Nigeria seek a 10th win over Senegal in 21 clashes at senior level. Venue is The Hive, home ground of League 2 teams Barnet FC and London Bees. Organisers told thenff.com that they expect about 3,000 spectators at the 6,000-capacity ground. Both nations first clashed at senior level on February 27, 1963, Nigeria winning an Nkrumah Cup game 4-0, but the Senegalese replied in equal measure six weeks later, hammering the Eagles 5-1 in a Friendship Games match in Dakar. Senegal then stopped Nigeria from the race to the Munich ’72 Olympics, winning 3-2 on aggregate, but Nigeria also constituted stumbling block to Senegal in the race to the 1978 Africa Cup of Nations in Ghana, winning 4-3 on aggregate. Nigeria defeated host Senegal 2-1 in the opening match of the 1992 Africa Cup of Nations, and won by the same margin when eliminating the Teranga Lions in the quarter -finals of the 2000 edition that she co-hosted with Ghana. The Lions paid back by beating Nigeria (same scoreline) in the semi-finals of the 2002 Cup of Nations in Mali. But Nigeria has won the past two encounters between both nations, both at the 2006 Cup of Nations in Egypt: a group phase match in Port Said that ended 2-1 and the bronze medal match that ended 1-0 in Cairo. MATCH OFFICIALS Referee: Anthony Taylor Assistant Referee 1: Harry Lennard Assistant Referee 2: Constantine Hatzidakis Reserve Referee: Andre Marriner Photo Credit: Complete Sports Share this: Like this: About Author Hi,my name is Obinna Nwala; Founder of Henzyworld.com,I am a Life Coach an IT and Relationship Expert with so much passion in adding positively to people's life and i love solving people's problem within my maximum capacity. From my experiences in life i have come to understand that most people suffer a lot of relationships and life problems which makes them frustrated but Henzyworld is a blog to get inspired where your problems will be solved and where you get latest gist around your environment. Blog Stats You Need to Check This Out Check This Out Custom Sidebar Check it out, this is a custom one-off sidebar made specifically for this page. You can make unlimited custom sidebars for any page or post you want. About HENZYWORLD Henzyworld Blog is a place where you get motivated and inspired in your Life, Relationship and marriage matters, its a place where you get to know how to build your home, The Blog focuses on your marriage and where your innermost worries is solved one way or the other. This blog will inspire your world if only you give it the chance to do that. Subscribe to Blog via Email Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Woman injured in Westminster attack has died: UK police 1 Min Read LONDON (Reuters) - A woman who was injured in the March 22 attack on Westminster has died, police said on Friday, taking the death toll from the incident to six including the attacker. Andreea Cristea, a victim of the attack on Westminster, is seen in this undated handout photograph, received from the Metropolitan Police, following the attack in London, Britain on March 22, 2017. Metropolitan Police via REUTERS/Handout Police said they believed the woman, who died on Thursday, was Andreea Cristea, a Romanian national who had been visiting London at the time of the attack. Police have said she fell into the River Thames from Westminster Bridge after being driven at by Khalid Masood who plowed a rented car into pedestrians and stabbed a policeman to death before being shot dead.
Commons Leader David Lidington broke the news of the sickening attack to MPs. He said: "What I am able to say to the House is there has been a serious incident within the estate. "It seems that a police officer has been stabbed, that the alleged assailant was shot by armed police. GETTY London is on lockdown following the attack, which has left dozens injured "An air ambulance is currently attending the scene to remove the casualties. "There are also reports of further violent incidents in the vicinity of the Palace of Westminster. "But I hope colleagues on all sides will appreciate that it'd be wrong of me to go into further details until we have confirmation from the police and from the House security authorities about what is going on." GETTY MPs have paid tribute to the brave police officers who secured the scene Tim Farron, the Lib Dem leader, told Express.co.uk: "I can see people injured on Westminster Bridge. There are a lot of ambulances. "I was coming down the escalators with loads of other people and police suddenly stopped us all. "There was no way back up and it was a bottleneck. GETTY Forensics officers work at the scene of the London terror attack "It was very scary. Everyone was panicking but the solidarity shown was inspiring. "We're not sure if it was one or two attackers, or if it was the bloke in the 4x4 who attacked everyone on the bridge.
Fears London attack terrorist Khalid Masood was ‘assisted by others’ as cops arrest 11 and MI5 probes theory he was ‘directed by ISIS’ There are fears the killer who carried out a devastating attack on Westminster was lured to do so by ISIS mentors By Ellie Cambridge and Mike Sullivan, Crime Editor 24th March 2017, 3:40 pm Updated: 25th March 2017, 7:53 pm POLICE are desperately trying to establish if the Westminster killer acted totally alone or if he was directed on his mission by jihadi mentors. There are fears Khalid Masood may have been encouraged by others to carry out the attack, as three more people were today arrested and police probe the theory he had been radicalised before striking in London. Counter-terrorist detectives are attempting to trace any associates of the killer as they weed out what triggered the terrorist's rampage. This comes as the number of arrests following the horrific attack on the capital rose to 11 today. Since the night of the attack on Westminster police have raided homes across the UK and arrested people on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts. A 27-year-old man was held in Birmingham last night and a man aged 35 was arrested during a swoop in Manchester. A woman aged 32 was also held in Manchester this morning. They were all arrested on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts and quizzed by police trying to piece together how he came to carry out the attack. Do you have any pictures or information about London terror attacker Khalid Masood - aka Adrian Elms or Adrian Russell Ajao? We pay for your photos and stories! Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368 Security chiefs believe the father-of-three could have been assisted by others and directed on his mission of by jihadi mentors. The terror group ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack as A'map news agency reported Masoof was a "soldier of the Islamic state". Armed officers made two further “significant” arrests overnight in Birmingham and Manchester as part of a nationwide investigation, code-named Operation Classific, being led by the Met Police SO15 counter-terrorism command into the attack. MOST READ IN NEWS JOINT VENTURE Coca-Cola in ‘serious talks’ to make marijuana-infused ‘wellness drinks’ 'HE WANTS ME DEAD' Putin tried to kill me with POISON in Salisbury, claims Russian model LAST WISHES Burt Reynolds leaves his only child out of will - but son gets fortune in trust SMILER RIDE SUED HERE COMES ALI Acting Deputy Commissioner Mark Rowley today said: "Whilst there is no evidence of further threats you will understand our determination to find out if he either: acted totally alone inspired by terrorist propaganda; or, if others have encouraged, supported or directed him. "At this point I want to appeal specifically to the public. "We remain keen to hear from anyone who knew Khalid Masood well; understands who his associates were; and can provide us with information about places he has recently visited." Detectives have seized 2,700 items from the searches, including "massive amounts" of computer data, while around 3,500 witnesses have been spoken to. A clearer picture of Masood's movements before he wrought carnage on Westminster is beginning to emerge. He stayed in the Preston Park Hotel in Brighton, reportedly telling staff as he checked out that he was going to London. He added: "It isn't what it used to be." The manager of the hotel said the terrorist had been "laughing and joking, telling us stories about where he lived", hours before the atrocity. Meanwhile, the widow of a man attacked with a knife by Masood in a pub assault said her late husband was injured after defending someone during a row. Masood was jailed for two years over the 2000 attack in the car park of a pub in Northiam, near Rye in East Sussex, according to a news report at the time. His criminal activity was enough to catch the eye of authorities, with Prime Minister Theresa May revealing that he had been investigated by MI5 several years ago - but was dismissed as a "peripheral figure". It is now known he took on at least three names before carrying out the atrocity in the heart of London – which killed a police officer. The English teacher had a string of aliases and was born in South East London under the name Adrian Elms. He grew up in Tunbridge Wells, Sussex, where he was known as Adrian Elms before taking on his stepfather's surname of Ajao. AC Rowley added: "There might well be people out there who did have concerns about Masood but weren't sure or didn't feel comfortable for whatever reason in passing information to us. "I urge anyone with such information to contact us the Anti-Terrorist hotline which is 0800 789 321.”
Lionhearts boxers shaken but happy to fight on after Westminster attack The four British boxers who witnessed PC Keith Palmer being stabbed to death outside the Houses of Parliament have spoken of their experiences on Wednesday afternoon. Their coach Tony Davis was with them and attempted to save Palmer's life after he had suffered what proved to be fatal injuries. Despite the way the troubling scenes affected them, the British Lionhearts fighters chose to persist with Thursday evening's World Series of Boxing fixture against Italia Thunder and impressively secured a 5-0 victory overall. The Italians were also present at Westminster alongside fighters Frazer Clarke, Pat McCormack, Muhammad Ali, Calum French and Bulgarian Radoslav Pantaleev at the event celebrating one year of the British Lionhearts in the Community. The Lionhearts were on their way to an exit on New Palace Yard when the attack on Palmer took place, before his attacker Khalid Masood was shot by police. Flyweight and 2016 Olympian Ali was the first to fight, doing so just 30 hours after Wednesday's events, and secured the first of four unanimous-decision points victories despite a second-round knockdown. "We were just going out when it happened," said the 19-year-old. "All day, I couldn't get it out of my head because we saw everything. "The coaches spoke to us about what went on, because we had to focus (on Thursday evening's fights)." Of his defeat of Manuel Cappai, he added: "It was good to get the victory, but I'm just disappointed I got dropped. "What happened was a shock, but you have to get on with things." Welterweight McCormack, 21, who overcame Vincenzo Mangiacapre, said: "It was horrible. We were right in front of it. It was weird timing that we saw it all, but it's not something anyone wants to see. "I didn't really sleep much. My head was a bit all over and I couldn't really stop thinking about it but I'm just glad I've come, got the job done and the win. "We had a meeting, a talk. The coaches handled it very well, got us through it. "Tony was standing right next to us, and as everyone was running away he was running to aid. He saw a lot more than us and was a bit shook up. I respect him very much as a man for doing that." French, also 21 and who won at lightweight against Michael Magnesi, did not share McCormack's trouble sleeping but said: "It was the most tragic thing I've ever seen; it was horrible. "We tried our best not to let it affect us. We tried to really concentrate, and focus on the boxing instead, but my heart goes out to those involved. "What happened was a terrible, terrible, terrible event. I'm really sorry for the people involved. "I was stuck in the Houses of Parliament for nine hours, so it was quite tiring. When I got back I went straight to bed." Super-heavyweight Clarke, 25, also suffered a second-round knockdown but recovered to earn a split decision against Guido Vianello. He said: "It was the atmosphere: everyone's talking about it, I couldn't get away from it. "But I'm not the victim, I was able to box; the victims were yesterday. "If we can't get in there and fight after what we saw, how does everyone who was there get on with their lives? Police officers lost colleagues, families, friends. We were the lucky ones so we had every reason to get in there and put a show on. "I said my little bit in there, 'Rest in peace and God be with'. I don't need closure. The families need closure; the colleagues. The mother that has to look after the children. They're the ones that it's impacting, not me. "Everything's gone through my head. But someone was looking down on us; we didn't go out there (in time to be caught up in the attack). God willing, thank God, we were fine." The fourth of the Lionhearts' five wins was secured by Pantaleev, over Gianluca Rosciglione. It emerged earlier on Thursday that PC Palmer had long been a Charlton season-ticket holder, and that the League One club have planned a tribute to him. A scarf has been laid on his seat at The Valley, and will remain there until their next home fixture against MK Dons on April 4.

Women gather on Westminster Bridge to condemn 'abhorrent' attack Westminster Bridge sees women gather to condemn 'abhorrent' attack Women who gathered in London in a show of solidarity with the victims of Wednesday's terror attack have spoken of the "overwhelming" emotion they felt standing on the bridge where people were mown down. A group of women, who said they were wearing blue as a symbol of hope, stood holding hands for five minutes on Westminster Bridge as Big Ben chimed 4pm on Sunday. People from a range of backgrounds joined the event, organised by Women's March On London. Three members of the public died and many more were injured after Khalid Masood sped along the bridge before storming the parliamentary estate and stabbing to death a police officer. Fariha Khan, 40, a GP from Surbiton, said: "The feeling of what happened here on Wednesday was really strong. "We thought of the ordinary people who were here and were mown down, standing here like this, it was very overwhelming." She was joined by fellow Ahmadiyya Muslims who said they wanted to add to the condemnation of the violent attack and stand defiant in the face of terrorism. Sarah Waseem, 57, from Surrey, said: "When an attack happens in London, it is an attack on me. "It is an attack on all of us. Islam totally condemns violence of any sort. This is abhorrent to us." Being present for the demonstration shows people in the city are united in support of democracy, said Ayesha Malik. The 34-year-old mother-of-two, also from Surrey, said: "As a visible Muslim I think it was important to show solidarity with the principles that we all hold dear, the principles of plurality, diversity and so on." Londoner Mary Bennett said she was present to make a "small gesture". The retired healthcare worker said: "I am here to show that in a quiet way we continue to go where we like and do what we like in London. "This is my city. It's a very small gesture but life is made up of small gestures." Comments & Moderation Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments. Ipsoregulated This website and associated newspapers adhere to the Independent Press Standards Organisation's Editors' Code of Practice. If you have a complaint about the editorial content which relates to inaccuracy or intrusion, then please contact the editor here. If you are dissatisfied with the response provided you can contact IPSO here
Ambulances line Westminster Bridge after Parliament was put on lockdown on Wednesday afternoon ( Getty ) Soon after the invasion of Iraq in 2003, the street furniture around Westminster transformed into street armour. The Houses of Parliament were regarded as a trophy target for terrorists. An ugly ribbon of steel and concrete sprang up, aimed at preventing a suicide bomber with a truck bringing carnage to the heart of London. The loser who set out intent on mass murder at Westminster used instead a weapon as commonplace as it is deadly: a car, driven at speed into crowds of tourists and Londoners. They were the softest of targets. As a city, as a nation and as a world, we must accept that those who seek to trample on our liberal, open and tolerant way of life will turn increasingly to such rudimentary tactics. And we need to move swiftly to protect the crowds who sightsee, stroll and pose for selfies in the tourist heartland of London. As attacks in Nice, Berlin and now London have demonstrated, cars and trucks are as potentially lethal as bombs and Kalashnikovs — but far easier to procure, and therefore presenting an incalculable risk to the people who congregate in the great cities of the world. Westminster Bridge is the busiest tourist thoroughfare in Britain, connecting Parliament Square and Westminster Abbey with the London Eye and the other visitor attractions on the South Bank. At any hour during the day hundreds of visitors crowd the pavements and point their cameras, charmed by the miscellany of monuments in the centre of western Europe’s biggest city. Westminster attack: What we know so far To mangle Wordsworth’s early 19th-century view of Westminster Bridge, Earth has much to show more fair than the awkward, if endearing, muddle where SE1 meets SW1. Yet in one sense we must turn the clock back to around 1802, a time without motorised transport. Buses, taxis and bikes, of course, must flow across the Thames. But we need to learn from Brussels, which suffered so badly exactly a year earlier. The main thoroughfare that previously carved from north to south has been closed to normal traffic, and life at the core of the Belgian capital is returning to walking (or cycling) pace. In pictures: Westminster attack In pictures: Westminster attack 1/9 An air ambulance lands after gunfire sounds were heard close to the Palace of Westminster in London PA wire 2/9 MPs wait until the situation is under control in Westminster. 'The alleged assailant was shot by armed police,' David Lidington, leader of the House of Commons, told the house. BBC News 3/9 Crowds gather in Westminster after shooting incident, which police are treating as terror attack BBC News 4/9 Police were also called to an incident on Westminster Bridge nearby AP 5/9 Early reports indicate the car, which mounted the pavement on Westminster Bridge and mowed into around a dozen people, was the same vehicle which then rammed into the railings of the Palace of Westminster, just around the corner Reuters 6/9 Security sources described the suspected assailant as a middle-aged Asian man, who is understood to have left the car before attacking a police officer with a seven-to-eight inch knife PA wire 7/9 Police have asked people to avoid the immediate area to allow emergency services to deal with the ongoing incident AP 8/9 One woman has died and a number of others, including the police officer, have been hurt, according to a junior doctor at St Thomas' Hospital Reuters 9/9 At least three gun shots were heard by those inside Westminster, and proceedings in the House of Commons have been suspended AP 1/9 An air ambulance lands after gunfire sounds were heard close to the Palace of Westminster in London PA wire 2/9 MPs wait until the situation is under control in Westminster. 'The alleged assailant was shot by armed police,' David Lidington, leader of the House of Commons, told the house. BBC News 3/9 Crowds gather in Westminster after shooting incident, which police are treating as terror attack BBC News 4/9 Police were also called to an incident on Westminster Bridge nearby AP 5/9 Early reports indicate the car, which mounted the pavement on Westminster Bridge and mowed into around a dozen people, was the same vehicle which then rammed into the railings of the Palace of Westminster, just around the corner Reuters 6/9 Security sources described the suspected assailant as a middle-aged Asian man, who is understood to have left the car before attacking a police officer with a seven-to-eight inch knife PA wire 7/9 Police have asked people to avoid the immediate area to allow emergency services to deal with the ongoing incident AP 8/9 One woman has died and a number of others, including the police officer, have been hurt, according to a junior doctor at St Thomas' Hospital Reuters 9/9 At least three gun shots were heard by those inside Westminster, and proceedings in the House of Commons have been suspended AP Barcelona, Copenhagen and every other great European city should also take note and begin to protect tourists and locals against mass murderers in secondhand saloons by accepting that heavy traffic and large crowds cannot mix. “This is a day we planned for but hoped would never happen,” said Mark Rowley, assistant commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, as the toll of human suffering emerged. With the greatest of respect to him and the brave men and women who serve with him, we must urgently plan for a city with humanity at its heart. The Independent has launched its #FinalSay campaign to demand that voters are given a voice on the final Brexit deal.
London terror attack asks uncomfortable questions of MSM In the immediate aftermath of the terror attack in London, issues related to the 24-hour news cycle, the proliferation of smartphones, and ethical boundaries when sharing graphic information online have all come under intense scrutiny. Every smartphone user is now a potential citizen journalist, and the urge to be first and share as much information as possible with the wider public can compel ordinary people and journalists alike to take action without sufficient restraint. In the chaos of the immediate aftermath, several major MSM outlets were criticized for their coverage of the events, which included graphic, unobscured images and videos of the victims of the attack. While social media platforms do have content filters in place, the sheer volume of graphic content shared in the wake of the attacks caused the questionable content to be shared far and wide on both legacy and digital media, with little to no filtering. One such victim of the intense desire to be the first to break a story was the UK’s Channel 4 News, which mistakenly reported the name of the alleged attacker as a man who was, in fact, still in prison when the events took place. Channel 4 News issued a retraction and apologized, but the incident further highlighted the precarious nature of journalism in the digital age. Several MSM digital media outlets persisted with the editorial decision to publish graphic images of the victims on Thursday, which once again focuses the spotlight on both the producers and consumers of online news in a metrics-driven industry. Unsurprisingly, with such emotive events still unfolding, many online used the attacks as a platform to further their own agenda.
The Metropolitan police said they are treating the incident as a “terrorist attack". As is often the case, misinformation began circulating quickly after the attack. 1. Britain's Channel 4 reported that a man named Abu Izzadeen is the suspect in the attack, but he was jailed a year ago. Sources confirmed to BuzzFeed News that Izzadeen is still in prison. The network has since retracted its claim. 3. One tweet of a screenshot from Al Jazeera's live Facebook coverage said "the Muslim world" is laughing at the London attack. It's difficult to know whether the screenshot is real, but it is possible to see all the reactions a video got on Facebook. Al Jazeera's video shows a very small minority of viewers "laughed" at the video. Facebook / Al Jazeera English Because it's possible to keep clicking the reaction button to flood the screen with emojis, there's no way of knowing whether one person reacted or 80. There's also no way of knowing where viewers clicking the emoji are from. 4. An interview with Sadiq Khan, the London mayor, in which he said terrorist attacks are "part and parcel" of life in big cities, has been taken out of context. The interview was published in September 2016. In it, Khan said large cities “have got to be prepared for these sorts of things”, adding: "It is my job to try to make sure that we are as safe as we can be.” 5. In what has become a recurring hoax, comedian Sam Hyde has once again been falsely called the suspect.

Attack Occurs on London in Westminster On 22 March 2017, at approximately 2:40 p.m., an attacker drove a car over Westminster Bridge, killing at least 2 pedestrians and injuring numerous others. The attacker drove a car into the railing outside of the Houses of Parliament. The attacker was armed with a knife and killed unarmed officer P.C. Keith Palmer before being shot dead by armed forces. London, along with the rest of the world, were sent into panic when news of the attack broke. Seven people were left in critical condition while twenty-nine others were taken and treated by a hospital. Three of the injured were police officers who were pedestrians on the Westminster bridge at the time of the attack, two of whom were left in serious condition. Other victims were Britons as well as tourists and students from other nations, including France, Romania, South Korea, Greece, Germany, Poland, the Irish Republic, China, Italy, and the United States. The attacker was a British born man and is thought to have acted alone. His name is yet to be released. Notice of Affilation & Non-Representation The Tiger Times is a high school news journal that is produced using funds from The Fleetwood Area School District as well as club fundraisers. All subjects and topics appearing within The Tiger Times are self-selected by student reporters themselves; however, article suggestions are accepted from all students, staff, administration, and community members. Opinions and viewpoints stated in The Tiger Times are not necessarily the opinions and viewpoints of the Fleetwood Area School District, its administration, its faculty, the club advisor, or even the entirety of The Tiger Times staff. The Tiger Times is a public forum whose primary goal is to provide an outlet for student expression to The Fleetwood Area School District and its constituent communities. Viewpoints and opinions that are contrary to those appearing in The Tiger Times are welcomed, but they are not guaranteed publication except by approval from the student editors. Students who are not matriculated in the Journalism course or who are not among the club’s roster are still eligible to submit content for the periodical. All articles and letters selected for publication may be subject to editing for length and language consistent with the style established by student editors of The Tiger Times.


Police named the perpetrator of Wednesday's terror attack in London as a 52-year-old British man, Khalid Masood. Kent-born Masood, who died in the attack, was previously known by the British Intelligence, in relation to concerns of violent extremism. More details have emerged from the three people...

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Related articles “My heart goes out to those who have lost loved ones and to everyone who has been affected. “Tragically, a Metropolitan Police officer who was doing his duty protecting out city is amongst those who have been killed and my thoughts are with his family this evening. “I want to express my gratitude, on behalf of all Londoners, to the police and emergency services who have shown tremendous bravery in exceptionally difficult circumstances. “I have spoken to the Acting Commissioner Metropolitan Police Commissioner Craig Mackay and national lead for Counter-Terrorism Policing and Acting Deputy Commissioner Mark Rowley and remain in close contact with them. “Londoners should be aware that there will be additional armed and unarmed police officers on our streets from tonight in order to keep Londoners, and all those visiting out city safe. “I want to reassure all Londoners, and all our visitors, not to be alarmed. Our city remains one of the safest in the world. “London is the greatest city in the world and we stand together in the face of those who seek to harm us and destroy our way of life. “We always have and we always will. Londoners will never be cowed by terrorism.” Hours earlier the Mayor was criticised for his "deafneing silence" after issuing a brief statement before Scotland Yard confirmed the fatalities in today’s atrocity. Scotland Yard confirmed the deaths shortly before 6pm, but Mr Khan’s office remained silent until 7.30pm pointing to their earlier statement made hours earlier. Westminster terror attack in pictures Emergency services at the scene outside the Palace of Westminster, London, after policeman has been stabbed and his apparent attacker shot by officers in a major security incident at the Houses of Parliament PA Security services staff pick through debris, including a car number plate, left following the March 22 terror attack on Westminster Bridge in central London AFP/Getty Images Police forensic officers in Parliament Square outside the Houses of Parliament in London, after seven people were arrested in raids in London, Birmingham and elsewhere linked to the Westminster terror attack PA Concrete blocks en route to reinforce security in London Twitter Concrete blocks en route to reinforce security in London Twitter Concrete blocks en route to reinforce security in London Twitter Police forensic tent on Westminster Bridge SWNS.com Forensics investigators and police officers work at the site near Westminster Bridge the morning after an attack by a man driving a car and weilding a knife left five people dead and dozens injured, in London REUTERS A forensics investigator works near Westminster Bridge the morning after an attack by a man driving a car and weilding a knife left five people dead and dozens injured, in London REUTERS Conservative MP Tobias Ellwood (left) stands amongst the emergency services at the scene outside the Palace of Westminster, London PA London terror attack in Westminster Twitter Westminster terror map PA Emergency services at the scene outside the Palace of Westminster, London, after policeman has been stabbed and his apparent attacker shot by officers in a major security incident at the Houses of Parliament PA Emergency services at the scene outside the Palace of Westminster, London, after policeman has been stabbed and his apparent attacker shot by officers in a major security incident at the Houses of Parliament PA Armed police following major incidents outside the Houses of Parliament in central London EPA Emergency services at the scene outside the Palace of Westminster, London, after policeman has been stabbed and his apparent attacker shot by officers in a major security incident at the Houses of Parliament PA A member of the public is treated by emergency services near Westminster Bridge and the Houses of Parliament Getty Images An injured woman is assisted after an incident on Westminster Bridge in London REUTERS Emergency personnel close to the Palace of Westminster, London, after policeman has been stabbed and his apparent attacker shot by officers in a major security incident at the Houses of Parliament PA Emergency services make their way down Westminster Bridge towards the Houses of Parliament Getty Images A member of the public is treated by emergency services near Westminster Bridge and the Houses of Parliament Getty Images Mounted police in Trafalgar Square, London, after policeman has been stabbed and his apparent attacker shot by officers in a major security incident at the Houses of Parliament PA Armed police respond outside Parliament during an incident on Westminster Bridge in London REUTERS Armed police respond outside Parliament during an incident on Westminster Bridge in London REUTERS A member of the public is treated by emergency services near Westminster Bridge and the Houses of Parliament Getty Images A member of the public is treated by emergency services near Westminster Bridge and the Houses of Parliament Getty Images Armed police respond outside Parliament during an incident on Westminster Bridge in London REUTERS Police close to the Palace of Westminster, London, after policeman has been stabbed and his apparent attacker shot by officers in a major security incident at the Houses of Parliament PA Armed police following major incidents outside the Houses of Parliament in central London, Britain 22 March 2017 EPA Injured people are assisted after an incident on Westminster Bridge in London REUTERS London terror outside in Westminster Twitter Injured people are assisted after an incident on Westminster Bridge in London REUTERS London terror outside in Westminster Twitter Palace of Westminster incident PA CPR inside palace gardens grounds Facebook London terror outside in Westminster An Air Ambulance outside the Palace of Westminster, London, after sounds similar to gunfire have been heard close to the Palace of Westminster PA Police outside the Palace of Westminster, London, after sounds similar to gunfire have been heard close to the Palace of Westminster An armed police officer gets out of a car inside a police cordon outside the Houses of Parliament AFP/Getty Images Police tapes off Parliament Square after reports of loud bangs, in London REUTERS London terror outside in Westminster At 4.26pm Sadiq Khan issued a statement saying: "There has been a serious incident near to Parliament Square this afternoon which is being treated as a terrorist attack until the police know otherwise. “I have spoken to the Acting Commissioner. The Metropolitan Police Service is dealing with the incident and an urgent investigation is underway. My thoughts are with those affected and their families. “I would like to express my thanks to the police and emergency services who work so hard to keep us safe and show tremendous bravery in exceptionally difficult circumstances." But shocked Londoners used Twitter to ask why their Mayor had not responded to the attack earlier.
The incident comes with Europe on high alert after a series of deadly jihadist attacks One woman has died, the Press Association reported, quoting a doctor. Other people are being treated for "catastrophic" injuries. An announcement made in Parliament said there was a suspicious package in a vehicle and the bomb squad had been called which halted a planned evacuation. David Lidington, the leader of parliament's lower House of Commons who is responsible for arranging government business, told MPs: "What I am able to say to the house is there has been a serious incident. Armed police swarmed to the area which was quickly sealed off to the public. Poland's former foreign minister, Radek Sikorski, says he was in a taxi leaving Westminster and was checking his email when he heard something like a car crash, "something like a car hitting metal sheet."
Travis Frain, 19, was on a university trip to Parliament in the capital when he was suddenly thrown into the middle of the extremist attack which killed five people and injured more than 50. The Ormskirk teen was texting as he crossed Westminster Bridge, enjoying 30 minutes of fresh air between student meetings with local politicians, including West Lancs MP Rosie Cooper, on the second of a three-day trip to London. Khalid Masood abandoned his car and ran into New Palace Yard, where he fatally stabbed an unarmed police officer. Travis Frain, who was injured in the Westminster terror attack (Image: travis frain) He was then shot by an armed police officer and died at the scene. Before the incident, Travis was hit by with Massod’s 4x4 vehicle and sustained a broken leg, torn ligaments that needed to be operated on immediately, and a shrapnel-type of injury to his leg from the flying car debris. Read More He told the ECHO: “I was hit in my legs, and went over the bonnet - although it was when I landed on the concrete that I received most of my injuries. “My head landed on my friend’s chest, so I was lucky, a few inches to the side and it could have been a lot worse. “There was a period when your adrenaline kicks in, and everything turns weird. Most people were just jaw-dropped, shocked, seeing the sort of attack which hadn’t happened in the UK before - but had in places like France and Belgium.”




Pc Palmer, who worked with the Metropolitan Police for 15 years, was last night named as the officer who was murdered as he tried to stop the attacker entering Westminster around 2.30pm on WednesdayCredit: Metropolitan Police “I owe him everything. He was a wonderful dad and wonderful husband to his wife. He was fun, he was a laugh, he cared.” Meanwhile, on Thursday morning outside PC Keith Palmer's home, a quiet suburban road in Welling, the only sign of the horror caused by the terror attack was the police gathered outside the heroic officer's front door. It is understood PC Palmer's family were home but too upset to speak to anyone outside the family. Neighbours of the 48-year-old, who was stabbed by a terrorist outside Parliament yesterday, expressed their shock at the news. It came after acting deputy commissioner Mark Rowley confirmed Pc Palmer, a father-of-two who was a member of the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Squad, had sadly died, despite the efforts of paramedics and Foreign Office Minister Tobias Ellwood to save him. Speaking outside Scotland Yard after the attack on Wednesday, he said: “Today in Westminster we saw tragic events unfold and our thoughts are with those who lost loved ones, those who were injured and all those affected by this attack. "One of those who died today was a police officer, Pc Keith Palmer, a member of our parliamentary and diplomatic protection command. Keith, aged 48, had 15 years' service and was a husband and father. "He was someone who left for work today expecting to return home at the end of his shift, and he had every right to expect that would happen.” The bravery of the officer was later hailed by colleagues, friends and the many MPs whom he was charged with protecting. Conservative MP James Cleverly, a former colleague, was one of many who paid tribute to the "lovely man" he had known for a quarter of a century. He wrote of the 48-year-old father and husband: "I've known Keith for 25 years. We served together in the Royal Artillery before he became a copper. "A lovely man, a friend. I'm heartbroken. My thoughts are with the family, friends and colleagues of Pc Keith Palmer. A brave man." The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev Justin Welby, joined those sending prayers and thoughts to the family of Pc Palmer. He also acknowledged the work of many members of the public "who pitched in and did what they needed to do, when faced with things for which they had never been trained or prepared".
Mr Ellwood, who lost his brother in the Bali bombing, could be seen pumping the officer's chest then standing above him. Why was PC Palmer unarmed? PC Palmer was unarmed when his knife-wielding attacker struck. Explaining why he didn't have a gun despite being charged with guarding Parliament, Mark Rowley, said: "Our parliamentary protection team are a combination of armed and unarmed officers doing different roles, and sadly the officer who lost his life today was unarmed. "He was supported by armed colleagues who shot and killed the attacker. "[The attacker] tried to enter Parliament and was stopped at the gate." I've known Keith for 25 years. We served together in the Royal Artillery before he became a copper. A lovely man, a friend. I'm heartbroken. https://t.co/LgF4rQ7Vmg Home Affairs Select Committee chairwoman Yvette Cooper, who was in the Palace of Westminster when the terrorist burst through the gates, said: "Thank you PC Keith Palmer - to your bravery many others owe their lives and safety". Labour MP Barry Gardiner was also caught up in the lockdown and posted a picture of armed police moving through Parliament.
In the middle of London’s rush hour on Tuesday, a man crashed his car into the security barriers outside of the Houses of Parliament. Police are treating the incident, which left three people injured, as a potential terrorist attack. President Trump’s response was quick and followed his usual pattern: He fired off an early-morning tweet about “another terrorist attack” in London, comparing the suspect to an animal. Another terrorist attack in London...These animals are crazy and must be dealt with through toughness and strength! A sense of deja vu is understandable. A little over a year ago, a similar attacker — using a vehicle and then a knife — killed five people and injured more than 50 others outside the Houses of Parliament and the adjacent Westminster Bridge. Trump also tweeted (twice) about that attack — among the 46 tweets mentioning “terror” he made in 2017. Despite such high-profile attacks and responses, however, statistics released this month by the University of Maryland suggest that 2017 was the third consecutive year that the number of terrorist attacks around the world — and the deaths caused by them — had dropped. So far, 2018 looks on track to be lower still. The university’s Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) program found there were 10,900 terrorist attacks around the world last year, which killed a total of 26,400 people, including perpetrators. That was a drop from 2016, which was in turn a drop from 2015. Right now, the number of terrorist attacks and deaths from terrorism appears to have peaked in 2014, when there were nearly 17,000 attacks and more than 45,000 victims. What explains the downward trend? In Western Europe, where the number of attacks increased slightly in 2017 — but the number of victims dropped by 65 percent — it may be matters of policing and counterintelligence. British Prime Minister Theresa May said Tuesday that the country had foiled 13 Islamist terrorism plots and four far-right plots since March 2017, when last year’s attack near the Houses of Parliament occurred. On a global scale, however, the answer is clear. Though there was a surge in terrorist attacks in Europe in recent years, most attacks still occur in the Middle East and Africa, and those regions saw a big decline in 2017. The number of terrorist attacks in the Middle East and North Africa dropped by 38 percent year on year according to START; the number of victims declined by 44 percent. That can largely be attributed to the Islamic States' loss of territory and military defeats throughout 2017. Without a stable base, the number of attacks the jihadist group could stage in countries like Iraq and Syria dropped sharply, as did the damage it could inflict on civilian populations. Indeed, it was largely thanks to the rise of the Islamic State and other extremist groups like Boko Haram that 2014 became such a remarkable year for global terrorism in the first place. In 2015, the Institute for Economics and Peace released a report that found there was an 80 percent increase in the number of deaths from terrorism in just one year — and the number of deaths from terrorism in 2014 was ninefold what it had been in 2000. But a closer read of the 2014 statistics paints a nuanced picture. START’s data from the year found just three countries — Iraq, Nigeria and Afghanistan — accounted for 60 percent of deaths from terrorism. Even though the total number of deaths globally from terrorism that year was clearly terrible (more than 45,000, according to START), it was still less than the number of deaths due to drug overdoses that same year in the United States alone. The United States was largely spared from the worst of this global increase in terrorism — START found 27 deaths in the country from terrorism in 2014, which included perpetrators. But terrorism has still shaken American politics. A Pew poll from July 2016, for example, found that voters thought that terrorism should get more time than any other subject in presidential debates. It’s too early to say whether 2018 will continue the encouraging trend of the past three years. Another monitoring group, Jane’s IHS Markit, has warned that there may be a surge in attacks in Europe as Islamic State fighters return from the Middle East. Notably, on Tuesday, two separate reports suggested the number of fighters still with the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria is considerably higher than previously estimated. But a bigger question is whether we can even know that terrorism is declining. Measuring global terrorism is a complicated task: START is one of only a handful of projects that strives to monitor it on a global level (Jane’s, mentioned above, is another). For the past six years, the State Department provided funding to START, effectively subcontracting the job of data collection on terrorism. But Erin Miller, the program manager for START’s Global Terrorism Database, said in an email that her team has been told the State Department did not renew its contract. Though the team is now seeking alternative funding, Miller said, there are currently no plans to publish data for 2018. In its place, we may be left with more unscientific, emotional measures of global terrorism. Even there, however, things are looking calmer: Trump has only tweeted the word “terror” nine times so far in 2018.

Made in Westminster: The source of the USS ‘crisis’ – and the solution [The USS ‘crisis’] is the result of the misrepresentation of the finances of the USS, and the desire of a new breed of university managements to cut their pension liabilities and thereby ease the financing of new buildings and campuses. Successive Pension Acts have encouraged managers of private sector schemes to exaggerate the risks of default. Combined with Quantitative Easing, this has led to a headlong abandonment of Final Salary Defined Benefit to “Defined Contribution” schemes, where employees rather than employers bear investment risk. Higher Education today is shaped by frantic competition for students and huge building projects. Universities can recruit unlimited UK undergraduates paying an annual £9,000 plus, backed by taxpayer loans. The Higher Education and Research Act 2017 even allows universities to go bankrupt. Much of this argument will be familiar to colleagues. The debate about the University Superannuation Scheme (USS) deficit has been an active subject of discussion on campuses since last summer when the press first announced that the pension scheme was at risk. Initial press claims were of a deficit of £17.5bn, while at exactly the same time USS themselves reassured pensioners that the scheme was in surplus. But it is worth considering the source of this deficit in more detail than the Guardian letter’s pages will permit. Is the deficit real, as the employers and USS themselves have asserted, or is it an accounting artefact, as the UCU trade union has claimed? This is a key question, of course. Most important of all, until we know the source of the deficit we cannot begin to propose solutions. We will turn to these shortly. First we need to summarise briefly the methodology that is used for valuing USS. How USS is valued The USS is obliged by the Pension Regulator, an arm of Government (technically, a ‘non-departmental public body’), to triennially review the valuation of its assets and future liabilities. Future liabilities are estimated on the basis of a number of actuarial assumptions, including life expectancy for men and women, projections of wage and consumer price inflation, and so on. Several of these assumptions have been criticised for over-estimating the liabilities. Small changes in assumptions can have very large consequences thanks to the effect of compound interest. In the most recent valuation, it has been the method for valuing the assets of the scheme that has been the focus of most public challenges. At the time of writing in February 2018, USS has its investments in some 70% stocks and shares, which are high yield but high risk, and around 10% in government stock and gilts: low yield and low risk. The remaining 20% or so is in a number of other investment vehicles. Over the last five years the investments have performed well, and the last Annual Report was able to boast that the assets had grown by an average of 12% per annum for the last five years to £60bn. One might think that the scheme should be valued in terms of the assets it holds. Suppose you own a house and you want to use your house value to ease your retirement. Your principal concern will be about the market value of that house in the future (and future remortgaging conditions). Working for UCU, First Actuarial examined USS’s actual assets, its income projections (contributions from the sector) and pension liabilities. They found that income and liabilities closely match for the next 40 years without touching the assets. Figure 1: Doing nothing is a genuine option: income (green) closely matches outgoings (blue) for the next 40 years with some modest assumptions. From Salt and Benstead (2017) Progressing the Valuation of USS. London: First Actuarial. That is, if no action were taken, USS would be able to pay its pensioners well into the future without even touching its assets. Its assets could therefore continue to be invested in a mixed portfolio, and (although past performance is no guarantee) grow at a rate exceeding inflation. Like the house buyer, they are not about to sell their house at current market prices. However, this is not how USS values its assets. Instead, the USS valuation uses a method called “self-sufficiency in gilts”. In the 2014 USS valuation this was sometimes referred to as a “Gilts+” methodology. A new test, “Test 1”, was introduced which placed further conditions on this valuation. But essentially the idea is as follows. Assume that USS closes tomorrow. In order to guarantee payments to pensioners it needs to shield assets from stock market variability. To do this, it moves its assets from the current mixed portfolio dominated by stocks and shares to government stocks and gilts (for reasons of brevity we will refer to a range of government stock investments as ‘gilts’, although technically the term applies more narrowly). This process is called “de-risking” because government stock is meant to be secure — far more stable than an individual stock price at least. It means selling stock at current prices and buying gilts, and predicting future gilt yields. Unfortunately gilt yields are very low, and likely to remain low, thanks to Quantitative Easing (see below) undermining the UK Government’s credit rating and sterling value. Crucially, they are likely to stay well below inflation for the near and long term. Note that this is a counterfactual assumption. Assets are still 70% invested in stocks and shares. It is not a model of the running of the scheme. It is a model of what would need to happen if the employers ceased to operate. If all universities went bankrupt tomorrow, staff would not be paid, and USS would receive no employer and employee contributions. The scheme would close, and would then have to pay out its liabilities. The obvious question has to be whether sectoral bankruptcy is a meaningful basis for valuing this pension scheme. (Note: some in the pensions industry are questioning whether it is a reasonable basis for valuing any pension scheme.) Private sector pension scheme regulations say that valuations must take place by modelling this scenario. In the case of single-employer schemes, the worst-case assumption is important. Employers like BHS and Carillion were the sole employer paying into their pension schemes. The single employer can declare bankruptcy, leaving the pension scheme to pay out entirely on its assets. But the 68 large pre-92 Higher Education institutions who are the principal members of USS are not a single employer. (USS cites 350 employer members, but most are small.) The model assumes all institutions go bankrupt simultaneously. This is an extraordinary assumption, one that in political terms can be said to have zero probability. That is, if the entire pre-92 university sector declared bankruptcy, I would contend that the government of the day would be faced with a political crisis of unprecedented scale, compelling them to intervene to protect staff, students and pensions. Moreover, if the government of today is genuinely envisaging this scenario, they have a political obligation to say so, and explain now what they will do about it! There has been no instance of a single bankruptcy of a pre-92 university since USS was established. Instead, universities have been obliged to merge, teach out courses and thereby transfer staff and students. Thus when University College Cardiff was in financial difficulty in 1987, it merged with the University of Wales Institute of Science and Technology (UWIST, also in some difficulty) and the University of Wales College of Cardiff, to become Cardiff University. This means that even in cases of financial hardship for one institution the sector itself may continue to grow. The joint and several liability for the pension scheme means other employers pick up the tab, just as they grow market share. Let us consider the shocking scenario where a large Russell Group university declares bankruptcy. This is a more realistic possibility than sectoral closure. It is a scenario newly envisaged by the Higher Education and Research Act. Instead of being obliged to manage ‘institutional exit’, as the 2016 HE White Paper euphemistically called the process, the legislation now permits, in theory at least, an institution being permitted to shut down overnight. Worse, let us also assume that the Government takes a zero-intervention approach, and does not fund a gradual withdrawal from the undergraduate market. The exit of a large player from a market of many competing institutions may be a severe shock, causing (say) 10,000 USS active members to be without employment, and their contributions to cease. In 2017, USS had a total of 190,546 active members (those paying into their scheme). In the short term, USS would lose 5% of its income. Note: the figure of 10,000 reflects one of the big institutions like UCL. There are 68 pre-92 university employers out of the 350 participating employers. Considering only these employers would obtain an average of 2,802 active USS members per institution. But markets with many players can absorb market share relatively easily. Students will need to move somewhere, and staff will be required to teach them. Grant-funded research activity is hypothecated (funding is earmarked solely for that purpose) and much of it will relocate, with staff. So the redundancies will be absorbed by employment elsewhere. In other words, the obligation to share risk across the sector is, in fact, offset by the ability of institutions to absorb market share. None of the above is intended to be blasé about the human and social consequences of a large bankruptcy of this nature. Rather, it is to point out that for USS, these consequences should not be exaggerated. Yet exaggerating the risk of bankruptcy lies at the heart of this valuation model. The result of the USS valuation in September 2017 was the following distribution. Using a model of gradual de-risking over the next ten years, the mean projected deficit (‘the best estimate’) was £8.3 billion in surplus. The sketch below illustrates the principle. The distribution is approximately Normal, and symmetric. Sketch of the probability distribution of the difference between USS assets and liabilities projected on September valuation assumptions (gradual ‘de-risking’). The deficit is the lower bound of a 33% confidence interval of £8.3bn ± 13.4bn. (The standard deviation is an astounding £31bn). There is thus a one in three chance that the actual deficit will be more than £5.1bn. But there is a two in three chance that the deficit will be smaller than £5.1bn, or the scheme will be in surplus. Indeed, the zero point is 0.27 standard deviations below the mean, a probability of 0.21 of the area on the left hand side of the mean. There is a 60% chance that the assets will outstrip the liabilities, and a below 40% chance that (in the imaginary situation of gradual scheme shutdown), the assets will not meet the liabilities. Of course, this entire model hinges on the need to de-risk. What happens if the scheme de-risks immediately? The university employers’ federation Universities UK asked this question in November last year. Having consulted their members, they concluded that the sector would not like to carry the theoretical declining risk of a mixed portfolio for the next ten years, and would wish to model immediate de-risking. This obtained the following graph. Sketch of the probability distribution of the difference between USS assets and liabilities projected by November Technical Provisions (immediate ‘de-risking’). Again, the scheme is in surplus. But thanks to the fire-sale of assets and the greater exposure to the below-inflation value of gilts, the projected mean declines to £5.2bn. The lower bound of the 33% interval (0.43 standard deviations) is -7.5bn. The projection has become slightly more certain. Applying the same calculation as before, the chance of scheme default has increased from 39.5% to 43%. Indeed, conducting ‘de-risking’ under current market conditions is a sure-fire way to turn a projected deficit into an actual one. The actuarial term is extremely misleading. Actual de-risking is not only counterfactual, it would be an imprudent way to manage the pension scheme! Now that we have understood the valuation method currently in operation, we can consider the three causes outlined in our letter. Cause 1: The Pensions Acts and the Pension Regulator There have been a flurry of Pensions Acts since 2004. There were Pensions Acts in 2004, 2007, 2008 (which established automatic enrolment), 2011, 2014 and 2017. The key ones for our argument concern the office of the Pension Regulator. The Pension Regulator was established by the Pensions Act 2004. On paper, a Pensions Regulator is a good thing, attempting to ensure through intervention that private pension schemes are self-standing in the circumstances where an employer goes bankrupt. However, the regulatory requirements of the Pension Regulator primarily concern Defined Benefit schemes. These schemes have an “employer covenant”, a legal obligation for the employer to guarantee defined benefits should the employer go bankrupt. As bankrupts cannot pay bills, this duty means intervening in the valuation and regulation of live schemes. The Pension Regulator insists on cautionary estimates of pension scheme deficits. to minimise any adverse impact on the sustainable growth of sponsoring employers when exercising its functions relating to scheme funding. The Pension Regulator has a number of statutory obligations, the central one being of course to ensure that pension schemes do not fall into deficit. But the new statutory duty of 2014 places the commercial interests of sponsoring employers over the responsibility to fund private sector pension schemes. As Willis Towers Watson comment It will be important to think through arguments [for corporates] to defend against any methodologies which result in building in excessive prudence through the back door. The obvious point is that modelling a multi-employer pension scheme (especially one whose income stream is an hypothecated section of public sector finances) as if it were a single employer is absurd. Modelling any risk of default on a zero-probability event is to model a zero probability. The real chance of deficit is zero, unless USS themselves pull the plug and ‘de-risk’ the scheme. Indeed the way to risk deficit is to do precisely this. Therefore the Pension Regulator simply needs to accept that the valuation method being used is meaningless, and recognise that efforts to address a non-existent deficit risk are counter-productive. They are examples of ‘excessive prudence’. Cause 2: Quantitative Easing Quantitative Easing is the process whereby since the 2008 banking crisis, first Labour and then the Conservatives have increased money supply (‘printed money’) to bail out the banking sector. The current manifestation of QE is the retention by the Bank of England of artificially low interest rates. This has had the effect of pushing up the cost of buying gilts but depressing their rate of return (yield). Gilt yields increased after the vote to leave the EU, but to a peak of 1.1%. But this has been overtaken by inflation. The crucial factor for a pension fund is whether gilt yields exceed CPI. If all the assets are in gilts, any below-inflation growth is a real-terms decline in asset values. Inflation erodes the pension assets. This is precisely why early de-risking (despite its name) increases the chance of scheme default. Cause 3: The Higher Education and Research Act and its precursors Government HE policy since 2010 culminated in the Higher Education and Research Act 2017. This commenced with the introduction of £9,000 a year undergraduate fees and the partial abolition of the block grant (total abolition for Arts and Humanities). Universities found that they could make a tidy profit by ‘pile em high’ practices. But they were still restricted in the numbers of students they could recruit. This all changed with the removal in 2014 of caps on student numbers. Universities could now compete with each other for students, and market share. The first set of victims have been the post-92 universities, the ex-polytechnics, whose staff are not in the USS pension scheme. Students considering an expensive degree at London Metropolitan University, for example, now found places at King’s College. In London, LMU’s pain has been swiftly followed by that of Westminster University, currently engaged in serial cutbacks of staff. In this first wave, the USS employers have boomed. Indeed, the Higher Education Statistics Agency reports that sector surpluses rose by a factor of 10 from £158m in 2005/6 to £1.5bn in 2016/17. However, to accommodate the new student numbers, universities needed estate capacity. They started a major programme of investment in new buildings, campuses and student accommodation. To do this they needed to borrow. Whereas some initial loans may have been on favourable terms, as construction costs have increased, institutions have had to borrow on the open market. Of course, when you borrow in this way you have to declare your assets and your liabilities, including the liability toward the pension fund. It is this new obligation that I believe explains why, in the USS negotiations, UUK employers (led by the most expansionist Russell Group employers) focused on Defined Contribution, rather than, say, a worse Defined Benefit scheme. This is because a shift to Defined Contribution removes any future liability the employers have towards the stability of the scheme. It ends the employer covenant. Conclusion The fight over the USS pension is the first national dispute over the finances and shape of the UK Higher Education sector since the enactment of the Higher Education and Research Bill as an Act. Market competition and the new regulatory environment are causing employers to try to limit their liabilities and reduce their costs. One can read the specific solutions proposed by the employers as signifiers of their priorities towards staff more generally. When we wrote the Alternative White Paper for Higher Education, we did not predict that the first victim of the new HE regime would be university pensions. But the links between government policy, institutional behaviour and the USS ‘crisis’ are not hard to see. For decades USS was strong and stable. There is no evidence that any intrinsic factor has changed. USS has a set of internal regulations and parameters for managing stock market risk. There is no need to ‘de-risk’ the portfolio. The deficit is a projection under imagined conditions. It is counterfactual, and not real. To compound this observation, even in these impossible conditions the scheme is odds-on to achieve a surplus. The deficit that arises is an artefact of the scale of uncertainty assumed in the model. What has changed in the reporting of the scheme finances has been due to the pressure of the Pension Regulator to report finances on the mathematically incoherent ‘self sufficiency in gilts’ basis, and the impact of Quantitative Easing on this gilts-based modelling. All three of these extrinsic factors arise as a result of Government policy, whether they be Pension Acts, QE or the fees-and-loans market in education. If we want to fix the ‘crisis’ in the USS pension scheme, the rational solution is to address its causes directly. A compromise solution that leaves the valuation methodology in place invites future cuts in the scheme. We need to fix the problem at source. The Government could take any of the following steps: instruct the Pension Regulator to move deadlines, instruct the Pension Regulator to set aside the self-sufficiency valuation requirement, agree to act as guarantor of last resort until the next valuation cycle, opt to put money into the scheme / buy a stake in it, engage in full nationalisation. Given that the risk of scheme default is actually zero unless the USS Board order a disinvestment programme (choose to ‘de-risk’), for the Government to agree to act as a guarantor of last resort is an extraordinarily cheap intervention. Moreover, providing this assurance to scheme Trustees until the next valuation would also permit the National Audit Office to review the valuation methodology and propose rational alternatives. USS is required to value the scheme every 3 years and to do so in a way that considers long and short term, but it is not required to use the current approach. This is a crisis Made in Westminster — and the solution lies in Ministers’ hands. There is already an Early Day Motion 619 signed (at the time of writing) by 65 MPs. The problem and the solution lies in Westminster. It is time to resolve this dispute by preserving the scheme as-is. In the meantime, staff in universities are absolutely correct to strike. Unless they do, Government minds will not be concentrated. The main problem we faced in campaigning over the HE Bill was not that we did not convince senior Government figures of our analysis. It was that there was not a mass movement outside of Parliament to defend our Universities. A reasonable valuation of the assets taking into account the plural nature of employing institutions is of course a big issue, but the calculation of the liabilities needs also to be taken into account. Final salary scheme pensions are calculated based on the best year in a period of some 12 years prior to retirement updated by inflation (CPI now rather than the previous RPI). University staff salaries have been held down to well below both measures of inflation for a decade or more. This means in the coming years the salary base used in pensions calculations of many staff with significant years of service will actually begin to fall reducing, not increasng, USS liabilities for those staff. As many in universities and some vice chancellors (e.g. Imperial and Edinburgh) have now been suggesting it is essential that a fair and transparent valuation of assets on a proper considered basis (not some simplified worst case scenario) and the liabilities (using the real data on salaries) is done by some group able to do a proper evidence and data based analysis, not using some unbelievable formulaic approach. This needs to be thorough, detailed and transparent so it is accepted by all sides before any change is made to the current USS scheme so soon after the recent significant changes. The evidence base will also be needed if challenges to regulator formulae or government rules are necessary. In terms of the liabilities calculation it is a mix of previous and current schemes Sean… but my point, as I am sure you realise, is that a proper calculation is needed ased on real data and not some simplistic and silly formulaic one.
How the Westminster terror attack unfolded – video report Four victims died after a single terrorist staged an attack in central London on Wednesday, killing three members of the public as he careered across Westminster Bridge in a 4x4 car and stabbing a policeman to death outside parliament. This is how the events unfolded.
Khalid Masood, the man who attacked parliament this week, was born Adrian Elms in Dartford, Kent, on Christmas Day in 1964. He was also later known as Adrian Russell Ajao, after the man his mother married. The 52-year-old killed three pedestrians by driving into them on Westminster Bridge and injured 50 others before fatally stabbing a police officer and being shot by police on Wednesday. Shortly after the attack, police confirmed it was being investigated as a terrorist incident. Masood had a string of criminal convictions and was known to MI5. By Friday, police had made 11 arrests in connection with the attack, but continue to investigate whether he acted alone. Searches have been carried out at addresses in Brighton, southeast London, east London, Surrey, Manchester, Carmarthenshire, and Birmingham. Masood had been investigated “some years ago” as part of an investigation into violent extremism, prime minister Theresa May told MPs on Thursday. But despite a history of violent criminal offences he was only ever seen as "peripheral" in historical terror investigations. It is assumed by police that he was acting on extreme Islamist ideology. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack on Thursday. A former intelligence official told BuzzFeed News: "The service had him as an SOI [subject of interest] a few years ago but think he didn't meet the threshold for investigation so was not investigated further." They added: "My sense is this was pre-ISIL but the increased sophistication online and in messaging has awakened or re-radicalised him and then he's acted as a lone wolf or perhaps as part of a small circle of extremists but with a very small, neat invisible footprint." Metropolitan police Khalid Masood The Metropolitan police said in a statement: "Masood was not the subject of any current investigations and there was no prior intelligence about his intent to mount a terrorist attack.” Masood’s first conviction was in November 1983 for criminal damage and his most recent was in December 2003 for possession of a knife. He was also convicted of GBH, assaults, and public order offences, but nothing terrorism-related. In 2000, while living in the village of Northiam, Sussex, Masood, still known then as Elms, was convicted for slashing a man’s face after an argument in a pub. The victim, Piers Mott, was left needing stitches, and Elms was jailed for two years. Northiam resident Adrian Baker, who said he had lived in the village for the past 25 years, told the Press Association on Friday: “I do remember a fracas involving a guy called Piers Mott. This was a long time ago. I remember Elms being a bit of a troubled character.” Three years later Masood was accused of stabbing a man in the nose in Eastbourne, and was jailed for six months for possession of an offensive weapon. It is understood Masood had a partner and several children, including a 5-year-old boy. A marriage certificate seen by BuzzFeed News showed he married a woman called Farzana Malik in Medway, Kent, in 2004. While Masood is believed to have lived in a string of addresses in the south of England, London, and Luton – the latter with a 39-year-old woman understood to have been arrested in east London this week – it’s believed he most recently lived in a block of new flats on Quayside, a cul-de-sac in Birmingham near the canal. The flat was raided by anti-terror police at 11pm on Wednesday night after the attack. Aisha Gani / BuzzFeed News / Via BuzzFeed News The block of flats where Masood lived most recently in Quayside, a cul-de-sac in Birmingham. A next-door neighbour who gave her name as Iwona, 45, said he had lived there for seven months. "I am really surprised, I cannot believe it, I cannot believe it,” she told BuzzFeed News. “As I said, when I saw him I couldn't even think someone could do something like this. Now I am scared, someone like this living close to me. “Sometimes in the afternoon I saw him taking care of the garden, washing the car, and he was very calm." Iwona described the woman he lived with there as being in her thirties and said she wore "Islamic clothing". The neighbour said she hadn't seen Masood for a few months and that he just "took a van and went". Then, 10 days ago, the woman and child followed. "The family moved quickly and took their things out of the garage," Iwona said. Aisha Gani / BuzzFeed News / Via BuzzFeed News Masood's neighbour Iwona at her flat in Quayside, Birmingham. Another neighbour, who gave her name as Sam, said: “He moved out in December and I never really spoke to him. I didn't know his name before. “He had a little boy who was 5 years old. There was a woman – I didn't know if it was his wife or daughter. We’d just say hello in the street.” It was in Birmingham that Masood hired the Hyundai Tucson from Enterprise-Rent-a-Car that he used in his fatal attack, reportedly telling staff he was a teacher. The Department for Education said Masood never held qualified status as a teacher, but according to The Sun newspaper he claimed on his CV to have an economics degree and to be a “senior English teacher” at a TEFL college in Luton in 2009. The Sun also said Masood travelled to Saudi Arabia in 2005, where he taught English, but this has yet to be verified. It is not known when Masood converted to Islam, or changed his name, although he stopped using his birth name on the electoral roll from at least 2009. Speaking in the House of Commons on Thursday morning, the prime minister confirmed that Masood was known to the security services but said “he was not part of the current intelligence picture” and that “there was no prior intelligence of his intent to attack the capital”. Echoing police, she said the “working assumption is that the attacker was inspired by Islamist ideology”. After leaving Birmingham this week, Masood travelled to Brighton, where he spent Tuesday night in the Preston Park Hotel. Its manager Sabeur Toumi told Sky News Masood gave no indication of what was to happen the next day. “He was just like any other guest who checks into the hotel," he said. "We had a brief conversation about where he came from in Birmingham. “He talked about his family, his mum, his dad, his wife. He said his dad was ill and his mum was upset.” Janet Ajao, Masood's mother, was last night reportedly too upset to speak to reporters from her home in rural Wales. On Friday the earliest picture of Masood, then known as Adrian Ajao, emerged. It showed him as a teenager at school in Tunbridge Wells, posing after a charity football match. Huntleys School website “I am really, really shocked. He was in my class. He was a smashing guy, really nice chap. The picture of us in the football team was after we did a 24-hour sponsored football match to raise money for the sports hall,” said Stuart Knight, who went to school with Masood, to TheGuardian. “We would have been about 14 years old. Everyone got on with Adrian, he was a lovely bloke. He was a bright student, he loved sport. He was in the rugby team.” Two days earlier, Masood began his attack by mounting the pavement on Westminster Bridge and driving into pedestrians, killing 51-year-old American tourist Kurt Cochran, who was celebrating his 25th wedding anniversary; 43-year-old Spanish teacher Aysha Frade, who was travelling to pick up her two young daughters from school; and 75-year-old Leslie Rhodes from south London, who had been visiting someone in hospital. After crashing the car into a fence outside the Palace of Westminster, Masood ran into the parliamentary estate through an open gate, fatally stabbing 48-year-old PC Keith Palmer, a father and husband, before being shot by police. Stefan Rousseau / PA Wire/PA Images Emily Dugan is a senior reporter for BuzzFeed News and is based in London.
A funeral service has taken place for a Romanian tourist thrown into the Thames when an extremist ploughed into pedestrians on London's Westminster Bridge. Andreea Cristea, 31, was knocked into the river when Khalid Masood drove his rented car into pedestrians on March 22 and died two weeks later. Her boyfriend, Andrei Burnaz, suffered a broken foot. Masood rushed on to the grounds of Parliament, where he fatally stabbed a policeman before being shot dead by another officer. Dozens of mourners attended the service at the St Mary's church on Saturday near the dockyards in the city in Constanta in eastern Romania, near the sea that she loved. The Romanian couple were on a short break to celebrate the birthday of Mr Burnaz, who had been planning to propose to Miss Cristea. About 150 mourners carrying flickering candles gathered at the church wearing badges with her photo which said: "Forever in my heart!" Two heart-shaped wreaths of white roses adorned her coffin. Orthodox Archbishop Teodosie of Tomis headed a group of priests who wafted incense during the service, much of which was sung. Miss Cristea was pulled from the Thames and later had surgery for a blood clot on the brain. She died on April 6 when life support was withdrawn. She was the fifth victim of Masood, a 52-year-old former inmate who had embraced radical Islam. Dozens more were wounded in the rampage. Mr Teodosie called Miss Cristea "young, beautiful, hard-working and full of love" and that "a destiny that was about to take flight had its wings cut," alluding to the forthcoming proposal from Mr Burnaz, an engineer who stood quietly during the service and wept occasionally. After her death, her family and Mr Burnaz described Miss Cristea as "our shining ray of light that will forever keep on shining in our hearts," and said they would donate all the money raised on her behalf since the attack to charity.
People look at floral tributes to victims of Wednesday's attack on Parliament Square outside the Houses of Parliament in London, Friday March 24, 2017. On Thursday authorities identified a 52-year-old Briton as the man who mowed down pedestrians and stabbed a policeman to death outside Parliament in London, saying he had a long criminal record and once was investigated for extremism — but was not currently on a terrorism watch list. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham) London Mayor Sadiq Khan looks at floral tributes to victims of Wednesday's attack outside the Houses of Parliament in London, Friday March 24, 2017. On Thursday authorities identified a 52-year-old Briton as the man who mowed down pedestrians and stabbed a policeman to death outside Parliament in London, saying he had a long criminal record and once was investigated for extremism — but was not currently on a terrorism watch list. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham) Floral tributes to victims of Wednesday's attack outside the Houses of Parliament in London, Friday March 24, 2017. On Thursday authorities identified a 52-year-old Briton as the man who mowed down pedestrians and stabbed a policeman to death outside Parliament in London, saying he had a long criminal record and once was investigated for extremism — but was not currently on a terrorism watch list. (AP Photo/Tim Ireland) Britain's Prince Charles, right, meets paramedics and support staff who assisted those injured in the attack in Westminster, at King's College Hospital in London, Friday March 24, 2017. Police are combing through "massive amounts of computer data" and have contacted thousands of witnesses as they look for clues about why a British-born man became radicalized and launched a deadly attack on Parliament, a senior police official said Friday. (Yui Mok/Pool Photo via AP) Britain's Prince Charles, background centre right, meets paramedics and support staff who assisted those injured in the attack in Westminster, at King's College Hospital in London, Friday March 24, 2017. Police are combing through "massive amounts of computer data" and have contacted thousands of witnesses as they look for clues about why a British-born man became radicalized and launched a deadly attack on Parliament, a senior police official said Friday. (Yui Mok/Pool Photo via AP) London Mayor Sadiq Khan walks on Westminster Bridge near floral tributes to victims of Wednesday's attack outside the Houses of Parliament in London, Friday March 24, 2017. On Thursday authorities identified a 52-year-old Briton as the man who mowed down pedestrians and stabbed a policeman to death outside Parliament in London, saying he had a long criminal record and once was investigated for extremism — but was not currently on a terrorism watch list. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham) Britain's Prince Charles, centre, meets paramedics and support staff who assisted those injured in the attack in Westminster, at King's College Hospital in London, Friday March 24, 2017. Police are combing through "massive amounts of computer data" and have contacted thousands of witnesses as they look for clues about why a British-born man became radicalized and launched a deadly attack on Parliament, a senior police official said Friday. (Yui Mok/Pool Photo via AP) Conservative MP Tobias Ellwood walks past floral tributes to victims of Wednesday's attack outside the Houses of Parliament in London, Friday March 24, 2017. Ellwood desperately tried to save the life of Constable Keith Palmer, the police officer killed on Wednesday when a man went on a deadly rampage, first driving a car into pedestrians then stabbing a police officer to death before being fatally shot by police within Parliament's grounds in London. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham) Tributes to victims of Wednesday's attack laid outside the Houses of Parliament in London, Friday March 24, 2017. On Thursday authorities identified a 52-year-old Briton as the man who mowed down pedestrians and stabbed a policeman to death outside Parliament in London, saying he had a long criminal record and once was investigated for extremism — but was not currently on a terrorism watch list. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham) In this Oct. 14, 2016, image provided by Claire Thorogood, Andrew Thorogood, left, and his daughters, Alexsandra, second right, and Georgia, right, smile next to Officer Keith Palmer, second left, outside the Houses of Parliament in London. Palmer was one of four people killed in an attack in Westminster while on duty at Parliament when he was stabbed to death on Wednesday, March 22, 2017. (Claire Thorogood via the AP) Metropolitan Police counterterrorism chief Mark Rowley speaks to the media about the terrorist attack, outside New Scotland Yard in London, Friday March 24, 2017. London's top anti-terror officer says two more "significant arrests" have been made in connection with the Westminster attack, in central and northern England. (Lauren Hurley/PA via AP) People light candles at a vigil for the victims of Wednesday's attack, at Trafalgar Square in London, Thursday, March 23, 2017. The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for an attack by a man who plowed an SUV into pedestrians and then stabbed a police officer to death on the grounds of Britain's Parliament. Mayor Sadiq Khan called for Londoners to attend a candlelit vigil at Trafalgar Square on Thursday evening in solidarity with the victims and their families and to show that London remains united. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham) A woman holds up a sign at a vigil for the victims of Wednesday's attack, at Trafalgar Square in London, Thursday, March 23, 2017. The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for an attack by a man who plowed an SUV into pedestrians and then stabbed a police officer to death on the grounds of Britain's Parliament. Mayor Sadiq Khan called for Londoners to attend a candlelit vigil at Trafalgar Square on Thursday evening in solidarity with the victims and their families and to show that London remains united. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham) Britain's Prince Charles, right, meets paramedics and support staff who assisted those injured in the attack in Westminster, at King's College Hospital in London, Friday March 24, 2017. Police are combing through "massive amounts of computer data" and have contacted thousands of witnesses as they look for clues about why a British-born man became radicalized and launched a deadly attack on Parliament, a senior police official said Friday. (Yui Mok/Pool Photo via AP) People view floral tributes to victims of Wednesday's attack outside the Houses of Parliament in London, Friday, March 24, 2017. On Thursday authorities identified a 52-year-old Briton as the man who mowed down pedestrians and stabbed a policeman to death outside Parliament in London, saying he had a long criminal record and once was investigated for extremism — but was not currently on a terrorism watch list. (AP Photo/Tim Ireland) PC recruits observe a minute's silence at their passing out parade at Peel House, in Colindale, England, Friday, March 24, 2017, with the Police Colours' Flag lowered and a Union flag flown at half mast following the death of policeman Keith Palmer during an attack in Westminster. In a briefing outside Scotland Yard, London's top counterterror officer, Mark Rowley, said two more "significant" arrests had been made, bringing to nine the number of people in custody over Wednesday's attack. (Nick Ansell/PA via AP) Floral tributes to victims of Wednesday's attack outside the Houses of Parliament in London, Friday March 24, 2017. On Thursday authorities identified a 52-year-old Briton as the man who mowed down pedestrians and stabbed a policeman to death outside Parliament in London, saying he had a long criminal record and once was investigated for extremism — but was not currently on a terrorism watch list. (AP Photo/Tim Ireland) A police officer places flowers as a man gestures beside floral tributes to victims of Wednesday's attack, on Parliament Square outside the Houses of Parliament in London, Friday March 24, 2017. On Thursday authorities identified a 52-year-old Briton as the man who mowed down pedestrians and stabbed a policeman to death outside Parliament in London, saying he had a long criminal record and once was investigated for extremism — but was not currently on a terrorism watch list. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham) A police officer looks at floral tributes to victims of Wednesday's attack on Parliament Square outside the Houses of Parliament in London, Friday March 24, 2017. On Thursday authorities identified a 52-year-old Briton as the man who mowed down pedestrians and stabbed a policeman to death outside Parliament in London, saying he had a long criminal record and once was investigated for extremism — but was not currently on a terrorism watch list. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham) People view floral tributes to victims of Wednesday's attack outside the Houses of Parliament in London, Friday, March 24, 2017. On Thursday authorities identified a 52-year-old Briton as the man who mowed down pedestrians and stabbed a policeman to death outside Parliament in London, saying he had a long criminal record and once was investigated for extremism — but was not currently on a terrorism watch list. (AP Photo/Tim Ireland) People look at floral tributes to victims of Wednesday's attack on Parliament Square outside the Houses of Parliament in London, Friday March 24, 2017. On Thursday authorities identified a 52-year-old Briton as the man who mowed down pedestrians and stabbed a policeman to death outside Parliament in London, saying he had a long criminal record and once was investigated for extremism — but was not currently on a terrorism watch list. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham) The Latest: UK honors lawmaker who tried to save policeman Mar. 24, 2017 A lawmaker who battled to save the life of a police officer stabbed in the Parliament attack has been honored with an appointment as an adviser to Queen Elizabeth II. British Prime Minister Theresa May's office says Tobias Ellwood has been named to the Privy Council, a committee of senior lawmakers, judges and others that advises the queen. The institution dates back a millennium, and members are entitled to be addressed as "Right Honorable." Security Minister Ben Wallace, who helped coordinate the government response to Wednesday's attack, has also been named to the Privy Council. Ellwood, a former army officer whose brother died in the 2002 Bali bombing, gave mouth-to-mouth-resuscitation to Constable Keith Palmer after he was stabbed by attacker Khalid Masood as he was guarding the Parliament. Palmer died of his injuries. ___ 8:05 p.m. British police say six of the 10 people being held in connection with the attack near Britain's Parliament have been released without charge. The two women and four men were all arrested in the central England city of Birmingham, where attacker Khalid Masood recently lived. All had been arrested on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts. Four other people remain in custody as police try to learn how Masood became radicalized and went on a rampage Wednesday in London with an SUV and knives that killed four people. He was later shot to death by police. Al-Hilli expressed his condolences Friday for the four people killed and dozens wounded in the car and knife rampage on Wednesday, saying "we utterly condemn this terrorist act." Mirvis played on the theme of unity among people of faith, saying "Londoners are showing right now that we will always stand up with strength to confront terror and we will never be cowed by it." ___ 2:50 p.m. Prince Charles has visited people injured in the London attack, meeting privately with victims at a hospital. The heir to the British throne thanked staff at King's College Hospital for their "marvelous efforts." He shook hands with nurses, who took photos of him as he left the ward. Charles said: "How you do it, I don't know." The hospital has treated eight victims. ___ 2:30 p.m. Romania's embassy in Britain says a Romanian woman wounded during a terrorist attack on Westminster Bridge is showing signs of improvement although she remains in a serious condition. Romanian officials have not identified the woman, who fell into the Thames River when a SUV plowed into pedestrians on Wednesday, citing privacy regulations. Friends have identified her as Andreea Cristea, an interior designer, from the Black Sea port of Constanta. The embassy said Friday any further health updates would need to be approved by her family. Ambassador to Britain Dan Mihalache said on Thursday she underwent surgery to remove a blood clot from her brain. The embassy said her boyfriend has been discharged from the hospital. ___ 2:20 p.m. London Mayor Sadiq Khan has joined other Londoners in leaving floral tributes to honor the police officer killed in the London terror attack. Khan's note and flowers were placed outside of New Scotland Yard, the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police Force. Khan's note said: "You will always be in our hearts. Londoners will never forget the innocent people who lost their lives." British Transport Police officers from Lambeth, South London left a note that said simply: "For Pc Keith Palmer. HERO. Never forgotten." Palmer was stabbed to death by an attacker on Wednesday as he guarded the British Parliament in the heart of London. ___ 12:10 p.m. A former British Army officer told the BBC on Friday that rescuers held the hand of Constable Keith Palmer and talked to him as they tried in vain to save his life after he was stabbed during the attack on Parliament. Mike Crofts, a former Army captain who served in Afghanistan, said he was in the courtyard outside the Houses of Parliament following a meeting with politicians about using boxing to engage young men when the attack took place. "Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, we were unable to save him," Crofts said. "(Police Constable) Palmer at the time was surrounded by a whole host of colleagues who really loved him. We held his hand through the experience. We talked to him throughout, but unfortunately he passed away." ___ 11:30 a.m. The manager of a hotel where the London attacker stayed the night before he plowed his 4x4 into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge and then stabbed a police officer at Parliament says he seemed unusually outgoing and mentioned details about his family, including having a sick father. "He was normal, in fact friendly, because we spent possibly five or 10 minutes talking to him about his background and where he came from," Sabeur Toumi told Sky News on Friday. Police raided the room at the Preston Park Hotel in Brighton after the attack, searching for clues about Khalid Masood, who was identified Friday by his prior name, Adrian Russell Ajao. Toumi said Masood checked in under his own name and mentioned having a couple of children, as well as troubles with an ailing father. Among the items seized were the trouser press and the toilet paper holder. ___ 10:15 a.m. He was the perfect British bobby, patiently and politely posing for a photo with a family of tourists from Australia, a wry smile on his face. Keith Palmer, the policeman stabbed to death in the Westminster attack on Wednesday, left a lasting warm impression on the Thorogoods on that day last October, as he willingly posed with the family for a picture. Parliament, the building that Palmer was guarding when he was murdered, was in the background. In a post on his Facebook page , Andrew Thorogood recalled how happy Palmer was "to pose with us for a photo once he learned that we had travelled all the way from Alice Springs." Describing Palmer as "a genuinely nice bloke," Thorogood recalled that the officer "said he would love to visit Australia with his family one day." Thorogood added that "he was happy to chat and smile for a photo ... whilst still remaining vigilant and carrying out his duties as a police officer." ___ 8:30 a.m. London's top terror officer says Khalid Masood, who attacked Britain's Parliament, killing four people and wounding some 50, was born Adrian Russell Ajao. Counter-terror chief Mark Rowley revealed the name in a briefing Friday outside Scotland Yard in which he also said there were two other significant arrests. That brought the total number of people in custody for the Wednesday attack to nine. The attacker was born in southeastern England and had most recently been living in the central city of Birmingham. ___ 8:20 a.m. London's top anti-terror officer says two more "significant arrests" have been made in connection with the Westminster attack, in central and northern England. Nine people are currently in custody, while one has been released on bail. Counter-terror chief Mark Rowley on Friday also identified the latest victim, who died in the hospital on Thursday, as 75-year-old Leslie Rhodes from Streatham, south London. The attacker, identified as Khalid Masood, drove his car into crowds of people on Westminster Bridge on Wednesday afternoon, killing three and wounding some 50, before stabbing a police officer to death at the Houses of Parliament. He was shot dead by police.

Westminster attack: Fifth person dies as attacker named Khalid Masood (52) from Kent had previous convictions but was not under investigation Speaking in the House of Commons, British Prime Minister Theresa May has confirmed that one Irish person was among the injured after an attack on Westminster. Video: Parliament TV A police officer places flowers and a photograph of PC Keith Palmer on Whitehall near the Houses of Parliament in London. Photograph: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire A police officer stands outside an a property on Hagley Road in Birmingham where armed police raided a flat overnight. The raids are believed to be linked to Wednesday’s terror incident in Westminster. Photograph: Richard Vernalls/PA Wire. Police activity on Whitehall in London the day after a terrorist attack where police officer Keith Palmer and three members of the public died and the attacker was shot dead. Photograph: Jonathan Brady/PA Wire. A police officer walks across Westminster Bridge the morning after an attack by a man driving a car and wielding a knife that left five people, including himself, dead and dozens injured, in London. Photograph: Darren Staples/Reuters Floral tributes with a message reading ‘We are not afraid, our hearts are with you’ are seen near a police cordon in Westminster in central London. Photograph: /Justin Tallis/AFP/Getty A woman lays flowers near the scene of Wednesday’s attack in London. Photograph: Carl Court/Getty A policeman by the cordon near Lambeth Bridge following major incidents in Westminster. Photograph: Facundo Arrizabalaga/EPA British police have named Khalid Masood, a 52-year-old from the Birmingham area, as the man who carried out Wednesday’s attack at Westminster in which four other people died. On Thursday night, Scotland Yard said a 75-year-old man who was injured in the attack has died in hospital bringing the death toll to five including the attacker. Masood, who was shot dead during the attack, was born in Kent and detectives believe he was most recently living in the West Midlands. Masood was also known by a number of aliases, police said in a statement. Scotland Yard said Masood was not the subject of any current investigations and there was no prior intelligence about his intent to mount a terrorist attack. However, he was known to police and had a range of previous convictions for assaults including grievous bodily harm, possession of offensive weapons and public order offences. His first conviction was in November 1983 for criminal damage and his last conviction was in December 2003 for possession of a knife. He has not been convicted for any terrorism offences. Five people were killed, including the attacker, and 40 people were injured during Wednesday’s attack near the British parliament in Westminster, the worst of its kind in the UK for more than a decade. One Irish person was among the 40 people injured which also included 12 Britons, three French, two Romanians, four South Koreans, one German, one Chinese, one Italian and two Greeks. Police said seven of the 40 injured people were in a critical condition. The injuries suffered by the Irish person are not considered life-threatening, Tánaiste Frances Fitzgerald told the Dáil. Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanagan said his department had offered and was ready to provide consular assistance to the injured person. The Islamic State group said through its Aaamaq news agency that Masood was a “soldier” of the group. Dozens of people were knocked down by his car before he got out and stabbed policeman Keith Palmer to death inside the grounds of the British parliament on Wednesday. Eight people, three women and five men, have been arrested in London and Birmingham on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts, Scotland Yard said. Policeman Keith Palmer (48) and three civilians were killed in the attack. Masood also died after he was shot by police officers. Aysha Frade (43) and Kurt Cochran, an American tourist visiting from Utah, died in the attack while Mr Cochran’s wife Melissa was also injured and remains in hospital. Ms Frade, a mother of two, worked as a teacher at DLD College in London and had family in the northwestern Spanish town of Betanzos. It is believed she was walking from the school where she taught when she was hit by the car driven by the attacker. ‘Attack on people everywhere’ Prime minister Theresa May described Wednesday’s incident as “an attack on free people everywhere” and said the threat level remained “severe”. While the public should remain “utterly vigilant”, Ms May underlined “they should not and will not be cowed by this threat”. “We are stepping up policing to reassure the public and as a precautionary measure it will mean increasing patrols in cities across the country, with more police and more armed police on the scene.” Ms May also paid tribute to the bravery of the police at the scene on Wednesday. A spokesman for the prime minister later said Ms May’s plans to begin the formal process of leaving the EU on March 29th would not be delayed by the attack. ‘Acted alone’ Metropolitan Police senior anti-terror officer Mark Rowley said investigators still believed the attacker had acted alone and was “inspired by international terrorism”. “Clearly our investigation is ongoing – developing all the time – and is focused on his motivation, his preparation and associates.” Witnesses on Wednesday described seeing one of the victims injured in the attack being pulled from the river Thames. It has emerged the young woman pulled from the water was a Romanian tourist celebrating her boyfriend’s birthday in London. Italy’s ambassador to the UK Pasquale Terracciano said she had visited an Italian woman in hospital who lost consciousness for about 10 minutes after she was struck by the car’s bumper. The woman has undergone surgery for a compound leg fracture. A minute’s silence was held in parliament and in front of police headquarters at New Scotland Yard at 9.33am, in honour of the victims – 933 was the shoulder number on the uniform of PC Palmer. Although police have stressed there is no specific information to suggest any further threat to the public, officers will also be on heightened alert for any copy-cat incidents or further attacks. UK police and MI5, supported by GCHQ, have been conducting an unprecedented and largely successful operation to contain the threat. Intelligence agencies estimate there are around 3,000 potentially violent Islamist extremists in the UK, most of them British. Counter-terrorism units are carrying out more than 500 investigations at any one time and say they have foiled 13 potential attacks in less than four years. Meanwhile, a man was arrested in Belgium on Thursday after he tried to drive into a crowd at high speed in a shopping area of Antwerp. The driver, a man of north African origin, was arrested after a chase in the city centre. He was carrying weapons and military uniforms in the boot of the car, according to the RTFB state broadcaster. Pedestrians The incident in London began at around 2.40pm when a dark-coloured Hyundai i40 drove on to a pavement on Westminster Bridge. The Palace of Westminster was locked down within minutes, with MPs in the House of Commons chamber told to lie on the floor immediately after the attack. The commons was suspended but MPs had to remain in the chamber for four hours until the lockdown was lifted. As the dead and injured lay strewn on the ground, the vehicle crashed into a railing outside parliament, close to Big Ben. Masood ran from the car and through the gates of parliament, stabbing two policemen who tried to stop him. Armed officers shouted at Masood and then fired a number of shots. PC Palmer also died, despite an attempt by foreign office minister Tobias Ellwood and others to revive him and bind his stab wounds.
Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley revealed that four terrorist plots involving right wing fanatics have been foiled since the Westminster attacks last March It compares to 10 Islamic terrorist conspiracies which were smashed by police and MI5 during the same period. In a worrying new trend, at least two of the foiled neo-Nazi plots involved a group of suspects, rather than lone wolves like Finsbury Park killer van driver Darren Osborne and nail bomber David Copeland. Police chief Mr Rowley singled out proscribed far right group National Action, saying “for the best part of 18 months in the UK, a home-grown white supremacist neo-Nazi terrorist organisation that eschews violence” has been active. “That should be a matter of grave concern to all of us,” he said in advance of delivering a keynote speech tonight. The four neo-Nazi plots foiled in the UK in the last year include 20-year-old Ethan Stables, a closet bisexual convicted last month of trying to launch a machete attack on a gay pride night held at a pub in his home town, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, last June. He was brainwashed by Nazi propaganda on the Internet and caught after posting a message on a far right Facebook page saying he was “going to war” and planned to “slaughter.” Other cases cannot be mentioned at this time for legal reasons. Police chief Mr Rowley described Internet propaganda as the “bloodstream that drives terrorism,” continuing: “The ability of terrorists and extremists to play their trade on the Internet is a matter of great concern.” Mr Rowley added: “The ease and speed in which vulnerable people can be radicalised through online propaganda and then move to attack planning has been a feature of many of our cases.” In his address to the Policy Exchange political think tank’s Colin Cramphorn Memorial lecture held in Central London, Mr Rowley said there were repeated examples of vulnerable people being exploited and influenced by extremist rhetoric to carry out attacks. Mr Rowley said Finsbury Park attacker, Darren Osborne “had grown to hate Muslims largely due to his consumption of large amounts of on-line far right material, including EDL leader Tommy Robinson, Britain First and others.” He went on: “Osborne had a dysfunctional background and history of alcohol, drug abuse and violence. Hate group National Action was banned by Amber Rudd in December last year “There can be no doubt that the extremist rhetoric he consumed fed into his vulnerabilities and turned it into violence.” Mr Rowley added that the two opposing strands of far right and Islamic extremism - spouted by hate preachers like Anjem Choudary - both used “a common strategy” of radicalisation and fed off each other. He said “both try to generate isolation, fear and hatred” and whip up community tensions. Mr Rowley compared how Islamic organisation CAGE described Jihadi John as a “beautiful young man” with how right wing extremists have run whites-only food banks in several city centre locations across the UK.



At least 40 others were wounded in the attack. The attacker ran dozens of Londoners down on Westminster Bridge from inside his car, before leaping out and fatally attacking Palmer with a knife. "I will not comment on this stage on the identity of the attacker but our working assumption is he was inspired by international terrorism," Acting Deputy Commissioner of the London Metropolitan Police Mark Rowley said in a statement hours after the attacks. He also said that among the injured were "three police officers, two of whom are in a serious condition," Australian broadcaster ABC reports. Police claim to know the identity of the assailant, who was reportedly shot dead, but have thus far refused to release it to the press. Police are treating the incident as a terrorist attack. Hello, ! We are committed to protecting your personal information and we have updated our Privacy Policy to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), a new EU regulation that went into effect on May 25, 2018. Please review our Privacy Policy. It contains details about the types of data we collect, how we use it, and your data protection rights. Since you already shared your personal data with us when you created your personal account, to continue using it, please check the box below: I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of creating a personal account on this site, in compliance with the Privacy Policy. If you do not want us to continue processing your data, please click here to delete your account. promotes the use of narcotic / psychotropic substances, provides information on their production and use; contains links to viruses and malicious software; is part of an organized action involving large volumes of comments with identical or similar content ("flash mob"); “floods” the discussion thread with a large number of incoherent or irrelevant messages; violates etiquette, exhibiting any form of aggressive, humiliating or abusive behavior ("trolling"); doesn’t follow standard rules of the English language, for example, is typed fully or mostly in capital letters or isn’t broken down into sentences. The administration has the right to block a user’s access to the page or delete a user’s account without notice if the user is in violation of these rules or if behavior indicating said violation is detected.
Tributes have been paid to the the police officer killed in a suspected terrorist attack on Westminster . Keith Palmer was a 48-year-old husband and father who had 15 years of service. Speaking outside Scotland Yard, acting deputy commissioner Mark Rowley, head of counter- terrorism at the Metropolitan Police, said: "One of those who died was a police officer, PC Keith Palmer, a member of our parliamentary and diplomatic protection command. "Keith, aged 48, had 15 years' service and was a husband and father. "He was someone who left for work today expecting to return home at the end of his shift, and he had every right to expect that would happen." Read More The attacker reportedly mounted the pavement in a 4x4 at the south end of Westminster Bridge, just before 3pm yesterday, where he hit a number of pedestrians before crashing into railings outside the Houses of Parliament. He then allegedly burst through security and stabbed a policeman before being taken down by armed officers.

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Proud Londoner Adele has paid tribute to her home city after Wednesday's (March 22) terror attack in Westminster. During her show in Auckland, New Zealand, on Thursday, the singer sent her love to the victims by dedicating a very special performance of 'Make You Feel My Love' to those who sadly lost their lives. "Today there was a terror attack in my hometown of London," Adele told the crowd. "I'm on the other side of the world and I want them to see our lights and to hear us and know we're thinking of them. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below "It's very strange not being home, all I want to do today is be at home and be with my friends and family. Everyone's fine, but there are four who aren't fine, so let's dedicate this to them tonight and to my hometown."

He then crashed the rented car into a barrier outside Parliament and ran with a knife towards police officers. PC Keith Palmer was stabbed to death and two colleagues were injured. Seven people remain in a critical condition in hospital. Theresa May has also paid tribute to the victims. The Prime Minister said Parliament was sending out the message following Wednesday's attack by a knife-wielding terrorist that "we will never waver in the face of terrorism". An hour after MPs gathered at the usual time and stood for a minute's silence in honour of the innocent people killed in the attack, Mrs May said the actions of millions around the country showed terrorists "we will never give in". In a show of defiance, the PM told a packed Commons chamber: "The greatest response lies not in the words of politicians, but in the everyday actions of ordinary people. "For beyond these walls today, in scenes repeated in towns and cities across the country, millions of people are going about their days and getting on with their lives. PA Armed police rush toward Parliament after colleague stabbed PA Theresa May defiant in Parliament after Westminster attacked A response that says to the men and women who propagate this hate and evil 'You will not defeat us' Theresa May "The streets are as busy as ever, the offices full, the coffee shops and cafes bustling. "As I speak, millions will be boarding planes and aeroplanes to travel to London and to see for themselves the greatest city on Earth. "It is in these actions - millions of acts of normality - that we find the best response to terrorism. "A response that denies our enemies their victory, that refuses to let them win, that shows we will never give in. "A response driven by that same spirit that drove a husband and father to put himself between us and our attacker and to pay the ultimate price. "A response that says to the men and women who propagate this hate and evil 'You will not defeat us'. "Mr Speaker, let this be the message from this House and this nation today. Our values will prevail."
Romanian tourist injured during London attack has died LONDON – A 31-year-old Romanian tourist who was knocked into the River Thames from Westminster Bridge during an attack on Britain's Houses of Parliament more than two weeks ago has died, London police said Friday. Andreea Cristea was rescued from the cold river after the attack, in which a man identified as Khalid Masood drove his rented SUV into pedestrians on the bridge and then fatally stabbed a police officer at the Houses of Parliament. Her boyfriend Andrei Burnaz suffered a broken foot in the attack. Her family and Burnaz described Cristea as "our shining ray of light that will forever keep on shining in our hearts," and said they would be donating to charity all the money raised to help her since the March 22 attack. "After fighting for her life for over two weeks, our beloved and irreplaceable Andreea — wonderful daughter, sister, partner, dedicated friend and the most unique and life-loving person you can imagine — was cruelly and brutally ripped away from our lives in the most heartless and spiritless way," they said in a statement. They said there are no words to describe the emptiness they feel and thanked medical personnel for their round-the-clock help. More on this... Police said she had been receiving extensive treatment in the hospital since the attack but that life support was withdrawn Thursday afternoon. Footage taken at the time showed Cristea falling into the river during the attack. Witnesses saw her lying face-down in the Thames before she was rescued and rushed to an emergency room for emergency surgery after being diagnosed with a blood clot on the brain. Burnaz needed surgery on his foot but has been discharged from the hospital. He was seen in a wheelchair at a memorial service for victims held last week. The death toll from the attack now stands at five, including the police officer. The attacker was shot dead by police. Dozens more were wounded. Police believe the 52-year-old attacker acted alone and was motivated by Islamist extremism.
THE TIMES has removed a false quote that branded Tommy Robinson a ‘Girlfriend Beater’ Th 27.5k Shares Facebook Politicalite is the is the independent populist news outlet read by thousands of readers per month, we are on the ground reporting the news you care about. We cover British and American Politics in a provocative and easy to understand tabloid style and back the forgotten working classes, the Free Tommy movement, the Brexiteers, the anti-Globalists and the people who are tired of the Establishment.
Share this with Women formed a human chain along Westminster Bridge tonight to remember the victims of the attack on March 22. Four people were killed when Khalid Masood drove a rented SUV along the pavement, mowing down pedestrians and leaving three with fatal injuries. He then crashed into railings outside the Houses of Parliament, left the vehicle and stabbed PC Keith Palmer to death as he stood on guard. Four days after the attack shook London, women from different backgrounds came together in solidarity to condemn the horrific crime and show unity in the face of terror. Many of those present were Muslim, wearing blue as a symbol of hope and peace. Ayesha Malik, a 34-year-old mother-of-two from Surrey, said: ‘As a visible Muslim I think it was important to show solidarity with the principles that we all hold dear, the principles of plurality, diversity and so on.’
A London tube sign with a defiant message for terrorists that went viral in the wake of Wednesday’s attack on Westminster was created by an online tube sign generator and never existed in a London underground station. Yet that did not stop the sign being shared and disseminated as though it had been written by London Underground staff. It was read out by Nick Robinson on BBC Radio 4’s flagship news programme Today. Before midday it was even discussed in parliament when it was read out by MP Simon Hoare. Theresa May called it “a wonderful tribute” which “encapsulated everything everybody in this house has said today.”


Westminster Terrorist Attack: Salih Khater Named as Perpetrator The man arrested on suspicion of terror offences after a car crashed outside the Houses of Parliament has been named as Salih Khater by government sources. The 29-year-old British citizen, originally from Sudan, has also been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, Met Police said. He came to the UK as a refugee and was granted asylum, the BBC understands. His brother described him as a "normal person" with no fanatical ideas and no links to any religious group. Abdullah Khater also said his family - who are originally from Darfur in Sudan - were in "a state of shock". Three people were injured when the car hit cyclists and pedestrians during Tuesday morning's rush hour. The silver Ford Fiesta then crashed into security barriers outside the Houses of Parliament just before 07:40 BST. A man and a woman were taken to hospital after the crash and later discharged, while another man was treated for minor injuries at the scene. The suspect is not believed to have been known to MI5 or counter-terrorism police, but is understood to have been known to local police. He did not co-operate with officers after his arrest, Scotland Yard said. The investigation team's priority "continues to be to understand the motivation behind this incident", a spokesman added. Police have concluded searches of two properties in Birmingham and one in Nottingham, and are currently searching a third address in Birmingham. BBC home affairs correspondent Daniel Sandford said the reasons for the crash remained "very open" nearly 36 hours on. He said while detectives were holding Mr Khater on suspicion of terror offences, they had not yet formally declared the crash a terrorist incident, suggesting they had not yet found anything to link him to extremism. What else is known about the suspect? Khater came to Britain in 2010 and successfully applied for UK citizenship in the past two years. His brother said he had been planning a trip back home to see his family, having not seen them for some time. Khater is believed to have lived in a first-floor flat above a parade of shops in the Sparkbrook area of Birmingham until four months ago, when he moved to the city's Highgate area. Neighbours called him a quiet man who frequently visited an internet cafe and a nearby shisha lounge, both on Stratford Road. Local resident Ahmed Abdi described him as a man who "never spoke to anybody", and added: "I recognised his picture from the news and I was shocked." Having completed his secondary education in Sudan, he studied electrical engineering at university there before moving to the UK. He studied English as a second or foreign language at City College from 2010 to 2011, later studying a diploma in science at South and City College in Birmingham from 2014 to 2017. More recently, Khater studied accountancy at Coventry University from September 2017 to May this year, a spokesman for the university said. He is no longer enrolled there. Members of the Sudanese community have suggested Mr Khater may have had an appointment in London at the Sudan embassy to obtain a visa for his trip. Birmingham Central Mosque said its inquiries with the community found he did not worship at the mosque and had showed no signs of radicalisation. In a CV seen by the BBC, Khater described himself as a "hardworking, honest and polite individual" and "mature and responsible, with the ability to stay calm in high pressured situations". It says he worked in Libya for two years as a farm labourer before coming to the UK. The BBC understands Khater did spend time in Libya before travelling to Britain, but has not confirmed the exact timeframe. The CV also suggests he spent time as a security guard in Nottingham. It is understood Khater did obtain a licence from the Security Industry Authority (SIA), although the organisation said it could not comment due to the “ongoing police investigation.”
Cop paralysed in Westminster terror attack can finally put kids to bed again A police officer paralysed in the Westminster terror attack is finally able tuck his kids into bed again thanks to the DIY SOS squad. Hundreds of volunteers helped completely refurbish the home of PC Kris Aves, who is wheelchair-bound and has no mobility from the chest down. Within nine days they made the vital changes that meant he could return home to his family after seven months in hospital. In an emotional interview before leaving hospital Kris, 35, said: “I’m worried about getting daddy time back. It’s just been taken away from you, and it’s not fair. “I need to rebuild a relationship with my family. It’s been too long.” Kris suffered spinal cord damage and head injuries in the attack last March and had to stay at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Bucks as his home was unsuitable for his rehabilitation. There was a large front step he could not negotiate and he could not fit through the narrow doorways. The kitchen was unsuitable and there was no bathroom on the ground floor.It meant he missed out on helping partner Marissa put their kids aged six and four to bed each night at their home in East Barnet, North London. But now he is home again thanks to the “biggest response ever” to a DIY SOS appeal with builders, joiners and electricians all working on refurbishment plans by designer Gabrielle Blackman. Host Nick Knowles tells viewers: “I’m not going to pretend we had to find an army, because the moment people knew what we were doing we had the biggest response ever.” Nick, 55, said the “amazing” volunteers “worked themselves into the ground to bring Kris home to his family where he belongs”. One volunteer says: “We want to give back to the people that protect us.” Terrorist Khalid Masood, 52, killed five people including PC Keith Palmer and injured over 50 before being shot dead outside Parliament last March. Kris was hurt as he crossed Westminster Bridge after receiving an award for his work. I have recently been medically retired from the police with PTSD following a serious injury on duty a few years ago. I would not be here if it was not for the PFOA - they literally saved my life. In February 2017 I was long-term sick off of work and I was in a very bad place. Whilst I have been unable to continue as a serving officer, I will forever be indebted to the PFOA. I will never be able to repay them for all that they did. All I can say is thank you so much from me and my family. PFOA assisted by offering counselling/coaching support to officer’s family. A respite break was granted to allow the officer and his family to get away and spend some valuable time together as a family unit. The PFOA purchased a new cross trainer and have loaned this to the officer to enable him to remain active and hopefully return to Ops. PFOA arranges support for the officers involved prior to the Inquest and after by way of a respite breaks and NLP Coaching or Counselling. I would like to personally thank the PFOA for the gifts we received for our daughter. The timing could not have been better. the week the gifts arrived, she had lost her hair and was due to go back to hospital for her next round of chemotherapy treatment which she was not looking forward to. Opening the parcel put a big smile back on her face for two reasons. firstly, because you had chosen as gifts exactly what she would have chosen for herself. But secondly and more importantly, because she realised other people ere also thinking of her and willing her to get better. People she had never met. Thank you so much for the shopping vouchers, they will come in very handy. Thank you for helping my daddy to be himself again. Keep helping police officers because some people don’t understand how hard it can be and they are doing a great thing. This act of kindness was greatly appreciated by us both at what is a very difficult time for our family.
Theresa May has condemned the "sick and depraved" attack on London in which three people were killed by an attacker, who was shot dead by police. Speaking in Downing Street, the Prime Minister praised the "exceptional bravery" of police and security services during the attack in Westminster, and also paid tribute to the emergency services as a whole. She insisted any attempt to defeat the values Parliament stands for was "doomed to failure". And Mrs May vowed that "the voices of hate and evil" would never be allowed "to drive us apart" and she would "never give in to terror". The attacker, armed with two large knives, drove into a number of pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, before crashing his car into railings and then running through Parliament gates and stabbing a police officer. The terrorist was killed after being shot by police. The officer also died of his wounds and the other two victims were pedestrians. Some 29 people were treated in hospital, some with "catastrophic" injuries. Mrs May said the location of the accident was "no accident" and "terrorists chose to strike at the heart of our capital". The Prime Minister said: "Our thoughts and prayers go out to all who have been affected, to the victims themselves and to their families and friends, who waved their loved ones off but will not now be welcoming them home. "For those of us who were in Parliament at the time of this attack, these events provide a particular reminder of the exceptional bravery of our police and security services who risk their lives to keep us safe. "Once again today, these exceptional men and women ran towards the danger, even as they encouraged others to move the other way." The PM also said Parliament would meet on Thursday "as normal", adding: "Londoners - and others from around the world who have come here to visit this great City - will get up and go about their day as normal." 0:40 Video:How the Westminster attack unfolded She has chaired a meeting of the Government's emergency COBRA committee. The talks, lasting around 45 minutes, brought together senior ministers as well as senior police officers, representatives of the security agencies and London Mayor Sadiq Khan. Mrs May ordered flags to be lowered to half mast over Downing Street as a mark of respect to the innocent victims of the attack.
Salih Khater (Salihk Hater) was the driver who ploughed a Ford Fiesta into a barrier outside of Parliament at just after half past seven of the hour, this past Tuesday gone. However, he wasn’t the only one making crazy manoeuvres on the streets of Westminster amongst all the skittled cyclists as they headed to work. The driver of the “mystery van” also cut across a reservation dividing two roads – and he wasn’t the only other “civilian” doing something naughty. In fact, there was so much going on in a matter of a minute or so of footage captured by the BBC (from the same equipment that captured the Westminster Bridge incident in 2017, no doubt), that altogether it started to scream “false flag attack”. Naturally, the fun and games have not been demonstrated to the public in all their glorious fullness; only the suspicious meanderings of the “mystery van” have achieved examination – and exoneration. Evidently, this vehicle made itself so conspicuous as to intrude upon whatever simple narrative was going to serve as an explanation for Khater’s stunt performance, and as such needed to be discussed by official parties out in the open in order to encourage the public to rationalise it as being perfectly normal. Reader, take note: a new record for the quickest time after an incident where the Establishment acts to counter a conspiracy theory. Indeed, the “mystery van” was such a sore thumb sticking out that it was raised by reporters at a press briefing by the head of counter-terrorism at the Metropolitan Police, Neil Basu (the latter-day Inspector Lestrade of Salisbury debacle fame) so that he could refer to it, and sweep it out of anyone’s further notice: “No, I’ve heard that this morning. There wasn’t a police car in pursuit of the vehicle.” This information comes from the Daily Mail, the only “big” corporate-media that gives room for the story on internet pages one doesn’t have to pay for (a reference to the Telegraph). The Mail’s treatment will be related in due course – it’s quite obvious by the time one reads to the end of it what the objective is. To appreciate the array of odd behaviour on display in the BBC footage of the so-called terror attack outside Parliament on the 14th August, one needs to understand the lay of the roads thereabouts. The A3212 runs parallel to the Thames with Parliament on its left, and the Square on its right. At the corner of Parliament Square, there is a choice to bend around to the right to travel perpendicularly with the river along the southern edge of the garden area, or to tend to the left and continue, eventually, to Millbank. It is off this south-heading section of the A3212 that there is a slip road leading to the St Stephens entrance of the Westminster Palace – for authorised vehicles, of course. Khater found himself in a barrier placed across the road to stop those who aren’t authorised. This south-to-north section of the A3212 merges into the western-travelling traffic after the right-hand bend (abovementioned), so essentially there are three pieces of road at the south-east corner of Parliament Square that are separated from each other by central reservations. The arrangement is plain to see on the map below: As far as the main incident goes – that is, the erratic journey of the silver Ford Fiesta that everyone is supposed to know about – it starts after Khater has already entered the bend. For pictorial assistance to understanding events, please refer to the “image array” – basically a post containing all the images, and more, mentioned in this text – at the FBEL page here. Moments later, an ambulance on a call (its lights flashing) that has weaved from the very left-hand side of the road into the very right-hand side, speeds past Khater, who turns, as if triggered to do it, sharply onto the reservation that separates the bend and the south-to-north section of the A3212. Luckily (by design, some might say) traffic lights have stopped oncoming vehicles so that Khater can drive the wrong way along a one-way road without coming to any harm, and over the reservation onto the A3212 going south. He then swerves onto the slip road – and the rest is history. By the way – some cyclists waiting on the reservations to cross got knocked over. So much for the main plot. In the background behind the Fiat is a silver van with its lights on (Fig. 1). This is the “mystery van”, and it probably starts to veer to the left from its starting position on the right hand side of the road when the ambulance gets in between it and the Fiesta (Fig.2). In doing this, the “mystery van” starts to cut up another vehicle – what we will call the “paddy wagon” for reasons about to be revealed. These two vehicles, and a third to their right, proceed to come to a halt – so presumably they are all stopped by traffic lights (Fig. 4). The “mystery van” is still waiting by the time the Fiesta has crossed the two central reservations in the junction complex at the south-east corner of Parliament Square (Fig. 5), but finally moves – technically jumping the lights – to cut in front of the “paddy wagon” just as the Fiesta is about to enter the slip road to the St Stephens entrance (Fig. 6). Moreover, the “mystery van” then itself cuts over central reservation to follow the Fiesta. Note – it does this before the Fiesta crashes, so it is not motivated by good will to a fellow driver whose crash might have appeared to have been an accident. Indeed, the person driving the “mystery van” is not a typical vehicle operator on the streets of London because he shows too much interest in a car that is about to commit a “terror attack”. Moreover, the driver of the “mystery van” gets stuck behind another vehicle, a white van (seen manoeuvring into position in Fig. 3), and cannot possibly see that the Fiesta has crashed, but is still in a tremendous hurry to keep up with it. This is demonstrated by the way it continuously showed its right-hand headlight along the side of the white van, which was travelling sedately, as if it was always looking for a way to pass even by mounting the kerb. In fact, the driver of the “mystery van” did put more than a wheel over the line to do this in the end so that it could stop in front of the white van near the scene of the crash (Fig. 7). Without a doubt, someone from the police or the security services has been caught tailing a “terror suspect” immediately prior to the attack he was about to commit. The Establishment has dealt with this officially and unofficially. Basu of the Met Police denied the police tail, as we have seen, but also made it be known that Mi5 had never heard of Khater. The distancing from the suspect is therefore complete in a way that rarely happens in such a case. Unofficially, at least one ex-policeman and Scotland Yard detective, David Videcette, has had his “expert” opinion telegraphed for public consumption. The following is from the Mail article linked to above: Experts, including retired Met detective David Videcette, who worked in counter-terrorism on 7/7, believes the Transit [“mystery van”] may have had a police officer behind the wheel. But it could [have] be[en] (sic) on a different job and noticed the strange behaviour of the driver. He said: ‘There appears to be silver Transit van following the Fiesta, the van has its lights on. The silver van carries on following the Fiesta wherever it goes. ‘The consensus between those of us who are ex-Police, is that this is likely an unmarked police vehicle, who spotted the Fiesta acting strangely before it rammed the barrier. …He added: ‘Perhaps the Fiesta was just on hostile reconnaissance, never intended on an attack today, but then realised he’d been spotted by someone, and hence carried out the attack in a small vehicle?’ The question that leaps out to the reader is how did Khater know that the police were operating an unmarked vehicle? He would only know if he was an insider on the operation. From the perspective of an Establishment voice whose experience of state crime includes involvement in the 7/7 bombings, there are no patsies who are insiders on the operation. Therefore, Videcette’s opinion cancels itself into nothing. His contribution is merely to encourage people not to think too much. The author’s opinion is this: the “mystery van” interjected when the driver saw the white van following the Fiesta – this is why it was in such a hurry to get past and in front of what was very likely a civilian vehicle getting itself into a position, by freak chance, that it shouldn’t have been in. Fig. 11 of the image array shows the white van turned back into the northward traffic, and the “mystery van” has effectively blocked the road. This would imply that the “mystery van” was part of a convoy to get the Fiesta to the right place at the right time – and that convoy could well have involved a marked police vehicle†. It is quite devastating stuff for whatever is left of the reputation of the state crime enablers formerly known as UK police forces.‡ The reader must understand that study of such events has taught the author a fact: there is not an arrangement that is ever too complex to rule it out from being employed by Government to perpetrate its state crime. And in this event, it is quite possible that the traffic lights on the junction complex coming from the south into Parliament Square were set to red at an appointed time, and then stayed red for an interminable time (and undeterminable time as far as we are concerned) for the purposes of the operation. Fig.12 of the image array shows a line of traffic coming from the south that has, at its head, the same vehicles that were waiting there when the incident started. For whatever other reason there was for closing down the flow of traffic at that point by traffic lights, this much we do know – it allowed speedy access for medical assistance to attend to all those unlucky cyclists. The reader might be astonished to learn that an ambulance arrived on the scene coming the wrong way up this road 39 seconds after the Fiesta crashed into that barrier (Fig. 10). The south-to-north road into the junction complex was also the scene of its own odd behaviour involving what we are calling the “three-point-turn” car, and its passenger, who disembarked moments after the Fiesta crashed (see Figs. 13-19). This man runs across all the roads to stand by yards away from the Fiesta, where he appears to signal with a raised hand. This is extraordinary, as there are also police present at the scene, amongst them, the ones famously leaping out of the way of the crashing vehicle (the same ones who may yet be decorated for bravery, by all accounts). And yet, this character is permitted to stand by the vehicle belonging to the suspect in a crime unmolested. Not only that, the “three-point-turn” car starts to manoeuvre, in the manner described by the appellation given to it, just as soon as its passenger starts crossing the roads. Eventually it is turned so that it can drive across the central reservation, and down into the crash scene. If the reader consults Fig. 11 of the image array, this car is very likely the one that is seen parked next to the “mystery van”. Again, the occupants of this vehicle have too much interest in the Fiesta, and act with too much authority for them to be well meaning passers-by. While this case is already possibly the dopiest false flag attack that ever took place in the history of the world, the floundering British Authorities are not through being incompetent yet. The police appear to be briefing the corporate-media, who is telling its audience that Khater is not playing ball. Apparently, he was in London to collect a Sudanese visa – that’s his story and he appears to be sticking to it (police have applied for more time for questioning). Does it indicate a patsy who figured it out a la James Earl Ray? Well, there’s a lot more can happen before we should start to speculate. Suffice it to say (and this is the author’s opinion) they might not even be able to get him on a count of attempted murder, let alone terrorism. † Here’s something very interesting. It appears that there is an attempt to explain the “paddy wagon” away as an ambulance. The Wikipedia entry for the incident says: An ambulance immediately behind the Ford stopped and gave assistance to the injured. [Basu] added the attacker was not been pursued by police before he struck the entrance to the Palace of Westminster and that the blue lights seen behind him in footage of the incident were those of an ambulance coincidentally answering a separate emergency call. Basu is talking about the ambulance that sped past the Fiesta. There was no ambulance immediately behind the Fiesta to give assistance. Below is an image of the “paddy wagon” (at the centre, in the front) and the weaving ambulance (on the right as the viewer looks at it) together at the top of the shot. The “paddy wagon” clearly does not have the same NHS yellow-green hue. The author is of the opinion that an effort to misrepresent the nature of the one vehicle behind the Fiesta that did actually stop is evidence that it was a police vehicle after all. ‡ Update 17/08/18: The following is from the Evening Standard, written, it says, by a man named Justin Davenport (because it is about time that names started to be noted in connection with journalism to aid and abet State Crime). What it constitutes is an attempt to explain the “mystery van” – now white in colour – as driven by a sort of have-a-go hero. The author’s criticism has been added in brackets, and by emphasis in bold. A mystery white van seen pursuing the alleged terrorist who drove into cyclists outside the Houses of Parliament was a member of the public trying to stop the attack, it emerged today. [Passing off unsubstantiated claims as fact and relying on an appeal to authority]. The unknown male driver of the Ford Transit van spotted suspect Salih Khater’s car veering into the security lane and immediately changed direction to give pursuit. [The male driver cannot be unknown if security services then retail a yarn about his adventures from his perspective. Rather, this civilian has been invented]. He raced after the suspect but became stuck behind another vehicle as Khater’s Ford Fiesta smashed into a security barrier. [This confirms that the Evening Standard is claiming that the “mystery van” was driven by a well-meaning civilian]. At first there was speculation that the mystery van was a police surveillance team who were secretly following Khater. [Basically the “copper on another job” fable didn’t cut the mustard]. However security sources confirmed that the driver was a member of the public who wanted to help. [The appeal to authority; it must be true because some unaccountable shadowy figures insist upon it]. A source said: “He stopped when he saw the car crash into the barriers. He wanted to help but when he saw the armed police arrive so quickly he realised there was little he could do.” [A source invented. In fact, the tale might just as well be a creation of the article’s writer, Davenport]. Of course, this information, which won’t name the driver despite his having made himself known to “security services”, apparently, to reveal his intentions, and which comes from an unnamed source from organisations that cannot be trusted, will appear highly unreliable – and a bit stupid – to the few of us who can think. However, the magic does work on the Muggles, and there are many, many more of them. It's important to donate to FBEL - please see here to find out whyA PayPal account not required. This talking point established incredibly (suspiciously) quickly after Russian admit apparent loss of aircraft; a Twitter brigade materialised like a school of piranhas. #Latakiatwitter.com/rabrowne75/sta…



Follow the author of this article Follow the topics within this article Westminster killer Khalid Masood reportedly told a family member in a phone call a week before the attack: "You will soon hear of my death, but don't worry… I will be in paradise." The terrorist, formerly known as Adrian Ajao, who killed five people and injured 50 others when he drove a hired car along Westminster Bridge into pedestrians at 78mph before stabbing PC Keith Palmer to death with a knife, acted alone, police confirmed this week. According to the Mail on Sunday, a well-placed source said that Masood, 52, made the farewell call to a family member in the South East. Westminster terrorist Khalid MasoodCredit: METROPOLITAN POLICE In most interpretations of Islam, Masood's final words appear to follow the belief that Muslims enter paradise following death. He was shot dead by police in the grounds of Parliament. Scotland Yard have so far said it is possible that the motive behind "lone wolf" Masood's attack was an interest in Jihad. Formerly known as Adrian Elms, it is known that he was a Muslim convert and was living in Birmingham when he plotted the atrocity. Westminster attacker Adrian Ajao (aka Khalid Masood), at a fete in his hometown village of Northiam, SussexCredit: Julian Simmonds The paper reports that Masood told the family member: "You will soon hear of my death, but don't worry, be happy, because I will be in a better place, I will be in paradise." He is said to have added: "I want you to be happy for me, I don't want you to be sad." He then told the family member: "I want it to be our secret." Police are understood to be aware of who Masood had the telephone conversation with, but decided they had no prior knowledge of the attack and has not been radicalised. Anti-terror police arrested a number of people who were all later released without charge, including members of Masood's family. So far, there has been no direct evidence originating from Masood himself which details why he carried out the attack.

The Duke of York attends ANZAC Day service His Royal Highness The Duke of York attended a Service of Commemoration and Thanksgiving to mark ANZAC Day at Westminster Abbey. The service was conducted by the Dean of Westminster, the Very Reverend Dr John Hall, who said in his Bidding: The landing of allied forces at Gallipoli on 25th April 1915 led to one of the bloodiest battles of the First World War. Australian and New Zealand forces joined together for the first time, and a new word entered the language: ANZAC. Remembering that so many died, we honour the bravery and determination of the men at Gallipoli. The memory of what became known as The Great War is with us as a warning and an encouragement. We are warned that war involves suffering and death; we are encouraged by the spirit of national pride shown by the soldiers we remember this ANZAC Day. At the start of the service the flags of New Zealand, Australia, Turkey and the United Kingdom were carried through the Abbey and placed beside the High Altar. The flags were borne by Warrant Officer II Daniel Bell (Australia), Warrant Officer Steve Clarke (New Zealand), Staff Sergeant Ozan Suslu (Turkey), and Major Tom Pauncefort (United Kingdom). His Excellency the High Commissioner for Australia, The Honourable Alexander Downer AC, read Isaiah 9: 1 – 7, and His Excellency the High Commissioner for New Zealand, Lieutenant General The Right Honourable Sir Jerry Mateparae GNZM QSO KStJ, read St John 14: 1 – 6. The flags of Australia, New Zealand, Turkey, and the United Kingdom are carried through the Abbey Church The flags of Australia, New Zealand, Turkey, and the United Kingdom are carried through the Abbey Church The Dean of Westminster, the very Reverend Dr John Hall, receives the flags His Excellency The Honourable Alexander Downer AC, High Commissioner for Australia, reads isaiah 9: 1-7 from the Nave Pulpit His Excellency Lieutenant General The Right Honourable Sir Jerry Mateparae GNZM QSO KStJ, High Commissioner for New Zealand, reads St John 14: 1-6 from the Great Lectern The Dean of Westminster, the Very Reverend Dr John Hall, gives The Address A member of the Coldstream Guard plays the Last Post in the Abbey's Organ Loft The High Commissioner for Australia and New Zealand lay wreaths at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior The Address was given by the Dean. His Excellency Abdurrahman Bilgiç, Ambassador of Turkey at the Court of St James, read the words of Mustafa Kemal Atatűrk inscribed on the memorial at ANZAC Cove in the Dardanelles.

The IndependentProceedings at the House of Commons have been suspended amid reports a man has been shot outside Parliament. A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said they were looking into the reports. More follows Witness Don Brind told the Press Association he heard shots being fired and saw two people apparently injured on the ground. Mr Brind, a researcher for MPs, said: "I heard some shouting and saw some running out of the corner of my eye and then a short time after that there was a shot. I looked and I saw a civilian on the ground, with somebody standing over him with what I assumed to be a gun. "Then I looked and about 10 yards away, there was a yellow jacketed person on the ground, who appeared to be alive and talking." He said he assumed the person in the high-visibility jacket was a police officer. Press Association reporter Laura Harding, who was in Westminster at the time of the incident, said: "Everyone has been evacuated into Central Lobby, including a group of schoolchildren and kitchen staff. Dennis Burns, who was just entering Parliament for a meeting when the security alert happened, told the Press Association: "As I was coming through the doors at Portcullis House, a policeman grabbed someone who was coming in and threw him out. "As we were coming though the glass doors I was told by one security guard to get out while another one told me to get in. "As I walked in I heard a security guard get a radio message saying 'a policeman has been stabbed'. "Then I walked in as police officers and security start rushing out of the front doors on to the street. "When I got inside I was wondering what the hell was going on and I saw dozens of panicked people running down the street. The first stream was around 30 people and the second stream was 70 people. The IndependentA police officer has been stabbed and at least one man has been shot in a "serious" incident outside the Houses of Parliament. At least two gun shots were heard by those inside Westminster. Proceedings in the House of Commons have been suspended. The deputy speaker of the Commons, David Lidington, announced the suspension, and said a police officer had been stabbed and the "alleged assailant shot by armed police".
London attack: Police identify Westminster attacker The man believed to have carried out the attack in Westminster has been named by police as Khalid Masood. Kent-born Masood, who died in the attack, was not the subject of any current police investigations, but had a range of previous convictions. According to the BBC, the 52-year-old was believed to have been living in the West Midlands. The so-called Islamic State group has said it was behind the attack, in which PC Keith Palmer, Aysha Frade and US tourist Kurt Cochran were killed. Eight arrests were made in London and Birmingham following Wednesday’s attack. Masood drove into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge before crashing his car into railings and then running into the grounds of Parliament, armed with a knife. He stabbed PC Palmer and then was shot dead. Police said there had been no prior intelligence about his intention to carry out an attack. But he was known to the police and his previous convictions included GBH, possession of offensive weapons and public order offences. His first conviction was in November 1983 for criminal damage and his last conviction was in December 2003 for possession of a knife. He had not been convicted of any terrorism offences. Car hire company Enterprise said the vehicle used in the attack had been rented from its Spring Hill depot in Birmingham. The BBC understands Masood had hired the Hyundai SUV in person, giving his profession as a teacher. PC Palmer, who was stabbed in the grounds of Parliament, was a 48-year-old father. He was an unarmed member of the parliamentary and diplomatic protection squad, with 15 years’ service. His family said in a statement that he would be remembered as a “wonderful dad and husband”.
Collecting real news from reliable sources The New York Times: Deadly Attack Near U.K. Parliament; Car Plows Victims on Westminster Bridge This was very big news here in the Netherlands too. Same exact date as the Brussels attacks. Coincidence? I think not. I was here then, too. The atmosphere became quite wary. “A knife-wielding assailant driving a sport utility vehicle mowed down panicked pedestrians and stabbed a police officer outside Parliament on Wednesday in a deadly assault, prompting the hasty evacuation of the prime minister and punctuating the threat of terrorism in Europe. At least four people, including the assailant, were killed and at least 40 others injured in the confusing swirl of violence, which the police said they assumed had been “inspired by international terrorism.” It appeared to be the most serious such assault in London since the deadly subway bombings more than a decade ago.”
Photographer who took picture of Muslim woman trolled for ‘casually’ walking by London terror attack victim reveals the truth Snapper Jamie Lorriman said in other shots it's obvious that she is distressed. Are you the woman or do you know her? We pay for your photos and stories! Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368 By Hayley Richardson 24th March 2017, 12:30 pm Updated: 25th March 2017, 3:50 pm THE photographer who took the picture of a Muslim woman trolled for looking at her phone while "casually" walking past a victim of the Westminster terror attack has revealed she was actually "horrified".
The sacrifice of “six million Jews” was being talked about before Hitler rose to power. A photocopy from the American Hebrew dated Oct. 1919, speaks openly about a holocaust of six million Jews before declaring “Israel is entitled to a place in the sun”!! Long before it became a crime in some countries to question the Holocaust, in fact before it is even supposed to have happened, Zionists were invoking the figure of “Six Million” and talking of a sacrifice for Israel With Afghanistan and Iraq already lost, the Wall Street bankers were all desperately looking for other ways to control our world, when suddenly and very conveniently, the Sumatran Trench exploded. Trick or Treat? Joe Vialls investigates The Talmud expounds some of the most virulent racism, as these extracts plainly show. However, as a reader points out not all Jews are influenced by it, or even read it. Only the ultra religious study it, the rest haven’t a clue. We leave you to decide Tyler Durden — Zero Hedge April 22, 2018 A senior correspondent for German state media broadcast ZDF heute stunned his European audience during a report from on the ground in Syria when he gave a straightforward and honest account of his findings while investigating what happened in Douma. The veteran reporter, Uli Gack, interviewed multiple eyewitnesses of the April 7 alleged chemical attack and concluded of the testimonials, “the Douma chemical attack is most likely staged, a great many people here seem very convinced.” It appears that all local Syrians encountered by the German public broadcast reporter were immediately dismissive of the widespread allegation that the Syrian government gassed civilians, which the US, UK, France, and Israel used a pretext for launching missile strikes on Damascus. ZDF heute: The world continues to puzzle over whether the banned chemical weapons were used in Douma. ZDF correspondent Uli Gack is in Syria for us: “you were in a large refugee camp today and talked to a lot of people – what did you hear about the attack there?” Gack responded, “the Douma chemical attack is most likely staged, a great many people here seem very convinced.” The German ZDF report is consistent with veteran British journalist Robert Fisk’s investigation upon being the first Western journalist to gain access to the site in Douma. Fisk reported early this week, “There are the many people I talked to amid the ruins of the town who said they had ‘never believed in’ gas stories–which were usually put about, they claimed, by the armed Islamist groups.” ZDF (Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen) is one of Germany’s largest and oldest state-owned channels, which is funded in part through citizens paying a household licensing fee, and Heute is perhaps the most visible public news program in all of Germany. According to the live report, some witnesses told ZDFthat Islamist rebels killed victims with chlorine, filmed the scenes, then claimed an ‘Assad chemical attack’. Though interviewing “a great many people [who] seem convinced” that a chemical attack did not actually happen, the reporter did not attempt to censor what he consistently heard from locals who were said to be in the area when the events occurred. Increasingly, it appears that mainstream media gate-keepers are losing it over the fact that so many highly visible and respected reporters and broadcasters have featured reports this week which publicly question the Syrian chemical attack narrative and US coalition missile strikes that followed. One writer for the Guardian and Daily Beast who is a well-known pro regime-change advocate, for example, laments that “disinformation has taken hold” on Syria. In a series of tweets following Robert Fisk’s bombshell report for theIndependent, Emma Beals, who often simply parrots whatever her ‘rebel’ sources tell her reacted to the recent profusion of high profile pundits questioning the established narrative on major British platforms. My educated and informed friends are emailing me en masse asking me about what’s going on in Syria because “it’s so hard to work out the truth.” Having spent years busting a gut to dig it out, it’s heartbreaking to see the extent to which disinformation has taken hold. My educated and informed friends are emailing me en masse asking me about what's going on in Syria because "it's so hard to work out the truth." Having spent years busting a gut to dig it out, it's heartbreaking to see the extent to which disinformation has taken hold. Once upon a time, a country called Syria was ruled by a ruthless dictator named Bashar Al-Assad. He was a cruel man who gassed his own people. His actions caused a civil war in Syria. America and Europe tried their best to stop the devastating civil war, and even generously accepted many Syrian refugees. Eventually America went to Syria, defeated ISIS, and is now trying to restore stability. This above version is quite popular among many Americans and Europeans and the Western mainstream media. Meanwhile, almost simultaneous to German TV’s ZDF heute report from Syria, lawyers of the Bundestag (German federal parliament) issued a legal brief on the US-led strike on Syria. The government lawyers’ report was requested by the left-wing party Die Linke in response to the US coalition missile strikes which primarily targeted facilities in and around Damascus. “The deployment of military force against a state to punish it for breaking an international convention is a violation of the international law prohibiting violence,” reads the report, as cited by the German Press agency DPA and translated by Sputnik. The legal report further concluded that the US-led attack on Syria – which skirted the UN – but which was supported by the German government (though without German military participation) was based in chemical attack claims that the legal team deemed “not convincing”.

Amber Rudd today pledged a new drive against extremist recruiters as she marked the anniversary of last year’s Westminster attack by vowing that Britain will “not be defeated” by terrorism. The Home Secretary said action would be taken against both Islamist and far-Right radicalisers seeking to spread hatred and violence. One aim will be to counter attempts by Islamic State to “foster a grievance narrative” by making Muslims in Britain feel under attack. There will also be renewed efforts to stop “racists” exploiting Islamist murders to justify retaliatory “acts of cruelty and hatred”. Victims’ families and friends, politicians and police were among those who marked the anniversary by commemorating people killed or injured at Westminster and the terror atrocities which followed. Andreea Cristea was among the victims of the Westminster attack Five people died when Khalid Masood drove into pedestrians crossing Westminster Bridge then ran through the gates of Parliament to fatally stab Pc Keith Palmer. Westminster attack: One year on In the following months, 22 people were killed in the Manchester arena suicide bombing, eight died in the London Bridge attack, and a man was killed when Darren Osborne rammed a van into a crowd at Finsbury Park mosque. There was also a botched attempt to bomb a Tube train at Parsons Green, which injured 30 people. Today Theresa May, Ms Rudd and the Bishop of London, Sarah Mullally, attended a service at St Mary Undercroft chapel in Parliament. The Bishop praised the capital’s “resilience and hope” and said her “heart goes out to those who lost loved ones”. The Prime Minister laid a wreath of white lilies and roses at Parliament Square, accompanied by a signed note reading: “In memory of those who were lost and in defiance of those who would seek to silence our democracy.” Ms Rudd expressed sympathy for victims and praised those who sought to help them. In an article for the Standard she warned that further action was needed to stop radicalisers from inspiring more attacks. “Islamists and far-Right terrorists share one thing in common – they are united through their adherence to hate,” she said. Westminster Bridge Terror Attack: One Year On Westminster Bridge Terror Attack: One Year On 1/20 6 people including the killer died in the attack Jeremy Selwyn 2/20 Theresa May laying a wreath at Parliament Square Jeremy Selwyn 3/20 Message from Theresa May on her floral tribute at Parliament Square Jeremy Selwyn 4/20 #Londonunited one year on from the Westminster attack Nigel Howard 5/20 People paid tribute to the victims who were killed in the Westminster terror attack last year Jeremy Selwyn 6/20 Emergency services workers lay flowers and pay their respects at Parliament Square in Westminster on the anniversary of the Westminster Bridge attack in London Reuters 7/20 Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, poses with the #LondonUnited memorial at City Hall, marking the anniversaries of the four terror attacks in London Reuters 8/20 A message is beamed onto a map at the #LondonUnited memorial at City Hall, marking the anniversaries of the four terror attacks in London Reuters 9/20 A desolate Westminster bridge where the attack took place Jeremy Selwyn 10/20 Londoners left messages and tributes for the victims Jeremy Selwyn 11/20 Londoners leave messages and tributes for the victims Jeremy Selwyn 12/20 People lay flowers for the victims Jeremy Selwyn 13/20 Police walk past truibute at Westminster today Jeremy Selwyn 14/20 The attack occurred on Westminster bridge near the houses of Parliament Jeremy Selwyn 15/20 Woman and child look out over the River Thames on Westminster bridge Jeremy Selwyn 16/20 Man carries memorial flowers across Westminster bridge Jeremy Selwyn 17/20 Theresa May laying a wreath at Parliament Square Jeremy Selwyn 18/20 Theresa May stands by her floral tribute at Parliament Square Jeremy Selwyn 19/20 Londoners leave messages and tributes for the victims Jeremy Selwyn 20/20 Londoners leave messages and tributes for the victims Jeremy Selwyn 1/20 6 people including the killer died in the attack Jeremy Selwyn 2/20 Theresa May laying a wreath at Parliament Square Jeremy Selwyn 3/20 Message from Theresa May on her floral tribute at Parliament Square Jeremy Selwyn 4/20 #Londonunited one year on from the Westminster attack Nigel Howard 5/20 People paid tribute to the victims who were killed in the Westminster terror attack last year Jeremy Selwyn 6/20 Emergency services workers lay flowers and pay their respects at Parliament Square in Westminster on the anniversary of the Westminster Bridge attack in London Reuters 7/20 Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, poses with the #LondonUnited memorial at City Hall, marking the anniversaries of the four terror attacks in London Reuters 8/20 A message is beamed onto a map at the #LondonUnited memorial at City Hall, marking the anniversaries of the four terror attacks in London Reuters 9/20 A desolate Westminster bridge where the attack took place Jeremy Selwyn 10/20 Londoners left messages and tributes for the victims Jeremy Selwyn 11/20 Londoners leave messages and tributes for the victims Jeremy Selwyn 12/20 People lay flowers for the victims Jeremy Selwyn 13/20 Police walk past truibute at Westminster today Jeremy Selwyn 14/20 The attack occurred on Westminster bridge near the houses of Parliament Jeremy Selwyn 15/20 Woman and child look out over the River Thames on Westminster bridge Jeremy Selwyn 16/20 Man carries memorial flowers across Westminster bridge Jeremy Selwyn 17/20 Theresa May laying a wreath at Parliament Square Jeremy Selwyn 18/20 Theresa May stands by her floral tribute at Parliament Square Jeremy Selwyn 19/20 Londoners leave messages and tributes for the victims Jeremy Selwyn 20/20 Londoners leave messages and tributes for the victims Jeremy Selwyn “We need to respond by stamping out those recruiters in the first place.” Ms Rudd said a new “victims of terrorism unit” had been set up, and the country could not be “complacent” despite the success of police and intelligence agencies in foiling 10 Islamist and four far-Right plots over the past year. The Bishop of London said she had met people from “across the capital’s communities” and been “struck by what brings them together and their reslience and hope”. We should be proud of how we stood united but we cannot be complacent Amber Rudd Today I will be remembering and honouring those affected in the Westminster attack with my colleagues in the very place that the terrorists tried to destroy — our Parliament. I will be remembering the bravery of our emergency services, including Pc Keith Palmer who made the ultimate sacrifice. And I will be thinking of those left behind whose lives have been forever changed. When our values come under attack that is the time when we must commit more than ever to that which unites us. We are proud to live in a decent, open and respectful society. Terrorists want to attack our way of life and cause maximum disruption in society. They thrive over the divisions their actions cause and hope that we respond with panic. Islamists and far-Right terrorists have one thing in common — they are united through their adherence to hate. Daesh want nothing more than for all British Muslims to feel under attack in this country too. This only helps to feed a grievance narrative that is deployed by predatory recruiters. That is why it is important to tackle all forms of terrorism, whether Islamist or far-Right. We need to respond by stamping out those recruiters, whether it is an Islamist terrorist disseminating material that inspires and instructs how to carry out an attack, or a racist who uses Westminster to provide justification for further acts of cruelty and hatred. We cannot only deal with those who have been already been drawn into terrorist activity. We need to intervene earlier and stop people being radicalised in the first place. We cannot be complacent. Westminster was the first of five attacks in this country last year, including three more in our capital at London Bridge, Finsbury Park and Parsons Green. But we must recognise the professionalism of those who are protecting us and the 10 Islamist terrorist plots and four far-Right terrorist plots that have been thwarted since March last year. As I make my way to Westminster today I will see Londoners and tourists enjoying the sights and freedom this great city has to offer. And I will remember how we all came together to stand united against the terrorists. This is something to be proud of. We will not be defeated. It proved Londoners had “more in common than divides us”, she added. “Any anniversary of such a terrible event will inevitably bring back difficult memories. My heart goes out to those who lost loved ones and those who were injured. We share in their suffering as we remember them. “After the attack, I was in touch with staff from St Thomas’ Hospital. It was from there that staff rushed to help the casualties, and our ongoing gratitude goes out to the response of all of London’s emergency and health services.” In Parliament, MPs held a minute’s silence. Commons leader Andrea Leadsom said: “We unite together, in their memory, to face down these despicable and cowardly acts.” Floral tributes were left outside Parliament and on the bridge. Stopping to look at them, Kay, an intensive care nurse at St Thomas’ who had worked the night shift after the attack, said: “That day when we were coming into work we didn’t know what it was going to be like, but there was a great feeling on the unit of everybody coming together and keeping London safe.” One bouquet contained a message to victims: “You, your families and your friends are in our thoughts.” Another ended: “May God bless you always.”
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Related articles The MPS Marine Policing Unit tweeted: “Marine 2 en route to #Westminster Bridge to reports of a male having jumped into the Thames. Updates to follow.” The Unit later wrote: “Despite our very best efforts assisted by Tower Lifeboat Station, National Police Air Service, the London Fire Brigade and Southwark officers, the casualty [person] has not been recovered.”
Counterterror police carried out raids at three separate addresses in the Midlands on Tuesday evening, hours after a man crashed a car into the barriers outside the Houses of Parliament, injuring three people as he collided with pedestrians and cyclists in what is being treated as a terrorist incident. The suspect, who is being held at a south London police station on suspicion of carrying out terrorist offences, was identified as a 29-year-old British citizen by police. While he has not been formally identified, government sources cited by the BBC named him as Salih Khater. According to a Facebook page that bears the same name, Khater described himself as a "shop manager" and studied at Sudan University of Science and Technology. Security minister Ben Wallace confirmed that the suspect "came from another country originally," but gave no further details. Roger Godsiff, Labour MP for Birmingham Hall Green, confirmed that he is understood to have been a resident in the city, where two addresses were searched on Tuesday. "Today's attack at Westminster was carried out by an individual who is believed to have been living in my constituency in Birmingham. My deepest sympathies to the cyclists and pedestrians who were injured in the attack," Godsiff tweeted. A man and a woman have been discharged from hospital after sustaining "non-life-threatening injuries", police said. Another man was treated at the scene. The silver Ford Fiesta involved in the incident, which took place at 7:37am on Tuesday as commuters made their way to work, had travelled from Birmingham to London the night before, arriving just after midnight, according to the Metropolitan Police. The car stayed around Tottenham Court Road, in central London, from about 1:25am until 5:55am, before the driver headed to Westminster. One of the two properties searched in Birmingham was in Sparkhill, in the southeast of the city, according to local reporters. I'm outside this flat in #Sparkhill where police have finished searching the property believed to be the home of the 29 year-old man arrested on suspicion on terror offences in #Westminster https://t.co/z2FLtsUyg6 An address in Nottingham, about 50 miles northeast of Birmingham, was also searched on Tuesday. No other arrests have been made. The police said there is "no intelligence of further danger to Londoners or the rest of the UK" but deployed officers trained to recognise signs of anxiety in Westminster, to "identify anyone who may be in the area for terrorist or other criminal purposes".
‘Hand in hand’: Vigil held on Westminster Bridge for terrorist attack victims (VIDEO) People across all “nations, faiths, orientation and sexes” stood hand in hand on Westminster Bridge to commemorate the victims of the terrorist attack that took place on March 22. A human chain was formed on both the west and east sides of the bridge as part of a vigil in solidarity for the four victims killed in last Wednesday’s assault on Parliament. Khalid Masood, 52, killed four people and injured 50 more after driving into people on Westminster Bridge’s pavements and crashing into Parliament’s railings before getting out of the car and stabbing a police officer to death. The attacker was later shot dead. The Metropolitan Police Federation said the human chain aimed to show that “we will not be divided. Linking all nations, faiths, orientation and sexes.” Met officers joined hands with members of the public to form a line-up of ‘Hands across Westminster Bridge’ at 2:15pm. At 2:30, up to 500 faith leaders from across the UK, including members from the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association, walked down the middle of the bridge, between the human chains. A minute of silence was then held at 2:40pm. Westminster Bridge and surrounding roads will be closed from 12:30pm until 3:30pm. A separate human chain was organized by Women’s March On London on Sunday, an event which saw dozens of women stand together in solidarity with those affected by the attack. The vigil came as an inquest into the victims’ death was opened and adjourned at Westminster Coroner’s Court on Wednesday. Victims of the attack include PC Keith Palmer, 48, a husband and father of a five-year-old girl, and US tourist American Kurt Cochran, 54, who was in London with his wife to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. In a statement from Aysha’s family they described her as a, “caring daughter, loving sister, amazing wife, irreplaceable aunt, thoughtful, supportive friend and the best and coolest of mummies.” "You were ripped away from our lives in the cruellest and most cowardly of ways. We now pray that you guide and protect not only us, but all of London, from further evil. You will always be remembered as our guardian angel who never shied away from facing up to bullies. There are no words to even begin to describe the crushing pain and eternal void left in our hearts." Twelve people are reportedly still being treated for injuries in hospital following the assault last week, which was carried out in a total of 82 seconds.
Eyewitness accounts of Westminster attack An attack nearby the Palace of Westminster in London occured on the afternoon of Wednesday, March 22. A car mounted the sidewalk and plowed into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge leading to multiple serious injuries with one death arleady confirmed. A knife-wielding attacker was killed after stabbing a policeman. Here are some eyewitness accounts. Quentin Letts, a parliamentary sketchwriter for the Daily Mail said: “I was in my office overlooking New Palace Yard. This is the area where the shooting happened and I saw the shooting happen and I saw some of the stabbing or what seems to have been stabbing going on and then I saw I’m afraid what looks like fruitless attempts to save a man who’d fallen, who I think was one of the policemen. He was wearing black clothes, he didn’t have much hair, he was quite think set. And he set about one of the policeman with what looked like a stick. The policeman fell over on the ground and it was pretty horrible to watch. Then having done that, he disengaged and ran towards the House of Commons entrance used by MPs and he got about 20 yards or so when two plainclothes guys with guns shot him. And I have to say that they were very quick to run out of wherever they ran out of and ran towards him and they did the shooting pose with their legs straight and one leg in front of the other. And they shouted something at him and he appeared to ignore it and kept running towards them and then two or three shots and he fell instantly.” He ran in through the open gates. These are the gates where people drive in and out of the Parliamentary Estate and they are manned by uniformed policeman. The gates were open and this man ran through. John Campbell, who witnessed events from a passing bus told the Telegraph: I was upstairs on the number 88 bus which was stuck in a traffic jam on parliament square when I saw a lot of people running up from Westminster Bridge. I then saw a man running with a very large kitchen knife. He was running really fast and went straight past the guards at the gate. I then saw him stab a police officer two or three times. His colleague then intervened and the officer managed to stagger away. I then heard two neat shots and the man went down. Richard Tyse told Sky News: “I came out of Westminster tube station which was being locked down behind me (by police). I was ushered onto Westminster Bridge and looked onto the west pavement of the bridge and literally north to south I must have counted 8-10 prostrate figures on the ground. I understand a car had driven along the pavement knocking people over and that’s why many people were lying on the ground. The whole length of the bridge there were people on the ground who had clearly been injured Alan Parry from Sky Sports News said: “I was just outside Westminster tube station when I heard an almighty crash and a vehicle that looked like a 4×4 had crashed into the railings (at parliament). There was smoke coming from underneath the bonnet. I saw a pedestrian or a cyclist who had clearly been hit. The driver of the car sprinted away from the scene. That was followed by four what sounded very much like gunshots. Then all of a sudden all hell was let loose and police descended everywhere. The whole area was locked down. It was a frightening couple of minutes.” Kevin Schofield, editor of Politics Home was in parliament at the time of the attack. Writing on Twitter: Then there were gunshots and lots of armed police running around everywhere. I can see someone getting treatment in New Palace Yard.
Weʼve raised £2,145 to Help raise money for PC Kris Aves who was injured in the Westminster attack. Crowdfunding is a new type of fundraising where you can raise funds for your own personal cause, even if you're not a registered charity. The page owner is responsible for the distribution of funds raised. Story A group of serving Police Officers from the Borough of Camden within the Metropolitan Police and their friends will be running in a Tough Mudder event on 23rd September 2017, with the hope of raising money for PC Kris Aves who suffered life-changing injuries as he walked across Westminster Bridge in London. As he left a commendation awards ceremony held by the Met Police he found himself in the middle of a terrorist attack as he was hit by a car that came from nowhere and struck him. Kris once served on Camden and is known by many and is highly regarded by all. Updates 0 Updates appear here 1 year ago Ben Norman started crowdfunding Leave a message of support Page last updated on: 9/30/20178:23 AM Supporters 112 Anonymous Sep 30, 2017 £10.00 Elaine McPherson Sep 27, 2017 Well done and for a lovely cause I hope you raise lots of money to help make life a little easier for this family x

Leslie Rhodes (75) was named by police as the fourth victim of the attack. From Streatham in South London, Rhodes died in hospital on Thursday night after life support was withdrawn as a result of injuries he sustained during the attack. The three other victims of the attack were police officer Keith Palmer (48), teacher Aysha Frade (43) and US citizen Kurt Cochran (54). 08:31 GMT Nine people are in custody following police raids in London and Birmingham, Assistant Commissioner for Specialist Operations Mark Rowley told reporters at a press conference this morning. Rowley said police were trying to establish if the attacker acted alone. He revealed the birth name of the attacker, Khalid Masood, as Adrian Russell Ajao. 08:29 GMT The death toll from Wednesday’s attack in London stands at five after a fourth victim of attacker Khalid Masood, who also died, was confirmed late Thursday.
“We think we know who the attacker is,” Acting Deputy Commissioner & national lead for Counter Terrorism Policing Mark Rowley said but stated that they were not willing to divulge the assailant’s name at this time, though they did admit that it “Islamic terrorism is our assumption.” A/Dep Cmsr Rowley: "At this stage - but it may change - we believe approx 40 people were injured including three police officers." London Ambulance Service says it has treated at least 10 patients on Westminster Bridge. An eyewitness has told Sky News he saw a body "face down" in the Thames. Witnesses said people either jumped or were knocked over the side of the bridge as the car mounted the pavement and struck a number of pedestrians. A spokesman for the Port of London Authority, which looks after safety on the river, said a female member of the public had been recovered from the water near Westminster bridge after she "fell" or "jumped" in. "A female member of the public was recovered alive from the water, but with serious injuries. She has been brought ashore and is undergoing urgent medical treatment. The working assumption is that she fell or jumped from the bridge." “I came out of Westminster Tube at about 2:45pm when police were locking down the tube, ushering people out away from Parliament. I was ushered onto Westminster Bridge, and then I looked across the bridge, onto the west pavement,” he recalled. “For the whole length of the bridge, from south to north, there were people lying on the ground and I was then told that a car had driven from the south end all the way up the pavement to the north end of the bridge. I counted at least eight people clearly injured on the ground.” Incident in #Westminster: We are treating this as a terrorist incident until we know otherwise Another witness described seeing a middle-aged man carrying a knife running towards the Palace of Westminster. Kamal Alam, a Syrian military analyst whose office isn’t far from where the attack took place, also spoke with RT. “I thought it’s just some kind of school drill, but within a few seconds heard what sounded like gunshots and a lot of screaming, and all of a sudden there [were] dozens of armed policemen telling everyone to run away from Parliament Square and Westminster Tube Station,” he said. Jayne Wilkinson told Sky News: "We were taking photos of Big Ben and we saw all the people running towards us, and then there was an Asian guy in about his 40s carrying a knife about seven or eight inches long. "And then there were three shots fired, and then we crossed the road and looked over. The man was on the floor with blood. "He had a lightweight jacket on, dark trousers and a shirt. "He was running through those gates, towards parliament, and the police were chasing him." Impossible to be sure from here, but judging by the lack of resuscitation efforts it doesn't look good for either police officer or attacker According to Doug Weeks, terrorism expert at London Metropolitan University, the attack, while softened by the high security presence in the area, could have been far bloodier. “Well certainly within the Parliament compound itself, that is by far one of the most secure areas within London. There are numerous police officers and other security personnel that work in that area as well as around that area, thus it’s not surprising that the police have a very rapid response to this incident,” Weeks told RT. Following the attack, Number 10 said Prime Minister Theresa May was safe. The spokesman declined to say where May was when the attack took place. It is understood, however, she was rushed to a car 40 yards from the gates outside parliament where the shots were fired minutes after the attack. She was ushered by at least eight armed undercover police, some with their firearms drawn. The leader of the House of Commons David Lidington said the alleged assailant was shot by armed police "inside the parliament perimeter." Terror attack outside U.K. Parliament. 2 men down on road. Man with knife/machete got into Parliament and stabbed policeman. He's been shot pic.twitter.com/aYNktTiF4d The London Eye was stopped and temporarily held all its "guests" within the attraction. An air ambulance landed in Parliament Square shortly after the incident. London Ambulance Service deputy director of operations Pauline Cranmer said it has "declared a major incident and our priority is to assess patients and ensure that they are treated and taken to hospital as soon as possible." The US State Department said it was closely following the "concerning situation" in the UK. "The Department of Homeland Security stands in solidarity alongside our friends in the United Kingdom in condemning the terrible attack at Parliament today. With our partners in federal law enforcement, we are in close contact with our British counterparts to monitor the tragic events and to support the ongoing investigation," it said in a statement. .@POTUS has been briefed on the situation in the U.K. Continuing to monitor and update

Britain: heading towards disaster Reports of alleged links between Islamic charities and terrorism or extremism surged to a record high, according to the Charity Commission, a charity watchdog. By – Soeren Kern Azad Ali, an Islamist who has said that he supports killing British soldiers, was named a director of Muslim Engagement and Development (Mend), a controversial Muslim pressure group which advises the British government. Ali said that the jihadist attack at Westminster on March 22, 2017 was not an act of terrorism. “Politicians tell us they are unafraid, but they are never the victims. How easy to be unafraid when one is protected from the line of fire. The people have no such protections.” — Manchester-born singer Morrissey. The British government refused to say whether telling people about Christianity could be a hate crime. Lord Pearson of Rannoch said that when he raised a question on the issue in the House of Lords, the government failed to state clearly whether Christians can be prosecuted just for stating their beliefs. The Muslim population of Britain surpassed 4.1 million in 2017 to become around 6.3% of the overall population of 64 million, according to a recent study on the growth of the Muslim population in Europe. In real terms, Britain has the third-largest Muslim population in the European Union, after France, then Germany. The rapid growth of Britain’s Muslim population can be attributed to immigration, high birth rates and conversions to Islam. Islam and Islam-related issues, omnipresent in Britain during 2017, can be categorized into several broad themes: 1) Islamic extremism and the security implications of British jihadists; 2) The continuing spread of Islamic Sharia law in Britain; 3) The sexual exploitation of British children by Muslim gangs; 4) Muslim integration into British society; and 5) The failures of British multiculturalism. JANUARY 2017 January 1. Hundreds of adult asylum seekers lied about their age in order to enter Britain “as teenagers,” according to official data provided under the Freedom of Information Act. Figures obtained by Mail on Sunday show that social workers carried out 2,028 age tests between 2013-2016, during which almost one in four of the claimants — 465 — were found to be over 18. By concealing their real age, migrants hope to improve their chances of being granted asylum. January 1. Reports of alleged links between Islamic charities and terrorism or extremism surged to a record high, according to the Charity Commission, a charity watchdog. The number of times the Commission shared concerns about links between charities and extremism with police and other agencies nearly tripled, from 234 to 630 in just three years. January 4. Jamshid Piruz, a 34-year-old Afghan-born Dutch citizen declared guilty of murder in the Netherlands, pled guilty to attacking two British police officers with a hammer. Piruz entered the UK unchallenged, despite being convicted of decapitating a Chinese woman in Amsterdam. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison for the murder, but released early. As a Dutch resident, Piruz was allowed to travel freely across the EU. “Britain has got to have tougher border controls,” said MP Henry Smith. January 6. St. Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral in Glasgow featured a reading from the Koran which denied the divinity of Jesus Christ. The Koran reading, aimed at “reaching out to Muslims,” was held on Epiphany, a festival which celebrates the incarnation of God in the person of Jesus Christ. One of the Queen’s chaplains, Gavin Ashenden, referred to the Koran reading as “blasphemy” and said the decision showcased the limits of interfaith dialogue. He resigned on January 23 in order to “speak more freely” about the struggle of Christianity in British culture. January 7. Tanveer Ahmed, a 32-year-old jihadist serving a 27-year prison sentence for the murder in Glasgow of Asad Shah, an Ahmadi Muslim shopkeeper, issued a recording from Scotland’s Barlinnie prison in which he called for the “elimination” of the enemies of Islam. January 8. MI5 launched a manhunt for a Syrian scientist posing as a refugee and plotting a chemical attack on a British seaside town. January 9. Inspectors from Ofsted, the schools regulator, concluded that Darul Hadis Latifiah, an all-boys school in East London, was not preparing pupils “for life in modern Britain.” Many of the students at the school could not name the British prime minister. Inspectors also found books which “promoted inappropriate views” on how females should behave, and found a closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera in the bathroom. January 15. Twelve of Britain’s most dangerous Islamic terrorists were to be placed in containment units in three prisons at a cost of about £1 million ($1.34 million) a year, according to The Sunday Times. The aim is to prevent them from radicalizing other inmates. January 17. Cambridge Professor Wendy Ayres-Bennett called on Britons to learn languages such as Polish, Punjabi and Urdu to make immigrant families feel more at home. She said that English speakers should think of immigration as a “two-way street” and be able to communicate in another language to aid integration and social cohesion. January 18. Manchester United appointed a counter-terrorism manager to protect against jihadist attacks. It was believed to be the first Premier League football club to do so. January 20. Gloucester Cathedral invited Imam Hassan of the local Masjid-e-Noor mosque to perform the traditional Muslim invocation to worship at the launch of a multicultural Faith Exhibition. A video of the call to prayer was posted on the cathedral’s Facebook page. One commenter wrote: “My ancestors built this cathedral and to allow a practicing Muslim to pray to another god is insanely naive. What did you think it would do? Encourage them to convert?” January 22. Hani al-Sibai, a 55-year-old Islamic extremist, was granted £123,000 ($165,000) in public money to help him fight deportation, even though he is alleged to be a “key influencer” of the Ansar al-Sharia movement, a terror group which murdered 30 British tourists at a Tunisian beach resort. Al-Sibai, whose three-story housing association home in West London is worth £1 million, is also said to have radicalized Mohammed Emwazi, the Islamic State executioner known as “Jihadi John.” January 24. St. Clare’s School, a Roman Catholic School in Handsworth, found itself at the center of a social media storm after telling the parents of a four-year-old Muslim girl that she could not wear the hijab, a traditional Islamic headscarf, in class. The school has a strict uniform policy and asked the girl’s parents to respect it. The girl’s father refused and asked Birmingham City Council’s Labour cabinet member Waseem Zaffar to intervene. Zaffar said: “I’m insisting this matter is addressed asap with a change of policy.” January 25. Abandi Kassim, a 44-year-old taxi driver in Leicester, was fined for breaching equality laws when he refused to carry a guide dog because he claimed it was against his religion. Kassim turned away Charles Bloch, 22, who is legally blind, and his dog in Leicester in July 2016. He pled guilty to refusing to convey a guide dog, an offense under the Equality Act 2010, and was fined £340 ($450) plus £200 costs and a £50 victim surcharge. January 26. The City of Edinburgh invited citizens to vote for projects designed to create a city “free from Islamophobia.” Some £40,000 ($54,000) were made available for projects “to help local people deliver innovative projects which reduce prejudice and foster positive relationships between diverse communities.” January 28. Changing of the Guard ceremonies at Windsor Castle were cancelled amid fears of jihadist attacks. Police said jihadis could target soldiers and the thousands of tourists who gather to watch the time-honored military tradition. FEBRUARY 2017 February 1. Prime Minister Theresa May told the House of Commons that women should feel free to wear the hijab, a traditional Islamic headscarf. Several European countries have imposed bans on parts of Muslim religious dress. “What a woman wears is a woman’s choice,” May said. On February 1 (“world hijab day”), UK Prime Minister Theresa May said that women should feel free to wear the hijab, a traditional Islamic headscarf, stating: “What a woman wears is a woman’s choice.” Pictured above: Theresa May (then Home Secretary) wears a headscarf while attending an interfaith event at Al Madina Mosque in East London, in February 2015. (Image source: Imams Online video screenshot) February 2. Six Muslim men shouted “Allahu Akbar” as they were sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court for a total of 81 years for sexually abusing two girls — including one who became pregnant at age 12 — in Rotherham. February 5. Muslim pupils outnumber Christian children in more than 30 church schools, including one Church of England primary school that has a “100% Muslim population,” according to The Sunday Times. St. Thomas in Werneth, Oldham, is reported to have no Christian pupils, while at Staincliffe Church of England Junior School in Batley, West Yorkshire, 98% of pupils “come from a Muslim background.” The Church of England estimated that about 20 of its schools had more Muslim pupils than Christians and 15 Roman Catholic schools had majority Muslim pupils. February 7. Zakaria Bulhan, a 19-year-old Norwegian national of Somali origin, was sentenced to indefinite confinement at Broadmoor Hospital after he admitted to killing American tourist Darlene Horton and wounding five others in a rampage in central London on August 3, 2016. Bulhan, from Tooting, South London, pled guilty at the Old Bailey to “manslaughter by diminished responsibility” on the grounds that he was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia at the time of the attacks. He had been charged with murder and attempted murder, but the court accepted his plea. During his arrest, Bulhan repeatedly muttered “Allah, Allah, Allah,” and police found a Muslim prayer book, “Fortress of the Muslim,” in his pants pocket. The court, however, decided that Islam was not a factor in Bulhan’s behavior. February 7. A Chatham House survey of more than 10,000 people from ten European countries found that an average of 55% agreed that all further migration from mainly Muslim countries should be stopped. Majorities in all but two of the ten states agreed, ranging from 71% in Poland, 65% in Austria, 53% in Germany and 51% in Italy to 47% in the United Kingdom and 41% in Spain. February 9. A 44-year-old man from Hertfordshire was arrested at Gatwick Airport on terrorism charges after he disembarked from a flight from Iraq. He was charged under Section 5 of the 2006 Terrorism Act: suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts. February 12. A National Health Service (NHS) project based on research by Leeds University claimed that Muslims with mental health issues could be helped by re-embracing Islam. Lead researcher Ghazala Mir helped to create a new treatment: Patients are asked if faith was part of their life when they were well. Those who stopped being religious are re-introduced to Islam by means of a self-help booklet. February 14. Clayton McKenna, a 22-year-old Briton who converted to Islam while in prison, appeared at Newcastle Crown Court after he carried an axe through the streets of Boldon Colliery. Apparently, he had planned to confront his Christian father over “religious differences.” McKenna allegedly told police that he was on his way to his father’s home “to ask him to bow down to me.” Judge Penny Moreland told McKenna: “I am concerned that there is no real explanation for your confused thinking that morning, nor for those threats made.” February 15. Faisal Bashir, a 43-year-old father of two from Ilford, was forced to move out of his home after he renounced Islam and stopped attending a mosque. Bashir said he was subject to harassment, but police dismissed his pleas for help as “just a nuisance.” The Chairman of the Ilford-based British Pakistani Christian Association (BPCA), Wilson Chowdhry, said: “Police and councils up and down the country just don’t understand the level of animosity people choosing to leave Islam can face.” February 16. Metropolitan Police Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe urgedMuslim scholars to step up efforts to counter the Islamic State. He said he believed that IS fighters were “political criminals” who were carrying out “horrific violence” which had no justification in Islam. In an interview with the Evening Standard, Hogan-Howe repeated the politically correct dogma that the Islamic State is not Islamic. February 18. Britain’s first-ever “modest” fashion event was held in London with more than 40 designers displaying garments that comply with Muslim values. Event organizer Romanna Bint-Abubaker, founder of modest fashion website Haute Elan, told Sky News: “The fastest growing global consumer is at the moment the Muslim market. By 2030, one in three people will be a Muslim in the world — that is a huge population.” February 19. Counter-terrorism police launched an investigation into claims that Trish O’Donnell, head of Clarksfield Primary School in Oldham, was being forced to work from home after death threats from Muslim parents opposed to her Western values. O’Donnell reportedly was subject to “harassment and intimidation” in the form of “aggressive verbal abuse” and “threats to blow up her car” from parents pushing conservative Muslim ideals. The school is mostly filled with Pakistani pupils who do not speak English as a first language. February 20. Members of Parliament debated U.S. President Donald J. Trump’s state visit to Britain. Left-wing MPs called for the invitation to be withdrawn to protest Trump’s travel ban on people from seven Muslim-majority countries. Conservative Party MPs accused their opponents of hypocrisy and insulting the American people. February 21. Rezzas Abdulla, a 33-year-old man from South Shields, was sentenced to eight months in prison. The sentence was then suspended so that he could receive treatment for mental health problems, for assaulting a woman and her nine-month old baby. Rebecca Telford, 25, and her daughter were strolling in South Shields in January 2016 when Abdulla leaned into the baby carriage and spat into the baby’s mouth, and allegedly said, “white people shouldn’t breed,” before launching into a tirade of racial abuse. February 22. Jamal al-Harith, a 50-year-old British convert to Islam, blew himself up at an Iraqi army base in Mosul. He had received £1 million (€1.1 million; $1.2 million) in compensation from the British government after being freed from Guantánamo Bay in 2004. Al-Harith, originally named Ronald Fiddler, was born in Manchester to parents of Jamaican origin and took the name Jamal al-Harith when he converted to Islam. He was also known more recently as Abu-Zakariya al-Britani. Captured in Afghanistan in early 2002, and released from Guantánamo Bay after two years, he later joined IS. February 23. The BBC paid “very substantial” libel damages and broadcast a full apology to Chowdhury Mueen-Uddin, founder member of the Muslim Council of Britain, who was falsely accused of calling for the lynching of author Salman Rushdie. February 26. Shahriar Ashrafkhorasani, a 33-year-old Iranian-born convert from Islam set to be ordained as a Church of England priest, accused Oxford University of discrimination and bias after he was told he could not ask a professor questions about Islam. Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali, a former senior fellow at Wycliffe Hall, said that a “politically correct” atmosphere is “very widespread in the university as a whole.” He added: “If people are taking money from these [Muslim] sources, then that can limit the critical approach to the study of Islam and Muslim civilization generally.” February 27. A spokesman for the West Midlands Police wrote on social media that parents caught practicing female genital mutilation (FMG) on their children should not be prosecuted. He revealed that the force is opposed to “prosecuting/jailing” parents for FGM because it would be “unlikely to benefit” children who fall victim to the crime. February 28. Patrick Kabele, a 32-year-old convert to Islam, was found guilty of preparing terrorist acts — namely attempting to travel to Syria — contrary to the 2006 Terrorism Act. During his trial, jurors at Woolwich Crown Court heard how Kabele, from Willesden in North London, tried to join the Islamic State in Syria, where he wanted to buy a “nine-year-old virgin, the younger the better.” He added that if he had enough money, he would buy four wives. Kabele, who was born in Uganda and became a British citizen, told police after his arrest that he did not “owe an oath of allegiance” to the United Kingdom. MARCH 2017 March 1. A Channel 4 documentary series called “Extremely British Muslims” showed the inner workings of a sharia court inside Birmingham’s Central Mosque. In the first episode, viewers witnessed the case of mother-of-four Fatima, 33, as she sought permission to divorce her drug dealer husband whom she says has abused her throughout their 14-year marriage. According to sharia law, Muslim women must plead their divorce cases in court, while Muslim men need only to say the words “I divorce you” three times to obtain a divorce. Birmingham Central Mosque said it allowed the sharia proceedings to be filmed in an effort to “break down misconceptions about Islam.” Some 100 sharia courts in Britain are now dispensing Islamic justice outside the remit of the British legal system. March 2. English actor Riz Ahmed warned that the lack of Muslim faces on British television was alienating young people, driving them towards extremism and into the arms of the Islamic State. Delivering Channel 4’s annual diversity lecture in Parliament, Ahmed said that television had a pivotal role to play in ensuring that Muslims felt heard, and valued, in British society. March 3. The Amateur Swimming Association changed its swimsuit regulations to allow Muslim women to wear full body outfits, after a request from the Muslim Women’s Sport Foundation. The rule was changed to encourage more Muslim women to take part in the sport. March 4. Ryan Counsell, a 28-yeara-old jihadist from Nottingham who left his wife and two small children to fight with the Abu Sayyaf Islamist group in the Philippines, blamed his behavior on the Brexit vote. He told the Woolwich Crown Court that increased tension within the local Muslim community after Brexit sparked his decision to leave. He said that he wanted to escape Britain’s political climate and seek an “idyllic life” under sharia law. March 5. Homegrown terrorism inspired by the Islamic State poses the dominant threat to the national security of the United Kingdom, according to a comprehensive new report on violent Islamism in Britain. The 1,000-page report — “Islamist Terrorism: Analysis of Offenses and Attacks in the UK (1998–2015)” — was published by the Henry Jackson Society, a foreign policy think tank based in London. March 6. British security services prevented 13 potential terror attacks since June 2013, according to Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley, the UK’s most senior counter-terrorism police officer. He also said that there were 500 live counter-terror investigations at any given time, and that investigators have been arresting terror suspects at a rate of close to one a day since 2014. The official threat level for international terrorism in the UK has stood at severe — meaning an attack is “highly likely” — for more than two years. March 7. The National Health Service (NHS) revealed that there were 2,332 new cases of female genital mutilation (FGM) in Britain between October and December 2016. That statistic brought the total of new cases in 2016 to nearly 5,500. March 7. The managers of the cash-strapped Sandwell General Hospital near Birmingham said they would consider building a special kitchen for preparing halal meals for Muslim patients and staff. The move followed complaints about the quality of halal meals that the hospital has outsourced from local vendors. March 10. The BBC announced that it would begin outsourcing production of Songs of Praise, a Sunday worship program that has been produced in-house for 55 years. Critics of the move said they feared that Songs of Praise will lose its Christian focus in favor of Islam. Anglican priest Lynda Rose said a recent Songs of Praise episode featuring a segment about the Muslim faith, including Church of England children visiting a mosque, exemplified the “Islamization of the BBC.” More than 6,000 people signed an online petition calling for MPs to investigate the BBC after it appointed Fatima Salaria as the BBC’s head of religious programming — the second Muslim in a row to hold the post. March 11. Britain’s foreign aid budget was accused of funding at least two dozen Palestinian schools, some of which are named after terrorists and murderers, openly promote terrorism and encourage pupils to see child killers as role models. A Mail on Sunday investigation found pictures of “martyrs” posted on school walls, revolutionary slogans and symbols painted on premises used by youngsters, sports events named after teenage terrorists and children encouraged to act out shooting Israeli soldiers in plays. March 11. Islamic preachers may be asked to begin delivering their sermons in English under measures being prepared to rid Britain of hate preaching. The Telegraphreported that the government’s counter-extremism taskforce is working on the plans amid concern that preaching in foreign languages enforces divisions between Islam and mainstream British society. March 12. An Islamic bookstore in Alum Rock, a predominately Muslim suburb of Birmingham that has produced 10% of all of Britain’s convicted terrorists, was found to be openly selling books promoting jihad. March 14. A father who described himself as “Anglo-Saxon” lost a legal battle to prevent his Muslim ex-wife from sending their 10-year-old son to an Islamic secondary school. The man, who was not named for legal reasons, said he wanted to prevent his son from attending a “school inside a mosque” on the grounds that he would be “marginalized” by his son if he enrolled at the London-based school. The man’s lawyer said that the mother and father had “different world views” and that it was client’s wish that his son be educated in a “neutral” environment. The man had converted to Islam but renounced his faith following the separation. A High Court judge dismissed the man’s appeal, ruling that the man would not be marginalized by his son. March 17. The former owners of a bookstore in Bradford apologized after copies of the Koran and other Islamic literature were found in a garbage dumpster outside the store. Police were called to the store after a group of Muslim males began abusing the staff. The imbroglio began after the bookstore’s 80-year-old owner decided to close down his business, and the new owners gave him a month to move out the stock, which included a number of Korans and other Islamic books. March 17. Zameer Ghumra, a 37-year-old Leicester pharmacist, was arrested after showing a beheading video to two young children. He was charged with distributing terrorist publications under section two of the Terrorism Act 2006. March 18. The BBC apologized after a tweet from the BBC Asian Network account asked, “What is the right punishment for blasphemy?” The tweet provoked criticism that the BBC appeared to be endorsing harsh restrictions on speech. In an apology posted on Twitter, the network said it had intended to debate concerns about blasphemy on social media in Pakistan. “We never intended to imply that blasphemy should be punished,” a spokesperson said. March 19. A British jihadist reportedly used social welfare payments to move his family to Syria to join the Islamic State. Shahan Choudhury, 30, who was radicalized at Belmarsh Prison while serving an 18-month sentence for stabbing to death a 17-year-old hospital worker over an alleged £15 ($18) drug debt, vanished from his apartment in London and has since used social media to urge other British Muslims to carry out terror attacks in the UK. March 20. Mohammed Karamat, 45, an imam at a mosque in Coventry who assaulted four children as young as nine, was spared jail time. Magistrates watched footage of Karamat twisting a child’s arm, slapping a child, and using a pen to stab a child and pricking a child’s hand with the lid of a pen. He was filmed attacking the children during a six-day period. Karamat, who admitted to four counts of assault by beating, was ordered to do 100 hours unpaid work. March 21. Minister for Higher Education, Jo Johnson, ordered British universities to include a clear commitment to freedom of speech in their governance documents to counter the culture of censorship and so-called safe spaces. Johnson said that universities had a “legal duty” to ensure as far as practicable that freedom of speech is secured for “members, students, employees and visiting speakers.” University premises should therefore not be “denied to any individual or body on any grounds connected with their beliefs or views, policy or objective.” March 22. Khalid Masood, 52, drove a car at pedestrians on London’s Westminster Bridge and, armed with two knives, stormed the parliamentary estate. He killed five people and injured more than 50 before he was shot dead by police. Masood, a convert to Islam, was born in Kent as Adrian Elms. He was unemployed at the time of the attack and had been living on social welfare benefits. Masood, who had previous convictions for assaults, including grievous bodily harm, possession of offensive weapons and public order offenses, was reportedly radicalized in prison. March 23. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the Westminster attack. “The perpetrator of the attacks yesterday in front of the British parliament in London is an Islamic State soldier and he carried out the operation in response to calls to target citizens of the coalition,” the group’s Amaq news agency said in a statement. March 23. Prime Minister Theresa May said that it would be “wrong” to describe the jihadist attack on Westminster Bridge and Parliament as “Islamic terrorism.” Instead, she said, it should be referred to as “Islamist terrorism” and “a perversion of a great faith.” March 25. Police investigating the Westminster attack concluded that Khalid Masood acted entirely alone for reasons that may never be known. “We must all accept that there is a possibility we will never understand why he did this,” deputy assistant Metropolitan police commissioner Neil Basu said. Meanwhile, British security services reportedly do not like the term “lone wolf” because they feel it glamorizes an attacker. They prefer using “lone actor” instead. March 25. An estimated 400 home-grown jihadis have returned to the United Kingdom after fighting in Syria, but only 54 of those have been prosecuted, according to a Mail on Sunday investigation, which also discovered that some returned jihadis are roaming free on the streets of Britain. March 28. Kevin Lane, a convicted murderer who spent 20 years in British prisons, including HMP Woodhill and HMP Frankland, told the BBC that he saw many inmates pressured to convert to Islam and carry out attacks on other prisoners. “One man boiled fat and poured it over someone’s head because of an insult to Islam,” he said. A spokesman for the Ministry of Justice said: “The allegations put forward by the former prisoner are historic.” March 31. A new biography of Prince Charles revealed that the heir to the British throne tried to halt the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan to “honor” Ramadan. He made the plea in an “urgent call” to William Farish, the American ambassador to London, four weeks into the huge military operation launched after the 9/11 terror attacks. Farish recalled: “Prince Charles asked me if it would be possible to stop the invasion to honor Ramadan, and if I could convey that request to President Bush.” The ambassador replied that it would be difficult to halt a military invasion already in full swing, but the prince allegedly protested: “But Americans can do anything!” Farish asked: “Sir, are you really serious?” Prince Charles replied: “Yes I am.” APRIL 2017 April 1. The British Home office stripped Sufiyan Mustafa, 22, of his UK passport after he traveled to Syria to fight with jihadists. Mustafa is the youngest son of the cleric Abu Hamza, who was sentenced to life in prison in the United States after being convicted of terrorism charges. Mustafa complained that he is now stateless and stranded in Syria. April 1. Frankland Prison in County Durham became the first of its kind to open “a prison within a prison” to isolate Islamic extremists. Convicted terrorists are to be moved to a “jihadist prison block” to reduce the risk of other inmates being radicalized. April 5. A BBC investigation found that online services in Britain are charging divorced Muslim women thousands of pounds to take part in “halala” Islamic marriages. Halala involves the woman marrying a stranger, consummating the marriage and then getting a divorce, after which she is able to remarry her first husband. Some Muslims believe that halala is the only way a couple who have been divorced, and wish to reconcile, can remarry. The BBC reported that women who seek halala services are at risk of being financially exploited, blackmailed and even sexually abused. One man, advertising halala services on Facebook, told an undercover BBC reporter posing as a divorced Muslim woman that she would need to pay £2,500 ($3,250) and have sex with him in order for the marriage to be “complete” — at which point he would divorce her. The man also said he had several other men working with him, one who he claims refused to issue a woman a divorce after a halala service was complete. April 5. The Salafi Independent School, an Islamic private school in Small Heath, was found to have placed an advertisement for a male-only science teacher. Although the advertisement, which breached the Equalities Act, was retracted, the headmaster claimed that the role must be occupied by a male teacher because of “religious observance reasons.” The decision prompted calls for the school to be investigated, amid fears it promotes “gender-based discrimination” and threatens to “undermine British values.” April 6. Ummariyat Mirza, a 21-year-old from Birmingham, was charged with planning to carry out a jihadist attack with a knife. He was also charged with possessing a bomb-making guide, the Anarchist Cookbook, and an extremist document called the Mujahideen Poisons Handbook. Police also charged Zainub Mirza, a 23-year-old from Bordesley Green, Birmingham, with sending Islamic State propaganda videos and executions to others to encourage jihadist attacks. April 7. The Food Standards Agency launched an investigation into the Malik Food Group, one of Britain’s largest halal slaughterhouses, over allegations of animal cruelty after an undercover video showed a slaughterman repeatedly sawing at the necks of sheep with a knife as they passed down a conveyor belt. The animals appeared not to have been killed instantly and some were seen heaving and jumping as they went down the line. More than 100 million animals are killed in the UK every year using the halal method, which forbids stunning animals prior to having their throats cut. April 10. Walsall Council backed out of a pilot project to introduce voter identification measures at elections amid concerns over how staff would handle Muslim women wearing veils. Conservative leader Mike Bird said the idea was “more trouble than it’s worth” and may lead to “confrontation” at polling stations. The government is planning to run the pilot schemes at local elections in 2018. April 10. Azad Ali, an Islamist who has said that he supports killing British soldiers, was named a director of Muslim Engagement and Development (Mend), a controversial Muslim pressure group which advises the British government. Ali said that the jihadist attack at Westminster on March 22, 2017 was not an act of terrorism. April 11. The Charity Commission, which regulates charities in England and Wales, asked Islamic Relief to explain why it invited a hardline Muslim preacher to star in a fundraising tour of Britain. Yasir Qadhi, a Saudi-educated American academic, has been recorded telling students that killing homosexuals and stoning adulterers was part of Islam. Qadhi, who featured in an eight-city tour, described Islamic punishments such as cutting off the hands of thieves as “very beneficial to society.” April 13. Twenty-nine people, facing more than 170 charges relating to the sexual exploitation of 18 children, appeared at Huddersfield Magistrates Court. The 27 men and two women were charged with offenses including rape, trafficking, sexual activity with a child, child neglect, child abduction, supplying drugs and making indecent images of children. April 14. Sainsbury’s and Asda, two of Britain’s largest supermarket chains, refusedto sell Easter eggs that tell the story of Christianity. Both chains, however, sold eggs that are not specifically Christian, including a halal version made by the Belgian firm Guylian. Stephen Green, of the lobby group Christian Voice, said: “You are whitewashing the Christian message out of Christian holidays. It’s difficult to find any explicitly Christian products, like Christmas cards, in supermarkets.” April 15. Pupils at the Kilmorie Primary School in Lewisham, London were takenon a school trip to the Lewisham Islamic Centre where they met Shakeel Begg, an imam whom the High Court recently described as an “extremist” who “promotes and encourages religious violence.” Mr. Justice Haddon-Cave warned that Begg’s role as imam put him in a position to “plant the seed of Islamic extremism in a young mind.” Begg praised the children for their desire to learn about Islam. April 22. Mohammed Aslam, an independent candidate for mayor of Greater Manchester, caused controversy after he delivered his election manifesto completely in Urdu on the BBC. Janice Atkinson, an independent member of the European Parliament, tweeted: “If you can’t/won’t speak English you have no right to stand in elections. You cannot represent our people, culture and values. Stand down.” April 22. Nadir Syed, a 24-year-old jihadist serving life in prison for plotting to behead someone in a jihadist attack, won a High Court case which ruled that his human rights were breached after he was placed in solitary confinement. Syed was placed in isolation at the top-security Woodhill Prison after he led other Muslim inmates in chanting “Allahu Akbar” (“Allah is Greatest”), banging on cell doors and threatening to decapitate wardens. April 23. Ahmadi Muslims in Cardiff said they were facing discrimination from other Muslims in the city. The Ahmadi branch of Islam believes Mohammed was not the final prophet, a view considered blasphemous to other Muslims. April 24. The United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP), in its new general election manifesto, pledged to ban the burka from being worn in public. The manifesto also proposed to outlaw Sharia law and make it a legal obligation to report female genital mutilation to police. April 25. Prime Minister Theresa May was accused of ignoring Muslim voters after she scheduled the general election in the middle of Ramadan. Muslim politicians from Labour and the Scottish National Party said they feared reduced voter turnout among Muslims on June 8, during Ramadan, which took place between May 16 and June 14. April 26. Wealthy Pakistani asylum seekers with £250,000 ($325,000) in savings, who claimed asylum in Britain before taking £40,000-a-year in benefits, were each sentenced to ten months in prison. Syed Zaidi, 41, and his wife Rizwana Kamal, 40, claimed they were being persecuted at home so flew to Britain with their family asking the Home Office for food and shelter. The couple, who have three children, were given free accommodation and other welfare payments worth £150,000 over four years at taxpayers’ expense, despite having more than £250,000 saved in seven different bank accounts. They then bought two cars and moved into a Victorian house near Manchester, but were prosecuted after a whistleblower called the Home Office. April 27. The Church of England said that British children should be required to learn about Islam. Derek Holloway of the Church of England’s education office said that Christian parents who do not want their children to learn about Islam should not be allowed to withdraw their children from religious education lessons. At present, parents can insist that their children take no part in religious education lessons and do not have to provide a reason. Holloway said that parents with “fundamentalist” Christian beliefs, who did not want their children to learn about other world views, risked leaving pupils with little understanding of Islam and without the skills to live in a modern and diverse Britain. Holloway did not say whether Muslim children should be required to learn about Christianity and Judaism. April 27. Khalid Mohamed Omar Ali, 27, was arrested on suspicion of preparing a jihadist attack near the British Parliament. He was detained with a backpack full of knives just five weeks after six people were killed in a jihadist attack in the same area. April 27. Haroon Syed, 19, from Hounslow, West London, pled guilty to plotting a jihadist attack on an Elton John concert in Hyde Park on September 11, 2016. The court heard how Syed tried to obtain weapons online, including explosives and a bomb vest, and surfed the web to find a busy area in London to launch a mass-casualty attack. April 28. Jade Campbell, a 26-year-old convert to Islam from West London, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for possessing materials likely to be useful to a person planning or committing an act of terror and making a false statement to obtain a passport. Police searching her mobile phone found a copy of the al-Qaeda article, “Make a bomb in the kitchen of your Mom,” which contained step-by-step instructions on how to make a homemade bomb. Another article concerned sending and receiving encrypted messages. Internet searches found on her phone included, “How to join ISIS” and “How to marry someone from ISIS,” as well as searches for flights to Istanbul and border crossings between Turkey and Syria. April 29. Mohamed Amoudi, 21, was arrested on charges of planning a jihadist attack on a crowded tourist area of central London. Born in Yemen, Amoudi has been linked to a controversial human rights group, Cage, which campaigns against what it says is oppressive counter-terrorism policing against Muslims. April 30. Cardiff Crown Court sentenced Mohsin Akram, a 21-year-old asylum seeker from Pakistan, to 15 months in prison for attacking his wife, Mariam Hussain, with a hammer when she forgot to cook his dinner. MAY 2017 May 1. Army cadets in Scotland were warned not to wear their uniforms in public because they could be targeted by jihadists. May 1. Three female teenagers were arrested in East London on terrorism charges. The arrests related to an anti-terror operation in London on April 27 in which a woman wearing a burqa was shot by police. Police said that an active terror plot had been foiled. May 2. Samata Ullah, a 34-year-old jihadist from Cardiff, was sentenced to eight years in prison for five terror offenses, including membership of the Islamic State. Ullah, a British national of Bangladeshi origin, was a key member of a group calling itself the “Cyber Caliphate Army;” she gave other members of IS advice on how to communicate using encryption techniques. May 3. Damon Smith, a 20-year-old convert to Islam, was found guilty of making a bomb filled with ball bearings and leaving it on a subway train in London. Jurors at the Old Baily court were told that Smith had downloaded the al-Qaeda article, “Make a bomb in the kitchen of your Mom.” The court also heard that Smith had a keen interest in Islam, guns and explosives, and had collected pictures of extremists, including the alleged terrorist behind the 2015 Paris terror attacks. Smith, who suffers from autism, admitted to making the device but claimed he only meant it as a prank. May 3. The trial began of four Muslim men who gang-raped a 16-year-old girl in Ramsgate, Kent. The girl was attacked when she got lost after a night out and asked for directions at a Kebab shop. Restaurant owner Tamin Rahani, 37, Rafiullah Hamidy, 24, Shershah Muslimyar, 20, and an unnamed teenager are accused of taking turns raping the girl in an apartment above the restaurant. May 9. Aine Davis, a 33-year-old British convert to Islam, was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years in prison by a court in Turkey for being a member of the Islamic State. The BBC reported that Davis was one of a four-man IS cell nicknamed “The Beatles” responsible for beheading more than two dozen hostages in Syria. Davis, the only one of the group to face a trial, denied the charges against him. May 11. A mother and daughter, along with another woman, appeared at Westminster magistrates’ court on charges of plotting a jihadist attack near the British Parliament. Mina Dich, 43, her daughter Rizlaine Boular, 21, and Khawla Barghouthi, 20, are accused of plotting a random knife attack. Dich and Boular appeared in court wearing burkas covering their faces. Chief Magistrate Emma Arbuthnot asked them to lift their veils to reveal their eyes when they were identified in the dock. May 12. Female drivers in Stockport were warned about a gang of young Muslim males who have been attempting to get into cars stopped at intersections. Several women in the area reported that they had been approached by the men while waiting for traffic lights to change. May 13. A divorce practice that allows Muslim men instantly to terminate an Islamic marriage simply by repeating the word talaq, meaning divorce, three times to his wife, has been described as “really common” among Muslims in Britain, according to The Sunday Times. Women cannot use the method, known as “triple talaq.” Under civil law in Britain, Islamic marriages are not acknowledged, leaving women with little power to escape an unhappy or abusive marriage, or to defend their interests in court when a marriage breaks down. May 14. Mohan Singh, founder of the Sikh Awareness Society, said that Muslim grooming gangs have been allowed to prosper in Britain because the authorities are afraid they will be labelled racist if they speak out. May 17. The first episode of the BBC’s drama on Muslim rape gangs in Rochdale called “Three Girls” was broadcast with widespread approval by the mainstream media. The program did not, however, reveal that the perpetrators were Muslim or that Islamic doctrine sanctions such treatment of non-Muslim women, accordingto a review published by Breitbart London. May 17. Muhammad Rabbani, the international director of Cage, a controversial group critical of British anti-terrorism laws, was charged with willfully obstructing, or seeking to frustrate, a search under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000, which gives border officials sweeping search powers. Rabbani was detained at Heathrow Airport under counter terrorism stop-and-search powers; he refused to give police his computer passwords. Rabbani said he intends to fight the charge, which he regards as a test case of privacy versus surveillance. May 18. The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), an umbrella group with 500 affiliated mosques and Islamic bodies, released a list of key issues affecting Muslims before the election. It also circulated a suggested sermon for imams to deliver during Friday prayers. It read: “Muslims need to be more politically active.” An Ipsos MORI poll found that 53% of eligible Muslims did not vote at the 2010 general election. May 19. Khalid Mohammed Omar Ali, 27, a jihadist arrested with a backpack full of knives on April 27 near the Houses of Parliament, told the Old Bailey court that he does not need a lawyer because he is represented by Allah. May 22. Salman Ramadan Abedi, a 22-year-old British-born jihadist of Libyan descent, detonated a suicide bomb at an Ariana Grande music concert in Manchester. Twenty-three people, including Abedi, were killed in the attack and more than 100 others were injured. The attack was the deadliest on British soil since the London bombings on July 7, 2005. The American FBI had warned British authorities in January 2017 that Abedi was planning an attack in the UK, but he was evidently not judged to be a threat. May 23. Prime Minister Theresa May announced after the Manchester bombing that the armed forces would be deployed on British streets to boost security. May said that military personnel would be positioned at key sites to free up police for patrols. May 23. The Manchester-born singer Morrissey criticized British politicians for their reaction to the bombing in his hometown, saying they were too politically correct to admit that the concert bombing was the work of an Islamist extremist. “In modern Britain, everyone seems petrified to officially say what we all say in private,” the singer wrote on his Facebook page. “Politicians tell us they are unafraid, but they are never the victims. How easy to be unafraid when one is protected from the line of fire. The people have no such protections.” May 24. Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said that Manchester bomber Salman Abedi was “a terrorist, not a Muslim.” May 26. MI5, Britain’s domestic security agency, revealed that it had identified 23,000 jihadist extremists living in the country. About 3,000 people from the group are judged to pose an immediate threat. They are under investigation or active monitoring in 500 operations being run by police and intelligence services. The 20,000 others have featured in previous inquiries and are categorized as posing a “residual risk.” The number was more than seven times higher than previously known. May 27. Manchester bomber Salman Abedi used taxpayer-funded student loans and benefits to bankroll his terror plot, according to the Telegraph. Abedi is believed to have received thousands of pounds in state funding in the run-up to the attack, even while he was overseas receiving bomb-making training. May 28. A 23-year-old Libyan “trainee pilot” was arrested in Shoreham-by-Sea, Sussex, as part of the investigation into the jihadist network behind Manchester bomber Salman Abedi. May 29. Didsbury Mosque, the mosque attended by Manchester bomber Salman Abedi and his family, admitted to the BBC that it did not report him to British authorities for being a suspected Islamic extremist. The mosque was also reportedto have hosted hate preachers who called for British soldiers to be killed and non-believers to be stoned to death. May 30. Five senior school leaders accused of involvement in the “Trojan Horse” controversy in Birmingham were allowed to return to the classroom, after the government’s case against them was found to involve an “abuse of justice” by government lawyers. The teachers had been accused of allowing undue Islamist influence in running three Birmingham state schools, but an independent disciplinary panel, citing a repeated failure on the part of government lawyers to share crucial evidence, discontinued the proceedings against them. May 31. A new book, “Talking about Terrorism,” urges schoolchildren as young as seven to “write a letter to a terrorist” to help understand their motives. The book describes the indiscriminate mass murder of innocent members of the public as a “type of war.” It tells children of primary school age that terrorists kill people because they believe they are being treated “unfairly and not shown respect.” May 31. The findings of an investigation commissioned by former Prime Minister David Cameron into the foreign funding and support of jihadi groups may never be published, according to the Guardian. The inquiry into revenue streams for extremist groups operating in Britain is thought to focus on Saudi Arabia. The Home Office confirmed that the report would not necessarily be published because the contents are “very sensitive.” JUNE 2017 June 3. Khuram Shazad Butt, a 27-year-old Pakistani-born British citizen, Rachid Redouane, a 30-year-old who claimed to be Libyan and Moroccan and Youssef Zaghba, a 22-year-old Moroccan-Italian, murdered eight people and injured 50 others in a jihadist attack on and around the London Bridge. The three assailants were shot dead by police. It was the third major jihadist attack in Britain in as many months. June 3. Khalid Al-Mathkour, chairman of Kuwait’s sharia council, and Essam Al-Fulaij, a Kuwaiti government figure known for his anti-Semitic diatribes, were listed as trustees of a UK-registered charity that is building a mosque in Sheffield, according to the Telegraph. They have helped channel almost £500,000 ($650,000) into the project from Kuwait. Another £400,000 ($525,000) has been donated to the charity, the Emaan Trust, by a Qatari organization. The stated aim of the new mosque, which will have a capacity for 500 worshippers, is to “promote and teach Islamic morals and values to new Muslim generations.” June 4. Prime Minister Theresa May, after the London Bridge attack, said there was “far too much tolerance of extremism” in Britain and promised to step up the fight against Islamic terrorism. “Enough is enough,” she said. May also asserted that the jihadists held to an ideology that was a perversion of true Islam: “It is an ideology that claims our Western values of freedom, democracy and human rights are incompatible with the religion of Islam [Correct]. It is an ideology that is a perversion of Islam and a perversion of the truth [Incorrect].” June 6. Khuram Shazad Butt, one of the London Bridge attackers, was known to British authorities, according to the Telegraph. He had appeared in a Channel 4 documentary about British extremists called “The Jihadis Next Door.” Butt was also filmed at events attended by questionable Islamic preachers, and had tried to go to Syria to become a jihadist there. June 7. Three “Asian girls” shouting “Allah will get you” slashed a woman near a nursery in Hermon Hill, London. The victim, named as Katie, was walking along the street when she was ambushed from behind. Police said they were not treating the attack as a terrorist incident. June 10. Police increased patrols at local mosques in Cambridge after strips of bacon were left on four cars parked at the Omar Faruque Mosque. A 19-year-old man was arrested and charged with religiously aggravated criminal damage. June 13. Mak Chishty, who retired as the most senior Muslim police officer in Britain, said it was time for British Muslims to stop “skirting around the issues” and to start denouncing extremism. June 13. Lugman Aslam, 26, was sentenced to five years in prison for plowing his van into five men in Leicester after an argument during Ramadan. Aslam admitted to dangerous driving and attempting to inflict intentional grievous bodily harm. June 14. Shamim Ahmed, a 24-year-old Bangladeshi from Tower Hamlets, East London, was sentenced to six years in prison for trying to join the Islamic State in Syria. During his trial, Ahmed pointed his finger at Judge John Bevan QC and warned him that he, Ahmed, would continue to “wage jihad”: “Give me 20 years, I will come out the enemy.” June 15. New statistics showed that during the year up to March 2017, 304 people were arrested for terrorism-related offenses — a 20% increase compared to the previous 12 months. Combined with those people held since March, total arrests in 2017 were expected to top the previous record of 315, set in 2015. June 19. Darren Osborne, a 47-year-old unemployed father of four, drove a van into a group of worshippers close to the Finsbury Park Mosque in North London. One person was killed and eight others injured in the attack, which police said was premeditated. Osborne was “self-radicalized into his extremist hatred of Muslims,” according to the Guardian. June 20. Armed police were deployed to the Neolithic Stonehenge to protect thousands of pagans, who were celebrating the summer solstice, from jihadist attacks. David Spofforth of the Pagan Federation said it was “very sad” that armed police were necessary: “I am not saying I am welcoming this, I sadly accept it. But you just have to look at the events such as at Finsbury Park, a peaceful religious gathering where people suffered so much by the actions of one hate-filled individual.” June 22. A Muslim woman sued her former employers after allegedly being ordered to remove her black headscarf because the garment had “terrorist affiliations.” The estate agent had been working for Harvey Dean in Bury for almost a year when she says managers took issue with her hijab. The woman said she felt “singled out” as the only Muslim woman in the office and claimed the company discriminated against her on the basis of both religion and gender. June 23. Amanda Spielman, the head of Ofsted, the schools regulator, vowed to crack down on Islamic extremism in British schools. She said that school children must be equipped with the “knowledge and resilience” required to combat the violent rhetoric “peddled” by hate preachers who “put hatred in their hearts and poison in their minds.” June 24. More than 40 foreign jihadists have used human rights laws to remain in Britain, according to an unpublished report delayed by the Home Office. The study, a copy of which was leaked to the Telegraph, describes how lawyers, funded by legal aid, have successfully prevented foreign-born terror suspects from being sent back to their home countries. June 25. Michael Adebolajo, who together with Michael Adebowale murdered British soldier Lee Rigby outside Woolwich barracks in south-east London in May 2013, is now regarded as the most dangerous prisoner in the British penal system, according to prison sources. A prison officer described him as “violent, unpredictable and a major danger to other prisoners.” He has also radicalized dozens of inmates, including non-Muslim prisoners who are said to have converted to Islam and sworn allegiance to the Islamic State. June 27. Muslims launched an online petition to oppose a new “veil policy” at John Thursby Community College, in Burnley, Lancashire. The school announced plans for a universal-length headscarf that some Muslims said is too short and not sufficiently modest. Previously, girls were free to choose any length they pleased. Some feel that the move is aimed at deterring girls from wearing headscarves at all. June 28. A trial began in London of four jihadists — Naweed Ali, 29, Tahir Aziz, 38, Khobaib Hussain, 25, and Mohibur Rahman, 32 — for allegedly plotting a knife rampage on British soil. The men, who called themselves “The Musketeers,” were accused of sharing “the same radical belief in violent jihad.” Prosecutors said the terror plot involved a samurai sword and a meat cleaver with the word “Kafir” (unbeliever) scratched onto the blade. The four men were arrested after weapons, ammunition, and a pipe bomb were found in Ali’s car during a counter-terrorism operation in Birmingham. June 29. Three men were arrested in the Armagh and Coalisland areas of Northern Ireland for displaying anti-Muslim posters and stickers. Police said the material — which included the slogan “Rapefugees Not Welcome” — was likely to stir up “racial hatred.” June 30. Tarik Chadlioui, a 43-year-old Moroccan cleric living in Birmingham with his wife and eight children, was accused of recruiting jihadists for the Islamic State. Chadlioui, a Salafist, is believed to be the spiritual leader of an Islamic State cell in Spain and is wanted in several European countries. Chadlioui, also known as Tarik ibn Ali, is said to have formed links with jihadist groups that aim to impose Sharia law in Europe. JULY 2017 July 1. Two men, both aged 21, one from Leicester and one from Birmingham, were arrested at Heathrow Airport on suspicion of terrorism offenses after arriving on a flight from Turkey. Two days earlier, a 21-year-old woman was arrested, also on suspicion of terrorism offenses, as she arrived at the same airport on a flight from Istanbul. In May, a 30-year-old man was arrested at Heathrow, on suspicion of preparing for terrorist acts after he stepped off a plane from Istanbul. July 2. Sahnoun Daifallah, a 50-year-old Algerian chemist, sentenced to nine years in prison for contaminating supermarket food with his own excrement, avoided deportation for seven years. Daifallah came to Britain in 1999 and was granted refugee status two years later. In May 2008, he used a weed killer spray bottle to contaminate food with a mixture of urine and feces at several supermarkets in Gloucestershire. Damage to the businesses was estimated at £700,000 ($900,000). Daifallah was told he would be deported in 2010, but he remains in Britain, apparently due to bureaucratic incompetence. July 2. A new report — “The Missing Muslims: Unlocking British Muslim Potential for the Benefit of All” — concluded: “It is of great importance that British-born imams, who have a good understanding of British culture and who fluently speak English, are encouraged and appointed in preference to overseas alternatives.” Imams were told they must take a “stronger stance” against persecution of others, including Jews, Christians and other Muslims. July 3. BBC One broadcast a documentary, — “The Betrayed Girls” — about the Rochdale child-exploitation ring, in which dozens of underage girls were raped and trafficked by a gang of men from Pakistan and Afghanistan. In the 90-minute film — which featured interviews with individuals from the case — former Detective Constable Maggie Oliver and Chief Prosecutor Nazir Afzal provided insights into the failings of police and other official bodies to investigate the large-scale sexual abuse, which occurred between 2008 and 2009. July 3. Haroon Syed, 19, from West London, was sentenced to sixteen-and-a-half years in prison for plotting to attack an Elton John concert in London on the 15th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. Syed admitted to researching potential targets on the internet, including an Elton John concert in Hyde Park and Oxford Street, a busy shopping district. He also used the internet to try to obtain weapons to use in a possible attack, and used social media to approach people he believed were supporters of Islamic State. In one message, he wrote: “So after some damage with machine gun then do martyrdom…that’s what im planning to do.” July 3. Armed police swooped down on a Megabus from London after a “disruptive” man, shouting “praise Allah” and “something’s about to happen,” caused a driver to pull over and evacuate worried passengers. A Warwickshire Police and West Mercia Police spokesman said: “The bus stopped on Central Park Drive where a 47-year-old man from Manchester was detained under the Mental Health Act. He will now undergo a mental health assessment.” July 3. Britain’s domestic intelligence agency, MI5, deployed agents to Ireland to monitor jihadists there. A source interviewed by the Irish Star said: “The British think our security here is too lax and MI5 are here to try and spot any problems in Dublin before they get to England.” July 4. The National Health Service (NHS) recorded 5,391 new cases of female genital mutilation (FGM) during the past year. Almost half the victims were women and girls living in London. One-third were women and girls born in Somalia, while 112 cases were UK-born nationals. Although FGM was banned in the UK in 1985, not a single person has been convicted of the crime. July 4. Northern Ireland’s lead prosecutor, Barra McGrory, said he has no regrets about charging Pastor James McConnell for hate speech for making “grossly offensive” remarks during a May 2014 sermon in which he said that Islam is “satanic” and “heathen.” McConnell was acquitted of the charges in January 2016. McGrory said: “There are laws which control and limit free speech in certain contexts. It’s a prosecutor’s nightmare trying to make these finely balanced decisions on whether or not such comments do or do not stray across the line.” July 5. A new report — “Foreign Funded Islamist Extremism in the UK” from the Henry Jackson Society — highlighted the need for a public inquiry into the foreign-based funding of Islamist extremism. The report’s conclusions include: “The foreign funding for Islamist extremism in Britain primarily comes from governments and government-linked foundations based in the Gulf, as well as Iran. Foremost among these has been Saudi Arabia, which since the 1960s has sponsored a multimillion dollar effort to export Wahhabi Islam across the Islamic world, including to Muslim communities in the West.” July 7. A 17-year-old boy who grew up in a Christian family and converted to Islam allegedly plotted a “lone wolf” attack on a Justin Bieber concert in Cardiff. Counter-terrorism police said the boy, who was not identified because of his age, became radicalized online. The attack was to take place on June 30 as more than 40,000 fans descended on the Principality Stadium for the concert. The boy was arrested during a raid on his rural home hours before the performance. July 8. Nazim Ali, a director of the Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC), claimed that the victims of the fire at the Grenfell Tower “were murdered” by “Zionists” who fund the Conservative party. July 9. Zohair Tomari, 20, was sentenced to 12 years and nine months years in prison for raping a 17-year-old girl and sexually assaulting two other girls, aged 13 and 14. Tomari, who claims to be from Morocco but is believed to be from Syria, raped the 17-year-old after plying her with alcohol. After he was granted bail, he went on to attack the two younger girls. July 12. Home Secretary Amber Rudd said that the government would not publish the much-delayed report, commissioned by former Prime Minister David Cameron in November 2015, into the funding of Islamist extremism in Britain. Opposition parties condemned the government for not publishing the report. They said that the decision appeared to be intended to bury any criticism of Saudi Arabia. July 12. British Transport Police released a CCTV image of an elderly Muslim man suspected of having sexually assaulted a 16-year-old girl on a train between Preston and Blackburn. A police spokesman said: “We do not tolerate any form of unwanted sexual behavior and we are working to identify and trace the offender.” July 14. Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick, Britain’s senior police officer, said that a “very large number of plots” have been foiled during the last few years. “Some of them were very close, we would say, to an attack, very close.” Pressed on exactly how many attacks have been thwarted, she said that five had been averted in “just the last few weeks.” July 14. Jahed Choudhury, 24, thought to be one of the first British Muslims to be in a same-sex marriage, said that since his wedding, he had received death threats online and abuse on the streets: “The worst messages say, ‘the next time I see you in the streets, I’m going to throw acid in your face.’ Even if I walk down the streets, I have people spitting on me and calling me pig.” He added: “I’ve been brought up Muslim and the Koran mentions you cannot be gay and Muslim. But this is how I have chosen to live my life. I will never get rid of my faith.” July 16. Aniso Abulkadir, 18, from Harrow, London, claimed that she and her friends were racially assaulted at the Baker Street Tube station. After reporting the incident to police, Abulkadir shared a photo of the alleged attacker online and described how he attempted to remove her headscarf before hitting her. When the picture went viral, the man in the image identified himself on Twitter and refuted the allegations. Pawel Uczciwek, 28, from London, said he was protecting his girlfriend and attempting to defuse what he called a “racist attack from three random females.” Uczciwek wrote: “The police are fully cooperating with me and will be able to obtain CCTV footage showing the three women attempting to attack my partner because we are in an interracial relationship.” July 19. Jihadists linked to the Islamic State called on supporters to carry out “lone wolf” attacks on Jewish businesses and places of worship in Britain. The threat, posted on a pro-ISIS social media site called Lone Mujahid, included a list of every synagogue in Britain, as well as a list of Jewish shops and delicatessens across the country. July 20. Rachida Serroukh, 37, a single mother of three, filed a lawsuit against her daughter’s school, the prestigious Holland Park School, dubbed the “socialist Eton,” after being told she could not wear a face veil on its premises. The school said it is a safety issue to be able to identify all of those on school premises. Serroukh’s lawyer said it was a “straightforward” test case of religious discrimination. “The government constantly talks about British values,” he said. “To me, those values include diversity and multiculturalism.” July 21. The British government lacks reliable immigration statistics and has no way to track who is entering or leaving the country, according to a report released by the House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee. July 22. A freedom of information request revealed that Anjem Choudary, an Islamist serving a five-and-a-half year sentence for urging support of the Islamic State, has received more than £140,000 ($180,000) in taxpayer-funded legal aid for his unsuccessful bid to avoid prison. As his lawyers continue to file claims, the figure is set to rise. The father-of-five has claimed up to £500,000 ($640,000) in benefits, to which he has referred as a “Jihad seeker’s allowance.” July 22. Zana Hassan, a 29-year-old Iraqi who has been living illegally in Britain for nine years, avoided deportation after he stormed into a Methodist church and threatened churchgoers. “I will kill you and kill all the English,” he shouted. The Crown Prosecution Service deemed the offense a “low-level disorder,” which allowed Hassan to avoid time in jail. Hassan walked free after Home Office officials failed to seek a deportation order. July 25. Mujahid Arshid, 33, was charged with kidnapping, raping and murdering Celine Dookhran, a 19-year-old Indian Muslim, in a suspected “honor killing” in London. Prosecutor Binita Roscoe told the Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court that the teenager was of Indian Muslim heritage and had started a relationship with an Arab Muslim man. July 25. An inmate at a prison in Norfolk shouted, “This is for Allah” before slashing the throat of a guard. After being moved to another prison, the man attacked a second officer. An official source said that the suspect was not serving a sentence for a terror-related offense, a statement that raised the possibility that he had been radicalized in prison. July 26. A 15-year-old girl was raped at a railway station in Birmingham. She was then raped again by the driver of a passing car she flagged down to help her. Police described the first attacker as an “Asian” man in his early 20s and of a skinny build. Police said the second man was also “Asian,” in his 20s and of a large build. July 27. Victoria Wasteney, a Christian NHS worker, lost a protracted legal battle, for having shared her faith at work with a Muslim colleague, Enya Nawaz. Wasteney, the former Head of Forensic Occupational Therapy at St. John Howard hospital in East London, was suspended in June 2013 for “gross misconduct” after Nawaz complained that Wasteney had been attempting to convert her to Christianity. Wasteney said she was surprised by the allegations because she thought she and her colleague had become friends during the 18 months they worked together. July 27. An official report revealed that Omar Deghayes, a former detainee at Guantánamo Bay who was paid £1 million ($1.3 million) in compensation by the British Government for the time he spent at the detention center, passed some of the money on to teenage jihadists who later died fighting in Syria. Deghayes is alleged to have paid young Muslim boys to attend a gym where children were “vulnerable to radicalization.” The Serious Case Review revealed that police and other authorities were warned about a network of teenage jihadists attending the gym, but that those concerns were ignored. July 27. Four members of the Rochdale sexual grooming gang received £1million ($1.3 million) in taxpayer-funded legal aid to fight their deportation to Pakistan. Lawyers for Shabir Ahmed, Abdul Aziz, Adil Khan and Abdul Rauf, pedophiles who raped and abused girls as young as 13, are leveraging Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights: “Everyone has the right to respect for his private and family life, his home and his correspondence.” July 28. Iman FM, a radio station in Sheffield, was taken off the air by Ofcom, the media regulator, after it broadcast 25 hours of lectures by Anwar al-Awlaki, a former leader of al-Qaeda who was killed in an American drone strike. Ofcom said Iman FM was guilty of “extremely serious breaches” of the broadcasting code by airing material that “was likely to incite or encourage the commission of crime or to lead to disorder.” July 30. Mubarek Ali, the ringleader of sexual grooming gang in Telford, was told he would be released from prison just five years into a 22-year sentence. Ali was one of seven men convicted at Worcester Crown Court in 2013 for preying on girls as young as 13. Telford MP Lucy Allan condemned the decision, which could allow Ali back into a community where his victims continue to live. July 31. Amin Mohmed, 24, Mohammed Patel, 20, and Faruq Patel, 19, were sentenced to between 18 and 42 weeks at a young offenders’ institution after rampaging through Liverpool city center and attacking strangers because they were white “non-Muslims.” One of the men stopped Gary Bohanna and said, “I’m a Muslim, what are you?” When Bohanna answered, “I’m a Christian,” the attacker shouted, “Why aren’t you a Muslim?” before punching him twice. The group then encountered St. Helens councilor Paul Lynch and his girlfriend. Faruq filmed Mohmed punching Lynch with a “sickening blow” that could be “seen and heard.” The judge said: “References to the fact he was not a Muslim were made and you appeared to justify your actions because of certain beliefs you held.” AUGUST 2017 August 9. Seventeen men and one woman were found guilty of involvement in a sex grooming network in Newcastle upon Tyne that plied vulnerable women and girls with drink and drugs before assaulting them. In a series of four trials at Newcastle crown court, juries found the men guilty of nearly 100 offenses — including rape, human trafficking, conspiracy to incite prostitution and drug supply — between 2011 and 2014. The victims, all females between 13 and 25, were targeted because they were vulnerable and less likely to complain about their circumstances, the prosecution argued. The court heard accounts of young women who were drugged before waking up to find themselves undressed, having been sexually assaulted. August 9. Referrals by members of the public to the British government’s counter-terrorism scheme doubled since the jihadist attacks in London and Manchester. Police received around 200 referrals to the strategy known as “Prevent” from members of the public since March, when Britain suffered the first of four deadly attacks, according to Simon Cole, the National Police Chief Council’s lead spokesman on deradicalization efforts. August 10. Ken Macdonald, a former Crown Prosecution chief, said there was “a major problem in particular communities” of men viewing young white girls as “trash” and available for sex. He admitted that Muslim grooming gangs were not investigated “rigorously” enough because of political correctness. Speaking on the Today program on BBC Radio 4, he said there had been “past reluctance” to look into Muslim men who had been targeting white girls. August 10. More than 700 women and girls were identified as potential victims of sexual grooming in the North East of England and authorities expected the figure to rise following the conviction of a high-profile grooming gang. “I think there’s every likelihood that this is happening in every town and city across the country,” Chief Constable Ashman said. August 11. The former head of MI5, Jonathan Evans, warned that Britain is likely to face an Islamic terror threat for the next 30 years. He told BBC Radio 4’s Today program: “I think on the terrorism side we are at least 20 years into this. My guess is that we will still be dealing with the long tail in another 20 years’ time…. I think that we are going to be facing 20, 30 years of terrorist threats and therefore we need absolutely critically to persevere and just keep doing it.” August 17. Labour shadow minister Sarah Champion resigned after criticism over a newspaper article she wrote about grooming gangs. The Rotherham MP wrote that “Britain has a problem with British Pakistani men raping and exploiting white girls.” She apologized for her “extremely poor choice of words.” August 23. Nadeem Muhammad, a 43-year-old Pakistani national with an Italian passport, was sentenced to 18 years in prison for attempting to carry a pipe bomb onto a flight at Manchester Airport. Muhammed, who lives in Greater Manchester, was arrested on January 30 but was later released and allowed to travel because officers did not believe the device was real. He was re-arrested when he returned to Britain on February 11 and charged with possessing an improvised explosive device. “Despite extensive investigation, Nadeem Muhammad’s motive for attempting to take this device on to a plane remains unknown,” said Sue Hemming, the head of the special crime and counter-terrorism division in the Crown Prosecution Service. August 28. Teachers concerned about extremism in schools reported up to three warnings a day with a government terrorism hot-line. Staff raised 1,180 alerts with the Department of Education in two and a half years, making 741 phone-calls and sending 439 emails. The concerns included pupils being vulnerable to radicalization and staff members influencing their classes. August 29. Ricardo McFarlane, a 30-year-old convert to Islam accused of preaching sharia law in central London, refused to stand for the judge at Southwark Crown Court. Defense attorney Roy Hedlam said: “Because of his religious belief he believes there is only one person who he should bow to.” Judge Martin Beddoe responded: “That may be, but this is not a court of religion, this is a secular court and it expects to be treated with respect.” McFarlane complied. August 29. Sadia Malik, a 36-year-old primary school teacher from Wales, was charged with disseminating terrorist materials after she shared links to YouTube videos featuring Omar Bakri Mohammed, an Islamic extremist. She was accused of promoting a banned hate group and encouraging Muslims to sacrifice all their money to help establish a worldwide Islamic Caliphate. Her husband, Sajid Idris, 34, had previously been charged with four counts of disseminating terrorist publications as part of the same investigation. SEPTEMBER 2017 September 1. Britain is home to up to 35,000 “Islamist fanatics,” more than any other country in Europe, according to European Union’s counter-terrorism coordinator, Gilles de Kerchove. September 1. Mike Adamson, Chief Executive of the British Red Cross, wrote: “There is a risk that…an organization with the words ‘British’ and ‘Cross’ in its title is confused with a Christian, establishment organization.” He added: “We are nowhere near as diverse as we need to be in our volunteer base, our staffing or our leadership…that is why, as CEO, I am personally leading our inclusion and diversity strategy.” September 1. Mohiussunnath Chowdhury, 26, was charged with a terror offense after he attacked police outside Buckingham Palace with a sword and “ranted” that the “Queen and her soldiers will all be in hellfire.” The British-born suspect, who is of Bangladeshi heritage, was accused of one charge of preparing terrorist acts, which carries a maximum charge of a life sentence. September 2. A Christian church in Wales was accused of a “lack of unity” after it rejected a Muslim group’s request to hold Koran studies in its hall. The Muslims wanted to use the hall in the Feed My Lambs Church for “Koran and cultural studies.” Reverend Roger Donaldson said: “We are not against Islam; no way. Everybody has the right to worship as they please. Feed My Lambs is used for Christian worship.” September 2. Rabar Mala, a 32-year-old illegal immigrant from Iraq, was chargedwith supplying hundreds of SIM cards to Islamic State jihadists to set up social media accounts. Mala allegedly provided 437 cards and phone numbers to jihadists in Iraq and Syria so that they could have a platform to post propaganda online. September 2. Sarah Champion, a former Labour MP, who had said that the British left was turning a blind eye to Muslim sexual grooming gangs for fear of being branded racist, also said that many Labour members and politicians based in London had “never been challenged by a reality that’s different” from their “multicultural world.” She resigned under pressure after she wrote in an op-ed: “Britain has a problem with British Pakistani men raping and exploiting white girls.” September 3. Thousands of schools in Britain are allowing girls as young as five to wear religious headscarves as part of their uniform policies, according to The Sunday Times. The growing trend has been criticized by campaigners who pointed out the headscarf is supposed to be worn by a girl when she reaches puberty, not as a child. September 4. Robbie Travers, a 21-year-old law student at Edinburgh University, was investigated for a hate crime after he allegedly mocked the Islamic State on social media. After the U.S. Air Force attacked an Islamic State stronghold in Afghanistan in April, Travers wrote on Facebook: “I’m glad we could bring these barbarians a step closer to collecting their 72 virgins.” A fellow student, Esme Allman, claimed that Travers breached the student code of conduct with his comments. Travers ultimately was exonerated. September 5. Three members of a Muslim sex gang, who used drugs to turn abuse victims into addicts and forced them to have sex if they wanted more drugs, were sentenced to a total of 56 years in prison. Seventeen men and one woman from Newcastle were sentenced for crimes including rape, sexual assault, inciting girls into prostitution and dealing drugs. They were part of a network of nearly 40 men, including Pakistani, Indian, Iranian, Iraqi, Bangladeshi and Turkish nationals, who preyed on approximately 100 girls. Prosecutor John Elvidge said the victims, who gave evidence in court, were white and British, and the male defendants were “all of Asian extraction;” but he insisted nevertheless that the crimes were not racially motivated. September 8. Michael Adebolajo, 32, who murdered the fusilier Lee Rigby, 25, in Woolwich, London, in 2013, demanded £100,000 ($133,000) after he lost his two front teeth when staff at Belmarsh Prison tried to restrain him. “The public will be rightly outraged at the thought of this offender claiming compensation from the taxpayer,” a Ministry of Justice spokesman said. September 9. Kamal Hanif, a counter-extremism expert appointed by the British government to rehabilitate schools involved in the “Trojan Horse” scandal, saidthat some teachers, particularly those who work in schools with a high proportion of Muslim students, are afraid of teaching about 9/11 because they fear a backlash from Muslim parents for being “Islamophobic.” September 10. The Ministry of Justice revealed that Muslim inmates at HMP Prison Send, a female prison in Surrey, will be provided with special outfits for when they are checked by sniffer dogs. The overalls will be given to female prisoners who follow Islam because many Muslims believe that dogs are “impure.” September 11. A Freedom of Information request revealed that Sammy Woodhouse, a woman sexually abused as a child by a grooming gang, was told by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA), a government body, that she was not entitled to compensation because she “consented” to the sexual abuse. Woodhouse was 14 when she met 24-year-old Arshid Hussain, who was jailed in 2016. Hussain was one of three brothers behind the grooming and sexual abuse of more than 50 girls, including Woodhouse. He was jailed for 35 years for 23 offenses including indecent assault and rape. Woodhouse appealed the decision: “If an adult can privately think that it’s a child’s fault for being abused, beaten, raped, abducted, I think you’re in the wrong job.” September 11. TheCityUK, London’s top lobby group, urged the British government to prioritize Islamic finance to retain its status as Europe’s financial hub ahead of Brexit negotiations to exit the country from the European Union. A 32-page report showed that assets of British firms offering Islamic finance services surpassed $5 billion (£3.8 billion) in 2016, up 11% in two years. Britain was the first non-Muslim country to sell a bond that can be bought by Islamic investors. September 12. British Muslims are twice as likely to espouse anti-Semitic views, according to a survey produced by the London-based Institute for Jewish Policy Research. “The prevalence of negativity towards Jews and Israel is, on average, twice as high among Muslims than the general population,” said the 85-page report. September 14. A Dundee woman on a city bus found a handwritten note pledging: “Sharia law will be for all human beings with Islam. The sword will be used to reach this goal.” The woman said that she believed the message to be “some sort of call to Jihad.” She added: “We just didn’t expect to find something saying that on a bus in Dundee.” September 15. A homemade bomb exploded during rush hour on a train at the Parsons Green tube station in West London and injured 30 people. The bomb, which failed to detonate properly, had been packed with knives, screws and shrapnel, as well as hundreds of grams of a homemade explosive known as TATP. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack. Ahmed Hassan, an 18-year-old refugee from Iraq, was charged with attempted murder. September 18. Online jihadist propaganda attracts more clicks in Britain than in any other European country and the main internet companies are failing to curb it, according to the Policy Exchange think tank. The report, “The New Netwar,” said that the Islamic State, despite big military defeats in Syria and Iraq, is still producing, at a conservative estimate, about 100 items of new content each week, including execution videos and bomb-making instructions. The report also said that the jihadist online “ecosystem,” the core of which is rooted in the Telegram app, is resilient and reaches an audience of, at a minimum, tens of thousands of users in the UK. September 20. Muhammad, with variations in spelling, was the top name for baby boys in England and Wales in 2016. The name Muhammad was given to 7,084 boys in 2016, compared to 6,623 boys with the second-most popular name, Oliver. September 20. Shabir Ahmed, a 64-year-old inmate at Wakefield prison, was found guilty of repeatedly stomping on an elderly fellow inmate’s face and head after an argument about the March 2016 Brussels terror attacks, which left 32 victims dead and 340 injured. Ahmed flew into a rage when he heard 71-year-old James Palmer say that the bombers should be “eradicated.” Ahmed, a former taxi driver, is currently serving a 22-year-prison term for leading a sexual grooming gang in Rochdale. He was sentenced to a further 12 months in prison on top of the term he is already serving. September 22. Hussain Yousef, a 21-year-old fast food restaurant worker who arrived in Britain from Afghanistan in 2010 and lived in London, was sentenced to six-and-a-half years in prison for recruiting jihadists for the Islamic State. Yousef had six Facebook accounts from which he posted Islamist propaganda and execution videos. He also shared a list claiming to be details of U.S. military personnel, including their addresses. Kingston Crown Court heard how Yousef, before becoming an enthusiastic supporter of the Islamic State, had been a gifted student who excelled at school. September 25. London Mayor Sadiq Khan revealed that since March 2017, police had foiled seven jihadist plots in the British capital. Those seven plots were in addition to the four successful attacks at Westminster, Borough Market, Finsbury Park and Parsons Green. Khan also criticized U.S. President Donald Trump for his “Muslim travel ban” and his “ignorant” views about Islam. Khan accused Trump of adopting the language of the Islamic State: “They say that there is a clash of civilizations, it is not possible to be a Muslim and a westerner, and the west hates us. And you are inadvertently playing their game, you are helping them.” September 25. Muhammad Rabbani, the director of Cage, a Muslim advocacy group critical of British anti-terrorism laws, was convicted of an offense at Heathrow Airport. Rabbani, 36, was stopped on November 20, 2016 after returning home from a wedding in Doha. He refused, citing privacy and civil rights, to give his pin number or the password to his laptop. Westminster Magistrates’ Court convicted him of one count of willfully obstructing a stop-and-search under Section 7 of the Terrorism Act. Schedule 7 gives officers their right to stop and search people “with or without suspicion.” Rabbani was sentenced to one year conditional discharge; he plans to appeal. September 25. Most British voters believe that Arabs have failed to integrate into British society, and that their presence has not been beneficial, according to a YouGov poll commissioned by the Council for Arab-British Understanding and the Arab News newspaper. Only 28% believe that migration from the Arab world has been beneficial to the UK, and 64% believe Arabs have failed to integrate. September 26. Zameer Ghumra, a 38-year-old pharmacist from Leicester, was accused of showing beheading videos to young boys and telling them that they “had to kill” anyone who insulted Islam. Nottingham Crown Court heard that Ghumra believed in a “very, very, very extreme” form of Islam. He used a rented house to teach children about jihad and told them that they were not allowed to have non-Muslim friends. Ghumra also asked them to choose between going to Iraq or Syria, or staying in the UK and encouraging others to support the Islamic State. September 26. Police launched a probe into an alleged sexual grooming ring targeting teenagers in Glasgow. Girls as young as 14 are thought to have been targeted by men in the city center. A social worker told the Evening Times that the area is “rife” with child exploitation problems. One of the victims, a 17-year-old girl, is understood to have been taken to houses in Govanhill and Dennistoun for sex with multiple men. A relative said: “This really is just our worst nightmare, it’s this Rochdale and Rotherham-type stuff but it’s happening here in Glasgow in a big way. Nobody seems to be doing anything to stop it, all the girls have been made to believe these men are their boyfriends. It is white females they are hitting on, aged 14 to 19.” September 26. The Wolsey Infant and Junior Academy, a school in New Addington, announced that it would only serve halal meat in the canteen. The move sparked outrage among parents, who insisted that halal should be optional. September 26. The National Secular Society (NSS) reported that girls in dozens of schools in England were being made to wear the hijab or a headscarf as part of their official uniform policy. NSS research found that out of 142 Islamic schools that accepted girls, 59, or 42%, had uniform policies that suggested a headscarf or another form of hijab was compulsory. Ishtiaq Ahmed, spokesman for the Council for Mosques, said: “We have to accept that Britain, and a city like Bradford, is a multi-faith society, and faith is an important part of people’s identity. It is about tolerance and respect, and making efforts to understand people’s different way of life. People should have choices without the fear of being criticized.” September 27. A crowd of men wearing Islamic dress gathered outside a church in East London and repeatedly shouted “Allahu Akbar!” into a microphone while playing a recording of gunshot sounds at top volume on a loudspeaker. A video of the incident can be viewed here. A witness said: “I was alarmed, I did not know what was going on. When someone shouts Allahu Akbar while playing gunshot sounds on a speaker it is deliberately trying to alarm.” Another witness said: “I was alarmed at first but you come to expect things like that, it’s become common place in East London.” London police said they were unaware of the incident. September 28. Kamran Hussain, a 40-year-old imam at a mosque in Stoke-on-Trent, was sentenced to six-and-a-half years in prison after being found guilty of two charges of supporting the Islamic State and six charges of encouraging terrorism. An undercover officer secretly recorded the Pakistan-born Hussain giving a series of sermons in which he told children as young as ten that martyrdom was better than academic success. “When you don’t fulfill the command of Allah, I’m coming to remove your head,” he said. September 28. Soruth Ali, a 42-year-old restaurant owner in Manchester, was sentenced to 14 months in prison for beating his 17-year-old daughter and her secret boyfriend. Bolton Crown Court heard how Ali, a devout Muslim, went into a rage and grabbed a hammer when he found the two in bed together. The daughter said she had been forced to live “two lives” at home and was forced to wear a headscarf in front of her father and that she wanted to “live her own life.” September 29. Henry Bolton, a former army officer, was elected to lead the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP). Bolton, the party’s fourth leader in a year, beat the two favorites, Anne-Marie Walters, an anti-Sharia activist, and Peter Whittle, who has publicly spoken of his opposition to boycotts of Israel. Bolton pledged to take a softer line on Islam: “I absolutely abhor the rhetoric that says we are at war with Islam.” He also promised to review UKIP’s “integration agenda,” which calls for a ban on full-face veils in public. The policy changes were likely to reduce UKIP’s role as the primary opposition party resisting the Islamization of Britain. September 30. British universities hosted 110 events featuring extremist speakers in the last academic year, 2016/17, with the highest proportion taking place in London institutions, according to a report by the Henry Jackson Society. The extremist events were overwhelmingly organized by Islamic societies and groups; speakers included former Guantánamo Bay detainees and Islamists. OCTOBER 2017 October 8. The integration of Pakistani women living in Britain is “shockingly bad,” according to a Cabinet Office report. The findings of the UK’s first disparity audit was aimed at understanding how people from different backgrounds are treated regarding access to healthcare, education, employment and the criminal justice system. “Other communities have integrated very well, but the audit shows that Pakistani women who don’t speak English or go out to work are living in an entirely different society and are shockingly badly integrated,” a source close to the Cabinet Office told The Sunday Times. October 9. The trial began of ten Muslim men accused of operating a “cynical and predatory” child sex ring on a “massive” scale across Oxford. The six alleged victims were all from Oxford and aged between 13 and 15 at the time. Prosecutors said the men plied the girls with alcohol and drugs as part of what prosecutors called the “grooming process” and took part in “sex parties” at a number of addresses across Oxford, including at guest houses, in cars, and at local parks, involving groups of men. October 10. Hasan Alkhabbaz, a 22-year-old Syrian refugee, sexually assaulted six women in a subway in Paddington, London. The attacks occurred one month after he was granted asylum. Alkhabbaz, who admitted to six counts of sexual assault, said he was suffering from PTSD from the conflict in his homeland. October 11. David Wood, a former director-general of immigration enforcement, told the House of Commons Home Affairs Committee that there were “enormous difficulties” in removing illegal migrants from Britain: “There are probably over a million foreigners here illegally at the moment. There’s a large number, so no one could ever remove those really.” October 12. Sally Jones, a former punk rocker from Kent who became the leading female recruitment officer for the Islamic State, was killed in a U.S. airstrike. October 16. Abdel-Aziz Al-Shamary, a 21-year-old Kuwaiti who entered Britain illegally, was convicted of raping a stranger on a riverbank in Darlington. The attack occurred just weeks after he was granted legal status in the UK. October 17. The director general of MI5, Andrew Parker, revealed that MI5 and police had stopped seven attacks by Islamists in the past seven months. Twenty major acts were detected in the past four years and 379 suspects were arrested in the first six months of 2017. He said there currently were 500 live operations under way targeting 3,000 people with 20,000 more who have been on the counter-terrorism radar and others who are not even known to the law agencies. October 20. Naive jihadists who return to Britain after fighting for the Islamic State should be allowed to reintegrate rather than face prosecution, according to Max Hill, the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation. “The authorities have looked at them and looked at them hard and have decided that they do not justify prosecution, and really we should be looking towards reintegration and moving away from any notion that we are going to lose a generation due to this travel,” he said on BBC radio. October 22. Mubashir Jamil, a 22-year-old from Luton obsessed with martyrdom, was found guilty of trying to join the Islamic State. He was arrested after he told an undercover police officer that he wanted to wear a suicide vest and “press the button.” October 23. More than 100,000 Muslims registered on a website offering to help men find a “second wife.” Azad Chaiwala of Sunderland told BBC Inside Out: “The second wife website came about from my need, and thinking there’ll be other people in my situation. There are other deceiving ways of doing it — affairs, prostitution — those are not necessarily good for relationships. Here it’s more honorable.” In Britain, polygamous marriages are only recognized if they took place in countries where they are legal. British law does not, however, prevent unregistered religious ceremonies from taking place. October 26. The Lancashire County Council Cabinet banned unstunned halal meat in meals served at its 600 schools. It was the first council to do so. Council leader Geoff Driver said: “In my view, it is abhorrent to kill an animal without stunning it because of the distress it causes.” The Lancashire Council of Mosques (LCM) advised Muslim families to boycott all such meat because it was not Sharia-compliant. October 27. Steve Bailey, vicar of St Peter’s Church in Oadby, Leicestershire, banned the hymn “Onward Christian Soldiers” from a Remembrance Sunday service “in case it offends non-Christians.” October 31. A Muslim advocacy group that works closely with police forces, politicians and councils was accused of promoting Islamist views. Mend (Muslim Engagement and Development) was described as a group of “Islamists masquerading as civil libertarians” according to a report from the Henry Jackson Society. NOVEMBER 2017 November 2. The Home Office lost track of 56,000 foreign nationals, including convicted criminals and illegal immigrants, who were told they were liable to be deported from the country, and there is little evidence the government is trying to find them, according to reviews by the Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration. Around 80,000 foreign nationals are currently required to check in regularly at police stations or immigration centers while officials prepare for them to leave the country. But by the end of 2016, there were a total of 55,974 “declared absconders” who had failed to keep appointments and “whose whereabouts are unknown and all mandatory procedures to re-establish contact with the migrant have failed.” November 2. The British government and the UN are discriminating against Christians and other minorities in their refugee programs, according to Home Office statistics seen by Barnabas Fund, an aid agency that works for persecuted Christians. Barnabas Fund obtained figures proving that the UN has only recommended tiny token numbers of Syrian Christians, Yazidis and other minorities for resettlement in the UK. The overwhelming majority of refugees recommended by the UN have been Sunni Muslims who form the majority in Syria. But Christians, and other minorities have been repeatedly targeted for attack by Islamist groups such as IS. British officials tried to prevent the release of this information. November 3. Four members of a Kurdish sexual grooming gang in Newcastle were sentenced to 33 years in prison for trafficking girls as young as 13. The four men, all asylum seekers who entered Britain illegally and were allowed to stay, may face deportation. November 6. Farhana Ahmed, a 40-year-old mother of five from Wembley who urged others to launch jihadist attacks in Britain, was handed a two-year suspended sentence after a judge took pity on children. Ahmed shared a “prolific quantity” of Islamic State propaganda on a Facebook group whose aim was to support jihadists worldwide. Judge Christopher Moss said he was “moved” by a letter from her daughter and ruled that she could return to her children. November 7. Mohammed Sawalha, a trustee at Finsbury Park Mosque, one of London’s best-known mosques, is a senior member of Hamas, a designated terrorist organization, according to the Times of London. His role was revealed when it was announced that he was part of a Hamas delegation to Moscow in September which held a meeting with Mikhail Bogdanov, President Putin’s Middle East envoy, and a deputy foreign minister. November 7. Only 5% of honor crimes reported to police are referred to the Crown Prosecution Service, according to Sky News. Although more than 5,000 honor crimes were reported to police in 2016-17, only 256 such crimes referred to the CPS by the police in 2016-17, resulting in 122 convictions. This comes despite a large increase in the number of cases being detected and growing political awareness of the practice in recent years. November 8. A Muslim father who forced his 17-year-old daughter to drink bleach for being “too Westernized” was sentenced to a nine-month community order and 15 days of rehabilitation activities aimed at addressing his offending behavior. The girl asked magistrates to show leniency toward her father as she wished for them to mend their relationship. November 9. Students at the Kepier School in Sunderland were required to write a letter to their family about converting to Islam. Mark McLachlan refused to allow his 12-year-old stepdaughter to complete the assignment. He explained: “I know as part of the national curriculum they have to learn about all religions. I just don’t see why they should ask a child to write a letter addressed to their family about converting to another religion…. Like every parent, it is our decision on how we raise them and once they are old enough to make decision, then it is their choice.” November 13. Tesco, the supermarket giant, faced a social media backlash after it released a Christmas advertisement featuring a Muslim family but no Christians celebrating the holiday. Tesco said the adverts aim to promote diversity. November 17. The trial began of Akshar Ali for murdering Sinead Wooding, a 26-year-old mother or four from Leeds. She had converted to Islam and had married Ali in an Islamic ceremony in February 2015. Ali is accused of murdering Wooding in a knife and hammer attack after she continued to see a friend he had forbidden her to visit. November 17. Gangs in Birmingham were said to be tasering underage girls and gang-raping them, according to Councilor Des Flood. He said that Birmingham was facing a “tsunami of child sexual exploitation” and that schools and parents are being kept in dark about menace. November 19. Luqman Aslam, a 26-year-old delivery driver who deliberately drove his van into pedestrians in Leicester had his prison sentence reduced on appeal. He was sentenced to five years in prison at Leicester Crown Court in June after admitting to dangerous driving and attempting to inflict intentional grievous bodily harm. He appealed his sentence, saying it was too long, because at the time of the incident he had been fasting through Ramadan for 20 days. Judge Jeremy Carey cut Aslam’s sentence from five to four years. November 20. A Channel 4 survey revealed that almost two-thirds of Muslim women married in Britain are not in legally recognized marriages, as they have not had a civil ceremony alongside their Nikah religious ceremony. Many of these women are unaware that they therefore do not have the same rights and protections afforded to couples who are married in the eyes of the law. The survey also found that the vast majority of women questioned did not wish to be in a polygamous relationship, and more than a third of those who were in such a relationship had not agreed to it. November 22. Imran Qureshi, a 44-year-old Pakistani doctor who sexually assaulted a student nurse at a hospital in Manchester was allowed to keep his job after blaming the incident on “cultural norms.” Qureshi, a married father of two, admitted he made a mistake but said “cultural norms” were different in Britain compared to his native Pakistan and he failed to spot a “red light” warning him to make no advances towards the victim. November 27. A 17-year-old convert to Islam from South Wales was found guilty of planning an Islamic State-inspired terrorist attack on a Justin Bieber concert in Cardiff. Jurors were told the boy had written a note with bullet points including “run down the non-believers with a car” and “strike the infidels who oppose Allah in the neck.” November 28. The General Secretary of the Union for Borders, Immigration & Customs, Lucy Moreton, said that Britain has “no way” of ever tracking down the hundreds of thousands illegal immigrants working on the black market. “If you are here illegally you can survive very well, you access medical services your child can go to school the chances of us catching you are very, very slim,” said Morten. “If you don’t break the law we are not going to get you as we don’t have the resources. We can’t catch you.” DECEMBER 2017 December 3. The All Saints Church in Kingston upon Thames held a joint birthday celebration for Jesus and Mohammed. The “Milad, Advent and Christmas Celebration” was aimed at “marking the birthday of Prophet Mohammed and looking forward to the birthday of Jesus.” The hour-long service included time for Islamic prayer and was followed by the cutting of a birthday cake. The prominent Christian blog “Archbishop Cranmer” rebuked the church for its lack of discernment: “Every time a church accords Mohammed the epithet ‘Prophet,’ they are rejecting the crucifixion, denying the resurrection of Christ, and refuting that the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, for Mohammed denied all of these foundational tenets of the Christian faith.” December 5. Aliou Bah, a 28-yer-old Guinean migrant who served two sentences for sex crimes, was awarded £110,000 ($148,000) after a bureaucratic mix-up caused him to spend an extra 21 months in prison. Judge Madge ruled that Bah was entitled to justice. December 6. Naa’imur Zakariyah Rahman, a 20-year-old Bangladeshi-Briton, was charged with plotting to assassinate Prime Minister Theresa May. The alleged plan involved detonating a suicide bomb vest at the security gates outside 10 Downing Street, the official residence and the office of the British Prime Minister, before stabbing May. December 6. Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson told the Daily Mail that he was prepared to hunt down and use air strikes against the remaining 270 UK passport holders who have travelled to Syria and Iraq to fight with the Islamic State. “I do not believe that any terrorist, whether they come from this country or any other, should ever be allowed back into this country,” he said. “We should do everything we can do to destroy and eliminate that threat.” His comments sparked outrage from many on the political left. December 7. Husnain Rashid, a 31-year-old British citizen from Lancashire, was arrested for encouraging jihadists to attack Prince George at his primary school. He was also accused of calling for attacks on the Jewish community, and on British sports stadiums, in a series of encrypted messages. December 7. Abdourahman Amadeo, a 24-year-old Somali refugee, was sentencedto nine years in prison for his “animalistic” attempt to rape a drunken student. Amadeo, who was born in Somalia, fled to Italy as a refugee. He moved to Britain after obtaining Italian citizenship. December 14. The British government refused to say whether telling people about Christianity could be a hate crime. Lord Pearson of Rannoch said that when he raised a question on the issue in the House of Lords, the government failed to state clearly whether Christians can be prosecuted just for stating their beliefs. Speaking to Premier Christian Radio, Lord Pearson said the refusal to comment was “pretty unique” and “makes one very worried.” He also said there is a double standard in how hate crime laws are applied to Christianity and Islam: “You can say what you like about the Virgin Birth, the miracles and the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, but as soon as you say, ‘come on, is Islam really the religion of peace that it claims to be,’ all hell breaks loose.” December 16. Mohamed Qoomaall, a 72-year-old Somalian refugee, was sentencedto 15 months in prison for pocketing £39,000 ($52,000) in welfare benefits after secretly returning to his homeland because he “missed the sunshine.” Qoomaall forged an immigration stamp on his British passport and had pension credit payments sent to him for two-and-a-half years as a friend enjoyed rent-free living in his council-funded home. December 19. Four men were arrested in raids in South Yorkshire and Derbyshire on suspicion of planning an imminent jihadist attack. December 20. Mohammed Awan, the 24-year-old brother of an Islamic State suicide bomber, was sentenced to ten years in prison for terror offenses. December 21. The All-Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims, a parliamentary group composed of members of both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, issued a report, “A Very Merry Muslim Christmas,” aimed at drawing attention to the “humanity” of Muslims during Christmas. December 22. Bradford Councilor Arshad Hussain warned that there were “many areas in this city” where people were afraid to go, depending on their ethnicity. He made the comments after “Asian” youths attacked three pubs in the city. “These were the only white businesses in the area,” he said. “No Asian businesses were attacked. They were targeted because they were white…. There are so many areas in this city where white people are scared to go into…. I think we are heading towards disaster.” December 22. Scotland’s International Development Minister, Alasdair Allan, pledged nearly £400,000 ($535,000) to fund 23 events for ethnic minorities during the winter months. He described them as “key dates in our national calendar” and said the “exciting and diverse” program would help Scots “celebrate everything great about our wonderful country during the winter months.” None of the events, however, had any connection to Christmas. December 23. St. Thomas Werneth, a church in Oldham, announced that it would remove its pews to make room for local Muslim community events. The church serves a “predominantly Muslim” area. Vicar Nick Andrewes said he wanted to “extend a welcome” to a wider flock. December 28. Metropolitan Police (Met Police) Service in London, Britain’s biggest force, has not improved its safeguarding of children at risk of sexual exploitation and rape since a report found systemic failings a year ago. Met Police improperly handled 90% of child protection cases, according to inspection results leaked to The Times. December 29. Vast areas of East, North and South London have been declared“no-go zones” by delivery drivers because of an epidemic of acid attacks. London has more acid attacks per capita than any other city in the world, according to Labour MP Stephen Timms. December 31. Security Minister Ben Wallace accused internet giants, including Facebook, Google and YouTube, of being “ruthless profiteers” that cost the government a fortune by failing to assist the security services in identifying jihadists and stamping out extremism online. In an interview with The Sunday Times, Wallace said the internet had become “an anarchic violence space” which was being leveraged by jihadists and rogue states to threaten the UK: “That’s what keeps me awake at night. We are more vulnerable than at any point in the last 100 years.” Please help our independent journalism by spreading this article! Share!


Archbishop says response to terror attack show victory of good over evil In the House of Lords peers have also been speaking about the attack yesterday. One of the most striking interventions came from Justin Welby, the archbishop of Canterbury, who spoke to peers about the Christian lessons to be learnt from atrocity. He said he was struck by three images from yesterday. The first is of a vehicle being driven across Westminster Bridge by someone who had a perverted, nihilistic, despairing view of objectives of what life is about, of what this society is about, that could only be fulfilled by death and destruction. The second is of that same person a few minutes later on a stretcher or on the ground being treated by the very people he had sought to kill. The third is of these two houses, where profound disagreement, bitter disagreement, angry disagreement, is dealt with not with violence, not with despair, not with cruelty, but with discussion, with reason, and with calmness. It seems to me that those three pictures point us to deep values within our own society, deeper even than the ones that have been mentioned in the prime minister’s statement and other statements, which is the sense that comes from a narrative within our society for almost 2,000 years that speaks of, at this time of year as we look forward to Holy Week and Easter, of a God who stands with the suffering and brings justice, and whose resurrection has given to believer and unbeliever the sense that, where we do what is right, where we behave properly, where that generosity and extraordinary sense of duty that leads people to treat a terrorist is shown, where that bravery of someone like PC Keith Palmer is demonstrated, that there is a victory for what is right and good over what is evil, despairing and bad. That was shown yesterday, hat is shown not just in our expression of values but in our practices which define those values and that is the mood that we must show in the future. Attacker 'not among' top 3,000 on MI5 list Ewen MacAskill It has emerged that the attacker – who has still not been named – was not among the 3,000 Britons on MI5’s list of individuals whom they regard as potentially capable of committing an act of domestic terrorism. May told the Commons he had been on the radar of the security services as a “peripheral figure” years ago. About 3,000 Britons, mainly Islamists, are monitored because police suspect they might be capable of an attack. Of them, 500 are the subject of active investigations and only a limited number of those become the targets of physical surveillance. Boris Johnson, the foreign secretary, has been speaking to US news show Morning Joe. He says the attacker was known to police and MI5, as May said earlier this morning. I think what I can say about the individual concerned is that his values, his idea of the world will not prevail. He launched an attack at the heart of our democracy as has happened many times in the last decades. The values of that Palace of Westminster will continue to triumph and whatever he thought he was doing, he will not succeed. Islamic State claims responsibility for Westminster attack Amaq, the news agency used by Isis to broadcast propaganda, says that the group is responsible for the attack. It calls the attacker “a soldier of Islamic State.” This is a claim by them, which obviously cannot be verified at this stage. The wording of the Isis statement suggests he was inspired, rather than directed by them but we have no confirmation on either front. Often what is significant in the Commons is what is not said. As the Guardian’s home affairs editor Alan Travis says, it was striking that this atrocity has not led to calls for a new anti-terror crackdown. The one exception to this was Theresa Villiers suggesting that all police officers guarding “sensitive sites” in London should be routinely armed. (See 11.57am.) But the fact that this was a relatively modest proposal, which Theresa May was happy to sidestep, proves Alan’s point; there is no appetite in the Commons for a fresh wave of authoritarianism. The Metropolitan police has acted fast to step up security at London’s airports, reports the Guardian’s Helena Smith. Within hours of the attack, extra patrols of police armed with automatic weapons were in place at Heathrow’s terminals. By 3.10PM yesterday – exactly 30 minutes after the as-yet-unidentified assailant ploughed the rented SUV into people on Westminster bridge – six heavily armed police were standing outside one entrance to the departures lounge of Terminal Two. In an effort to reassure the public the Met police had announced that extra patrols, armed and unarmed, would be in place, “particularly in crowded places and iconic locations”. Despite the heightened police presence however, there were no other evident restrictions for travellers flying out of Heathrow last night or this morning. Several MPs have called for a permanent memorial to PC Keith Palmer for making “the ultimate sacrifice for our democracy.” Conservative MP Nigel Evans said Palmer was “one of us”. The tribute to Keith and the police are that we are here today and our proceedings are going on. We have the arch that’s been spoken about before, which is a lasting memorial to those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our democracy. I do hope that at an appropriate time, with discussion with the family, that we too may be able to look at a lasting memorial to Keith in order that each and every one of us know that there are people putting their lives on the line for our democracy today. Fellow Tory MP Michael Fabricant also called for a memorial in Palmer’s honour and Palmer’s friend, James Cleverly, asked for him to be given a posthumous award for bravery. The prime minister said she was sure the issue would be considered by the parliamentary authorities. In Edinburgh Nicola Sturgeon has just started first minister’s questions in the Scottish parliament. She says many MSPs have friends and even family members working in Westminster. They were shocked by what happened, she says. She says her thoughts and prayers are with the family of PC Keith Palmer. And she praises the bravery of all those who serve in the police. She says she was updated by Police Scotland yesterday, and again this morning. There is no evidence of a threat to Scotland. But, as a precautionary measure, policing has been increased, she says. She says the only people to blame for acts of terrorism are those who perpetrate them. She says she wants to echo the words of Theresa May: terrorists seek to undermine our values, but they will not succeed, she says. Tobias Ellwood, the junior foreign office minister who went to the aid of PC Keith Palmer, has been listening to tributes in the House. His face was full of emotion. The MP, who performed CPR on the dying officer, did not speak but his bravery was mentioned by many MPs from both parties. MP Tobias Ellwood listens to speeches in Parliament the morning after an attack in Westminster Photograph: Reuters
Westminster attack: we found out online our loved ones were victims – video The bereaved relatives of an American couple who were victims of Wednesday’s attack in Westminster say they found out their loved ones were targeted by seeing pictures posted online. Kurt Cochran was killed in the attack and his wife Melissa was badly injured. The couple had been sightseeing on the last day of a trip celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary when Khalid Masood hit them with a 4x4 Hyundai Tucson on Westminster Bridge


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What happened in London was an appalling act, carried out by a pathetic individual. By standing together with people of all faiths and none, to reject hatred in all its forms, will we show terrorists and extremists that they can never divide us, they can never break our communities, and they can never win.
A Met Police officer lays a bouquet at the scene as the force remembered PC Palmer An officer comforts a tearful collague as tributes were paid to the victims of the attack One police officer wiped away a tear as Westminster fell silent today (left) and another paid a personal tribute to the victims (right) Speaker John Bercow asked members in the House of Commons chamber to pause 'in respectful memory' of those who died on March 22 last year. With heads bowed, MPs from different parties stood side-by-side along the green benches to pay their respects ahead of digital, culture, media and sport questions. Five people died, including Pc Keith Palmer, and dozens more were injured when 52-year-old Khalid Masood launched a car and knife attack on Westminster Bridge and the Palace of Westminster before he was shot dead. Tearful members of the public watch on and one grief-stricken man covers his face with his hands The Prime Minister, who was whisked out of Parliament on the day of the attack, pictured today Victims of the Westminster terror attack have been remembered at a special vigil. The ceremony in Westminster Hall was held to mark the first anniversary of the attack and was attended by politicians, senior police officers and people involved in the incident. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, told the gathering in Westminster Hall: 'A year ago, darkness struck across Westminster Bridge and in this palace. It spread across the bridge like a snake, driving to left and right, killing and harming' Khalid Masood (right) launched his sickening attack on March 22, 2017, mowing down and killing four pedestrians before stabbing unarmed Pc Palmer (left) as he stood guard Culture Secretary Matt Hancock said: 'I'm sure the whole House will want to associate ourselves to mark the memory of those who passed away a year ago, as we have just noted in the one minute's silence, and to thank once more the emergency services who keep us safe and, especially on this day, those who put others' safety ahead of their own. 'We remember those who have lost their lives defending democracy. They will not be forgotten.' Labour's Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield) said: 'While thinking of the victims of the terrorist outrage last year, I think all of us on the benches hope that the families of those people who were tragically killed have been looked after.' RELATED ARTICLES Share this article Share Sports minister Tracey Crouch, in her reply, said: 'Pc Keith Palmer was an avid Charlton Athletic fan and it was only right that the club actually respected him by turning his usual red seat in The Valley white with his number written on it, so his memory will always live on at the football club.' MP Tobias Ellwood broke down on television today as he recalled the moment he comforted his young son after he had tried in vain to save the life of Pc Palmer in the Palace of Westminster. Mr Ellwood was in Parliament when terrorist Khalid Masood launched his sickening attack, mowing down and killing four pedestrians before stabbing unarmed Pc Palmer as he stood guard. In an emotionally-charged interview one year on, the politician fought back tears as he recounted the conversation he had with his son in the wake of the atrocity. Defence minister Tobias Ellwood pictured at the scene as he desperately tried to save PC Palmer MPs observed a minute's silence in memory of those killed in the 2017 Westminster terror attack in the House of Commons this morning MEMORIALS TO HONOUR OFFICERS AND TERROR VICTIMS Pc Palmer's name will be one of 1,400 inscribed on a new UK Police Memorial commemorating officers killed on duty. Another 4,000 of those who died on duty will be remembered inside the memorial in Staffordshire. Plans have also been revealed for a memorial for victims and survivors of the four terrorist atrocities that took place in the city last year - at Westminster Bridge, London Bridge, Finsbury Park and Parsons Green. Well-wishers will be able to leave messages in a digital book of hope at City Hall from today. Members of the public will be able to send messages to the installation - which will remain open until June - using #LondonUnited on social media, and their words will be projected on to a map of the capital. The phrase #LondonUnited will be projected on to the Houses of Parliament, London Bridge, Finsbury Park Mosque and Parsons Green Tube station on the anniversaries of the attacks. Five innocent people were killed in Masood's rampage - 48-year-old Pc Palmer, US tourist Kurt Cochran, Romanian tourist Andreea Cristea, 31, and Britons Aysha Frade, 44, and 75-year-old Leslie Rhodes, who were mown down on the bridge. Mr Ellwood told the BBC: 'The other reflection and vivid image I have is returning home after what had happened and finding my son on the top of the stairs. 'He was in tears and he was just on his own. I sat next to him and he just asked 'why'? 'He couldn't understand why I had stepped forward, why someone had been killed, why someone was yielding a knife in a place that he had visited so many times. 'And all I could offer him was that there are some bad people in the world but there are good people and it is the good people who win.' Pc Palmer's friend has also paid tribute, saying he was 'a proud and courageous police officer who did his job and never wanted any fuss.' In a statement released through Scotland Yard, Pc Shaun Cartwright said: 'Keith loved being a police officer, he just wanted to help people and do his best. 'Keith was always happy, always the first to help anyone out, first in to work and the last one out. 'He was a proud and courageous police officer who did his job and never wanted any fuss or to be the centre of attention. Keith was a true and loyal friend, utterly reliable. 'Most of all I will remember him as a family man who idolised his wife, daughter and his family; they're the important ones that I think about a year on from the Westminster attack.' Mr Ellwood, a former Army officer whose brother Jonathan was killed in the 2002 Bali terror atrocity, has paid tribute to the police for their work in a country 'that seems to be getting more dangerous and more volatile'. The Defence Minister said the threats faced by the UK were not going away and involved not just terrorism but 'resurgent nations challenging the world order'. He also recounted the moment of the attack on ITV's Lorraine. This harrowing picture of Mr Ellwood as he and members of the emergency services desperately tried to save Pc Palmer's life became one of the defining images of the attack Pc Palmer (pictured posing for a photo at the Palace of Westminster), was 'a proud and courageous police officer who did his job and never wanted any fuss', his friend has said MET POLICE PAY TRIBUTE TO VICTIMS It read: '22nd March 2017 is a day that remains vivid in many of our minds. Our thoughts are also with all those who died that day or whose lives were turned upside down.' 'Aysha Frade; Keith Palmer; Kurt Cochran; Leslie Rhodes and Andreea Cristea. All of whom remain much loved and missed by their families and loved ones. Today it is only natural for many of us to stop and pause and remember in our own way. 'The horror of that day was marked by acts of astonishing compassion and bravery as those who responded rushed to help the injured; to comfort those in distress and to bring calm to chaos.' 'I know that today we will remember, those taken from us, those who were injured and all those that day has had a lasting impact on. We owe it to them to carry on with courage, professionalism and determination; to do our very best to prevent future attacks and keep people safe.' Mr Ellwood told the host today: 'Huge respect to all police officers, because they don't know how their day is going to unfold and they just go to work and get on with it. 'I saw PC Keith Palmer lying there and could see he had lost a lot of blood and that's when I stepped forward to try and help. 'I just recall how professional the police were in moving into a situation where they were taking control and command of everything up to the silence of what is usually a busy place, until there was no-one around except for police. 'Our thoughts and prayers are with PC Palmer's friends and family. He did what he loved doing. He applied to stay on and do this work and loved every minute of it. 'We know these police officers well. They are part of the fabric of the community, so it is one of ours - it felt. 'But there was this feeling that we will not be cowed by this. We will not let this affect us. Life goes on. The next day, Parliament did sit - we weren't going to stop. 'Likewise, these terrorist activities try to rip us apart but they do they do the opposite. It makes us more determined that we are going to stand up to this.' He added: 'When we go back to when I first became aware of terrorism was the loss of my brother in 2002 (in the Bali bombings). 'Fifteen years ago and today these attacks are still taking place. We are going through a very dangerous and volatile period. 'We are at a pivotal moment and ask 'do we just look after ourselves?' Or do we see where things are going wrong. Al Shabab or Boko Haram or Al Qaeda - all these flourish where there isn't any governance. 'Not only that, the religion of Islam itself is being used - a peaceful religion - these terrorists have scant understanding of it and think they are going to paradise for what they do and that's the work that we need to embark on. 'There is a determination that we will not be defeated. And we walk by that location every day - it's right by the main entrance so all MPs are very conscious. Let's not forget Jo Cox was killed by an extremist too and her plaque is inside the chamber itself which we all look at. 'We live in a very dangerous world and it's up to us to work out the strategy we're going to hold in order to stand up to our values which we've spent decades, millennia, developing. 'That's what we need to remember. We will not be defeated by these terrorist. We will move forward and be positive - and that's the message that I told my son.' Mayor of London Sadiq Khan remembered the victims of the attack at City Hall today This horrifying picture captured the moment Masood crashed his car on Westminster Bridge One year from the attack, floral tributes and notes expressing messages of solidarity against terrorism, have been left on the bridge
The authorities say the attacker drove his car into pedestrians and then stabbed a police officer. He was later shot dead. London police say more arrests are expected in connection with the terror attack. The Metropolitan Police Service's Mark Rowley says police had searched addresses in London, Birmingham and other parts of the country in their investigation. He said there was a mix of nationalities among the dead but gave no details. The victims were a policeman who was stabbed and two members of the public, a woman in her mid-40s and a man in his mid-50s. The fourth casualty was the assailant. Police believe they know the identity of the attacker but have not named him. The attack on Wednesday started when the assailant sped across Westminster Bridge in a car, ramming pedestrians along the way. He then ran towards parliament and stabbed the policeman before he was shot. Three French high-school students aged 15 or 16, who were on a school trip to London with fellow students from Brittany, were among the injured. French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault was expected to arrive in London to visit them at hospital, French media reported. Westminster Bridge remained cordoned off with a strong police presence. The nearby Westminster underground train station, normally a busy hub in the morning rush hour, was not accessible from street level as it was within the cordon. WATCH: Witnesses describe 'horrendous' London attack Prime Minister Theresa May has called the policeman who died in the line of duty a hero. In a televised address, May told the nation that Britain’s resolve will never waiver in the face of terrorism. She also thanked Britain’s friends around the world for standing with her country. Additional police officers have been deployed to step up patrols on the streets of London. Parliament was due to convene later in what May said late on Wednesday was a sign that the attack would not disrupt British democracy or normal life in the capital.
Emergency services outside the Palace of Westminster treat the attacker, who has been named as Khalid Masood. Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/PA Detectives are piecing together the history of the Westminster terrorist Khalid Masood, a 52-year-old ex-convict who used a string of aliases and reportedly converted to Islam only in later life. Masood was described by police as a criminal with a 20-year record of offending, who had once been investigated for extremism but was assessed as low risk. Reports have emerged that his birthname was Adrian Russell Ajao. He was earlier named as Adrian Elms. London attack: police investigate terrorist Khalid Masood as death toll rises – live Read more As police search for any evidence of a wider conspiracy, eight people remain in custody after properties across the UK were raided, while a picture emerged of the killer’s apparently nomadic lifestyle. The death toll from his assault on the capital rose to four on Thursday night when a 75-year-old man, named as Leslie Rhodes from Streatham, south London, had his life support withdrawn at King’s College hospital. The police said on Friday morning that two people remained in hospital in critical condition, with one of these considered to have “life-threatening” injuries, after Masood drove his car into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge before running into the parliamentary estate armed with two knives and fatally stabbing PC Keith Palmer before himself being shot dead. Fifty people have been confirmed as injured, with 31 requiring hospital treatment. Two police officers remained in hospital with significant injuries. The vigil in Trafalgar Square, central London, was held to honour the dead and injured, Sadiq Khan said, but also “to send a clear, clear, message – Londoners will never be cowed by terrorism”. Westminster vigil: we will never be cowed by terrorism, says mayor Read more Earlier, prime minister Theresa May told MPs Masood had been previously known to MI5: “Some years ago, he was once investigated in relation to concerns about violent extremism. He was a peripheral figure. The case is historic – he was not part of the current intelligence picture.” Amber Rudd, the home secretary, later added that Masood had spent time in jail, but not for terrorist offences, while the Metropolitan police said “Masood” was in all likelihood not his birth name. The names of two people who died after Masood mowed them down on Westminster Bridge also emerged. They were Kurt Cochran, 54, a US tourist from Utah celebrating his 25th wedding anniversary, and British-born Aysha Frade, 43, who worked at sixth-form college and had been walking over the bridge to pick up her daughters from school. In the frenzied attack on Wednesday, Masood also stabbed to death PC Keith Palmer, a 48-year-old husband and father. The prime minister said Palmer was “every inch a hero and his actions will never be forgotten”, while a crowdfunding appeal for his family has raised more than £364,000. The attack was stopped when armed officers assigned to protect the defence secretary, Michael Fallon, shot Masood, who is believed to have been intent on entering parliament. Palmer died at New Palace Yard on the edge of the parliamentary estate, near Parliament Square, raising questions about security for legislators. The original incident, in which Masood drove a Hyundai Tucson 4x4 into crowds at one of London’s busiest tourist spots, left 40 people injured, 29 of whom were taken to hospital. In an emergency statement to the Commons, May said people from around the world had been caught up in the attack. “In addition to 12 Britons admitted to hospital, we know the victims include three French children, two Romanians, four South Koreans, one German, one Pole, one Irish, one Chinese, one Italian, one American and two Greeks,” she said. London terror attack: what we know so far Read more She also sounded a note of defiance, telling MPs: “Today we meet as normal, as generations have done before us and as future generations will continue to do, to deliver a simple message: we are not afraid and our resolve will never waver in the face of terrorism.” May’s spokesman said she had received phone calls from world leaders including Angela Merkel, François Hollande and Donald Trump, offering their condolences and support, and had herself signed a book of condolence in parliament. She later visited the injured in hospital. Police said Masood had been inspired by Islamic State. But he hid his extremism from his neighbours, coming across as a keen gardener and family man. The domestic intelligence service will face questions over why Masood dropped off the radar after being investigated in relation to concerns over violent extremism. An MI5 team has been set up to see what lessons can be learned from the case and to look at the decision to not put him under surveillance. The police and security services monitor an estimated 3,000 Britons, mainly Islamists, regarded as capable of terrorism, but it emerged he was not on this list. Isis claimed responsibilty for the attack, although the claim could not be verified. Amaq, the news agency it uses to broadcast propaganda, issued a statement describing the attacker as a soldier of Islamic State, without naming him. Police revealed that Masood, born in Kent on Christmas Day 1964, had a string of criminal convictions. In a statement, the Met said: “He was known to police and has a range of previous convictions for assaults, including GBH, possession of offensive weapons and public order offences. “His first conviction was in November 1983 for criminal damage and his last conviction was in December 2003 for possession of a knife.” The investigation is being led by SO15, Scotland Yard’s counter-terrorism command. Police staged raids across Birmingham, including Masood’s recent home in Winson Green, and at properties in London, Carmarthenshire and Brighton. Neighbour Iwona Romek said Masood was a keen gardener, who lived in the modern mews house with his wife and young child. Romek, 45, said her experience of him was of a “nice man”. She said the family had moved out suddenly in December 2016 and added: “I used to see him outside doing his garden. Never any trouble.” It is believed that Masood rented the Hyundai car that he turned into a weapon of terror from the depot of a car hire firm, Enterprise, in Spring Hill, Birmingham. Police still believe the attack was carried out by Masood alone, but are looking into whether others helped him. The eight arrests were all on suspicion of acts of preparation of a terrorist act, a key indication that police are investigating the possibility of a wider conspiracy. A 39-year-old woman was arrested in east London, while two women aged 26 and 21 were detained in Birmingham. Five men aged 23, 26, 27, 28 and 58 were arrested in Birmingham. PC Palmer’s family released a statement paying tribute to the police officer, who had a five-year-old daughter. They said: “Dedicated to his job and proud to be a police officer, brave and courageous. A friend to everyone who knew him. He will be deeply missed. We love him so much.” As a mark of respect, Palmer’s shoulder number – 4157U – is to be retired and not reissued to any other officer, Scotland Yard said. The Met has put extra officers on the streets and has extended the shifts they work from eight to 12 hours, until further notice. Forces outside London are also increasing their presence on the streets, to provide reassurance and to deter not only any further Islamist attacks but hate crimes against Muslims. The Independent Police Complaints Commission began an investigation into the shooting of the suspect, which is mandated by law.
HUNDREDS of people lined up to pay tribute to the Westminster terror attack victims as it emerged that hero police officer Keith Palmer will be honoured at the police memorial grounds. PC Palmer, unarmed but wearing a protective vest, was guarding the Carriage Gates on Wednesday when he was stabbed by Khalid Masood. Masood had stormed the grounds of Parliament after ploughing a grey Hyundai Tucson into dozens of pedestrians on Westminster Bridge. Home Secretary Amber Rudd announced last night that PC Palmer, 48, will be commemorated at the UK Police Memorial at the National Arboretum in Staffordshire, which provides “a lasting tribute to the sacrifices that all too many police officers have made”. Related articles Ms Rudd added that the father-of-two had “touched the lives of millions of people in this country and around the world”. She said: “[PC Palmer] gave his life, in the line of duty, in order to keep others safe. “So much has been said and written in tribute to PC Palmer – a husband and father who went to work on Wednesday morning and will never go home. “It is impossible to fully describe the debt of gratitude we owe to him. I want to express my heartfelt condolences to his family, his colleagues and his friends at this incredibly difficult time. I know there is a profound sense of loss, but his actions will never be forgotten.” The police officer acted very bravely and he has the admiration of us all Veteran Bob Filby Ms Rudd also gave her best wishes to the two officers who remain in hospital after being injured in the attack as she praised the police and emergency services’ “remarkable” response to the atrocity. PC Palmer’s sacrifice has reached the hearts of people across the nation. A Just Giving account set up to help his family had raised £700,000 last night, almost tripling its original target of £250,000. A highly decorated old soldier has joined calls for murdered PC Keith Palmer to be given a posthumous medal in recognition of his bravery. Bob Filby, 93, who was awarded the Military Cross for his bravery during heavy fighting in the Second World War, said PC Palmer should be posthumously given the George Cross, a gallantry medal. Bob said: “The police officer acted very bravely and he has the admiration of us all. “I fully support the calls for him to be honoured.” Acting Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mark Rowley also paid tribute to PC Palmer, saying: “Keith, you put yourself in harm’s way to protect others in the best traditions of the police force.” Yesterday hundreds of people descended on Parliament to pay their respects to the officer as well as the three other victims of Masood. Thousands of bouquets lined the streets where the horror unfolded, while many adorned the railings surrounding the Palace of Westminster. Human rights lawyer Mohamed al Shekhili, 51, said: “I feel so sorry for this policeman who died without reason. He is a hero. “These terrorists are not Christian, Muslim or Jewish – they kill without reason – and I feel ashamed of them. “I came here as a refugee fleeing the war in Iraq and now our blood is united and we must stand together. This beautiful country and it’s beautiful people gave me everything. PA The unarmed 48-year-old was guarding Westminster when he was stabbed by Khalid Masood “I came here today to stand with the police and thank them. They protect our life, they stand here to give us security.” Paul Monk, 55, from Wandsworth, south-west London, said: “We must not let these people win. “Looking around, there is such a sense of unity. The atmosphere is very emotional, it’s very touching to see people come together in the face of something like this. To lose your life just doing your job, in the line of duty, is awful. I came to lay flowers and handed them to a policewoman and offered my condolences.” Colin Pearce, 65, travelled from Slough, Berkshire with his wife to pay tribute. He said: “You don’t realise how close you come to these things, you think because it’s Britain it’s safe but there is a sense of shame that this can happen here. GETTY Memebrs of the public have called the officer to be given a posthumous medal of bravery “There are people from all over the world here today paying tribute. It’s tragic to think that a policeman who stands between us and crime can lose his life. We care about life, and we are fighting people who don’t.” Pat Burke, 77, had travelled to the capital with her husband Len, 81 and grandson Liam, 10. She said: “As soon as we arrived the emotion hit me. I just felt like I needed to come. “People lost their lives because of this person. I’m ashamed that someone who called themselves British could do this sort of thing. Being here really brings home the horror of what happened. “But standing here there is also a sense of unity. It’s almost like people are making a point – you are not going to stop us. “Something like this doesn’t change the way you live your life. Life has to go on. If it had changed anything we wouldn’t be here today.”
Police investigating the Westminster attack have concluded that Khalid Masood acted entirely alone for reasons that may never be known. In the most detailed breakdown yet of events on Westminster Bridge and parliament on Wednesday, police said that the entire attack, in which Masood had killed four people before being shot dead, lasted a mere 82 seconds. After four days of intensive inquiries across England and Wales, involving hundreds of officers, the Metropolitan police said they had so far failed to establish the reason for the attack. It is continuing to look at whether Masood was prompted by online propaganda by Islamic State, which has claimed he was a “soldier”, or whether he had some other sense of grievance. But deputy assistant Metropolitan police commissioner Neil Basu said: “We still believe that Masood acted alone on the day and there is no information or intelligence to suggest there are further attacks planned.” The security services do not like the term “lone wolf”, feeling that it glamorises an attacker, and instead prefer “lone actor”. Although 11 people were arrested in the aftermath of the attack, nine have since been released, with no further action to be taken. A 58-year-old man arrested in Birmingham remained in custody on Saturday while a 32-year-old woman from Manchester has been released on bail. Police are investigating media reports that Masood checked his encrypted messaging service WhatsApp – or even sent a message – just before the attack, which hinted at others being involved. The police statement confirming that he was a lone actor does not appear to support suggestions that he had been in touch with an accomplice. Basu, who is the senior national coordinator for UK counter-terrorism policing, said: “Even if he acted alone in the preparation, we need to establish with absolute clarity why he did these unspeakable acts to bring reassurance to Londoners, and to provide answers and closure for the families of those killed and the victims and survivors of this atrocity. “We must all accept that there is a possibility we will never understand why he did this. That understanding may have died with him.” The police, having reconstructed the attack, said it had begun at 14:40:08 when Masood’s hire car mounted the pavement on Westminster Bridge, weaving along the footpath and road until 14:40:38 when he crashed into the perimeter fence of the Palace of Westminster. He left the car at 14:40:51 and was shot by a police firearms officer, part of the close protection team of the defence secretary Sir Michael Fallon, in the palace courtyard at 14:41:30. At 14:40:59, the first 999 call was made to the Met reporting the incident. Basu said the investigation was continuing and appealed for anyone who had spoken to Masood in recent months, especially in the days leading up to the attack, to contact the police. They are still trying to establish whether he had been “inspired by terrorist propaganda or if others have encouraged, supported or directed him. If the latter proves to be the case, they will face justice.” He praised the way London and communities throughout the rest of the country had come together and that there had been no backlash. “The way that communities in London, and throughout the UK, have come together in the wake of this attack shows that we will not give in to those who seek to breed discord and fear,” Basu said. “Terrorists have tried to tear this city apart before and they have never succeeded. A very small minority of people have tried to use this as an opportunity to stir up hate, but once again we stand together in calm defiance. We will not allow them to divide us.” As the police and security services piece together Masood’s background, the Saudi Arabian government confirmed that he had worked in the country as an English teacher between 2005 and 2009. It is common for converts to Islam such as Masood to seek work in Saudi Arabia.
After receiving the award she was enjoying lunch with her husband and daughter and the Copeland MP Trudy Harrison in the Terrace Restaurant when they noticed the blue lights on Westminster Bridge through the glass doors. Within moments security staff and armed police officers came into the restaurant ordering them to run to the central lobby. The family had to remain there with hundreds of others for around five hours while Parliament was in lockdown. Daphne runs the Braithwaite Village Shop which she managed to reopen just six months after being flooded out during Storm Desmond. The shop has been flooded a number of times. Newly elected Copeland MP Trudy Harrison told ITV Border of her sadness for the families of the injured and killed. We looked through the glass door and could see blue lights on the bridge. Within seconds the police rushed through and began urging us to run to the central lobby. My immediate thought was that it was a bomb scare but by the urgent nature of the police, we knew it was very serious. My overwhelming thought is for the families who'll never be the same again and grateful that I'm able to return home to my family today. The Prime Minister's statement last night said that we should not be defeated and work is continuing as normal, but it doesn't stop that feeling of loss and grief for the families involved.

Police and security services are investigating the background of the man who killed four people and injured dozens in a terrorist rampage at Westminster as security was visibly stepped up in the capital on Thursday. While the Houses of Parliament prepared to sit as normal, officers were attempting to establish the motivation and any terrorist links of the attacker – who was known to counter-terrorism officials – and look into his connections and associates. A raid was carried out by armed police overnight at a flat above a shop in Birmingham just west of the city centre, with surrounding roads closed for several hours. BBC Newsnight reported late on Wednesday that the vehicle used in the attack – a Hyundai i40 – could have been rented in Birmingham. A direct link between the two events is yet to be established, however, West Midlands police referred enquiries to the Metropolitan police in London, which said it would not be commenting for “operational reasons”. In London, extra officers – armed and unarmed – have been ordered onto the streets and Parliament Square remains closed as the capital wakes up. Westminster Bridge remains closed and the tube station is open but for interchange only. Up to 40 people were injured when a lone terrorist attacked Westminster, stabbing a police officer to death as he tried to storm parliament, and killing three members of the public as he careered through the heart of the capital in a 4x4 vehicle. The attacker was among those killed in the first mass-casualty terrorist attack on Britain in over a decade. The Commons and Lords were locked down for several hours because of fears of further attacks. PC Keith Palmer. Photograph: HO/AFP/Getty Images The policeman who died was named as Keith Palmer, 48, a member of the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Service. He was married with children and had been a police officer for 15 years. The Met’s head of counter-terrorism, Mark Rowley, said the motivation of the attacker was assumed to be “Islamist related” and he had tried to enter parliament but had been stopped. Rowley said Palmer “was someone who left for work today expecting to return home at the end of his shift, and he had every right to expect that would happen”. People fled for their lives as a Hyundai 4x4 driven by the terrorist at about 2.40pm indiscriminately ran into people on Westminster Bridge. The use of the vehicle to attack civilians was a direct copy of an Islamic State tactic used previously with murderous effect in Nice and Berlin. The vehicle then careered off the road on to pavement a few metres away from Big Ben and the attacker tried to storm parliament armed with a knife. Play Video 0:22 People flee parliament as gunshots ring out – video Moments later, a police officer who was guarding parliament was fatally stabbed. The attacker, dressed in black, was shot by another armed officer and died of his injuries. The Guardian understands the initial working theories of the police investigation are the attacker was inspired by Isis and was most likely a “lone actor”. The attacker was already known to counter-terrorism officials. Rowley said investigators were trying to establish the attacker’s associates and his preparations for the attack. Theresa May was rushed out of parliament as the attack unfolded and later chaired an emergency meeting of the government’s crisis committee, Cobra. Shortly before 9pm on Wednesday, her voice cracking with emotion, the prime minister confirmed that what she called the “sick and depraved” attack had been carried out by a single assailant. She also praised the bravery of the police and other emergency services, who “ran towards the danger, even as they encouraged others to move the other way”. The prime minister added that Britain’s threat level would remain at severe, where it has been for some time; but she struck a defiant tone, insisting it would be business as usual for MPs and Londoners on Thursday. “The location of this attack was no accident. The terrorists chose to strike at the heart of our capital city where all nationalities, religions and cultures come together to celebrate the values of liberty, democracy and freedom of speech,” she said. Rowley said: “This is a day that we had planned for – that we all hoped would never happen – but sadly it is now a reality.” On Wednesday night, a massive investigation involving Scotland Yard’s counter-terrorism command and domestic security service MI5 was under way. Police chiefs have ordered extra officers, armed and unarmed, on to the streets of the capital. Keeping the national terrorism threat level at severe means an attack is feared to be highly likely but there is no intelligence a specific plot is imminent. Parliament was filled with MPs at the time – a couple of hours after prime minister’s question time. They were alerted to the incident by the sound of shots being fired. Within minutes, David Lidington, the leader of the Commons, told stunned MPs: “What I am able to say to the house is there has been a serious incident within the estate. It seems that a police officer has been stabbed, that the alleged assailant was shot by armed police.” A visual guide to the Westminster attack Read more Witnesses described how a scene of horror suddenly unfolded at what is one of the UK’s busiest tourist spots. Rob Lyon, 34, from Rugby, was walking along Westminster Bridge with a colleague when he saw a 4x4 vehicle travelling at high speed, hitting pedestrians. He said: “I heard a wheel definitely hit a kerb, quite a loud crunch noise, I looked up and saw a car clearly hitting people as it came towards me. A colleague I was with, James, I heard him sort of shout. I instinctively jumped off the pavement. I could see people being hit. And then the car just carried on up the bridge and I just looked around and was really in shock.” Radosław Sikorski, a former Polish foreign minister, saw at least five people lying on the ground after being “mown down” by a car. “I heard what I thought was just a collision and then I looked through the window of the taxi and saw someone down, obviously in great distress,” he said. Play Video 0:35 Members of the public helping the injured on Westminster Bridge – video Pictures emerged after the incident showing people lying injured on Westminster Bridge, some of them bleeding seriously. A woman was pulled alive from the Thames with serious injuries after having fallen into the water during the attack. The car then sped towards the Palace of Westminster, and came to a halt on the pavement, up against railings to the north of New Palace Yard, the green space adjacent to Big Ben, opposite an entrance to Westminster tube station. A man with a knife was then seen running through the gates of the Palace of Westminster, across New Palace Yard and stabbing a police officer. The attacker continued his rampage, targeting a second officer, according to witnesses. But he was shot by police as he approached, knife in hand. Witness Rick Longley said he saw the car crash into the railings and a man leaping out. He said: “We were just walking up to the station and there was a loud bang and a guy, someone, crashed a car and took some pedestrians out. “They were just laying there and then the whole crowd just surged around the corner by the gates just opposite Big Ben. A guy came past my right shoulder with a big knife and just started plunging it into the policeman.” UK terror attacks since 11 September 2001 The Bournemouth MP, a former soldier, was pictured with blood on his forehead, helping the police officer in Parliament Square. Ellwood’s brother Jonathan was killed in the 2002 Bali terror attack. Two people could be seen lying within New Palace Yard, immediately outside Westminster Hall. The sitting in the House of Commons was suspended while police officers sealed off the area. Parliamentary staff were told to stay in their offices. Minutes after the incident, an air ambulance landed in Parliament Square, as sirens were heard outside, but the officer could not be saved. Up to 1,000 people were evacuated at various locations, including Westminster Abbey. It took several hours for parliament to be evacuated. The Westminster attack is a tragedy, but it’s not a threat to democracy | Simon Jenkins Read more Hospitals in London were put on alert and of the 20 injured, eight were taken to the major trauma centre at King’s College hospital, with two people in critical condition and six stable. Those at King’s were six men and two women. Two casualties were treated at St Thomas’ hospital, immediately opposite the Houses of Parliament, a man and a woman, both of whom were stable. The ambulance service said eight of those injured were treated at the scene. In a statement the Muslim Council of Britain said: “We condemn this attack and while it is still too early to speculate on the motives, our thoughts and prayers are for the victims and those affected. We pay tribute, too, to the police and emergency services who handled this with bravery. The Palace of Westminster is the centre of our democracy and we must all ensure that it continues to serve our country and its people with safety and security.” London mayor Sadiq Khan said in a video message: “London is the greatest city in the world and we stand together in the face of those who seek to harm us and destroy our way of life. We always have, and we always will. Londoners will never be cowed by terrorism.” The headline of this article was changed on 23 March 2017 after the death toll from the terrorist attack was revised downwards from five to four.
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Westminster critics attack Holocaust memorial plan The planned memorial has been derided as a “silly hill” by a Jewish architectADJAYE ASSOCIATES Plans for a large memorial to the Holocaust next to the Houses of Parliament are proceeding despite criticism of the likely environmental impact, concerns over geology and opposition from residents and politicians. The scheme chosen for the site is by the architect Sir David Adjaye. Westminster council has begun the planning process and permission for the £50 million monument and learning centre is expected later this year, with work finished by 2021. Residents and environmentalists have warned that Victoria Tower Gardens, one of the smaller royal parks, will be all but obliterated by the project, which features 23 bronze blades. The staircases in between the blades represent the 22 countries where the Nazis destroyed Jewish communities. It also features a cavernous chamber beneath the grass.
And Sturgeon emphasised Russell's point today. "It's not about getting more power," she told the BBC. "It's about keeping the power we have. "This is about protecting the devolution settlement and even if people have suspicions, I can’t believe why they would, that me as an SNP First Minister is behaving in the way you’d describe, well you’ve got a Labour First Minister in Wales who’s taking exactly the same way." "How hard line are you willing to be?" she was then asked. She replied: "I will not sign up to something that effectively undermines the whole foundation on which devolution is built and no First Minister, not Scottish Government worth its salt should do so.” You can watch the whole video, in which the FM says she think it’s very likely the Scottish Government will block the Brexit Bill, below: "I will not sign up to something that effectively undermines the whole foundation on which devolution is built." Ipsoregulated This website and associated newspapers adhere to the Independent Press Standards Organisation's Editors' Code of Practice. If you have a complaint about the editorial content which relates to inaccuracy or intrusion, then please contact the editor here. If you are dissatisfied with the response provided you can contact IPSO here
Share this article Share 2.4k shares Email videos to: videos@mailonline.co.uk Police closed off the bridge today while members of the public and paramedics helped those injured on the bridge A police officer was stabbed by a knifeman before the attacker was shot by other officers outside Parliament today. The suspected terrorist had driven a 4x4 across Westminster Bridge, ploughing down and seriously injuring pedestrians Emergency services at the scene outside the Palace of Westminster after a policeman was stabbed this afternoon A man, believed to be the attacker, is put on the stretcher and wheeled into an ambulance inside the grounds of Parliament

I Wanted To Shoot ‘Manto’ In Pakistan: Nandita Das I Wanted To Shoot ‘Manto’ In Pakistan: Nandita Das Filmmaker Nandita Das wanted to shoot ‘Manto’ in Pakistan, but due to the political tension she had to recreate the streets of Lahore in Gujarat. In an interview with NDTV, she and Nawazuddin Siddiqui spoke about their upcoming film. Manto releases on September 21. NDTV is one of the leaders in the production and broadcasting of un-biased and comprehensive news and entertainment programmes in India and abroad. NDTV delivers reliable information across all platforms: TV, Internet and Mobile. Subscribe for more videos: https://www.youtube.com/user/ndtv?sub_confirmation=1 Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ndtv Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ndtv Download the NDTV Apps: http://www.ndtv.com/page/apps Watch more videos: http://www.ndtv.com/video?yt
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Britain is now preparing for the worst as SAS commandos are primed for operations to defend Brits from any looming terror threats. Massive security operations are also being prepared to tackle any imminent threats amid heightened fears of further copycat attacks. GETTY LONDON TERROR ATTACK: SAS forces are on high alert after the bloodbath in Westminster Terror in the HEART of London: the Westminster attack as it happened The attack in Westminster has left four people dead and up to 20 injured after a man drove his vehicle into pedestrians, then ran into the grounds of the Houses of Parliament before being shot by police 1 / 55 PA The alleged attacker, with the suspected weapons used in the attack highlighted in red Mr Geddes said: “Right now behind the scenes they will be initiating all the forensic investigations they need to carry out to work out the identity of this individual, networks, communications, movements, digital footprints. “Everything you can imagine they will be doing a complete 360 degree on to determine whether this was an individual radicalised in their bedroom. "They need to find out whether this was someone part of a bigger plot or plan, or part of a chain of events which could be scheduled over the next few weeks.” He added: “We have been anticipating a terrorist attack for an awfully long time. Its now a case of whether we need to elevate the threat level – much of that will on the information we gather around this perpetrator."
Major General Jonathan Straw says ministers are trying to use the terrorist incident last Wednesday to push for handing security services more powers, despite the weak case for it. His comments come after Home Secretary Amber Rudd said it is “completely unacceptable” that authorities cannot look at the encrypted social media messages of attacker Khalid Masood on platforms such as WhatsApp. Masood was on the chat platform just minutes before his fatal assault on the streets surrounding Parliament. Straw says unlocking such data will also allow other parties such as criminals and foreign spies to access it. He told the BBC legislating for such a move would not necessarily make it easier to stop future terrorist attacks. He says if the government does push through laws to decode messages, terrorists would quickly use other secure methods of communicating. “There’s a debate in Parliament about the whole snooper’s charter [Investigatory Powers Act 2016] and the rights of the state and I think what they are trying to do is use this moment to nudge the debate more in their line.” “The power will mutate and move on. We are aiming at a very fluid environment here. We are in real trouble if we apply blunt weapons to this, absolutist solutions,” he added. The European Union’s presidency has also expressed concern about such a move. According to the Associated Press, Maltese Interior Minister Carmelo Abela said people’s privacy must be protected. “There is a fine line here. We need to of course protect the privacy of the people, but we also have to protect the security of the people.” Speaking to the BBC on Sunday, Rudd said there must be “no place for terrorists to hide.” “We need to make sure organizations like WhatsApp, and there are plenty of others like that, don’t provide a secret place for terrorists to communicate with each other. “In this situation we need to make sure our intelligence services have the ability to get into situations like encrypted WhatsApp.” She hinted that the government could be prepared to create new laws on the matter, telling Sky News later: “I’m calling time on terrorists using social media as their platform … I’m giving them more than a ticking off.”
Tobias Ellwood listens to speeches in parliament the day after the attack in Westminster. Photograph: Handout/Reuters The Foreign Office minister Tobias Ellwood, who battled to save the life of a police officer in the Westminster terror attack, and the security minister, Ben Wallace, have been honoured for their roles in responding to the atrocity. Downing Street announced that the Queen was “pleased” to approve the appointment of Ellwood and Wallace to the privy council. Security chief told MPs they were safe in parliament before attack Read more Ellwood, ran towards gunfire to help PC Keith Palmer, who was stabbed in the attack, while Wallace helped coordinate the government’s response. The pair will now be entitled to be referred to as “right honourable” and receive top-secret national security briefings as members of the privy council. It is mainly composed of senior politicians, but includes some bishops and judges, and has advised the monarch since the Norman era. Theresa May praised the “extraordinary” bravery of Ellwood in her House of Commons statement on Thursday. The former soldier was pictured with blood on his face and clothes as he tried to give Palmer mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and stem the blood amid the carnage in New Palace Yard on Wednesday, but the officer died from his injuries. The Bournemouth East MP’s bravery was praised by many colleagues, who had gathered in the Commons chamber to listen and respond to the prime minister’s statement on the terror attack. But Ellwood, whose brother Jonathan was killed in the 2002 Bali terrorist bombing, shook his head as a fellow MP called for him to be recognised in the honours list.

Wednesday, 22 March 2017Donald Trump has been briefed on the "terrorist incident" outside London's Parliament in which one police officer was stabbed and one man was shot, according to White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer. Former trade officials have decried US President Donald Trump’s understanding of international trade and tariffs after his remarks on Sunday that Ford’s...S.China Morning Post 1 week ago - Asia-PacificAlso reported by •New Zealand Herald Recent related videos WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he will impose 10 percent U.S. tariffs on about $200 billion worth of Chinese imports, but he spared smart watches from Apple (AAPL.O).. Former Vice President Joe Biden unleashed a vicious attack on supporters of President Donald Trump. His remarks came at the Human Rights Campaign's annual dinner at the Washington Convention Center on..
The attack on Parliament in London is another reminder that a facility's security is only as strong as its weakest point. In this case, it was a frequently used gate in New Palace Yard that was left unlocked. Known as Carriage Gates, the entrance is generally monitored by police officers. Could the weakness have led to the attack? Could the attack have been prevented (or minimised) if the gate had been bolted shut? Planned ‘complete security overhaul’ Finger pointing in the wake of such incidents may seem counterproductive, but there is value in assessing any lessons learned. Reports of a planned "complete security overhaul" in the wake of the London attack make sense. In any case, the existing security procedures likely minimised the impact of the attack, which could have been even worse and more deadly. As it was, a terrorist drove a vehicle down a Westminster Bridge pavement crowded with pedestrians and into a perimeter fence. Getting out of the car, the man stabbed the first officer he encountered after entering the unlocked gate; the officer later died of his wounds. Five people were killed, including the attacker, who was shot to death. Twenty-nine were wounded, including seven reported in critical condition. The low-tech, rudimentary nature of the attack is another reminder of the changing face of terrorism The changing face of terrorism The low-tech, rudimentary nature of the attack is another reminder of the changing face of terrorism. Previous emphasis on elaborate, carefully planned attacks seems to have given way to a more barebones approach to creating terror: Simply drive a vehicle into a crowd of people. Planning more elaborate attacks tends to involve more people and could leave an electronic trail to enable security and anti-terrorism agencies to uncover plots before they can be carried out. In contrast, driving a vehicle into a crowd is easier, might involve fewer perpetrators and likely needs little advanced planning. Successful detection of more elaborate plots has led terrorism groups to resort to the simpler route. Several terrorist-related web sites have reportedly encouraged followers to use vehicles as weapons of terrorism. ISIS has claimed responsibility for the London attack. The plan was simple and almost undetectable until it happened. Vehicle barriers Vehicle barriers can help prevent such attacks, whether concrete or moveable bollards, steel fencing, crash-rated portable barriers, or other measures. They are currently used all over the world, including government buildings and high-profile locales where pedestrians might gather. The Elysee Palace is fortified by high walls and steel fencesand is restricted from trafficand protected by armed patrols For example, Berlin's Reichstag has fences in front of the building's main entrance and is surrounded by low concrete blocks, although it is largely accessible to the public with no fences on the other sides. The European Parliament headquarters in Brussels is protected by low steel bollards on the roadside, and the French National Assembly's front gates are protected by concrete bollards to prevent high-speed ramming. France's Elysee Palace is fortified by high walls and steel fences, and is restricted from traffic and protected by armed patrols. Vehicle traffic around the Capitol building in Washington, D.C., is restricted; steel railings several feet high, also encircled by steel bollards and chains, protect the perimeter of the White House. Such venues will be the subject of new security evaluations, even as Britons look for answers about how the latest attack could have been prevented. The challenge is that any weak spot could be the point of entry for the next tragedy. Author profile An experienced journalist and long-time presence in the US security industry, Larry is SourceSecurity.com's eyes and ears in the fast-changing security marketplace, attending industry and corporate events, interviewing security leaders and contributing original editorial content to the site. He leads SourceSecurity.com's team of dedicated editorial and content professionals, guiding the "editorial roadmap" to ensure the site provides the most relevant content for security professionals. In case you missed it Newly modernised halls with lots of daylight will house hundreds of exhibitions and conference events at the upcoming Security Essen 2018 at Messe Essen, Germany. A new layout and hall numbering system will be unfamiliar to past attendees but promises to simplify the experience as it brings together attendees and exhibitors. European physical security market Security Essen is an international trade fair, but the emphasis is more on German, Austrian and Swiss companies. In all, Security Essen will feature 1,000 exhibitors from 40 nations. The trade fair has more of a continental European “flavour” compared to IFSEC, which focuses more on the U.K market. At the last Security Essen in 2016, organisers reported about 40,000 visitors including conference participants, VIP guests, members of various delegations and journalists. Security Essen 2018 has more of a continental European “flavour” compared to IFSEC, which focuses more on the U.K market “This year, we have sharpened the profile of Security Essen,” says Oliver P. Kuhrt, CEO of Messe Essen, a trade fair, congress and event organiser with its own exhibition grounds. “The trade fair has become considerably more digital, more modern and more interactive. Due to the optimised hall layout, we are offering our exhibitors and visitors the best possible experience with short paths and direct communication.” Newly modernised Messe Essen The newly modernised site of Security Essen will encompass eight halls, newly renumbered and with the subject areas reorganised, too. Visitors will find Services in Hall 1; Access, Mechanatronics, Mechanics and Systems in Halls 2 and 3 and the Galeria; Perimeter Protection in Hall 3; Video in Halls 5 and 7; and Fire, Intrusion and Systems in Halls 6 and 7. A helpful smart phone app, downloadable free from the Google Play Store (Android) or the Apple App Store (iOS), will be available two weeks before the event and include a show floor plan; the exhibitor list with booth numbers and contact information; and an overview of the supporting programme. A separate hall – Hall 8 – will house new Cyber Security and Economic Security categories. Cyber Security Conference At the new Cyber Security Conference, located prominently at the new East Entrance, experts will share their knowledge about the more pressing challenges and potential of cybersecurity. The programme opens and closes on 25 and 28 September with the main topic “Opportunities and Risks of Cyber Security”. On 26 September, discussions and lectures will centre on “Entry, Admission, Access: Identification Options”.A helpful smart phone app, downloadable free will be available two weeks before the event and include a show floor plan On 27 September, the topic will be smart homes and focus on “Connected Building, Security in the Buildings of the Future”. Speakers will include the president of Germany’s Federal Office for Information Security, who will address cybersecurity as a challenge for politics, business and society. The fair organises the conference in cooperation with the BHE Federal Association of Security Technology and the technical support of the Federal Office for Information Security. In Hall 8, a new Public Security Forum will enable visitors to experience digital security technologies for public spaces from the areas of sensors/IoT, cyber security and surveillance. The products and solutions will be installed in four different building scenarios (town hall, school, hospital and library) and it will be possible to test them extensively. The forum, including lectures and discussions, will target municipal decision makers and planners of public spaces. Comprehensive programme A Security Expert Forum in Hall 2 will present a continuous programme with more than 90 presentations during the period of the fair. Visitors will obtain information and solution ideas about all six subject areas covered at the fair, and the programme will begin with a keynote lecture each morning and finish with a live demonstration in the evening. On the first day of the fair (25 September), Security Essen’s Career Forum will introduce retrainees, students, trainees and graduates to companies from the security industry. Targeted and professional communication will be established between companies and job applicants to facilitate making contacts, developing networks, and filling actual vacancies. Thursday (27 September) will be observed as Fire Prevention Day, and a Drone Course will be provided each day in Hall 7. One day admission to Security Essen is €41; a four-day ticket is €105. Advance sale tickets are discounted. There are many aspects to consider when developing a retail security strategy, including loss prevention, physical security, asset protection, risk management, and IT. All these areas could be the responsibility of just a few people working to secure a handful of stores or each of these areas could be entirely separate departments, as is often the case for major retailers with locations throughout the country. Regardless of the size of the retailer, there are many different technologies that can be used within a retail store to improve security and loss prevention, yet none should be used in a silo. There are tremendous benefits to integrating security technologies and communications systems together, including enhancing overall safety and security, reducing shrink, and improving operations. There are many different technologies that can be used within a retail store to improve security and loss prevention As the existing security infrastructure is evaluated and plans for the future are developed, the team responsible should consider some of the following questions. Are there areas of the store that require greater security? Are there notifications or other technologies that could improve the efficiency of personnel and the safety of shoppers? Are there other departments within the organisation that could benefit from the data gathered by the security technology? Understanding current pain points within the stores and how integrated security solutions can address these is the key to implementing the best solution. Here are a few “hot spots” within a typical retail store that easily demonstrate the power of integrated solutions. Point of sale terminals Whether it’s loss through sweet hearting or other fraud, point of sale terminals present a significant shrink risk for retailers. Integrated systems enhance security at these locations. Video recording of HD or megapixel cameras integrated with point of sale data makes it easy to locate video associated with transactions and exception reporting. This allows for visual verification of each transaction when needed.There are tremendous benefits to integrating security technologies and communications systems together Other risks like robbery not only result in loss, but also impact the safety of employees and shoppers alike. Panic buttons or bill trap sensors connected to the intrusion detection system ensure silent alarms are issued when employees are at risk. When the intrusion detection system is integrated with the video system, pressing a panic button or pulling the bill from the sensor can automatically trigger a video snapshot to be sent to the monitoring station to provide verification of the alarm and more information for law enforcement when they are dispatched. Adding audio integration to the intrusion system can also result in a message sent to the store security personnel’s two-way radio when a panic button is pushed, or a bill trap sensor is activated. If no security guard is onsite, video monitoring services can allow the monitoring centre to intervene through audio, alerting the perpetrator that his or her actions are being monitored and that the authorities have been contacted. This may cause the offender to flee the area, helping to mitigate the safety risk as well as the potential for loss. Panic buttons or bill trap sensors connected to the intrusion detection system ensure silent alarms are issued when employees are at risk High value displays Protect high-value or frequently-stolen items such as electronics, using video analytics integrated with audio communication Protect high-value or frequently-stolen items such as electronics, using video analytics integrated with audio communications. For example, a person standing at a display for longer than a pre-defined time or touching items on display can trigger a video snapshot to be sent to the store manager and an audio message to play through a nearby loudspeaker, such as: “Thank you for your interest in our smartphone selection; an associate will be there soon to assist you.” This not only alerts potential offenders that their actions are being watched, it also serves to improve customer service for legitimate shoppers – as a retail floor associate is notified that a customer may need assistance. Cash office An access control reader at the door to the cash office restricts access to only authorised individuals. Integrating video can automatically capture an image of the person requesting access for verifying an employee’s identification prior to granting access or for retrospective analysis in the event of a theft. Exit doors If an employee props open a back door – either for easy re-entry after a break or to allow access to another person with intentions of theft – integration of the intrusion detection system to the video and audio system can significantly reduce risk of loss. For example, the intrusion detection system can monitor doors for abnormal conditions, even when the system is disarmed.Loss can also occur when a cooler or freezer malfunctions or when the door is accidentally left open A door left open for longer than a pre-defined time can cause an alarm on the intrusion panel, which can trigger a nearby camera to send a snapshot of the open door to the store manager and trigger the public address system to play a pre-recorded message through a nearby speaker. This prompts the employee to close the door, reducing risk of theft. Coolers and freezers Loss isn’t just about theft. Loss can also occur when a cooler or freezer malfunctions or when the door of one of these units is accidentally left open. The same concept for monitoring exit doors can also apply to doors for coolers and freezers to prevent spoilage. A cooler or freezer door monitored by the intrusion detection system can trigger an alert or chime to play in the area to remind an employee to close the door or to alert the store manager to the issue. While providing surveillance of the cash register area, the camera's video analytics can be used to trigger an alert in case the queue exceeds the pre-defined threshold Serving a dual purpose Retailers can use the metadata from the cameras to gather business statistics like counts of people entering the store While the technology solutions described above positively impact loss prevention in a retail store, they can also extend beyond security to improve health and safety and enhance customer service as well as customer engagement and sales. For example, while securing a store’s main entrance with IP cameras featuring on-board video analytics, retailers can use the metadata from the cameras to gather business statistics like counts of people entering the store. This data can help them understand peak days and times when making decisions about staffing. Or while providing surveillance of the cash register area, the camera's video analytics can also be used to trigger an alert in case the number of people in a queue exceeds the pre-defined threshold. At this point, the same public address system and loudspeakers used to play background music to enhance the shopping experience could be activated to broadcast a message to request another cash register to be opened, improving store operations. For security and loss prevention purposes, video analytics can also be used to ensure that no one enters or leaves the retail shop using the emergency exit. To address health and safety issues, these same cameras can also trigger an alarm if that emergency exit is blocked by an object – improving the safety of customers and employees. When systems are used to deliver data for purposes beyond security, other departments may be willing to contribute toward the cost Metadata generated by the cameras can also be used to gather information that when processed with sophisticated algorithms in the cloud can show trajectories of the paths that shoppers take as they travel throughout a store as well as heat maps indicating where they walk, stop and dwell – all while protecting the privacy of individual shoppers. This information can be used by merchandisers to evaluate the success of displays and store layouts, which directly impacts customer engagement and sales. When systems are used for and deliver data for purposes beyond security, other departments may be willing to contribute toward the cost of the system. This provides an added benefit by relieving some of the cost burden from security or other operational budgets. Product selection Integration is becoming easier using standards and expanding industry partnerships. However, in some cases, choosing systems from a single vendor that are designed to work together can help to speed and simplify installation, while also reducing system costs for both the integrator and the user. Regardless of the products chosen, it will be important for a retailer with many locations to have consistency in the type of equipment installed at each site. This makes support easier and enables a more uniform response to incidents that happen at various stores. As many retailers already understand, there is no silver bullet to reducing loss. However, a combination of the right technologies working together to prevent shrink and improve investigative capabilities can result in smarter and more effective loss prevention. GSX 2018 is both a new event for the security industry and the continuation of a 63-year tradition. Global Security Exchange (GSX) is the new branding for ASIS International’s annual seminar and exhibits, which have been held since 1955. In recent years, the ASIS event has joined forces with other organisations to expand its scope and to appeal to a broader audience. Partners include ISSA (Information Systems Security Association) and Infragard, a public-private partnership between U.S. businesses and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The expansion is continuing this year with the addition of 30 supporting organisations representing industry verticals and reflecting ASIS’s intent to unite the full spectrum of security. Improving the state of cyber security Held September 23-27 at the Las Vegas convention Center, GSX 2018 seeks to attract more than 20,000 operational and cyber security professionals and 550 exhibitors. The Cyber Security Summit will co-locate with GSX, offering cyber security programming at a time when it is needed the most Other elements will further expand the 2018 event’s scope. The Cyber Security Summit will co-locate with GSX, offering cyber security programming at a time when it is needed the most. Top government, industry and academic thought leaders will engage in a dialogue to improve the state of cyber security. The 2018 Security Cares Program will address school violence prevention and response in a free education program. Topics will include pre-violence indicators, target hardening, and best practices to involve the entire community of school administrators, law enforcement, security professionals and mental health providers. Experts to deliver keynote speeches Keynote speakers including CNN host Fareed Zakaria will bestow celebrity appeal. Air Force Major General Bradley D. Spacy will share details about the new AFWERX innovation and tech hub in Las Vegas and how the U.S. Air Force is collaborating with the private sector to bring new security product ideas to market. Spacy’s keynote on Sept. 26 will kick off Military and Law Enforcement Appreciation Day. Also, K.T. McFarland, former Trump Administration Deputy National Security Advisor, will share an insider’s perspective on critical foreign policy and defence industries. Attendees to ASIS International’s annual gathering typically list networking and education as big benefits of the event. Historically, the trade show aspect has existed separately from the educational program, and foot traffic to the exhibits has sometimes suffered from the competition. Beginning last year, and continuing in 2018, ASIS International has pursued innovative approaches to integrate the trade show more closely into the overall attendee experience. “The integration of programming and exhibits is truly seamless,” says one observer of the new approach. Held Sept. 23-27 at the Las Vegas convention Center, GSX 2018 seeks to attract more than 20,000 operational and cyber security professionals and 550 exhibitors X Learning Theatres GSX has sought to transform the exhibit hall into a ‘learning lab environment’ that features thousands of security products, technologies and service solutions (provided by the exhibitors), in addition to ‘immersive learning opportunities to connect the current and emerging threat landscape with solutions available in the marketplace’. There are several ‘X Learning Theatres’, including one (‘X-Stage’) focussed on leading-edge technologies such as blockchain, cryptocurrencies, AI, drones, and robotics. There is also an ‘Xcelerated Exchange Stage’ to facilitate discussions among security practitioners and solution providers. The ‘Xperience Stage’ showcases case studies and best practices. Also attracting more attendees to the Exhibit Hall will be ‘Career HQ’, a free career fair and enhanced career centre. ‘D3 Xperience’ (Drones, Droids Defence) will focus on unmanned systems with education and demos. The ‘Innovative Product Awards (IPAs) Showcase’ will highlight winners of an awards program. Focussing on security practices GSX is not as much about sales leads as about making connections and contributing to a larger conversation about how to protect people, facilities and assets ASIS International (now GSX 2018) is often compared to ISC West, the U.S. industry’s largest show held in Las Vegas in the spring. GSX 2018 this year may face even more scrutiny based on the changes, rebranding, and location (also in Las Vegas). However, GSX is a completely different show than ISC West, which focuses on the business of security. In contrast, GSX is much more about the practice of security than business. The international network of ASIS International members attend the yearly conference to make new connections, to learn and to benefit from the experiences of other security professionals around the world. The successful trade show exhibitors are the ones that approach the show with that understanding. GSX is not as much about sales leads as about making connections and contributing to a larger conversation about how to protect people, facilities and assets. ASIS International deserves credit for their efforts to integrate the trade show element into the larger goal of the event. Hopefully their new approach will enhance the overall experience for both attendees and exhibitors – and help to make the world a safer place as a consequence.
London Houses of Parliament attack: What do we know so far? Questions remain over the Houses of Parliament attack in London, which left three people injured and a suspect in custody. As Britain remains on high alert for terrorism, here’s what is known about Tuesday’s incident so far. The attack At around 7:40am on Tuesday, a silver Ford Fiesta rammed into a number of pedestrians and cyclists before crashing into steel barriers outside the Houses of Parliament. According to witnesses, the car was soon surrounded by armed police. Footage posted on social media showed the suspect being taken from the vehicle before being handcuffed. “The car drove at speed and towards the barriers. I was walking on the other side [of the road],” said eyewitness Ewalina Ochab. “I heard some noise and someone screamed. “I turned around and I saw a silver car driving very fast close to the railings, maybe even on the pavement. The person driving did not go out of the vehicle.” Three people were treated at the scene, two of whom were then taken to hospital with non-serious injuries. The nearby St. Thomas’ Hospital confirmed that it was treating one patient whose injuries were not life-threatening. The motive In light of several previous attacks – on Westminster Bridge in March 2017 – and a number of suspected attacks that transpired to be accidents, speculation was rife as to whether the incident was an act of terrorism. Scotland Yard’s head of counter-terrorism, Neil Basu, stated: “Given that this appears to be a deliberate attack – the method and this being an iconic site – we are treating it as a terrorist incident.” At the time of publishing, no terrorist organization has claimed responsibility for the attack. Previous attacks on London were quickly claimed by Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS). Speculation over the motive is being fueled by questions that remain about the attacker. The suspect Police confirmed that they arrested a man in his late 20s. After armed police surrounded his vehicle, the suspect was removed from the scene and taken to a police station in south London. Officers proceeded to search his vehicle, confirming in a later statement that he had acted alone and that there were no weapons found in the car. Speaking to the press, Basu confirmed that the suspect was not known to security services. He is not currently cooperating with the investigation.
Share this article Share 2k shares His Facebook post came after it emerged that Masood had used the messaging service two minutes before he ploughed into at least 50 people with a 4X4 before stabbing PC Palmer to death. Mr Ali has previously lost a libel action against several newspapers that said he was 'a hardline Islamic extremist who supports the killing of British and American soldiers in Iraq by fellow Muslims as justified'. Mr Ali said that Khalid Masood should be considered a 'lone wolf' not a terrorist Mr Ali's lawyers at Carter-Ruck said his comments on the Westminster Bridge attack were 'referring to terrorism in the sense of organised acts co-ordinated by terrorist groups'. His legal teams also said Mr Ali considered it 'a barbarous and cruel act of murder for which there was no possible justification or mitigation'. In 2009 it emerged that Mr Ali, then an IT worker and president of the Civil Service Islamic Society, was suspended on full pay for six months following comments on his blog. In one post Mr Ali quoted an interview with an Islamic militant who said: 'If I saw an American or British man wearing a soldier's uniform inside Iraq I would kill him because that is my obligation. 'If I found the same soldier in Jordan I wouldn't touch him. In Iraq he is a fighter and an occupier, here he is not. I respect this as the main instruction in my religion for jihad.' Sir Gus O'Donnell, then Britain's most senior civil servant and patron of the Civil Service Islamic Society, ordered that Mr Ali be suspended while an investigation was carried out. Six months later the investigation finished and Mr Ali returned to his job. His group Mend works with politicians on all sides, the police and the CPS to enhance the engagement of British Muslims in UK life. Mend relies on donations for funding and online it quotes the Koran saying: 'And whatsoever you spend of anything (in Allah's Cause), He will replace it' Today The Times made a number of claims about the organisation. It said that Labour's Yasmin Qureshi, the shadow justice minister, accepted a £5,000 donation from Mend's founder Sufyan Ismail - but failed to name him as the donor. The newspaper also claims that The Charity Commission will speak to three charities over their funding of Mend speaking events. At one an Islamic speaker considered to have extreme views told the audience that killing comes easily to 'the children of Israel'. The Times also claims that Mend targeted the NSPCC and used social media to send them angry messages because the children's charity set up a hotline for families to report children if they feared they were being radicalised. Mend relies on donations for funding and online it quotes the Koran saying: 'And whatsoever you spend of anything (in Allah's Cause), He will replace it'.
He was born in Kent and had previously been investigated by MI5 over concerns relating to violent extremism. It was not known he was planning Wednesday's attack, but police said in a statement he has a range of previous convictions for assaults, including grievous bodily harm (GBH), possession of offensive weapons, and public order offences. He has not been convicted for any terrorism offences. Earlier on Thursday, UK Prime Minister Theresa May said Masood, who was the unnamed at the time, had a history of extremism, and was known to police and intelligence officials. In a speech in Parliament on Thursday, May acknowledged that the "whole country" would want to know the identity of the attacker but said he would not be named while investigations continue. In an update earlier Thursday morning, Metropolitan Police Acting Deputy Commissioner Mark Rowley urged the media to avoid naming the man while the investigation was at a "sensitive" stage. Channel 4 names the wrong man The attacker was briefly identified by Channel 4 News on Wednesday evening as a prominent British-born Islamist extremist, but the broadcaster later reversed its report after other journalists disputed it on Twitter. BBC Pakistan correspondent Secunder Kermani said a "reliable source" told him the man Channel 4 named was in jail. ABC journalist Rym Momtaz echoed this account, saying she had spoken with the person's solicitor on Wednesday. Channel 4 News later acknowledged the error made in its 7 p.m. bulletin. Editor Ben de Pear said award-winning reporter Simon Israel named the wrong man, but he did not apologise for the mistake. A repeat of Channel 4 News on Channel 4+1 at 8 p.m. was taken off air for about 40 minutes so the mistake did not air twice. A Press Association photographer took images of the suspect in the attack receiving medical assistance outside the Palace of Westminster. Sprawled metres away from the slain police officer, the man died from his gunshot wounds. Moments earlier, a police officer could be seen standing over the man with his firearm. He appeared to be standing on a knife, possibly the one used in the attack.
FNN: Deadly TERROR Attack in London – People Struck on Westminster Bridge – FULL COVERAGE – London Videos Brought to you by Desert Diamond: http://ddcaz.com LONDON (AP) — A knife-wielding man went on a deadly rampage in the heart of Britain’s seat of power Wednesday, plowing a car into pedestrians on London’s Westminster Bridge before stabbing a police officer to death inside the gates of Parliament. Four people were killed, including the assailant, and about 20 others were injured in what Prime Minister Theresa May condemned as a “sick and depraved terrorist attack.” Lawmakers, lords, staff and visitors were locked down after the man was shot by police within the perimeter of Parliament, just yards (meters) from entrances to the building itself and in the shadow of the iconic Big Ben clock tower. He died, as did two pedestrians on the bridge, and the police officer. A doctor who treated the wounded from the bridge said some had “catastrophic” injuries. Three police officers, several French teenagers on a school trip and two Romanian tourists were among the casualties. Police said they were treating the attack as terrorism. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Metropolitan Police counterterrorism chief Mark Rowley said police believed there was only one attacker, “but it would be foolish to be overconfident early on.” The threat level for international terrorism in the U.K. was already listed at severe, meaning an attack was “highly likely.” Speaking outside 10 Downing St. after chairing a meeting of government’s emergency committee, COBRA, May said that level would not change. She said attempts to defeat British values of democracy and freedom through terrorism would fail. “Tomorrow morning, Parliament will meet as normal,” she said. Londoners and visitors “will all move forward together, never giving in to terror and never allowing the voices of hate and evil to drive us apart.” U.S. President Donald Trump was among world leaders offering condolences, and in Paris, the lights of the Eiffel Tower were to be dimmed in solidarity with London. London has been a target for terrorism many times over past decades. Just this weekend, hundreds of armed police took part in an exercise simulating a “marauding” terrorist attack on the River Thames. Wednesday was the anniversary of suicide bombings in the Brussels airport and subway that killed 32 people last year, and the latest events echoed recent vehicle attacks in Berlin and Nice, France. In the House of Commons, legislators were holding a series of votes on pensions when deputy Speaker Lindsay Hoyle announced that the sitting was being suspended and told lawmakers not to leave. Parliament was locked down for several hours, and the adjoining Westminster subway station was shuttered. Conservative lawmaker Tobias Ellwood, whose brother was killed in the Bali terror attack in 2002, performed first aid on the wounded police officer, who later died. About 10 yards away lay the assailant. “I tried to stem the flow of blood and give mouth to mouth while waiting for the medics to arrive but I think he had lost too much blood,” Ellwood said. “He had multiple wounds, under the arm and in the back.” The attack began early Wednesday afternoon as a driver in a gray SUV slammed into pedestrians on the bridge linking Parliament to the south bank of the River Thames. Former Polish foreign minister Radek Sikorski was in a car crossing the bridge when he heard “something like a car hitting metal sheet” and then saw people lying on the pavement. “I saw one person who gave no signs of life. One man was bleeding from his head. I saw five people who were at least seriously injured,” Sikorski told Poland’s TVN24. Ambulances arrived within minutes to treat people who lay scattered along the length of the bridge. One bloodied woman lay surrounded by a scattering of postcards. Police said one injured woman was pulled from the river. The car crashed into railings on the north side of the bridge, less than 200 yards (meters) from the entrance to Parliament. As people scattered in panic, witnesses saw a man holding a knife run toward the building. “The whole crowd just surged around the corner by the gates just opposite Big Ben,” said witness Rick Longley. “A guy came past my right shoulder with a big knife and just started plunging it into the policeman. I have never seen anything like that. I just can’t believe what I just saw.” The attacker managed to get past a gate into Parliament’s fenced-in New Palace Yard, a cobbled courtyard in the shadow of the Big Ben clock tower. Daily Mail journalist Quentin Letts said a man in black attacked the police officer before being shot two or three times as he tried to storm into the building. “As this attacker was running towards the entrance two plain-clothed guys with guns shouted at him what sounded like a warning, he ignored it and they shot two or three times and he fell,” Letts told the BBC. & what did the British Parliament "officials" say???????? "TRUMP DOES NOT DESERVE A CEREMONIAL STATE VISIT" because TRUMP IS A RACIST BASED ON THE TRAVEL VETTING…… well there u go!!!!!!At least OUR PRESIDENT is protecting our country!!!!!!!!!!

SMILER RIDE SUED HERE COMES ALI Footage shows injured cyclists being treated by paramedics as bikes lay strewn across the road. Dramatic photos show a suspect being led away from the vehicle in handcuffs by armed officers. The incident comes just over a year after terrorist Khalid Masood drove into pedestrians and rammed the gates of Parliament in a terror attack. We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368. You can WhatsApp us on 07810 791 502. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.
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