https://www.scmp.com/rss/324472/feed At least 22 people were killed in a suspected terror attack on a concert by pop star Ariana Grande, in Manchester, England, on May 23, 2017. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com A public inquiry into a mass attack at a 2017 Ariana Grande concert in northwest England concluded on Thursday that “serious shortcomings” by venue operators, security staff and police helped a suicide bomber who killed 22 people carry out his “evil intentions”. Retired judge John Saunders, who is leading the ongoing inquiry, said Salman Abedi should have been identified as a threat by those in charge of security at Manchester Arena “and a disruptive intervention undertaken”. “Had that occurred,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3137744/inquiry-concludes-security-failures-2017-manchester-arena-attack?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3137744/inquiry-concludes-security-failures-2017-manchester-arena-attack?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Jun 2021 16:37:17 +0000 A man who helped his elder brother carry out a suicide bomb attack at the end of an Ariana Grande concert in the English city of Manchester three years ago which killed 22 people was jailed for at least 55 years on Thursday. Hashem Abedi, 23, was found guilty in March of murder for encouraging and helping his brother Salman to blow himself up at the Manchester Arena as parents arrived to collect their children at the end of a May 2017 show by the US pop singer. Among the dead were seven... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3098204/brother-suicide-bomber-who-killed-22-people-manchester-ariana?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3098204/brother-suicide-bomber-who-killed-22-people-manchester-ariana?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Aug 2020 13:09:09 +0000 It’s hard to believe Ariana Grande has been in the spotlight for over a decade, practically growing up in front of our very eyes. As the pop princess celebrates her 27th birthday on June 26, we highlight some of the many celebrity friends that will be wishing her well. Because when it comes to Ari, all of us, including A-listers, just cannot get enough of her. Which celebrity made the weirdest social media posts from self-isolation? Miley Cyrus View this post on... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3090695/ariana-grandes-best-friends-justin-bieber-miley-cyrus?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3090695/ariana-grandes-best-friends-justin-bieber-miley-cyrus?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Jun 2020 08:00:18 +0000 The younger brother of the suicide bomber who killed 22 people at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England, was convicted on Tuesday of murder for helping to plan the attack. A jury at London’s Central Criminal Court found Hashem Abedi, 22, guilty of 22 counts of murder, one count of attempted murder for those injured and one count of conspiring to cause explosions. Relatives of some victims sobbed as the jury foreman announced the unanimous guilty verdicts. Abedi’s elder brother Salman... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3075651/manchester-bombers-brother-convicted-22-counts-murder?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3075651/manchester-bombers-brother-convicted-22-counts-murder?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2020 18:27:00 +0000 The brother of the Manchester Arena bomber, Salman Abedi, has been extradited from Libya to Britain to face multiple murder charges over his alleged role in the attack. Hashem Abedi, 20, landed at an unspecified London airport on Wednesday, escorted by British police officers. He has been charged with the murder of 22 people, the attempted murder of others who were injured, and conspiracy to cause an explosion. He remains in police custody in London and will appear at Westminster magistrates... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3019045/hashem-abedi-brother-bomber-ariana-grande-concert-manchester?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3019045/hashem-abedi-brother-bomber-ariana-grande-concert-manchester?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Jul 2019 13:57:38 +0000 If Industry 4.0 is about how every device and industry is now connected, “Terrorism 4.0” is about how we are all now connected in a battlefield that looks to span the entire globe. This does not mean we are all soldiers in that war; it merely means we are all in the line of fire. Where terrorism was once predominantly about relatively localised violence in pursuit of relatively localised goals, it now does not seem to matter where the victims are located, as long as they fit a broad profile. If... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3009354/line-fire-how-terrorism-links-world-internet-age?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3009354/line-fire-how-terrorism-links-world-internet-age?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 May 2019 00:30:11 +0000 MPs investigating Britain’s 2017 terror attacks said Thursday that the MI5 security service missed key opportunities to stop the Manchester Arena bomber. Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee, a cross-party panel of lawmakers that scrutinises the work of government in these fields, slammed communications service providers (CSPs) for giving terrorists a “safe haven”. The ISC also said their recommendations on previous failings had gone ignored. Britain suffered five terrorist attacks... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/2174569/british-mps-slam-mi5-missing-opportunities-stop-manchester-arena?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/2174569/british-mps-slam-mi5-missing-opportunities-stop-manchester-arena?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Nov 2018 13:01:10 +0000 Britain’s Royal Navy rescued the Manchester Arena suicide bomber and his younger brother from the war in Libya three years before he killed 22 people at the Ariana Grande pop concert. British newspaper the Daily Mail reported on Tuesday that the HMS Enterprise picked up Salman Abedi and more than 100 other British citizens from the Libyan coast and took them to Malta, where they flew back to the UK. Abedi, a 22-year-old Briton of Libyan descent, blew himself up as fans were leaving Grande’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/2157692/royal-navy-rescued-accused-ariana-grande-gig-suicide-bomber-three?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/2157692/royal-navy-rescued-accused-ariana-grande-gig-suicide-bomber-three?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Jul 2018 13:55:18 +0000 A homeless man who was hailed as a hero for apparently rushing to help victims of an Islamic State bombing at an Ariana Grande concert last year has admitted to stealing from a woman while her granddaughter was dying. CCTV footage played in court showed Chris Parker wandering between victims bleeding on the floor after 22 people were killed in the bombing outside a pop concert in the northern English city of Manchester. Parker, 33, was seen in the footage taking a purse from the handbag of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/2126730/homeless-man-who-was-hailed-hero-after-manchester-concert-attack?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/2126730/homeless-man-who-was-hailed-hero-after-manchester-concert-attack?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Jan 2018 14:19:55 +0000 A British teenager has been found guilty of planning an Islamic State-inspired terrorist attack on a pop concert a month after the Manchester Arena bombing. The 17-year-old, who is of white British heritage, researched security surrounding the Justin Bieber concert in Cardiff and wrote a “martyrdom letter”. Fearing he was about to strike, police raided the boy’s home in the south Wales valleys on the day of the show and found a claw hammer and a gutting knife in his school rucksack. The suicide... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/2121921/non-muslim-boy-17-planned-terror-attack-justin-bieber-concert-uk?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/2121921/non-muslim-boy-17-planned-terror-attack-justin-bieber-concert-uk?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Nov 2017 06:35:08 +0000 Counsellors and psychiatrists should be deployed at Hong Kong music festivals to help identify drug dealers and give medical advice to revellers, according to two veteran overseas event safety managers. Tim Roberts, from the UK, and Jon Corbishley, from Australia, shared their experience in Hong Kong after one person died and three others collapsed at the electronic music festival Road to Ultra in West Kowloon on September 16. The two experts were in town for a seminar last week on event safety,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2112624/mental-health-workers-could-reduce-drug-risk-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2112624/mental-health-workers-could-reduce-drug-risk-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Sep 2017 02:03:19 +0000 Security was tight at pop singer Ariana Grande’s first concert in Hong Kong, which opened at AsiaWorld-Expo tonight. Concertgoers were required to leave their belongings either in lockers or with the organisers for HK$30 before heading through metal detectors and entering the arena. The measures were introduced in light of the terrorist attack at Grande’s Manchester concert back in June, which killed 22 fans. Fans flock to Ariana Grande’s Hong Kong concert unfazed by antiterror squad To the... https://www.scmp.com/culture/music/article/2112298/ariana-grande-ends-world-tour-rushed-impressive-performance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/music/article/2112298/ariana-grande-ends-world-tour-rushed-impressive-performance?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Sep 2017 18:24:03 +0000 Thousands of fans of US singer Ariana Grande fans streamed into the venue of her Hong Kong concert on Thursday night, undeterred by the large police presence outside that including an antiterrorism team. The heightened security at the AsiaWorld-Expo came four months after a suicide bomber attacked the 24-year-old pop star’s concert in Manchester, UK, leaving 23 dead and 250 injured. Thursday night’s measures were considered unprecedented in Hong Kong for a live music event. Around 5pm, some... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2112204/hong-kong-police-deploy-antiterrorism-team-patrol-ariana?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2112204/hong-kong-police-deploy-antiterrorism-team-patrol-ariana?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Sep 2017 06:15:45 +0000 Until 15 years ago, the Indonesian island holiday paradise of Bali seemed an unlikely place for a terrorist attack. Then it happened, at the cost of 202 lives in a nightclub bombing. That should not be forgotten when wondering why Hong Kong’s elite counterterrorism officers regard 600 local locations as sensitive when the city’s official overall terrorism threat level remains “moderate”. Elite police keep watch for lone-wolf terrorists at Hong Kong airport That threat level basically means there... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2111093/hong-kong-police-respond-global-terror-threat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2111093/hong-kong-police-respond-global-terror-threat?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Sep 2017 19:27:55 +0000 Strict security measures are being put in place for this month’s Hong Kong performance by US pop star Ariana Grande, whose May concert in Manchester was attacked by a terrorist, leaving 23 people dead. ‘I am so sorry’: Ariana Grande leads online reaction to terror attack The security measures, announced today by concert promoter Live Nation, state concert goers cannot bring backpacks, bags or purses of any size, bottles or cans, cameras, video or audio recording devices, or selfie sticks or long... https://www.scmp.com/culture/music/article/2109335/ariana-grandes-upcoming-hong-kong-concert-unprecedented-security?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/music/article/2109335/ariana-grandes-upcoming-hong-kong-concert-unprecedented-security?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Sep 2017 08:22:25 +0000 Terrorists setting off explosives at a concert and attacking audience members with weapons were among the various scenarios faced by Hong Kong police as more than 200 officers mounted an anti-terrorism drill at Hong Kong Stadium on Friday afternoon, a month ahead of US singer Ariana Grande’s much-anticipated performance. In May, a suicide bomber targeted the 24-year-old pop star’s UK concert in Manchester, leaving 23 dead and 250 injured. On Wednesday, a concert by American rock band Allah-Las... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2108296/hong-kong-police-mount-large-scale-anti-terror-drill-ahead?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2108296/hong-kong-police-mount-large-scale-anti-terror-drill-ahead?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Aug 2017 08:15:26 +0000 As graphic images of yet another terror attack – this time in Barcelona – flash across the television screen, I’m compelled to ask: could the rise in terrorist organisations and plots be linked to the 24-hour news cycle? Each time a van mows down pedestrians, or white supremacists march down the street, cable news channels inundate the public with all the lurid details, replaying graphic video imagery that often includes the very slogans these organisations are bent on voicing. When cable news... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2107982/barcelona-charlottesville-are-islamic-state-and-white?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2107982/barcelona-charlottesville-are-islamic-state-and-white?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Aug 2017 03:30:05 +0000 Fans turned out Wednesday evening for the resumption of US singer Ariana Grande world tour in Paris, more than two weeks after it was interrupted by the Manchester suicide bomb attack. Security was extra tight in the French capital, a day after police shot and injured a man who attacked an officer outside the world-famous Notre Dame cathedral. Even before Tuesday’s Notre Dame attack, police had announced a significant deployment planned for the US singer’s concert, noting its “powerful symbolic... https://www.scmp.com/culture/music/article/2097374/ariana-grande-world-tour-resumes-paris-shadow-manchester-attack?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/music/article/2097374/ariana-grande-world-tour-resumes-paris-shadow-manchester-attack?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Jun 2017 19:28:54 +0000 London twice and Manchester once in the space of less than 2½ months – is this becoming a dangerous pattern where terrorists are outwitting British intelligence services? What are we, in the UK, getting wrong at our end? And, for the terrorists, what are they really achieving by targeting those very multicultural cities that comprise the heart of their sympathiser base in the Western world? Just last week, a young man stood blindfolded on a street with a placard that said “Do you trust me... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2096915/after-london-and-manchester-terror-attacks-uk-needs-act-now?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2096915/after-london-and-manchester-terror-attacks-uk-needs-act-now?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Jun 2017 07:07:00 +0000 US pop singer Ariana Grande returned to Manchester to headline a star-studded benefit concert on Sunday that was both joyful and mournful, in aid of victims of the bombing that rocked the city last month, as security fears ran high after attackers in London killed seven people. Around 50,000 fans crammed into Old Trafford cricket ground under the watchful eye of hundreds of police, including a significant number of armed officers, a sight that would be unusual under normal circumstances. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/2096872/tight-security-and-tears-ariana-grande-benefit-concert-manchester?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/2096872/tight-security-and-tears-ariana-grande-benefit-concert-manchester?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Jun 2017 00:09:56 +0000 An all-star concert to raise funds for victims of the May 22 suicide bombing in Manchester will go ahead on Sunday as planned, but security will be raised after a fatal van and knife attack in London on Saturday, police said. The “One Love Manchester” concert will feature Ariana Grande, the US singer whose show was targeted by a bomber who killed 22 people and injured 116 nearly two weeks ago. Other artists due to perform include Coldplay, Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry, Pharrell... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/2096839/concert-manchester-bombing-victims-go-ahead-despite-london-terror?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/2096839/concert-manchester-bombing-victims-go-ahead-despite-london-terror?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Jun 2017 10:16:08 +0000 German authorities shut down and cleared thousands of fans from a popular rock music festival after receiving a “concrete” terrorist threat. Rhineland-Palatinate government spokesman Joachim Winkler told the dpa news agency that there were tips of a possible terrorist attack and that the Rock am Ring festival was shut down on its opening night Friday as a precaution. The German band Rammstein was the Friday night headliner, but hadn’t yet started playing. Organiser Marek Lieberberg told... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/2096742/terror-warning-shuts-german-rock-am-ring-music-festival-after?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/2096742/terror-warning-shuts-german-rock-am-ring-music-festival-after?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Jun 2017 03:02:46 +0000 US pop star Ariana Grande announced Tuesday she would return to Manchester to headline a star-studded benefit concert for the victims of the deadly attack on her show last week. Justin Bieber, Coldplay, Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus, Pharrell Williams, Usher and Take That will join her for Sunday’s concert in memory of the 22 people who died, seven of them children. “Our response to this violence must be to come closer together, to help each other, to love more, to sing louder and to live more kindly... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/2096274/ariana-grande-leads-pop-stars-manchester-concert-sunday-victims?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/2096274/ariana-grande-leads-pop-stars-manchester-concert-sunday-victims?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 May 2017 17:30:07 +0000 Police investigating the Manchester suicide bombing have issued a picture of the attacker holding a blue suitcase and asked anyone who might have seen him with it before the attack to call a confidential hotline. Counter-terrorism squads are trying to re-create Salman Abedi’s movements in the days before he detonated a bomb at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, killing 22 people. Police believe Abedi had the wheeled suitcase with him at two locations in Manchester. The suitcase was not used... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/2096206/manchester-police-seek-clues-about-concert-bombers-blue-suitcase?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/2096206/manchester-police-seek-clues-about-concert-bombers-blue-suitcase?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 May 2017 06:33:47 +0000 The Manchester terror attack brought condemnation from world leaders, candlelight vigils, social media tributes and a string of arrests, along with debate on Islamophobia and whether the attacker was known to authorities. The modern-day Islamic terrorism experienced by the West is carried out by two distinct types of attacker. The first is a resourceful group or individual, and the second is a lone wolf. An organised attack such as the one in Manchester involved research about the event and... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2096088/manchester-reminder-west-failing-prevent-terror-attacks-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2096088/manchester-reminder-west-failing-prevent-terror-attacks-and?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 May 2017 09:05:09 +0000 Until a week ago, two things were widely agreed about Britain’s upcoming general election: it was producing the dullest campaign in recent memory and the result was a foregone conclusion. It would be a coronation march for incumbent Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May. Then a bomb blast killed 22 people at a concert in Manchester, bringing campaigning to a shocked halt. When the debates, ads and stump speeches resumed three days later, they were delivered to a jittery nation on a transformed... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/2096081/how-manchester-attack-transformed-britains-election-campaign?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/2096081/how-manchester-attack-transformed-britains-election-campaign?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 May 2017 05:43:05 +0000 British domestic security service MI5 has launched two urgent inquiries into how it missed the danger posed by Manchester bomber Salman Abedi amid claims his interest in being a potential terrorist killer was repeatedly reported to the authorities. One review began last week to quickly identify any glaring errors, while the other will be more in-depth, sources said. On Sunday, the home secretary, Amber Rudd, refused to comment on whether opportunities were missed to spot the murderous intent of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/2096076/britains-mi5-investigates-how-it-missed-warnings-about-manchester?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/2096076/britains-mi5-investigates-how-it-missed-warnings-about-manchester?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 May 2017 05:00:48 +0000 Police on Saturday released security camera images of Manchester suicide bomber Salman Abedi on the night he massacred 22 people at a pop concert. Investigators also gave details of the 22-year-old’s last hours as they appealed to the public for any information about his movements in the days running up to Monday night’s attack. The photographs taken from CCTV footage show a bespectacled Abedi, who has a small moustache, in trainers, jeans, black sleeves, a black cap and a black puffer... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/2095967/uk-police-reveal-photos-manchester-bomber-night-attack?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/2095967/uk-police-reveal-photos-manchester-bomber-night-attack?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 May 2017 22:15:25 +0000 British Prime Minister Theresa May has launched an extraordinary attack on opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn, accusing him of saying Britain is to blame for the Manchester Arena bombing. The prime minister used a press conference at the end of her first G7 summit to resume her election campaign by directly ­targeting the Labour leader after he had said the war on terror was not working. “I have been here with the G7, working with other international leaders to fight terrorism,” May told reporters.... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/2095954/no-excuse-british-prime-minister-theresa-may-tears-labour-leader?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/2095954/no-excuse-british-prime-minister-theresa-may-tears-labour-leader?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 May 2017 14:16:26 +0000 Four days after a suicide bombing left 22 dead and scores wounded at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England, the 23-year-old pop singer has announced that she will return to the grief-stricken city for another concert to benefit the victims and their families. “Our response to this violence must be to come closer together, to help each other, to love more, to sing louder and to live more kindly and generously than we did before,” Grande said Friday in a statement shared on... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/2095911/ariana-grande-do-benefit-concert-manchester-victims-and-families?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/2095911/ariana-grande-do-benefit-concert-manchester-victims-and-families?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 May 2017 20:39:26 +0000 The suicide bomber behind the Manchester concert attack was driven by what he saw as unjust treatment of Arabs in Britain, a relative said Thursday, confirming he made a final phone call in which he pleaded: “Forgive me.” Salman Abedi was particularly upset by the killing last year of a Muslim friend whose death he believed went unnoticed by “infidels” in the UK, said the relative, speaking on condition of anonymity over concerns for her own security. “Why was there no outrage for the killing of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/2095764/manchester-bomber-salman-abedi-pleaded-forgive-me-final-call?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/2095764/manchester-bomber-salman-abedi-pleaded-forgive-me-final-call?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 May 2017 01:30:22 +0000 President Donald Trump said the US will investigate intelligence leaks about the Manchester bombing as Prime Minister Theresa May complained to him about the lapses. May quietly approached Trump during a family photo at the NATO summit to say the UK was unhappy about leaks in US media revealing details about the attack that killed 22 people at a pop concert. British police, who said the leaks amount to a breach of trust, have suspended sharing information about the incident with the US,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/2095719/may-raise-manchester-attack-leaks-trump-british-police-stop?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/2095719/may-raise-manchester-attack-leaks-trump-british-police-stop?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 May 2017 10:30:45 +0000 Ariana Grande has called off two London concerts and five in Europe after a suicide bomber killed 22 people at her performance in Manchester, the US pop singer’s representatives says. Monday’s bombing, which also wounded 64, also resulted in the cancellation of next week’s London premiere of the superhero film Wonder Woman and increased security for a music festival this weekend featuring pop star Katy Perry in the northern English city of Hull. ‘I am so sorry’: Ariana Grande leads online... https://www.scmp.com/culture/music/article/2095676/after-manchester-attack-ariana-grande-cancels-dangerous-woman-tour?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/music/article/2095676/after-manchester-attack-ariana-grande-cancels-dangerous-woman-tour?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 May 2017 08:31:15 +0000 Salman Abedi’s acquaintances were stunned to learn that he was the man believed to have carried out a suicide bombing at a concert hall this week, killing 22 people. But there were signs that he was troubled - and he was not the only one in his family who caused concern, friends and officials said Wednesday. British and other European security officials said they did not believe that Abedi, 22, would have been able to build the explosive device used in Manchester by himself, and they worry that... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/2095665/father-and-brothers-are-arrested-was-radicalisation-family-affair?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/2095665/father-and-brothers-are-arrested-was-radicalisation-family-affair?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 May 2017 07:11:46 +0000 The bomb used in the Manchester attack Monday combined an explosive charge with shrapnel of nuts and screws meticulously arranged for maximum damage, according to photographs published by the New York Times. The Times published eight exclusive leaked pictures, which were unsourced but appeared to be police photographs taken at the Manchester Arena, where 22 people were killed while emerging from an Ariana Grande concert. Initial analysis of the various elements photographed at the scene suggests... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/2095629/manchester-bomb-designed-maximum-carnage-leaked-photos-components?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/2095629/manchester-bomb-designed-maximum-carnage-leaked-photos-components?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 May 2017 04:27:11 +0000 Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho said his side would give up their Europa League trophy if it would bring back the 22 victims of Monday’s terror attack in Manchester. United beat Ajax 2-0 in Stockholm on Wednesday to win the Europa League for the first time, but the game was overshadowed by the deadly suicide attack on concert-goers at Manchester Arena, which also left dozens injured. “If we could, we would obviously change the people’s lives for this cup, immediately,” Mourinho told... https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2095594/wed-swap-cup-victims-lives-says-mourinho-after-manchester-united-beat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2095594/wed-swap-cup-victims-lives-says-mourinho-after-manchester-united-beat?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 May 2017 01:26:11 +0000 Police in Tripoli have arrested a brother of the man who carried out the suicide bomb attack in Manchester, on suspicion he was plotting a new attack. British-born Salman Abedi, 22, blew himself up on Monday night at the Manchester Arena indoor venue at the end of a concert by US pop singer Ariana Grande attended by thousands of children and teenagers. His younger brother Hashem Abedi was arrested on suspicion of links with Islamic State and was suspected of planning to carry out an attack in... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/2095583/police-make-arrests-manchester-and-libya-hunt-network-suicide?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/2095583/police-make-arrests-manchester-and-libya-hunt-network-suicide?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 May 2017 20:00:15 +0000 UK Home Secretary Amber Rudd criticised US officials for leaking details about Monday’s terrorist attack in Manchester, warning Britain’s ally that it should not happen again. The suicide bombing after a pop concert in Manchester killed 22 people including children. Several details, including the identity of the attacker, appeared on US media outlets before British security forces were ready to release the information. “The British police have been very clear that they want to control the flow... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/2095578/britain-slams-us-leaks-manchester-terror-attack?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/2095578/britain-slams-us-leaks-manchester-terror-attack?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 May 2017 18:48:02 +0000 The Hong Kong government issued an amber travel alert for the UK on Wednesday night in the wake of the Manchester concert bombing. The alert was made hours after Britain raised its terrorism threat level to “critical” – the highest level – following the suicide bombing at an Ariana Grande concert at the Manchester Arena, which killed 22 people and injured dozens. A government spokesman said Hongkongers who planned to visit the country or were already there should monitor the situation, exercise... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/2095552/hong-kong-issues-amber-travel-alert-uk-wake?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/2095552/hong-kong-issues-amber-travel-alert-uk-wake?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 May 2017 11:58:23 +0000 At first, this one looked like all the others: randomly deadly, deliberately brutal. In the last two years, mass killings claimed or inspired by the Islamic State have become a chilling reality in Western Europe: unexpected and impromptu truck attacks, bombings and shootings, in Paris, Brussels, Nice, Berlin and London. Manchester - where 22 were killed in an assault Monday outside a concert - seemed like just the latest chapter in a deadly saga that has claimed more than 300 lives. But then... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/2095545/targeting-women-and-girls-ariana-grande-concert-manchester-may?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/2095545/targeting-women-and-girls-ariana-grande-concert-manchester-may?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 May 2017 10:32:59 +0000 Britain’s top diplomat in Hong Kong condemned the terrorist attack on Manchester that left 22 people dead as a “barbaric act” as he signed a book of condolences on Wednesday paying tribute to the victims. Consul-general Andrew Heyn said the people of Manchester had shown great resilience after the suicide bombing. “I studied in Manchester. I did my degree there,” Heyn said. “I know the people. I know the city. My heart and my prayers go out to the families of those who were killed.” Salman... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2095543/britains-top-diplomat-hong-kong-pays-tribute-victims?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2095543/britains-top-diplomat-hong-kong-pays-tribute-victims?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 May 2017 10:22:35 +0000 Terror attacks are devastating wherever they occur, but it’s difficult not to feel a particular sadness when they happen in your home country. I’ve lived away from the UK, in Hong Kong, for almost 18 months, but despite the distance from home, the news of Monday evening’s horrific attack at the Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, upset me deeply. The bombing left at least 22 people dead and scores more injured, in what appears to have been the latest case of Islamic-State-inspired terrorism. I... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2095482/why-shaken-manchester-will-keep-calm-and-carry-after-terror?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2095482/why-shaken-manchester-will-keep-calm-and-carry-after-terror?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 May 2017 05:22:11 +0000 The Europa League final should have been a “football feast” but has been inevitably overshadowed by the bomb attack in Manchester which killed 22 people, Ajax coach Peter Bosz said. Speaking at the Friends Arena in Stockholm, Bosz opened by offering his condolences and those of the Dutch club to the victims and their families of Monday’s attack. “What happened yesterday in Manchester was something that we all feel. On behalf of the players, staff and everyone at Ajax, we would like to express... https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2095457/glow-gone-says-ajax-boss-ahead-europa-league-final-against-manchester?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2095457/glow-gone-says-ajax-boss-ahead-europa-league-final-against-manchester?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 May 2017 02:38:55 +0000 Salman Abedi, the suicide bomber who killed 22 people in an attack on a pop concert in Manchester, was a business student who dropped out of university. Born to a devoutly Islamic Libyan family in Britain’s third biggest city, newspapers said he was known to the security services and the Financial Times said he had turned to radical Islam in recent years. Abedi, 22, worshipped at a suburban mosque, where his father was a well-known face who sometimes performed the call to prayer. He was named by... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/2095450/salman-abedi-student-dropout-who-brought-terror-manchester?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/2095450/salman-abedi-student-dropout-who-brought-terror-manchester?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 May 2017 01:54:45 +0000 Georgina “Gina” Callander had been counting down the days until Ariana Grande’s Manchester show for weeks on social media. When the date finally arrived in June, 2015, Callander - a bespectacled 16-year-old with a bright smile from Tarleton in Lancashire, England - not only got to see Grande perform, she managed to meet the pop singer in person. It was a life-changing experience for Callander, one she recounted so enthusiastically on Instagram that the teenager threw punctuation aside. “AFTER 6... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/2095443/gina-callander-loved-ariana-grande-and-she-perished-her-concert?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/2095443/gina-callander-loved-ariana-grande-and-she-perished-her-concert?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 May 2017 23:41:11 +0000 Britain prepared to deploy soldiers at key sites on Wednesday, having raised its terror threat level to maximum after a suicide bomber massacred 22 people at a pop concert in Manchester. Addressing the nation from her Downing Street office, Prime Minister Theresa May warned late Tuesday that a new attack “may be imminent” and there was a possibility of “a wider group of individuals linked to this attack”. May said the threat level was being raised from severe to critical on the recommendation of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/2095441/uk-raises-terror-threat-level-critical-first-time-decade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/2095441/uk-raises-terror-threat-level-critical-first-time-decade?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 May 2017 21:48:20 +0000 Manchester Police Chief Ian Hopkins identified the bomber as 22-year-old Salman Abedi, who authorities said died in the attack. Police raided two sites in the northern English city, setting off a controlled explosion in one, and arresting a 23-year-old man in a third location. Abedi was identified as a British citizen of Libyan descent by a European security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to comment on ongoing investigations. There was no information... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/2095440/uk-police-names-22-year-old-salman-abedi-suicide-bomber-suspect?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/2095440/uk-police-names-22-year-old-salman-abedi-suicide-bomber-suspect?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 May 2017 21:37:44 +0000 Barbarity knows no bounds where terrorism is concerned. The suicide bomber who detonated an explosive device filled with nuts and bolts as youngsters and parents were leaving a pop concert in Manchester had only death in mind. With an ear-splitting roar and flash of flame, he achieved his aim, taking the lives of at least 22 and injuring dozens more of the most vulnerable in society. But time and again, the world has experienced such inhumanity and with each new attack, there has to be fresh... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2095430/murderous-ways-terrorists-must-never-be-allowed-win?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2095430/murderous-ways-terrorists-must-never-be-allowed-win?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 May 2017 17:43:10 +0000 Saffie Roussos was the youngest of the 22 victims in the Manchester bombing attack. She was only 8 years old. In a statement, the head teacher of the Tarleton Community Primary School that she attended in the village of Tarleton, Lancashire, described her as “simply a beautiful little girl in every aspect of the word. She was loved by everyone and her warmth and kindness will be remembered fondly. Saffie was quiet and unassuming with a creative flair.” The head teacher, Chris Upton, said her... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/2095428/saffie-roussos-8-year-old-girl-who-died-manchester-bombing-madness?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/2095428/saffie-roussos-8-year-old-girl-who-died-manchester-bombing-madness?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 May 2017 17:15:30 +0000 Pop star Ariana Grande, whose concert was struck by one of Britain’s deadliest attacks in years, is a favourite of pre-teens rarely known for causing a stir. The 23-year-old former child star called her last album Dangerous Woman but her controversies have been markedly low-key, with the “danger” in her lyrics more about love than anything more sinister. Grande wrote on Twitter that she felt “broken” after Monday’s deadly attack, which sent screaming fans fleeing the venue after a blast in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/2095414/ariana-grande-anodyne-teen-favourite-hit-manchester-concert?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/2095414/ariana-grande-anodyne-teen-favourite-hit-manchester-concert?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 May 2017 13:30:00 +0000