A murder investigation has been launched after a man was killed in a street attack by a masked man in one of the most upmarket parts of London.
The victim, in his twenties, was stabbed to death in front of his partner near Harvey Nichols department store and the five-star Park Tower Club hotel. The hotel is home to the Nusr-Et Steakhouse run by celebrity chef Salt Bae.
Police have closed off the pavement outside the Park Tower Casino and Hotel in Seville Street after the man was attacked at around 9pm.
Flowers were laid at the scene in Knightsbridge by two women who said they were family on Thursday. A card placed with the flowers read: "Blue Stevens, May you rest in peace. Pray for the broken hearted."
Reports suggest the man was attacked by a watch thief. London has gained a reputation for “Rolex Rippers” on bikes or scooters targeting areas such as Knightsbridge and Mayfair by working with spotters on the lookout for people wearing expensive watches.
Workers at a nearby restaurant said a man in a balaclava carried out the attack.
At the scene, Mortada Ahmed, who is staying at the hotel and works for families in Bahrain who spend their holidays in London, told The National that the city feels increasingly unsafe. He said he does not walk on the street and takes cars everywhere.
“It's getting worse, and in Paris too,” he said.
A police spokesman said: “At 21.24 on Wednesday, July 9, officers, the London Ambulance Service and London’s Air Ambulance responded to reports of a stabbing on Seville Street, Knightsbridge.
“Officers attended the scene and found a 24-year-old man who had been stabbed. No arrests have been made at this early stage and a crime scene will be in place for some time while officers investigate.”
Supt Owen Renowden, who leads policing in Kensington and Chelsea, said: “Our thoughts are with the victim’s loved ones following the shocking events that took place last night.
“Detectives from the Specialist Crime Command, supported by local officers, are working at pace to establish the circumstances of what happened.
“We are aware of reports that this incident was a robbery. Although this is an active line of inquiry, we are keeping an open mind about all possible motives and the exact circumstances are still to be determined.
“We understand the impact this incident will have on the local community and you will see extra officers in the area to help answer any questions or concerns.”
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Top 5 concerns globally:
1. Unemployment
2. Spread of infectious diseases
3. Fiscal crises
4. Cyber attacks
5. Profound social instability
Top 5 concerns in the Mena region
1. Energy price shock
2. Fiscal crises
3. Spread of infectious diseases
4. Unmanageable inflation
5. Cyber attacks
Source: World Economic Foundation
Gully Boy
Director: Zoya Akhtar
Producer: Excel Entertainment & Tiger Baby
Cast: Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Kalki Koechlin, Siddhant Chaturvedi
Rating: 4/5 stars
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Sanju
Produced: Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Rajkumar Hirani
Director: Rajkumar Hirani
Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Vicky Kaushal, Paresh Rawal, Anushka Sharma, Manish’s Koirala, Dia Mirza, Sonam Kapoor, Jim Sarbh, Boman Irani
Rating: 3.5 stars
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
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Tips from the expert
Dobromir Radichkov, chief data officer at dubizzle and Bayut, offers a few tips for UAE residents looking to earn some cash from pre-loved items.
- Sellers should focus on providing high-quality used goods at attractive prices to buyers.
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Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
