The family of a Saudi student stabbed to death in Cambridge have arrived in the UK to take his body home, his uncle has revealed.
Mohammed Yousef Alqassem, 20, was killed in what police have described as an “unprovoked attack” while he was on a 10-week placement at an English language school. A 21-year-old man, Chas Corrigan, has been charged with murder and possession of a knife in a public place, and is due to appear at Cambridge Crown Court on Wednesday.
Majed Abalkhail, Mr Alqassem's uncle, told The National family members have travelled to the city to take his body back to their homeland. “Mohammed’s father is currently in Cambridge, accompanied by some of his brothers, to follow up on the procedures for bringing Mohammed home, in co-ordination with the Saudi embassy,” he said.
Mr Abalkhail reiterated his view on crime in Britain, saying he had a sense of “deep frustration and growing anger” that the country was losing its reputation for being safe. “People from various countries, including many in the Arab world, are seriously rethinking any plans to visit or study in the UK,” he said.
“This is the hard truth being spoken in private conversations and social circles – and it’s time it was said out loud. Britain is rapidly losing its global reputation, not just as a centre of education, but even as a travel destination.
“Sadly, Britain is becoming a symbol of lawlessness, insecurity, and government failure, and this perception is spreading fast among people of all backgrounds.” He cited the example of the fatal stabbing of Mohammed Afzal, 19, in Manchester as an example of Britain being a “dangerous environment plagued by theft, stabbings and violent crime”.
A man has been charged in relation to the death of Mr Afzal, who was killed in a car park on Friday. Two men remain in custody while two other men, who were also arrested, have been released on bail.
Mr Abalkhail earlier paid tribute to his nephew as a “calm, kind-hearted young man” who dreamt of pursuing a career as a doctor.
Cambridgeshire Police said that its officers were called to Mill Park in Cambridge at 11.27pm on Friday following reports of violence. Mr Alqassem was pronounced dead at the scene at 12.01am on Saturday despite the efforts of paramedics.
EF International Language Campuses Cambridge, a private school offering English language courses to overseas students, said it was “deeply saddened” to confirm one of its adult students had died.
In recent months there have been reports about crime in Britain, in particular London, and criticism of the police’s ability to deal with it. Official statistics show a mixed picture, with some violent crime falling while theft and some knife crime has increased.
In the year to March 2025, the police recorded 6.6 million crimes – similar to the previous year’s figure of 6.7 million, but up from 4.2 million in the year ending in March 2015.
Attacks involving the use of knives have gone up from just under 14,000 a decade ago to around 22,000 this year. Knife-enabled murders fell by 23 per cent to 204 offences, compared with 265 the year before.
In 2024, London recorded nearly 17,000 knife crime offences − an 86.6 per cent increase over 10 years. In the same year there were over 35,000 robberies – an increase of 18.2 per cent over just three years.
In the year to March there were 535 murders – more or less the same as 10 years ago and down from 868 in 2005. The UK has also experienced a wave of "Rolex ripper" luxury watch thefts and mobile phone snatches, which the police appear to have struggled to deal with.
Analysis by the insurance company SquareTrade Europe of mobile theft and loss of data from 12 European markets found that the UK now represents 40 per of all European claims.
SERIES SCHEDULE
First Test, Galle International Stadium
July 26-30
Second Test, Sinhalese Sports Club Ground
August 3-7
Third Test, Pallekele International Stadium
August 12-16
First ODI, Rangiri Dambulla Stadium
August 20
Second ODI, Pallekele International Stadium
August 24
Third ODI, Pallekele International Stadium
August 27
Fourth ODI, R Premadasa Stadium
August 31
Fifth ODI, R Premadasa Stadium
September 3
T20, R Premadasa Stadium
September 6
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Mumbai Indians 213/6 (20 ov)
Royal Challengers Bangalore 167/8 (20 ov)
What is Reform?
Reform is a right-wing, populist party led by Nigel Farage, a former MEP who won a seat in the House of Commons last year at his eighth attempt and a prominent figure in the campaign for the UK to leave the European Union.
It was founded in 2018 and originally called the Brexit Party.
Many of its members previously belonged to UKIP or the mainstream Conservatives.
After Brexit took place, the party focused on the reformation of British democracy.
Former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson became its first MP after defecting in March 2024.
The party gained support from Elon Musk, and had hoped the tech billionaire would make a £100m donation. However, Mr Musk changed his mind and called for Mr Farage to step down as leader in a row involving the US tycoon's support for far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson who is in prison for contempt of court.
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Various Artists
Habibi Funk: An Eclectic Selection Of Music From The Arab World (Habibi Funk)
THREE POSSIBLE REPLACEMENTS
Khalfan Mubarak
The Al Jazira playmaker has for some time been tipped for stardom within UAE football, with Quique Sanchez Flores, his former manager at Al Ahli, once labelling him a “genius”. He was only 17. Now 23, Mubarak has developed into a crafty supplier of chances, evidenced by his seven assists in six league matches this season. Still to display his class at international level, though.
Rayan Yaslam
The Al Ain attacking midfielder has become a regular starter for his club in the past 15 months. Yaslam, 23, is a tidy and intelligent player, technically proficient with an eye for opening up defences. Developed while alongside Abdulrahman in the Al Ain first-team and has progressed well since manager Zoran Mamic’s arrival. However, made his UAE debut only last December.
Ismail Matar
The Al Wahda forward is revered by teammates and a key contributor to the squad. At 35, his best days are behind him, but Matar is incredibly experienced and an example to his colleagues. His ability to cope with tournament football is a concern, though, despite Matar beginning the season well. Not a like-for-like replacement, although the system could be adjusted to suit.
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
MATCH INFO
RB Leipzig 2 (Klostermann 24', Schick 68')
Hertha Berlin 2 (Grujic 9', Piatek 82' pen)
Man of the match Matheus Cunha (Hertha Berlin
In The Heights
Directed by: Jon M. Chu
Stars: Anthony Ramos, Lin-Manual Miranda
Rating: ****
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Best Foreign Language Film nominees
Capernaum (Lebanon)
Cold War (Poland)
Never Look Away (Germany)
Roma (Mexico)
Shoplifters (Japan)
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How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
