Manchester Arena bombing: new law for venues will be ‘ground breaking’, inquiry told

A new law to improve safety and security at public venues and spaces in the UK will be ground breaking, one of the country's top counter-terrorism officials said on Monday.

Lucy D'Orsi, deputy assistant commissioner at National Counter Terrorism Police Headquarters, told the Manchester Arena inquiry that venues failing to implement adequate security measures should face sanctions.

At present it is up to venues to decide whether or not to adopt recommended security measures.

Proposed legislation was drawn up after terrorist attacks in 2017, including the Manchester Arena bombing in which 22 people were killed and hundreds more injured when Salman Abedi detonated a bomb at the end of an Ariana Grande concert.

Forensic officers investigate the scene near the Manchester Arena, Manchester, England, Tuesday May 23, 2017, the day after the suicide attack at an Ariana Grande concert that left 22 people dead as it ended on Monday night. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Giving evidence at the public inquiry into the Manchester Arena bombing on Monday, Ms D'Orsi said the arena would have been an attractive target to terrorists because of the crowding around it.

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She said industry operatives are now ready to work on new measures.

“It should be mandatory and there should be a legal framework,” she said.

“Sanctions should be put in place if they choose not to take it.

“Industry is ready to have consultations now. Industry operatives are very supporting of a protect duty. I want a protect duty now, as quickly as possible.

"A protect duty would be a seismic shift to the way everybody deals with security. It would be as ground-breaking as the General Data Protection Regulations have been for data handling."

Figen Murray, the mother of Martyn Hett, who was killed in the attack, has been campaigning for venues to have action plans against such attacks.

But consultation about the new law has been postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Manchester Arena public inquiry is examining the circumstances of the attack and if any opportunities to prevent it were missed.

It was established by Home Secretary Priti Patel in October last year and is expected to run until spring 2021.

Suicide bomber Abedi, 22, died after detonating a rucksack bomb in a foyer area of the arena at the end of the concert.

His younger brother Hashem Abedi in March was convicted on 22 counts of murder, one count of attempted murder and one count of conspiracy to cause an explosion.

He was jailed for a minimum of 55 years in August.

Asia Cup Qualifier

Venue: Kuala Lumpur

Result: Winners play at Asia Cup in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in September

Fixtures:

Wed Aug 29: Malaysia v Hong Kong, Nepal v Oman, UAE v Singapore

Thu Aug 30: UAE v Nepal, Hong Kong v Singapore, Malaysia v Oman

Sat Sep 1: UAE v Hong Kong, Oman v Singapore, Malaysia v Nepal

Sun Sep 2: Hong Kong v Oman, Malaysia v UAE, Nepal v Singapore

Tue Sep 4: Malaysia v Singapore, UAE v Oman, Nepal v Hong Kong

Thu Sep 6: Final

Asia Cup

Venue: Dubai and Abu Dhabi

Schedule: Sep 15-28

Teams: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, plus the winner of the Qualifier

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How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?

Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269

*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year

Tearful appearance

Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.

Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.

She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.

A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.

On Women's Day

Dr Nawal Al-Hosany: Why more women should be on the frontlines of climate action

Shelina Janmohamed: Why shouldn't a spouse be compensated fairly for housework?

Samar Elmnhrawy: How companies in the Middle East can catch up on gender equality

Justin Thomas: Challenge the notion that 'men are from Mars, women are from Venus'

How to increase your savings

Have a plan for your savings.
Decide on your emergency fund target and once that's achieved, assign your savings to another financial goal such as saving for a house or investing for retirement.
Decide on a financial goal that is important to you and put your savings to work for you.
It's important to have a purpose for your savings as it helps to keep you motivated to continue while also reducing the temptation to spend your savings.

- Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching