A mother who was knocked to the ground when Manchester Arena bomber Salman Abedi detonated his weapon told an inquiry he was "looking a bit odd" in the moments before the atrocity.
Sarah Nellist had been waiting to collect her teenage daughter and niece, six, from the Ariana Grande concert at the UK's Manchester Arena on May 22, 2017, when terrorist Mr Abedi detonated a bomb, killing 22 people and injuring hundreds.
Ms Nellist is one of the first survivors to give evidence.
The Manchester Arena Inquiry is examining the circumstances of the attack and whether any opportunities to prevent it were missed. It was established by UK Home Secretary Priti Patel in October.
On Monday, Ms Nellist told the hearing that security guards were not searching everyone's bags.
She said she was standing near the box office waiting to collect her daughter and niece when she spotted Mr Abedi.
"He just looked a bit odd," she said.
"There were mums and dads there, I thought maybe he was there for his sister and he didn't want to be there. It was a couple of minutes [before the bomb exploded]."
She said there was no warning about the bomb and she saw it out of the corner of her eye.
"He detonated the bomb, it was like black powder paint. It was just like a high pitch sound and the heat was just unbelievable," she said.
The explosion knocked her out and when she regained consciousness she began a frantic search for her daughter and niece and was reunited with them outside.
The inquiry previously heard that only one paramedic reached the City Room, the scene of the blast, within 40 minutes. That paramedic had travelled on his own initiative and followed a police vehicle to the scene.
Suicide bomber Mr 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, was convicted last year 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.
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Meydan race card
6.30pm: Maiden; Dh165,000; (Dirt) 1,200m
7.05pm: Handicap; Dh170,000; (D) 1,200m
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Name: The Protein Bakeshop
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The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
How has net migration to UK changed?
The figure was broadly flat immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 216,000 in the year to June 2018 and 224,000 in the year to June 2019.
It then dropped to an estimated 111,000 in the year to June 2020 when restrictions introduced during the pandemic limited travel and movement.
The total rose to 254,000 in the year to June 2021, followed by steep jumps to 634,000 in the year to June 2022 and 906,000 in the year to June 2023.
The latest available figure of 728,000 for the 12 months to June 2024 suggests levels are starting to decrease.
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
Dust and sand storms compared
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Dust storm
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FINAL RESULT
Sharjah Wanderers 20 Dubai Tigers 25 (After extra-time)
Wanderers
Tries: Gormley, Penalty
cons: Flaherty
Pens: Flaherty 2
Tigers
Tries: O’Donnell, Gibbons, Kelly
Cons: Caldwell 2
Pens: Caldwell, Cross
The years Ramadan fell in May
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WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
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4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
