A 25-year-old man has denied murdering Conservative MP Sir David Amess who was stabbed to death while meeting his constituents in October.
Ali Harbi Ali appeared at Old Bailey on Tuesday charged with stabbing the veteran politician, whose death shocked the UK.
He pleaded not guilty to the charge of preparing acts of terrorism between May 1, 2019, and September 28 this year at a plea and case management hearing at the London court.
Prosecutors allege that on the morning of October 15 he travelled by train from home in Kentish Town, north London, to attend Sir David’s constituency surgery at Belfairs Methodist Church in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex.
The MP for Southend West was stabbed inside the church and despite the efforts of paramedics he was pronounced dead at the scene at 1.10pm.
Mr Ali has been in custody since being arrested.
Mr Justice Sweeney, who presided over Tuesday’s hearing, set a trial date of March 21 next year.
Sir David, who was 69, is survived by his wife and five adult children.
Following the stabbing, his family called for unity and urged people to be "tolerant and try to understand" others.
Sir David, a devout Catholic, had been outspoken about his pro-life views and support of animal rights and was an avid campaigner for Southend-on-Sea to get city status.
In the wake of his death, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Queen Elizabeth II had accorded city status in honour of Sir David.
Pope Francis paid tribute to the Tory MP in a message read out at his Requiem Mass in November, held at Westminster Cathedral in London an attended by politicians from across the political spectrum.
The head of the Roman Catholic church praised the late politician for his years of “devoted public service” and called for mourners’ resolve to be strengthened to “combat evil with good” and “build a society of ever greater justice”.
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
UAE%20medallists%20at%20Asian%20Games%202023
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Honeymoonish
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
HER%20FIRST%20PALESTINIAN
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MATCH INFO
What: 2006 World Cup quarter-final
When: July 1
Where: Gelsenkirchen Stadium, Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Result:
England 0 Portugal 0
(Portugal win 3-1 on penalties)
The specs
Engine: 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 540hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 600Nm at 2,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Kerb weight: 1580kg
Price: From Dh750k
On sale: via special order
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
The Vile
Starring: Bdoor Mohammad, Jasem Alkharraz, Iman Tarik, Sarah Taibah
Director: Majid Al Ansari
Rating: 4/5
WandaVision
Starring: Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany
Directed by: Matt Shakman
Rating: Four stars
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
If you go
- The nearest international airport to the start of the Chuysky Trakt is in Novosibirsk. Emirates (www.emirates.com) offer codeshare flights with S7 Airlines (www.s7.ru) via Moscow for US$5,300 (Dh19,467) return including taxes. Cheaper flights are available on Flydubai and Air Astana or Aeroflot combination, flying via Astana in Kazakhstan or Moscow. Economy class tickets are available for US$650 (Dh2,400).
- The Double Tree by Hilton in Novosibirsk ( 7 383 2230100,) has double rooms from US$60 (Dh220). You can rent cabins at camp grounds or rooms in guesthouses in the towns for around US$25 (Dh90).
- The transport Minibuses run along the Chuysky Trakt but if you want to stop for sightseeing, hire a taxi from Gorno-Altaisk for about US$100 (Dh360) a day. Take a Russian phrasebook or download a translation app. Tour companies such as Altair-Tour ( 7 383 2125115 ) offer hiking and adventure packages.
Medicus AI
Started: 2016
Founder(s): Dr Baher Al Hakim, Dr Nadine Nehme and Makram Saleh
Based: Vienna, Austria; started in Dubai
Sector: Health Tech
Staff: 119
Funding: €7.7 million (Dh31m)
RACE CARD AND SELECTIONS
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,200m
5,30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,200m
6pm: The President’s Cup Listed (TB) Dh380,000 1,400m
6.30pm: The President’s Cup Group One (PA) Dh2,500,000 2,200m
7pm: Arabian Triple Crown Listed (PA) Dh230,000 1,600m
7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m
The National selections
5pm: RB Hot Spot
5.30pm: Dahess D’Arabie
6pm: Taamol
6.30pm: Rmmas
7pm: RB Seqondtonone
7.30pm: AF Mouthirah
