Three men have been arrested following the shooting of a senior police officer on Wednesday night in Northern Ireland.
The off-duty officer, named on Thursday as DCI John Caldwell, was shot by masked men in front of his young son several times while loading his car boot outside a sports centre in Omagh, County Tyrone.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) earlier said dissident republican group the New IRA was their primary focus.
The high-profile officer, who has led a number of major investigations, had just finished a coaching session with members of an under-15 football team, who also witnessed the attack and ran for cover in "sheer terror", said police.
DCI Caldwell tried to run from the gunmen but they continued firing, even after he had hit the ground.
Security sources told Reuters that two men opened fire shortly before 8pm. They are believed to have fled across the border to the Republic of Ireland.
PSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne said three men arrested, aged 38, 45 and 47, were detained in Omagh and Coalisland.
"They are currently being questioned by detectives at Musgrave serious crime suite."
He said DCI Caldwell underwent surgery overnight and remained in a critical condition on Thursday.
Assistant Chief Constable Mark McEwan told BBC Radio Ulster: “Last night at approximately 8 o’clock at the youth sports centre in Killyclogher Road, Omagh, whilst John was putting footballs into the boot of his car, and accompanied by his young son, two gunmen approached and we believe both have fired multiple shots.
"John has ran a short distance and he’s fallen to the ground, and as he’s on the ground the gunmen have continued to fire at him.
"That shows the absolute callous nature of this attack in a crowded space where there are children and parents in the vicinity, and we saw many of those young people and children running in sheer terror to get to safety.
"At least two other vehicles have been struck, and again this highlights the callous and reckless nature of this attack.”
He said the "primary focus" of the investigation was on "violent dissident republicans".
He said: "The investigation is at an early stage, we are keeping an open mind. There are multiple strands to that investigation.
"The primary focus is on violent dissident republicans and within that there is a primary focus as well on New IRA."
Police in the Republic of Ireland said they were assisting Northern Ireland police and had intensified patrolling in counties along the open border with Northern Ireland.
The Troubles and the New IRA
More than 3,000 people were killed during three decades of violence in Northern Ireland involving Irish republican and British loyalist paramilitaries and UK security forces.
The 1998 Good Friday peace accord largely ended the conflict, known as the Troubles.
Major Catholic and Protestant paramilitary groups gave up violence and disarmed, but small Irish Republican Army splinter groups continued to mount sporadic attacks. The New IRA is one of them.
The splinter group formed after the disarmament of the Irish Republican Army (IRA), which sought to end British rule in Northern Ireland, but declared a final ceasefire in July 1997. Its political wing, Sinn Fein, was subsequently admitted into peace talks, which led to the Good Friday agreement.
In a New Year's message, the New IRA pledged to “use all means at its disposal" to end British rule.
"As we enter 2023 Ireland remains under occupation and our national sovereignty is denied by a foreign government," it said.
"The Irish Republican Army will use all means at its disposal to break this bondage. Volunteers of the Irish Republican Army and its leadership are determined to spearhead this action."
A 'grotesque act of attempted murder'
Politicians from both sides of Ireland’s political divide have condemned the shooting.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he was appalled by the “disgraceful shooting of an off-duty police officer in Omagh”.
“My thoughts are with the officer and his family,” he said. “There is no place in our society for those who seek to harm public servants protecting communities.”
Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar condemned the “grotesque act of attempted murder”.
“Our thoughts are with the injured officer, his family, colleagues and friends at this difficult time,” he said.
“I utterly condemn this grotesque act of attempted murder. I call on anyone with information about it to share it with the PSNI.”
Sinn Fein vice president Michelle O'Neill said it was an “outrageous and shameful attack”.
“Terrible news this evening of an off-duty police officer being shot in Killyclogher, Omagh,” she said.
“This is an outrageous and shameful attack. My immediate thoughts are with the officer and his family. I unreservedly condemn this reprehensible attempt to murder a police officer.”
Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris said those responsible must be brought to justice.
“I am aware of the shocking incident in Omagh tonight and am being kept up to date,” he said.
“My immediate thoughts are with the PSNI officer and his family. Those responsible for such horror must be brought to justice.”
Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheal Martin said he was “shocked and appalled”.
“My thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and colleagues in these difficult first hours. I urge anyone with information to go to the authorities,” he said.
Pro-UK Democratic Unionist Party leader Jeffrey Donaldson said: “Terrible news from Omagh tonight. Our heart goes out to the family of this courageous police officer and to his colleagues.
“We condemn outright the cowards responsible for this. These terrorists have nothing to offer and they must be brought to justice. We stand with the PSNI.”
Omagh is the site of Northern Ireland’s deadliest attack, an August 1998 car bombing that killed 29 people. A dissident republican group called the Real IRA claimed responsibility for that attack.
In April 2021, a bomb was left near a police officer's car outside her home in Northern Ireland in what police said was an attempt to kill her.
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Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
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A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
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The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
World Sevens Series standing after Dubai
1. South Africa
2. New Zealand
3. England
4. Fiji
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Innotech Profile
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Founder/CEO: Othman Al Mandhari
Based: Muscat, Oman
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THE SPECS
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Friday
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Atletic Bilbao v Atletico Madrid (4pm)
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Real Sociedad v Osasuna (midnight)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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How to tell if your child is being bullied at school
Sudden change in behaviour or displays higher levels of stress or anxiety
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Ability to sleep well diminishes
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If you go…
Emirates launched a new daily service to Mexico City this week, flying via Barcelona from Dh3,995.
Emirati citizens are among 67 nationalities who do not require a visa to Mexico. Entry is granted on arrival for stays of up to 180 days.
BORDERLANDS
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl, 48V hybrid
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Closing the loophole on sugary drinks
As The National reported last year, non-fizzy sugared drinks were not covered when the original tax was introduced in 2017. Sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, 20 grams of sugar per 500ml bottle.
The non-fizzy drink AriZona Iced Tea contains 65 grams of sugar – about 16 teaspoons – per 680ml can. The average can costs about Dh6, which would rise to Dh9.
Drinks such as Starbucks Bottled Mocha Frappuccino contain 31g of sugar in 270ml, while Nescafe Mocha in a can contains 15.6g of sugar in a 240ml can.
Flavoured water, long-life fruit juice concentrates, pre-packaged sweetened coffee drinks fall under the ‘sweetened drink’ category
Not taxed:
Freshly squeezed fruit juices, ground coffee beans, tea leaves and pre-prepared flavoured milkshakes do not come under the ‘sweetened drink’ band.
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
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- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
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- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
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The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
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Basquiat in Abu Dhabi
One of Basquiat’s paintings, the vibrant Cabra (1981–82), now hangs in Louvre Abu Dhabi temporarily, on loan from the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
The latter museum is not open physically, but has assembled a collection and puts together a series of events called Talking Art, such as this discussion, moderated by writer Chaedria LaBouvier.
It's something of a Basquiat season in Abu Dhabi at the moment. Last week, The Radiant Child, a documentary on Basquiat was shown at Manarat Al Saadiyat, and tonight (April 18) the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is throwing the re-creation of a party tonight, of the legendary Canal Zone party thrown in 1979, which epitomised the collaborative scene of the time. It was at Canal Zone that Basquiat met prominent members of the art world and moved from unknown graffiti artist into someone in the spotlight.
“We’ve invited local resident arists, we’ll have spray cans at the ready,” says curator Maisa Al Qassemi of the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
Guggenheim Abu Dhabi's Canal Zone Remix is at Manarat Al Saadiyat, Thursday April 18, from 8pm. Free entry to all. Basquiat's Cabra is on view at Louvre Abu Dhabi until October
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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