British Home Secretary Suella Braverman outside 10 Downing Street. EPA
British Home Secretary Suella Braverman outside 10 Downing Street. EPA
British Home Secretary Suella Braverman outside 10 Downing Street. EPA
British Home Secretary Suella Braverman outside 10 Downing Street. EPA

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Political correctness lets extremists operate in 'blind spot', UK minister says

Thursday will see the release of the third and final report from a public inquiry into the Manchester Arena bombing

Gillian Duncan
Gillian Duncan

March 02, 2023

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Political correctness is allowing Islamist extremists to operate “under the radar” in a “blind spot”, Britain's Home Secretary has said.

Speaking at a counter-extremism conference on Wednesday, Suella Braverman said the entire concept of political correctness should be scrapped.

“We have a blind spot in the system. It has allowed certain Islamist groups to operate under our radar,” she said, in an excerpt of her speech which was obtained by The Times.

“There can be no place for political correctness in our national security. In fact, I'd like to banish it altogether.”

Her comments came ahead of the release on Thursday of the third and final report from a public inquiry into the Manchester Arena bombing.

Twenty-two people were killed and hundreds were injured in a suicide attack at the end of an Ariana Grande concert on May 22, 2017. Evidence into the circumstances leading up to and surrounding the atrocity was heard in the city between September 7, 2020 and February 15, 2022.

Ms Braverman was speaking at an event organised by Robin Simcox, the commissioner for countering extremism.

In another excerpt from her speech, Ms Braverman flagged concerns over “non-violent extremism”.

“Extremism is not only dangerous because it can lead to violence”, she said.

“It is dangerous in its own right. And unless we deal with it comprehensively, we should not be surprised when it continues to endure and grow — with disastrous consequences.”

The Home Secretary will receive the report into the Manchester bombing on Thursday, following the inquiry which was led by Sir John Saunders.

The report is set to answer whether the terror attack by Salman Abedi could have been prevented by MI5 and counter-terrorism police.

It will also focus on the radicalisation of Manchester-born Abedi, 22, of Libyan descent, and the planning and preparation of the attack.

In March 2014, Abedi became a Subject of Interest (SOI) for MI5 over his phone contact with another SOI, but his case was closed four months later when he was deemed “low risk”.

The inquiry was told that from December 2013 to January 2017 Abedi was identified as being in direct contact with three SOIs — one suspected of planning travel to Syria, one with links to Al Qaeda, and the third with links to Libyan extremists.

And between April 2016 and April 2017, he was identified as a second-level contact — a contact of a contact — with three more SOIs, all with suspected links to ISIS.

In the months before the attack, two pieces of intelligence were received by MI5 about Abedi but assessed at the time to relate to possible non-terrorist criminality.

Both pieces of information were not passed to police and a review found in retrospect they could be seen to have been highly relevant to the planned attack.

Abedi's name also hit a “priority indicator” during a separate “data-washing exercise” as falling within a small number of former SOIs who merited further consideration.

A meeting to consider the results was scheduled for May 31, 2017, nine days after the bombing.

During the inquiry, a number of MI5 witnesses — including a senior officer known as Witness J — and detectives from North-West Counter Terrorism Police gave evidence behind closed doors.

The sessions were secret so as not to compromise national security and the inner workings of MI5 and counter-terror police.

A summary of some of the evidence was later made public, but did not reveal any further details about the intelligence received by M15 in the months before the attack.

The first inquiry report from retired high court judge Sir John Saunders, issued in June 2021, focused on security arrangements at the venue. It highlighted a string of “missed opportunities” to identify Abedi as a threat before he walked across the City Room foyer and detonated his shrapnel-laden device.

The second report last November delivered scathing criticism of the emergency services' response to the bombing.

Manchester bombing — in pictures

A man is stretchered out of Manchester Arena on May 23, 2017 after the explosion. Getty Images
A man is stretchered out of Manchester Arena on May 23, 2017 after the explosion. Getty Images
Helpers tend to people inside the Manchester Arena after the bomb attack at the end of an Ariana Grande concert. PA/Getty
Helpers tend to people inside the Manchester Arena after the bomb attack at the end of an Ariana Grande concert. PA/Getty
Armed police gather at Manchester Arena after the explosion. PA/AP
Armed police gather at Manchester Arena after the explosion. PA/AP
Forensic officers investigate the scene near the Manchester Arena. AP
Forensic officers investigate the scene near the Manchester Arena. AP
A woman walks past an electronic advertising board displaying a Union Jack flag and the words 'Pray For Manchester'. AFP
A woman walks past an electronic advertising board displaying a Union Jack flag and the words 'Pray For Manchester'. AFP
Police escort members of the public awawy from the Manchester Arena after the bombing. Getty Images
Police escort members of the public awawy from the Manchester Arena after the bombing. Getty Images
A girl cries as she looks at at tributes left in St Anne's Square on the first anniversary of the Manchester Arena bombing. Reuters
A girl cries as she looks at at tributes left in St Anne's Square on the first anniversary of the Manchester Arena bombing. Reuters
A candlelit vigil, to honour the victims in the days after the attack. Getty Images
A candlelit vigil, to honour the victims in the days after the attack. Getty Images
Tributes left in Manchester after the May 22 suicide bomb attack. AFP
Tributes left in Manchester after the May 22 suicide bomb attack. AFP
Suicide bomber Salman Abedi used money from his mother's bank account who continued to claim benefits despite moving to Libya. AFP
Suicide bomber Salman Abedi used money from his mother's bank account who continued to claim benefits despite moving to Libya. AFP
Hashem Abedi had been convicted of 22 counts of murder over the Manchester Arena attack of 2017. EPA
Hashem Abedi had been convicted of 22 counts of murder over the Manchester Arena attack of 2017. EPA

Sir John ruled that care worker John Atkinson, 28, would probably have survived but for the failures on the night, while there was a “remote possibility” the youngest victim, eight-year-old Saffie-Rose Roussos, could have lived with different treatment and care.

His findings and recommendations on radicalisation and its preventability will be published at 2pm on the inquiry website.

The report comes after a long-awaited review of Prevent, published last month, recommended an overhaul of the anti-terror strategy, which seeks to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism both in the UK and overseas.

Led by ex-Charity Commission chairman William Shawcross after being ordered by former home secretary Priti Patel in 2019, the assessment found Prevent was “out of kilter with the rest of the counter-terrorism system, and the UK terrorism threat picture”, and “must return to its overarching objective: to stop individuals from becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism”.

He said terrorism was wrongly treated as a mental illness, and there was a “failure” by those working on Prevent to properly understand the nature of ideology in Islamist radicalisation, which risks “several potentially serious consequences”.

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Key findings of Jenkins report
  • Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
  • Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
  • Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
  • Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
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Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon

Rating: 4/5

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Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015

- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France

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  6. Tourism industry knowledge.
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The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Part three: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

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Tuesday
Mairobr v Liverpool
Spartak Moscow v Sevilla
Feyenoord v Shakhtar Donetsk
Manchester City v Napoli
Monaco v Besiktas
RB Leipzig v Porto
Apoel Nicosia v Borussia Dortmund
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Wednesday
Benfica v Manchester United
CSKA Moscow v Basel
Bayern Munich v Celtic
Anderlecht v Paris Saint-Germain
Qarabag v Atletico Madrid
Chelsea v Roma
Barcelona v Olympiakos
Juventus v Sporting Lisbon

Opening Rugby Championship fixtures: Games can be watched on OSN Sports
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Sunday: South Africa v Argentina, Port Elizabeth, 11pm (UAE)

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10 tips for entry-level job seekers
  • Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
  • Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
  • Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
  • For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
  • Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
  • Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
  • Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
  • Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
  • Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
  • Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.

Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz

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Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo

Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 6-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km

Price: Dh133,900

On sale: now 

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Just as McDonald’s has the Big Mac, Jollibee has Spicy Chickenjoy – a piece of fried chicken that’s crispy and spicy on the outside and comes with a side of spaghetti, all covered in tomato sauce and topped with sausage slices and ground beef. It sounds like a recipe that a child would come up with, but perhaps that’s the point – a flavourbomb combination of cheap comfort foods. Chickenjoy is Jollibee’s best-selling product in every country in which it has a presence.
 

Saturday's results

Women's third round

  • 14-Garbine Muguruza Blanco (Spain) beat Sorana Cirstea (Romania) 6-2, 6-2
  • Magdalena Rybarikova (Slovakia) beat Lesia Tsurenko (Ukraine) 6-2, 6-1
  • 7-Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) beat Polona Hercog (Slovenia) 6-4. 6-0
  • Coco Vandeweghe (USA) beat Alison Riske (USA) 6-2, 6-4
  •  9-Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland) beat 19-Timea Bacsinszky (Switzerland) 3-6, 6-4, 6-1
  • Petra Martic (Croatia) beat Zarina Diyas (Kazakhstan) 7-6, 6-1
  • Magdalena Rybarikova (Slovakia) beat Lesia Tsurenko (Ukraine) 6-2, 6-1
  • 7-Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) beat Polona Hercog (Slovenia) 6-4, 6-0

Men's third round

  • 13-Grigor Dimitrov (Bulgaria) beat Dudi Sela (Israel) 6-1, 6-1 -- retired
  • Sam Queery (United States) beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (France) 6-2, 3-6, 7-6, 1-6, 7-5
  • 6-Milos Raonic (Canada) beat 25-Albert Ramos (Spain) 7-6, 6-4, 7-5
  • 10-Alexander Zverev (Germany) beat Sebastian Ofner (Austria) 6-4, 6-4, 6-2
  • 11-Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic) beat David Ferrer (Spain) 6-3, 6-4, 6-3
  • Adrian Mannarino (France) beat 15-Gael Monfils (France) 7-6, 4-6, 5-7, 6-3, 6-2
Polarised public

31% in UK say BBC is biased to left-wing views

19% in UK say BBC is biased to right-wing views

19% in UK say BBC is not biased at all

Source: YouGov

The specs
  • Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
  • On sale: 2026
  • Price: Not announced yet
GIANT REVIEW

Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan

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Rating: 4/5

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Founders: Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, Turki Bin Zarah and Abdulmohsen Albabtain.

Based: Riyadh

Offices: UAE, Vietnam and Germany

Founded: September, 2020

Number of employees: 70

Sector: FinTech, online payment solutions

Funding to date: $116m in two funding rounds  

Investors: Checkout.com, Impact46, Vision Ventures, Wealth Well, Seedra, Khwarizmi, Hala Ventures, Nama Ventures and family offices

Updated: March 02, 2023, 9:48 AM
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