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WORLD NEWSTuesday 8 December 2015

Man in court over London Tube attack; police step up patrols

A British police officer, right, and police community support officers stand outside Victoria railway knife attack at Leytonstone prosecution case disclosed
station in London, Monday, Dec. 7, 2015. Police in London are stepping up patrols at transport Underground station was in court included details
hubs after a stabbing at Leytonstone underground station in which a man brandishing a knife an act of terrorism. of the IS-related mate-
reportedly said, “This is for Syria.” The incident comes just days after Parliament approved British Passers-by recorded the af- rial found on the suspect’s
airstrikes on Islamic State group targets in Syria. termath of the incident on phone. Mire — who was ar-
their phones. In one clip, as rested after police officers
(AP Photo/Matt Dunham) police officers wrestled the used a stun gun to subdue
suspect to the floor, a by- him — spoke only to con-
JILL LAWLESS with the Islamic State group bomb rampage in Paris stander yelled: “You ain’t firm his name, age and
Associated Press on his mobile phone, pros- and a recent British police no Muslim, bruv.” address. He was ordered
LONDON (AP) — A man ecutors said Monday. anti-terrorism training exer- The terse dismissal, spoken detained until a court ap-
who allegedly screamed Muhaydin Mire, who has cise. in a distinct London accent pearance on Friday.
“this is for Syria” as he been charged with at- Prosecution lawyer David — complete with the slang Police stepped up patrols
slashed a passenger’s neck tempted murder, also al- Cawthorne told a court term bruv, for brother — at transport hubs after the
in a London subway station legedly had images relat- hearing Monday that pros- raced round social media, incident, which came days
had images associated ing to the Nov. 13 gun and ecutors allege Saturday’s with the hashtag YouAint- after Parliament approved
NoMuslimBruv becoming a British airstrikes on Islamic
top trending topic on Twit- State group targets in Syria.
ter. Mire, who is 29 and lives British-born Muslim extrem-
a few blocks from the east ists killed 52 people in sub-
London subway station, ap- way and bus bombings
peared Monday at West- July 2005. In May 2013, two
minster Magistrates’ Court. al-Qaida-inspired attackers
Cawthorne, the prosecu- stabbed an off-duty soldier
tor, said Mire launched to death in a London street.
a “violent, sustained and Many Londoners have
unprovoked” attack on a been on edge since the
56-year-old man, who was Paris carnage, which killed
punched and kicked to 130 people — and Prime
the ground before being Minister David Cameron
slashed in the neck during said a similar attack “could
the attack. He required happen here.”
five hours of surgery on Many felt the Leyton-
a 12-centimeter (5-inch) stone bystander’s com-
wound and is in stable con- ment struck a defiant
dition in a hospital. note with distinctly British
A written summary of the understatement.q

UK leader visits flood-hit northern England, Scotland

LONDON (AP) — British est-hit county. The area got events like the weekend ever had in the United King- from their homes. Some
Prime Minister David Cam- a month’s worth of rainfall deluge were “consistent dom, it is going to come 55,000 people were left
eron visited a swath of in a day — about 34 centi- with the trends we’re see- over the top of defenses,” without power, 40 schools
northwest England inun- meters (13.4 inches). ing in terms of climate he said. “But what the de- were closed Monday and
dated by floods, as rescu- Visiting a flooded home in change.” fenses do do is they slow it a main rail line between
ers pulled people from wa- the city of Carlile, Cameron While local leaders de- down. It gives us more time, England and Scotland is
terlogged homes after re- called the damage “hor- manded an investigation, it’s given people here more likely to remain shut until at
cord rainfall led to at least rific” and vowed to review Floods Minister Rory Stewart time to evacuate safely least Wednesday.
one death and swamped flood defenses. defended the government, and it’s meant that there’s The same deluge battered
some 3,500 properties. Environment Secretary Liz arguing that defenses had less water on the streets southern Norway, causing
The visit comes amid criti- Truss said that in the worst- slowed down the water to than there would have floods, damaging property
cism that 45 million pounds hit towns and cities, water allow more time for evacu- been if we hadn’t had that and closing roads. Iris Strau-
spent on flood defenses levels were half a meter (20 ations. defense in place.” me from the Norwegian
after major floods in 2005 inches) higher than during “When you face, as we The military has been Meteorological Institute
failed to hold back the del- the 2005 floods. have now, probably the called in, and has been said it was “the worst storm
uge in Cumbria, the hard- She said extreme weather highest rainfall we have helping evacuate people in 150 years.”q