The dead and injured in Barcelona were a snapshot of the world — men, women and children from at least 34 nations — testifying to the huge global appeal of the sun-kissed city with its bounty of must-visit sites and star-studded football team.
Families, friends and government officials from Paris to Sydney, San Francisco to Berlin scrambled Friday to discover whether their loved ones and citizens were among those mowed down by suspected Islamic extremists who zig-zagged down Barcelona's always crowded Las Ramblas promenade in a white van, killing and maiming indiscriminately.
Close to home, El Pais reported that Francisco López Rodríguez, from Granada, was killed. His wife was seriously injured, the paper said, while her niece and youngest son were also killed.
In Belgium, the KFC Heur Tongeren football team was mourning the loss of Elke Vanbockrijck, the mother of two of its junior players, ages 10 and 14. The boys and their father, a policeman, were unhurt, the club president, Arnould Partoens, told the Associated Press. But Belgium officials confirmed that the mother was among the 13 people killed in Thursday's attack in Barcelona, where the family was on vacation.
There was also another fatality — taking the overall total to 14 — in a related attack late Thursday in the popular seaside town of Cambrils, south of Barcelona.
France, already struck repeatedly by terror attacks on its own soil, again was hit hard, counting 26 of its citizens among the more than 100 people injured in the Spanish attacks. The French foreign ministry said at least 11 were seriously hurt.
Two Italians were among the dead. One was a young father from Legnano, a town in northern Italy, who was on holiday with his family. The death of Bruno Gulotta, 35, was announced by his employer, computer company Tom's Hardware, on Friday. "Our friend and colleague Bruno Gulotta was run over and killed by an odious terrorist in the heart of Barcelona," a statement on the company website read.
Paying tribute to the kindness and generosity of their co-worker, Gulotta's colleagues said his violent death had left his wife Martina facing "trials no-one should have to bear".
"We put ourselves in the shoes of little Alessandro, who was is about to start elementary school knowing his and his family's life will never be the same again. And we think of baby Aria ... who will never know her Dad."
Italian media reported that Bruno had been holding five-year-old Alessandro's hand just before he was hit by the van. Martina had one-year-old Aria in a baby carrier and managed to pull her son out of the way.
The German foreign ministry counted at least 13 Germans injured — some "so seriously that they are still fighting for their lives", said spokesman Martin Schaefer.
Two Australian women, including one traveling on a British passport, were seriously injured, and two Australian men were treated for injuries in hospital but then discharged, said Australia's foreign minister Julie Bishop.
A 5-year-old Irish boy suffered a broken leg and his father was also injured, according to the Irish government. They were part of a family of four celebrating the boy's birthday.
Romania's foreign ministry says three Romanians were hospitalized; two are in a stable condition while the third suffered light injuries.
According to Spain's civil protection agency, the injured came from countries such as Pakistan, Britain, Venezuela, Mauritania and China. Also reported among them were two Taiwanese, a Greek woman and a Hong Kong resident.
Company%20Profile
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'Lost in Space'
Creators: Matt Sazama, Burk Sharpless, Irwin Allen
Stars: Molly Parker, Toby Stephens, Maxwell Jenkins
Rating: 4/5
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U19 WORLD CUP, WEST INDIES
UAE group fixtures (all in St Kitts)
Saturday 15 January: v Canada
Thursday 20 January: v England
Saturday 22 January: v Bangladesh
UAE squad
Alishan Sharafu (captain), Shival Bawa, Jash Giyanani, Sailles Jaishankar, Nilansh Keswani, Aayan Khan, Punya Mehra, Ali Naseer, Ronak Panoly, Dhruv Parashar, Vinayak Raghavan, Soorya Sathish, Aryansh Sharma, Adithya Shetty, Kai Smith
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Seven tips from Emirates NBD
1. Never respond to e-mails, calls or messages asking for account, card or internet banking details
2. Never store a card PIN (personal identification number) in your mobile or in your wallet
3. Ensure online shopping websites are secure and verified before providing card details
4. Change passwords periodically as a precautionary measure
5. Never share authentication data such as passwords, card PINs and OTPs (one-time passwords) with third parties
6. Track bank notifications regarding transaction discrepancies
7. Report lost or stolen debit and credit cards immediately
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
THE BIO
Family: I have three siblings, one older brother (age 25) and two younger sisters, 20 and 13
Favourite book: Asking for my favourite book has to be one of the hardest questions. However a current favourite would be Sidewalk by Mitchell Duneier
Favourite place to travel to: Any walkable city. I also love nature and wildlife
What do you love eating or cooking: I’m constantly in the kitchen. Ever since I changed the way I eat I enjoy choosing and creating what goes into my body. However, nothing can top home cooked food from my parents.
Favorite place to go in the UAE: A quiet beach.