St Paul's Cathedral, in London, was the alleged target for the bomb plot. Reuters
St Paul's Cathedral, in London, was the alleged target for the bomb plot. Reuters
St Paul's Cathedral, in London, was the alleged target for the bomb plot. Reuters
St Paul's Cathedral, in London, was the alleged target for the bomb plot. Reuters

‘ISIS backer’ arrested over historic cathedral bomb plot


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An alleged ISIS supporter has been held by British police over a suspected plot to blow up St Paul’s Cathedral in London.

Police say Safiyya Amira Shaikh, 36, carried out a reconnaissance operation for a bombing operation at one of the capital’s most recognisable landmarks and a hotel.

The woman is accused of giving a person two bags in the belief they would be stowed with explosives, the Metropolitan police said in a statement. She is also suspected of preparing a pledge of allegiance to ISIS.

Ms Shaikh, of Hayes, west London, was arrested last week and appeared in court on Wednesday accused of terrorism offences.

The current St Paul’s, with its domed roof, was completed in 1710 after its predecessor was burned down in the 1666 Great Fire of London. A cathedral has stood on the site for more than 1,400 years.

Tearful appearance

Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday. 

Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow. 

She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.

A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.

LILO & STITCH

Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders

Director: Dean Fleischer Camp

Rating: 4.5/5

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

General admission Dh295 (under-three free)

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THE SPECS

Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8

Transmission: seven-speed dual clutch

Power: 710bhp

Torque: 770Nm

Speed: 0-100km/h 2.9 seconds

Top Speed: 340km/h

Price: Dh1,000,885

On sale: now

SPEC SHEET

Display: 10.9" Liquid Retina IPS, 2360 x 1640, 264ppi, wide colour, True Tone, Apple Pencil support

Chip: Apple M1, 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine

Memory: 64/256GB storage; 8GB RAM

Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, Smart HDR

Video: 4K @ 25/25/30/60fps, full HD @ 25/30/60fps, slo-mo @ 120/240fps

Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR, Centre Stage; full HD @ 25/30/60fps

Audio: Stereo speakers

Biometrics: Touch ID

I/O: USB-C, smart connector (for folio/keyboard)

Battery: Up to 10 hours on Wi-Fi; up to 9 hours on cellular

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Price: Wi-Fi – Dh2,499 (64GB) / Dh3,099 (256GB); cellular – Dh3,099 (64GB) / Dh3,699 (256GB)

Paris Can Wait
Dir: Eleanor Coppola
Starring: Alec Baldwin, Diane Lane, Arnaud Viard
Two stars

HIJRA

Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy

Director: Shahad Ameen

Rating: 3/5