knife

Anti-immigrant protesters in the city of Belfast in the United Kingdom have torched vehicles and buildings after a Sudanese man was arrested over a knife attack that left one person with serious injuries.

Hundreds of protesters, many of them masked, gathered at several locations across the city on Tuesday, setting fire to a bus and several cars.

A building near the city centre was also set alight, with residents telling the AFP news agency that the protesters started a fire in the bins and went on to throw petrol bombs.

Crowds also gathered in Antrim, about 25km (15 miles) west of Belfast.

Michelle O’Neill, the first minister of Northern Ireland, slammed the protests and urged calm.

“Groups of masked men burning families out of their homes is nothing less than disgusting cowardice,” she wrote on X.

“Racism, intimidation and violence are wrong wherever they occur. There can be no excuse and no justification for these attacks tonight. No one wants to see this on our streets and I again appeal for calm”.

Appeals for calm

The suspect in the knife attack, which took place in north Belfast late on Monday, was charged late on Tuesday with attempted murder, possession of a bladed weapon in a public place, and making threats to kill.

The 30-year-old man, whose name has not been released, is due to appear in court on Wednesday.

The victim, a man in his 40s, suffered significant injuries to his eyes and slash wounds to his face and back during the attack with a kitchen knife found at the scene, police said.

“I understand that last night’s attempted murder will leave people feeling a range of emotions, from fear to anger,” Northern Ireland’s Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson told ⁠a news conference, as he declared the unrest a “critical incident”.

“I appeal for calm and the safety of all of our communities in ⁠response to this”, he said.

Footage of the knife attack in north Belfast showed several members of the public trying to fight off the ⁠attacker before police arrived, and they were credited by senior officers with saving the man’s life.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the attack “horrific” and “sickening” on X. “I have absolutely no tolerance for abhorrent scenes of violence like this on our streets,” he said.

His office said that “it is time for calm”, adding: “It’s important that police have the time and space to investigate appropriately.”

Heightened tensions

The attack, which is ⁠not being treated as terrorism, comes at a time of heightened tensions in the UK following the murder of a student in Southampton who was handcuffed by police as he lay dying from stab wounds after his killer, a Sikh man, had falsely alleged a racist attack.

Although the victim and convicted killer were both British, protesters on Tuesday stood outside a Southampton hotel that had housed asylum seekers, holding signs that read, “Illegal Migration Is Destroying Our Civilisation”.

The attack in Belfast, meanwhile, sparked immediate questions about the suspect’s immigration status, including from some politicians.

Gavin Robinson, the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, urged authorities to curb “uncontrolled immigration”, while anti-immigration figures, including Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage and Restore Britain leader Rupert Lowe, demanded details about the attacker.

Northern Ireland’s chief constable, Jon Boutcher, told reporters that the suspect was living in the UK on a five-year visa granted in September 2023.

Boutcher said he was believed to have travelled from Sudan to Paris and Dublin before claiming asylum in Belfast.

“There is no trace of this suspect on any of our national security databases, and he was not known to the Police Service of Northern Ireland,” he added.

Northern ‌Ireland’s ‌main political party leaders jointly condemned the knife attack, calling it “horrific” and saying that “there is no place in our society for this kind of brutality”.

They also called for calm, saying that disturbances would only damage their communities.

BRITNEY Spears has been accused of barking, waving a knife around and lighting up a cigarette inside a restaurant by concerned fellow diners.

The Princess of Pop, 44, was said to be in “rough shape” as she arrived at the Los Angeles tavern with witnesses claiming even her own team were helpless to stop her from causing havoc.

Representatives for the Toxic singer have hit back at the reports calling them “completely blown out of proportion”.

They told PEOPLE: “Britney was enjoying a quiet dinner with her assistant and bodyguard.

“She was simply telling the story about how her dog was barking at the neighbors.”

The vehement denial comes after one dinner guest spoke out about Spears having an “outburst” inside the restaurant.

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US entertainment journalist Jeff Sneider told Page Six he and a friend turned up at Blue Dog Tavern in Sherman Oaks at around 7pm on Wednesday night.

Spears then walked in a few minutes later hiding behind a big pair of sunglasses.

Pictures show the blonde popstar in a light blue top standing up by the tills before being taken to her seat.

Sneider then claims: “The woman sat down and proceeded to make a lot of woofing or barking noises and just throw a lot of outbursts.”

Spears was accused of constantly leaving her seat and moving around the restaurant erratically.

Her table then ordered food with bar staff bringing out a burger and chips and placing it in front of the Grammy Award winner.

At this point, Sneider alleges Spears stood up while holding a serrated knife which came with her food.

He admitted it looked as if Spears had forgotten she was holding the blade and that no one on his table felt threatened.

But one woman sitting in the restaurant did appear to be in some distress.

Sneider claims the scared diner thought Spears “was going to stab” her.

The journalist did go on to confess: “When she eventually left, I turned around and was like, ‘holy s**t that was crazy!’ to the entire section.”

Britney’s reps said the claims about the knife have been massively exaggerated.

“At no point did she put anyone in danger with a knife,” they said.

The Oops!…I Did it Again star was simply using the knife to cut her burger in half, they assured fans and critics alike.

Back in 2023, fans were concerned for Spears’ safety after she posted a video to her social media of her playing with two knives while in a bikini and boots.

Shortly after the latest alleged knife debacle, Spears lit up a cigarette inside the restaurant near to the door, according to witnesses.

Staff quickly told one of the people she was with that she had to put it out, they added.

Spears wasn’t asked to leave the restaurant at any point but did reportedly leave a mess on the table after “picking” at her food.

No alcohol was seen on Spears’ table with orange juice believed to have been her drink of choice, according to guests.

The popstar’s team added in their statement: “This constant attack on everything that she does and this is exactly what happened 20 years ago when the media tried to depict Britney as a bad person.

“This is ridiculous and it needs to stop now.”

It comes just days after Spears escaped jail by pleading guilty to reckless driving after being hit with a DUI in March.

A judge sentenced Britney to 12 months’ probation, along with one day of jail time already served.

The acclaimed artist checked herself into rehab after her initial arrest following gentle encouragement from her sons.