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Cosmopolitan
2 days ago
- Cosmopolitan
Who were the 7/7 London bombers and what happened in the tragic capital attack?
It was meant to be an ordinary Thursday for millions of Londoners, who traipsed towards the tube, sleepy-eyed, as they took their usual commute to work. However, the events of 7 July 2005 were set to change the capital forever. They also changed the personal lives of hundreds who were injured or lost a loved one, when four men decided to detonate home-made explosives – three on the London Underground, and one on a bus – in an act of extremist terrorism that shocked Londoners and the world. Now, a new Netflix series is set to examine the tragic circumstances which led up to this event, and the shocking aftermath that saw a similar, copycat attack in London just two weeks later. Luckily this second attack, known as the 21/7 bombings, failed. But who were the men behind the 7/7 bombings, which killed 52 and injured 784 more? In light of the renewed interest, and with the 20th anniversary of the attacks on the horizon, we look at the perpetrators who caused chaos in the capital. The 30-year-old, who was born in Britain and raised in Leeds, worked as a teaching assistant at a local primary school. Married and with a daughter, those who knew Khan described him as a 'quiet' individual. He was the considered the 'lead' bomber, and was considered by others involved in the attacks as a 'father figure'. It was in the early 2000s that Khan started to flirt with more extremist beliefs, and in 2001, he began to frequently travel to Pakistan where he attended training camps associated with Al-Qaeda. He was reportedly in contact with London-based Al-Qaeda operatives. The Iqra bookshop, based in Leeds, was a place where Khan held late-night discussions about the 'evils' of Western foreign policy, such as the UK and US's involvement in conflict in Muslim countries. It was within these local circles, including family connections, nearby gyms and mosques, that Khan and the other three bombers became connected. The four used a rental house in the area in order to build their explosive devices. While Khan did not have any criminal convictions, he was monitored by MI5 in 2004 due to his indirect association with another plot, spearheaded by Omar Khyam, to set off a wave of fertiliser-based explosions around the country. However, surveillance was dropped as there was not enough evidence to keep trailing him at the time. On 7 July, Khan, alongside the three other bombers, left Leeds and headed to Luton. The men then travelled by train to London's King's Cross station. Khan boarded a Circle Line tube train, detonating his bomb at Edgware Road station, killing six people. The bombing was actually meant to take place the day before, however, Khan was forced to delay the operation due to complications with his wife's pregnancy, which meant he needed to take her to hospital. The earlier plan was for the four suicide bombers to set off their bombs at Bond Street, South Kensington, Paddington and Westminster stations. In a video, released in September 2005 by Al Jazeera Television, a pre-recorded clip of Khan saw him attempt to justify his actions. 'Your democratically elected governments continually perpetrate atrocities against my people all over the world,' he said. 'Your support makes you directly responsible. We are at war and I am a soldier. Now you too will taste the reality of this situation.' The 22-year-old, who was also born in Britain and lived in Leeds, was the son of a prominent businessman. Tanweer worked in one of his father's fish and chip shops at the time of the attack. Tanweer attended several mosques, including Bengali and Stratford Street mosque in Beeston, Leeds, where two of the other London bombers, Khan and Hasib Hussain, are also believed to have worshipped. Tanweer's sister was married to Khan, with Khan and Tanweer known to have headed to Pakistan together to attend a terrorist training camp. On the day of the attack itself, Tanweer travelled eastbound on the Circle line from Kings Cross, detonating his bomb on a train between Liverpool Street and Aldgate stations, killing seven people. A year after the 7/7 bombings, a video statement by Tanweer was broadcast by Al-Jazeera, where he said: 'What you have witnessed now is only the beginning of a string of attacks that will continue and become stronger until you pull your forces out of Afghanistan and Iraq. And until you stop your financial and military support to America and Israel." Also known as 'Abdullah Shaheed Jamal', the 19-year-old was born in Jamaica and moved to the UK when he was just five with his mother. The family settled in Huddersfield – where Lindsay would eventually meet ringleader Khan. Lindsay converted to Islam in 2000 alongside his mother, and attended classes where he read the Quran and learned Arabic. It has been claimed that he was radicalised by extremist preacher, Abdallah al-Faisal, who was eventually imprisoned in 2003 for inciting racial hatred and murder. After Lindsay's mother relocated to the United States, Lindsay, still only a teenager, was left alone in Huddersfield, where he claimed benefits and worked odd jobs, such as carpet fitting and selling mobile phone covers. In 2002, Lindsay married Samantha Lewthwaite, a white British convert to Islam whom he had met on the internet and then later, at a protest. He then moved to Aylesbury, where Lewthwaite was based. Lewthwaite herself has since gained notoriety as a terrorist, with links to Somalia-based radical Islamic militant group Al-Shabaab after Lindsay's death. On the day of the 7/7 bombings, Lindsay met the other assailants in Luton. He detonated his bomb on the Piccadilly line, between King's Cross St Pancras and Russell Square tube stations. He killed 26 people. The 18-year-old was born in Leeds and was described as 'quiet' by those who knew him. He was a keen sportsman, playing football and cricket on local teams. Teachers who knew him described Hussain as 'a slow, gentle giant'. It was in the latter half of 2003 that Hussain met Khan and Tanweer, with the three all believed to attend the Stratford Street Mosque in Beeston. In the months before the attacks, Hussain had rented a small flat in the Chapeltown area of Leeds – thought to be the property that was used to make the explosives used in the 7/7 bombings. On the day of the attacks, Hussain travelled down with Khan and Tanweer from Leeds to Luton, where Linsday met them. It is thought that Hussain was intending to target a Northern line train – however, that morning, Northern line services had been suspended. CCTV shows Hussain in Boots at King's Cross, trying to get hold of the other bombers – who, at this point, had already detonated their devices. Around 50 minutes later, he detonated his bomb on the Number 30 bus heading from Marble Arch to Hackney Wick. On 7 July, Hussain's family reported him missing, having previously been told he was going up to London to visit friends. In a statement, his family later said Hussain had been "a loving and normal young man who gave us no concern". "We are having difficulty taking this in," they said. "Our thoughts are with all the bereaved families and we have to live ourselves with the loss of our son in these difficult circumstances. "We had no knowledge of his activities and, had we done, we would have done everything in our power to stop him." At 06.51am on 7 July, all four suicide bombers met at Luton train station, getting their explosives out of the boot of a rented Nissan Micra. They got on a delayed train to King's Cross, which arrived at 08.23 – entering the London Underground shortly after. At 08.26am, they each look to board different trains. At 08.49, Khan, Tanweer and Lindsay's bombs all detonate within 50 seconds of each other. Tanweer sets off his bomb between Liverpool Street and Aldgate stations on the eastbound Circle Line, killing seven. Khan, on a westbound Circle Line train, detonates his rucksack between Edgware Road and Paddington, killing six. Lindsay, on a packed westbound Piccadilly Line train, sets off his bomb between King's Cross and Russell Square, killing 26. At 09.13am, an emergency was declared on the London Underground. A further instruction was sent at 09.40am to begin evacuating an estimated 200,000 passengers from more than 500 trains. At 09.47am, Hussain detonates his bomb on the number 30 double-decker bus in Tavistock Square, near King's Cross, killing 13 people. As well as the four suicide bombers, 52 people were killed in the attacks, with a further 784 injured. It was the UK's deadliest terrorist incident since the 1988 Lockerbie bombing when a Pam-Am airlines flight exploded over the Scottish town, killing all 259 passengers and 11 people on the ground. Attack on London: Hunting the 7/7 Bombers is available to watch on Netflix now Kimberley Bond is a Multiplatform Writer for Harper's Bazaar, focusing on the arts, culture, careers and lifestyle. She previously worked as a Features Writer for Cosmopolitan UK, and has bylines at The Telegraph, The Independent and British Vogue among countless others.
India.com
16-06-2025
- Entertainment
- India.com
Sanjay Dutt's daughter Iqra Dutt looks unrecognisable, you won't believe how much she's grown, see viral pics
Indian singer Sonu Nigam was recently spotted at the wedding of billionaire Sunil Vaswani's daughter, Sarina Vaswani. Along with him, Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt arrived at this grand celebration with his daughter Iqra Dutt. On his Instagram account, Sonu Nigam shared a series of pictures of the grand wedding ceremony. In one of the pictures, Sanjay Dutt was snapped sitting with her beautiful daughter Iqra, who caught everyone's attention in a bright pink ethnic wear. Netizens were left stunned after seeing Iqra Dutt. No one could believe that Iqra has grown up so much now. Sanjay Dutt's daughter Iqra Dutt's pic goes viral In a series of pictures, Iqra Dutt can be seen sitting with her father, Sanjay Dutt. Iqra wore a pink lehenga choli, a choker-style necklace, light makeup, and open hair. After seeing Iqra in an ethnic outfit, netizens couldn't stop adoring Sanjay Dutt's daughter. Take a look below: Netizens react to Iqra Dutt's unrecognisable look The Instagram post quickly went viral on social media, and netizens couldn't stop praising Iqra Dutt's stunning look. A user penned, 'Isn't that Iqra? She is all grown-up.' Another Instagram user wrote, 'Iqra looks beautiful in the pink dress.' Sanjay Dutt married Maanayata Dutt in February 2008, two years after the marriage, in 2010, Maanayata gave birth to twins. Sanjay Dutt's twins are named Shahraan and Iqra. Shahraan is very active on social media. Recently, her pictures with Salman Khan went viral. Both of Sanjay Dutt's children now live in Dubai and not in Mumbai. Iqra turned 14 and she is currently completing her academics, from Dubai, with her mother, Maanayata Dutt.
Time of India
15-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Fans spot 'grown-up' Iqra Dutt as Sonu Nigam shares rare picture with his dancing partner Sanjay Dutt from a Cannes wedding
The wedding ceremony of Indian-origin billionaire Sunil Vaswani's daughter, Sarina Vaswani, grabbed attention as Sonu was seen dancing on stage with Bollywood star . What caught social media's attention even more was 's daughter, Iqra Dutt, sitting with them. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Check out Sonu's post here Sonu shared a series of pictures on his Instagram handle, where he was seen sitting with Sanjay and Iqra. The next picture featured him dancing with Sanjay on stage. Both were seen wearing coordinated black and gold sherwani suit sets for the ceremony. Sonu wrote,"More than 2 and a half decades of growing up together; love and trust and tears and laughter and bonding with my brother Sunil bhai and the whole Vaswani family.. May Mata Rani bless us all with eternal love, peace and happiness. Jaimataki. The Classiest Cannes Wedding! ❤️" Social media reaction to Iqra's rare picture The post quickly drew attention online as fans spotted Iqra in it. 'Isn't that Iqra? She is all grown-up,' one user noted. Another wrote, 'Iqra looks beautiful in the pink dress.' They also showered praise on Sonu and Sanjay for looking handsome and charming. Iqra was seen wearing a beautiful pink lehenga adorned with golden work. She kept her look simple and minimal, opting for open hair and a thin golden choker. The bride, Sarina Vaswani, tied the knot with Lavine Hemlani in the French Riviera. About Sunjay Dutt's family Iqra is the daughter of Sanjay Dutt and his wife, . The couple also has a son, Shahraan.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
'Really bad': Cricket world rocked by Steve Smith moment as Aussie hopes crushed
Australia's hopes of defending their World Test Championship (WTC) title look all but over, with Steve Smith's "gruesome" finger injury compounding the pain at Lord's. An epic century from Aidan Markram on day three put South Africa on the cusp of victory after a defiant 10th-wicket stand from Aussie quicks Mitchell Starc (58 not out) and Josh Hazlewood (17) helped the Aussies reach 207 - setting the Proteas a 282-run target to clinch victory. But chasing the equal second-highest successful run chase in Test history at Lord's, Markram (102no) shared in an unbroken 143-run stand with hobbling captain Temba Bavuma (65no) to take the match away from the Aussies and reach stumps on 2-213. It means South Africa will start day four on Saturday needing just 69 runs with eight wickets in hand to seal a famous win. A day that started so brightly for the Aussies with Starc and Hazlewood's defiant last-wicket stand, soon turned sour as Smith left the field and had to be taken to hospital. The Aussie star dropped a regulation chance off Starc that would have dismissed Proteas captain Bavuma for just two, as the ball crashed into his right little finger in the slips. Smith was in obvious distress out in the middle and left the ground to have scans at hospital, where it was revealed he suffered a compound fracture to the finger. In a major blow for Australia's immediate and long-term prospects, the injury means Smith could be forced to miss Australia's upcoming tour of the West Indies, which could see Sam Konstas return to opener and the under-fire Marnus Labuschagne earn a reprieve and move back into his preferred No.3 role. Thinking about how much worse, then worst thing a long wait, I get💔💔💔💔#SteveSmith #WTCFinal #WTC25 #WTC2025 #WtcFinal2025 . — Iqra (@Iqra87685226) June 13, 2025 🚨 𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐕𝐄 𝐒𝐌𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐈𝐍𝐉𝐔𝐑𝐄𝐃 🚨- Steve Smith has dislocated the little finger of his right hand. 💔- Smith left the field in extreme pain 😢 The injury looked really bad - Get well soon Smith. 🙏❤️🩹#WtcFinal2025 #AUSvSA — Pratyush Halder (@pratyush_no7) June 13, 2025 🚨Steve Smith has suffered a compound dislocation of his little finger🚨- He is now doubtful for the tour of West Indies (ESPNCricinfo)#WTCFinal #SAvsAUS #WtcFinal2025 #AidenMarkram — Cricketism (@MidnightMusinng) June 13, 2025 Wouldn't be surprised if Steve Smith misses at least the start of the West Indies tour. A very nasty injury.#WTCFinal — CricBlog ✍ (@cric_blog) June 13, 2025 Australia's last defeat in an ICC final came back in 2010 when they lost to England in the T20 World Cup decider. Since then, Australia have won two ODI World Cups (2015 and 2023), a T20 trophy, and the 2023 WTC decider against India at The Oval. But barring a miracle or some extremely advantageous weather conditions for the start of day four, the Aussies look all but certain to let that impressive record slip. RELATED: Cricket world stunned as rival joins Glenn Maxwell in immediate exit Mitchell Starc's sad career call after difficult decision with wife Markram led the way for the Proteas with a sublime century that leaves them on the cusp of a stunning 41-year first. No team since the Windies in 1984 has completed a successful chase at Lord's where where the fourth innings target is higher than any of the previous innings totals. Markram's eighth Test century - and only his second outside of South Africa - has him poised to become a true Proteas hero. South Africa's one and only senior ICC title came back in 1998 when they lifted the Champions Trophy. Since then, they have endured numerous painful misses in the latter stages of ODI and T20 World Cups, often against Australia. But the complexion of the WTCF final changed completely once Smith put down Bavuma on two. Veteran quick Starc (2-53) claimed both of South Africa's second-innings scalps, backing up his vital knock with Hazlewood in the opening session. The Aussies will now be praying for overcast skies and early wickets on day four, but haven't given up hope of an improbable victory. "We understand the magnitude of the task," Australia assistant coach Daniel Vettori said, refusing to give up on the seeming 'mission impossible'. "But it is a task that the group has probably done at times throughout the last three, four, some of them, five, six, even longer years. "There's an appreciation of how well Bavuma and Markram have batted to put all that pressure back on us. To get one of them (before stumps) may have given us that optimism. It's going to be a real challenge on Saturday." If South Africa create history, it would equal the second-highest successful chase in a Test at Lord's, tied with England's 282 against New Zealand back in 2004. with AAP
New Straits Times
04-06-2025
- General
- New Straits Times
MB: Kemas to serve as launchpad for Bangsa Johor pilot schools
KLUANG: Johor has begun aligning Kemas preschools as feeder institutions for the state's flagship Sekolah Rintis Bangsa Johor (SRBJ), a move that marks a major shift in early childhood education. Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi said the alignment will involve curriculum coordination, particularly the integration of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) elements. "This transformation will elevate Johor's preschool education to a more competitive and future-ready level," he said after the Kemas Johor 2025 Madani Community Empowerment Programme launch at Dewan Muafakat in Simpang Renggam here yesterday (June 3). More than 1,500 Kemas EMAS personnel from across the state attended the event. The Bangsa Johor pilot school initiative, launched in 2022, aims to create a holistic and identity-driven education system tailored for Johor students. SRBJ schools emphasise unity, academic excellence and values-based learning rooted in local identity. To support the integration effort, the Johor government allocated RM1.5 million to upgrade Kemas-operated preschools and kindergartens, with another RM1.8 million channelled into the Iqra' and Fardu Ain programme to strengthen religious education. Onn Hafiz also presented the Kemas Outstanding Educator Award to two long-serving educators for their contribution to early childhood development in the state. "Johor remains committed to shaping a generation that is not only knowledgeable but also rooted in values," he said. Kemas preschools are part of the early childhood education programme offered by the Community Development Department in the country. They provide early education for children aged 4 to 6 years, preparing them for primary school, and fostering social and communication skills. Kemas also operates nurseries for children aged 2 to 4.
