Stanwell stabbing: Terror police continue to question man, 50

© Steve Parsons / PAThe suspect was seen brandishing weapons and hurling racist abuse before the stabbing

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A 50-year-old local man is being held on suspicion of attempted murder and a racially-aggravated offence.

Home Secretary Sajid Javid called on society to "reject the terrorists and extremists who seek to divide us".

Officers were called at about 22:30 GMT on Saturday to reports a man was acting aggressively while carrying weapons in Viola Avenue, where vehicles had been damaged.

They then received another call reporting a stabbing nearby. Armed police swooped and arrested the suspect.

'He needs help'

The 19-year-old victim went to a nearby McDonald's for help and was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

However, the girlfriend of the arrested man has claimed he "needs help" and is in "no way a terrorist".

Nemer Salem, 24, who lives on Viola Avenue, said the man was shouting from a window "crazy things about Muslims".

Vincent Sutherland, who also lives on the road, said: "He was shouting 'kill a Muslim' and 'white supremacy'."

But he added: "He's polite, he always says hello to me."

The BBC understands complaints have been made in the past about the suspect's behaviour to A2Dominion, the housing association which owns the property in which he lives.

A spokesperson for A2Dominion said: "We are aware of the incident in Stanwell. As this relates to an ongoing police investigation, we are unable to comment at this time but will cooperate with the police if and when called upon to do so."

The girlfriend of the arrested man said: "It's not like him, he's the loveliest guy you could meet.

"He needs help. He's had a lot going on in his life and I think this was just something that tipped him.

"He's the love of my life and I will stand by him."

[...]

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A Pakistani man who died after heroically throwing himself in front of the gunman who attacked two New Zealand mosques on Friday, will be bestowed with a posthumous national award, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said Sunday.

Father-of-three Naeem Rashid, 49, was among nine Pakistani citizens killed in the shootings, which targeted Friday prayers in two mosques in the city of Christchurch. His 21-year-old son Talha Naeem is also among the 50 people who lost their lives.

Writing on Twitter, Khan said: "We stand ready to extend all our support to the families of Pakistani victims of the terrorist attack in Christchurch. Pakistan is proud of Mian Naeem Rashid who was martyred trying to tackle the White Supremacist terrorist & his courage will be recognized with a national award."

Stories of Rashid's bravery came to light on Saturday, after he was identified in the video of the attacks recorded by the gunman and posted online. He was left badly wounded after he tried to tackle the shooter at the Al Noor Mosque, later dying of his injuries in the hospital.

"I still can't understand or believe why and how this happened," Rashid's wife Ambreen told the Khaleej Times. "But, I do know that my husband is a hero. He always helped people and even in his last moments, he did what he could to help others."

Members of one of New Zealand's most prominent street gangs are among those who performed an emotional Maori ceremonial dance, in memory of the victims of Friday's deadly mass shooting at two Christchurch mosques.

Standing near the cordon outside the Al Noor Mosque, members from the Black Power gang performed their tribute while surrounded by dozens of mourners, who gathered on Sunday to leave flowers and pay their respects to the victims.

Speaking ahead of the performance, the leader of the group said, "we are gathered here to express our love and sadness... this is all our community."

Sunday's vigil was one of several events that attracted thousands across the country. Over NZD$5 million (US$3.42 million) has been raised to support the families of the victims.

Made up of predominantly Maori and Polynesian members, Black Power is one of the biggest and oldest gangs in New Zealand. The haka is a ceremonial Maori dance made famous by New Zealand's rugby team, who perform it before every game. Several versions of the dance exist for different occasions such as funerals, when welcoming distinguished guests, and honoring great achievements.

Black Power's touching tribute was just one of several haka dances performed by mourners across New Zealand and Australia this weekend and shared on social media in honor of the victims.

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• 49 killed and more than 40 seriously injured in New Zealand terror attack at 2 mosques - UPDATES

The National Anti-Terrorism Coordinator (NATC) said it raised the terrorism threat level to 5 in all of Utrecht area, the highest for the emergencies of this kind. The alert will be in place until at least 18:00 local time.

The government authority said the decision was made after the shooting on a tram in Utrecht, where rescue efforts and a manhunt for possible perpetrators are still underway. The incident "currently has all the characteristics of a terrorist attack," NATC said.