A man has been shot by police after an attack at a synagogue left two dead in Manchester.
The attack, which comes on the holiest day in the Jewish religious calendar – Yom Kippur – involved a car and a knife, according to Greater Manchester Police (GMP).
At least three other people have been seriously injured.
Here’s everything we know so far.
How did the attack happen?
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Police respond to synagogue attack on Yom Kippur
Police received a call from a member of the public at9.31am on Thursday morning, who said a man had been stabbed and a car has been driven towards members of the public at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Crumpsall.
Police received further reports from the public in the minutes that followed, saying that a security guard had been attacked with a knife.
The synagogue is on Middleton Road in Crumpsall – a neighbourhood about three miles north of Manchester’s city centre.
The force said a “large number of people” were worshipping at the synagogue at the time of the attack.
A police spokesperson praised the “quick response” of a witness to the attack which allowed police to take “swift action” to prevent the offender “from entering the synagogue”.
Police shoot man at the scene
A man believed to be the offender was shot by firearms officers at the scene at 9.38am.
Video posted on social media appeared to show police officers pointing guns at someone laying on the ground outside the front of the synagogue. The armed officers shouted at onlookers to “get back” and “move on”.
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Video believed to show moment suspect is shot by police
The person on the ground is seen starting to get up before there is the sound of a gunshot and they fall to the ground.
Another person was shown lying motionless on the ground outside the synagogue gates.
In its most recent update, GMP said the man who is believed to be the offender was “believed to be deceased” after being shot by police.
A photograph has emerged on social media that appears to show the suspected attacker outside the synagogue.
Image: The man believed to the suspect at the scene
Sky News has cross-referenced the image with video from the scene of the attack.
What do we know about the victims?
Police initially said four people were injured after the attack and were being treated for injuries “caused by both the vehicle and stab wounds”.
They later confirmed that two victims had died at the scene, and said that three other members of the public were in a serious condition.
What is happening now?
Armed police officers, emergency response teams and fire crews are at the scene, with police helicopters flying overhead.
A bomb disposal unit is also at the scene, as police have said the suspect’s condition cannot be confirmed due to “suspicious items on his person”.
Image: Pic: PA
Middleton Road has been closed between Wilton Road and Crumpsall Lane, the Manchester Evening News reported, adding a police cordon is in place.
North West Ambulance Service said in a statement: “Following reports of an incident on Middleton Road in Crumpsall, the trust has dispatched resources to the scene.
“We are currently assessing the situation and working with other members of the emergency services.
“Our priority is to ensure people receive the medical help they need as quickly as possible.”
Sir Keir Starmer has urged anyone with information on the Jeffrey Epstein case to come forward after Andrew Mountbatten Windsor missed the deadline to appear in front of US Congress.
US legislators have criticised Andrew for what they describe as “silence” amid their probe into Epstein after he failed to respond to their request for an interview.
When asked about Andrew missing the deadline and whether the former princeshould help the case in any way he can, Sir Keir said on his way to the G20 summit in South Africa: “I don’t comment on this particular case.”
He added that “a general principle I’ve held for a very long time is that anybody who has got relevant information in relation to these kind of cases should give that evidence to those that need it”.
Andrew is not legally obliged to talk to Congress and has always vigorously denied any wrongdoing.
More on Andrew Mountbatten Windsor
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Image: Sir Keir Starmer spoke to reporters on his way to the G20 in South Africa. Pic: Reuters
It comes as Marjorie Taylor Greene, a loyal supporter-turned-critic of US President Donald Trump, said on Friday she is resigning from Congress in January.
Ms Greene’s resignation followed a public falling-out with Mr Trump in recent months, as the congresswoman criticised him for his stance on files related to Epstein, as well as on foreign policy and healthcare.
Members of the House Oversight Committee had requested a “transcribed interview” with Andrew in connection with his “long-standing friendship” with Epstein, the paedophile financier who took his own life in a New York prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking and conspiracy charges.
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Releasing the Epstein files: How we got here
But after saying they had not heard back, Democrats Robert Garcia and Suhas Subramanyam accused Andrew of hiding.
Their statement read: “Andrew Mountbatten Windsor’s silence in the face of the Oversight Democrat’s demand for testimony speaks volumes.
“The documents we’ve reviewed, along with public records and Virginia Roberts Giuffre’s testimony, raise serious questions he must answer, yet he continues to hide.
“Our work will move forward with or without him, and we will hold anyone who was involved in these crimes accountable, no matter their wealth, status, or political party. We will get justice for the survivors.”
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The new Epstein files: The key takeaways
It follows Andrew being stripped of his prince and Duke of York titles earlier this month.
He had previously agreed to stop using his titles, but had expected to remain a prince and retain his dukedom, ahead of the publication of the memoirs of the late Ms Giuffre, who had accused him of sexually assaulting her when she was a teenager – an accusation he denies.
A 13-year-old girl has been arrested on suspicion of murdering a woman in Swindon.
Police said the teenager was detained following an incident in Baydon Close, Moredon, in the Wiltshire town on Friday evening.
Officers responded to reports of disorder inside a house. When they arrived, a woman in her 50s living at the address was found to be not breathing. She was declared dead at the scene.
There were no other reported injuries.
Image: Forensic officers are at the scene to collect evidence
Detective Inspector Darren Ambrose, from Wiltshire Police’s major crime investigation team, said: “This is a serious incident in which a woman has sadly died.
“We have set up a cordon at the address while an investigation is carried out.
“I can confirm that we have arrested a teenage girl in connection with this incident and we are not looking for anyone else.”
Police have asked people not to speculate about the incident online as this could prejudice the case.
A police statement read: “Residents can expect to see an increased police presence in the area while we continue carrying out our enquiries into the woman’s death.
Rail fares are to be frozen for the first time in 30 years, the government has announced.
Ministers promised that millions of rail travellers will save hundreds of pounds on regulated fares, including season tickets and peak and off-peak returns between major cities.
The fare freeze applies to England and services run by English train operators.
People commuting to work three days a week using flexi-season tickets will save £315 a year travelling from Milton Keynes to London, £173 travelling from Woking to London and £57 from Bradford to Leeds, the government said.
The changes are part of Labour’s plans to rebuild a publicly owned Great British Railways. Other planned changes include tap in-tap out and digital ticketing, as well as investing in superfast Wi-Fi.
Image: The freeze applies to regulated fares, including season tickets and peak and off-peak returns. Pic: iStock
Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the government was introducing a freeze on rail fares for the first time in 30 years, which “will ease the pressure on household finances and make travelling to work, school or to visit friends and family that bit easier”.
“We all want to see cheaper rail travel, so we’re freezing fares to help millions of passengers save money,” Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said.
“Commuters on more expensive routes will save more than £300 per year, meaning they keep more of their hard-earned cash.”
Rail unions and passenger groups welcomed the move, praising how it will make travel more affordable for passengers and promote more sustainable travel alternatives.
Eddie Dempsey, general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union, said: “More affordable fares will encourage greater use of public transport, supporting jobs, giving a shot in the arm to local economies and helping to improve the environment.”
TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said the rail fare freeze “will be a huge relief to working people”.
“This is the right decision, at the right time, to help passengers be able to afford to make that journey they need to take, and to help grow our railway in this country, because the railway is Britain’s green alternative – taking cars and lorries off our congested roads and moving people and goods safely around our country in an environmentally-friendly way,” Mick Whelan, general secretary of the train drivers union Aslef, said.
The Tories welcomed the move but said the government was “late to the platform”.
Shadow transport secretary Richard Holden said: “In government, the Conservatives kept fares on the right track with below-inflation rises and consistently called for no further hikes to protect hard-working commuters.”