Paris knife attack: what we know so far
Afghani national taken into custody following stabbings of seven people including two British tourists

Seven people were injured, four seriously, in seemingly random attacks by a knife-wielding man outside a Paris cinema on Sunday.
French authorities confirmed that they had arrested a suspect - believed to be an Afghan national - following the incident, in which two British tourists were hurt.
Deutsche Welle reports that the attacker “was carrying an iron bar and a knife when he began stabbing people” outside a cinema on the banks of the Bassin de la Villette, in the city’s 19th district, at around 11pm local time. Four of the victims are in a critical condition, the German newspaper adds.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The BBC reports that people playing a game of petanque - a French bowling game - near the cinema “threw balls at the attacker to try to stop him”.
“Around four or five balls hit him in the head, but they weren’t able to stop him,” according to eyewitness Youssef Najah.
Police said that the suspect was believed to have psychiatric and drug issues, The Daily Telegraph reports. A police investigation has been launched for attempted murder, according to a judicial source.
“At this stage, nothing leads us to believe these attacks are of a terrorist nature,” a police source told The Guardian.
A spokesperson for the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office said: “We are urgently investigating this incident and are in close contact with the French authorities.”
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Why are student loan borrowers falling behind on payments?
Today's Big Question Delinquencies surge as the Trump administration upends the program
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Not there yet: The frustrations of the pocket AI
Feature Apple rushes to roll out its ‘Apple Intelligence’ features but fails to deliver on promises
By The Week US Published
-
George Foreman: The boxing champ who reinvented home grills
Feature He helped define boxing’s golden era
By The Week US Published
-
What does the Le Pen verdict mean for the future of French politics?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION Convicted of embezzlement and slapped with a five year ban on running for public office, where does arch-conservative Marine Le Pen go from here — and will the movement she leads follow?
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
'Like a sound from hell': Serbia and sonic weapons
The Explainer Half a million people sign petition alleging Serbian police used an illegal 'sound cannon' to disrupt anti-government protests
By Abby Wilson Published
-
The arrest of the Philippines' former president leaves the country's drug war in disarray
In the Spotlight Rodrigo Duterte was arrested by the ICC earlier this month
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Ukrainian election: who could replace Zelenskyy?
The Explainer Donald Trump's 'dictator' jibe raises pressure on Ukraine to the polls while the country is under martial law
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Why Serbian protesters set off smoke bombs in parliament
THE EXPLAINER Ongoing anti-corruption protests erupted into full view this week as Serbian protesters threw the country's legislature into chaos
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Who is the Hat Man? 'Shadow people' and sleep paralysis
In Depth 'Sleep demons' have plagued our dreams throughout the centuries, but the explanation could be medical
By The Week Staff Published
-
Why Assad fell so fast
The Explainer The newly liberated Syria is in an incredibly precarious position, but it's too soon to succumb to defeatist gloom
By The Week UK Published
-
Romania's election rerun
The Explainer Shock result of presidential election has been annulled following allegations of Russian interference
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published