Patient Foils Leeds Hospital Bombing

Nathan Newby, a patient at St James' Hospital in Leeds, prevented what could have been a devastating bombing by calmly talking down Mohammad Farooq, who had planned to detonate a pressure cooker bomb with 10kg of explosives. According to BBC, Newby spent two hours persuading Farooq to abandon his plan on January 20, 2023.

The would-be attacker was later convicted of preparing acts of terrorism and sentenced to a minimum of 37 years in prison. Farooq, who worked as a nursing assistant at the hospital, had targeted the maternity ward with the intention of killing as many nurses as possible. Newby, who was being treated for a chest infection at the time, approached Farooq after noticing his anxious behavior and managed to persuade him to open the bag containing the bomb.

Newby's actions were described by Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb as "amongst the most remarkable" she had ever heard. The court also revealed that Farooq had initially planned to attack RAF Menwith Hill but switched targets due to its high security. Newby will receive the George Medal, which recognizes brave civilian acts, for his heroism.

Speaking about the incident, Newby mentioned that he approached Farooq out of concern and tried to make him feel better. He also revealed that Farooq had asked for a hug before deciding to call the police. The bomb was estimated to be "double the size" of the device used in the 2013 Boston Marathon attack, which killed three people and injured hundreds.