Uniquely Nelson

Kiwi UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya walked away with a reported $1.05m after his title defence against Brazilian Paulo Costa. Adesanya made easy work of Costa with a second round TKO victory at UFC 253 at Fight Island in Abu Dabhi on Sunday. Just for showing up, the 31-year-old earned a guaranteed $915,000, which was reportedly a 10 per cent increase from his previous title defence againt Yoel Romero – and it will likely increase as his stocks continue to rise in the UFC. Aside from the base salary, Adesanya also earned $61,000 for promotional work in the lead up to the fight and claimed a 'Fight of the Night' bonus to the tune of another $76,200. Advertisement Adesanya dominated the fight, handing Costa his first loss of his professional career. And it took him just under nine minutes to do so. After the fight, he alluded to his financial windfall on Twitter, joking about buying a new Rolls Royce. *me gets a new Rolls Royce drop top coupe*Police: How much did that set ya back kid?Me: Oh this...it COSTA lot.? — Israel Adesanya (@stylebender) September 28, 2020 According to UFC president Dana White, Adesanya's bout broke several records, with the pre-fight stare-down becoming the most-watched in the organisation's history. The pay-per-view buys for the event, which hasn't been revealed, are also expected to be substantial. Despite the relatively straightforward victory, the latest win will likely be Adesanya's biggest of his career when it comes to earning him more global name-recognition and commercial opportunities. Aside from the UFC payouts, Adesanya also has several sponsorships on the go. He recently signed a deal with Puma and was on the cover of the UFC's latest video game. Adesanya has also been outspoken about the UFC's pay structure when it comes to fighters who don't make weight and called for a harsher penalty to be imposed on those fighters, who he labeled "cheats". Adesanya's City Kickboxing teammate Shane Young was knocked out on the same card over the weekend by Ludovit Klein, who was four pounds (1.81kg) over the 146-pound (66.2kg) featherweight limit. Israel Adesanya celebrates after defeating Paulo Costa. Photo / Getty Young earned 30 per cent of Klein's purse but Adesanya believes it wasn't enough and wants fighters who miss weight to receive a bigger penalty. Advertisement "It's just cheating," Adesanya said after defeating Costa. "I'm telling you, if you fine someone 90 per cent of your purse if you miss weight, I guarantee you no matter how much money you're making, no one is going to go through this whole camp, through this whole s***, and be willing to give 90 per cent of their pay to the other guy. "They will take every second to make the weight. "Even if you're making $5 million, if 90 per cent of that goes to your opponent I guarantee you people will make weight." Adesanya said Klein and Zubaira Tukhugov – who also missed weight by four pounds for his lightweight loss to Hakeem Dawodu – were unprofessional. "We [City Kickboxing] have guys like Carlos Ulberg and Blood Diamond who aren't even in the UFC yet and they were ready, they were already close to their weight, they're professionals," Adesanya said. Advertisement "So if you can't hack it, go home because we have killers who are ready to go." UFC president Dana White said Adesanya was "not wrong" but explained that any rule changes will have to come from the relevant commissions. "That's not our place, that's the commission that handles that," White said. "But he's not wrong, take 80 or 90 per cent of any body's money they're going to show up the right way."

Some 120 million rapid diagnostic tests for coronavirus will be made available to low- and middle-income countries at a maximum of $5 per unit, the World Health Organisation says. Photo: 123RF WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the manufacturers Abbott and SD Biosensor had agreed with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to "make 120 million of these new, highly portable and easy-to-use rapid Covid-19 diagnostic tests available over a period of six months". He told a news conference in Geneva the tests were currently priced at a maximum of $5 each but were expected to become cheaper. "This will enable the expansion of testing, particularly in hard-to-reach areas that do not have laboratory facilities or enough trained health workers to carry out tests," Tedros said. "This is a vital addition to the testing capacity and especially important in areas of high transmission." In other international Covid-19 developments: According to researchers at Johns Hopkins University, there have been almost one million confirmed deaths from Covid-19 in the world. But the number is likely to be an underestimate as testing rates in many countries remain low, with virus-related deaths not being recorded. The number of new COVID-19 cases in the United States has risen for two weeks in a row in 27 out of 50 states, with North Carolina and New Mexico both reporting increases above 50 percent last week, according to a Reuters analysis. Quebec, the Canadian province hardest hit by the novel coronavirus, reported another sharp increase in daily infections on Monday, amid media reports that Premier Francois Legault would announce new restrictions for Montreal and capital Quebec City The British government tightened restrictions on socialising in parts of northeast England in response to high and increasing Covid-19 infection rates in the region. From Wednesday, residents in seven areas including urban centres such as Newcastle, Gateshead, Sunderland and Durham will be barred from socialising indoors with people from outside their household or strictly defined social bubble. - Reuters, BBC

Members of the East Grinstead Rugby Football Club have paid tribute to London Met Police officer, Matiu Ratana - known as Matt to his friends, who was a role model to many as their coach. On Friday, Sergeant Ratana was shot dead by a handcuffed suspect who was in custody. The club held two periods of silence on Sunday - at 9.30am and 11am - to remember Sergeant Ratana and flew the club's flag at half-mast alongside the New Zealand flag and the All Blacks flag to honour his roots. At the 11am minute, there were about 500 to 700 people and when the minute's silence was up, Sussex's East Grinstead Rugby Football Club assistant coach Ryan Morlen said no one wanted to move. East Grinstead Rugby Football Club's tribute to Matt Ratana. Photo: East Grinstead RFC / Facebook "It was just in that moment then it felt a little more real. It felt as everyone had really lost a true friend, a true role model ... and then as they do how Matt would have liked it, they picked up a rugby ball and played again." Morlen told Morning Report he knew Ratana for about five to six years through the gym and then rugby. "[He was] really really passionate about rugby ... just a really kind bloke who could speak to absolutely anyone. "That was just Matt, he was just the loveliest of blokes." Morlen said he found out about Ratana's death when he saw the news that a sergeant had been shot at in Croydon. "At that moment it was unofficial but kind of tying things together it was highly likely it was going to be Matt. I knew he was on that shift there." He said Ratana as head coach had built a strong foundation for the rugby club. "Everyone's devastated. "He really has left a mark on so many people from senior men's rugby to women's rugby, to juniors. At that rugby club he's had the chance to coach everyone. He's just a real club man, he's really bought in ... he's laid the foundation. "His passing is terribly difficult for a lot of people at that rugby club." Clubs around the country have been holding a minute's applause in memory of Police Sergeant Matiu Ratana.Matt was Director of Rugby @RugbyEGRFC and a huge part of our rugby family. https://t.co/cW0Li2MvKI — England Rugby (@EnglandRugby) September 27, 2020 Morlen said although Ratana was involved in the coaching and training, he also sunk his teeth into various aspects like getting sponsors and deciding the type of kits. "He just wanted what was best for others. he was not a selfish person at all ... just a superb bloke." Morlen, who has been at the club only six months, hopes to carry on Ratana's legacy. "We need to continue building the rugby club as a community. Stopping now is not what he would have wanted." Ratana's cousin, Adrian Rurahwe, said friends and family are devastated by the news. "Not only to lose a close relative but the nature in which he was taken," Rurahwe said. The family was looking to hold a commemoration, but needed to take into consideration travel and health restrictions in light of Covid-19. He said the distance between New Zealand and the UK had also made things more difficult. "We're half a world away, so that's impacted on our ability to carry out all of the cultural aspects of losing someone close to you." He said family members were looking to go over to the UK and were in contact with friends of Ratana there. @WorcsRugbyClub girls junior section paying respects to #SgtMattRatana and all others in the #ThinBlueLine @metpoliceuk @RugbyEGRFC #NationalPoliceMemorialDay pic.twitter.com/ucGhgRQFNs — Butters Ant (@rugby_dad_146) September 27, 2020 Thank you to all the wonderful residents who have attended the police station with flowers, cards and pure love for #SgtMattRatanaWe are very taken aback and really appreciate your gestures. pic.twitter.com/ZkBhediB5Z — Hackney Police (gov.uk/coronavirus) (@MPSHackney) September 27, 2020

A man has been arrested on suspicion of supplying a firearm as part of the investigation into the fatal shooting of New Zealand-born police officer Matiu Ratana in London. Matiu Ratana was fatally shot as a handcuffed suspect was being taken into custody in Croyden, London, on Friday. Photo: Hackney Police The 54-year-old custody sergeant died in hospital after being shot at the Croydon custody centre as a handcuffed suspect was taken into custody on Friday morning. The man is then believed to have turned the gun on himself, and remains in hospital. "He is in a critical condition and consequently we are not able to speak to him," the police said. Police said another man was arrested in the early hours of Sunday in Norwich, Norfolk, on suspicion of supplying a firearm. The second arrest came as Sgt Ratana was remembered by friends and teammates at East Grinstead Rugby Club, where he was head coach. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told Morning Report Police Commissioner Andrew Coster was in contact with his counterpart in the UK over the "tragic loss" of Ratana, who had family here and other ties to New Zealand. If his family were to travel there for the funeral and return, the cost of their managed isolation would be covered by the 'humanitarian reasons' exemption, Ardern said. The West Sussex club's vice chairman Matt Marriot said they had to arrange two separate minute's silences because the "interest has been pretty enormous", with "people coming from all over the country". He said Sgt Ratana, who was known as Matt, had been "a role model, a mentor and often a father figure", and the club mourned him "as a family member". PC Sarah D'Silva, who plays for the club's women's team as well as working at Croydon Police Station, said it felt "extremely poignant" joining the minute's silence. She wore her police uniform to pay her respects to Sgt Ratana, who she described as "an absolutely fantastic character, full of life, with the biggest smile you've ever seen". Met Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick, speaking at the National Police Memorial in central London earlier, said she "hadn't been surprised at all" by the number of tributes paid to him. "Matt was an extraordinary person... he had a wonderful personality and he was very good at his job," she said, adding that he was a "proud Kiwi". Prince Charles also paid tribute to Sgt Ratana during a National Police Memorial Day service, saying his death was the "latest heartbreaking evidence of the risks". Searches continue at Croydon Custody Centre, where the shooting happened, an address in Park Road, Banstead, Surrey, and an address in Southbrook Road, Norbury. Residents near one of the search areas, in Banstead, Surrey, reported hearing a loud noise on Saturday morning. and were later told that a controlled explosion had taken place. The Banstead address is down a long driveway and its land contains a series of concrete bunkers. A marked police car has been guarding the entrance to the property. - Reuters / BBC / RNZ

Residents of Lake Jackson, Texas, have been urged not to use tap water because it might be contaminated with a deadly brain-eating microbe. File photo. Photo: 123RF The local water authority warned of the potential contamination of its supply to the town - home to about 27,000 people - by Naegleria fowleri. The amoeba typically infects people when contaminated water enters the body through the nose. It is usually fatal. Infections are rare in the US, with 34 reported between 2009 and 2018. Eight Texas communities were told on Friday night not to use their water supply for any reason except to flush toilets. But the warning was lifted on Saturday for everywhere but Lake Jackson. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality said residents of Lake Jackson should continue to avoid using tap water "until the water system has been adequately flushed and samples indicate that the water is safe to use". It said it is not yet known how long this will take. Naegleria fowleri is found around the world. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says the majority of infections in the US have been caused by contaminated freshwater in southern states. The CDC says people cannot get infected by swallowing contaminated water, and it cannot be passed from person to person. Those infected with Naegleria fowleri have symptoms including fever, nausea and vomiting, as well as a stiff neck and headaches. Most die within a week. An infection was previously confirmed in the US state of Florida earlier this year. At the time, health officials there urged locals to avoid nasal contact with water from taps and other sources. - BBC

Susan Ryan, a trailblazing figure for women in politics who later served as Australia's first age discrimination commissioner, has died aged 77. Susan Ryan, former Australian minister. Photo: Supplied / Twitter Ryan served as a minister in Bob Hawke's Labor government, holding titles including special minister of state, minister for education and minister assisting the prime minister for the status women. She was the first woman to hold the portfolio relating to women's affairs, and the first female minister from the Labor Party. Key laws enshrining opportunity and rights for women were legislated on her watch, including the Sex Discrimination Act. She would later be quoted as calling the Sex Discrimination Act "probably the most useful thing I've done in my life". Ryan was elected to the Senate in 1975 as one of the first representatives for the ACT after it was granted two seats in the Senate. She remained in Parliament for 12 years before retiring in 1987. In 2011 she was appointed Australia's first age discrimination commissioner, later also serving as disability discrimination commissioner. - ABC

US President Donald Trump announces Amy Coney Barrett as his nomination for the Supreme Court. Photo: Getty Images US President Donald Trump has announced conservative appellate judge Amy Coney Barrett as his third US Supreme Court appointment, setting off a scramble in the Republican-led Senate to confirm her before Election Day in five-and-a-half weeks. Barrett appeared at the White House with Trump as he made the announcement. Trump called her "one of our nation's most brilliant and gifted legal minds." If confirmed to replace liberal icon Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died at age 87 on 18 September, Barrett would become the fifth woman ever to serve on the top US judicial body and push its conservative majority to a commanding 6-3. With Trump's fellow Republicans controlling the Senate, confirmation appears certain, though Democrats may try to make the process as difficult as possible. Barrett, 48, was appointed by Trump to the Chicago-based 7th US Circuit Court of Appeals in 2017 and is a favourite of religious conservatives, a key Trump voter bloc. Conservative activists have hailed Trump's selection, which surfaced on Friday night, while liberals have voiced dismay. Like Trump's two other appointees, Neil Gorsuch in 2017 and Brett Kavanaugh in 2018, Barrett is young enough that she could serve for decades. Barrett is the youngest Supreme Court nominee since conservative Clarence Thomas was 43 in 1991. The White House ceremony was decorated with American flags arranged in a way similar to the day when President Bill Clinton nominated Ginsburg in 1993. A makeshift memorial in honour of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in front of the US Supreme Court Photo: AFP The selection kicks off a flurry of activity that must take place before the final confirmation vote, including public hearings in the coming weeks before the Senate Judiciary Committee. A White House source said the nominee on Tuesday will begin the traditional courtesy calls on individual senators in their offices, with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell up first. White House Counsel Pat Cipollone is expected to shepherd the nomination. Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, who mounted an angry defense of Kavanaugh during tense confirmation hearings in 2018, has signalled he expects to have Barrett confirmed as a justice by the 3 November election in which Trump is seeking a second term. Democrats are still furious over McConnell's 2016 refusal to consider President Barack Obama's Supreme Court nomination of Merrick Garland because it came during an election year. Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has said the winner of the election should get to replace Ginsburg. Republicans hold a 53-47 Senate majority. Only two Republican senators have opposed proceeding with the confirmation process. Abortion rights advocates have voiced concern that Barrett, a devout Roman Catholic, could cast a vote for overturning the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling legalising abortion nationwide. Jeanne Mancini, president of March for Life, an anti-abortion group, in a statement on Saturday expressed confidence that Barrett "will fairly apply the law and Constitution as written, which includes protecting the most vulnerable in our nation: our unborn children." Brian Burch, president of CatholicVote, a faith-based advocacy group, added, "Catholics are thrilled with the expected nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett and believe she represents the best choice to protect the rule of law and our constitutional rights." Abortion rights groups and other liberal-leaning organisations announced plans for a protest against her nomination on Sunday in front of the Supreme Court. Barrett has staked out conservative legal positions in three years on the bench, voting in favor of one of Trump's hardline immigration policies and showing support for expansive gun rights. She also authored a ruling making it easier for college students accused of campus sexual assaults to sue their institutions. Amy Coney Barrett. Photo: AFP / University of Notre Dame / Julian Velasco She and her lawyer husband have seven children, two of whom were adopted from Haiti. Born in New Orleans, Barrett received her law degree from Notre Dame Law School, a Catholic institution in Indiana. The other finalist mentioned by Trump to fill the vacancy was Barbara Lagoa, a Cuban-American federal appeals court judge from Florida who he appointed last year. Trump has said he wants his nominee confirmed before the election so she would be able participate in any election-related cases that reach the justices, potentially casting a key vote in his favor. A US presidential election's outcome only once has been determined by the Supreme Court, in 2000 when it clinched Republican George W. Bush's victory over Democrat Al Gore. Trump has repeatedly without evidence said voting by mail, a regular feature of American elections, will lead to voter fraud. He also has refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power should he lose the election. This marks the first time since 1956 that a US president has moved to fill a Supreme Court vacancy so close to an election. In that year, President Dwight Eisenhower three weeks before winning re-election placed William Brennan on the court using a procedure called a "recess appointment" that bypassed the Senate, a tactic no longer available for installing justices. An emboldened Supreme Court conservative majority could shift the United States to the right on hot-button issues by, among other things, curbing abortion rights, expanding religious rights, striking down gun control laws, and endorsing new restrictions on voting rights.

It can be tempting to think of Covid-19 patients as falling into one of two categories. Covid-19 patients have reported 'brain fog' months after being infected Photo: 123RF / Olga Yastremska and Leonid Yastremskiy Category 1: young, otherwise healthy individuals who experience mild symptoms and recover at home. Category 2: older people and people with pre-existing health conditions who become seriously ill and go to hospital. While it's true that there is a spectrum of risk when it comes to severity of disease, it's become increasingly clear that not everyone fits neatly into one of these categories. For many people, the labels of "mild" or "severe", "sick" or "recovered" are blurred by their experience of ongoing, sometimes debilitating symptoms weeks or months after they first were infected. Both anecdotal reports and a growing body of research suggest persistent fatigue, breathlessness, "brain fog" and muscle aches, among other symptoms, are plaguing people some time after their infection has cleared. So what do we know about the lingering health effects of coronavirus, and how concerned should we be? Health effects can linger for months It's difficult to say what proportion of people with Covid-19 face medium- to long-term health impacts given how new the virus still is, said Dr Kirsty Short, a virologist at the University of Queensland. "It's definitely happening, I just don't think we have a grip on how common it is," Short said. In July, researchers in Italy found almost 90 per cent of patients with acute infections were still experiencing symptoms two months later. Research from the US and UK, following a much broader group of people affected by Covid-19, suggests symptoms persist in about 10 to 15 per cent of cases. In the same way the virus can sometimes cause serious illness in young, otherwise healthy individuals, lingering symptoms appear to affect people of all ages, including those with no underlying health conditions. Lasting effects are also not restricted to those who experience severe illness when they're first infected. People who are asymptomatic or have a mild case of Covid-19 can also face prolonged illness. Sometimes, these symptoms take weeks or months to appear. The virus affects multiple organs SARS-CoV-2 is primarily thought of as a respiratory virus, but the damage caused by Covid-19 is not always restricted to the lungs. The virus binds to the body's ACE2 receptors, which are found in large numbers in the respiratory tract, but also in the heart, blood vessels, kidneys, liver and gastrointestinal tract. In some cases, it may be that the virus itself is causing damage to the body's organs. But researchers suspect it's high levels of inflammation in the body - triggered by the immune system trying to get rid of the virus - that's wreaking havoc, even after the infection has cleared. "Most likely, they've had this overwhelming inflammatory response - which we know happens in COVID-19 patients - and then that's had knock-on effects." Covid-19 can damage multiple organ systems, including: Lungs: Lungs can be damaged when the virus enters the cells of the airways. It can cause scarred, stiff tissue that makes it difficult for the lungs to do their job of oxygenating the blood - leaving people breathless. Heart: The virus can cause inflammation of the heart muscle or heart failure when the organ doesn't pump blood as well as it should. The heart can also fail from lack of oxygen. Brain: If the virus enters the brain, it can cause a sudden and severe infection. Neurological symptoms may also be a result of inflammation in the brain or strokes caused by blood clots. Covid-19 coronavirus particles. Photo: AFP Symptoms seen in other infections Self-described as Covid-19 "long haulers", some patients describe debilitating fatigue, difficulty exercising, and general "brain fog" months after their infection has cleared. Short said post-viral fatigue is seen in other viral infections too. "We know that Epstein-Barr virus, which causes glandular fever, has also been linked to chronic fatigue syndrome," she said. Similarly, there is evidence to suggest Covid-19 can cause heart damage, which is not unusual for a virus, said Dr Linda Gallo of the University of Queensland. "We know from SARS that there was evidence of cardiovascular involvement," said Gallo, who is researching how coronavirus affects the heart. "However it was generally considered to be pretty self-limiting, and not persisting beyond the period of recovery. While research on long-term cardiovascular effects is limited, Gallo said some of the preliminary evidence is concerning. "The fact there are people who [have] recovered at home and had fairly mild symptoms are now showing evidence of heart damage is problematic, and surprising." Gallo is part of a study investigating the longer-term effects of Covid-19, especially on people with diabetes, and is currently looking for people who have had coronavirus to participate in a study. Although it's too early to say what the impact is on people with existing diabetes, she said there is a possibility Covid-19 might be linked to the onset of diabetes. "The thought is that the virus directly attacks the pancreas. That's just a hypothesis - there's not direct evidence of that at this point," she said. "It could be multifactorial, so a combination of direct virus effects as well as an overall hyperinflammatory response." A timely reminder There are multiple studies now underway to investigate whether Covid-19 leaves a lasting health impact, and if so, to what extent. Short said without long-term studies, it's difficult to know how concerned we should be about Covid-19 in contrast to other existing viral infections. "The question is: If you took a virus of similar severity and similar duration, would you also see long-term complications?" she said. "It's very possible that we're just seeing this with SARS-COV-2 because of the sheer numbers of people being infected." Even still, the emergence of symptoms down the track is a reminder of why it's important to take precautions. "I think it's just another reason as to why we're taking all these measures ... because you just don't want to get this virus if you don't have to." - ABC

US President Donald Trump has revealed his nomination to fill the vacancy on the US Supreme Court left by the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Amy Coney Barrett Photo: AFP / University of Notre Dame / Julian Velasco His choice federal appeals court judge Amy Coney Barrett, 48, is known for her conservative religious views. Trump has said he will formally announce on Saturday his choice to replace Ginsburg, the liberal icon who died on 18 September at age 87. The Republican president had multiple times this week mentioned Barrett as under consideration. Two sources confirmed on Friday that Trump plans to nominate Barrett, but warned that Trump could change his mind. Trump himself told reporters on Friday that he had made his decision, but declined to say who his pick was. Barrett was appointed by Trump to the Chicago-based 7th US Circuit Court of Appeals in 2017 and is known for her conservative religious views. Supreme Court justices are given lifetime appointments. If confirmed, Trump's nominee would give conservatives a commanding 6-3 majority on the court at a time of intense political divisions in the United States. Barrett has been viewed as a frontrunner throughout, along with fellow federal appeals court judge Barbara Lagoa. Barrett previously served as a clerk to conservative Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, who died in 2016. Trump said he did not meet with Lagoa during a campaign trip to Florida. Trump's nominee has what appears to be a clear path to Senate confirmation before the 3 November presidential election, with Republicans holding a 53-47 majority in the chamber and only two senators in his party indicating opposition to moving forward with the process. Democrats have objected to the Senate acting on Trump's nominee in light of the decision by Republicans in the chamber in 2016 to refuse to consider Democratic President Barack Obama's nominee to replace Scalia after he died during a presidential election year. Trump has made two previous Supreme Court appointments: Neil Gorsuch in 2017 and Brett Kavanaugh in 2018. Ginsburg, a champion of gender equality and various liberal causes, made history again on Friday as the first woman and first Jewish person to lie in state in the US Capitol. Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden attended the ceremony a day after Trump was greeted with jeers and boos by a nearby crowd as he visited Ginsburg's flag-draped coffin outside the Supreme Court building. - Reuters

Two people have been stabbed and seriously hurt in Paris near the former offices of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. Military and police deployed on Boulevard Richard-Lenoir, near where the attack took place. Photo: AFP / Marie Magnin / Hans Lucas Two suspects have been arrested. One of them was seized in the nearby Bastille area with blood on his clothing, police told the BBC. Anti-terrorism police have taken over the investigation. A security cordon has been set up in the 11th arrondissement in eastern Paris. Nearby metro stations were closed and five schools in the area immediately went into lockdown. The schools were allowed to reopen some hours later. A blade - described as a machete or a meat cleaver - was recovered at the scene of the attack near the Boulevard Richard-Lenoir. Police quoted by French media said the "main suspect" was from Pakistan and the second person arrested was from Algeria. They have not yet been named and any connection between them has not been disclosed. The conditions of the victims have not been made public although French Prime Minister Jean Castex told reporters at the scene that their lives were not in danger. The attack comes as a high-profile trial is under way in Paris of 14 people accused of helping two jihadists carry out the 2015 attack on Charlie Hebdo, in which 12 people were killed. The two people wounded were staff at a TV production company, one of their colleagues told AFP news agency. "Two colleagues were smoking a cigarette outside the building, in the street. I heard shouting. I went to the window and saw one of my colleagues, covered in blood, being chased by a man with a machete in the street," another member of staff at the Premières Lignes production firm said. The firm has offices in the Rue Nicolas Appert, a side street off Boulevard Richard Lenoir where the former Charlie Hebdo offices are located. A mural to the 12 people killed in the Charlie Hebdo attack is nearby. The satirical magazine has since moved to a secret location. Castex visited the scene accompanied by Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo. The prime minister reiterated the government's "firm commitment to combat terrorism by all possible means". At a news conference, anti-terrorism prosecutor Jean-François Ricard confirmed that the "main perpetrator" had been arrested and said a "second individual" was also in custody. "The investigation will continue," he said. Charles Michel, President of the European Council and former Belgian PM, expressed his "full solidarity with the French people". "All my thoughts are with the victims of this cowardly act of violence. Terror has no place on European territory," he tweeted. In a tweet, Charlie Hebdo expressed its "support and solidarity with its former neighbours... and the people affected by this odious attack". Charlie Hebdo has marked the start of the trial by reprinting controversial cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad that sparked protests in several Muslim countries. In response, the militant group al-Qaeda renewed its threat to the magazine. The magazine's head of human resources said earlier this week that she had moved out of her home after receiving death threats. The defendants in the trial are also accused of helping another jihadist carry out a related attack in which he shot dead a policewoman, then attacked a Jewish store, killing four people. The 17 victims were killed over a period of three days. All three attackers were killed by police. The killings marked the beginning of a wave of jihadist attacks across France that left more than 250 people dead. - BBC