UK: Man charged over 2 fire attacks on people near mosques

British police have charged a 28-year-old man with two counts of attempted murder after men were set on fire near mosques.

The West Midlands Police force said Mohammed Abbkr was charged over attacks in London and Birmingham, central England.

Abbkr, who is from Birmingham, is due to appear in court on Thursday.

Abbkr is alleged to have sprayed a substance on two men and set it alight in separate incidents — one near an Islamic centre in the Ealing area of west London on February 27 and another near a mosque in Birmingham on Monday.

The Birmingham victim, 70-year-old Mohammed Rayaz, remains in a hospital with severe injuries. The 82-year-old man attacked in Ealing suffered severe burns to his face and arms.

Counterterrorism officers were supporting the investigations, but police said officers were "keeping an open mind as to any potential motivation."