Category Archives: London

Sean Rigg death: Met officers’ hearing could be scrapped

Posted on by

The officers claim innocence of the 2008 death of the musician in custody in Brixton, London

The family of a man who died in police custody may suffer more delays in uncovering the truth as five officers facing a disciplinary hearing beginning on Monday morning are considering asking for the hearing to be scrapped, the Guardian has learned.

The Metropolitan police officers potentially face the sack over the 2008 death of musician Sean Rigg, 40, who died after being restrained.

Continue reading...

Women around the world march against austerity and violence

Posted on by

Tens of thousands take to city streets to protest against violence and the impact of austerity on their lives

Propelled by a mass public rendition of Sisters Are Doin’ It for Themselves and accompanied by a thudding police helicopter overhead, hundreds of protesters have rallied in central London in solidarity with an estimated 89 Women’s Marches worldwide.

In Athens, Berlin, Washington DC and Los Angeles, to name just a few, tens of thousands of demonstrators turned out to protest against violence against women and the impact of policies of austerity. They also had some choice words for Donald Trump and Theresa May.

Continue reading...

Norway’s favourite painting to go on display in London

Posted on by

Winter Night in the Mountains part of first Harald Sohlberg show outside Norway

Edvard Munch’s The Scream is a classic symbol of dread that has been hailed as the ultimate icon of contemporary politics – but a very different Norwegian painting is the country’s favourite.

Continue reading...

‘Fine to flush’ label for wet wipes to aid fight against fatbergs

Posted on by

Logo drawn up by water firms aims to ensure only wipes that degrade properly are flushed

The fight to eliminate “fatbergs” is to receive a major boost with the launch of a universal standard for wet wipes, clarifying which can be safely flushed down the toilet.

Manufacturers of wipes will be able to use a “fine to flush” symbol on their packaging – drawn up by the water industry – provided they pass stringent tests. The logo aims to reassure consumers that the products do not contain plastic and will break down in the sewer system instead of clogging up sewers and contributing to fatbergs.

Continue reading...

Murder of boy, 14, in east London was targeted attack, police say

Posted on by

Witnesses describe how teenager’s moped was hit by black Mercedes before he was stabbed by three men

The murder of a 14-year-old boy who was hit by a car and stabbed in east London was a targeted attack, police have said.

Scotland Yard said the boy was riding a moped in Leyton when the collision happened. Three men got out of the car and stabbed him before driving off. The car is thought to have been a black Mercedes B-Class that sustained extensive frontal damage.

Continue reading...

Terror plotter had 16 meetings with Prevent officers, court hears

Posted on by

Lewis Ludlow, who pleaded guilty to planning Oxford Street attack, faces sentencing

A Muslim convert plotted a terror attack on Oxford Street despite repeated attempts by authorities to deradicalise him, a court has heard.

The former Royal Mail worker Lewis Ludlow, 27, of Rochester, Kent, said he was filled with “animosity and hatred” when he swore allegiance to Islamic State, the Old Bailey heard.

Continue reading...

Sadiq Khan angers Brexiters with pro-EU fireworks display

Posted on by

Mayor uses New Year’s Eve event to send message London remains open to Europeans

If the festive season can sometimes involve trolling relatives with different political views, Sadiq Khan has arguably taken the tradition to a grand scale with a New Year’s Eve fireworks display which has prompted apoplexy among Brexiters with its pro-EU message.

The mayor hailed the event, in which the London Eye was lit up in the blue-and-yellow colours of the EU flag, as part of a wider message to Europe that the capital would stay “open-minded” and “outward looking” after Brexit.

Continue reading...

Tom Leonard: Politicians are still falling for Sacha Baron Cohen’s ridiculous disguises

Posted on by
It seems preposterous that after 20 years there's anyone left on the planet who could be taken in by Sacha Baron Cohen One minute he's a square-jawed Israeli military expert who wants to arm three-year-old children; then he's a pony-tailed ultra-liberal progressive who shares his wife with her dolphin lover; then a blond Right-wing blogger on a mobility scooter who claims he got three diseases from Barack Obama 's health care reforms. The conversations these characters engage in on screen are so preposterous that surely someone will smell a rat, but -astonishingly - they don't.

Ex-MI6 officer linked to Trump dossier ‘still working for British intelligence’

Posted on by
Russia has claimed the former MI6 officer reportedly responsible for an explosive dossier on Donald Trump may still be working for British intelligence. Christopher Steele has apparently gone into hiding after being identified as the author of the report claiming Moscow held incriminating material on the US president-elect which it could use to blackmail him.