DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

LONDON (AP) — Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced Wednesday that he’s delaying by five years a ban on new gas and diesel cars that had been due to take effect in 2030, watering down climate goals that he said imposed “unacceptable costs” on ordinary people. U.K. greenhouse gas emissions have fallen by 46% from 1990 levels, mainly because of the almost complete removal of coal from electricity generation. The government had pledged to reduce emissions by 68% of 1990 levels by 2030 and to reach net zero by 2050. Automakers, who have invested heavily in the switch to electric vehicles, expressed frustration at the government’s change of plan. Ford U.K. head Lisa Brankin said the company had invested 430 million pounds ($530 million) to build electric cars in Britain.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Sunak, ”, Boris Johnson, backtrack, Prince William —, Will McCallum, Lisa Brankin, Richard Burge, Tara, Hargreaves Lansdown, Clee, Sadiq Khan, Alok Sharma, Peter Cox Organizations: —, Conservative Party, Former, United Nations General Assembly, Greenpeace, Ford, London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Britain’s Conservatives, Labour, London’s Labour, BBC, Global Systems Institute, University of Exeter Locations: New York, Britain, London Uxbridge, Glasgow

☆ The UK is delaying the switch to electric cars. Automakers are furious
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

A relaxation of 2030 would undermine all three,” Ford (F) UK chair Lisa Brankin said in a statement. “We and the whole automotive industry [need] clarity on the [EV] topic,” the German carmaker said in a statement shared with CNN. ‘Confusion’ will delay switch to EVsThe UK auto industry has been clawing its way back from rock bottom after car manufacturing hit a 66-year low in 2022. Reducing emissions from road transport “is the only way that you will achieve net zero,” Hawes told the BBC. The government’s own independent adviser on climate policy, the Climate Change Committee shares that view.

Persons: carmakers, Rishi Sunak, Sunak, “, ”, Sunak’s, ” Ford, Lisa Brankin, Brankin, carmaker, Mike Hawes, ” Hawes, Jobs, Sadiq Khan, ” Sunak, “ We’re, Alok Sharma, Simon Clarke, EVs, — Gemma Blundell, Doyle, Anna Cooban, Laura Paddison, Rob Picheta Organizations: London CNN, BMW, Oxford, Swindon, CNN, Fiat, Peugeot, Fiat Chrysler, France’s, India’s Tata Group, Society of Motor Manufacturers, Traders, BBC, Conservative Party, Labour Party’s London, Conservative Locations: Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Canada, Sweden, Ellesmere Port, Liverpool, Britain, London, Glasgow

☆ Vogue World: Stars flock to Britain’s answer to the Met Gala
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Nicole Mowbray | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

London, UK CNN —It was billed as Britain’s answer to the Met Gala, and last night’s inaugural “Vogue World” at the Theatre Royal on London’s Drury Lane didn’t disappoint. Vianney Le Caer/Invision/APActress and singer Dove Cameron went back to the future in a shiny silver suit and matching bikini top. Vianney Le Caer/Invision/Vianney Le Caer/Invision/APThe late Queen Elizabeth II's granddaughter, Princess Eugenie, looked elegant in an emerald silk dress by Fendi. Vianney Le Caer/Invision/APKate Winslet went for casual chic in a loose-fit two-piece white suit with a beige bustier underneath. Vianney Le Caer/Invision/APRita Ora arrived in a black Alaïa mermaid gown sourced from eBay.

Persons: Lane didn’t, Anna Wintour, Edward Enninful —, Sienna Miller, Miller, Beatrice, Eugenie, Richard Quinn, Fendi, Yui Mok, Sadiq Khan, Baz Luhrmann, Kate Winslet, Jared Leto, Jodie Turner Smith, Maisie Williams, Stella McCartney, Christopher Kane, Victoria Beckham, Olivier, Stephen Daldry, John Galliano, Kate Moss, Hongni Wu, Rambert, Stormzy, Sophie Okonedo, Damien Lewis, Cush Jumbo, James Corden, Damian Lewis, James McAvoy, “, Annie Lennox, Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington, Mike Marsland, AJ Odudu, Robert Wun, Vianney Le Caer, Dove Cameron, Queen Elizabeth II's, Princess Eugenie, Fendi . Vianney Le Caer, Princess Beatrice, David M, Alison Mosshart, Alexa Chung, Nicklas Skovgaard, Anna Shaffer, David Fisher, Carrie Mulligan, Henry Nicholls, Jenna Coleman, Peter Pan, May Jagger, Jerry Hall, Mick Jagger, Vivienne Westwood, Tom Daley, Gemma Chan, Louis Vuitton, Rita Ora, Hollie Adams Organizations: UK CNN, Theatre Royal, US, British Vogue, London, London’s, BAFTA, National Theatre, Royal Opera House, Royal Ballet, Southbank Sinfonia, Rambert, Getty, Rodarte’s, MTV, Model, eBay, Reuters Locations: London, UK, British, Invision, AFP

☆ ULEZ: London is about to become a very expensive place for polluting cars
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Olesya Dmitracova | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

London CNN —If you drive an older, polluting car anywhere in London, starting Tuesday you’ll have to pay a princely charge of £12.50 ($15.70) per day. That followed the implementation of road pricing in 2003 aimed at reducing congestion in central London. The charge applies 24/7 to gasoline cars generally first registered before 2006 and diesel cars registered before October 2015. New York City is now finally catching up. The New York toll is designed to lower the number of vehicles entering the congestion zone by at least 10% every day.

Persons: Sadiq Khan, Kathy Hochul, —, Boris Johnson, Khan Organizations: London CNN, ”, Gov, US Department of Transportation, New, Uxbridge, Khan’s Labour Party, Conservative Locations: London, Stockholm, Singapore, New York City, Manhattan, York, New Jersey, New York

☆ London's contentious clean air zone ULEZ extends to entire city
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Sachin Ravikumar | Thomson Reuters | Sachin Ravikumar Is A Correspondent For Reuters In London Covering General News Across The Uk. Over Nine Years At Reuters | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Signage is seen along the existing boundary of London's Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) zone ahead of proposed upcoming expansion, in London, Britain, August 22, 2023. The Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) was introduced in 2019 in a small part of central London and was further expanded in 2021. London Mayor Sadiq Khan says the expansion will reduce deaths from illnesses linked to air pollution and help to curb climate change. Khan told the BBC on Tuesday that introducing the expanded zone was difficult but necessary. Protesters have taken out their ire on ULEZ enforcement cameras, with London's Metropolitan Police recording 164 stolen and 185 damaged cameras as of Aug. 1.

Persons: Toby Melville, Sadiq Khan, Khan, ULEZ, Sachin Ravikumar, Kylie MacLellan, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, London, BBC, Reuters, London's Metropolitan Police, Labour Party, Labour, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Europe, Brussels

☆ London's clean-air zone expansion hit by camera vandalism
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Signage indicates the boundary of London's Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) beside the South Circular road ahead of proposed upcoming expansion, in London, Britain, August 4, 2023. REUTERS/Susannah Ireland/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Hundreds of cameras installed on London's roads to enforce a clean-air zone that imposes a daily charge on some motorists have been vandalised amid fierce opposition to its upcoming expansion, police said on Friday. The Aug. 29 expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) has been championed by London Mayor Sadiq Khan as essential to bring down deaths linked to air pollution and combat climate change. London's Metropolitan Police said it had recorded hundreds of crimes relating to ULEZ cameras, with 164 being stolen and 185 reports of cables being damaged as of Aug. 1. ($1 = 0.7871 pounds)Reporting by Sachin Ravikumar, Editing by Kylie MacLellanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Susannah Ireland, Sadiq Khan, Owain Richards, ULEZ, Khan, Sachin Ravikumar, Kylie MacLellan Organizations: REUTERS, London, London's Metropolitan Police, . Police, Transport, Labour Party, Labour, Thomson Locations: London, Britain

☆ Fact Check-ULEZ: Most new vehicles exempt from London clean air zone fee
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Most petrol vehicles under 16 years old and diesel vehicles under 6 years old are exempt from London’s Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) charges, a scheme expanded in August by London Mayor Sadiq Khan to tackle air pollution. This is contrary to a claim online that only electric vehicles avoid the fee. The TfL spokesperson said: “Most petrol vehicles under 16 years old or diesel vehicles under 6 years old already meet the emissions standards”. TfL’s website here says: “To meet the ULEZ emissions standard, your vehicle must meet the required Euro emissions standard for your vehicle and emission type.”Electric vehicles have no emissions and are exempt (here). Vehicles meeting the required Euro emissions standard to avoid paying ULEZ fees include some petrol and diesel vehicles manufactured in recent years.

Persons: Sadiq Khan, “, Read Organizations: London, Transport, TfL, European, Reuters, Vehicles

☆ Fact Check-Not all vehicles to places of worship are exempt from London emissions-zone charge
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

However, minibuses used for community transport by non-profit organisations, including to places of worship, are temporarily exempt from ULEZ charges. Social media accounts are circulating an image of an unattributed newspaper clipping reporting “Journeys to Houses Of Worship Exempt From ULEZ” (here, here, here and here). However, there is no exemption in place specifically for journeys undertaken to a place of worship, they added. ULEZ exemption details can be found on the TfL website (here). But there is no exemption in place specifically for journeys undertaken to a place of worship under ULEZ.

Persons: London Sadiq Khan, ” Khan, Khan “, ”, Sadiq Khan, Khan, Read Organizations: Transport, London, TfL, Muslim Observer, Reuters Locations: London

☆ From Washington to Warsaw, a ‘greenlash’ is picking up steam despite extreme heat
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

A pushback against climate policies is not just a U.S. issue. Reprisals over climate policies come at a time of record-breaking extreme heat across the globe, with July poised to be the hottest month in human history. Ruling party leader Jarosław Kaczyński described the bloc's green policies as "madness" and akin to "green communism." "At the moment, it looks like green parties are not doing going fantastically well. "The IRA is called an IRA, it is not called a climate act because there's no way that you could get Democrats and Republicans to agree on something called climate," Tocci said.

Persons: Henry Nicholls, Ron DeSantis, DeSantis, ESG, —, Kevin McCarthy, Drew Angerer, Nathalie Tocci, Tocci, U.N, António, Sadiq Khan's, Jarosław Kaczyński, Emmanuel Macron, Alexander De Croo, Ursula von der, Kenzo Tribouillard, Joe Biden's, Mark Rutte's, …, Jan Willem Erisman, Mateusz Morawiecki, Michal Hetmanski Organizations: Afp, Getty, Republican Gov, House, Biden, U.S, Capitol, Istituto, CNBC, Farmer, Movement, Internazionali, Belgian, Belgium's, IRA, BBB, Farmers, Anadolu Agency, Getty Images, Leiden University Locations: London, Marble, U.S, Europe, Florida, Washington ,, Italian, Poland, Ostend, European, Netherlands, The Hague, Polish, Warsaw

☆ The UK once vowed to be a global climate leader. Now Rishi Sunak is stoking a culture war on green policies
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Rob Picheta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Since becoming prime minister, critics say he has diminished the UK's standing as a leader on the climate. A Just Stop Oil protester disrupts a match at July's Wimbledon Championships. Foreign Office minister Zac Goldsmith resigned in June, lambasting Sunak’s climate policies. A North Sea oil rig off the coast of Scotland. Sunak's decision to expand drilling in the North Sea was criticized by climate experts.

Persons: Boris Johnson, Queen Elizabeth II, Rishi Sunak’s, Sunak, DANIEL LEAL, ” Luke Murphy, they’ve, Murphy, ”, “, We’ve, ” Murphy, Steve Tuckwell, Tuckwell, Hannah Mckay, Grant Shapps, Keir Starmer, ” Tim Bale, “ Uxbridge, ” Bale, Sadiq Khan, Khan nodded, Rishi Sunak, Zac Goldsmith, Chris Skidmore, ” Skidmore, – Organizations: London CNN, Telegraph, Getty, CNN, Conservative Party, Conservatives, Labour Party, July's Wimbledon, Reuters, Energy, Queen Mary University in, “, Office, National Statistics, London’s, Foreign, Conservative, Uxbridge Locations: Britain, Glasgow, North, Sunak, Uxbridge, London, Queen Mary University in London, Europe, lambasting, Scotland

☆ Expansion to London clean-air zone to go ahead after court rejects challenge
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Sam Tobin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Five affected Conservative-led local authorities argued the decision to expand ULEZ was unlawful, but their legal challenge was rejected on Friday. "This landmark decision is good news as it means we can proceed with cleaning up the air in outer London," Khan said in a statement following the ruling. Britain's green agenda has been in focus over the past week after the governing Conservative Party won an election in former Prime Minister Boris Johnson's old seat just outside central London, in part by attacking the ULEZ expansion. Judge Jonathan Swift rejected all three grounds of challenge to the expansion of ULEZ, including that the public consultation on the proposed expansion was unlawful. ($1 = 0.7809 pounds)Reporting by Sam Tobin, Editing by Kylie MacLellan and Tomasz JanowskiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sadiq Khan, Khan, Boris Johnson's, Keir Starmer, Conservative – Johnson, Jonathan Swift, Sam Tobin, Kylie MacLellan, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: London's Labour, Conservative, Transport, Conservative Party, Labour Party's, London, Thomson Locations: British, Greater London, leafier, London

☆ Brexit, the Disaster No One Wants to Talk About - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Michelle Goldberg | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Seven years ago, Brexit was an early augur of the revolt against cosmopolitanism that swept Donald Trump into power. But while America can’t stop talking about Trump, many in the U.K. can scarcely stand to think about Brexit. “It’s so toxic,” Tobias Ellwood, a Tory lawmaker who has called on his colleagues to admit that Brexit was a mistake, told me. “Those voters do not want to have a conversation about Brexit,” said Joshua Simons, the director of Labour Together, a think tank close to Labour leadership. He cites a point that a mentor of his, the political philosopher Danielle Allen, made after the 2016 vote.

Persons: I’ve, Brexit, Donald Trump, Trump, —, “, Tobias Ellwood, ”, Sadiq Khan, “ I’m, Joshua Simons, Simons, there’s, Danielle Allen, ” Simons Organizations: Tory, London, Labour Party, Labour, European Union Locations: U.S, U.K, Midlands, Northern England

☆ Fact Check-Satirical article about London mayor melting Winston Churchill statue taken as real
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A satirical article that claims Mayor of London Sadiq Khan is planning to make commemorative Pride coins by melting down a statue of former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill is being taken seriously by some social media users. The article (here) was published on a website called The Upper Lip, which says on its ‘About Us’ page that it is “a satirical news” and “comedy” publication (theupperlip.co.uk/about-us/). Its headline reads: “Sadiq Khan Plans To ‘Melt Down Churchill Statue’ And Turn It Into Commemorative Pride Coins.”The article was uploaded on to The Upper Lip’s Twitter account (here), where it has been viewed more than 200,000 times. A spokesperson for the Mayor of London responded to the claim, telling Reuters: “This is completely untrue.”VERDICTSatire. The article stems from a website which says its content is satirical and comedic.

Persons: London Sadiq Khan, Winston Churchill, “ Sadiq Khan, “, Sadiq Khan, Read Organizations: British, Twitter, Facebook, Mayor, Reuters Locations: London

☆ London fights legal challenge over expanding clean-air zone
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( Sam Tobin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Signage indicates the boundary of London's Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) zone along the North Circular Road ahead of proposed upcoming expansion, in London, Britain, June 26, 2023. The British capital's Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) levies a 12.50 pound ($16) daily charge on drivers of non-compliant vehicles, in order to tackle pollution and improve air quality. London's transport authority - Transport for London (TfL) - had launched a public consultation on the plan, which said 91% of vehicles driven in outer London would not be affected. However, the local authorities' lawyers argue that TfL provided no detail on how it calculated the 91% figure, which they say was fundamental to justifying the expansion. The local authorities are also challenging Khan's decision to not extend a 110 million pound scrappage scheme to those living just outside the expanded ULEZ.

Persons: Toby Melville LONDON, Sadiq Khan, Khan, Sam Tobin, Devika Organizations: REUTERS, London, London's, Transport, TfL, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, British, Greater London, leafier, Europe, Khan

If Mayor Sadiq Khan's plan goes ahead, London's Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) will become one of the world's largest to tackle air pollution, encompassing 5 million extra people in the capital's leafier and less-connected outer boroughs. London's transport authority says only one in 10 cars in outer London are not ULEZ-compliant. But Khan, who was diagnosed with asthma and wrote a book this year on air pollution and climate change, says he is determined to face down his critics. "But the further away from the city centre you go, the less you can improve air quality," Verbeek added. "It's absolutely critical that even in a cost-of-living crisis we do not kick the can of air pollution down the road and let more children grow up unhealthy and unwell," she said.

Persons: Toby Melville, Sadiq Khan's, Carl Cristina, Cristina, Khan, Thomas Verbeek, Verbeek, Jemima Hartshorn, Teresa O'Neill, I've, Gavin Jones, William James, Andrew Heavens Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Delft University of Technology, Thomson Locations: Marble, London, Britain, Europe, Rome, Netherlands

☆ MLB: London Series takes over the UK
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Thomas Schlachter | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The Cubs dominated the London Series opener storming home to a 9-1 victory. Daniel ShireyMLB Photos/Getty ImagesA UK twist“It’s a thrill to be here,” Cardinals fan Karen Asher-Relf told CNN Sport. “I think it’s awesome [the London Series], I love baseball and I’m slowly converting him,” said Karen. DeCap, a Cardinals fan, and Crain, a Cubs fan, flew over to the UK for a vacation that incorporated watching the game. Since the last London Series event, the MLB has introduced a pitch clock designed to make matches shorter – a far cry from the mammoth four hour and 42-minute game between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox during the 2019 London Series.

Persons: Jack, it’s, Daniel ShireyMLB, Karen Asher, Relf, Paul, Karen, didn’t, “, ”, Paul’s, –, Jimmy Anderson, Nathan Lyon of, Winston Churchill, King Henry VIII, Freddie Mercury, Churchill, Caroline ”, Neil Diamond, Henry VIII, Andrew Couldridge, John DeCap, Scot Crain, Crain, “ We’ve, ” Crain, DeCap, We’ve, Hector Echevarria, Echevarria, Louis, Lars Nootbaar, ” Willson Contreras, Louis Cardinals, Nick Offerman, Swanson, Offerman, Ron Swanson, John Goodman, Kate Long, I’ve, Zac Goodwin, Sadiq Khan, Rob Manfred Organizations: London, London CNN, Major League Baseball, Chicago Cubs, Louis Cardinals, Premier League soccer, West Ham United, Cubs, Cardinals, CNN Sport, King’s Guard, Guard, Covid, MLB, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Soul Symphony, Recreation, Inc, ”, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets Locations: London, British, St, Louis , Missouri, Nathan Lyon of Australia, Toronto, Canada

☆ A Fight to Improve London’s Air Quality, One Vehicle at a Time
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Farah Nayeri | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Nick Arlett is a retired builder living in West Wickham, southeast London, and he owns a Renault Trafic van that runs on diesel fuel. If Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, gets his way, Mr. Arlett will soon have to pay about $16 a day to drive his vehicle in the city — an amount Mr. Arlett says he can’t afford. That’s because on Aug. 29, Mr. Khan plans to extend London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) to every borough of the capital in an effort to improve air quality and prevent illnesses and deaths caused by air pollution. To stop the measure from going through, Mr. Arlett is leading a campaign called “Action Against ULEZ Extension” with some 30,000 members. “I would absolutely be immobilized,” said Mr. Arlett in a phone interview about the ULEZ expansion.

Persons: Nick Arlett, Sadiq Khan, Arlett, Khan, “, ”, Mr Organizations: Renault Locations: West Wickham, London

☆ Fact Check-Image of London Mayor Sadiq Khan with burqa-clad person is altered
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

An altered image showing the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan with a person wearing a black burqa has been shared with the false claim that it shows Khan arriving with a woman at the coronation of Britain’s King Charles III on May 6. The original photograph taken in June 2022 shows Khan with his wife wearing modern clothing. The original photograph shows Khan with his wife Saadiya Khan, who can be seen wearing a pant suit, not a burqa (here). Pool photographs (bit.ly/3pmyCBL) and video (here) show Sadiq Khan arriving alone at Westminster Abbey for the coronation on May 6. Image does not show London Mayor Sadiq Khan arrive with a burqa-clad person for King Charles’ coronation.

☆ London police express ‘regret’ over arrests of anti-monarchy protesters during coronation
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Ivana Kottasová | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

London CNN —London’s Metropolitan Police Service has expressed “regret” over the arrests of anti-monarchy activists on Saturday, the day of King Charles III’s coronation. Police arrested 64 people on coronation day. Among those were six anti-monarchy protesters, who have since been released and will face no further action, police said. Republic also said it spent months working with police liaison officers and meeting senior commanders in order to be able to protest during the coronation. Police said it was “not clear” at the time of the arrest that Smith was engaging with the protest liaison team and that the liaison team was not present during the arrests.

☆ Fact Check-London Ramadan lights organised privately, not by London Mayor
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Tousi says: “Somehow, the Mayor of London and local authorities decided to focus on Ramadan… and nothing about Easter. What happened to Easter?”The Ramadan display was organised by a group called Ramadan Lights, not the London mayor, according to group founder Aisha Desai, who spoke to Reuters (ramadanlights.co.uk/). No taxpayers’ or local authorities’ money was used to fund Ramadan Lights, she said. The Ramadan Lights were also erected by Piccadilly Circus Underground station, not on Oxford Street or Regent Street, according to the initiative (ramadanlights.co.uk/ and here). The Mayor of London was not involved in organising Ramadan Lights, a privately funded, community-led initiative.

☆ British police face struggle to clean up sexist culture after scandals
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Michael Holden | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

London's Metropolitan Police has been hardest hit: After years of saying serious misconduct cases were isolated incidents, it now says it must change its culture. "We have failed and I'm sorry," Mark Rowley, the Met's new chief and Britain's most senior officer, said in January. According to an official report, officers had passed off the conversations as 'banter'. RISING CRIMESome officers officers think the government needs to look at itself. Braverman was reported last year as having told police chiefs to prioritise "common-sense policing" over diversity efforts and virtue-signalling "woke" messaging.

☆ London is handing out free meals for all primary school children
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

London CNN —London’s mayor has announced an emergency program to provide free meals for all children attending state primary schools in the capital, adding to a string of fresh evidence that Brits are struggling to afford necessities. “The cost-of-living crisis means families and children across our city are in desperate need of additional support,” Sadiq Khan, who himself received free school meals as a child, said in a statement Monday. A quarter of all London pupils, including those in high school, already qualify for free school meals according to national criteria largely based on household income, according to official data. This number tallies with an estimate by the Child Poverty Action Group that about 210,000 children living in poverty in London don’t qualify for free school meals because the eligibility criteria are “so restrictive.”Children eat lunch at St Mary's RC Primary School in Battersea, south London, on November 29, 2022. Daniel Leal/AFP/Getty Images/FILEThere was further evidence Monday that more and more Brits are struggling to afford food and electricity as inflation, which is near its highest level in four decades, erodes wages and welfare payments.

☆ Fact Check-London Mayor Sadiq Khan is not banning dog walking
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The mayor of London Sadiq Khan is not launching a pilot scheme that bans dog walking in the borough of Tower Hamlets. A spokesperson for Khan’s office told Reuters the assertion is “completely false”. According to the claim, seen initially on Twitter, Khan planned to ban people from walking their dogs through Tower Hamlets because the presence of dogs is “offensive to Muslims”. It added that dogs seen in the area after May 1 would be destroyed, and their owners would face a £798 fine (here). A spokesperson for the Mayor of London’s Office told Reuters in an email that the claim is “completely false”.

☆ London police officer admits to being serial rapist
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Aina J. Khan | Aina Is A Freelance Reporter With Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

LONDON — A London police officer has admitted raping and sexually assaulting a dozen women over nearly two decades, in a case described as "devastating" for the already frayed public trust in the force. “He has devastated colleagues.”“He used the fact he was a police officer to control and coerce his victims. Carrick met some of the women through online dating sites or on social occasions, using his position as a police officer to gain their trust, according to The Associated Press. Police have been working to repair ties with the community and restore trust among women after a string of cases that fueled concerns around sexual misconduct, misogyny and racism. Earlier this month, one officer pleaded guilty to false imprisonment and assault of a woman in her 20s while off duty, and another officer was convicted of harassment of a female colleague.

☆ London police officer pleads guilty to 24 counts of rape
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Sarah Young | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"Serious questions must be answered about how he was able to abuse his position as an officer in this horrendous manner," Mayor Khan said. The Met's Gray said work to identify and rid the force of corrupt officers was "determined", "focused" and ongoing. An independent review of the London force said in October that "radical" reform was needed in relation to how the it dealt with misconduct allegations faced by hundreds of its staff and officers. The review was commissioned in 2021 after an officer was sentenced to life in prison for the rape and murder of Sarah Everard. Reporting by Sarah Young and Kylie MacLellan; editing by William James and Alex RichardsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Search resuls for: "Sadiq Khan"

25 mentions found