London

• Major European indices closed mostly lower as traders exited for the day, contrasting with a positive trend in US stocks. • Radev characterized a 2.5% policy rate as roughly neutral, though he emphasized that future decisions will rely on economic data and financial conditions. • The comments are viewed as hawkish, signaling a potential for further rate hikes, although no firm commitment was made beyond September.

Sally-Anne Bowen, now 65, convicted of assaulting boys at Christ’s College, Finchley, where she was chemistry teacherA chemistry teacher has been found guilty of indecently assaulting two teenage pupils at an all-boys school in the late 1980s.Sally-Anne Bowen, who taught at Christ’s College in Finchley, north London, assaulted the teenage boys when they were aged around 14 to 15 and she was in her mid-20s. Continue reading...

Coroner told BBC veteran was dazzled by headlights and sustained rib and sternum fractures in collision, which led to bronchopneumoniaThe broadcaster Jenni Murray died days after being involved in a car crash which happened when she was dazzled by headlights, a coroner has heard.Murray, 75, was best known as the voice of BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, hosting the programme for three decades and becoming the longest-serving presenter in its history. Continue reading...

Surgeons aided by real-time analysis of camera footage that identified critical anatomy in brain to be avoidedNeurosurgeons in London have performed the world’s first successful AI-assisted operation to remove a brain tumour, saving the sight of a 48-year-old man, health officials have said.The surgery was performed in May at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery (NHNN), part of University College London hospitals NHS foundation trust, but details were kept secret until Thursday while the patient, Rhys Hibbert, recovered. Continue reading...

Uber and Wayve had said they would start trips ‘later this summer’ but launch now looks unlikely this yearThe rollout of robotaxis on the streets of London is unlikely to happen this year, as regulatory and technical hurdles push back the ambitious schedule set out by the UK government.Only weeks ago Uber and London-based Wayve were granted the first minicab licences in the capital to allow them to offer self-driving taxi rides to paying customers – but with a human safety driver in place, for now – and said they would start trips “later this summer” before a full public launch. Continue reading...

Spectrum Building leaseholders awaiting payouts after freeholder, Arinium, went bankrupt shortly after 2024 blazeSarah Williams vividly remembers the night in 2016 when she camped overnight in a car park to put down a deposit on a flat in the newly completed Spectrum Building in Dagenham, east London.“People started queuing for those flats 24 hours before they went on sale,” she said. “It was basically the only flat I could afford in London. This was a year before Grenfell, and the flats market in London was completely crazy.” Continue reading...

Drivers concerned that bus operator’s offer to retrofit cabs on 730 buses will not be complete by next summerLondon bus drivers have resumed strike action over having to work in high temperatures, amid fears that proposed improvements to air conditioning will not be complete by next summer.About 1,500 members of the Unite union working across north London and Essex are taking part in the four-day strike from Tuesday to Friday, after industrial action earlier this month. Further stoppages are planned for the coming weeks. Continue reading...

Similar initiatives have been launched from Barcelona to Bogotá, but they have misinformation, political pressure and vested interests stacked against themTen years ago, Alastair Harper was an advocate for young people’s health sitting in a stuffy meeting room in London planning an air pollution campaign. “My phone started buzzing,” he said. “I took the call, and then told the room I needed to leave immediately.“I had to get to UCLH [one of London’s major hospitals]. My own child was headed there in a blue-lit ambulance because she was struggling to breathe London’s toxic air.” Continue reading...

Exclusive: analysis risks deepening perception of ‘unequal protection under the law’ Killers who take the lives of black people have a greater chance of getting away with their crimes than those who target white people, new research shows.Analysis of unsolved homicides in London between 2019 and 2023 found non-white British people made up 61% of victims. When researchers assessed unsolved murders, 92.9% of cases in the capital were connected with a victim who was non-white. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Planning documents show datacentre in north Ockendon will be incompatible with UK net zero targetsA “hyperscale” datacentre in outer London would generate more than 1m tonnes of carbon dioxide a year, equivalent to the carbon footprint of 27,000 flights from London to New York, planning documents show.The East Havering Data Centre Campus (EHDCC) in north Ockendon would be one of the largest datacentres in Europe if approved by Havering council, using 218 hectares of green belt to run servers and data storage systems for AI and cloud computing. Its developer, Digital Reef, has described the scheme as “a unique opportunity to create a sustainable datacentre campus of the future”. Continue reading...

• The FTSE 100 closed at 10,743.35 points on Wednesday, marking a gain of 15.31 points (0.14%) over Tuesday's close. • The London benchmark outperformed other European indices, which remained cautious due to volatility in semiconductor and AI infrastructure stocks. • This resilience is attributed to the FTSE 100's heavy sector composition in energy, financials, and defensive consumer goods rather than a specific national economic trend.

Aalim Ahmed, five, fell from 15th-floor window at tower block family had asked to be moved out of, court hearsAn inquest into the death of a five-year-old boy who fell from a 15th-floor window has heard that more measures could have been taken to make it safer.Aalim Ahmed, who was autistic, died when he fell from a kitchen window at a residential block in Plaistow, east London. His father, Makail Ahmed, rushed from the top floor temporary social housing flat and discovered his body shortly before 6am on 16 May 2024. Continue reading...

Dulwich Picture Gallery show to feature British artist’s work hung next to paintings by Dutch and Flemish greatsThe contemporary UK artist David Shrigley will apply his trademark arch humour and distinctive artistic practice “in dialogue” with old masters of Dutch and Flemish painting in a major new solo exhibition in London.The celebrated visual artist will explore the 17th-century paintings with his own new works “responding to” and hung alongside original masterpieces by artists including Jan Steen, Adriaen Brouwer, David Teniers the Younger, Adriaen van Ostade, Pieter Brueghel the Younger and Rembrandt van Rijn. Continue reading...

Researchers find capacity stunted by pollution was restored after introduction of ultra-low emission zoneChildren’s lungs grew bigger and stronger after the most polluting vehicles were restricted from entering London, a study has found.Examinations of London schoolchildren before and after the introduction of the city’s ultra-low emission zone (Ulez) found a restoration of lung capacity that had been stunted by exposure to pollution. Continue reading...

Fifteen fire engines tackling blaze at Landmann Way in Deptford involving 50 tonnes of household wasteFifteen fire engines and about 100 firefighters are tackling a waste fire in south-east London.London fire brigade said the blaze on Landmann Way in Deptford involves about 50 tonnes of household waste stored at a recycling facility. Continue reading...

British Museum’s £33 tickets sold out in a day but some slots have been reserved for guests at five-star One AldwychThose hoping to snare a glimpse of the Bayeux tapestry when it comes to the British Museum this September faced nine-hour online queues, with the £33 tickets sold out within a day.But the monied guests of a five-star hotel in Covent Garden have not had to go to such arduous lengths to get a view of the nearly 1,000-year-old depiction of William the Conqueror’s victory over King Harold II of England at Hastings in 1066. Continue reading...

• UK businesses traveling to Europe are facing cumulative roaming charges that apply per line and per day, with a small group of four people attending a three-day trade fair in Munich potentially costing £42. • Daily data rates vary by country, ranging from $2.36 per day in Germany and the Netherlands to $3.35 in France, with Italy and Ireland priced at $2.68. • Some regions offer alternative pricing, such as Belgium, Austria, and Portugal, where 1GB of data costs $2.21 for a total seven-day trip rather than a daily fee.

Plus, heartbreakingly brilliant Cats: the Jellicle Ball, summer reads and Taylor Swift’s low-key weddingI’ve been in New York for two weeks, where the unthinkable has happened: even for a city accustomed to extremes, it is so hot, so humid, so reminiscent of Mobile, Alabama, or Mumbai, that all over the city, New Yorkers have been forced to break persona to talk about the weather. “Was it always like this?” (No.) “Can you believe this?” (No.) “Are you having a stroke?” (Possibly.) Continue reading...

• The London Stock Exchange (LSE) has reported a significant increase in trading volumes driven by strong corporate quarterly earnings. • Positive investor sentiment and favorable economic indicators are fueling cautious optimism across multiple market sectors. • A growing pipeline of upcoming IPOs from various industries suggests sustained momentum and broader market activity.

• A recent leadership shakeup at Google DeepMind in London has sparked concerns regarding the loss of domestic control over critical AI talent and infrastructure. • The situation highlights a broader trend of foreign takeovers, specifically how U.S.-based giants like Google absorb top-tier British innovation. • This shift matters because it impacts high-value job creation and ensures that strategic decision-making power is moved away from the UK.

Supply in nine blocks in Tower Hamlets affected with some residents suspecting nearby building developmentsThey cannot even flush their toilets: life in east London blocks where taps often run dryHundreds of residents in blocks of flats in east London have been left without regular running water for more than seven months after development in the area may have left it without an adequate supply.Taps have been running dry in nine blocks in Tower Hamlets, where residents have been forced to use bottled water while their landlord, the housing association Poplar Harca, delayed works to solve the problem. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Sadiq Khan urges Westminster council to adopt ‘positive vision of economic growth’ of nightlifeSadiq Khan has ordered Westminster council to scrap a policy that would ban new pubs and bars from opening in Soho and the West End of London.This comes after the Guardian revealed the council’s new licensing policy asks pubs to stop customers from standing up while consuming beverages, which it calls “vertical drinking”. The policy is under consultation and also asks pubs to have table service rather than allowing orders at the bar. Continue reading...

Delays to sexual assault charges and failures to report past convictions in court hearings gave Simon Levy chance to attack more womenCatastrophic errors left a prolific and proven sex offender free before he murdered two women in London, it can be revealed.On Friday an Old Bailey jury found Simon Levy, 40, guilty of murdering Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo in March 2025 and Sheryl Wilkins five months later.The CPS admitted errors at three court hearings in May, June and August 2025, which ended in Levy remaining free. It would not specify publicly what those were, but a source authorised to speak for the organisation said they included failing to mention he had been arrested for Valencia-Trujillo’s murder, and that it could find no record or mention of Levy’s past sexual assault convictions, nor that he was a suspect in a 2024 rape. The CPS said: “We accept there was relevant information regarding bail that was not provided to the court when bail applications were being considered. Our actions fell short of the standards that victims, families and the public are entitled to expect … We could and should have taken a more robust approach to representations about bail.” By May 2025, police wanted Levy remanded, fearing he posed a “high risk of reoffending” with his crimes “escalating”.Levy failed to attend three crown court hearings for the train attacks, and the CPS accepts there is no evidence of a warrant being sought for his detention. For two he claimed illness, for the other that he was not informed. His final non-appearance in crown court was on 11 August 2025. A fortnight later he murdered Wilkins. A CPS source said individuals involved in the Levy case had been disciplined.The assaults on the London tube network and trains were investigated by BTP. Officers arrested Levy, who was travelling on a stolen Oyster travel card, but handed it back to him, unaware it was stolen. With it he travelled to south London to commit his first murder, and carried out further sexual assaults on trains.BTP admitted the charging of Levy for his sexual assaults on trains in November 2024 was held up because of a delay in holding an identification parade after his arrest. It meant his bail was extended and during this delay he attacked and raped another woman and murdered Valencia-Trujillo, a mother of two.BTP identified him as a suspect and charged him but never searched his home. Peter Fulton, BTP’s head of crime, said: “There’s a fine line between going fishing and breaching someone’s human rights.” He said that every woman who reported Levy for attacking them on a train saw him charged and convicted. When the Met, which investigated the murders, searched Levy’s home, evidence was found about his attack on the prison officer.The police watchdog has placed two Met officers under investigation over whether Levy was supervised correctly as a person on the sex offender register. A constable is under investigation for gross misconduct, meaning he could be dismissed. The other officer, under investigation for misconduct, is a detective sergeant.BTP said it had not referred its errors to the police watchdog. Instead it has moved one officer, who it says delayed the holding of the ID parade, out of investigations, and given a supervisor words of advice. Continue reading...

• British AI company Nscale is planning to list on the New York stock exchange instead of London, despite its UK roots. • The firm recently secured $2 billion in a Series C funding round, marking the largest ever third-stage investment in Europe. • Backed by industry giants Nvidia and Dell, Nscale's decision to seek a U.S. float highlights a growing trend of high-growth tech firms bypassing the London market.

Stephen Akinsanya says being mistaken for defendant shows lack of progress on racism within legal systemA black barrister said a security guard told him he could not park in a court’s car park because “it’s not for defendants”.Stephen Akinsanya, who in June was awarded an OBE for raising awareness of youth knife crime and its prevention, said the incident, at an east London court about four weeks ago, illustrated the lack of progress on racism within the criminal justice system. Continue reading...

Crown court rules architecture firm not responsible for fatal incident but project managers and engineers found guilty of safety breachesThe architecture firm founded by Norman Foster has been cleared over the death of a man killed by a window that fell 90 metres from a newly constructed London penthouse.Foster + Partners, the practice behind some of the world’s most recognisable buildings such as the Gherkin and revamps of the British Museum and Germany’s Reichstag, were not held to be responsible for the death of Mick Ferris, a 53-year-old coach driver, in 2018. Continue reading...

Grammy-winning pianist Robert Glasper will headline opening of club’s first UK venue in Covent Garden next monthThe world-famous New York jazz club Blue Note will open its first UK venue in London next month.Located in the basement of St Martins Lane hotel, Covent Garden, the club promises the best of British jazz alongside world-class international artists, with a programme featuring emerging and established talent. Continue reading...

Metropolitan police say 47-year-old woman arrested on suspicion of possession of offensive weapon and assaultA woman has been arrested after four men were stabbed in Covent Garden in central London, police said.Four people were taken to a major trauma centre after the incident on Endell Street on Wednesday afternoon. Continue reading...