Sadiq Khan promises free travel for disabled people’s carers January 2, 2020 London’s public transport system will be free for anyone accompanying a disabled passenger if Sadiq Khan is re-elected. The Labour mayor of London has pledged to create a “companion pass” if he wins the May election, which would provide free travel on all Transport for London (TfL) services for carers of disabled people. Read more: [...]
Met Police reveals time-wasting 999 calls December 30, 2019 The Metropolitan Police has released details of some of the more than 25,000 hoax 999 calls it received this year. Among the calls received this year that were not an emergency was a woman that rang 999 to complain about being sent three saveloys from the chip shop instead of one. The hoax calls also [...]
UK cyber security chief to step down next year December 28, 2019 The head of the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has announced he will stand down next summer. The government said that Ciaran Martin would leave his post in 2020 on Friday evening, almost four years after founding the organisation. The 45-year-old said it had “been the privilege of a lifetime” and warned the challenge [...]
Boxing Day shopping slump as retailers suffer sharp decline in footfall December 28, 2019 Boxing Day shopping footfall fell at its steepest rate in nine years due to rain and Black Friday deals. In the period up until noon on 26 December, footfall was down by 10.6 per cent on the same period as a year ago, according to data company Springboard. It was the biggest decline since 2010, [...]
New Year Honours 2020: England’s cricketers, Olivia Newton-John and Iain Duncan Smith make list December 28, 2019 Singer Olivia Newton-John and four of England’s Cricket World Cup winners are among those to have made the 2020 New New Year Honours’ list. Newton-John, who stared in the 1978 film Grease, has been made a dame for services to music, cancer research and charity. She set up a cancer centre near Melbourne in 2012 [...]
New Year’s Eve in London 2019: Where to watch the fireworks December 28, 2019 While the official tickets to watch London’s firework display from the banks of the River Thames have long sold out, there are plenty of spots around the city to watch the action for free. This year’s event opposite the London Eye is the fifth in succession that has been all-ticketed, but travel disruption and overcrowding [...]
Morning Wire’s Christmas quiz: How well do you remember 2019? December 26, 2019 Hello and welcome to Morning Wire’s Christmas quiz of 2019! You’ve eaten more than your fill of turkey, endured your uncle’s excruciatingly detailed explanation of his plans for a new shed, and played as many games of charades as you can possibly manage without exploding at your cousin, who has apparently never seen Jaws. So [...]
Four London infrastructure projects that unravelled in 2019 December 23, 2019 Boris Johnson “loves infrastructure”. At least, that’s what the Prime Minister said when he was asked about the High Speed Two rail project on the campaign trail earlier this month. And it is just as well. Because some of London’s biggest infrastructure problems are creaking at the seams. If the PM were not so keen on [...]
London Bridge attack: Civil servant recounts fighting terrorist with narwhal tusk December 21, 2019 A government worker who used a narwhal tusk to fight off the terrorist on London Bridge last month has spoken about the incident for the first time. Darryn Frost, who appeared in footage of the fight between the knifeman and members of the public on 29 November, has recounted how he was at an event [...]
Christmas weather: Flood warnings in place across England December 21, 2019 Flood warnings have been put in place across England with recent downpours set to continue. More than 100 warnings have been implemented across the south and east of England, as well as the Midlands and Yorkshire. There is a severe weather warning in place across southern England until noon on Sunday with around 30mm (1.18in) [...]