Tesco is set to scrap 24-hour openings at one in four of its biggest stores.

business correspondent,London(wp/es):
Shoppers may no longer be able to make late-night shopping runs in their pyjamas as Tesco is set to scrap 24-hour openings at one in four of its biggest stores.
A total of 76 stores — including two in London — will now shut at midnight as bosses admitted not enough shoppers were coming through its doors during the night, meaning to keep them open was financially damaging.
The cutback comes as the supermarket’s boss Dave Lewis attempts to win back customers who have flocked to discounters Aldi and Lidl, while tackling an accounting scandal that remains under investigation by the police.
The move to reduce the number of 24-hour stores comes 20 years after the first Tesco opened through the night.
In London, Tesco’s Lewisham superstore and Woolwich Extra store will end overnight shopping in March or April. Around 300 stores will remain open 24 hours, but could be shut overnight if they too are unsustainable.

Tony Hoggett, retail director for Tesco, said: “We’re always thinking about how to serve our customers better in each of our stores and with the growth of online grocery shopping, these stores saw very few customers during the night. It makes much more sense for colleagues at those stores to focus on replenishing the shelves instead and making sure they’re fully stocked when they open at 6am.”
Shoppers are increasingly heading online for their groceries, with sales up 15% in the first half of last year. By comparison, sales in larger Tesco stores have slumped by as much as 10% in places.
 The decision comes in a week that saw the supermarket watchdog reveal Tesco had seriously breached legally binding rules by deliberately and repeatedly withholding cash from  suppliers.

David Cameron has warned Londoners they would become the “lab rats” for Jeremy Corbyn’s “disastrous political experiment” if Labour’s Sadiq Khan is elected next Mayor of London.

political reporter,London(wp/es):
David Cameron has warned Londoners they would become the “lab rats” for Jeremy Corbyn’s “disastrous political experiment” if Labour’s Sadiq Khan is elected next Mayor of London.
The Prime Minister revealed the central weapon in the Conservative’s armoury as he launched the attack on the Labour candidate at a party rally with Tory hopeful Zac Goldsmith.
Tory campaign insiders have told the Standard they believe Mr Corbyn is Labour’s biggest liability in the race for City Hall.
The Prime Minister’s attack on the Labour candidate as “Corbyn’s man” at the event in Mill Hill last night came as latest opinion polls put Mr Khan ahead by seven points in the tightly fought contest.
Mr Cameron told party supporters: “Just think for a moment about what having the first Corbyn elected mayor in London would be like for our economy, for our education, for our politics, for our city. It would be a disaster.
“You don’t want to be lab rats in the first Corbyn economic
 experiment in public life in our country, so we’ve got to win this.”
Mr Goldsmith joined the attack saying: “If Sadiq Khan wins in May we will see London for four years run as a laboratory, a testing ground for Corbyn’s radical politics. That is a price we cannot pay.”
Mr Khan, who nominated Mr Corbyn for the leadership but did not later vote for him, has gone to great lengths to distance himself from the Labour leader.
Since being selected last summer, he has clashed with his party leadership on issues including high tax rates, airports and the abolition of the City of London Corporation.
He also criticised Mr Corbyn when the Labour leader opted to remain silent at a service to mark the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain.
When asked by the Standard if he was concerned at Labour’s lead in the polls despite the ongoing turbulence within Labour, Mr Cameron said: “It’s a very vital contest and it’s definitely a close election. We are taking nothing for granted.

“It is a choice between two candidates. Sadiq Khan backed Corbyn’s crazy economic plans and we don’t want to bring that to London.”
The Prime Minister portrayed Mr Goldsmith as the heir to Boris Johnson, who outperformed his own party in London, saying: “Zac is not a party man, he doesn’t do things that the party tell him. I know that from my own experience. He’s not in it for the prestige or the fame or the photocalls.
“Zac Goldsmith stands for the people he represents, nothing else and that’s what he will do for London. No party posturing, no funny games.. just simply standing up and delivering for London.”
Mr Goldmsith added: “I’ll get a good deal from Government and get a good deal for this city. Dust them up if you have to, that is a prerequisite for the job...
“I’m sure the Prime Minister, in a private room, would say I have been a pain in the backside, but I have delivered for my constituents and I’ll deliver for London.”

They also both spelled out the need for more police on the street and to tackle the threat of terrorism.
Mr Cameron said: “We need to recognise the scale of the terrorist threat we face in London. What happened in Paris could have happened here and I will do everything I can to help keep London safe. I know working with Zac I’m going to be able to do just that."
He said they would be "a mayor and a prime minister that know we have got to be tough on the Islamist extremists that want to divide our country.
“We know we have to be tough in terms of providing extra police on the streets and making sure there’s sufficient armed officers to respond if there is an incident and that will be the case with a Conservative mayor.”
Mr Khan tackled Mr Cameron’s attack head on, telling the Standard: “I’m shocked that the Prime Minister described Londoners as ‘rats’. I love this city and the people who live here. Desperate stuff from a desperate campaign.” Labour MP Stephen Pound added: “Sadiq has said time and again that he’s his own man - he’s publicly disagreed with Jeremy on issues like Trident, airports and business.
“The Tories have no positive vision for London and this shows that their campaign is getting rather desperate.”

Woman 'sexually assaulted on Ascot train

crime reporter,London(wp/es):
A woman was sexually assaulted on a train after refusing to go for a drink with her attacker, police say.
The victim, 20, was taking the 4.24pm service from Reading to Ascot on January 3 when two men sat opposite her.
One of them asked her out and, when she refused, he groped her.
She got off the train at Wokingham and the men, thought to be eastern European, stayed on board.

Police have now released a CCTV image of a man they want to trace over the incident.
Detective Constable Mat Harvey from British Transport Police (BTP) said: “We will not tolerate unwanted sexual behaviour on the rail network and we will do everything we can to bring offenders to justice.”

Anyone with information about the incident can call BTP on 0800 40 50 40 or text 61016 quoting reference G/B2 of 26/01.

A conductor was headbutted by one of his passengers on a train from central London to Dover

crime reporter,London(wp/es):
A conductor was headbutted by one of his passengers on a train from central London to Dover, police say.
British Transport Police said the attack happened after a man and woman boarded a train travelling from Blackfriars to Dover Priory.
PC Craig Twyman said the pair had got on the service at Bekesbourne near Canterbury on November 26 last year.
He said: “During the journey, the man became aggressive and, as the train arrived at Dover Priory, he headbutted the conductor, cutting the victim’s lip before leaving the station.”

Police want to trace the man shown in this CCTV picture in connection with the attack.
PC Twyman said: “Members of staff have a right to carry out their work without fear of violence.
“The man in the image is someone who I think can assist with our investigation into this incident. Please tell us who he is.”
 Anyone with information should call British Transport Police on 0800 40 50 40, or text 61016

after poor Christmas Asda 'set to axe hundreds of jobs'

Business correspondent,London(wp/es):
Asda is set to slash hundreds of jobs from head office as it started to look like the biggest loser of the supermarkets over the Christmas period.
Tesco, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s all outperformed over the holidays, and it is thought Asda, which has struggled in the last 12 months, continued to fall behind.
A spokesman said: "It’s well documented that in recent years, customers have radically changed the way they shop.
"As a result, the industry faces major challenges and the certainty of permanent structural change. In the context of this, we also have to further change the way we do business."
He added that consultations with staff started on Monday: “We have made some difficult but necessary decisions but we must discuss these with our colleagues before we talk publicly.”

The grocer, part of US giant WalMart, declined to provide further details on possible redundancies, but earlier Sky News, citing sources, reported that they would be focused at its Leeds head office and could hit the hundreds.
Asda last week revealed plans to spend another £500 million to lower prices amid the fierce industry price war brought on by the rise of discounters Aldi and Lidl.
That sum is in addition to the £1 billion it pledged to spend in November 2013 to slash prices over five years.

Asda is due to provide an update on its latest quarter of trading on February 18, but some analysts are already predicting that it had a poor festive season.
Data from research firm Kantar Worldpanel said its sales were down 3.5% in the 12 weeks to January 3, while its market share dropped from 16.8% to 16.2%.

without required levels of achievement 45 per cent of pupils leave school

educational correspondent(wp/es):

Almost 45 per cent of children are not meeting the required standards of success, a new report has found.
Up to 43 per cent of children leaving primary school have not met the expected levels of achievement in reading, writing and maths - a grade 4b or higher – at the end of Key Stage 2.
The analysis from CentreForum and Education DataLab also found 44 per cent of secondary school students are not obtaining five A* to C grade GCSEs.
The level of attainment has risen over the last decade, the report said, and recommends a new benchmark standard to which pupils can be held.
Changes to the GCSE grading system from 2017 will assess children on a scale ranging from a high of 1 to a low of 9, with a good pass to be considered a grade 5.
A grade 5 is said to be the equivalent of between a current B and C grade.

Within the new system, researchers estimate the percentage of children achieving a good pass will fall to 35 per cent in English and maths -a drop of 23 per cent.
Disadvantaged children are also closing the gap on other pupils in the classroom, the study found, shrinking as much as 30 per cent in Key Stage 2 since 2006.
But at secondary school, the achievement gap is equivalent to an average of one GCSE grade in each subject.
David Laws, executive chairman of CentreForum said: "Our analysis shows that attainment has risen and the disadvantaged gap - notably at the end of primary education - has fallen over the last decade. This is good news, but the report shows that there is no cause for complacency.

"Almost 45 per cent of children continue to fail to reach national benchmark standards, which are already lower than the standards reached in the best performing countries.
"We can also see from this report that while the disadvantaged gap has declined at each Key Stage, the gap still increases during a child's time in education.
"England needs to do much better if it is to become a world leader in giving real opportunity to young people from disadvantaged backgrounds."
A Department for Education spokeswoman said: "We welcome this report, which shows the stark choice we face in education today - either we prepare today's young people to compete with the best in the world or we don't.
"That's why we've taken the decision to set the new GCSE 'good pass' at the same level as other high-performing countries set their passmark.
"Every time we have raised the bar for schools and colleges they have risen to meet the challenge and we are confident that this is no exception." The spokeswoman added over time, more pupils are expected to reach the new higher standard and the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers will continue to narrow.

The most crime-ridden stations on the London Underground network is kings cross

staff reporter,London(wp/es):
King's Cross was today revealed as London's most crime-ridden station.
Figures from the British Transport Police showed 457 crimes were recorded at the station 12 months to December 1 last year -  a far higher figure than any of London's other rail hubs. 
Among those were 87 violent incidents, 65 public order offences and a further 25 sex crimes over the course of the year.
There were also more than 200 thefts of passenger property while other incidents at the station included fraud, drugs offences and criminal damage.
Elsewhere on the Tube network, Oxford Circus and Stratford stations recorded 344 crimes each in the same period, with Victoria close behind on 308.

Liverpool Street is fifth on the tube’s crime hotspot list with 235 incidents, followed by the huge Bank and Monument complex on 228.
Central London stations Green Park and Holborn recorded 193 crimes each, with Leicester Square seeing 190 and a further 184 at London Bridge.

But it is better news for people who use the Bakerloo line’s North Wembley station, which saw just two crimes over the 12 months – graffiti vandalism and a solitary theft.
Police stress the stats need to be viewed in context, with the worst stops on the list being major stations which see thousands of people passing through their ticket barriers every day.
And a BTP spokesman said crime across the network in 2014/15 was actually at its lowest level for over a decade, despite a rise in the number of passenger journeys.
They said: “Many of these stations are very busy hubs with huge numbers of people passing through, so numbers of offences are always likely to be higher than at smaller stations. Larger, busier
 stations also have a higher police presence, so more offences are likely to be recorded as a result of police-generated activity.
“Some locations will have specific reasons for the apparent high numbers, and some serve as the ‘end of line’ reporting location for offences which take place on board trains, or on neighbouring services, which contributes to the figures.”
They added: “Everyone has the right to travel on the railway without fear of being a victim of crime, and BTP is completely committed to reducing crime on the railway even further.”

in Labour’s Trident review Ken Livingstone downgraded

 
Pic: Ken Livingstone 
political reporter,London(wp/es):
Ken Livingstone was today downgraded in Labour’s nuclear defence review in a victory for shadow defence secretary Emily Thornberry and the trade union leaders.
Unveiling a change of approach, she made clear she would be calling the shots over whether to replace the Trident missile system.
“I go into this wanting to look a the evidence before making policy,” she said.
Ms Thornberry, the Islington South MP, is a backer of unilateral disarmament just like Mr Livingstone and Mr Corbyn.
But she eased tensions by stressing she would listen to all sides, adding: “I will not be afraid of asking some very hard questions.”
Former mayor Mr Livingstone upset the unions by suggesting a decision to scrap Labour’s backing for nuclear weapons defences could be rushed through in just eight or ten weeks.
He was widely seen to have been appointed to co-head a review by Jeremy Corbyn in a bid to steamroll a change of policy.
 But union leaders like Unite’s Len McCluskey and the GMB’s Paul Kenny this week made clear they would fight to defend the jobs of defence workers.

Julian Assange can be questioned by Swedish prosecutors at the Ecuadorian embassy in London

staff reporter,London(wp/es):
Julian Assange can be questioned by Swedish prosecutors at the Ecuadorian embassy in London, the South American nation’s foreign minister has said.
The WikiLeaks founder has sought refuse in the embassy in Knightsbridge since 2012 as he awaited extradition to Sweden to answer rape allegations.
Foreign minister Ricardo Patino told an Ecuadorian radio station that the country was accepting a request by Sweden to interrogate Assange “as long as the sovereignty of the Ecuadorian state and the laws in the Constitution are respected."
He suggested Swedish authorities could provide Ecuadorian counterparts with the questions and could be allowed a presence during the interrogation.
On Friday, Kristinn Hrafnsson, a spokesman for WikiLeaks, told the Guardian that Mr Assange welcomed the “opportunity to deliver his statement to the prosecutor”.

“Julian has been offering his statement to the prosecutor by various means for five years [in total] and for three-and-a-half years since he went into the embassy – whether via video link or by the prosecutor coming to London.
“Let’s hope [the interview] can be carried out as soon as possible. Julian is very eager to get his point of view into the investigation.”
Mr Assange said he fears he will be extradited to the US over the activities of WikiLeaks if he leaves the embassy.
In October, Scotland Yard announced it was removing the 24-hour police presence at the embassy.

man found dead after 'brutal attack by six men in east London high street'

crime reporter,London(wp/es):
 
 Pic:edgaras kondrotas who murderd in east London

A young man who left his impoverished homeland to build a better life in London was found dead in his bed the day after being attacked on a busy high street.
Edgaras Kondrotas, 28, left Lithuania for the capital eight years ago and had recently told his family he was planning to marry his long-term girlfriend and start a family.
He was found dead at his home in Forest Gate on Tuesday afternoon.
Detectives believe he died from injuries sustained when he was beaten by a group of up to six men in Leyton High Road the previous evening.
Eli Norvilas, 24, a cousin who grew up with Mr Kondrotas in Klaipeda on the Baltic coast before moving to the USA, said his close-knit family were desperate for answers.

He told the Standard: “We just want to know what happened. Without that all we can do is fantasise and be driven crazy.”
He said: “Ergaras came to London because he wanted to make a better life for himself.

“He told family back home he wanted to start a family. From what I heard he wanted to marry his girlfriend and have kids. His life was stopped way too early.”
He said he had last seen Mr Kondrotas six years ago on his 18th birthday, when the family all flew back to eastern Europe.
He said: “It’s just sad, especially the past couple of years I didn’t stay in touch with him as much as I’d like to.
“We were living our own lives, through Facebook he looked happy in his photographs. I wish I’d not taken it for granted.”
Police believe Mr Kondrotas was assaulted at 11.30pm on Monday and travelled home by public transport back to a house in Forest Gate, around a mile away.
A post mortem gave the cause of death as blunt force trauma to the abdomen.


Two men have been arrested on suspicion of murder and were today being questioned by police.
Detective Inspector John Marriott, who is leading the investigation into Edgaras' death, said: "I am appealing for any witnesses who may have seen a group of men who were involved in a disturbance in Leyton High Road, at about11.30pm on Monday, January 11.
"I believe that Edgaras was assaulted during this altercation and then travelled back to an address in Sebert Road, where he was found dead.
"If you saw the incident in Leyton High Road or have information about what sparked the altercation, or know who may have been part of that group of six men then please call the incident room."

**** any information is asked to contact the Incident Room on 020 83453985, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.****

starting families putting Londoners in 20s off

staff reporter,London(wp/es):
Hundreds of thousands of Londoners in their twenties are being put off starting a family because of soaring house prices, an exclusive survey reveals today.
The poll found 42 per cent of this 1.4 million-strong age group say that if the cost of homes stays at current levels or rises they will be less likely to raise children here. It also revealed four in five Londoners aged 20-29 have considered quitting the capital because of sky-high housing costs.
The findings sparked a warning by business leaders that “generation rent” may become “generation went” if property prices and rents rise further.
Young women especially seem more likely than men to delay having children because of spiralling house prices and budget-busting rents. A total of 46 per cent of women in their twenties said they were less likely to raise a family in London due to housing costs.

The survey by Opinium Research was commissioned by the business group London First for the Fifty Thousand Homes campaign. It is calling on the next Mayor of London, almost certainly Zac Goldsmith or Sadiq Khan, to ensure 50,000 new homes are being built each year in the capital by 2020.
Will Higham, director of the campaign — backed by a coalition of city businesses — said: “Young Londoners at the start of their careers are telling the next mayor very clearly what needs fixing.
“London’s housing supply is simply not keeping up with our growing population as a city and they are feeling the pinch — paying the cost through high rents, not getting on the property ladder and even making trade-offs about when to start a family.”

Baroness Jo Valentine, chief executive of London First, said: “London business depends on talented people making a career here. If some can’t we all lose out. This is unfair on the young but is going to end up hurting us all if generation rent becomes generation went.”
She stressed that the housing crisis was now a “boardroom issue” as a growing number of firms face difficulties getting the employees they need.
The poll also found 36 per cent of Londoners in their twenties say the jump in house prices made them more likely to decide to raise a family in the city. More than half of this group either already own their property outright or had a mortgage on it, the poll indicated — highlighting the city’s wealth divide.
A total of 81 per cent of Londoners in their twenties have considered quitting the capital because of housing costs, according to the poll. It found 30 per cent of this age group had seriously considered moving away and plan to do so to enjoy lower housing costs.
Opinium Research interviewed 520 Londoners in their twenties between January 7 and 14

Actor Alan Rickman has died in London after losing a cancer battle at the age of 69.

entertainment reporter,London(wp/es):

Actor Alan Rickman has died in London after losing a cancer battle at the age of 69.
The British actor, known for his role as Professor Snape in the Harry Potter films, died surrounded by friends and relatives.
A statement from his family read: "The actor and director Alan Rickman has died from cancer at the age of 69. He was surrounded by family and friends."
Rickman played iconic roles in films including Die Hard, Robin Hood and Love Actually.

The star was a long-standing member of the Royal Shakespeare Company and has won a number of awards including a Golden Globe, a BAFTA, an Emmy and a Screen Actors Guild Award.
Rickman wed long-term partner of 50 years Rima Horton in a secret ceremony in New York in 2012, confirming the news last year.
"We are married. Just recently. It was great, because no one was there. After the wedding in New York we walked across the Brooklyn Bridge and ate lunch," he said.
'I think every relationship should be allowed to have its own rules. She's tolerant. She's incredibly tolerant. Unbelievably tolerant. Possibly a candidate for sainthood," he told Hello Magazine.
Rickman's death comes just months ahead of the release of a new film called Eye In The Sky in which he stars alongside Helen Mirren and Aaron Paul.

The thriller is set to open in UK cinemas on April 8, according to IMDb.
He has also just completed Alice Through The Looking Glass, which is slated for release later this year.
Rickman's critically acclaimed roles include Col Brandon in Sense and Sensibility and the spectre of a widow's lost love in Anthony Minghella's Truly, Madly Deeply.

He may be best known to older fans as terrorist Hans Gruber in Die Hard from 1988, or the Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves from 1991.
But he gained a younger fanbase for his turn as Snape in the hugely successful Harry Potter franchise.
Rickman is also a filmmaker and his most recent project was last year's A Little Chaos, which he directed and starred in opposite Kate Winslet.
Speaking on the red carpet at the premiere last year, he said:
"I wasn't free until now because I started doing Harry Potter, and when I started there were only three books written so I didn't know I was going to be unable (to direct).
"Because if you're going to direct a film it's over a year of your life and I didn't have that.
''So once I had finished with that series of films I was free, and then along came this wonderful scrip."
A Little Chaos was Rickman's second turn behind the camera after directing Emma Thompson in drama The Winter Guest 18 years previously.

Rickman was born in Acton, west London in 1946 and later won a scholarship to Latymer Upper School where he first became involved in drama.
After graduating from the Royal College of Art, he opened a graphic design studio alongside some friends but later decided he wanted to pursue acting professionally.
He was awarded a place at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art before going on to work with numerous theatre groups.

A man has been arrested for the rape and murder of a teenage girl 30 years ago

crime reporter,London(wp/es):
A man has been arrested for the rape and murder of a teenage girl which took place in Hampstead in the 1980s.
A murder inquiry was launched by the Met in 1982, after the parents of 17-year old Yiannoulla Yianni, found their daughter’s body at their family home in Belsize Road in Hampstead.
Detectives from the Homicide and Major Crime Command arrested a 56-year old man on Tuesday at an address in Golders Green on suspicion of rape and murder.
The arrest follows a match being made on the National DNA Database.
The teenager was last seen by her mother as she returned home to prepare dinner. Her parents found Yiannoulla's body when they returned from work later that day.

Since her murder the Met have made a number of local and national appeals as well as offering a significant financial reward for information. Over 1,000 witness statements have been taken and developing forensic techniques explored but despite these extensive enquiries no arrests were made.
Detective Inspector Julie Willats, of the Met's Homicide and Major Crime Command, said:
“The Met never close unsolved murders and regardless of the passage of time cases can and will be reviewed, for any new opportunities to develop previously unknown lines of enquiry, and follow-up any fresh information which has become known to us.
"Yiannoulla's family - who understandably are still devastated by the loss of their beloved daughter and sister more than three decades ago - have been fully informed of this new development.”

The man arrested remains in police custody at a north London police station at this time.
Yiannoulla’s family have been informed of this development.

Killer facing jail

crime reporter,London(wp/es):

A killer has been convicted of ruthlessly shooting another man in the back as he attempted to run away after a “petty" row.
Shaden Cadette, 23, was found guilty of murdering Ogarra Dixon, 24, after gunning him down in Marcella Road, Brixton, on Tuesday June 16 last year.
Mr Dixon was twice shot at as he attempted to escape, with the second bullet hitting him in the back and causing fatal chest wounds.
Police said he managed to stagger onwards “for some time” before collapsing. He was pronounced dead in hospital shortly afterwards.
Cadette had pulled out a gun following a “brief altercation” and fired at Mr Dixon as he fled.
He was arrested after being traced to a hotel next to Heathrow Airport.
Detective Chief Inspector Will Reynolds, who led the investigation, said: “I am pleased that justice has been done today.
“Cadette did what he could to thwart the investigation and may have even been planning to flee the country as he was caught hiding in a hotel next to Heathrow.
“Although he has never revealed what sparked this fatal confrontation, it is believed to be a petty dispute which has escalated and led to Ogarra’s untimely death.
“This case serves as a reminder of the havoc and misery gun carime can bring to the capital’s streets.
“I hope today’s verdict goes some small way to helping Ogarra’s family and loved ones move on from this awful episode. I would like to thank those who came forward and provided information.”
Cadette, of Marcella Road, faces a life sentence after being convicted at the Old Bailey.

Debenhams record Christmas sales.

Business correspondent,London(wp/es):
Debenhams has withstood the warm winter that plagued the High Street in recent weeks and revealed record Christmas sales.
It outshone the likes of Marks & Spencer and Next with a 1.9% rise in like-for-like sales in the 19 weeks to January 9 and 1.8% increase over its seven-week Christmas period.
The department store added that it instigated a planned reduction in stock levels of "weather-sensitive" clothing, which allowed it to avoid the deep discounts some other retailers resorted to.
Sales of full price goods were up 5%.
Online was also a bright spot, with sales up 12.1% and click & collect accounting for 31% of orders.

Chief executive Michael Sharp, who will step down this year, said: "This performance is evidence that our strategy is working with our customers finding our mix of products and brands both compelling and great value for money."
Debenhams shares rose 15.1%, or 10p, to 76.47p on the back of the performance.
Liberum, which upgraded the stock to "Hold" from "Sell", said it was a "solid" trading update albeit against soft comparisons of a year earlier.

2016 Tube strike:Unions and LU set for fresh talks to avert crippling walkout

staff reporter,London(wp/es):
Union bosses and London Underground are to enter fresh talks in a bid to avert the latest planned strikes over the Night Tube proposals.
Three 24-hour strikes are scheduled to take place over the next five weeks as the bitter dispute over the all-night Underground service rumbles on.
However, London Underground will sit down with leaders of the Aslef, RMT and Unite unions on Friday in the hope of reaching a deal and staving off the industrial action, under the chairmanship of the conciliation service Acas.
The latest series of strikes announced on Monday by Aslef and RMT are scheduled to take place for 24 hours from 9pm on Tuesday, January 26; Monday, February 15; and Wednesday, February 17.

Finn Brennan, Aslef's organiser on London Underground, said: "We'll be back at Acas on Friday aiming, and hoping, to do a deal. I only hope that TfL will turn up with the same attitude.
"A world class capital city like London deserves a 24-hour service but it needs to work for those of who provide that public service, as well as for the passengers who use it, and the management at TfL.
“London Underground needs to stop bullying and start negotiating."
An RMT spokesman said the union will attend the fresh talks in the hope of breaking the deadlock.
Boris Johnson on Monday criticised the unions’ latest plans for industrial action as “a disgrace”.
The long-running dispute centres on pay and proposed shift patterns for affected Underground workers.

Investment banking slowdown

business correspondent,London(wp/es):
A hiring slump at investment banks slowed UK recruitment activity at search firm Robert Walters in the final quarter, highlighting the ongoing shake-up of the banks as they try to reverse a slide in profits.
The recruiter, which makes a third of its fees in the UK, said a drop off in bank recruitment between the start of September and December 31 led to lower UK net fee income growth of 5% to £19.9 million from £19 million.
UK growth was 27% for the same period last year.
“We’ve been in this business for 30 years and every so often banks will hire and fire,” said chief executive Robert Walters, who founded the search firm.
“There’s always a mixed bag when you have a broad, diverse business and they are realigning what they want to be. That inevitably leads to redundancies and affects hiring trends.”

He added there was a “degree of pause” in hiring but expected it to get back to normal by 2017.
The bonfire of the bankers comes at a sensitive time for rainmakers ahead of this year’s bonus season, which coincides with annual results from lenders over the next few weeks.
Big European banks like Deutsche Bank, Barclays and Credit Suisse have laid off staff and stopped hiring in a bid to reshape their institutions in recent months to focus on more profitable areas.
Despite the problems, FTSE 250-listed Robert Walters reported a 10% rise in group net fee income for the period to £59.1 million on a constant currency basis.
Europe was the stand-out market – led by stronger productivity in France — with quarterly net fee income up 17% to £12.4 million. Asia Pacific was also up 11% to £24.3 million.

Walters said there were some brighter spots in financial services sector despite the bank problems.
“Insurance has been quite strong and we’ve seen decent trading in overall financial services over the past 12 months.
“We do normally have a quieter season in the fourth quarter and it has been exacerbated by what’s coming out of China,” he added.

Corbyn under pressure as shadow minister quits

political reporter,London(wp/es):
Jeremy Corbyn came under fresh attack today as a shadow cabinet minister quit over the “direction and internal conflict” of the Labour Party.
Catherine McKinnell said she was resigning as shadow attorney general with “a heavy heart” after losing faith in the “increasingly negative path” of the party.
The Newcastle North MP said she had been optimistic at first about the “new kind of politics” promised by Mr Corbyn and went on: “However, as events have unfolded over recent weeks, my concerns about the direction and internal conflict within the Labour Party have only grown and I fear this is taking us down an increasingly negative path.”
She is the fourth shadow minister to resign in the past week and to criticise direction under Mr Corbyn.
Two London MPs were tipped to replace her: Hammersmith’s Andy Slaughter and  former Director of Public Prosecutions Sir Keir Starmer, MP for Holborn and St Pancras.

Mr Corbyn today gave his strongest signal yet that he could use a referendum of Labour members to push through a historic change of policy on the Trident nuclear deterrent.
In an interview that alarmed Labour modernisers, he said grassroots members would get a “big say” in whether to change the current policy that backs the renewal of Britain’s nuclear weapons system.
 “Whether that comes as a vote of individual members or a vote of conference, that will be decided,” he said.

Two members of the shadow cabinet - Lord Falconer and Owen Smith - yesterday hinted they would quit if he reversed the current policy, while a third, Lucy Powell, predicted the big trade unions would block such a move as it would cost jobs.
He refused to rule out launching drone strikes to kill suspected terrorists in Syria or Iraq.
Labour’s leader said he would look at the “evidence” before deciding on any request for a strike from security officials if he was Prime Minister.

BNP is no longer an official political party in UK

political reporter,London(wp/es):
The British National Party is no longer a registered political party in the UK after it failed to submit paperwork required by the Electoral Commission.
The Commission removed the controversial political party from its official list today, meaning that it will not be able to field candidates in any UK elections.
A spokeman said the BNP had been removed from the list as it had failed to confirm its registration details, which all political parties must submit annually for a £25 fee.
The statement of accounts from the BNP was due on July 7, 2015, with the party's annual confirmation of registered details due on or before January 7.
However, the BNP's name and logo will be protected for two years under electoral law, and the party will be able to submit an application to re-register.

A statement from the Electoral Commission said: "Now that the party has been removed from the register, BNP candidates cannot, at present, use the party’s name, descriptions or emblems on the ballot paper at elections.
"The party can, however, submit an application to re-register at any time and their name, descriptions and emblems are protected under PPERA for two years to prevent other parties using them.
"Any application will be considered by the Commission in line with its usual processes for assessing new applications to register political parties."
BNP spokesman Stephen Squire said it was a "clerical error on our part" and that the party would submit the right paperwork within the next few days.

"It's a little bit embarrassing," he said, but insisted it would be "business as usual" for the party, which intended to contest the London mayoral election and some council seats.
"We've been overwhelmed by the number of phone calls we've had from people concerned we might be disappearing."

drug dealer jailed for more than 10 years

crime reporter,London(wp/es):
A drug dealer has been jailed for more than ten years after heroin, cocaine and cash were discovered in a flat in east London.
In October Shipu Miah, 23, of Ford Road, Bow, pleaded guilty at Snaresbrook Crown Court to possession with intent to supply heroin and cocaine.
He also admitted a charge of possession of criminal property after more than £170,000 in cash was also seized.
He was arrested in June in last year when police raided a flat in Prince Meridian Walk, Poplar, which Miah used as a safe house to mix and store class A drugs.
Officers recovered 2kg of heroin, 1kg of cocaine, 54kg of cutting agent and £171,195 cash.

On Friday, he was sentenced to 10-and-a-half years in prison.
DC Matthew Foy of the Met's Organised Crime Command said: "I am delighted with the sentence handed down in this case, it sends out a clear message to those that think supplying Class A drugs is a way to earn a living.
“The impact on the people of London is severe and this has been reflected in this sentence."

London Underground sex attacks take place during rush hour

crime reporter,London(wp/es):
Most sex attacks on the Underground happen to commuters in busy carriages during the rush hour, new figures have revealed.
Campaigners say the data demolishes myths about both victims and perpetrators of sexual violence.
Statistics from British Transport Police show between January 2014 and last December, 322 sexual assaults were reported on the Underground during the evening peak of 5pm to 7pm.
There were a further 291 reports to British Transport Police (BTP) from 8am to 10am over the same period.
By contrast, only 110 assaults were reported between 11pm and 1am.

Sarah Green from the End Violence Against Women Coalition told the Independent: “These figures tell a compelling story about how sexual harassment is mostly experienced during daytime commuter journeys – not during late-night social hours.”
And she said the figures “explode a myth that women who have been drinking or who are dressed a certain way provoke sexual harassment, because the victims at peak morning and early evening travel times are largely working women making commuter journeys.”
She added: “The figures may also similarly explode myths about perpetrators of sexual harassment, because at 8am they are sober men who purposefully look for chances to offend, not late-night opportunists.”
The figures also showed a spike in reports over the summer months
 and a recent rise in reports, with 94 allegations made last October alone.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said in August that he was open to the idea of women-only carriages on the Underground after 10pm.
British Transport Police said the increase could be in response to a number of campaigns, including Project Guardian which encourages women to report sexual harassment on the transport network.
A spokesman said: “Significant work has taken place to encourage reporting of sexual offences on trains and Tubes under the successful 'report it to stop it' campaign, which has increased people's confidence to report offences to police.”
He added crime on the Underground network was at a low of 6.8 offences per million journeys.
Victims of sexual assault on the Tube can send a text to the Report It toStop It number on 61016.

Chancellor George Osborne has been dealt another blow on the economy as the UK’s trade deficit with its biggest partner — the European Union

business correspondent,London(es/wp):

Chancellor George Osborne has been dealt another blow on the economy as the UK’s trade deficit with its biggest partner — the European Union — hit an all-time high.

Trade figures showed that record car imports drove the nation’s goods gap with its EU partners up by £500 million to £8.2 billion, the highest since Office for National Statistics records began in 1998.

The latest gloom on the UK economy comes just a day after Osborne warned of a “dangerous cocktail” of global risks threatening the recovery this year and China-inspired new year turmoil in world markets.

Number-crunchers have meanwhile slashed estimates of the UK’s growth performance in 2015, while dire borrowing figures have left the Chancellor facing the embarrassment of missing his deficit target in this year’s Budget.

UK goods have become more expensive on the continent as the pound surged against the euro following the European Central Bank’s €1.1 trillion (£817.9 billion) move to pump cash into its economy last year, hampering the efforts of British exporters.

In a blow to hopes of rebalancing the economy, EU imports rose 2% to hit a record £19.3 billion in November.

But exports to the region — which accounts for almost 40% of UK trade — sank by £1.7 billion or 1.5% to £11.1 billion, which was put down to weaker markets in France, the Netherlands and Ireland.

The UK’s overall goods trade deficit with the rest of the world improved slightly to £10.6 billion from £11.2 billion — although experts put this down to falling prices halving the cost of oil imports from £1.1 billion to £0.6 billion.

Economists said the slight improvement was unlikely to be enough for net trade to add to overall UK growth in the final three months of 2015, after it knocked one percentage point off the economy’s expansion between July and September. 

Scott Bowman, UK economist at Capital Economics, said: “The recent fallback in the oil price should help to improve the trade balance, all else equal, given that the UK is a net importer of oil. Against this, there are a number of challenges exporters face, not least the strong pound and weakness of demand overseas.

“Accordingly, the economic recovery looks set to remain reliant on the domestic services sector.”

Stripping out volatile oil, the underlying picture is also weak as export volumes fell 1.7% over the month, exceeding the 1% decline in imports.

Import prices have meanwhile dipped 7.9% year-on-year — reflecting lower commodity prices and previous sterling strength — which could give the Bank of England another reason to delay rate rises, according to IHS Global Insight’s Howard Archer

Wage more than £10 to help with housing costs

staff reporter,London(wp/es):
A rise in the London Living Wage to more than £10 to reflect the sky-high cost of housing was backed by Labour mayoral candidate Sadiq Khan today.
The frontrunner to replace Boris Johnson used a keynote speech to urge the Living Wage Commission to change the way it calculates the recommended minimum earnings to better mirror the pressure on families in the capital.
Mr Khan called on businesses to see it as a “badge of honour” to pay staff the Living Wage, currently £9.40 per hour in London and £8.25 elsewhere.
The complex calculation to set the rate is thought to underplay the capital’s housing costs. Mr Khan, who urged it to identify “a more consistent, fair formula”, is writing to the body.
“Of principal importance for Londoners will be the inclusion of a real reflection of the cost of housing and the extent of its impact on in-work poverty,” he said. He was speaking at the Resolution Foundation think tank which yesterday revealed a million Londoners live in homes where half the earnings are spent on housing — more than anywhere else in the country.

Marks & Spencer's change at the top may not stop it from sinking

business correspondent,London(wp/es):
Marc Bolland spent much of the Christmas break trudging around York in his wellies, surveying the flood’s impact on Marks & Spencer’s stores.
Now he’s making an even soggier departure from the company he’s run for the past six years.
While Steve Rowe’s appointment is the right move, the timing of the announcement smells worse than a water-damaged basement.
In July, senior M&S sources were telling people like me that Bolland would be staying on for another two years.
Yet today, we’re told he informed the board in the summer that he wanted to leave in early 2016. Peculiar, no?

Communication issues aside, how Bolland must wish that he had quit immediately in the summer.
Back then, shares were flirting with 600p. It even looked as if his turnaround of general merchandise was bearing fruit.
But despite improvements to the winter ranges, sales in recent weeks have been dismal — clearly far worse than he’d feared.
M&S, which has the biggest share of the market in woollens and coats, has inevitably been hit disproportionately badly, despite Bolland’s improvements to M&S’s buying and online sales.
Few — and certainly not me — foresaw just how bad its numbers would be, even after Next’s shocker on Tuesday.
However, going forward, Bolland’s transformation of the food offering and his modernisation of the general merchandise division during his six years in charge give Rowe a decent head start.
With his energy and popularity in the company, Rowe has as good a chance as any of making M&S work again.
The trouble is, in a High Street dominated by weird weather and ever-faster fashion from discount rivals, it’s still far from clear if anyone can hold back the flood threatening M&S

Music in 2016

 2016 is already proving to be a stellar year for massive gigs.

The biggest names in music, both homegrown and from afar, are lining up to play in the capital with many having comfortably sold out our biggest arenas and stadiums — Wembley and the O2 — for several nights in a row.
Browse the gallery above to see our selection. Note that we’ve arranged these gigs in chronological order, you can decide your own order of priority. If you’re looking to attend these gigs but don’t yet have tickets, it might be not be too late. Look on resale sites closer to the time, and keep your eyes peeled for news of any additional dates — then act fast. We documented some tips on bagging sought-after tickets here, at the time when Adele’s tour went on sale.

Londoners allows Oyster card to travel for free across the London

staff reporter,London(wp/es):
Londoners were today treated to free travel across the capital as Oyster card readers suffered a technical fault.
Barriers were left open at stations around London and buses remained free to use for about three hours due to the problems this morning.
A Transport for London spokeswoman said the problem was fixed by about 10am.
She said: "This morning's technical issue with our Oyster Card readers has been resolved. Customers should now touch in and out as normal. Anyone charged a maximum fare due to this issue will get an automatic refund credited to their Oyster card early next week. We apologise for this disruption."
Contactless bank cards could still be used to pay for journeys.
Londoners took to Twitter to express their delight at having the chance to travel for free on the same day fares increased by an average of one per cent.

15 teenagers whose lives were claimed by knife crime in London last year.

crime reporter,London(wp/es):

pic:Tragic death, The 15 victims of knife crime in London last year

These are the faces of the 15 teenagers whose lives were claimed by knife crime in London last year.
The number of fatal stabbings in the capital in 2015 reached its highest level in seven years. In 2008, 23 teenagers died after being stabbed, while in 2012, 2013 and 2014 there were six, seven and eight victims respectively.
The teenage victims in 2015 were all male, most were from black and minority ethnic (BME) backgrounds and many were just 17 or 18 years old.   
A boy of 15 and a 16-year-old are also among those whose lives were taken this year.
Detective Superintendent Tim Champion from Trident Gang Crime Command said the level of fatal stabbings had risen because teenagers are carrying knives as a form of protection as they are “concealable”.
The minority backgrounds of many of the victims were representative of a multicultural London, Det Supt Champion said, and it was not a particular minority group being targeted.

He added: “If you speak to youths in London they will always say [carrying a knife] is for safety and protection. The danger is if something happens, you will use that knife. This has changed compared to five or six years ago.
“In every one of these cases, there are relatives who are upset, friends who have lost friends and parents who have lost their child.
“One murder is tragic and the numbers we have is not something we want to see going forward.”
The youngest victim last year, 15-year-old Alan Cartwright, was cycling along Caledonian Road, Islington, in February when he was stabbed in the chest during an unprovoked attack.
He continued riding his bicycle a short distance before collapsing and dying in a pool of blood.
 His attacker, 18-year-old Joshua Williams, was jailed for a minimum of 21 years in September.

Mohammed Dura-Ray, 16, the second youngest victim this year, was allegedly surrounded by a mob of up to 30 youths next to a playground on the Newington Estate in Elephant and Castle before being fatally wounded.
The teenager’s friends performed first aid as they battled to save him before emergency services arrived, but he was pronounced dead just half an hour later.
Jordan Daley, 20, was charged with his murder and is due to stand trial at the Old Bailey on February 17, 2016.
Other victims of knife crime in London include:

• Vaso Kakko, 17, who was stabbed to death a few hundred yards from where Ben Kinsella was murdered
• Che Wellington, 17, killed hours after his mother gave birth to his baby brother
• Gary Scott, 17, stabbed to death on his way home from a friend's birthday party

Det Supt Champion said the Metropolitan Police is working to decrease the level of knife crime in the capital and will work with communities to educate people and try and drive down the number of teenagers carrying weapons.
He said: “The key message is if you are carrying a knife, we will know if you have before and we want to stop you. We advocate stop and search in a targeted way. We know who are gang members and we will search them.
“If you carry a knife and it is for your own protection, you will always find yourself in a position you don’t want to be in. It could cause a murder or an acceleration of violence. It puts others in danger and it does not make you a bigger person by carrying a knife.
“Before you leave the house, think about the consequences of leaving the house with a knife. Think how you would feel going out with someone carrying a knife. Think about being caught up in something you don’t want to be involved in.”

The Met will also work with the Home Office to crack down in ‘zombie knives’, which Det Supt Champion said “there is no need for in London whatsoever”.
George and Deborah Kinsella, whose 16-year-old son Ben was stabbed to death in 2008, said it was “devastating news” that number of knife crime murders had risen again.
They said: “Our thoughts and hearts go out to all of the families that lose a child to knife crime; we have a good sense of what they go through every day, living through a nightmare that does not get easier with time.
“We truly believe that early education is the key to stopping young people carrying and using knives. We use Ben's story to show young
 people exactly what happens if you choose this path.
"Education and support needs to start in the home with parents and families and needs to be continued and supported by schools, organisations such as ours, the police and the government.
“These children are not statistics, they are a loved family member and a valued friend.”
Anyone caught carrying a knife will be charged and sent to court and repeat offender face six months in custody, Det Supt Champion said.
He added: “Don’t get yourself a criminal record for carrying a knife and potentially ruin what you want to do in later life.
“We have to work with the community to reduce knife crime and knife violence - it does not happen overnight. You do not need to carry a knife and that needs to come across [to teenagers].”
London mayoral candidates Zac Goldsmith and Sadiq Khan – who both have young families – both said tackling knife crime will be a strong priority if they are elected in next year’s election.
As part of his pledge to tackle knife crime, Mr Goldsmith, MP for Richmond Park and north Kingston, is calling for tougher checks to prevent the sale of ‘zombie knives’ online to under 18s.

George and Deborah Kinsella, parents of murdered Ben Kinsella

He said: “One of the first duties of the Mayor is to keep Londoners safe.
“We won’t solve knife crime overnight, but the first point of any plan should be to take as many knives off the streets as possible. That’s why I back the sensitive use of Stop and Search.
“We also need to tackle the supply of knives. I share the concerns of the police over the availability of so-called ‘zombie killer’ knives and as Mayor I will work with them, the Government and online retailers to strengthen the rules so that the law is being properly enforced.”
Mr Khan, who is MP for Tooting and father to two teenage daughters, said this year’s rise in teenage knife crime “greatly” concerned him.
He said: “I have a real plan to tackle knife crime - based on my experience working with the victims of crime and the police as a lawyer and MP.
“If elected as Mayor, I’ll introduce tougher and more effective sentences for those caught with knives, I’ll stop shops selling knives to kids, properly map London’s gangs and make our prevention programmes more effective.
“My plan will make London safer and reduce knife crime, but we must also give the police the resources they need to keep our communities safe – nothing is more important.”
The Met will continue with its knife strategy in 2016 to reduce the level of fatal knife crimes and incidents of knife violence across the capital.
The strategy includes: targeting high knife crime areas, weapon sweeps, working with retailers to encourage shop workers to challenge teenagers on why they are purchasing a knife, working with Trading Standards and the Home Office and conducting meetings in schools, high crime areas and gang affected areas.
Anyone who sees somebody carrying a knife is urged to call police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.