Mile End father and baby killed in French holiday crash

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A father and his nine-month-old son from east London died in a road crash during a family holiday in Brittany, France, an inquest has heard.

Baby Max Naman died at the scene of the crash in Finistere on 7 June. His father, Lawrence Naman, 37, of Mile End, died the next day in hospital.

Opening inquests into the deaths coroner Caroline Beasley-Murray said Mr Naman's wife remained in hospital.

The hearing, in Chelmsford, was adjourned to a date to be confirmed.

The court heard how Mr Naman had been driving the car with his wife - who was not named in the hearing - by his side and baby Max was in the back when their vehicle collided with a lorry.

Mr Naman was taken to Brest Hospital where he later died. A post mortem examination found he died of skull trauma.

Mrs Beasley-Murray said the deaths were a "tragic loss" and were currently subject to a criminal investigation in France.

It is understood the inquest will resume once the police investigation has been completed.

Man faces murder charge

Pic:Molly McLaren died at the scene/Kent Police
Crime reporter(wp);

A man has been charged with murder after a woman was stabbed to death in a car park.

Joshua Stimpson, 25, of Wouldham High Street, Rochester, appeared before magistrates in Medway.

Molly McLaren died in the dockside area of Maritime Way, Chatham, from injuries "consistent with a stabbing" on Thursday, Kent Police said.

Ms McLaren, who was in her 20s, and Mr Stimpson were known to each other.

The force said the case had been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

At Medway Magistrates' Court, Mr Stimpson was remanded to appear before Maidstone Crown Court on Monday.

Downing Street criticises council over aborted meeting

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Downing Street has rebuk and Chelsea Council over its decision to adjourn its first cabinet meeting since the Grened Kensingtonfell Tower fire.

The cabinet had tried to hold Thursday's meeting behind closed doors but was forced by a court order to hold it in public.

A spokesman said Number 10 expected the council to "respect" the court ruling.

Separately, the chief executive of the organisation which manages Grenfell Tower has agreed to "step aside".

Kensington and Chelsea Council leaders abruptly ended their meeting after 20 minutes, claiming an open meeting would "prejudice" the forthcoming public inquiry.

On Thursday appeal judge Sir Martin Moore-Bick was appointed to lead the public inquiry into the deaths of at least 80 people.

'Hiding from residents'

Angry protests followed after the abandoned meeting, which Labour councillor Robert Atkinson, whose ward includes Grenfell Tower, branded a "fiasco".

He shouted: "An absolute fiasco, this is why I am calling for your resignation."

Mr Atkinson, the Labour group leader on Kensington and Chelsea Council, told the BBC he was "ashamed" of the authority.

He accused the leaders of "hiding from residents, they have been hiding from backbench councillors for over a week".

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has demanded the resignation of the entire council leadership.

The Labour mayor said the council's decision to scrap the meeting "beggars belief".

And Andrew Gwynne MP, Labour's shadow communities and local government secretary, called for "commissioners to take control" of Kensington and Chelsea "if necessary".

While he welcomed the Communities Secretary Sajid Javid's call for the democratic process to be open and transparent in the wake of Thursday night's abandoned meeting, he also called on him to "immediately ensure that all residents who are now homeless or in temporary accommodation are getting the support they need".

Before the meeting, Mr Paget-Brown apologised for the authority's response to the Grenfell Tower tragedy, in which at least 80 people died..

The Conservative councillor told BBC London he would not resign in the foreseeable future.

On 22 June, the chief executive of Kensington and Chelsea Council Nicholas Holgate announced he was resigning following pressure from Mr Javid.

A statement from Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation (KCTMO) confirmed its chief executive Robert Black had also resigned so he can "concentrate on assisting with the investigation and inquiry".

In a statement released after the cabinet meeting was adjourned, Mr Paget-Brown said: "We are under sustained media criticism for a slow reaction to the fire, non-visibility and for failing to invest in north Kensington.

"I believe that many of these criticisms need to be challenged and over time they will be, but I can think of nothing more demeaning to the memory of those lost and missing in the fire than seeking the resolution of political scores."

Woman dies after being hit by Northern line Tube Train

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A woman has died after she was hit by a Tube train at a south London station.

Police and paramedics arrived at Clapham South station just after 12.30pm on Thursday after reports of the incident.

London’s Air Ambulance also landed on nearby Clapham Common.

Northern line services between Morden and Stockwell were suspended as the incident was dealt with.

A spokesman for British Transport Police said: "Paramedics, including the Air Ambulance, are on scene and treated a woman for serious injuries.

"However despite their best effort she has sadly died. 

"This incident is not currently being treated as suspicious and a file will be prepared for the coroner."

Northern Ireland women to get abortions free on NHS

Pic:Campaigner Sarah Ewart (left) travelled to England for an abortion after learning that her baby would die soon after birth
Health reporter(wp):

Women from Northern Ireland will be able to get abortions in England, the government has said.

More than 50 MPs from the major parties had backed a Labour-led call for the women to have abortions for free in England - they currently have to pay.

The BBC's political editor said ministers made the concession because it appeared some Tory MPs might back the call, risking a possible defeat.

Northern Ireland's abortion laws are much stricter than the rest of the UK.

Abortions are only allowed in Northern Ireland if a woman's life is at risk or there is a permanent or serious risk to her physical or mental health. Rape, incest and fatal foetal abnormalities are not circumstances in which they can be performed legally.

Women seeking an abortion can travel to England to have one privately, but had not been allowed to have them free on the NHS - a position that was backed by the UK Supreme Court earlier this month.

An amendment on the issue, co-ordinated by Labour's Stella Creasy, which had cross-party backing, had been selected for inclusion in the Queen's Speech debate - which meant Theresa May's government ran the risk of possible defeat.

Since the election Mrs May no longer has a majority of MPs so has to rely on backing from the 10 DUP MPs - but even then she remains vulnerable to a rebellion from her own Conservative MPs.

The news of the change of policy was welcomed by the British Pregnancy Advisory Service which described it as a "landmark moment: for years the women of Northern Ireland, despite being UK citizens and taxpayers, have not been entitled to NHS-funded treatment".

Man jailed for threatening to kill Labour MP Karin Smyth

Crime reporter(wp):

A man has been jailed after threatening to kill a Labour candidate during the general election campaign. Matthew Niblett phoned Karin Smyth’s office in Bristol seven times in one hour because he had taken exception to her campaign leaflets.

He left messages in the early hours of 3 June claiming he would kill Smyth, who was re-elected on 8 June, and saying that he hoped that she would get stabbed in the street or caught in a bomb blast. Niblett was jailed for 14 weeks after pleading guilty to one count of harassment without violence.

Judge Lynne Matthews said: “As a nation, we enjoy informed debate. We can protest, we can march in the street. But what we’re not free to do is the harassment of our politicians. That’s where we draw the line.”

The judge also made reference to the murder of the Labour MP Jo Cox in June last year. “We only have to consider what happened to Jo Cox to understand how your actions would have caused distress to Ms Smyth and those who work in her office,” Matthews said. “You have shown no regard for the anxiety you cause to others.”

The judge was told that Niblett, from Hartcliffe, south Bristol, had a longstanding issue with Smyth because he felt she had not properly investigated a case involving him. His lawyer, Jane Taylor, dismissed his calls to Smyth’s office as the “drunk ramblings” of a man with mental health and anger management issues.

Taylor said it was clear her client had absolutely no intention of harming any member of the Labour party. Niblett interjected: “I’ve been doing this for years and years and nobody’s died, have they?”

In a victim statement, Smyth, who doubled her Bristol South majority at the election, said she felt sad for Niblett and had been worried for the safety of her staff.

Niblett was also given a seven-year restraining order preventing him from going near or contacting Smyth or the offices of the Bristol South Labour party in Bedminster.

Tesco to axe 1,200 head office jobs

Pic: Tesco Store
Business reporter(wp):

Tesco plans to cut 1,200 jobs at its head office as part of a major cost-cutting drive.

The UK's biggest supermarket told staff on Wednesday morning about the cull, which amounts to a quarter of its workforce in Welwyn Garden City and Hatfield.

Tesco is implementing a turnaround plan that aims to reduce costs by £1.5bn.

The cuts come after the retailer said last week it would close a call centre in Cardiff at the cost of 1,200 roles.

Tesco said it was a "significant next step" in the reorganisation of the company.

"This new service model will simplify the way we organise ourselves, reduce duplication and cost but also, very importantly, allow us to invest in serving shoppers better," a spokesperson said.

Pauline Foulkes, national officer at shop workers' union Usdaw, said: "Tesco's head office staff are understandably very concerned that the company is proposing further large-scale job losses.

"Our priorities are to keep as many staff as possible in employment and to get the best possible deal for our members."

Shares in Tesco rose 1.6% to close at 171.7p, but have fallen almost 17% since the start of the year.

Tesco said earlier this year that 1,000 roles would go as it reduced the number of distribution centres.

It also announced a plan to replace 1,700 deputy managers at its Express convenience stores with 3,000 lower-paid "shift leaders".

Trading at Tesco has been improving under chief executive Dave Lewis and earlier this month it reported a 2.3% rise in UK like-for-like sales for the three months to 27 May.

The supermarket is undertaking a £3.7bn takeover of wholesaler and convenience store group Booker, which has drawn opposition from some shareholders.

Schroders and Artisan Partners have said that Tesco is paying too much for Booker, which owns the Premier, Budgens and Londis store brands. and has written to chairman John Allan about their concerns.

The Competition and Markets Authority has opened the first phase of its investigation into the deal, which will end in late July.

No final Grenfell Tower death toll 'this year'

Pic:Grenfell Tower/getty images
Staff reporter(wp):

The final Grenfell Tower fire toll will not be known until at least the end of the year, with 80 people currently presumed dead, police say.

The vast majority of those who died were said to be in 23 of the North Kensington building's 129 flats.

The 14 June fire destroyed 151 homes, most in the tower block, but also a number of surrounding properties.

The opening of inquests into seven of the victims heard a six-month-old baby was found dead in her mother's arms.

Survivors and relatives of those who died have expressed frustration at the progress of the investigation.

But Det Supt Fiona McCormack said the full death toll will only be known when the search and recovery operation is over.

What I can say is that we believe that around 80 people are either dead or sadly missing and I must presume that they are dead," the officer said.

She added: "I don't want there to be any hidden victims. We want to understand the true human cost of this tragedy."

Police said some residents had tried to move up the building to escape the flames and it is thought a number of people may have ended up in one flat.

Det Supt McCormack said officers were having to prepare some families for the reality that their relatives' remains may never be recovered.

There was "utter devastation inside the flats," she said.

The update on the police investigation came as Prime Minister Theresa May told MPs that cladding from 120 high-rise buildings in 37 local authority areas in England has now failed fire safety tests.

Westminster coroner Dr Fiona Wilcox has opened and adjourned more inquests into the deaths of the Grenfell Tower victims.

Unsafe flats

At least one person from 106 of the 129 flats at Grenfell Tower has been contacted in an attempt to identify those who might have died, police said.

Some of the victims have been identified from a variety of sources including 999 calls - 26 calls received came from inside the 23 flats where the majority of people are thought to have died.

The 23 flats concerned were located between the 11th and 23rd floors of Grenfell Tower.

Det Supt McCormack said: "At this stage, we must presume, that no-one in those flats survived, that includes anyone who lived there or was visiting them."

She said a few flats were still too unsafe for police to carry out further investigation "due to the devastation caused by the fire".

The previously given death toll was 79.

Local people have created their own databases on missing people with figures which differ from those officially released.

Police said they hoped information would be sent to its investigation if it might identify the missing.

They said "every imaginable source" of information "from government agencies to fast food companies" had been used by officers as part of their inquiries to identify the victims.

Incredible moment man is flattened by out-of-control bus

Pic:The moment the man is hit from behind by the double-decker bus
Staff reporter(wp):

A man was smashed from behind and sent flying through the air by an out-of-control bus in a dramatic crash in central Reading.

Shocking CCTV footage shows the victim walking across the road when a double-decker bus suddenly comes hurtling around the corner of a busy town centre street.

He is immediately struck down and thrown forward as the vehicle then crashes into a bus stop, sending glass and debris flying in all directions.

Incredibly, the victim is then seen picking himself up and walking through the scene of carnage towards the Purple Turtle pub.

The pub’s CCTV footage shows the victim being tended to by about a dozen concerned passers-by, including a man wearing a Reading Buses top.

The bus itself appears to sustain a shattered windscreen following the impact, before coming to a halt a short distance away following the incident on Gun Street at 9am on Saturday.

The victim is believed to be Simon Smith, who told BBC South Today he felt “lucky to be alive” following the crash.

A Reading Buses spokesman confirmed the pedestrian was injured, but said he was not seriously hurt.

He said the driver had been "taken off the road" while an investigation into the incident was carried out.

It is not yet known what caused the bus to crash and there have been no arrests.

The Reading Buses spokesman said: "We are obviously shocked by the incident as well as the very graphic footage that has been shared a number of times.

"Thankfully, the pedestrian does not have any major injuries and there were no major injuries to passengers on the bus.

"The incident is the subject of an ongoing internal investigation as well as an investigation by the police with whom we are working and sharing footage from our on-board CCTV, so it would be inappropriate for us to comment or speculate on this until it has run its course.

"We can assure the public that all our drivers are incredibly professional and trained to the highest standard. Our buses receive regular checks by our award-winning engineering department.

"We send our regrets to those affected, especially the pedestrian injured in the street and hope that he is recovering from his injuries."

A spokesperson for Thames Valley Police said: “We were called to a road traffic collision involving a bus and a pedestrian in Gun Street at 9.13am on Saturday.

“The ambulance was called to the scene. The road was closed for about two hours.

“No arrests have been made.”

Mega-satellite production begins

Pic:Each satellite is about a metre cubed and weighs less than 150kg
Tech reporter(wp):

European aerospace giant Airbus and its partner, OneWeb, have begun the production of a mega-satellite constellation.

The network will comprise at least 600 spacecraft in the first instance, but could eventually encompass more than 2,000.

The aim is to deliver broadband links from orbit to every corner of the globe.

In particular, the project wants every school to have a connection.

Building so large a constellation requires a step-change in the manufacture of satellites - especially for Airbus.

It can take Europe’s biggest space company many months and hundreds of millions of dollars to build some of today’s specialist platforms. But for the OneWeb venture, it is all about high volume and low cost.

That means new assembly line methods akin to those in factories producing cars and planes.

The idea is to turn out three units per shift at well less than a million dollars a piece.

The boss of Airbus, Tom Enders, concedes he initially thought the OneWeb concept to be fantasy.

"Everything in space as you know traditionally has been gold-plated; it had to work perfectly, [and have] the most expensive materials, etc.

"Here, we’ve had to go other ways, to be really commercial and calculating according to the target cost because that is very decisive in the whole business case for OneWeb," he told BBC News.

Airbus and OneWeb have inaugurated the first assembly line in Toulouse, France. Two further lines will be set up in a soon-to-open factory complex in Florida.

The most obvious difference you notice between these new lines and the conventional satellite cleanroom is the trolley robot, which moves the developing satellites between the various work stations. But the "revolution" here goes far beyond automation; it requires a whole chain of suppliers and their components to scale their work to a different game plan.

The first 10 satellites to come off the Toulouse assembly line have a deadline to launch in April next year.

Another batch will follow into orbit around November. And then the launch cadence will kick on apace.

The establishment of the OneWeb constellation requires the greatest rocket campaign in the history of spaceflight.

More than 20 Soyuz vehicles have been booked to throw clusters of 32-36 satellites into a web some 1,200km above the Earth.

There should be just under 300 on station by 2020/21; more than 600 by the end of 2021; and then over 800 by the middle of the decade.

OneWeb and Airbus are not the only companies planning a mega-constellation in the sky. SpaceX, Boeing, ViaSat and others have all sought regulatory approval. But not everyone will succeed in getting the necessary multi-billion-dollar financing, and Airbus believes the OneWeb concept has first-mover advantage.

Equity of $1.7bn has already been raised, and talks are ongoing to secure the loans needed to complete the roll-out. OneWeb describes itself as a "truly global company" but it has company registration in the UK's Channel Islands. And, as such it must deal with the UK Space Agency as the licensing authority.

"A lot of our revenues are going to flow through the UK. So, from an economic perspective, it is going to be very important for the UK," said OneWeb CEO Eric Béranger.

"And when you have people locally, you are also fostering an ecosystem. And I think the UK being at the forefront of regulatory thinking on constellations will foster an environment that puts the UK ahead of many countries."

One aspect that the UKSA is sure to take a keen interest in is debris mitigation. There is considerable concern that a proliferation of multi-satellite networks could lead to large volumes of junk and a cascade of collisions.

The fear is that space could eventually become unusable.

A recent study - sponsored by the European Space Agency and supported by Airbus itself - found that the new constellations would need to de-orbit their old, redundant spacecraft within five years or run the risk of seriously escalating the probability of collisions. Brian Holz, who is CEO of OneWeb/Airbus manufacturing joint venture, said the ambition of his constellation was to set new standards in debris mitigation.

"We can bring down the satellites and re-enter within two years; we've made that commitment," he told BBC News.

"We've put extra hardware into the system to improve the reliability of that de-orbit process. We're also committing to put a small adapter device on to each spacecraft that will allow those spacecraft, in the small probability that one of them dies on the way down, to be grabbed by a small chase vehicle and pulled out of orbit."

Time will tell how disruptive the new manufacturing approaches adopted in Toulouse will be to the satellite industry as a whole.

Airbus and OneWeb hope also to be making satellites for other companies on their assembly lines. But not every platform in the sky will require such volumes and a good number of spacecraft will still need the bespoke treatment.

"Not everything here is application to the whole space industry. When we launch to Jupiter, there are things that will remain gold-plated whether we like it or not; unless of course we start to manufacture 900 satellites to go to Jupiter but this is not the case today,” said Nicolas Chamussy, who runs the satellite division of Airbus.

Google hit with record EU fine over Shopping service

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Google has been fined 2.42bn euros ($2.7bn; £2.1bn) by the European Commission after it ruled the company had abused its power by promoting its own shopping comparison service at the top of search results.

The amount is the regulator's largest penalty to date against a company accused of distorting the market.

The ruling also orders Google to end its anti-competitive practices within 90 days or face a further penalty.

The US firm said it may appeal.

However, if it fails to change the way it operates the Shopping service within the three-month deadline, it could be forced to make payments of 5% of its parent company Alphabet's average daily worldwide earnings.

Based on the company's most recent financial report, that amounts to about $14m a day.

The commission said it was leaving it to Google to determine what alterations should be made to its Shopping service rather than specifying a remedy.

"What Google has done is illegal under EU antitrust rules," declared Margrethe Vestager, the European Union's Competition Commissioner.

"It has denied other companies the chance to compete on their merits and to innovate, and most importantly it has denied European consumers the benefits of competition, genuine choice and innovation."

Ms Vestager added that the decision could now set a precedent that determines how she handles related complaints about the prominence Google gives to its own maps, flight price results and local business listings within its search tools.

Google had previously suggested that Amazon and eBay have more influence over the public's spending habits and has again said it does not accept the claims made against it.

"When you shop online, you want to find the products you're looking for quickly and easily," a spokesman said in response to the ruling.

"And advertisers want to promote those same products. That's why Google shows shopping ads, connecting our users with thousands of advertisers, large and small, in ways that are useful for both.

"We respectfully disagree with the conclusions announced today. We will review the Commission's decision in detail as we consider an appeal, and we look forward to continuing to make our case."

Fast growth

Google Shopping displays relevant products' images and prices alongside the names of shops they are available from and review scores, if available.

The details are labelled as being "sponsored", reflecting the fact that, unlike normal search results, they only include items that sellers have paid to appear.

On smartphones, the facility typically dominates "above-the-fold" content, meaning users might not see any traditional links unless they scroll down.

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Google also benefits from the fact the Shopping service adverts are more visual than its text-based ads.

One recent study suggested Shopping accounts for 74% of all retail-related ads clicked on within Google Search results. However, the BBC understands Google's own data indicates the true figure is smaller.

The European Commission has been investigating Google Shopping since late 2010.

The probe was spurred on by complaints from Microsoft, among others.

The rival tech giant has opted not to comment on the ruling, after the two struck a deal last year to try to avoid such legal battles in the future.

However, one of the other original complainants - the British price comparison service Foundem - welcomed the announcement.

"Although the record-breaking 2.42bn euro fine is likely to dominate the headlines, the prohibition of Google's immensely harmful search manipulation practices is far more important," said its chief executive Shivaun Raff.

"For well over a decade, Google's search engine has played a decisive role in determining what most of us read, use and purchase online. Left unchecked, there are few limits to this gatekeeper power."

Smoke seen for miles as firefighters tackle flames in Rainham scrapyard and Canary Wharf

Pic:Smoking can be seen billowing in to the sky at two locations in the capital 
Staff reporter(wp/es):

Thick black plumes of smoke could be seen for miles across the capital as two fires raged at a scrapyard in east London and in Canary Wharf.

Firefighters continue to tackle the first blaze that was caused by more than twelve vehicles catching light in a car storage yard in Rainham.

And other crews remain at the scene of a second fire in the Canary Wharf area. The fires broke out within an hour of each other.

Plumes of smoke could be seen from as far as central London, as workers took to social media to post pictures of both scenes on Monday afternoon.

Six fire engines and 30 firefighters were called to the flames in Rainham just before just before 1.30pm, after crews were called to reports of cars alight in Ferry Lane.

A London Fire Brigade spokesman said: "Six lorries, six cars and one 40 foot fork lift truck is alight.

"The Brigade was called at 1.21pm. Fire crews from Wennington and surrounding fire stations are at the scene. 

The cause of the fires are not yet known.

After the second blaze broke out in Canary Wharf, social media users posted dramatic images as smoke billows into the air.

Witnesses said the area, a building site in Preston's Road, is being evacuated while firefighters battle the flames.

The brigade said crews were at the scene, which is 10 miles away from the scrapyard fire, by about 2pm.

Ex-Archbishop Lord Carey resigns after child abuse review

Pic:Lord Carey has apologised to the victims of Peter Ball/getty images
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The former Archbishop of Canterbury has resigned from his last formal role in the church after a review into historical child sex abuse.

Lord Carey was criticised in an independent review of the church's handling of abuse carried out by Bishop Peter Ball, 85, who was jailed in 2015.

Dame Moira Gibb's review revealed he had failed to pass information on Ball to the police back in 1992.

Justin Welby, current Archbishop of Canterbury, asked for his resignation.

Lord Carey had been given a role as an honorary assistant bishop in the diocese of Oxford, a position given to many retired bishops.

Accepted criticisms'

Ball, former bishop of Lewes and Gloucester, was jailed for two years and eight months in October 2015, after admitting sex offences against 18 teenagers and young men between the 1970s and 1990s.

The Bishop of Oxford, the Right Reverend Dr Steven Croft, said: "I have met with Lord Carey following the Archbishop's letter to him.

"In light of Dame Moira Gibb's review into the Peter Ball case, Lord Carey has resigned from his role as honorary Assistant Bishop in the Diocese of Oxford.

"Lord Carey has accepted the criticisms made of him in the Gibb review and has apologised to the victims of Peter Ball."

Dame Moira Gibb's review revealed Lord Carey received various letters from families and individuals following the arrest and cautioning of Ball in 1992 for gross indecency, but failed to pass six of them to the police.

He also chose not to put Ball on the Church of England's "Lambeth List", which names clergymen about whom questions of suitability for ministry have been raised.

Ball was released from jail in February after serving 16 months.

'Focus on survivors'

Dame Moira, a former senior social worker, said there was a failure of the Church to respond appropriately to misconduct over a period of many years.

Rt Rev Steven Croft added: "Along with many others, I have been deeply distressed to read Dame Moira Gibb's report with its narrative of the abuse perpetrated by Peter Ball which remained hidden for so long.

"I hope that the focus of attention will continue to be on the survivors of abuse and offering to them the care and support they need.

"As the Diocese of Oxford we are committed to improving continually the quality of safeguarding and care."

He said the diocese would learn lessons from the review and put its "recommendations into practice"