A 18 YR WOMAN DEATH(LEVEL CROSSING) IN SOUTH WEST LONDON TODAY

STAFF REPORTER,W.L(ES/WT):::: A teenager is dead after being found on fire in the street in south-west London. Police, medics and firefighters were called at 1.10am to reports of a burning woman on the level crossing near a Tesco branch at West Barnes Lane in New Malden. They managed to extinguish the fire but the woman, believed to be around 18 years old, was pronounced dead at the scene. A spokeswoman for the London Fire Brigade said the woman had suffered burns on every part of her body. Nearby Burlington Road and neighbouring streets were sealed off by police and remained closed at midday. Officers believe they know the identity of the deceased and have informed next of kin but no formal identification has taken place. Her death is being treated as unexplained pending an investigation by officers from Merton Borough and the London Fire Brigade. Scotland Yard said it believed the fire started in a nearby house in Linkway. Scotland Yard confirmed tonight that the 18-year-old woman had a young son, who was being looked after by relatives when she died and remains in their care. Police are seeking three people who rushed to her aid and tried to put out the flames. A spokesman said the death appeared "non-suspicious" but appealed for any witnesses. Layla Hamid, 20, a student who lives opposite the house, told the Daily Mail: "I heard initially what I thought was a fox making a noise or an animal in pain. "I heard four separate screams - the first one right outside the house and then more screams in the road and then behind me on the level crossing. "Now that I know what it was, I feel chilled to the bone. She must have been in so much pain." Witnesses or anyone with information about the incident should call 101.

David cameron announce officially opens IDEALondon centre in Tech City

university reporter,London(UCL/WT)::: British honorable prime minister David Cameron announce new center for tech city in UCL. Speaking at the centre – the first of its kind in Tech City which aims to nurture and grow both new and existing early-stage start-ups in the area – the Prime Minister outlined how the strengths of the respective partners would accelerate growth in Tech City which, in turn, would benefit the country.  The partnership behind the centre – the Innovation and Digital Enterprise Alliance (IDEA) – is a collaboration between Cisco, DC Thomson and UCL and will support the growth of rapidly expanding digital, tech and media start-ups in and around Tech City in London’s Shoreditch. IDEALondon provides bespoke support, tailored to individual start-ups, with mentoring and a strategic acceleration programme.  It will initially house around fifteen companies and around one hundred entrepreneurs and staff. Those housed in the facility have been chosen by the partners through different routes: Cisco through its British Innovation Gateway programme (BIG) has granted space to the most promising digital and tech start-ups it has discovered and UCL Advances – UCL’s centre for entrepreneurship and business interaction – will select the best and brightest of UCL's digital entrepreneurs for intensive support to enhance their growth. Leading media organisation DC Thomson will focus on supporting start-ups working in digital content creation, advertising technologies, ecommerce, educational technologies and analytics.  The company has recently welcomed its first two start-ups at IDEALondon and will provide mentorship and guidance on commercialising and scaling business propositions.   As well as providing space for start-ups, IDEALondon will host UCL researchers working at the forefront of digital innovation to develop new products and services to take to market.  The centre is much more than a workspace; it provides dedicated business expertise, access to a structured programme of support and collaboration on technology challenges. In addition, IDEALondon will host the UCL DECIDE project, in collaboration with UCL, DC Thomson and the BBC in what is intended to be the world’s largest ‘living lab’ for digital and media projects. It will see the university utilise its staff and student body of 30,000 as a closed community for testing and evaluating digital products in pre-commercial development. IDEA London is open to any start-up that feels they could benefit from working closely with Cisco, DC Thomson and UCL. All the start-ups that are accepted into IDEALondon will be championed by one of the partner organisations. The three partners in the centre will also offer a comprehensive programme giving access to consultancy, mentoring and funding, as well as other opportunities for training and business support, through UCL’s centre for entrepreneurship, UCL Advances. Phil Smith, CEO of Cisco UK&Ireland,said:---------- “At Cisco we say amazing things happen when we connect the previously unconnected. IDEALondon is a vital element of the Cisco British Innovation Gateway created to nurture nationwide ingenuity and growth through entrepreneurship. The brilliant blend of UCL, DC Thomson and Cisco means startups can be more connected, skilled and ambitious than ever before.”  Richard Hall, Director, DC Thomson,said:----------- “The IDEALondon facility realises DC Thomson’s ambition to support new business and the facility is the perfect incubator for start-ups.  The facility provides our start-ups with the opportunity to enjoy a tech city location whilst simultaneously giving them the opportunity to work with an established media organisation.  We offer access to experienced business mentors and support from our Group companies and wider business network.” Professor Stephen Caddick, Vice-Provost for Enterprise at UCL and a member of the Government’s Tech City Advisory Group, said:------------- “IDEA London will ensure the future growth and prosperity of start-ups across the area by giving them access to all the opportunities working with a world-leading university can provide – access to advanced lab facilities, computer scientists and a closed community market research programme – right on their doorstep.” This is the second incubator programme that DC Thomson has established for start-up businesses.  IDEAL’s sister programme IDEAS, based in Dundee, is a partnership between brightsolid online technology, DC Thomson and the universities of Abertay and Dundee offering help to start-up digital economy entrepreneurs. 

After 40 yrs first female appoints chief executive in record break 325-year history

business reporter,London(guardian/wp)::: Forty years after the first woman entered the Lloyd's of London dealing floor as a broker, the 325-year-old insurance market has named its first female boss. The company is to be run by 30-year industry veteran Inga Beale from January. Currently the chief executive of Canopius, a Lloyd's managing agent thought to be the subject of a takeover bid, Beale will replace Richard Ward who surprised the industry by resigning in the summer. "Lloyd's is already an international leader, but this unique market has an extraordinary opportunity to increase its footprint and to cement its position as the global hub for specialist insurance and reinsurance. I'm looking forward to working with the Lloyd's team and the wider market to deliver a strategy for profitable and sustainable growth alongside Lloyd's robust market oversight," said Beale. The world's largest insurance market insures anything from footballers' legs to singers' voices – Bruce Springsteen once insured his for £3.5m – as well as providing cover against natural disasters such as storms and floods. Based in an eye-catching building in London's Lime Street – designed by Richard Rogers with the lifts are on the outside – Lloyds is actually a group of about 80 competing insurance syndicates that traces its origins back to a 17th-century London coffee house where merchants insured ships. Beale has held a number of senior roles in the insurance industry including at Zurich Insurance and at the insurance arm of General Electric. In June, in an interview she gave as chief executive of Canopius, she said having women at board level would make a difference to the way companies were run and stressed the importance of having female role models. "I think the business is run differently if you have women around the decision-making table and that's why it's good to have diversity, not just on the gender side. Different people approach things differently and provide alternative views – diverse boards help companies make better decisions, which affect the bottom line," said Beale. "Until we get more women around the decision-making table women are unlikely to get enough encouragement to really aspire to reach senior positions in the industry." Her appointment comes 40 years after the first female broker at Lloyd's. Liliana Archibald also became the first female Name – one of the individuals who back the market with their own money. After her first day in the broking room at Lloyd's, Archibald passed the building on the way home and commented that "the roof was still on". Beale's appointment also coincides with more attempts to help women break the glass ceiling with business secretary Vince Cable requiring FTSE 100 companies to have 25% female representation on their boards by 2015.