Labour frontbencher slammed for 'shameful' tweet about Prince Philip's retirement

Pic:A Labour frontbencher came under fire for a “bitter” tweet about Prince Philip’s retirement
Royal correspondent(wp/es):

A Labour frontbencher has come under fire for a “shameful” tweet about Prince Philip’s retirement.

Chi Onwurah was slammed when she wrote that the Duke of Edinburgh would be retiring “in financial security at a time of his choosing.”

Her tweet came as Buckingham Palace confirmed the 95-year-old prince would be stepping down from his royal duties.

Ms Onwurah, standing again to be MP for Newcastle upon Tyne Central and the former shadow minister for business, congratulated him - but what she said next sparked outrage on social media.

She wrote: “Congratulations to Prince Philip on retiring in financial security at time of his choosing from a job he enjoys #forthemanynotthefew #waspi.”

Congratulations to Prince Philip on retiring in financial security at time of his choosing from a job he enjoys #forthemanynotthefew #waspi

— chi onwurah (@ChiOnwurah) May 4, 2017

The "waspi" hashtag refers to the Women Against State Pension Inequality campaign.

Many took to social media to vent their outrage at Ms Onwurah’s response to Thursday morning’s news.

Some people accused her of being "bitter" and asked whether or not she would still be working at the age of 95.

Another said: “I’d imagine he’s done more for the UK than most MPs ever will.”

Others wrote that Ms Onwurah was a “fool” for taking a “cheap shot” at the prince, and that she had a “chip on her shoulder.”

Among those who took aim at the Labour MP was Conservative candidate for Stratford-on-Avon Nadhim Zahawi.

He wrote on Twitter: “That is shameful & wrong. I am truly shocked by your comments.

"The Royal family should be kept out of politics. I hope you will apologise.”

In response, Ms Onwurah said: “I have huge respect for Prince Philip & the Royal family, but also want others to enjoy same freedom of retiring when & how they choose.”

Buckingham Palace on Thursday morning announced the Duke of Edinburgh, who turns 96 next month, will retire in the autumn.

The Queen called an unexpected meeting with senior staff before confirming the news.

A statement from Buckingham Palace read: "The Duke of Edinburgh is Patron, President or a member of over 780 organisations, with which he will continue to be associated, although he will no longer play an active role by attending engagements.

"Her Majesty will continue to carry out a full programme of official engagements with the support of members of the Royal Family.”

Sainsbury’s profits slide as Argos covers the cracks

Pic:Sainsbury's boss Mike Coupe 
Business reporter(wp/es):

Sainsbury’s £1.4 billion takeover of Argos helped soften the blow of a sales fall at its core supermarkets business today.

Sainsbury’s, which bought Argos for £1.4 billion last year, said underlying pre-tax profit fell 1% to £581 million in the year to March 11.

Argos’s £77 million contribution and savings of £130 million offset rising costs, such as the increase in the national living wage, and efforts to keep prices low amid a fierce industry war.

Boss Mike Coupe said he was “very pleased” with the Argos deal and insisted the rest of the firm had been “resilient”, despite sales at Sainsbury’s stores open for more than a year dipping 0.6% while Argos sales rose 4.1%. Shares fell 4% to 268p.

“The market place this year has been one of the most interesting, challenging and volatile that I’ve ever experienced in my working lifetime. In the last five years we’ve done incredibly well, broadly speaking, to maintain market share.”

Sainsbury’s expects costs to rise between 2% and 3% in the next year amid pressure from sterling’s weakness. Analysts are forecasting another profit fall in 2018.

Data from research firm Kantar Worldpanel showed all supermarket sales rose 3.7%, their fastest since September 2013, in the past 12 weeks.

Thousands of 'ultra-secure' new £1 coins 'produced with major flaws'

Business reporter(wp/es):

Thousands of the new £1 coins – described as the most secure in the world – have reportedly been produced with major flaws.

Some of the coins have been found to appear cracked and misshapen, while others even have the middle missing, The Sun reported.

The coins, which have a gold coloured ring and are silver in the middle, went into circulation in the UK in March.

However, officials are said to have admitted that faults have crept into the minting process.

John Taylor, a coin collector from Crystal Palace in south London, has a £1 coin with no middle.

He told The WP: “It is a definite Royal Mint error. The sellers claimed they had come from a sealed bag from the bank, which in turn came from the Royal Mint.”

Some of the mangled coins are already said to be selling as collectors’ items on eBay for thousands of pounds.

It is not clear how many of the coins are faulty.

A spokesman for the Royal Mint, which is based in south Wales, told the WP: “The Royal Mint produces around five billion coins each year, and will be striking 1.5bn new £1 coins in total.

"As you would expect, we have tight quality controls in place, however variances will always occur in a small number of coins, particularly in the striking process, due to the high volumes and speed of production."

Man, 23, stabbed to death in London's seventh knife killing in 10 days

Crime reporter(wp/es):

A young man has died after he was attacked and stabbed in a north London street in the capital's seventh knife killing in just 10 days.

The 23-year-old man made his own way to hospital after he was knifed in Southgate on Tuesday evening, police said.

Scotland Yard said he travelled more than four miles to Barnet Hospital after he was stabbed in The Fairway near to the junction with Masefield Crescent. 

He arrived at the hospital at about 7.30pm with several stab wounds.

Doctors fought to save him but he was pronounced dead almost an hour later.

Last week, six men were killed in knife attacks in London and several others seriously injured in stabbings.

Police said detectives have launched a murder probe and the man’s next of kin have been informed.

Formal identification is yet to take place and a post-mortem examination is being arranged.

There have been no arrests.

Theresa May accuses Euro bosses of trying to sabotage election with Brexit 'threats'

Pic:Theresa May makes a statement in Downing Street after her meeting with the Queen
Political reporter(wp/es):

Theresa May sensationally accused European bosses of trying to sway the result of the British election in a bombshell statement outside the steps of Downing Street. 

She claimed some bureaucrats want Britain’s Brexit negotiations to fail and have timed smears to deliberately affect British voters before they head to the polls on June 8.

Mrs May deliberately pointed the finger at President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker, claiming he had “hardened” his negotiating stance. 

She said: “In the last few days, we have seen just how tough these talks are likely to be. Britain’s negotiating position in Europe has been misrepresented in the continental press.

“The European Commission’s negotiating stance has hardened. Threats against Britain have been issued by European politicians and officials.

“All of these acts have been deliberately timed to affect the result of the general election that will take place on 8 June.”

The speech came shortly after the Prime Minister visited Buckingham Palace to officially dissolve Parliament. 

On Monday reports appeared in the German press detailing the dinner held between President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker and Theresa May a week ago.

The pair were there for talks on the upcoming negotiations of Britain leaving the EU. 

Juncker is said to have described Mrs May as delusional following the meeting and on “living in another galaxy” over the speed at which she wanted to resolve EU citizens rights.

He is alleged to have said he left London feeling “10 times more sceptical” about the success of Brexit.

Mrs May said: “The events of the last few days have shown that - whatever our wishes, and however reasonable the positions of Europe’s other leaders - there are some in Brussels who do not want these talks to succeed.”

She insisted earlier this week talks with Mr Juncker had so far had been constructive.

Turning her focus to the upcoming election she said that only she could deliver the “strong and stable” leadership Britain needs to provide economic growth, and said a vote for Jeremy Corbyn would herald a “coalition of chaos”.

She said: “With me you will get strong and stable leadership, and an approach to Brexit that locks in economic growth, jobs for our children and strong finances for the NHS and the country’s schools.”

every three days in London one person killed or seriously injured by guns

Crime reporter(wp/es):

The shocking extent of gun crime in London was laid bare today as new figures revealed one person was killed or seriously injured in a shooting every three days in the capital last year.

Met Police statistics show 12 people were shot dead last year, while 89 sustained serious injuries.

The statistics, obtained by the Weastar Press under Freedom of Information rules, showed that the total number of people threatened, shot at, injured or killed in a shooting rose by almost 80 per cent, compared to 2015 when there were 10 deaths, 52 serious injuries and 322 fewer serious offences. 

The figures come as a top surgeon issued a warning over the handguns used by London street gangs which fire low-velocity rounds, causing devastating injuries to victims.

Last year, a total of 691 people were threatened with a gun, shot at, injured or killed in a firearms incident in London.

Shootings in London

Twenty-seven people are believed to have been killed in shootings and stabbings in London so far this year, compared with 20 by this time in 2016.

Criminals fired a weapon on 744 occasions in the capital in 2016, compared with 427 the previous year – a rise of more than 74 per cent. 

Senior Scotland Yard detectives said the rise in gun crime had led to a new initiative, Operation Viper, being set up to ensure Trident officers could provide a faster response to firearms incidents.

Police said by expanding tactics, in the past two years 1,400 firearms have been seized by police from the streets of the capital, including 93 handed in during a one-week gun amnesty in February. o far this year, compared with 20 by this time in 2016.

Criminals fired a weapon on 744 occasions in the capital in 2016, compared with 427 the previous year – a rise of more than 74 per cent.

Newham is the worst affected borough with 56 offences recorded in which a person was threatened with a gun, shot at, injured or killed in a shooting, followed by Hackney with 39 and Havering with 38.

They are followed by Waltham Forest (35) and Lambeth (33). 

In terms of injuries, Brent had the worst record last year with two deaths and eight serious injuries.

So far this year, three people have been shot dead in London, all of them teenagers. In the first four months of last year just one person was fatally shot.

In March, sixth form student David Adegbite, 18, was gunned down on a housing estate in Barking and then two days later 19-year-old Abdifatah Sheikhey was shot at close range as he sat in a Mercedes car in a street in Ilford. 

Earlier this month, 16-year-old Karim Samms was shot dead as he met a friend on his way home in North Woolwich. Another man in his 20s was also shot and injured in the reported drive-by shooting.

The teenager was about to become a qualified fitness instructor at Fight for Peace, a nearby boxing academy which trains and educates youths to keep them out of gangs.

Jacob Whittingham, head of programmes at the academy, told the Weastar Press he feared the capital’s gun crime rate could be even higher as young people often feel too afraid to report incidents.

He said he believed that high levels of youth unemployment in deprived areas of London meant that teenagers were either “taking their frustrations out on each other” or turning to criminal activities to support their families.

The academy, where Karim trained regularly, uses boxing and martial arts to realise the potential of young people in communities affected by crime and violence and also offers educational courses.

Mr Whittingham added: “Karim was a huge personality. He was loved and respected. He was a person who trained with us regularly and he worked in a restaurant in south-east London. 

“He was an example of what hard work and positivity can achieve. It’s been very tragic, shocking and traumatic for everyone but the way we have responded at the academy has been very positive.” 

Sophie Linden, Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime said: “These figures are deeply worrying, and the Met has set up specific operations to drive down gun crime, with officers targeting known offenders and taking guns off the capital’s streets. 

"Our new Police and Crime Plan also restores real neighbourhood policing, with more officers working in our local areas to fight crime and help keep Londoners safe.”

Detective Superintendent Tim Champion, of the Met’s Trident and Area Crime Command, said: “Following an increase in the number of gun crime incidents, Operation Viper was set up in May 2016.

"This has led to Trident officers being deployed in areas of high gun discharges and helped to provide an even faster response to firearms incidents.

“Trident officers have also proactively targeted known gun crime offenders and carried out intelligence-led weapon sweeps.

“In the past two years, Met officers have taken more than 1,400 firearms off the capital’s streets, including 93 handed in during a one-week gun surrender in February.

“The Met has also used the DIVERT programme to steer young people away from gun crime and into employment or development.”

Tributes to 'loving' father who died in best friend's arms after stabbing in Peckham

Pic:Bilal Karbo worked in a phone shop near where he was stabbed
Crime reporter(wp/es):

Friends have paid tribute to a “loving” father who died in his best friend’s arms after being stabbed on a busy shopping street.

Bilal Kargbo, 26, was knifed during an argument with a stranger in Blenheim Grove, Peckham Rye, on Friday afternoon.

Despite efforts of paramedics he was pronounced dead at the scene just before 4pm, becoming the sixth stabbing fatality in a week of carnage on the capital’s streets.

Childhood friends today paid tribute to the father-of-four, who was killed less than 250 yards from the mobile phone shop where he worked on Rye Lane.

Alim Komora said he had seen Mr Kargbo, who lived in Borough, arguing with another man and immediately rushed over to separate them.

He said: “I saw him from the back and I came straight up to them and tried to separate them. They were so close and they were squaring up to each other.

“I was pushing them both in the chest and I said ‘you guys are not fighting’.”

“Next thing I know the guy took out a knife and just stabbed him. It happened so quickly I didn’t even have time to ask why they were arguing.”

Mr Komora said he had met Bilal, originally from Sierra Leone, when they were both students at Walworth School, now Walworth Academy, on Old Kent Road.

Speaking from the West African country, musician Mohamed Sheriff said that Mr Kargbo had been due to travel to the capital Freetown on May 7, to launch the pair’s record label No Dulling Entertainment.

He said: “We were trying to change the entertainment industry in Sierra Leone. We had a dream, we worked hard together.

“He was a free-spirit, a hard-working person who believed in his dreams and wanted to achieve his dreams. He wasn’t the type of person to take a shortcut in anything, he was willing to work hard day and night.

“He was a star without being a star – anything he touched turned to gold. He was always trying to help people.”

Mr Sheriff, who described Bilal as “more than a brother”, said his friend moved to London as a teenager.

He added: “I’ve heard of people getting stabbed, but I’ve never of six people in six days dying. You think of that for America, but not London.

“That’s not his life. He prays every single Friday. There are so many people behind him, he has kids that he left behind. It’s really sad.”

The musician said he was organising a tribute concert for Mr Kargbo in Freetown to be held on May 20.

Friend Marsden Kanu, 21, said Mr Kargbo was planning on moving back permanently to Sierra Leone and described as a “proud ambassador” for the country.

He told the Weastar Times: “Bilal was not only a kind loving gentleman but also a responsible family man, a dad of four children who never posed a threat to friends.

“He was a proud ambassador of Sierra Leone and was looking forward to settling in Africa and to contribute actively to the community of the country.”

Friends gathered at the scene of the stabbing last night where flowers had been laid in tribute to Mr Kargbo, who was killed the day after Sierra Leone’s independence day.

Detective Dave Whellams from the Met’s homicide squad said: “We believe the victim was involved in an altercation with another person prior to being stabbed. The incident drew a large crowd of onlookers and a number of members of the public were filming the incident on their phones.

“I am appealing directly to any witnesses - and in particular any of those people who have recorded footage - to contact police as soon as possible.”

A 22-year-old man was being questioned at an east London police station today on suspicion of murder. A 28-year-old man has also been arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.

Anyone with information is asked to call the incident room on 020 8785 8244 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.