Eleven people were injured on Saturday when a car collided with pedestrians near London`s Natural History Museum, in one of the capital`s busiest tourist areas, but police doused concerns it was a terrorist attack, saying it was a road traffic incident.&nbsp;

Police said it was believed the car had mounted the pavement outside the popular attraction in west London and collided with a number of pedestrians.&nbsp;

Officers had arrested a man aged in his 40s at the scene and he was now being questioned on suspicion of dangerous driving after being taken to hospital for treatment.

Britain has suffered five attacks blamed on terrorism so far this year, three of which involved vehicles, and the incident in an area packed with tourists at the weekend had prompted concerns that the collision had been a deliberate act.

&quot;The incident is entirely a road traffic investigation and is not a terrorist-related incident,&quot; a police statement said.&nbsp;

London`s ambulance service said they had treated 11 people, mostly for head and leg injuries, with nine taken to the hospital.

Police said none of the injuries were life-threatening or life-changing and the majority of those hospitalised had now been discharged.

Unverified footage from the scene showed a man being pinned to the ground near a crashed black Toyota car.

Oliver Cheshire, a model who is the fianc&eacute; of British pop singer Pixie Lott, told the Daily Mail newspaper he was one of those who had helped detain the man. He said three female passengers in the car told him it was a private-hire taxi.

&quot;He was driving down the pavement and hit 11 to 12 people. Then the guy was screaming,&quot; he told the paper. &quot;He looked at me and I was really in shock. I got out of my car and grabbed him &mdash; three of us grabbed him &mdash; and someone phoned the police.&quot;

Cheshire later wrote on Twitter: &quot;Thanks for messaging everybody. I&rsquo;m ok. Thank you to the men who helped me pin him down and the police for coming so quickly.&quot;

Neither police nor Transport for London, which runs most of the city`s transport system, would comment on the status of the vehicle.

&quot;My thanks to the first responders at this incident this afternoon and the actions of members of the public. My thoughts are with the injured,&quot; Prime Minister Theresa May said on Twitter.

Britain is on its second highest security alert level, meaning an attack by militants is considered highly likely.&nbsp;

In March, a man drove a car into pedestrians on London`s Westminster Bridge killing four before stabbing a police officer to death in the grounds of parliament.

Three Islamist militants drove into people on London Bridge in June before stabbing people at nearby restaurants and bars, killing eight. The same month, a van was driven into worshippers near a mosque in north London which left one man dead.

Police said it was believed the car had mounted the pavement outside the popular attraction in west London and collided with a number of pedestrians

Eleven people were injured on Saturday when a car collided with pedestrians near London`s Natural History Museum, in one of the capital`s busiest tourist areas, but police doused concerns it was a terrorist attack, saying it was a road traffic incident. Police said it was believed the car had mounted the pavement outside the popular attraction in west London and collided with a number of pedestrians. Officers had arrested a man aged in his 40s at the scene and he was now being questioned on suspicion of dangerous driving after being taken to hospital for treatment. Britain has suffered five attacks blamed on terrorism so far this year, three of which involved vehicles, and the incident in an area packed with tourists at the weekend had prompted concerns that the collision had been a deliberate act. "The incident is entirely a road traffic investigation and is not a terrorist-related incident," a police statement said. London`s ambulance service said they had treated 11 people, mostly for head and leg injuries, with nine taken to the hospital. Police said none of the injuries were life-threatening or life-changing and the majority of those hospitalised had now been discharged. Unverified footage from the scene showed a man being pinned to the ground near a crashed black Toyota car. Oliver Cheshire, a model who is the fiancé of British pop singer Pixie Lott, told the Daily Mail newspaper he was one of those who had helped detain the man. He said three female passengers in the car told him it was a private-hire taxi. "He was driving down the pavement and hit 11 to 12 people. Then the guy was screaming," he told the paper. "He looked at me and I was really in shock. I got out of my car and grabbed him — three of us grabbed him — and someone phoned the police." Cheshire later wrote on Twitter: "Thanks for messaging everybody. I’m ok. Thank you to the men who helped me pin him down and the police for coming so quickly." Neither police nor Transport for London, which runs most of the city`s transport system, would comment on the status of the vehicle. "My thanks to the first responders at this incident this afternoon and the actions of members of the public. My thoughts are with the injured," Prime Minister Theresa May said on Twitter. Britain is on its second highest security alert level, meaning an attack by militants is considered highly likely. In March, a man drove a car into pedestrians on London`s Westminster Bridge killing four before stabbing a police officer to death in the grounds of parliament. Three Islamist militants drove into people on London Bridge in June before stabbing people at nearby restaurants and bars, killing eight. The same month, a van was driven into worshippers near a mosque in north London which left one man dead.

Eleven injured in car crash near London museum, terrorism ruled out

Uber&#39;s Chief Executive apologised on Monday for the taxi app&#39;s&nbsp;mistakes&nbsp;in London and promised to change as the firm fights a decision by the city not to renew its licence.

On Friday, the<a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/uber-loses-license-to-operate-in-london-20525"> British capital&#39;s transport regulator deemed&nbsp;Uber&nbsp;unfit</a> to run a taxi service and decided not to renew its licence to operate, which will end this week, citing the firm&#39;s approach to reporting serious criminal offences and background checks on drivers.

&quot;While&nbsp;Uber&nbsp;has revolutionised the way people move in cities around the world, it&#39;s equally true that&nbsp;we&#39;ve&nbsp;got things wrong along the way. On behalf of everyone at&nbsp;Uber&nbsp;globally, I apologise for the&nbsp;mistakes&nbsp;we&#39;ve&nbsp;made,&quot;&nbsp;CEO&nbsp;Dara Khosrowshahi wrote in an open letter.

&quot;We will appeal the decision on behalf of millions of Londoners, but we do so with the knowledge that we must also change.&quot;

On Friday, the British capital's transport regulator deemed?Uber?unfit to run a taxi service and decided not to renew its licence to operate

Uber's Chief Executive apologised on Monday for the taxi app's mistakes in London and promised to change as the firm fights a decision by the city not to renew its licence. On Friday, the British capital's transport regulator deemed Uber unfit to run a taxi service and decided not to renew its licence to operate, which will end this week, citing the firm's approach to reporting serious criminal offences and background checks on drivers. "While Uber has revolutionised the way people move in cities around the world, it's equally true that we've got things wrong along the way. On behalf of everyone at Uber globally, I apologise for the mistakes we've made," CEO Dara Khosrowshahi wrote in an open letter. "We will appeal the decision on behalf of millions of Londoners, but we do so with the knowledge that we must also change."

'I'm sorry for the mistakes we've made': Uber CEO tells London

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/cyclist-launches-bid-to-complete-world-tour-in-80-days-4045">&nbsp;A&nbsp;British&nbsp;endurance&nbsp;cyclist&nbsp;</a>has smashed the Guinness&nbsp;World&nbsp;Record&nbsp;for the fastest circumnavigation of the planet on a bicycle, riding 18,000 miles (29,000km) in under 80days.

Mark Beaumont cycled for 18 hours a day and burned more than 9,000 calories every 24 hours as he crossed Poland, Russia, Mongolia, China, Australia and the United States.

&quot;It&rsquo;s literally about riding to the next horizon,&quot; the Scotsman said on Monday after completing his marathon ride under the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. &quot;I&#39;ve barely walked for two-and-a-half months.&quot;

A crash in Russia on the ninth day in which he broke a tooth and injured his elbow nearly ended a ride that he said had taken him to a &quot;mental depth&quot; he had never before experienced.

&quot;It&rsquo;s just the sleep deprivation. It&rsquo;s after weeks and weeks and weeks, it&rsquo;s just the long, long hours you spend in your head, you know, really battling. And you just need to decide you&rsquo;re never going to stop,&quot; he said.

He completed the ride in&nbsp;78&nbsp;days, 14 hours and 40 minutes. The&nbsp;record&nbsp;was previously held by New Zealander Andrew Nicholson, who in 2015 managed the feat in 123&nbsp;days.

A Guinness&nbsp;World&nbsp;Record&nbsp;adjudicator handed the&nbsp;cyclist&nbsp;two&nbsp;world&nbsp;record&nbsp;certificates - one for the round-the-world&nbsp;record, the other for the furthest distance cycled in a single month.

Mark Beaumont cycled for 18 hours a day and burned more than 9,000 calories every 24 hours as he crossed Poland, Russia, Mongolia, China, Australia and the United States.

A British endurance cyclist has smashed the Guinness World Record for the fastest circumnavigation of the planet on a bicycle, riding 18,000 miles (29,000km) in under 80days. Mark Beaumont cycled for 18 hours a day and burned more than 9,000 calories every 24 hours as he crossed Poland, Russia, Mongolia, China, Australia and the United States. "It’s literally about riding to the next horizon," the Scotsman said on Monday after completing his marathon ride under the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. "I've barely walked for two-and-a-half months." A crash in Russia on the ninth day in which he broke a tooth and injured his elbow nearly ended a ride that he said had taken him to a "mental depth" he had never before experienced. "It’s just the sleep deprivation. It’s after weeks and weeks and weeks, it’s just the long, long hours you spend in your head, you know, really battling. And you just need to decide you’re never going to stop," he said. He completed the ride in 78 days, 14 hours and 40 minutes. The record was previously held by New Zealander Andrew Nicholson, who in 2015 managed the feat in 123 days. A Guinness World Record adjudicator handed the cyclist two world record certificates - one for the round-the-world record, the other for the furthest distance cycled in a single month.

British cyclist pedals around the world in 78 days, smashes record

At least 22 people were injured after a home-made bomb partially exploded on a packed commuter train heading into London, engulfing a carriage in flames.

&quot;We now assess that this was a detonation of an improvised explosive device,&quot; Britain&#39;s top counter-terrorism officer Mark Rowley told reporters.

Rowley refused to disclose whether the suspected bomber had been on the train, saying it was a live investigation. 
 
The police said this was Britain&#39;s fifth terrorism-related incident this year.

Some suffered burns while others were injured in the stampede which resulted as the passengers on board the train fled in panic as fire erupted at Parsons Green underground station in West London.

The incident took place at 8.20 am&nbsp;(0720 GMT).

&quot;My thoughts are with those injured at Parsons Green and the emergency services who, once again, are responding swiftly and bravely to a suspected terrorist incident,&quot; British Prime Minister Theresa May said.&nbsp;

&quot;Everybody should keep calm and go about their lives in as normal a way as they possibly can,&quot; Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson told BBC TV.

&nbsp;Passengers were seen &quot;badly burned&quot;, AFP reported.

A Metro.co.uk reporter at the scene was quoted by the paper as saying that some passengers were &quot;really badly burned&quot; and their &quot;hair was coming off&quot;.

The police rushed to the spot.

Ambulances, fire engines were rushed to the &nbsp;Parsons Green station in West London. 
&nbsp;

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We have a number of resources on scene at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ParsonsGreen?src=hash">#ParsonsGreen</a> including <a href="https://twitter.com/LAS_HART">@LAS_HART</a>. More information will follow <a href="https://t.co/TciNtAa8dO">https://t.co/TciNtAa8dO</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZUWpHz7CTn">pic.twitter.com/ZUWpHz7CTn</a>
&mdash; London Ambulance (@Ldn_Ambulance) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ldn_Ambulance/status/908603264949727232">September 15, 2017</a></blockquote>
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We have a number of resources and specialists officers in attendance at the incident at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ParsonsGreen?src=hash">#ParsonsGreen</a> tube station <a href="https://t.co/GYOEv6kMua">https://t.co/GYOEv6kMua</a> <a href="https://t.co/bdiCr4hWcZ">pic.twitter.com/bdiCr4hWcZ</a>
&mdash; London Fire Brigade (@LondonFire) <a href="https://twitter.com/LondonFire/status/908608633793056770">September 15, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Police were called at approx. 8:20am to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ParsonsGreen?src=hash">#ParsonsGreen</a> following reports of an incident on a tube train
&mdash; Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) <a href="https://twitter.com/metpoliceuk/status/908606950157570048">September 15, 2017</a></blockquote>
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An injured woman reacts outside Parsons Green tube station in London. (Reuters)
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The police said this was Britain's fifth terrorism-related incident this year

At least 22 people were injured after a home-made bomb partially exploded on a packed commuter train heading into London, engulfing a carriage in flames. "We now assess that this was a detonation of an improvised explosive device," Britain's top counter-terrorism officer Mark Rowley told reporters. Rowley refused to disclose whether the suspected bomber had been on the train, saying it was a live investigation. The police said this was Britain's fifth terrorism-related incident this year. Some suffered burns while others were injured in the stampede which resulted as the passengers on board the train fled in panic as fire erupted at Parsons Green underground station in West London. The incident took place at 8.20 am (0720 GMT). "My thoughts are with those injured at Parsons Green and the emergency services who, once again, are responding swiftly and bravely to a suspected terrorist incident," British Prime Minister Theresa May said. "Everybody should keep calm and go about their lives in as normal a way as they possibly can," Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson told BBC TV. Passengers were seen "badly burned", AFP reported. A Metro.co.uk reporter at the scene was quoted by the paper as saying that some passengers were "really badly burned" and their "hair was coming off". The police rushed to the spot. Ambulances, fire engines were rushed to the Parsons Green station in West London. We have a number of resources on scene at #ParsonsGreen including @LAS_HART. More information will follow https://t.co/TciNtAa8dO pic.twitter.com/ZUWpHz7CTn — London Ambulance (@Ldn_Ambulance) September 15, 2017 × We have a number of resources and specialists officers in attendance at the incident at #ParsonsGreen tube station https://t.co/GYOEv6kMua pic.twitter.com/bdiCr4hWcZ — London Fire Brigade (@LondonFire) September 15, 2017 × Police were called at approx. 8:20am to #ParsonsGreen following reports of an incident on a tube train — Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) September 15, 2017 × An injured woman reacts outside Parsons Green tube station in London. (Reuters) ×

London: At least 22 injured as improvised device explodes in underground train

The world record for the largest samosa was smashed in London on Tuesday by a whopping version of the popular Asian snack weighing in at 153.1 (337.5 pounds) kilograms.

A dozen volunteers from the Muslim Aid UK charity built the giant samosa then deep-fried it in a custom-built vat at an East London Mosque.

Adjudicators from Guinness World Records were on hand to oversee the process and certify that the mega-samosa passed the required tests.

The previous record of 110.8 kg was set by Bradford College in northern England in June 2012.

The samosa was built on a giant wire mesh, then winched into a vat of cooking oil before being hauled out to be weighed.

&quot;My heart was beating really fast,&quot; said Farid Islam, 26, the project organiser.

&quot;It was very tense. It looked like it was going to slide off. A crack appeared and I feared the worst,&quot; he told AFP.

Guinness World Records adjudicator Pravin Patel spelled out the rules.

&quot;It&#39;s got to be triangular; contain flour, potatoes, onions, and peas; be fried, and retain the shape when cooked,&quot; he told AFP.

&quot;It&#39;s got to look and feel like a samosa; it&#39;s got to be edible by humans.

&quot;The critical record is the net weight. Plus it all has to be eaten. No wastage!&quot;

After the team carefully made the triangle-shaped super-snack, it was hauled up to the industrial winch by the biggest men available and slowly plunged into the vat.

Once it was winched out, and after the nervy weigh-in, the independent food safety officer, who had overseen proceedings, gave it the taste test. A simple thumbs-up triggered cheers around the hall.

It was then down to Patel to tie up all the certification and deliver the verdict: 153.1 kg.

&quot;It&#39;s an absolutely great achievement,&quot; he declared.

Organiser Islam said it was a tough challenge.

&quot;Initially I thought it would be a piece of cake: stuff it together, tie up the end and fry it,&quot; he said.

&quot;When I realised there was not a single pot in the country that could hold that weight, we had to get something tailor made.&quot;

The samosa took around 15 hours of work and was dished up into hundreds of portions distributed to the local homeless via the Salvation Army.

Volunteers from the Muslim Aid UK charity built the giant Indian snack then deep-fried it in a custom-built vat at an East London Mosque

The world record for the largest samosa was smashed in London on Tuesday by a whopping version of the popular Asian snack weighing in at 153.1 (337.5 pounds) kilograms. A dozen volunteers from the Muslim Aid UK charity built the giant samosa then deep-fried it in a custom-built vat at an East London Mosque. Adjudicators from Guinness World Records were on hand to oversee the process and certify that the mega-samosa passed the required tests. The previous record of 110.8 kg was set by Bradford College in northern England in June 2012. The samosa was built on a giant wire mesh, then winched into a vat of cooking oil before being hauled out to be weighed. "My heart was beating really fast," said Farid Islam, 26, the project organiser. "It was very tense. It looked like it was going to slide off. A crack appeared and I feared the worst," he told AFP. Guinness World Records adjudicator Pravin Patel spelled out the rules. "It's got to be triangular; contain flour, potatoes, onions, and peas; be fried, and retain the shape when cooked," he told AFP. "It's got to look and feel like a samosa; it's got to be edible by humans. "The critical record is the net weight. Plus it all has to be eaten. No wastage!" After the team carefully made the triangle-shaped super-snack, it was hauled up to the industrial winch by the biggest men available and slowly plunged into the vat. Once it was winched out, and after the nervy weigh-in, the independent food safety officer, who had overseen proceedings, gave it the taste test. A simple thumbs-up triggered cheers around the hall. It was then down to Patel to tie up all the certification and deliver the verdict: 153.1 kg. "It's an absolutely great achievement," he declared. Organiser Islam said it was a tough challenge. "Initially I thought it would be a piece of cake: stuff it together, tie up the end and fry it," he said. "When I realised there was not a single pot in the country that could hold that weight, we had to get something tailor made." The samosa took around 15 hours of work and was dished up into hundreds of portions distributed to the local homeless via the Salvation Army.

World's largest samosa record smashed in London

Venus Williams became the oldest Wimbledon semi-finalist for 23 years as the five-time champion brushed aside French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko, while Garbine Muguruza powered past Svetlana Kuznetsova to make it back to the last four on Tuesday.

Williams&#39; 73-minute masterclass on Centre Court clinched a 6-3, 7-5 victory that made her the most senior player to reach the semi-finals since Martina Navratilova in 1994.

The American star, who reached the last of her eight Wimbledon finals in 2009, faces Britain&#39;s Johanna Konta or Romania&#39;s Simona Halep in the last four on Thursday.

World number 11 Williams, beaten in this year&#39;s Australian Open final, was knocked out in the 2016 semi-finals and is chasing a first major title since winning Wimbledon in 2008.

Williams&#39; victory equalled her sister Serena&#39;s total of 86 main draw match victories at Wimbledon, the most among any active player.

She will climb back into the top 10 thanks to her Wimbledon run, but breaking Serena&#39;s record to become the tournament&#39;s oldest champion in the Open era is her sole focus.

&quot;I love this game. That&#39;s why I put in the effort and the time. It&#39;s a beautiful game. It&#39;s been so good to me,&quot; Venus said.

&quot;The competition keeps you growing. You have to get better if you want to stay relevant.&quot;

&quot;I love the challenge. It&#39;s not always easy dealing with the pressure. It&#39;s only you that can have the answer.&quot;

Twenty years after making her Wimbledon debut, Venus was playing in her 100th singles match at the All England Club, while Ostapenko was in only her eighth.

That gulf in experience was immediately apparent when Venus broke in the second game and cruised through the first set in serene fashion.

Having stunned the tennis world by becoming the first unseeded player to win the French Open last month, Ostapenko was riding an 11-match winning streak at the majors.

But Ostapenko, 20, was the youngest player left in the tournament and Venus has scythed through the draw by dispatching a series of opponents almost half her age, many of whom idolised the seven-time Grand Slam champion when they were growing up.

Williams was just too canny for the fresh-faced Ostapenko, manoeuvering her out of position time and again before delivering the kill shot.

After breaking in the third game of the second set, Williams moved into a 3-1 lead, then endured her only wobble as Ostapenko broke back.

Williams was unfazed and shattered Ostapenko&#39;s spirit with another break before serving out a commanding win.

Muguruza powered into her second Wimbledon semi-final in the last three years with an emphatic 6-3, 6-4 win over Russian seventh seed Kuznetsova.

Since winning her maiden Grand Slam title at the French Open last year, Muguruza has struggled to return to the top and this is her first major semi-final since that Roland Garros triumph.

Stormy

Muguruza, beaten by Serena in the 2015 Wimbledon final, will face Coco Vandeweghe or Magdalena Rybarikova in the last four.

The 23-year-old is being coached by Conchita Martinez, who became the only Spanish woman to win Wimbledon in 1994, and the lessons appear to have done the trick.

&quot;I played good. I&#39;m trying not to think a lot, just go for it and play my game. I&#39;m happy it worked out,&quot; Muguruza said.

&quot;It seems far away since I last made the final here. I&#39;m a completely different player.

&quot;It means a lot to make the semi-finals again, my breakthrough was here.&quot;

Following Venus onto Centre Court is Johanna Konta, who takes on Simona Halep bidding to become the first British woman to reach the semi-finals since Virginia Wade in 1978.

Not since Jo Durie in 1984 has Britain had a female representative in the last eight and Konta, hoping to become the first home winner of the Wimbledon women&#39;s title since Wade in 1977, has added incentive to go a step further against Halep after their stormy Fed Cup encounter earlier this year.

Konta was reduced to tears by what she felt were threats and intimidation from the Romanian fans in Constanta during her match against Sorana Cirstea, but Halep fanned the flames this week when she claimed her compatriots had done nothing wrong.

Halep has extra motivation of her own as a victory over Konta will guarantee she takes over from Angelique Kerber as the new world number one.

World number 11 Venus Williams has become the oldest Wimbledon semi-finalist in 23 years

Venus Williams became the oldest Wimbledon semi-finalist for 23 years as the five-time champion brushed aside French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko, while Garbine Muguruza powered past Svetlana Kuznetsova to make it back to the last four on Tuesday. Williams' 73-minute masterclass on Centre Court clinched a 6-3, 7-5 victory that made her the most senior player to reach the semi-finals since Martina Navratilova in 1994. The American star, who reached the last of her eight Wimbledon finals in 2009, faces Britain's Johanna Konta or Romania's Simona Halep in the last four on Thursday. World number 11 Williams, beaten in this year's Australian Open final, was knocked out in the 2016 semi-finals and is chasing a first major title since winning Wimbledon in 2008. Williams' victory equalled her sister Serena's total of 86 main draw match victories at Wimbledon, the most among any active player. She will climb back into the top 10 thanks to her Wimbledon run, but breaking Serena's record to become the tournament's oldest champion in the Open era is her sole focus. "I love this game. That's why I put in the effort and the time. It's a beautiful game. It's been so good to me," Venus said. "The competition keeps you growing. You have to get better if you want to stay relevant." "I love the challenge. It's not always easy dealing with the pressure. It's only you that can have the answer." Twenty years after making her Wimbledon debut, Venus was playing in her 100th singles match at the All England Club, while Ostapenko was in only her eighth. That gulf in experience was immediately apparent when Venus broke in the second game and cruised through the first set in serene fashion. Having stunned the tennis world by becoming the first unseeded player to win the French Open last month, Ostapenko was riding an 11-match winning streak at the majors. But Ostapenko, 20, was the youngest player left in the tournament and Venus has scythed through the draw by dispatching a series of opponents almost half her age, many of whom idolised the seven-time Grand Slam champion when they were growing up. Williams was just too canny for the fresh-faced Ostapenko, manoeuvering her out of position time and again before delivering the kill shot. After breaking in the third game of the second set, Williams moved into a 3-1 lead, then endured her only wobble as Ostapenko broke back. Williams was unfazed and shattered Ostapenko's spirit with another break before serving out a commanding win. Muguruza powered into her second Wimbledon semi-final in the last three years with an emphatic 6-3, 6-4 win over Russian seventh seed Kuznetsova. Since winning her maiden Grand Slam title at the French Open last year, Muguruza has struggled to return to the top and this is her first major semi-final since that Roland Garros triumph. Stormy Muguruza, beaten by Serena in the 2015 Wimbledon final, will face Coco Vandeweghe or Magdalena Rybarikova in the last four. The 23-year-old is being coached by Conchita Martinez, who became the only Spanish woman to win Wimbledon in 1994, and the lessons appear to have done the trick. "I played good. I'm trying not to think a lot, just go for it and play my game. I'm happy it worked out," Muguruza said. "It seems far away since I last made the final here. I'm a completely different player. "It means a lot to make the semi-finals again, my breakthrough was here." Following Venus onto Centre Court is Johanna Konta, who takes on Simona Halep bidding to become the first British woman to reach the semi-finals since Virginia Wade in 1978. Not since Jo Durie in 1984 has Britain had a female representative in the last eight and Konta, hoping to become the first home winner of the Wimbledon women's title since Wade in 1977, has added incentive to go a step further against Halep after their stormy Fed Cup encounter earlier this year. Konta was reduced to tears by what she felt were threats and intimidation from the Romanian fans in Constanta during her match against Sorana Cirstea, but Halep fanned the flames this week when she claimed her compatriots had done nothing wrong. Halep has extra motivation of her own as a victory over Konta will guarantee she takes over from Angelique Kerber as the new world number one.

Tennis: Venus, Muguruza into Wimbledon semi-finals

The Not in My Name protests will be held today in at least 13 cities both inside and outside the country.&nbsp;

The protests are against the spate of lynchings of Muslim men in recent times.&nbsp;

As many as 15 Muslim men have been killed since September 2015.&nbsp;

The protests today will be held in most major Indian cities and in the&nbsp;UK.&nbsp;

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Cow has a message for all Cow Terrorists . <a href="https://twitter.com/Shehla_Rashid">@Shehla_Rashid</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NotInMyName?src=hash">#NotInMyName</a> <a href="https://t.co/5jdcKQUqc9">pic.twitter.com/5jdcKQUqc9</a>
&mdash; Md Asif Khan (@imMAK02) <a href="https://twitter.com/imMAK02/status/879750795557650432">June 27, 2017</a></blockquote>
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An appeal to the citizens of India to change their profile pictures as protest mob lynching. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NotInMyName?src=hash">#NotInMyName</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ProfileAgainstMobLynching?src=hash">#ProfileAgainstMobLynching</a> <a href="https://t.co/OY4zb8wuq7">pic.twitter.com/OY4zb8wuq7</a>
&mdash; Kawalpreet Kaur (@kawalpreetdu) <a href="https://twitter.com/kawalpreetdu/status/879703722393182208">June 27, 2017</a></blockquote>
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A few will be held tomorrow -- in other Indian cities, and the US and Pakistan -- and on July 1.&nbsp;

The Delhi protest will be held this evening at Jantar Mantar between 6 to 8 pm.&nbsp;

The Not in My Name Facebook page says: &quot;These attacks on Muslims are part of a pattern of other incidents that involve Dalits, Adivasis, and other disadvantaged and minority groups across the country.&nbsp;As citizens let&#39;s get together and through music and poetry assert that the killings and the hatred being unleashed - Is Not In Our Name.&quot;&nbsp;

Attendees are expected to wear black armbands.&nbsp;

The protests are against the spate of lynchings of Muslim men in recent times

The Not in My Name protests will be held today in at least 13 cities both inside and outside the country. The protests are against the spate of lynchings of Muslim men in recent times. As many as 15 Muslim men have been killed since September 2015. The protests today will be held in most major Indian cities and in the UK. Cow has a message for all Cow Terrorists . @Shehla_Rashid #NotInMyName pic.twitter.com/5jdcKQUqc9 — Md Asif Khan (@imMAK02) June 27, 2017 × An appeal to the citizens of India to change their profile pictures as protest mob lynching. #NotInMyName#ProfileAgainstMobLynching pic.twitter.com/OY4zb8wuq7 — Kawalpreet Kaur (@kawalpreetdu) June 27, 2017 × A few will be held tomorrow -- in other Indian cities, and the US and Pakistan -- and on July 1. The Delhi protest will be held this evening at Jantar Mantar between 6 to 8 pm. The Not in My Name Facebook page says: "These attacks on Muslims are part of a pattern of other incidents that involve Dalits, Adivasis, and other disadvantaged and minority groups across the country. As citizens let's get together and through music and poetry assert that the killings and the hatred being unleashed - Is Not In Our Name." Attendees are expected to wear black armbands.

Not in My Name: Protests today in 13 cities inside & outside India

British Prime Minister Theresa May drew closer to clinching a deal to prop up her minority government on Monday as she prepared to meet the leader of the Northern Irish Protestant party.

After May lost her majority in parliament on June 8 with a failed gamble on a snap election, she is trying to secure the backing of the small Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and its 10 lawmakers, though talks have dragged on for more than two weeks.

DUP leader Arlene Foster, who is due to meet the prime minister in Downing Street at 0930 GMT, said she was hoping to finalise a deal with May&#39;s Conservatives.

&quot;We are close to concluding an appropriate agreement with the Conservative Party to support a minority government on a confidence and supply basis,&quot; Foster, who travelled to London on Sunday, wrote in the Belfast Telegraph.

&quot;It is a massive opportunity, but a responsibility I do not take lightly. We are determined to utilise this position to help deliver stable government in the United Kingdom and address long-standing issues which affect everyone in Northern Ireland.&quot;

A spokesman for the DUP confirmed Foster would meet May at 0930 GMT.

A deal would allow May to pass legislation with the backing of the DUP in the 650-seat parliament, and stay in power as she attempts to negotiate Britain&#39;s exit from the European Union.

Her position remains insecure, however, with speculation she could face a leadership challenge.

Some senior Conservatives have voiced unease at a deal with the DUP, saying it could put at risk the 1998 peace settlement in Northern Ireland, known as the Good Friday Agreement. Foster said a deal with May could help drive a second deal on power sharing in the province.

Northern Ireland has been in crisis since Sinn Fein pulled out of government in January, prompting an election in March and a series of missed deadlines to restore the compulsory coalition between Irish Catholic nationalists and pro-British Protestant unionists.

&quot;I think that this agreement will bring the prospects of doing a deal at (the Belfast parliament) Stormont closer because this will have a positive impact in relation to Northern Ireland,&quot; Foster told Sky, adding that a second deal on power sharing in the province could be reached this week too.

&quot;I very much hope that this week we will be able to conclude on two agreements.&quot;

The latest deadline set by the British government for the parties in Northern Ireland to reach an agreement is Thursday. Sinn Fein said last week that &quot;time was running out&quot; given the lack of knowledge about the impact of any Conservative/DUP deal.

A deal would allow May to pass legislation with the backing of the DUP in the 650-seat parliament, and stay in power as she attempts to negotiate Britain's exit from the European Union

British Prime Minister Theresa May drew closer to clinching a deal to prop up her minority government on Monday as she prepared to meet the leader of the Northern Irish Protestant party. After May lost her majority in parliament on June 8 with a failed gamble on a snap election, she is trying to secure the backing of the small Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and its 10 lawmakers, though talks have dragged on for more than two weeks. DUP leader Arlene Foster, who is due to meet the prime minister in Downing Street at 0930 GMT, said she was hoping to finalise a deal with May's Conservatives. "We are close to concluding an appropriate agreement with the Conservative Party to support a minority government on a confidence and supply basis," Foster, who travelled to London on Sunday, wrote in the Belfast Telegraph. "It is a massive opportunity, but a responsibility I do not take lightly. We are determined to utilise this position to help deliver stable government in the United Kingdom and address long-standing issues which affect everyone in Northern Ireland." A spokesman for the DUP confirmed Foster would meet May at 0930 GMT. A deal would allow May to pass legislation with the backing of the DUP in the 650-seat parliament, and stay in power as she attempts to negotiate Britain's exit from the European Union. Her position remains insecure, however, with speculation she could face a leadership challenge. Some senior Conservatives have voiced unease at a deal with the DUP, saying it could put at risk the 1998 peace settlement in Northern Ireland, known as the Good Friday Agreement. Foster said a deal with May could help drive a second deal on power sharing in the province. Northern Ireland has been in crisis since Sinn Fein pulled out of government in January, prompting an election in March and a series of missed deadlines to restore the compulsory coalition between Irish Catholic nationalists and pro-British Protestant unionists. "I think that this agreement will bring the prospects of doing a deal at (the Belfast parliament) Stormont closer because this will have a positive impact in relation to Northern Ireland," Foster told Sky, adding that a second deal on power sharing in the province could be reached this week too. "I very much hope that this week we will be able to conclude on two agreements." The latest deadline set by the British government for the parties in Northern Ireland to reach an agreement is Thursday. Sinn Fein said last week that "time was running out" given the lack of knowledge about the impact of any Conservative/DUP deal.

Theresa May nears deal to prop up government with Northern Irish DUP

Grenfell Tower fire made london families homeless are to be rehouse in new affordable apartments by the government. The apartments are right next to luxury private homes in one of the most exclusive---luxurious --- andf expensive parts of london.

The apartments would be allotted to those families who lost thier loved ones in the Grenfell Tower fire which left atleast 79 people dead and missing.&nbsp;

Sixty-eight apartments in the upscale Kensington Row development have been acquired by the UK government and will be alloted to the victims of Grenfell Tower fire. Kensington Row&nbsp;is less than two miles from Grenfell Tower.

&quot;Our priority is to get everyone who has lost their home permanently rehoused locally as soon as possible, so that they can begin to rebuild their lives,&quot; UK government Communities Secretary Sajid Javid said after announcing the plan.

Apartments cost up to $4 million

The 68 apartments of Kensington Row is on Warwick Road, off Kensington High Street cost government upto $4 million. The apartments of &nbsp;Kensington Row are the most deireable ones in London. 
It&#39;s close to the exclusive rooftop bar, Kensington Roof Gardens, which houses a celebrity hangout restaurant and nightclub.&nbsp;

The properties of &nbsp;Kensington Row is designed for high lifestyle pleasure and is developed for &nbsp;private sale or rent, and come equipped with luxury facilities including a gym, private cinema and spa, with current price tags ranging from $2 million to $4 million.

The Grenfell residnts will be moving into two blocks at 357 Kensington High Street had a mixed reaction to the news about their prospective new neighbors. some residents were happy and some were not satisfied. A 24-year-old student, who would only give his first name as Saif, told CNN that he has been living in a one bedroom flat there for three years.

&quot;Actually for me, it&#39;s good and it&#39;s bad. It&#39;s good (that) the government ... give them houses, because they don&#39;t have houses, but it&#39;s unfair, you know?&quot;

&quot;I am paying here like &pound;3,000 ($3,800) ... and they give it them for free without paying any service charge.&quot;

&quot;I was thinking to buy one here after a few years. But I want to see. They say they are going to move at the end of July. So I want to see what will happen. I might move to another place,&quot; Saif said.

Another resident, who identified himself as A.J., has been living at the development for two months. &quot;Honestly, I didn&#39;t care at first, but if I was to live here (longer term), it would affect me. It&#39;s not just about the money. 
&nbsp;&quot;If they were to screen the people that were living there, for example if families want to come here, it wouldn&#39;t really affect me.&quot;

&quot;The cheapest one here is &pound;575 ($730) a week. So it&#39;s not like living in Queensway for example, where they&#39;re surrounded by benefit houses or affordable homes. People pay a certain amount here just to be secluded.&quot;

Sixty-eight apartments in Kensington Row are acquired by UK government, will be allotted to the victims of Grenfell Tower fire

Grenfell Tower fire made london families homeless are to be rehouse in new affordable apartments by the government. The apartments are right next to luxury private homes in one of the most exclusive---luxurious --- andf expensive parts of london. The apartments would be allotted to those families who lost thier loved ones in the Grenfell Tower fire which left atleast 79 people dead and missing. Sixty-eight apartments in the upscale Kensington Row development have been acquired by the UK government and will be alloted to the victims of Grenfell Tower fire. Kensington Row is less than two miles from Grenfell Tower. "Our priority is to get everyone who has lost their home permanently rehoused locally as soon as possible, so that they can begin to rebuild their lives," UK government Communities Secretary Sajid Javid said after announcing the plan. Apartments cost up to $4 million The 68 apartments of Kensington Row is on Warwick Road, off Kensington High Street cost government upto $4 million. The apartments of Kensington Row are the most deireable ones in London. It's close to the exclusive rooftop bar, Kensington Roof Gardens, which houses a celebrity hangout restaurant and nightclub. The properties of Kensington Row is designed for high lifestyle pleasure and is developed for private sale or rent, and come equipped with luxury facilities including a gym, private cinema and spa, with current price tags ranging from $2 million to $4 million. The Grenfell residnts will be moving into two blocks at 357 Kensington High Street had a mixed reaction to the news about their prospective new neighbors. some residents were happy and some were not satisfied. A 24-year-old student, who would only give his first name as Saif, told CNN that he has been living in a one bedroom flat there for three years. "Actually for me, it's good and it's bad. It's good (that) the government ... give them houses, because they don't have houses, but it's unfair, you know?" "I am paying here like £3,000 ($3,800) ... and they give it them for free without paying any service charge." "I was thinking to buy one here after a few years. But I want to see. They say they are going to move at the end of July. So I want to see what will happen. I might move to another place," Saif said. Another resident, who identified himself as A.J., has been living at the development for two months. "Honestly, I didn't care at first, but if I was to live here (longer term), it would affect me. It's not just about the money. "If they were to screen the people that were living there, for example if families want to come here, it wouldn't really affect me." "The cheapest one here is £575 ($730) a week. So it's not like living in Queensway for example, where they're surrounded by benefit houses or affordable homes. People pay a certain amount here just to be secluded."

Grenfell Tower fire victims to get new luxurious apartments

Another person, who was injured in Wednesday&#39;s terrorist attack outside the UK Parliament,&nbsp;has died, police said on Thursday.

The victim was a 75-year-old man, the police said.&nbsp;

With his death, the total number of victims who have died has reached four.

On Wednesday, London was struck by a terror attack. The attacker, who has been identified as British-born Khalid Masood, was killed by the police outside the UK parliament after he stabbed a policeman to death.

The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack, which the British Prime Minister Theresa May described as &quot;sick and depraved&quot;. 
&nbsp;&nbsp; 
(WION with inputs from Reuters)

Victim death toll mounts to four in one of the worst terrorist attacks in London in over a decade

Another person, who was injured in Wednesday's terrorist attack outside the UK Parliament, has died, police said on Thursday. The victim was a 75-year-old man, the police said. With his death, the total number of victims who have died has reached four. On Wednesday, London was struck by a terror attack. The attacker, who has been identified as British-born Khalid Masood, was killed by the police outside the UK parliament after he stabbed a policeman to death. The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack, which the British Prime Minister Theresa May described as "sick and depraved". (WION with inputs from Reuters)

London terrorist attack: 75-year-old man succumbs to injuries

Three French schoolchildren were hurt in the attack near London&#39;s parliament on Wednesday, French officials said.

The three students from the Concarneau Lycee in Brittany, western France, were on a school trip there, a foreign ministry spokesman said in a statement. The statement did not say how serious the injuries were.

A total of 90 students from the school were in London, about a dozen of which were in the area of the attack, an official at the school told Reuters.

&quot;As the centre of London was hit by a cowardly attack, France assures the British people of its solidarity,&quot; the foreign ministry statement said, adding that French authorities were in contact with their British counterparts.

A report in Le Telegramme newspaper cited a fellow students who was at the scene of what British police have described as a terrorist incident, saying the three were hit by a car that was involved whilst walking on Westminster Bridge. One of them landed on the hood of the car, the Telegramme said.

They were aged around 15 or 16, Le Telegramme reported.

(Reuters)

The three students are believed to be hit by a car, said a fellow student who was at the scene

Three French schoolchildren were hurt in the attack near London's parliament on Wednesday, French officials said. The three students from the Concarneau Lycee in Brittany, western France, were on a school trip there, a foreign ministry spokesman said in a statement. The statement did not say how serious the injuries were. A total of 90 students from the school were in London, about a dozen of which were in the area of the attack, an official at the school told Reuters. "As the centre of London was hit by a cowardly attack, France assures the British people of its solidarity," the foreign ministry statement said, adding that French authorities were in contact with their British counterparts. A report in Le Telegramme newspaper cited a fellow students who was at the scene of what British police have described as a terrorist incident, saying the three were hit by a car that was involved whilst walking on Westminster Bridge. One of them landed on the hood of the car, the Telegramme said. They were aged around 15 or 16, Le Telegramme reported. (Reuters)

Three French schoolchildren hurt in London attack

One of Europe&#39;s worst offenders on food waste, Britain is beginning to get its act together thanks to a surge in volunteer initiatives that help the poor as well as creating a bit of seasonal cheer.

&quot;That&#39;s what I come out for, to have a little chat... It&#39;s not only the food,&quot; said Bassia Hamech, 76, as she was served a bowl of hot soup in a kitchen in east London run by a charity called FoodCycle.

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<h5>One of the volunteers said the most generous donations come from Turkish greengrocers in the area while big supermarkets are less reliable and today gave only a bag of bread</h5>
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The kitchen serves up weekly vegetarian lunches to up to 50 people in Hackney, many of whom have health problems or are at risk of social isolation.

One of the volunteers, artist Anne Engel, said the most generous donations come from Turkish greengrocers in the area while big supermarkets are less reliable and today gave only a bag of bread.

&quot;We get them to eat all sorts of wild and wonderful things,&quot; said Engel, who brought offerings including mangoes, mint and eggs to a kitchen overflowing with fruit and vegetables destined for scrap.

Teas are swiftly handed out to volunteers and a menu created -- soup, frittata and fruit salad -- and the kitchen team pick out a few furry raspberries and other items which are too old to be used.

&quot;It&#39;s about changing the attitudes to food. We get a lot of volunteers who are very frightened of food past its sell by date,&quot; Engel said.

2016 has been a landmark year for international campaigners tackling food waste, with both Italy and France passing laws to make it easier for surplus stock to be donated rather than binned.

But Britain has fallen behind its neighbours by failing to legislate on the issue, leaving community groups and new businesses to fill the gap.

Britain wastes around 10 million tonnes of food a year, according to 2016 figures from the charity Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP).

The EU as a whole has around 88 million tonnes of annual food waste, according to 2012 estimates.

This year&#39;s &quot;War on Waste&quot; BBC television show raised awareness among Britain&rsquo;s population, starting with a mountain of discarded parsnips exposed by its presenter, celebrity chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.

&#39;A carpet of fruit&#39;

Regular customers at the new crop of recycled food cafes and shops opening up in Britain include environmental do-gooders, as well as the poor and those just looking for some company.

Even the counters of central London cafes filled with high-end coffee and calorific muffins are increasingly making way for products made from salvaged fruit.

A former FoodCycle volunteer, Ben Whitehead, said he has rescued nearly 15 tonnes of fruit since first requesting surplus on a trip to his local market.

&quot;I got offered 12 boxes of really amazing pineapples. I was on my bike! So they looked at me and laughed,&quot; he said of his initial encounter with the traders.

After experimenting with different fruits deemed not perfect enough to make it to consumers, Whitehead set up a company in 2015 called SpareFruit that air-dries sliced apples and pears to create crisps.

&quot;If you drive through the orchards you just see a carpet of fruit. Some of it we wouldn&#39;t eat, but I would say 90 percent of that fruit is perfectly edible,&quot; he said.

Snact, a similar fruit jerky maker, got off the ground after raising &pound;14,000 ($17,000, 17,000 euros) through crowdfunding in 2014.

Both companies are hoping to further their ambitions in the new year, with plans to make it into the luxury department store Selfridges.

The chance to launch in a high-end food hall shows how much British attitudes have changed, as Whitehead discovered when he asked consumers whether they would eat something that would otherwise be wasted.

&quot;Everyone&#39;s response was, &#39;As long as it&#39;s clean and healthy, and fine to eat, why wouldn&#39;t we?&#39;&quot;

(AFP)

The country is one of Europe's worst offenders when it comes to food waste

One of Europe's worst offenders on food waste, Britain is beginning to get its act together thanks to a surge in volunteer initiatives that help the poor as well as creating a bit of seasonal cheer. "That's what I come out for, to have a little chat... It's not only the food," said Bassia Hamech, 76, as she was served a bowl of hot soup in a kitchen in east London run by a charity called FoodCycle. One of the volunteers said the most generous donations come from Turkish greengrocers in the area while big supermarkets are less reliable and today gave only a bag of bread × The kitchen serves up weekly vegetarian lunches to up to 50 people in Hackney, many of whom have health problems or are at risk of social isolation. One of the volunteers, artist Anne Engel, said the most generous donations come from Turkish greengrocers in the area while big supermarkets are less reliable and today gave only a bag of bread. "We get them to eat all sorts of wild and wonderful things," said Engel, who brought offerings including mangoes, mint and eggs to a kitchen overflowing with fruit and vegetables destined for scrap. Teas are swiftly handed out to volunteers and a menu created -- soup, frittata and fruit salad -- and the kitchen team pick out a few furry raspberries and other items which are too old to be used. "It's about changing the attitudes to food. We get a lot of volunteers who are very frightened of food past its sell by date," Engel said. 2016 has been a landmark year for international campaigners tackling food waste, with both Italy and France passing laws to make it easier for surplus stock to be donated rather than binned. But Britain has fallen behind its neighbours by failing to legislate on the issue, leaving community groups and new businesses to fill the gap. Britain wastes around 10 million tonnes of food a year, according to 2016 figures from the charity Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP). The EU as a whole has around 88 million tonnes of annual food waste, according to 2012 estimates. This year's "War on Waste" BBC television show raised awareness among Britain’s population, starting with a mountain of discarded parsnips exposed by its presenter, celebrity chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. 'A carpet of fruit' Regular customers at the new crop of recycled food cafes and shops opening up in Britain include environmental do-gooders, as well as the poor and those just looking for some company. Even the counters of central London cafes filled with high-end coffee and calorific muffins are increasingly making way for products made from salvaged fruit. A former FoodCycle volunteer, Ben Whitehead, said he has rescued nearly 15 tonnes of fruit since first requesting surplus on a trip to his local market. "I got offered 12 boxes of really amazing pineapples. I was on my bike! So they looked at me and laughed," he said of his initial encounter with the traders. After experimenting with different fruits deemed not perfect enough to make it to consumers, Whitehead set up a company in 2015 called SpareFruit that air-dries sliced apples and pears to create crisps. "If you drive through the orchards you just see a carpet of fruit. Some of it we wouldn't eat, but I would say 90 percent of that fruit is perfectly edible," he said. Snact, a similar fruit jerky maker, got off the ground after raising £14,000 ($17,000, 17,000 euros) through crowdfunding in 2014. Both companies are hoping to further their ambitions in the new year, with plans to make it into the luxury department store Selfridges. The chance to launch in a high-end food hall shows how much British attitudes have changed, as Whitehead discovered when he asked consumers whether they would eat something that would otherwise be wasted. "Everyone's response was, 'As long as it's clean and healthy, and fine to eat, why wouldn't we?'" (AFP)

Waste not, want not: Britain gets creative about fighting food waste

Five people were killed and more than 50 others injured after a tram overturned in London suburb Croydon on Wednesday morning. Two people continue to remain trapped, Reuters quoted police as saying.

Eight fire engines, five specialist rescue units are at the spot and more than 70 firefighters are working to free those trapped.

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More than 70 firefighters remain at the scene of a derailed tram in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Croydon?src=hash">#Croydon</a>. Updated lines here: <a href="https://t.co/bX6yLBeAjH">https://t.co/bX6yLBeAjH</a> <a href="https://t.co/0ifAH52yZz">pic.twitter.com/0ifAH52yZz</a>
&mdash; London Fire Brigade (@LondonFire) <a href="https://twitter.com/LondonFire/status/796279996448907264">November 9, 2016</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

A British Transport Police (BTP) spokesman confirmed to Reuters that five people had been killed and that the tram&#39;s driver had been arrested.

A London Ambulance spokesman said 51 others had been taken to hospital, some with serious injuries.&nbsp;

&quot;A number of people have been taken to hospital with injuries and sadly we can say there has been some loss of life,&quot; BTP Assistant Chief Constable Robin Smith said. &quot;It is too early for us to confirm numbers but we are working hard to assess the ongoing incident and are continuing to focus on recovery efforts.&quot;

&quot;My thoughts and prayers are with all of those who have been affected by this terrible incident that has taken place on the tram in Croydon,&quot; Prime Minister Theresa May said.

Emergency services were called at about 6:10 am (0610 GMT) to reports that a tram had derailed near a stop close to central Croydon, a major transport hub close to south London.

Investigations about the cause of the accident are ongoing.

(WION with inputs from Reuters) 
&nbsp;

The tram's driver has been arrested, police said

Five people were killed and more than 50 others injured after a tram overturned in London suburb Croydon on Wednesday morning. Two people continue to remain trapped, Reuters quoted police as saying. Eight fire engines, five specialist rescue units are at the spot and more than 70 firefighters are working to free those trapped. More than 70 firefighters remain at the scene of a derailed tram in #Croydon. Updated lines here: https://t.co/bX6yLBeAjH pic.twitter.com/0ifAH52yZz — London Fire Brigade (@LondonFire) November 9, 2016 × A British Transport Police (BTP) spokesman confirmed to Reuters that five people had been killed and that the tram's driver had been arrested. A London Ambulance spokesman said 51 others had been taken to hospital, some with serious injuries. "A number of people have been taken to hospital with injuries and sadly we can say there has been some loss of life," BTP Assistant Chief Constable Robin Smith said. "It is too early for us to confirm numbers but we are working hard to assess the ongoing incident and are continuing to focus on recovery efforts." "My thoughts and prayers are with all of those who have been affected by this terrible incident that has taken place on the tram in Croydon," Prime Minister Theresa May said. Emergency services were called at about 6:10 am (0610 GMT) to reports that a tram had derailed near a stop close to central Croydon, a major transport hub close to south London. Investigations about the cause of the accident are ongoing. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

London tram derailment: 5 killed, more than 50 injured

Olympic bronze medal-winning wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt&nbsp;may get the gold after the winner of his 60kg event failed a dope test, Hindustan Times reported. 
 
World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), however, is yet to release a statement confirming that London Games gold&nbsp;medallist&nbsp;Toghrul Asgarov had taken a banned substance. 
 
Thirty three-year-old&nbsp;Dutt had originally won the bronze medal four years back. 
 
But his medal was upgraded to a silver medal earlier this week for similar reasons.&nbsp; 
 
The elevation in Dutt&#39;s medal colour comes after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) improved its dope-testing techniques. 
 
Dutt, though, will have to wait for the gold medal. He will also need to clear the doping test. 
 
If he does, he will become the India&#39;s second&nbsp;individual athlete after shooter Abhinav Bindra to win an Olympic gold. 
 
(WION)

Although WADA is yet to confirm, the upgrade is likely to happen because the winner of his 60kg event has reportedly failed a doping test

Olympic bronze medal-winning wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt may get the gold after the winner of his 60kg event failed a dope test, Hindustan Times reported. World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), however, is yet to release a statement confirming that London Games gold medallist Toghrul Asgarov had taken a banned substance. Thirty three-year-old Dutt had originally won the bronze medal four years back. But his medal was upgraded to a silver medal earlier this week for similar reasons. The elevation in Dutt's medal colour comes after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) improved its dope-testing techniques. Dutt, though, will have to wait for the gold medal. He will also need to clear the doping test. If he does, he will become the India's second individual athlete after shooter Abhinav Bindra to win an Olympic gold. (WION)

Yogeshwar Dutt's bronze medal might turn into gold

Three women were asked to deplane and questioned on the tarmac by police&nbsp;officers over allegations that they were Islamic State supporters. 
 
The three siblings - Maryam Dharas, 19, Sakina Dharas, 24, and Ali Dharas, 21&nbsp;- had boarded the flight from Stansted to Naples. 
 
The women, residents of north-west London, were interrogated for an hour by&nbsp;the police. 
 
Maryam later said that they were subjected to racial profiling. 
 
Before letting them go, Sakina was told that further background checks would&nbsp;be conducted. 
 
Maryam also said that she needed an apology. 
 
The airline insisted that security concerns had to be investigated, while the&nbsp;police offered no apology. 
 
The Dharas siblings, who are of Indian ethnic origin, were asked if they had&nbsp;Arabic text on their phones or copies of the Quran. 
 
A couple on the plane had reported that the sister were reading some Islamic&nbsp;State material on their phones.&nbsp; 
 
Sakina had a passport stamp from a visit to Iraq, where she had participated in a&nbsp;walk to raise funds for IS victims. 
 
The officers also asked Maryam to show her Twitter posts. 
 
(WION)

The three siblings said that they were made victims of racial profiling and demanded an apology

Three women were asked to deplane and questioned on the tarmac by police officers over allegations that they were Islamic State supporters. The three siblings - Maryam Dharas, 19, Sakina Dharas, 24, and Ali Dharas, 21 - had boarded the flight from Stansted to Naples. The women, residents of north-west London, were interrogated for an hour by the police. Maryam later said that they were subjected to racial profiling. Before letting them go, Sakina was told that further background checks would be conducted. Maryam also said that she needed an apology. The airline insisted that security concerns had to be investigated, while the police offered no apology. The Dharas siblings, who are of Indian ethnic origin, were asked if they had Arabic text on their phones or copies of the Quran. A couple on the plane had reported that the sister were reading some Islamic State material on their phones. Sakina had a passport stamp from a visit to Iraq, where she had participated in a walk to raise funds for IS victims. The officers also asked Maryam to show her Twitter posts. (WION)

Trio asked to deplane in London suspecting IS links

Uber has launched a legal challenge against new rules in London which could require thousands of its drivers to take an English-language test, the company said on Tuesday. 
 
The move comes ahead of measures to be introduced on October 1 by the regional transport authority, Transport for London (TfL), that will tighten regulation of the private hire industry in the British capital. 
 
Uber originally backed the changes but said its opposition arose after more details of the regulations emerged. 
 
&quot;This legal action is very much a last resort,&quot; Tom Elvidge, general manager of Uber London said in a statement.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;We&#39;re particularly disappointed that, after a lengthy consultation process with Transport for London, the goalposts have moved at the last minute and new rules are now being introduced that will be bad for both drivers and tech companies like Uber.&quot; 
 
Despite facing regulatory challenges in numerous countries, Uber has so far expanded to more than 50 countries and is worth an estimated $68 billion. 
 
The company&#39;s application for judicial review in London focuses on four of the new TfL rules.&nbsp; 
 
They include the requirement that all private hire drivers not from majority English-speaking countries must prove their language skills. 
 
While Uber supported an English- speaking and -listening test, it has argued that making drivers provide a certificate showing they have an intermediate level of writing and reading is unnecessary and costly.&nbsp; 
 
Uber has more than 30,000 drivers in London and estimates thousands would be affected by the change. 
 
Under the new rules, private hire companies will be required to run an operating centre within London, which their passengers are able to call during a ride.&nbsp; 
 
Uber`s customer support centre is currently based in Ireland and it is against moving its operations to London. 
 
Other rules opposed by Uber relate to drivers` insurance policies and the requirement that the company inform TfL of any upcoming changes to its app. 
 
TfL confirmed it received a letter from Uber warning it of the legal challenge. 
 
&quot;We responded to Uber`s letter and will be robustly defending the legal proceedings brought by them in relation to the changes to private hire regulations,&quot; a TfL spokesman said in a statement.&nbsp; 
 
(AFP)

Cab-hailing app contends that providing drivers with certificates proving their proficiency in the language is costly and unnecessary

Uber has launched a legal challenge against new rules in London which could require thousands of its drivers to take an English-language test, the company said on Tuesday. The move comes ahead of measures to be introduced on October 1 by the regional transport authority, Transport for London (TfL), that will tighten regulation of the private hire industry in the British capital. Uber originally backed the changes but said its opposition arose after more details of the regulations emerged. "This legal action is very much a last resort," Tom Elvidge, general manager of Uber London said in a statement. "We're particularly disappointed that, after a lengthy consultation process with Transport for London, the goalposts have moved at the last minute and new rules are now being introduced that will be bad for both drivers and tech companies like Uber." Despite facing regulatory challenges in numerous countries, Uber has so far expanded to more than 50 countries and is worth an estimated $68 billion. The company's application for judicial review in London focuses on four of the new TfL rules. They include the requirement that all private hire drivers not from majority English-speaking countries must prove their language skills. While Uber supported an English- speaking and -listening test, it has argued that making drivers provide a certificate showing they have an intermediate level of writing and reading is unnecessary and costly. Uber has more than 30,000 drivers in London and estimates thousands would be affected by the change. Under the new rules, private hire companies will be required to run an operating centre within London, which their passengers are able to call during a ride. Uber`s customer support centre is currently based in Ireland and it is against moving its operations to London. Other rules opposed by Uber relate to drivers` insurance policies and the requirement that the company inform TfL of any upcoming changes to its app. TfL confirmed it received a letter from Uber warning it of the legal challenge. "We responded to Uber`s letter and will be robustly defending the legal proceedings brought by them in relation to the changes to private hire regulations," a TfL spokesman said in a statement. (AFP)

Uber moves to block London's English test for drivers

Uber has launched a legal challenge against new rules in London which could require thousands of its drivers to take an English-language test, the company said. 
 
The move comes ahead of measures to be introduced on October 1 by the regional transport authority, Transport for London (TfL), that will tighten regulation of the private hire industry in the British capital. 
 
Uber originally backed the changes but said its opposition arose after more details of the regulations emerged. 
 
&quot;This legal action is very much a last resort,&quot; Tom Elvidge, general manager of Uber London said in a statement yesterday. 
 
&quot;We&#39;re particularly disappointed that, after a lengthy consultation process with Transport for London, the goalposts have moved at the last minute and new rules are now being introduced that will be bad for both drivers and tech companies like Uber.&quot; 
 
Despite facing regulatory challenges in numerous countries, Uber has so far expanded to more than 50 countries and is worth an estimated USD 68 billion. 
 
The company&#39;s application for judicial review in London focuses on four of the new TfL rules. 
 
They include the requirement that all private hire drivers not from majority English-speaking countries must prove their language skills. 
 
While Uber supported an English- speaking and -listening test, it has argued that making drivers provide a certificate showing they have an intermediate level of writing and reading is unnecessary and costly. 
 
Uber has more than 30,000 drivers in London and estimates thousands would be affected by the change. 
 
Under the new rules private hire companies will be required to run an operating centre within London, which their passengers are able to call during a ride. 
 
Uber&#39;s customer support centre is currently based in Ireland and it is against moving its operations to London. 
 
Other rules opposed by Uber relate to drivers&#39; insurance policies and the requirement that the company inform TfL of any upcoming changes to its app. 
 
TfL confirmed it received a letter from Uber warning it of the legal challenge. 
 
&quot;We responded to Uber&#39;s letter and will be robustly defending the legal proceedings brought by them in relation to the changes to private hire regulations,&quot; a TfL spokesman said in a statement. 
 
(AFP)

Cab-hailing app argues that making drivers provide a certificate showing they have an intermediate level of writing and reading is costly

Uber has launched a legal challenge against new rules in London which could require thousands of its drivers to take an English-language test, the company said. The move comes ahead of measures to be introduced on October 1 by the regional transport authority, Transport for London (TfL), that will tighten regulation of the private hire industry in the British capital. Uber originally backed the changes but said its opposition arose after more details of the regulations emerged. "This legal action is very much a last resort," Tom Elvidge, general manager of Uber London said in a statement yesterday. "We're particularly disappointed that, after a lengthy consultation process with Transport for London, the goalposts have moved at the last minute and new rules are now being introduced that will be bad for both drivers and tech companies like Uber." Despite facing regulatory challenges in numerous countries, Uber has so far expanded to more than 50 countries and is worth an estimated USD 68 billion. The company's application for judicial review in London focuses on four of the new TfL rules. They include the requirement that all private hire drivers not from majority English-speaking countries must prove their language skills. While Uber supported an English- speaking and -listening test, it has argued that making drivers provide a certificate showing they have an intermediate level of writing and reading is unnecessary and costly. Uber has more than 30,000 drivers in London and estimates thousands would be affected by the change. Under the new rules private hire companies will be required to run an operating centre within London, which their passengers are able to call during a ride. Uber's customer support centre is currently based in Ireland and it is against moving its operations to London. Other rules opposed by Uber relate to drivers' insurance policies and the requirement that the company inform TfL of any upcoming changes to its app. TfL confirmed it received a letter from Uber warning it of the legal challenge. "We responded to Uber's letter and will be robustly defending the legal proceedings brought by them in relation to the changes to private hire regulations," a TfL spokesman said in a statement. (AFP)

Uber moves to block London's new English test rule for drivers

The British pound slumped to a fresh three-year low against the euro Monday and edged lower on the dollar, as signs of weakness mounted in the British economy. 
 
At 86.80 pence on the euro, the pound was at its weakest level since August 2013. 
 
Meanwhile sterling fell to $1.2883, just barely above its $1.2798 post-Brexit vote level that marked a three-decade low against the US greenback. 
 
The currency&#39;s fall came as data from Britain showed London residential rents fell for the first time in six years in July, amid worries the June 23 vote to exit the European Union was already having an impact on the economy. 
 
The rental data came on the heels of numbers showing home prices fell for the second straight month. 
 
&quot;In the month of August, the British pound has been the weakest currency and the trend continued today,&quot; said Kathy Lien of BK Asset Management. 
 
&quot;The main reason why the currency is weak is because investors are worried about this week&#39;s UK economic reports.&quot; 
 
Even if the formal moves to leave the European Union will not be taken by the government until next year, Lien said, &quot;the damage has been done and consequences are just beginning to appear.&quot; 
 
2100 GMT Monday Friday 
 
EUR/USD 1.1183 1.1165 
 
EUR/JPY 113.23 113.07 
 
EUR/CHF 1.0877 1.0882 
 
EUR/GBP 0.8680 0.8643 
 
USD/JPY 101.25 101.27 
 
USD/CHF 0.9726 0.9747 
 
GBP/USD 1.2883 1.2918

The currency's fall comes as data showed London residential rents fell for the first time in six years in July

The British pound slumped to a fresh three-year low against the euro Monday and edged lower on the dollar, as signs of weakness mounted in the British economy. At 86.80 pence on the euro, the pound was at its weakest level since August 2013. Meanwhile sterling fell to $1.2883, just barely above its $1.2798 post-Brexit vote level that marked a three-decade low against the US greenback. The currency's fall came as data from Britain showed London residential rents fell for the first time in six years in July, amid worries the June 23 vote to exit the European Union was already having an impact on the economy. The rental data came on the heels of numbers showing home prices fell for the second straight month. "In the month of August, the British pound has been the weakest currency and the trend continued today," said Kathy Lien of BK Asset Management. "The main reason why the currency is weak is because investors are worried about this week's UK economic reports." Even if the formal moves to leave the European Union will not be taken by the government until next year, Lien said, "the damage has been done and consequences are just beginning to appear." 2100 GMT Monday Friday EUR/USD 1.1183 1.1165 EUR/JPY 113.23 113.07 EUR/CHF 1.0877 1.0882 EUR/GBP 0.8680 0.8643 USD/JPY 101.25 101.27 USD/CHF 0.9726 0.9747 GBP/USD 1.2883 1.2918

British Pound slumps to three-year low against Euro

A man has been charged with the murder of a US tourist after a knife attack in London earlier this week, police in the city said Friday. 
 
Zakaria Bulham, 19, was charged with the murder of 64-year-old Darlene Horton plus five counts of attempted murder following the incident on late Wednesday in Russell Square. 
 
The Metropolitan Police added in a statement that he would appear at Westminster Magistrates Court in London for an initial hearing on Saturday. 
 
Horton was the wife of a professor at Florida State University who had been teaching summer classes in London and was hours away from flying home. 
 
A Briton injured in the attack is still in hospital while a man from the US, an Australian man, an Australian woman and an Israeli woman were released from hospital Thursday after receiving treatment. 
 
(AFP)

Zakaria Bulham was charged with the murder of 64-year-old man, and five counts of attempted murder after the knife attack at Russell Square

A man has been charged with the murder of a US tourist after a knife attack in London earlier this week, police in the city said Friday. Zakaria Bulham, 19, was charged with the murder of 64-year-old Darlene Horton plus five counts of attempted murder following the incident on late Wednesday in Russell Square. The Metropolitan Police added in a statement that he would appear at Westminster Magistrates Court in London for an initial hearing on Saturday. Horton was the wife of a professor at Florida State University who had been teaching summer classes in London and was hours away from flying home. A Briton injured in the attack is still in hospital while a man from the US, an Australian man, an Australian woman and an Israeli woman were released from hospital Thursday after receiving treatment. (AFP)

Man charged with US tourist murder in London stabbing

Artists will come together for a tribute concert to the late music icon Prince in October in his hometown Minneapolis, his family says. 
 
The show will take place on October 13 at the newly built US Bank Stadium, home of the Minnesota Vikings football team, Prince&#39;s sister Tyka Nelson wrote on Facebook. 
 
The lineup has not been announced, but Nelson said that tickets would go on sale later in August. 
 
Prince, one of the most influential artists of his generation who popularised the &quot;Minneapolis sound&quot; of infectious funk, died on April 21 from a painkiller overdose at his Paisley Park estate outside the city. 
 
 
Concert could be a needed boon for family&nbsp; 
 
The tribute concert could be a boon to his family amid question marks over the future of his estate.&nbsp;Prince, who was outwardly in model of health, did not leave a will and had no recognised children. Tyka Nelson is his closest relative and he also had five half-siblings, but a number of other people have also claimed to be heirs. 
 
The family put a professional administrator in charge of Prince&#39;s affairs. A judge in June gave the green light for the service to seek business deals, saying the estate likely risked a shortfall in cash needed to pay taxes in the wake of Prince&#39;s death. 
 
The concert would be the only publicly sanctioned memorial event for Prince, who was guarded about his personal life despite his flamboyant stage presence. 
 
His body was cremated, and family and friends held a small gathering at Paisley Park shortly after his death, followed by a private service among his Jehovah&#39;s Witness religious community. 
 
David Bowie, another music legend whose death stunned fans this year, was similarly discreet with his family holding no public events to mourn him. 
 
In contrast, King of Pop Michael Jackson, sometimes described as Prince&#39;s rival in the 1980s, was mourned with a star-studded concert in Los Angeles in 2009 with his gold-plated casket in front of the stage. 
 
Perhaps the best-known tribute concert in rock history was for Queen singer Freddie Mercury. His 1992 show was broadcast internationally from London&#39;s Wembley Stadium to raise money for AIDS research. 
 
(AFP)&nbsp;

The concert would be only publicly sanctioned memorial event for Prince, who was quite guarded about his personal life

Artists will come together for a tribute concert to the late music icon Prince in October in his hometown Minneapolis, his family says. The show will take place on October 13 at the newly built US Bank Stadium, home of the Minnesota Vikings football team, Prince's sister Tyka Nelson wrote on Facebook. The lineup has not been announced, but Nelson said that tickets would go on sale later in August. Prince, one of the most influential artists of his generation who popularised the "Minneapolis sound" of infectious funk, died on April 21 from a painkiller overdose at his Paisley Park estate outside the city. Concert could be a needed boon for family The tribute concert could be a boon to his family amid question marks over the future of his estate. Prince, who was outwardly in model of health, did not leave a will and had no recognised children. Tyka Nelson is his closest relative and he also had five half-siblings, but a number of other people have also claimed to be heirs. The family put a professional administrator in charge of Prince's affairs. A judge in June gave the green light for the service to seek business deals, saying the estate likely risked a shortfall in cash needed to pay taxes in the wake of Prince's death. The concert would be the only publicly sanctioned memorial event for Prince, who was guarded about his personal life despite his flamboyant stage presence. His body was cremated, and family and friends held a small gathering at Paisley Park shortly after his death, followed by a private service among his Jehovah's Witness religious community. David Bowie, another music legend whose death stunned fans this year, was similarly discreet with his family holding no public events to mourn him. In contrast, King of Pop Michael Jackson, sometimes described as Prince's rival in the 1980s, was mourned with a star-studded concert in Los Angeles in 2009 with his gold-plated casket in front of the stage. Perhaps the best-known tribute concert in rock history was for Queen singer Freddie Mercury. His 1992 show was broadcast internationally from London's Wembley Stadium to raise money for AIDS research. (AFP)

Tribute concert for pop icon Prince set for October

A man who stabbed a passenger at a London underground train station in December, while shouting that he was acting for Syria, was jailed for life at a London court on Monday. 
 
Muhaydin Mire, 30, of East London, beat his victim, forced him to the ground and kicked his head before attempting to cut his neck, leaving the man with a five-inch gash that required five hours of surgery. 
 
He will serve a minimum of eight-and-a-half years in prison after being convicted of attempted murder at London&#39;s Old Bailey criminal court on June 8. 
 
Initially described by police as a &quot;terrorist incident&quot;, the attack at Leytonstone station in East London was investigated by the Metropolitan Police&#39;s Counter Terrorism Command. 
 
&quot;Whilst Mire was not accused of terrorist offences, it would appear from comments he made at the time of the attack and the content he had downloaded on his phone that he may have been inspired by terrorist propaganda,&quot; said Commander Dean Haydon in a statement. 
 
Mire, who tried to attack several other people during the incident, had pleaded guilty to four counts of attempted wounding but denied trying to kill his victim. 
 
Several people filmed the incident on their phones. Some of the videos were posted on the internet shortly after the attack, including footage of a bystander shouting &quot;You ain&#39;t no Muslim, bruv (brother),&quot; a phrase which circulated widely and was praised by then prime minister David Cameron. 
 
The Leytonstone incident took place on December 5, a time of heightened tension over Islamist militancy in Europe following the November 13 attacks that killed 130 people in Paris.&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters)

Muhaydin Mire, 30, had pleaded guilty to four counts of attempted wounding, but denied trying to kill his victim

A man who stabbed a passenger at a London underground train station in December, while shouting that he was acting for Syria, was jailed for life at a London court on Monday. Muhaydin Mire, 30, of East London, beat his victim, forced him to the ground and kicked his head before attempting to cut his neck, leaving the man with a five-inch gash that required five hours of surgery. He will serve a minimum of eight-and-a-half years in prison after being convicted of attempted murder at London's Old Bailey criminal court on June 8. Initially described by police as a "terrorist incident", the attack at Leytonstone station in East London was investigated by the Metropolitan Police's Counter Terrorism Command. "Whilst Mire was not accused of terrorist offences, it would appear from comments he made at the time of the attack and the content he had downloaded on his phone that he may have been inspired by terrorist propaganda," said Commander Dean Haydon in a statement. Mire, who tried to attack several other people during the incident, had pleaded guilty to four counts of attempted wounding but denied trying to kill his victim. Several people filmed the incident on their phones. Some of the videos were posted on the internet shortly after the attack, including footage of a bystander shouting "You ain't no Muslim, bruv (brother)," a phrase which circulated widely and was praised by then prime minister David Cameron. The Leytonstone incident took place on December 5, a time of heightened tension over Islamist militancy in Europe following the November 13 attacks that killed 130 people in Paris. (Reuters)

Man who stabbed London passenger 'for Syria' jailed for life

Harlequins and England back-row forward Nick Easter announced his retirement from rugby union on Friday. The 37-year-old will now take on a full-time coaching position with English Premiership side Harlequins, having become a player-coach with the London club in April. 
 
&quot;After accepting the opportunity of being a coach-player by (Quins director of rugby) John Kingston, I took some time to think about my career,&quot; Easter said in a Harlequins statement. &quot;I realised that whether I&#39;m playing or coaching, there was no possible way that I would be able to give 100 per cent to both of my roles at the same time. 
 
&quot;I thought, why not grab the opportunity of becoming a coach with both hands, give it my best shot and feel privileged to be in a position to go out on my own terms after 12 great years as a player for Harlequins?&nbsp;I&#39;m a few weeks into my role now and I&#39;m thoroughly enjoying it. Having had five weeks in the off-season to finalise it and four weeks now as a coach, I don&#39;t regret my decision and I can&#39;t wait for the new season to begin.&quot; 
 
Easter won 54 England caps for England, making his debut against Italy in the 2007 Six Nations. In the same year the back-row forward played in the World Cup final defeat by South Africa and became the first England Number 8 to score four tries in one match, during a 62-5 win over Wales. 
 
After a prolonged absence from Test rugby, Easter was recalled by England for last year&#39;s Six Nations and then brought into the World Cup squad as an injury replacement for Billy Vunipola. 
 
In England&#39;s final pool game at the World Cup, Easter became the oldest hat-trick scorer in Test history after crossing three times in victory over Uruguay -- his final international appearance. 
 
Easter also made 281 appearances for Harlequins since joining the club from Orrell in 2004 and in the process became Quins&#39; most-capped professional player. During his time at the Stoop, Easter helped Quins win the European Challenge Cup in 2011 and their maiden Premiership title the following year as well as the 2013 Anglo-Welsh Cup. 
 
&quot;Nick has been an unbelievable servant to the Harlequins team for over a decade,&quot; said Kingston. &quot;He has been at the very heartbeat of all the successes the side has achieved over this period. Nick has a fantastic rugby brain and it is for this reason I offered him the opportunity to join the new look coaching team at the club. Both Nick and I have agreed it is in the best interests of Quins that he focuses on his coaching exclusively from now.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

The oldest hat-trick scorer had become a player-coach with the London club in April

Harlequins and England back-row forward Nick Easter announced his retirement from rugby union on Friday. The 37-year-old will now take on a full-time coaching position with English Premiership side Harlequins, having become a player-coach with the London club in April. "After accepting the opportunity of being a coach-player by (Quins director of rugby) John Kingston, I took some time to think about my career," Easter said in a Harlequins statement. "I realised that whether I'm playing or coaching, there was no possible way that I would be able to give 100 per cent to both of my roles at the same time. "I thought, why not grab the opportunity of becoming a coach with both hands, give it my best shot and feel privileged to be in a position to go out on my own terms after 12 great years as a player for Harlequins? I'm a few weeks into my role now and I'm thoroughly enjoying it. Having had five weeks in the off-season to finalise it and four weeks now as a coach, I don't regret my decision and I can't wait for the new season to begin." Easter won 54 England caps for England, making his debut against Italy in the 2007 Six Nations. In the same year the back-row forward played in the World Cup final defeat by South Africa and became the first England Number 8 to score four tries in one match, during a 62-5 win over Wales. After a prolonged absence from Test rugby, Easter was recalled by England for last year's Six Nations and then brought into the World Cup squad as an injury replacement for Billy Vunipola. In England's final pool game at the World Cup, Easter became the oldest hat-trick scorer in Test history after crossing three times in victory over Uruguay -- his final international appearance. Easter also made 281 appearances for Harlequins since joining the club from Orrell in 2004 and in the process became Quins' most-capped professional player. During his time at the Stoop, Easter helped Quins win the European Challenge Cup in 2011 and their maiden Premiership title the following year as well as the 2013 Anglo-Welsh Cup. "Nick has been an unbelievable servant to the Harlequins team for over a decade," said Kingston. "He has been at the very heartbeat of all the successes the side has achieved over this period. Nick has a fantastic rugby brain and it is for this reason I offered him the opportunity to join the new look coaching team at the club. Both Nick and I have agreed it is in the best interests of Quins that he focuses on his coaching exclusively from now." (AFP)

RugbyU: Easter retires to focus on coaching

Britain&#39;s Pinewood Studios, where Harry Potter and James Bond movies were filmed, could be sold to a property company for &pound;323 million (384 million euros, $426 million) under a draft deal revealed today. 
 
Pinewood &quot;announces that it has reached agreement on key terms of a possible cash offer for Pinewood by Venus Grafton,&quot; a subsidiary of PW Real Estate Fund, Pinewood Group said in a statement. 
 
Pinewood owns television and film studios around the world including those in the US and Canada, but the jewel in its crown is the original Pinewood Studios.&nbsp; 
 
Built west of London in the 1930s, they became famous as the setting for British cinema classics. More recently, parts of the latest &quot;Star Wars: The Force Awakens&quot; were filmed there. Hollywood star Harrison Ford could have been killed when a door from the Millenium Falcon spaceship set fell on him during filming in 2014, a court heard earlier this week in a health and safety case. 
 
The actor suffered a broken leg in the incident. The 007 stage at Pinewood was built for the Bond film &quot;The Spy Who Loved Me&quot; and has since been used for numerous productions including &quot;Lara Croft Tomb Raider&quot; and &quot;The Da Vinci Code&quot;. Pinewood had appointed Rothschild investment bank in February to prepare a possible sale of the company. 
 
The shareholder register is &quot;tightly held, which has continued to stifle liquidity in the shares and has prevented the company from achieving its aim of obtaining a main market listing&quot;, Pinewood Group said. Pinewood shareholders would receive 560 pence in cash for each share plus a final dividend of 3.2 pence per share, according to the terms of the draft deal. 
 
Pinewood Group said it would recommend a firm offer to shareholders. The company&#39;s share price was down 5.17 percent at 550 pence by 10:20 GMT after the announcement. 
 
(AFP)

Built west of London in the 1930s, Pinewood Studios became famous as the setting for British cinema classics

Britain's Pinewood Studios, where Harry Potter and James Bond movies were filmed, could be sold to a property company for £323 million (384 million euros, $426 million) under a draft deal revealed today. Pinewood "announces that it has reached agreement on key terms of a possible cash offer for Pinewood by Venus Grafton," a subsidiary of PW Real Estate Fund, Pinewood Group said in a statement. Pinewood owns television and film studios around the world including those in the US and Canada, but the jewel in its crown is the original Pinewood Studios. Built west of London in the 1930s, they became famous as the setting for British cinema classics. More recently, parts of the latest "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" were filmed there. Hollywood star Harrison Ford could have been killed when a door from the Millenium Falcon spaceship set fell on him during filming in 2014, a court heard earlier this week in a health and safety case. The actor suffered a broken leg in the incident. The 007 stage at Pinewood was built for the Bond film "The Spy Who Loved Me" and has since been used for numerous productions including "Lara Croft Tomb Raider" and "The Da Vinci Code". Pinewood had appointed Rothschild investment bank in February to prepare a possible sale of the company. The shareholder register is "tightly held, which has continued to stifle liquidity in the shares and has prevented the company from achieving its aim of obtaining a main market listing", Pinewood Group said. Pinewood shareholders would receive 560 pence in cash for each share plus a final dividend of 3.2 pence per share, according to the terms of the draft deal. Pinewood Group said it would recommend a firm offer to shareholders. The company's share price was down 5.17 percent at 550 pence by 10:20 GMT after the announcement. (AFP)

Harry Potter, James Bond studios could be sold for ?323m

Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt brushed aside concerns surrounding his fitness ahead of next month&#39;s Rio Olympics as he cruised to victory in the 200 metres at the London Anniversary Games. 
 
The six-time Olympic gold medallist showed no signs of rust, winning the race in 19.89 seconds in his return following a pelvic injury, the Mirror reported. 
 
The world&#39;s fastest man will aim to become the first person to win the 100 metre and 200 metre double at three consecutive Games when he will feature in the Rio Olympics.&nbsp; 
 
(ANI)

Usain Bolt, the six-time Olympic gold medallist, won the race in 19.89 seconds in his return following a pelvic injury

Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt brushed aside concerns surrounding his fitness ahead of next month's Rio Olympics as he cruised to victory in the 200 metres at the London Anniversary Games. The six-time Olympic gold medallist showed no signs of rust, winning the race in 19.89 seconds in his return following a pelvic injury, the Mirror reported. The world's fastest man will aim to become the first person to win the 100 metre and 200 metre double at three consecutive Games when he will feature in the Rio Olympics. (ANI)

Bolt quashes fitness concerns, cruises to 200m victory in London

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