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Transport for London: Funding deal extended by a fortnight

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Transport for London’s (TfL) emergency funding deal with the government has been extended by a fortnight. The current financial deal was due to run out on 4 February, but negotiations have been given a short grace period. TfL is facing a £1.9bn budget black hole and has warned of massive cuts to bus, Tube and road services. There have been repeated rows over funding for TfL and the cause of its financial crisis. TfL said discussions were continuing with the government as it aimed to secure “long-term funding”. A spokesperson added: “There is no UK recovery from the pandemic without a

Protest over impact of HS2 viaduct on water supply

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Protesters have marched over fears HS2 works could affect water supplies. Colne Valley Viaduct, the UK’s longest railway bridge, will carry the new high-speed rail line for 2.1m (3.4km) across a series of lakes and waterways on the north west outskirts of London. Protesters in Uxbridge called on Hillingdon Council to do more to protect the local environment. A HS2 spokesperson said they will work throughout construction to manage risks. Colne Valley Regional Park contains more than 60 lakes and 200 miles of river and canal, stretching from Rickmansworth in the north to Staines and the Thames in the south, Uxbridge and Heathrow

London Tube strikes: Two full days of action planned for March

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Two full days of Tube strikes have been announced by the transport workers’ trade union the RMT. Some 10,000 members of the organisation who work on the Tube have been told to walk out on 1 and 3 March. The dispute is over plans by Transport for London (TfL) to cut up to 600 station posts to save money, as well as the concerns of workers about pay, pensions and working conditions. TfL called the announcement “extremely disappointing”. The walkouts are due to start at 00:01 GMT and run until 23:59 on both days. If the action goes ahead it

Queen backs Camilla to be Queen Consort on Jubilee

The Queen has said she wants Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, to be known as Queen Consort when Prince Charles becomes King. In a message marking the 70th anniversary of her reign, the Queen said it was her “sincere wish” that Camilla would have that title. The Queen is the first British monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee. She is spending her day privately on the Sandringham estate, with national celebrations to be held in June. The Queen’s reign began when she was 25 years old, following the death of her father, George VI, on 6 February 1952. The monarch said

Boris Johnson names two new aides after No 10 party turmoil

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Boris Johnson has announced two new appointments to his backroom staff following a wave of resignations. Cabinet Office minister Steve Barclay will become the PM’s chief of staff. And Guto Harri, a former BBC correspondent and adviser to Mr Johnson when he was mayor of London, will become director of communications. Mr Johnson said the moves would “improve how No 10 operates”. The PM is understood to be considering further changes to his top team. It comes at the end of a difficult week for Mr Johnson, which saw five No 10 aides resign in 24 hours and the publication of the

Prince Andrew to give evidence in deposition in March

The Duke of York will give evidence under oath next month as part of the ongoing civil sexual assault case against him. Virginia Giuffre is suing Prince Andrew in the US, and the prince – the Queen’s third child – has repeatedly denied the allegations. He will face a deposition, which means giving evidence to lawyers for use in court. A date has been set for 10 March in London. Ms Giuffre says the duke sexually assaulted her on three occasions when she was 17 and being trafficked by the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. She says the duke abused her

Tech giants targeted in harmful content crackdown

Sending “genuinely threatening” or “knowingly false” messages are among new criminal offences being added to proposed online safety laws. If passed, the government’s online safety bill could see social networks fined 10% of their global turnover if they fail to remove harmful content. The changes mean they will also have to proactively remove harmful content. The bill also covers revenge porn, human trafficking, extremism and promoting suicide online. It already stated that websites, such as Facebook and Twitter, that host user-generated content would have to swiftly remove illegal content once it was reported to them. Now they will also have

Woman in her 30s dies in Shoreditch bus crash

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A woman has died after being hit by a bus in east London. The pedestrian was struck by the 135 double-decker bus in Great Eastern Street, Shoreditch, at about 08:56 GMT on Friday. The woman, in her 30s, was injured in the collision and later died at the scene, the Met Police said. The force said there had been no arrests. Transport for London (TfL) said a full investigation was underway. Met Police, London Fire Brigade and London Ambulance Service all attended the scene. The Met is appealing for anyone who may have dashcam footage or witnessed the collision to

Northern Lights photographed off Norfolk coast by aurora hunters

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Photographers on the Norfolk coast enjoyed one of nature’s greatest displays on Friday when the Northern Lights made an appearance. The lights, also known as the Aurora Borealis, are the most visible impact of solar activity on Earth. Gary Pearson, 54, has been taking pictures since he was a child and is a regular at Thornham Staithe, a quayside location in north Norfolk. “The vista is ever-changing but when you get to see the Northern Lights pulsing over the coal barn it’s a real jump-up-and-down moment at what is a magical place,” he said. He said the aurora had “finally

Ukraine tensions: US sources say Russia 70% ready to invade

Russian troops held drills in the Rostov region late last month Russia has assembled about 70% of the military capability needed for a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in the coming weeks, US officials say. The ground is expected to freeze and harden from mid-February, enabling Moscow to bring in more heavy equipment, the unnamed officials said. Russia is said to have more than 100,000 troops near Ukraine’s borders but denies planning to attack. The US officials did not provide evidence for their assessment. They said the information was based on intelligence but that they were unable to give details due

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