The first 80 Tube stations to receive free WiFi access have been announced.
Virgin Media will enable the free wireless access by the end of July.
Transport For London says the partnership will enable millions of commuters to get online at Tube stations for free, and hopefully find their way around the city without annoying the locals.
The full list of stations can be about at Virgin's website.
They include major hubs like Kings Cross, St Pancras, Waterloo, Victoria, London Bridge, Liverpool Street and Paddington.
Central stops like Oxford Circus, Charing Cross and Westminster are also included in the rollout.
The plan will see up to 120 stations connected by the end of the year.
Gareth Powell, who is London Underground’s director of strategy, said the service was "testing well".
He said: “Our customers will soon be able to connect to the internet for live travel information while they are on the move through stations.
“Bringing a next generation WiFi service to one of the world’s oldest underground transport networks is progressing as planned and the forthcoming service is testing well.
“The first stations include some of our busiest and most well-known destinations and we’re on-track for a successful launch this summer – all delivered at no additional cost to fare payers or tax payers.”
Jon James at Virgin Media, said: "We’ve been working around-the-clock to install and test WiFi on London Underground and are about to connect some iconic and world famous Tube stations with a WiFi service London will be proud of."
Source: www.huffingtonpost.co.uk
London firms stumble over trademark hurdles - The Guardian
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
London 2012: June events calendar and diary - Daily Telegraph
David Nash at Kew, Kew Royal Botanic Gardens; June 9 – April 14 2013
The works of sculptor David Nash will go on display at Kew Gardens this month, with sculptures, installations, drawings and film in place in the open air, garden glasshouses and on-site exhibition spaces. Nash is renowned for his work with wood and the exhibition will see the artist work on a ‘wood quarry’ in Kew, where he will create new pieces for the exhibition using trees from Kew Gardens that have reached the end of their natural life.
Bt Artbox Project, throughout London; June 18 – July 16
Sir Giles Gilbert Scott’s traditional red telephone box is an icon of British design but this month it gets a temporary revamp from select artists and designers. Keith Tyson, Romero Britto, Zandra Rhodes and Giles Deacon are among those selected to participate in the BT Artbox Project, which will see them decorate a full-size, fibreglass replica of the K6 telephone kiosk, which will then be displayed in different areas of the city.
Codebreaker - Alan Turing's life and legacy, Science Museum; June 21 – June 2013
One hundred years after his birth, Alan Turing is celebrated with a free year-long exhibition at the Science Museum. Examining his life and legacy, the exhibition considers his contribution to computer science – which still holds influence today – and remembers his wartime codebreaking successes. The exhibition will display one of the most comprehensive collections of Turing-related artefacts, including machines he developed and worked on.
BP Portrait Award 2012, National Portrait Gallery; June 21 – September 23
The National Portrait Gallery follows its exceptionally popular Lucian Freud exhibition with the BP Portrait Award. This is the most prestigious portrait competition in the world, with a £25,000 prize going to the work judged to best showcase contemporary portrait-painting technique. Admittance is free.
New London theatre and performing arts openings
London 2012 Festival, throughout London and nationally; June 21 – September 9
The London 2012 Festival is the cultural complement to the London 2012 Olympic Games and the culmination of the four-year Cultural Olympiad. Throughout the capital, and throughout the country, thousands of events will take place to ensure millions of people will have the opportunity to participate in this exceptional summer. Highlights in London include the BT River of Music festival, which will see act including the Scissor Sisters and the Noisettes perform at six separate Thames-side locations, and an enhanced West End LIVE in Trafalgar Square which will this year see the casts from every one of London’s West End musicals perform for free. You can see coverage of the festival as it progresses on our London 2012 Festival portal.
Southbank Centre Summer Festival; June 1 – September 9
The Southbank Centre has another summer’s entertainment sorted with its Festival of the World. With a focus on learning, the event seeks to showcase how art can transform lives with a programme that’s challenging, moving and engaging. Highlights include Bryn Terfel’s four-day celebration of Welsh culture and Unlimited, the largest series of commissions by disabled and deaf artists ever undertaken in the UK.
New London restaurant and bar openings
Chase and Country Tails Terrace, Harvey Nichols; June 4 - July 15
Hopes are high for a good summer and if clement weather does grace us then the Chase and Country Tails Terrace at Fifth Floor Harvey Nichols is going to be popular. Created by Chase Distillery, the terrace’s traditional English-countryside look is inspired by the Herefordshire countryside where the company is based. More a bar space that serves food than a restaurant, the terrace will serve drinks featuring Chase spirits and mini tasting dishes created by Fifth Floor restaurant executive chef Jonas Karlsson.
Beard to Tail pop-up restaurant, 24 Chart Street; June 12-15
Shoreditch cocktail bar Callooh Callay tries its hand at the food trade with the four-day opening of the Beard to Tail pop-up restaurant. The meat-heavy menu is set to feature plenty of hearty, homely dishes with mains priced at £8-£13. The space will accommodate only 35 covers. Annoyingly bookings aren’t taken but you can expect the cocktail list to provide compensation. The pop-up precedes the opening of a permanent Beart to Tail restaurant, currently set for September 2012.
The Cube by Electrolux, Southbank Centre; June 1 – September 30
A Room for London, the boat-shaped, one-bedroom hotel, is perched atop the Queen Elizabeth Hall already; now The Cube by Electrolux plonks itself above the adjacent Royal Festival Hall. A pop-up restaurant sponsored by the appliances manufacturer, it will feature dishes created by Michelin-starred chefs stationed across the British Isles, including Sat Bains, Claude Bosi and Tom Kitchin. Guests who dine here will be served at least five courses with matching wines, and only 18 people will be accommodated at a time. Lunch at the Cube by Electrolux costs £175 per person, while dinner costs £215. Bookings can be made through the website.
Eat London afternoon tea, Wyndham Grand; June 1-30
Chocolatier Damian Allsop newly created Eat London chocolate bars are influenced by London’s cultural diversity (coffee and banana crunch are used for the Brixton bar; ginger, peanut and soy for China Town) and to celebrate their launch the Wyndham Grand London Chelsea Harbour hotel has launched an Eat London afternoon tea for the month. The tea features traditional teatime treats that have again been adapted to represent different parts of the city and costs £28 per person. On June 9, Allsop will be present at the hotel to run a two-hour chocolate masterclass – that costs £40 per person.
Afternoon Rock tea, W London hotel; June 1 onwards
The W London hotel is now serving Afternoon Rock tea, its variant of traditional afternoon tea. Launched to coincide with this summer’s Jubilee and Olympic festivities, the tea celebrates all things British with a menu that’s inspired by great British rock bands. Served on a three-tier stand made from original vinyl records, items served are named after rock albums and songs. London’s Burning, for example, is a chocolate pudding and hazelnut crunch; Cherry Bomb is a chocolate, mascarpone and cherry dessert inspired by The Runaways’ 1976 song.
Other London openings
ZSL London Zoo Lates, London Zoo; June 1 – July 27
From now until the end of July, London Zoo will be open late on Fridays and the venue is offering a packed Zoo Lates programme of events to celebrate. Running from 6pm-10pm the adults-only event will feature live comedy and cabaret performances on site, a silent disco (loud music disturbs the animals) and, of course, the opportunity to observe the hundreds of different animal species resident in the zoo.
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Kent tries to discredit ex-ministers' criticisms - The Vancouver Sun
The four former federal fisheries ministers from B.C. who wrote a joint letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper condemning changes to the Fisheries Act don't appear to have read the legislation, Environment Minister Peter Kent said Thursday.
The four ministers included former Progressive Conservative Tom Sid-don, who delivered a scathing clause-by-clause critique of the legislation before a parliamentary committee here Wednesday.
Siddon, who signed the letter with former Tory colleague John Fraser and Liberals David Anderson and Herb Dhaliwal, condemned the Harper government Thursday for creating a "Swiss cheese" fish legislation that is so full of loopholes it will benefit lawyers far more than fish or fish habitat. He also said the sweeping fisheries changes shouldn't be part of a 425-page omnibus budget implementation bill, which includes measures affecting matters such as Old Age Security and immigration. The bill is being rushed through the House of Commons before the summer break begins in late June.
"It makes a travesty of the democratic process," said Siddon, who served as fisheries minister from 1985-90 and introduced major policy changes dealing with fisheries habitat protection. "To bundle all of this into a budget bill, with all of its other facets, is not becoming of a Conservative government, period."
Both Kent and B.C. MP Randy Kamp, however, tried Wednesday to discredit their critics.
Kent told reporters that the four ministers "seem to be" responding to criticism of the changes levelled by environmental groups, rather than to the actual text of the legislation.
"We'll listen to those concerns, we'll respond to those concerns, but I think some of the reaction has come before full consumption of what the act says and what the act will actually do."
Asked if he was suggesting the four hadn't read Bill C-38's habitat provisions, Kent replied: "I'm saying by their remarks they seem not to be familiar with the specifics of the act, yes, and the way the act will be applied."
The letter alleged that the changes will "inevitably reduce and weaken" protection of fish habitat, and questioned whether federal bureaucrats even wrote the changes.
"Quite frankly, Canadians are entitled to know whether these changes were written, or insisted upon, by the minister of fisheries or by interest groups outside the government. If the latter is true, exactly who are they?"
Siddon not only cited specific clauses of the legislation during his appearance Wednesday but also had nick-names for each one, such as the "minister cops out clause" for provisions allowing Ottawa to delegate authority to other governments or even private interests. He said in an interview that he read all the provisions affecting fisheries "two or three times."
Poneil@postmedia.com
Twitter.com/poneilinottawa
Read my blog, Letter from Ottawa, at vancouversun.com/oneil
Source: www.vancouversun.com
A Canadian Cannibal in LONDON: Fugitive killer visited UK just six months ago – and posed outside Buckingham Palace - Daily Mail
- Luka Rocco Magnotta was last at Fusilier Pub in Wembley in December, when journalists confronted him over sick animal snuff films
- Porn actor is suspected of murdering his lover on camera, then sending a dismembered foot to the Canadian Conservative Party
- An email sent to newspaper and thought to have been written by Magnotta said: 'London is wonderful because all the people are so stupid'
- Canadian police say he has 'definitely' fled to Europe and would not rule out possibility he has come back to England
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A Gay porn star turned suspected cannibal killer who is on the run visited London just six months ago, it emerged today
Luka Rocco Magnotta, 29, is the subject of an international manhunt after a man's maggot-ridden torso was found in a locked suitcase by his Montreal apartment block.
Now, it has emerged Magnotta stayed at a pub near Wembley Stadium on a sightseeing visit to London - and Montreal Police today confirmed it was possible the fugitive had returned to Britain.
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Pink lipstick: Magnotta has acted in low-budget gay porn films, as well as working as a stripper and model
He was last in the capital just six months ago, when he was confronted by journalists over his alleged posting of a home-made video showing a kitten being fed to a python.
He is suspected of writing a chilling email to one newspaper at the time saying: 'You will be hearing from me again. This time, however, the victims won’t be small animals.'
He stayed at The Fusilier Inn in Wembley, where he paid 40 a night for a single room - only to be evicted by plain-clothed police and the manager.
Magnotta took in the sights and sounds of London, posing for photos in front of attractions like Buckingham Palace.
Marie-laine Ladouceur, a spokeswoman for Montreal Police, today revealed that Magnotta is thought to 'definitely' be in Europe - and she did not rule out the possibility he is in England.
She told MailOnline: 'I can't confirm that he is in England, but he is most definitely in Europe.'
Sightseeing: Luka Manotta stayed at The Fusilier Inn (pictured) in Wembley, London, last December
When contacted today, a man at The Fusilier Inn who did not give his name declined to talk about Magnotta's stay there in December.
But he said: 'He's not staying with us'.
The Metropolitan Police would not confirm whether Canadian police had been in touch about Magnotta, saying that it was not their policy to discuss requests made by overseas forces.
Detectives in France say Magnotta took a flight last weekend to Paris, which is a short journey away from London on a Eurostar train.
They believe, however, that he has decided to lie low in France.
Interpol, the international police agency has issued a Red Notice search order for Magnotta's arrest.
Bisexual Magnotta was exposed by a British newspaper last year when he was linked to a sadistic video showing a kitten being fed to a Burmese python.
The video, which was posted on a site called Flix from an account registered in Islington, north London, showed a man in his 20s carrying a kitten called Jasmine into a bedroom in a Santa hat and then placing it on a bed.
The video shows the kitten disappearing in the python's mouth
Friendly: This video, posted online two years ago, shows a man who looks like Magnotta appearing to be caring for the cats (he disguised his face)
Sickening: The thug places both of the cats inside the bag
Lurking half-hidden under a pillow lay a yellow Burmese python, which can grow up to 19ft long and is one of the largest snakes in the world.
Jasmine is seen slowly walking across the bed until the thug distracts her and she fatally turns her back on the danger. The snake pounces, wrapping the kitten in its coils as it squeezes the life out of the playful animal.
Once the kitten's tail stops moving the snake swallows her whole - head first. Its cries of agony are drowned out by the Christmas song Little Drummer Boy playing in the background of the video.
At the time Magnotta was staying in a room above The Fusilier Inn, where he was tracked down and quizzed by journalists from The Sun.
Magnotta at the time denied being behind the sick footage, and he even turned up at newspaper offices to complain that reporters there were harassing him.
Evil: Magnotta is also thought to have been behind this video which showed a kitten being fed to a python
The bait: The kitten is distracted and moments later the python pounces and wraps its coils around its prey
But shortly after, the paper received an email staff believed came from Magnotta telling of his love of London adding he would 'have to say goodbye for now'.
The email said: 'London is wonderful because all the people are so stupid.'
The message continued: 'But don't worry, in the near future you you will be hearing from me again. This time, however, the victims won’t be small animals.
'I will however, send you a copy of the new video I’m going to be making. You see, killing is different than smoking... with smoking you can actually quit.
'Once you kill, and taste blood, it’s impossible to stop.'
The email was signed off with the name John Kilbride, one of the first child victims of Moors murderers Ian Brady and Myra Hindley.
The reference to the Moors murderers offered gruesome link between the kitten killing video and those dreadful crimes - Little Drummer Boy was the same track heard on a tape Brady made of the torture and murder of Lesley Ann Downey.
Investigation: An internal shot of Magnotta's one-room apartment, outside of which a maggot-ridden torso was found in a suitcase
A journalist reported Magnotta for the email, which police classed as a malicious communication. It is unclear how far they got in their investigation.
Police officers and animal rights campaigners believe Magnotta could also be behind a sickening video posted online where two further kittens are tortured and killed.
The animal-cruelty video, filmed two years ago, shows a man looking like Magnotta placing two kittens inside an airtight bag and using a vacuum cleaner to suck out the air.
In distressing scenes, the cleaner is then switched on and the air is slowly sucked out of the bag. The mewing kittens can be seen wriggling around and clawing to escape as the polythene tightens around them.
Montreal Police Commander Ian Lafreniere had previously revealed that the authorities thought Magnotta fled North America based on evidence they found at his apartment, and based on a blog the suspected killer once wrote about how to disappear.
'We believe he may be in a foreign country,' Commander Lafreniere told The Associated Press.
'He left a letter on a website mentioning how to disappear for good, and secondly, our investigation brought us some details that might let us think that he could be away from the country.'
Commander Lafreniere also said officers have been trying to take down an online video that they believe shows Magnotta murdering a man he dated. The sickening snuff video footage, called '1 Lunatic 1 Ice Pick' and uploaded last week, shows a naked male tied to a bed frame being attacked with both an ice pick and a kitchen knife.
Cleaning up: Mike Nadeau (right), janitor of the Montreal apartment building where Luka Rocco Magnotta reportedly lived, inspects the premises
Lair: The kitchen of the Montreal apartment building where Luka Rocco Magnotta reportedly lived
Room number 208: The entrance door of the one-bedroom Montreal apartment building where Luka Rocco Magnotta reportedly lived
The Best Gore website says the film, which is unclear where or when it was filmed, then shows the victim being stabbed and having his throat slashed to the soundtrack of True Faith by New Order.
He is later decapitated, dismembered and sexually assaulted before his attacker uses a knife and fork to slice off and consume a piece of fatty flesh from his behind.
It is believed the victim was already dead when the camera started rolling. The man in the video, whose face is never revealed, then goes on to play with the corpse's body parts for sexual gratification.
Commander Lafreniere said the video keeps reappearing online. 'It's horrible. I can't believe people take advantage of watching this,' he said.
Bathroom: More images have emerged from the apartment rented by Magnotta, who has gone on the ru
Suspected crime scene: These images of the bed inside Magnotta's apartment show a mattress stained with blood. It is thought the former stripper dismembered his lover on camera
The hunt for Magnotta began when Canadian police found a man's torso in a suitcase behind his Montreal apartment building and a severed foot was found in a package mailed to the Conservative Party headquarters in Ottawa. A hand was found in a separate package at a postal facility, addressed to the Liberal Party of Canada.
Other body parts remain missing, and Lafreniere said police are investigating the possibility that they also may have been put in the mail. Criminal profiler Pat Brown said the suspect clearly loves attention. 'He's not political, psychopaths rarely are, so he didn't send those parts for political reasons but to get a splash in the media,' Mr Brown said.
'He wants to go in history as being the creepiest guy out there.'
Police said Magnotta is also known by the aliases Eric Clinton Newman and Vladimir Romanov. They described him as white, 5ft 8in tall with blue eyes and black hair. A police official said he was a porn actor.
His internet presence indicates he is a bisexual porn actor and model with a myriad of aliases.
Disturbed: The chilling message written on the wall of a cupboard in the apartment
Vacant: The tenant of the apartment, Luke Magnotta, has not been seen since the body was found
Magnotta changed his name from Eric Clinton Kirkman in 2006, and online posts suggest he had a longtime fascination with identity change and escape.
In a post on the Digital Journal website dated 2009 that police confirmed, a six-step article under Magnotta's name describes how to disappear.
'When making the decision to disappear, it is very important to understand that this is not a process that can be successfully accomplished overnight,' it reads.
'For best results under normal circumstances, a minimum of four months is really necessary to successfully carry out the heroic actions necessary to leave your old life behind.
'This is certainly not an undertaking to be entered into lightly - be completely sure of yourself before you commit to this.'
Gruesome: A dark red substance which looks like it could be blood is seen in Magnotta's refrigerator
Crime scene: Luka Magnotta's apartment in Ottawa, Canada
Police in masks have combed through Magnotta's apartment in a working class Montreal neighbourhood.
The four-floor, 57-unit building on Decarie Boulevard has apartments overlooking one of the city's busiest roads on one side.
One of these is unit 208, the narrow, one-room apartment rented by Magnotta. Some tenants indicated that drug use is a common source of problems in the building.
Inside officers found blood-soaked sheets, what looked like a pool of blood in a refrigerator, and a message scrawled on a wall inside a wardrobe that said: 'If you don't like the reflection, don't look in the mirror. I don't care.'
Grim work: Montreal police investigators gather evidence outside the apartment block
Manhunt: Police stand guard outside a forensic tent by the building
Source: www.dailymail.co.uk
In London for the Jubilee - Toronto Sun
World celebrations for Queen's Diamond Jubilee
New Zealand: "On June 4, New Zealanders will celebrate the Queen’s birthday and the Queen’s Honours list will be released. This year, the celebrations will be even bigger. New Zealand Post created a special commemorative stamp honouring the milestone," say the editors of Cheapflights.ca. "In addition, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall will visit New Zealand in November on their Commonwealth tour as representatives of the Queen." PICTURED: Britain's Queen Elizabeth speaks with New Zealand Prime Minister John Key in April 2011. REUTERS/Tim Ireland
Scotland: "On Monday, June 4, beacons will be lit on Edinburgh Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the Queen’s official residence in Scotland," say the editors of Cheapflights.ca. PICTURED: Britain's Queen Elizabeth walks with Pope Benedict XVI, followed by Prince Philip, in the Morning Drawing Room of the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, Scotland. REUTERS/Dan Kitwood
Isle of Wight: "There’s fun for all the family in Appley Park, where a large marquee will be erected for evening entertainment and an afternoon of activities on Sunday, June 3," say the editors of Cheapflights.ca. "The evening events include a vintage cocktail party on Saturday, a carnival party on Sunday and on Monday a fireworks display, as well as the lighting of the Jubilee Beacon from 9:30 to 11 p.m. Sunday will see visitors enjoying a 50s Lambretta Special edition 'Ride Out' showcasing scooters, a vintage tea party from 2-4 p.m., magicians, dance and performance workshops, rides and much more. Take part in 1950s football, sandcastle competitions and sack races – or just go for a dip in the water at Ryde Beach." (Shutterstock)
Gibraltar: "As the Diamond Jubilee is celebrated, it will have been 58 years since the Queen and Prince Phillip arrived in Gibraltar as part of Her Majesty’s Coronation Tour in May 1954, and Gibraltar wants to celebrate," say the editors of Cheapflights.ca. "The Earl and Countess of Wessex will visit Gibraltar from June 11 to 13, and Gibraltar’s tourist board is planning many celebratory events." PICTURED: A tourist takes a photo of two police officers in front of a banner with the image of Britain's Queen Elizabeth announcing the Diamond Jubilee 2012, on the facade of the Parliament of the Colony of Gibraltar, in downtown Gibraltar. REUTERS/Jon Nazca
Channel Islands: "The festivities start on Sunday, June 3 at 3 p.m. when some of the island’s parishes will hold street parties," say the editors of Cheapflights.ca. "Start Monday early for a day packed full of activities. At 10:30 a.m., a Service of Thanksgiving led by the Dean of Jersey will be held at the Town Church. Then from 2:30 to 4 p.m., gaze upon classic and vintage vehicles at the People’s Park. Alternatively, enjoy the horse racing at Les Landes Racecourse from 2:30 to 5:45 p.m. Grab a bite to eat at the Jubilee Food Fair at Les Jardins de la Mer from 4:30 to 11 p.m. The Jubilee Concert will then take place at Fort Regent from 7:30 to 9:45 p.m." (Shutterstock)
London: "Walk along the River Thames and see up to 1,000 boats in the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant. See if you can spot the Royal Barge – the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will be on it," say the editors of Cheapflights.ca. "For those without tickets, the Diamond Jubilee Concert will air on TV on Monday, June 4. Also on Monday, the Queen will light the National Beacon along with 2,012 others lit by communities all over the UK and the Commonwealth." PICTURED: The Diamond Jubilee Royal barge is seen moored at Richmond in south west London, May 23, 2012. REUTERS/Toby Melville
Australia: "On Monday, June 4, Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard will light a beacon on top of Parliament House in Canberra," say the editors of Cheapflights.ca. "Parks Place in the Parliamentary zone will be renamed Queen Elizabeth Terrace, which will complement the names of adjacent streets Queen Victoria, King Edward and King George Terraces." (Shutterstock)
Canada: "In Canada, a new commemorative medal named the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal has been created. The medal is a way for Canada to honour the Queen’s service to the country as well as achievements by Canadians," say the editors of Cheapflights.ca. "During 2012, 60,000 Canadians will be recognized and awarded the medal. Canada will also take part by lighting beacons as part of the Commonwealth celebrations." PICTURED: His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwell, visit the Saskatchewan Assembly Legislative Building on May 23, 2012 in Regina. Frazer Harrison/Getty Images/AFP
Cyprus: "The Western Sovereign Base Area is holding a Party in the Park in Happy Valley, Episkopi, Limassol on Friday, June 1," say the editors of Cheapflights.ca. "Or you could head to DT’s Bar, Tombs of the Kings Road, Paphos on Sunday, June 3 at 1pm. Tickets are open to everyone and cost €20. Included in the price is a welcome Jubilee cocktail, street party buffet lunch, traditional English sing-a-long with Bob Clarkson and dancing." (Shutterstock)
Wales: "Street parties, parades, fairs, exhibitions and concerts are being staged in the principality to mark the Jubilee," say the editors of Cheapflights.ca. "The small town of St. Asaph was awarded city status, along with Chelmsford, Essex and Perth." PICTURED: Prince William throws a ball with scouts during the centenary celebrations of scouting during the 21st World Scout Jamboree at Highlands Park, Wales, 2007. REUTERS/Luke MacGregor
Got an extra long weekend to explore the British capital where Queen Elizabeth II will be celebrating her 60th year on the throne with a massive Diamond Jubilee party? Reuters correspondents with local knowledge help visitors explore London amid the royal hoopla.
Friday
6 p.m. You'd better arrive at least a day or two ahead of the main festivities. Many people will get to London even earlier and will already be staking out places for Sunday's 1,000-boat flotilla along the Thames, Monday's pop concert outside Buckingham Palace and Tuesday's royal procession along the Mall. For a full official guide look on: www.thediamondjubilee.org
Why not familiarize yourself with some of the local culture and go for a pint first. Friday night before a national holiday means the pubs will be buzzing.
Ditch the ubiquitous lager dens dotted around the capital in favor of a visit to the 2010 "pub of the year" as chosen by Britain's Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA).
The Harp in Chandos Place lies in the shadow of Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square, near Covent Garden shopping, dining, Leicester Square, the theatre district and the pubs and clubs of Soho.
8 p.m. Dine with the ruling class at Rules restaurant in Covent Garden. It's old, it's grand, the food is traditional English and it's a popular dining spot for the privately educated elite. This gastronomic institution has been reviewed by Kingsley Amis, defended by John Betjeman, immortalized by Graham Greene and frequented by Edward VII and his lover Lillie Langtry.
Top up at the bar with a pre-dinner drink from the Royal Collection Cocktails menu: One recipe for every one of the 16 countries where Queen Elizabeth is head of state.
10 p.m. Throw some regal shapes at one of the clubs favored by the young royals. Cut loose at Whisky Mist, get your Middleton mojo on at Mahiki or shake your aristocratic booty at Boujis until the wee hours. Plenty of Sloane Rangers and Hooray Henrys to choose from here. But remember: keen royal watchers are already standing five deep at the barricades.
Saturday
Unless you have tickets for the Epsom Derby, where Queen Elizabeth will kick off jubilee celebrations by indulging in her passion for horse-racing, today is the best of two days to get your sightseeing in before the pageantry of the coming days.
9 a.m. Head to the Tower of London. Founded by William the Conqueror after his 1066 invasion of England, the Tower, with its strategic location on the River Thames, has been a royal palace, a place of execution, a prison for traitors and still holds Britain's Crown jewels.
12 p.m. Cross over Tower Bridge, turn left and go for lunch at one of the many restaurants on the South Bank. For top dining try Le Pont de la Tour which overlooks the Thames, or the slightly less formal dining at the Chop House and Blueprint Cafe.
1 p.m. Head back toward Tower Bridge and keep walking past it. Here are the Mayor's round and gleaming glass and steel offices. There is a broad walkway beside the Thames that is popular with both locals and tourists.
As you stroll along you'll pass the Clink museum, Vinopolis -- a wine-lovers' emporium of all beverages related to the grape -- a replica of Francis Drake's globe-circumnavigating ship the Golden Hinde, and a lovely bankside pub called the Anchor Bankside before arriving at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre.
The thatch-roofed, oak-beamed Globe is a faithful reconstruction of the open-air playhouse designed in 1599 and a unique international resource dedicated to the exploration of Shakespeare's work and the playhouse for which he wrote.
Take in nearby Tate Modern Museum, housed in an imposing converted power station. Further along the river you can go for a ride on the giant London Eye Ferris wheel or cross the Millennium footbridge just opposite the Tate for a visit to Christopher Wren's magnificent St. Paul's Cathedral, where Charles and Diana were married.
If you'd like to recreate last year's royal wedding of Prince William to Kate Middleton - now known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge - wander a bit further on and cross over Westminster Bridge for a visit to Westminster Abbey.
Here is also where England's monarchs are crowned and many put to eternal rest alongside the graves of the unknown warrior, Geoffrey Chaucer, Alfred Tennyson, Robert Browning, Charles Dickens, Rudyard Kipling, Thomas Hardy, George Frederic Handel and Laurence Olivier.
Sunday
7 a.m Get up! Get out! If you want to catch even a glimpse of the royal flotilla as it passes through London on the River Thames, you'd better make your way to a viewing spot soon alongside a million expected spectators.
A Chinese junk, Venetian gondolas and a boat rowed by Olympic champions will be part of the 1,000-vessel flotilla, where the queen will also be accompanied by a host of musicians playing everything from Bollywood songs to James Bond tunes.
London mayor Boris Johnson has said he expected the flotilla to be "like Dunkirk except more successful", a reference to the evacuation of British troops from France during World War Two.
Olympic and Paralympic champions including five-time rowing gold medal winner Steve Redgrave will lead the flotilla in a vessel also manned by soldiers injured in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The first Chinese junk to visit London since the Great Exhibition in 1851 will join the flotilla, as well as several gondolas, passenger ships, kayaks and lifeboats.
The flotilla will be over seven miles long and travel 25 miles of the Thames, passing every bridge in central London, some of which will be open to spectators at each end. For help with finding a spot to watch, click on: here
4 p.m. After the procession, Go for tea. Claridges was named by the United Kingdom Tea Council as London's top afternoon tea place for 2011 and it's just around the corner. Make sure you book in advance and obey the dress code: Elegant smart casual; no shorts, vests, sportswear, flip flops, ripped jeans or baseball caps.
6 p.m. Head back to your hotel for some rest.
8 p.m. Now that you've tasted a bit of royal hoopla, you might also be hungry for dinner. There are some 140 restaurants in Britain with Michelin stars, four of which have the highest accolade of three stars. Two of those are in London.
One is Restaurant Gordon Ramsay on Royal Hospital Road in Chelsea, the other is Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester hotel.
Monday
10 a.m. Have a lie-in. You might not have tickets for the pop concert at the palace tonight here . But you can be in the vicinity to soak up the tunes and the vibe.
In the meantime, take the opportunity to visit the London dungeon experience (here) near London Bridge. Scare yourself with the prospect of transportation or execution, take the rat walk or the Traitor; Ride to Hell as you experience 1,000 years of the darker side of British history.
12 p.m. Go for lunch at the George Inn, a 17th century pub which earns a mention in Charles Dickens's "Little Dorrit" and is London's last remaining galleried coaching inn. Dickens used to come here for coffee.
The George's aged two-tiered balconies overlook a courtyard set aside for patrons to enjoy beer, ale, porter, stout and all other manner of drink as well as a hearty menu of pub food. This London treasure was rebuilt in 1676, after a fire destroyed the original. Shakespeare was another well-known regular.
2 p.m Take the Underground to the Imperial War Museum near Westminster. Winston Churchill was the queen's first prime minister and it was from here that he directed the Allied Forces which defeated Nazi Germany in World War Two.
The original Cabinet War Rooms - today part of the Churchill War Rooms - which sheltered the people at the heart of Britain's wartime government during the Blitz, lie beneath London's bustle.
In 1940, shortly after becoming Prime Minister, Churchill stood in the War Cabinet Room and declared: 'This is the room from which I will direct the war'. Today, you can step back in time to explore the secret headquarters where Churchill and his staff changed the course of history.
4 p.m. Head to the nearby Strand and Covent Garden for a bit of early supper or a late tea in one of the many restaurants and cafes.
6 p.m. You have three choices. If you have tickets for the party at the palace, get over there and have a mooch round the royal gardens and then take your place for a gala pop concert which will include Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, Elton John, Ed Sheeran, Jessie J, JLS, Kylie Minogue and Robbie Williams on a spectacular stage built around the Queen Victoria Memorial, right in front of Buckingham Palace.
If you don't have tickets you could join the thousands of people who are likely to be in the vicinity, head back to your hotel to watch it on the BBC, see it on a BBC big screen outdoors (here) or find a local pub holding a jubilee pop concert party.
Tuesday
6 a.m. By now you must be royally exhausted. Nevertheless, today is THE day. The royal procession, the horse-drawn coach, the guards on horseback, a thanksgiving service at St. Paul's Cathedral and the royal wave from the balcony of Buckingham Palace, a flypast and fireworks.
Get your sandwiches, thermos of tea or coffee, bottles of water and a spot along the royal process route and hang onto your view.
A timetable can be found here.
4 p.m. Go home.
Source: www.torontosun.com
Kent football hooligans hand over passports ahead of Euro 2012 - News Shopper
Kent football hooligans hand over passports ahead of Euro 2012
10:27am Friday 1st June 2012 in Top Stories By Jim Palmer
THE three lions will be on the shirt on Monday in Donestsk when England play France, but there will be seven hooligans from north Kent absent from the crowd.
Kent Police demanded that 28 people with Football Banning Orders across the county hand over their passports by last Wednesday to prevent them from travelling to Poland and Ukraine and causing trouble at the Euro 2012 tournament, which starts on Friday.
Seven were from north Kent – the highest concentration in the county. Anyone who failed to surrender their passport faced arrest and prosecution.
Football Banning Orders (FBOs) are a preventative measure to stop potential troublemakers from travelling to and attending matches at home and abroad. Anyone who commits a football-related offence can be arrested and an FBO applied for.
A special unit was set up by Kent Police last July after a change in the law which meant ‘regulated games’ included non-league contests.
Chief Inspector Bryan Whittaker said: “We have developed a strong record of effective policing of football matches and that includes using Football Banning Orders where necessary.
“They are a significant tool for police and the courts in preventing or reducing football related violence and disorder.
“Banning orders work. About 92 percent of people whose orders have expired since 2000 are assessed by police as no longer posing a risk of football disorder. And the rate of passport surrender is even higher. During the World Cup 2010, 98 percent of people with FBOs complied.
“Most football fans are good natured and genuinely want to support their team. They should be able to do that without being subjected to offensive and criminal behaviour.”
Football Banning Orders in Kent
:: North Kent – 7
:: Medway – 5
:: Maidstone – 5
:: Ashford – 4
:: Canterbury – 2
:: Folkestone – 2
:: Margate – 2
:: Tonbridge – 1
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Source: www.newsshopper.co.uk
Jessica Ennis 'still has room to improve before London 2012' - Metro.co.uk
The 26-year-old landed a major pscyhological blow last weekend as she beat Olympic rival and reigning world champion Tatyana Chernova in what is her final hepthatlon competition before London 2012, breaking Denise Lewis's British record into the bargain.
But speaking to promote Aviva’s Back The Team campaign, Ennis insisted she still had plenty of work to do and that there was no clear favourite for the London gold medal yet.
'It was such a great weekend for things to come together but I feel I've still got room to improve,' she said.
Chernova responded to Ennis's victory by saying she thought it would heap home crowd expectation on her rival at the London Games, but Ennis was emphatic she would not get drawn into any mind games.
'It's a distraction,' she said.
'She'll be slightly disappointed with her performance - she needs to make sure she's ready and in the right place.
'I'm really happy with where I am and how it's going, I couldn't ask for more at this stage. I'm happy with what I'm doing - she can do what she wants.'
Despite the confidence boost of her performance, Ennis said she was trying to keep a lid on her expectations of what she could do in London.
'I feel exactly the same as at the start of the year, I believe I can go there and perform and win but I also know [2008 Olympic champion Nataliya] Dobynrksa and others are very capable of doing it as well - there's no clear favourite.
'It's great to win in Gotzis but it's not the Olympics, so there’s still lots of work to do.'
Ennis has made a point of avoiding going to the London Olympic Stadium to keep it new and fresh when the Games come round, but she said she had seen enough pictures to help with her mental preparation and visualisation of her performance.
'If I was going to any other championships, I wouldn't get to visit the track and become familiar with it so I don't want to become too familiar with London,' she said.
'You can visualise your technique and performance without being in the stadium.
'I've seen pictures so I can visualise and I think that's a very important part of the process.'
Aviva has been backing the GB & NI Team since 1999. Now it’s your turn. Search for 'Aviva Athletics' on Facebook to enter the competition to win a day with Jessica Ennis for your community.
Source: www.metro.co.uk
Kent murder trial: Coventry man guilty of killing estranged wife and young son - Coventry Telegraph.net
A USED-CAR salesman from Coventry has been found guilty of murdering his estranged wife, their young son and his father-in-law by setting fire to their family home following the collapse of their marriage.
Danai Muhammadi, 24, was fuelled by "spite, anger and resentment" when he killed Melissa Crook, 20, and their 15-month-old son Noah by torching the house in Chatham Hill, Chatham, Kent.
Mrs Crook’s father Mark Crook, 49, was left critically ill with severe burns in hospital following the fire just before 2.30am on September 10 last year and he died six days later.
Muhammadi and his friend, bouncer Farhad Mahmud, 35, squirted petrol through the letter box using a garden spray container, leading to fire breaking out at the base of the stairs. Mahmud was also found guilty of three counts of murder.
Muhammadi’s new girlfriend, jobless Emma Smith, 21, was cleared of three counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder but convicted of three counts of manslaughter after a six-week trial at Maidstone Crown Court.
Muhammadi and Mahmud were also found guilty of two counts of attempted murder.
The jury reached their verdicts after deliberating for 13 hours and 31 minutes.
Muhammadi and Mahmud showed no emotion as they learned of the verdicts flanked by security guards and interpreters.
In the public gallery, survivors Amanda and Bohdan Crook shook visibly and hugged each other as the jury foreman read out the verdicts in front of a packed courtroom.
As Judge Mr Justice Sweeney said that Muhammadi and Mahmud faced life behind bars, a family member shouted "good".
The judge told the jury: "There can be very few criminal cases which are as taxing for a jury than this one must have been.
"I don’t suppose any of us are going to forget some aspects of the evidence we have heard about the fire."
Prosecutors said the arson was a "wicked attack" which had been well planned following the breakdown of the marriage between Iraqi-born Muhammadi and Mrs Crook.
Six months earlier, she decided to move out of their home in Coventry with their son and return to her parents’ home in Chatham after Muhammadi slapped her around the face after she refused to have sex with him one night.
In the months following their split, Muhammadi, of Britannia Street, Coventry, started a relationship with Smith but she became resentful of her new partner’s attempts to patch up his marriage with Mrs Crook, jurors heard.
A series of angry text messages were exchanged between Smith, of Barley Lea, Stoke Aldermoor, Coventry, and Mrs Crook in the days and weeks leading up to the arson, in which Smith taunted her love rival.
She mocked Mrs Crook about her size, for being "boring" in the bedroom and added: "Enjoy your life with no husband, no house...no money, you gold-digger."
Against this background of bitterness and jealousy, Muhammadi - knowing he could not repair his marriage - plotted to wipe out his estranged wife, and sent his own son and father-in-law to their graves as well.
Muhammadi travelled from Coventry to Kent with Smith late on September 9, after loading the spray container in the boot of his Renault Megane, and headed to Mahmud’s flat in Fernhill Road, Maidstone.
The couple let themselves into his home and partied while Mahmud finished a shift as a doorman at a local nightclub.
Within half an hour of returning home, Mahmud and Muhammadi left in the Megane, leaving Smith behind in the flat.
CCTV images, automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) and mobile phone cell site recordings helped place their movements over the next 45 minutes.
At 2.03am, the Megane was caught at a Texaco garage in Chatham where more than £15 worth of petrol was poured into two containers, including the garden sprayer.
Minutes later, the fire was set. Petrol was sprayed about four feet into the three-bedroom terraced house through the letterbox before flames ignited at the base of the stairs.
The position of the fire left no reasonable means of escape for Mrs Crook, her mother Amanda, brother Bohdan, father Mark and her 15-month-old son by Muhammadi, Noah.
Source: www.coventrytelegraph.net
Absolutely predictably, the greatest cries of horror here are for the kittens. Apparently, the murdered person is irrelevant. You're a sick society and culture.
- fallus mangoe, earth, 01/6/2012 17:24
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