Local news

A south London food hall that is due to make way for new homes will remain open until late 2026, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS). Mercato Metropolitano, which has operated from a former paper-making factory in Elephant & Castle for nine years, is to be demolished after plans for the Borough Triangle development were approved by Southwark ...

As December arrives, London’s sky begins to change. Even if the sun appears less often, the city never loses its glow. Instead, colourful, sparkling lights spread everywhere, and the warmth of the festive season fills the air. Streets are draped in Christmas lights, Santa figures appear everywhere, and the city blends into one grand celebration. Shops overflow with discount crowds, ...

Journalists, media professionals, cultural activists, and members of the British Bangladeshi community gathered at the Altab Ali Park in East London on Sunday to protest the attacks on Bangladesh’s leading newspapers, The Daily Star and Prothom Alo, and growing threats against journalists. The demonstration, organised by Bangla-speaking journalists working in London, strongly condemned the vandalism, arson, looting, and alleged attempts ...

Greta Thunberg has been arrested at a demonstration in support of the Palestine Action protesters who are on hunger strike in prison, according to the Prisoners for Palestine protest group. The 22-year-old activist was detained in the City of London after attending the scene of the early-morning demonstration on Fenchurch Street. In a video shared by the group, she could ...

    Ansar Ahmed Ullah:   Derek Cox, who died in December 2025 aged 82, spent more than half a century walking alongside young people and families in Brick Lane, Spitalfields and the wider East End. He never described himself as a hero or a leader. He described himself simply as a youth worker but to thousands, he was far ...

    A cross-party group of MPs has tabled an Early Day Motion (EDM) in the House of Commons raising concerns about alleged human rights abuses in Bangladesh, including the imprisonment without charge of former politicians, journalists and judges. The motion, EDM 2428, was tabled on 3 December and has been signed by 13 MPs from across the political spectrum. ...

212 more Year 7 pupils across four Tower Hamlets schools have received digital support as part of the ongoing Connecting Communities programme. Connecting Communities is a partnership project between the East End Community Foundation, Tower Hamlets Council, the Letta Trust, and Poplar HARCA. The partnership aims to identify students and families in need of support. The secondary school pilot, which launched ...

Two of London’s busiest stations, Waterloo and Liverpool Street, will be shut over the Christmas period while engineering work is carried out. Network Rail has said Liverpool Street will close so new glass panels can be installed above the station concourse and the drainage system can be replaced, while Waterloo station will need to close in order to get new ...

  Ansar Ahmed Ullah:   Barkingside, UK – Hindu Aid UK hosted a cultural and fundraising event in Barkingside on Friday, 19 December, 2025, drawing together community members to support their humanitarian initiatives. The evening successfully raised funds for rehabilitation projects and general assistance for those in need, embodying the organisation’s motto: “Serving mankind is serving God.” The event featured a ...

  Muhammed Shahed Rahman : The Swadhinata Trust marked its 25th anniversary on Bangladesh’s Victory Day with a special concert titled Bangla Beats at the Pinter Studio, Queen Mary University of London, on 16 December. Described as an intimate evening of live Bengali music, the event paid tribute to the living legacies of Bengali music-making in Britain and coincided with ...