London – London News

Putin Signals Willingness to Explore Trump’s Peace Proposal Amid Dire Warnings for Ukraines Future

November 28, 2025

Plushenko: Despite Abuse and Humiliation, Kostiyleva Stepped onto the Ice and Gave Her All

November 29, 2025

Councils repair delays blamed for ceiling collapse Текст: A man in north London was left with a collapsed ceiling after Camden Council took too long to fix a leak coming from the flat above, a Housing Ombudsman investigation has found. The watchdog criticised the council for failing to stop water coming from the upstairs property, which it owns, despite several warnings and more than 10 repair attempts. Ombudsman Richard Blakeway said there was no evidence the council had considered enforcement action, even though its staff were unable to gain access to the upstairs flat on seven occasions. A council spokesperson apologised for the distress and disruption caused, and said the local authority should have acted more quickly. The report found the council twice marked the job as complete without confirming whether the leak had been resolved. The resident living below repeatedly tried to send photos of the damage to the council via its repairs WhatsApp account, but it was not working. The council phoned the neighbour, received no answer and did not follow up, the watchdog said. Attempts to fix the problem were then repeatedly delayed because workers could not get into the upstairs property. Eventually, the ceiling collapsed. The watchdog said Camden Councils delays were to blame. The council said it had changed how it managed complex repairs, including bringing in specialist contractors earlier if in-house teams cannot identify the cause. Mr Blakeways report also said the affected resident had remained in temporary accommodation even by the time the watchdog finished its investigation and upheld his complaint. The council said new follow-up procedures had since been introduced to monitor people placed in temporary accommodation because of repair problems. The ombudsmans wider report also criticised several other London councils, including Ealing, Harrow, Lambeth and Tower Hamlets, along with multiple housing associations. Mr Blakeway highlighted a case involving Islington and Shoreditch Housing Association (ISHA), where it took more than three years to repair a leak in a leaseholders home. There was an eight-month gap between the initial complaint and the start of works. The watchdog said the resident was ignored while woodwork in her flat deteriorated. When ISHA did respond, it gave no explanation for the delays or when repairs would begin. The landlord initially offered to replace the rotting window and door, but later withdrew the offer and advised the resident to claim on her contents insurance. A spokesperson for ISHA said it had apologised and that the case was absolutely not the standard or experience we want for our residents. The housing association said it had since put in more resources to its repairs and surveys team along with new structures and processes.

December 1, 2025

Black Sea Tanker That Sustained Blast Hit Again Текст: Turkeys Transport Ministry said one of two empty oil tankers hit by blasts in the Black Sea late Friday had been struck again early on Saturday, blaming an unmanned sea vehicle. The Virat, which was previously said to have been attacked by unmanned maritime vehicles approximately 35 nautical miles off the Black Sea coastline, was attacked again by unmanned maritime vehicles early this morning, the ministry said on X. It said the tanker sustained only minor damage on the starboard side and that none of the 20-strong crew were hurt. On Friday evening, Turkeys Transport Ministry said two empty oil tankers, the Virat and the Kairos, had reported explosions but sustained no casualties, saying they had been struck in Turkish waters but without saying what had caused the blasts. The ministrys post was the first official confirmation that the Virat was attacked by drones. Turkey said the Kairos was en route to the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, where a major Russian oil terminal halted operations early on Saturday after being hit by a naval drone attack, the consortium that owns the terminal said. The terminal, part of which sustained significant damage, is a major conduit for Kazakh oil, the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) said, without saying who was responsible for the attack. A Ukrainian source later claimed responsibility for the attacks on two oil tankers. Modernized Sea Baby naval drones successfully targeted the vessels, a source in Ukraines SBU security service told AFP. The blast struck the Kairos around 15:00 GMT on Friday, with rescuers evacuating its 25 crew members after a fire broke out. At the time, it was about 100 kilometers east of the point where the Bosphorus Strait enters the Black Sea, Turkish officials said. The Virat was struck later. At the time, it was about 400 kilometers further east, according to the VesselFinder tracking site. Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said both had suffered explosions, telling private NTV television late Friday the tankers might have been hit by a mine or struck by a rocket or a drone. An external impact means the vessel was hit by a mine, a rocket, or a similar projectile, or perhaps by a drone, or by an unmanned underwater vehicle. These are the first things that come to mind, he said. In a post on X, the Turkish Maritime Affairs Directorate said the Kairos was en route to Russias Novorossiysk when it reported an external impact causing a fire 28 nautical miles off the Turkish coast. It posted dramatic images of flames and thick black smoke pouring out of the vessel, with the blaze still raging some five hours later. BİLGİLENDİRME‼️Rusyaya seyir halindeyken Karadeniz açıklarında patlama ve yangın meydana gelen KAIROS isimli gemide devam eden yangına, NENE HATUN Acil Müdahale Gemimiz ve KURTARMA-12 Römorkörümüz ile@kiyiemniyet’e bağlı ekiplerimiz müdahale etmeye devam etmektedir.…pic.twitter.com/gx7iG5Rc5F The directorate later said the Virat had reported being hit approximately 35 nautical miles offshore, adding that all 20 crew were unharmed but there was heavy smoke detected in the engine room, although those on board had not requested evacuation. Both tankers — which are flying a Gambian flag, according to the VesselFinder website — are subject to Western sanctions for transporting oil from Russian ports in defiance of an embargo imposed after Russias 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Since Russia invaded Ukraine, both sides have planted sea mines to protect their coastlines. Many have since been located and destroyed in the Black Sea, but others have drifted, notably due to storms, endangering shipping. In response, NATO members Turkey, Bulgaria, and Romania — all of whom border the Black Sea — set up the Mine Countermeasures Naval Group (MCM Black Sea) in 2024 to oversee de-mining operations.

December 2, 2025

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