Met

Anti-black racism ‘baked’ into Met Police, review says

Discrimination against black people is “baked” into the leadership, culture and governance of the Metropolitan Police, an internal review has found.

The independently commissioned review, authored by Dr Shereen Daniels, surveyed 40 years of evidence of how racism had affected black communities, as well as black officers and staff.

Baroness Doreen Lawrence, mother of murdered black teenager Stephen Lawrence, said that while the report was welcome, it “contains nothing I did not already know”.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley described the report as “powerful”, adding that it “calls out that further systemic, structural, cultural change is needed”.

The review, commissioned from the consultancy HR Rewired, concluded that darker-skinned Met staff were “labelled confrontational” while lighter-skinned employees might receive quicker empathy and leniency.

Dr Shereen Daniels said that systemic racism was “not a matter of perception”, adding that “true accountability begins with specificity”.

“The same systems that sustain racial harm against black people also enable other forms of harm. Confronting this is not an act of exclusion but a necessary foundation for safety, fairness and justice for everyone,” Dr Daniels said.

Baroness Lawrence said that discrimination “must be acknowledged, accepted and confronted in the Met”, adding that racism was the reason why her son had been killed and why the police had “failed to find all of his killers”.

She added: “The police must stop telling us that change is coming whilst we continue to suffer. That change must take place now.”

Imran Khan KC said that the report’s conclusions were “little surprise”, adding that Sir Mark Rowley should resign if he did not “recognise, acknowledge and accept” its findings.

He added: “This Report lays out in shocking clarity that the time for talking is over, that promises to change can no longer be believed or relied on.”

The report is the latest to highlight racism within Britain’s biggest police force, after Louise Casey’s 2023 review – commissioned after the murder of Sarah Everard – concluded that the Met was institutionally racist, misogynistic and homophobic.

Reviews conducted decades ago have criticised discrimination within the Met – including the 1999 Macpherson report that called the force “institutionally racist” after the mishandling of Stephen Lawrence’s case.

Earlier this year, secret BBC filming found serving Met Police officers calling for immigrants to be shot and revelling in the use of force.

Several officers have since been sacked, after Sir Mark Rowley pledged to be “ruthless” in getting rid of officers who are unfit to serve.

Following the publication of the latest report, Sir Mark Rowley said: “London is a unique global city, and the Met will only truly deliver policing by consent when it is inclusive and anti-racist.”

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Trump’s visit to Malaysia met with protests over war in Gaza | Donald Trump News

Hundreds gather to express opposition to US president’s attendance at ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters have held demonstrations opposing United States President Donald Trump’s visit to Malaysia for the ASEAN summit.

Protesters gathered in Kuala Lumpur’s Independence Square and the Ampang Park area of the city in separate demonstrations on Sunday morning and evening to oppose Trump’s support for Israel’s war on Gaza.

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Trump was in Kuala Lumpur to attend the 47th ASEAN summit, where he oversaw the signing of a ceasefire deal between Cambodia and Thailand and announced a number of trade deals.

In Independence Square, protesters wearing keffiyehs braved the midday sun while chanting “Free, Free Palestine”.

Protesters rally against US President Donald Trump's visit to Malaysia at Kuala Lumpur's Independence Square on October 26, 2025. [Erin Hale/ Al Jazeera]
Protesters rally against US President Donald Trump’s visit to Malaysia at Kuala Lumpur’s Independence Square on October 26, 2025 [Erin Hale/ Al Jazeera]

Asma Hanim Mahoud said she had travelled 300km (185 miles) from the state of Kelantan in northeast Malaysia to attend the protest and another demonstration on Friday in front of the US embassy.

“People who have a conscience know that Trump is a genocide enabler. Without him, Israel cannot kill all the children and people in Gaza,” she told Al Jazeera.

“It’s not rocket science.”

Mahoud was dismayed that the morning protest had been moved by authorities from Ampang Park, close to the venue of the ASEAN summit, where protests earlier in the week had taken place.

Police said they had expected between 1,000 and 1,500 protesters at the anti-Trump rally on Sunday, according to Malaysia’s Bernama news agency.

The turnout, while much lower, drew from a diverse swath of Malaysian society.

Choo Chon Kai, a leader of the Socialist Party of Malaysia, said he was attending the rally to protest US foreign policy in the Middle East and elsewhere.

“This is a solidarity rally against US imperialism, as well as solidarity with the people of Palestine and people all over the world who are victims of US imperialism,” Choo told Al Jazeera.

Choo also said he was disappointed the protest had been moved from the vicinity of the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, where Trump and other leaders gathered for the summit.

Protesters later gathered at Ampang Park, the original gathering site for the protest, in the evening to demonstrate against the US president’s visit.

Asma Hanim Mahoud (left) travelled several hundred kilmetres to attend a demonstration against US President Donald Trump in Kuala Lumpur on October 26, 2025. [Erin Hale/ Al Jazeera]
Asma Hanim Mahoud (left) travelled several hundred kilometres to attend a demonstration against US President Donald Trump in Kuala Lumpur on October 26, 2025 [Erin Hale/ Al Jazeera]

“We just want to make a point that we are against the US policies, but unfortunately, our police have been very hostile to the protest and even shut down the area where we were going to protest,” Choo said.

Kuala Lumpur resident Mursihidah, who asked to be referred to by one name, said she and her husband had been attending pro-Palestine demonstrations since 2023.

Mursihidah said protesters should no longer have to take to the streets after more than two years of war.

Israel and Hamas signed a ceasefire agreement earlier this month – an agreement also overseen by Trump – but violence has continued, with each side accusing the other of breaching the truce.

“I honestly don’t know why we’re still doing this,” she told Al Jazeera.

“This shouldn’t be happening, but somebody has to be their voice. We have to be their voice because they don’t have a voice.”

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Met Police phone theft lead says London ‘deserves better’

Jessica UreBBC London Investigations

BBC A CCTV image showing a black moped being driven along a pavement by two people wearing all black, snatching a mobile phone from a pedestrian walking along the pavement. One of the people on the moped can be seen holding the phone in their hand moments after snatching it, as the pedestrian recoils.BBC

Phone snatchers often use e-bikes or mopeds to make off at speed

The Metropolitan Police’s newly appointed lead on phone theft says its work in tackling the crime has not been “good enough”.

Just over 1% of phone thefts in London result in a charge or conviction, according to the force’s data, compared with 11% for robberies.

London Assembly member Neil Garratt urged more to be done to tackle the issue of phone theft, which he compared to an “epidemic” in the city.

Appointed two months ago to focus on phone theft at the Met, Cdr Andy Featherstone said the force’s revised strategy, which involves targeting organised crime, was making a difference.

Police officer in uniform sits in front of a window looking off to his right. He is bald with a grey beard

Cdr Andy Featherstone said involvement of the serious crime directorate signalled how “seriously” phone theft was now being taken

Cdr Featherstone said the issue of phone thefts had been an “outlier” for the Met.

“But the bottom line is that isn’t good enough,” he said. “The public deserve better.”

Earlier this month the force made 18 arrests and seized 2,000 handsets in what the Met claimed to be the UK’s largest-ever operation targeting phone thefts.

“We think they are responsible for approximately 40% of all phone thefts in London,” Cdr Featherstone said.

“Our serious crime directorate has been involved in these operations, which they wouldn’t normally be. They would normally be involved in firearms offences, drug importation, et cetera.”

He said the involvement of the directorate signalled how “seriously” phone theft was now being taken, adding: “We’re putting our very best resources and assets pointed at this crime type.”

Christian is standing in front of gym equipment looking off to his right. He looks serious as though he is listening intently to something being said. He is a white man with blue eyes, brown hair and has stubble. He is wearing a light blue tee shirt and a silver necklace

Christian D’ippolito lost tens of thousands of pounds as a result of having his phone stolen

Christian D’ippolito, was in Hackney when he had his phone stolen by a group of four men while it was unlocked.

“I couldn’t believe it,” Mr D’ippolito said. “I could not believe that had just happened.

“You see, never in a million years did I expect this to happen to me,” said Mr D’ippolito, who is founder of the Spartan Project, a charity supporting vulnerable young people.

Police in helmets raiding a property in London

Earlier this month the force made 18 arrests and seized 2,000 handsets in what the Met claimed to be the UK’s largest-ever operation targeting phone thefts

He said his digital wallet, PayPal account and business banking details were compromised and the thieves even tried to take out loans in his name.

“It’s quite incredible, actually, to see how, when given the opportunity, individuals can literally clear you out for everything you have in a very relentless way,” he said.

He lost tens of thousands of pounds as a result.

Mr D’ippolito added: “The general public tends to view phone theft as the loss of a valuable piece of hardware, whereas the criminal mind would take that for granted and view what lies beyond the value of the phone as the real opportunity.”

The Met Police said organised crime groups have pivoted to dealing in stolen phones because of how lucrative it can be.

The force said a phone-snatcher could make up to £400 per stolen phone, with devices fetching up to £4,000 when sold in China, given they are internet-enabled and therefore attractive to those trying to bypass censorship.

According to Met Police figures, 117,211 phones were stolen during 2024, up 25% on the 2019 figure of 91,481.

Neil Garratt, who represents Croydon and Sutton on the London Assembly, has repeatedly called for more action to deal with the rising numbers of mobile phone thefts in the city.

“I challenged the mayor (Sir Sadiq Khan) to show leadership last year, but he refused,” Mr Garratt, a Conservative group member, said.

“So I produced a report showing how to tackle phone theft without breaking the bank.”

That report, published in February, recommended targeting a “small group” of criminals which was “committing the most crime”.

“News that more will be done by the Met is extremely welcome,” Mr Garratt told the BBC. “But I am disappointed that the mayor has yet to take political leadership on this issue and has abdicated responsibility to an overstretched and underfunded police force.

“If Khan had pulled his finger out, how many thousands of phones may have not been stolen since?”

In response, a spokesperson for the Sir Sadiq said: “Nothing is more important to the mayor than keeping Londoners safe and Sadiq is supporting the Met to double down on every level of mobile phone crime, with operations to tackle street robbers as well as the handlers and organised criminal groups driving criminality in our communities.

“Last month the mayor backed the biggest-ever Met campaign to tackle mobile phone crime, successfully disrupting an international major criminal network linked to 40% of all phones stolen in London.

“This work is happening in tandem with record funding from City Hall boosting visible neighbourhood policing and deploying specialist operations in hotspot areas like Westminster and the West End.

“But the police can’t defeat this on their own.

“The mayor has long been clear we need decisive and co-ordinated action to halt the global trade of stolen phones and he will continue to push the mobile phone industry to go much further in preventing stolen phones being used, sold and repurposed, to build a safer London for all.”

More from the London and East Investigations team

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Met Police to look into claims Prince Andrew sought information on accuser

The Metropolitan Police said it is “actively” looking into media reports that Prince Andrew tried to obtain personal information about his accuser Virginia Giuffre through his police protection.

“We are aware of media reporting and are actively looking into the claims made,” the force said on Sunday.

It comes after Ms Giuffre’s brother called on King Charles III to strip Andrew of his “prince” title, following the announcement he would stop using his other titles.

Prince Andrew has not commented on the reports, but consistently denies all allegations against him. Buckingham Palace has been contacted for comment.

Ms Giuffre, who took her own life earlier this year, said she was among the girls and young women sexually exploited by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his wealthy circle.

She also claimed that she was forced to have sex with Andrew on three occasions, including when she was 17.

According to the Mail on Sunday, Andrew asked his police protection officer to investigate her just before the newspaper published a photo of Ms Giuffre’s first meeting with the prince in February 2011.

The paper alleged that he gave the officer her date of birth and confidential social security number.

On Friday, Andrew announced that he was voluntarily handing back his titles and giving up membership of the Order of the Garter – the oldest and most senior order of chivalry in Britain.

He will also cease to be the Duke of York, a title received from his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II.

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The Wayne Rooney Show – Liverpool Must Beat Man Utd & When Wayne Met 50 Cent

Available for over a year

It’s a bit of a mad one with Wayne this episode that includes Liverpool v Man Utd chat, his birthday weekend, opinions on England and Marcus Rashford, and meet-ups with 50 Cent and Ed Sheeran.

Wayne takes us inside his 40th birthday bash, but who did he dress up as? Which songs did he belt out on karaoke? And who ended up with a nasty injury?

Musician and Liverpool fan Jamie Webster joins Wayne, Kelly and Kae to discuss why their rivalry with Manchester United is the biggest in English football. But who is this match more important for: Arne Slot or Ruben Amorim?

Jamie’s appearance on the show leads to a number of musical revelations from Wayne: how did he end up on stage with 50 Cent? And Why did Coleen have to step in when he tried to change an Ed Sheeran song?

Wayne gives his thoughts on England’s World Cup qualification and explains why he’s pleased the players are less certain of their places under Thomas Tuchel. He also has strong words for Marcus Rashford’s recent comments about the “inconsistent environment” at Old Trafford not helping his form.

Meanwhile, we discover what led Wayne and Jermain Defoe to watch his entire wedding DVD together while they were away at the 2010 World Cup and what was Wayne gutted to find out on the last day at Glastonbury?

You can watch The Wayne Rooney Show on BBC Sport YouTube, iPlayer, as well as listen on BBC Sounds.

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Tony Blair met with Jeffrey Epstein while prime minister

Jennifer McKiernanPolitical reporter,

Joe PikePolitics investigations correspondent and

Sam FrancisPolitical reporter

Getty Images Close-up of Tony Blair at the G8 Summit, looking slightly to the left with a serious expression. He is wearing formal attire, and behind him is a large, blurred Union Jack flag on a blue background.Getty Images

Sir Tony Blair met with Jeffrey Epstein in Downing Street while still prime minister, following lobbying by Lord Peter Mandelson, the BBC has confirmed.

A memo written by senior civil servant Matthew Rycroft, dated 14 May 2002 briefs Sir Tony about “super-rich” financial adviser Epstein ahead of a meeting scheduled at 17.00 GMT that day.

The meeting was six years before Epstein pleaded guilty to soliciting prostitution from a minor in June 2008.

A spokesperson for Sir Tony, said: “As far as he can remember, Mr Blair met with him for less than 30 minutes in Downing Street in 2002, and discussed US and UK politics. He never met or engaged with him subsequently.”

He added: “This was, of course, long before his crimes were known of and his subsequent conviction.”

Emails seen by the BBC show Lord Mandelson pushed for the meeting, telling Sir Tony’s chief of staff Jonathan Powell that Epstein was “a friend of mine” who ex-US President Bill Clinton hoped to introduce to the PM.

The release of this and several related documents had previously been blocked by government officials due to concerns about the impact on UK-US relations.

Now the document has been released by the National Archives under Freedom of Information request, following the sacking of Lord Mandelson as US ambassador after fresh revelations about his friendship with the disgraced financier.

In the email to Powell – the current UK government’s National Security Adviser – Lord Mandelson refers to Epstein as “safe”.

The email on 7 May 2002 states: “Do you remember when Clinton saw TB [Tony Blair] he said he wanted to introduce his travelling friend, Jeffrey Epstein, to TB?

“This was frustrated – TB said at the time – in the office for reasons (he says) he was unclear about. I think TB would be interested in meeting Jeffrey, who is also a friend of mine, because Jeffrey is an active scientific catalyst/entrepreneur as well as someone who has his finger on the pulse of many worldwide markets and currencies.

“He is young and vibrant. He is safe (whatever that means) and Clinton is now doing a lot of travelling with him.”

The email continues: “I mentioned to TB that Jeffrey is in London next week and he said he would like to meet him.

“I have ascertained from Jeffrey that he is flexible – he could be here any time from Tuesday onwards to fit round the diary – but would obviously need to know reasonably quickly so as to re-schedule accordingly. Can you let me know?”

There are three separate handwritten notes on the print-out of the email, some of which are illegible, but one appears to read “do you want to do this… Because you wanted to see Clinton by yourself… I know very little more about him”.

At the time, Lord Mandelson was a backbench MP, having twice resigned from the cabinet, but still a force in Labour.

Bill Clinton has acknowledged being a former associate of Epstein but said had no knowledge of his crimes.

Epstein was convicted in Florida for soliciting prostitution from a person under the age of 18 in 2008. He died in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

The National Archive has also released a schedule headed Trade and Industry Meetings with Industry, which includes a memo published on 14 May 2002. briefing Sir Tony about Epstein ahead of a meeting schedule for 17.00 GMT that day.

The briefing, written by senior civil servant Matthew Rycroft is marked R, understood to mean restricted.

In the memo Rycroft, who until March 2025 was the permanent secretary at the Home Office, wrote to Blair: “Jeffrey Epstein is seeing you at 5pm today.

“He is a financial adviser to the super-rich and a property developer. He is a friend of Bill Clinton and Peter Mandelson.”

Rycroft states “The background on Epstein is that he is very rich and close to the Duke of York”.

He adds: “Peter says that Epstein now travels with Clinton and Clinton wants you to meet him.

“He thinks you would find worthwhile a conversation with him about a) science and b) international economic and monetary trends.”

The memo was also sent to Powell and Geoffrey Norris, one of Sir Tony’s special advisers.

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