UK marks London 7/7 attacks as king hails 'spirit of unity'
To mark the moment the first bomb went off Prime Minister Keir Starmer and London Mayor Sadiq Khan laid wreaths at the July 7 memorial in the capital's Hyde Park at 8:50 am (0750 GMT).
On July 7, 2005, four homegrown Islamist extremists detonated suicide bombs on three underground trains and a bus across central London, killing dozens and injuring hundreds more.
The city is holding events to mark the anniversary, with members of the royal family expected to join survivors, bereaved relatives and emergency services personnel at commemorations.
The king urged people to draw on the "extraordinary courage and compassion" shown following the attack.
"We remember with profound sadness the 52 innocent people who were killed in senseless acts of evil -- and the enduring grief of their loved ones," he said in a statement published by the domestic Press Association news agency.
"In doing so, we should also remember the countless stories of extraordinary courage and compassion that emerged from the darkness of that day.
"The selfless bravery of our emergency services, transport workers, and fellow citizens who rushed towards danger to help strangers reminds us of the very best of humanity in the face of the very worst," he said.
- 'We stood together' -
Daniel Biddle, who was 26 when he lost both legs and his left eye, recalled the moment he saw one of the bombers prepare to detonate his explosive just after their train pulled out of the Edgware Road station.
"I saw the guy lean forward and look along the carriage," he told BBC radio.
"I was just about to ask him what he was staring at, what his problem was, then he reached for his bag and there was a brilliant white light. That's a face seared into my mind," he said.
Biddle said the anniversary would be "one of those days where you're thankful you've survived it".
But he said he still felt "immense sadness and grief" at the suffering the four suicide bombers had inflicted.
"I feel like I'm living the life sentence of the men that should be serving," he said.
Other bombs went off on London's underground train network near Aldgate station and King's Cross station.
An hour after the first explosion, a fourth bomb exploded on the top deck of a double-decker bus in Tavistock Square.
Starmer said the bombers had tried to divide the nation but failed.
"We stood together then, and we stand together now -- against hate and for the values that define us of freedom, democracy and the rule of law."
The king's brother Edward, the Duke of Edinburgh, and his wife Sophie will attend a a national service of commemoration at St Paul's Cathedral.
Charles added that "while the horrors will never be forgotten", the country "may take comfort from the way such events rally communities together".
"It is this spirit of unity that has helped London, and our nation, to heal," he said.
Tony Blair, who was prime minister during the 7/7 bombings, said the UK was safer in the years since the attacks.
"We're a lot safer from terrorism because the security services have a very good system in place," he said.
"But there will be a problem as long as the ideology exists."
Speaking ahead of the anniversary, interior minister Yvette Cooper also warned that Islamist and right-wing extremism remained the country's most significant threats.
jwp-har/giv
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Water bills to see ‘small, steady' rise despite reform plans, says Reed
Households will continue to face rising water bills despite an overhaul of how the sector is regulated, the Environment Secretary has said, but increases will be 'small' and 'steady'. Steve Reed is expected to set out plans for 'root and branch reform' of the water sector on Monday, following the publication of a landmark review of the industry. Those plans are thought to include action to tackle sewage spills, invest in water infrastructure and the abolition of the industry's beleaguered regulator Ofwat as ministers seek to avoid a repeat of this year's 26% increase in bills. But while Mr Reed has promised that families will never again see 'huge shock hikes' to their bills, he was unable on Sunday to rule out further above-inflation increases. Although he told Sky News's Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips that bills should be 'as low as possible', he added that there needed to be 'appropriate bill rises' to secure 'appropriate levels of investment'. He said: 'A small, steady increase in bills is what people expect.' Government sources have argued that the recent large rise in bills was necessary to pay for investment in long-neglected infrastructure, but expect Mr Reed's promised reforms to make further rises unnecessary. Asked about the possibility of expanding social tariffs to help households struggling with bills – a move that could see wealthier families pay more – Mr Reed said he had 'not been convinced yet' that this was necessary. Earlier on Sunday, Mr Reed had pledged to halve sewage pollution in England by 2030, after the Environment Agency said serious pollution incidents had risen by 60% in 2024. Mr Reed said the measures the Government was taking would enable it to significantly reduce pollution, with the aim of completely eliminating it by 2035 should it be re-elected. He also suggested to the BBC that he would resign if the 2030 target was not achieved, provided he was still in the same job by then. His comments come before a major report by former Bank of England deputy governor Sir Jon Cunliffe, which is expected to recommend sweeping reform to water regulation on Monday. Sir Jon has been widely reported to be preparing to recommend the abolition of Ofwat, which has faced criticism over its handling of sewage spills and allowing water companies to pay large dividends while taking on significant debt and missing targets for investing in infrastructure. On Sunday, Mr Reed would not say whether he would scrap Ofwat, but also declined to say he had confidence in the regulator. He told the BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg: 'The regulator is clearly failing.' Sir Jon's interim report criticised regulation of the water sector, which is split between economic regulator Ofwat, the Environment Agency and the Drinking Water Inspectorate. But on Sunday, Conservative shadow communities secretary Kevin Hollinrake said he would be concerned any changes 'might just be shuffling the deckchairs on the Titanic'. He told the BBC: 'It's really important the regulator's effective, and we put in a lot of measures to give Ofwat more powers to regulate the water industry and a lot of those things were very effective.' Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said he backed scrapping Ofwat, calling for a new Clean Water Authority to 'hold these water companies to account'. Sir Ed has also called for the Government to go further and aim to eliminate sewage pollution entirely by 2030, saying voters were 'fed up with empty promises from ministers while Britain's waterways continue to be ruined by sewage'. He added: 'For years water companies have paid out millions in dividends and bonuses. It would be deeply unfair if customers are now made to pick up the tab for this scandal through higher bills.' Although sweeping regulatory reform is likely to be on the table, full nationalisation of the industry will not be after the Government excluded it from Sir Jon's terms of reference. Smaller parties such as the Greens have called for nationalisation, while on Sunday Reform UK's Nigel Farage said he would look to strike a deal with the private sector to bring 50% of the water industry under public ownership. Mr Reed argued that nationalisation would cost 'upwards of £100 billion', diverting resources from the NHS and taking years during which pollution would get worse.
Bloomberg
an hour ago
- Bloomberg
Iran Agrees to Talks With UK, France and Germany, Tasnim Reports
Iran has reached an agreement in principle to hold talks with the UK, France and Germany over its nuclear program, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported. Discussions are ongoing to finalize the location, with the talks possibly taking place 'next week,' the report said Sunday, citing an unidentified source.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Criminals plotting mass killings to be detained earlier under new law
Police and courts are to be given powers to deal with suspects believed to be planning mass killings, the Home Secretary has confirmed. Yvette Cooper said the new tools will enable the criminal justice system to "close the gap" between terror suspects, who face life imprisonment for planning attacks, and non-ideological individuals. Police will be empowered to apprehend them before attacks are carried out. In an interview, Ms Cooper told BBC Radio 4's State of Terror series: 'There is a gap in the law around the planning of mass attacks that can be just as serious (as terrorism) in their implications for communities, their impact, the devastation that they can cause and the seriousness of the crime. 'We will tighten legislation so that that is taken as seriously as terrorism.' Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said police would be given powers to apprehend suspects before they carry out attacks (PA Wire) She said legislation would be similar to that which allows police to arrest terror suspects for steps taken to prepare for an attack, such as research, which is not currently available without links to an ideological cause. Ms Cooper added: 'We've seen cases of growing numbers of teenagers potentially radicalising themselves online and seeing all kinds of extremist material online in their bedrooms. 'We have to make sure that the systems can respond while not taking our eye off the ball of the more long-standing ideological threats.' Southport attacker Axel Rudakubana, who killed three girls at a dance class, is among the individuals who could have been covered by the legislation. Axel Rudakubana was given a life sentence in January, with a minimum term of 52 years – one of the highest minimum terms on record – for murdering Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport on July 29 last year. The 18-year-old also attempted to murder eight other children, who cannot be named for legal reasons, as well as class instructor Leanne Lucas and businessman John Hayes.
