logo
King Charles III leads 20th-anniversary commemoration of 7/7 London bombings

King Charles III leads 20th-anniversary commemoration of 7/7 London bombings

LONDON (AP) — King Charles III led commemorations Monday on the 20th anniversary of the 2005 London transit bombings, the deadliest attack on the British capital since World War II.
Fifty-two people died and more than 700 were wounded when four British men inspired by al-Qaida blew themselves up on three subway trains and a bus during the morning rush hour on July 7, 2005. They were the first suicide bombings on European soil.
Two weeks later, four other bombers attempted a similar attack, but their devices failed to explode. No one was hurt.
The bombings remain seared into London's collective memory, and the anniversary will be marked with a ceremony at the 7/7 memorial in Hyde Park and a service of commemoration at St. Paul's Cathedral.
In a message, the king said his 'heartfelt thoughts and special prayers remain with all those whose lives were forever changed on that terrible summer's day.'
He said the country could take heart from the bravery of the emergency services and others who responded to the attack, and 'the countless stories of extraordinary courage and compassion that emerged from the darkness of that day.'
Charles also hailed the 'spirit of unity that has helped London, and our nation, to heal.'
'As we remember those we lost, let us, therefore, use this 20th anniversary to reaffirm our commitment to building a society where people of all faiths and backgrounds can live together with mutual respect and understanding, always standing firm against those who would seek to divide us,' he said.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said July 7, 2005 was one of Britain's 'darkest days.'
She said that 20 years on, 'Islamist extremist terrorism remains the greatest threat' to national security 'followed by extreme right-wing terrorism.'
'But we also face hybrid threats to our national security from hostile states, serious organized crime, cyber criminals, those threatening our border security and a troubling rise in violence-fixated individuals radicalized online,' she wrote in the Sunday Mirror newspaper, adding that the government would 'relentlessly confront and counter threats to our national security.'
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Maine and a GOP lawmaker who ID'd a transgender athlete online agree lawsuit is now moot
Maine and a GOP lawmaker who ID'd a transgender athlete online agree lawsuit is now moot

Toronto Star

time10 minutes ago

  • Toronto Star

Maine and a GOP lawmaker who ID'd a transgender athlete online agree lawsuit is now moot

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Attorneys for the state of Maine and a conservative lawmaker who identified a transgender teen student athlete online now agree that the lawmaker's appeal over her loss of voting rights for her post is now moot. Republican state Rep. Laurel Libby identified the athlete in a February social media post that went viral and called into question the student's gender identity, bringing attention to the issue of transgender teens participating in sports. Maine's Democratic-controlled House of Representatives censured Libby for violating the House code of ethics and blocked her from speaking and voting on the floor.

Maine and a GOP lawmaker who ID'd a transgender athlete online agree lawsuit is now moot
Maine and a GOP lawmaker who ID'd a transgender athlete online agree lawsuit is now moot

Winnipeg Free Press

time21 minutes ago

  • Winnipeg Free Press

Maine and a GOP lawmaker who ID'd a transgender athlete online agree lawsuit is now moot

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Attorneys for the state of Maine and a conservative lawmaker who identified a transgender teen student athlete online now agree that the lawmaker's appeal over her loss of voting rights for her post is now moot. Republican state Rep. Laurel Libby identified the athlete in a February social media post that went viral and called into question the student's gender identity, bringing attention to the issue of transgender teens participating in sports. Maine's Democratic-controlled House of Representatives censured Libby for violating the House code of ethics and blocked her from speaking and voting on the floor. Libby sued, and the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in May that the Maine legislature must allow her to vote. Lawmakers voted in June to halt the restrictions. Maine Assistant Attorney General Kimberly Patwardhan said in court papers filed late last month that there are 'no longer any restrictions on Rep. Libby's ability to vote or debate' and 'this appeal is now moot.' Libby said in a statement Monday that she will 'not contest the AG's mootness argument' and added that she never provided the apology House Democrats asked of her. 'I believe this case sends a clear message: elected officials do not surrender their constitutional rights at the Capitol steps — and neither do the people who sent them there,' Libby said. The appeal still needs to be formally dismissed by a court, but it is essentially dropped 'given that both parties are in agreement about the mootness issue,' said Danna Hayes, a spokesperson for the attorney general's office. Libby's post was about a high school athlete who won a girls' track competition. She said the student had previously competed in boys' track. Her post included a photo of the student and first-name identification in quotation marks. The post preceded a public disagreement between President Donald Trump and Democratic Gov. Janet Mills over the subject of transgender athletes. Trump signed an executive order designed to ban transgender athletes from participating in girls' and women's sports earlier this year. At a meeting of governors at the White House in February, Trump characterized Maine as out of compliance with order. Mills told Trump: 'We'll see you in court.' The Trump administration then launched investigations into Maine's Title IX compliance. An attorney for the state said in April that the state and federal government are at an impasse over the subject.

Georgia appeals court upholds ruling saying election officials must certify results
Georgia appeals court upholds ruling saying election officials must certify results

Toronto Star

time38 minutes ago

  • Toronto Star

Georgia appeals court upholds ruling saying election officials must certify results

ATLANTA (AP) — A Georgia appeals court has upheld a lower court ruling that said county election officials in the state must vote to certify results according to deadlines set in law. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney had ruled in October that 'no election superintendent (or member of a board of elections and registration) may refuse to certify or abstain from certifying election results under any circumstance.' The ruling stemmed from a lawsuit filed by Republican Fulton County election board member Julie Adams, who abstained from certifying primary election results last year.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store