Latest news with #Embankment
BBC News
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Bedford's new underpass artwork to show 'light and positivity'
An underpass that needed some "tender loving care" has been updated and renovated with a vibrant design to represent "light and positivity".The subway by the Embankment and Aspects Leisure Park in Bedford was prone to flooding and has fully reopened after being closed for several lighting has been installed, a water leak fixed and the pavement resurfaced.A mural was painted on the walls by artists, helpers and young people from Castle Newnham School and Bedfordshire's youth offending service. Bedford Creative Arts, who were commissioned by Bedford Borough Council to brighten up the area, said: "It had been in need of some TLC for a long time, often being prone to flooding."Local artists Sarah Harrison and Paige Denham, collaborated with young people on the design and artwork. Bedfordshire Youth Offending Service manager Pat Jennings said young people had told them about "the biases and stigma that surround people who may have been associated with negative behaviours in the past"."It led to a discussion about poetry and song, which inspired 'a vibrant design representing light and positivity'." She said they acknowledged the "importance of inspiration to help you overcome everyday struggles." A participant from the young offender scheme said: "I wasn't sure I would be any good at it but I have really enjoyed it and am proud of the painting I've done."Fellow painter Matilda said: "I really like all the colours and shapes."Passer-by Valerie Bailey said the renovation looked amazing and asked if the group could "do the rest of the town".The project was supported by ward funds from Bedford Borough Green councillors Lucy Bywater, Paul Edmonds, Liberal Democrat councillor Hilde Hendrickx and a grant from the Safer Bedfordshire Community Bywater said: "It's an amazing and cheerful design that really brightens the underpass and makes the experience of using it so much more joyful than before." Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Tens of thousands join pro-Palestine protest in London for Nakba anniversary
Thousands of pro-Palestine supporters demonstrated in London on Saturday to mark the anniversary of the 1948 Nakba. "Nakba" or "catastrophe" is a reference to the forced removal of from their homes when Israel was founded after the Second World War. The protest, organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, saw demonstrators walk from Embankment to Downing Street as they called on the UK government to "take action to end the ongoing ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from their land". Israel has vehemently denied committing genocide against Palestinians. The march on Saturday saw smaller counter-protests organised by Stop the Hate. Israeli flags were flown and "Happy Birthday" was played. The protest came as Israeli forces have and mobilised for a massive new ground assault. More than 150 people have been killed in Israeli strikes in the last 24 hours, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in . Read more: Israel's army said in a post on X on Saturday that it was intensifying attacks and exerting "tremendous pressure" on Hamas across the strip. It said it will not stop until the hostages are returned and Hamas dismantled. Israel and Hamas have said ceasefire talks resumed in Doha on Saturday morning, even as Israel's strikes continued. Israel's defence minister Israel Katz said Hamas had "refused to discuss negotiations without a cessation of the war", but after the airstrikes and the mobilisation of forces the militant group's representatives "have agreed to sit in a room and seriously discuss the deal". "Israel emphasises that if the talks do not progress, the [military] operation will continue," he added.
Arab News
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Pro-Palestine demonstrators mark Nakba anniversary with rally in London
LONDON: Tens of thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched through central London on Saturday to mark the 77th anniversary of the Nakba. The word, which means 'catastrophe' in Arabic, refers to the mass displacement of Palestinians during the creation of Israel in 1948. The UN estimates more than half the Palestinian population was permanently displaced. The march, which was organized by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, began at Embankment and passed key landmarks, including Big Ben and Downing Street, with protesters calling on the UK government to take action over the war in Gaza. The PSC said the protest aimed to 'mark the 77th anniversary of the 1948 Nakba and demand our government take action to end the ongoing ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from their land,' The Independent reported. This year's commemoration came amid reports that the Trump administration has been in talks with Libya about resettling up to a million Palestinians from Gaza in exchange for billions of dollars. The proposal has drawn comparisons to the Nakba and widespread international criticism. A PSC spokesperson said they expected around 100,000 attendees from across the UK, describing the turnout as larger than recent demonstrations. 'We expected around 100,000 people to attend the London march,' the spokesperson said. However, London's Metropolitan Police estimated the crowd at around 20,000 and enforced Public Order Act conditions that restricted protesters to designated areas. A small counter-protest organized by Stop The Hate gathered on the Strand, waving Israeli flags and remaining in an area outlined by police at the north end of Waterloo Bridge. Pro-Palestinian protests in the UK reached their height following the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which killed around 1,200 people in Israel, and the subsequent Israeli military response in Gaza, in which 53,000 people have been killed. Nearly all the enclave's 2.3 million residents have been displaced. That November, a march held on Armistice Day drew an estimated 300,000 people, the largest to date since the war began. Negotiations to end the war have so far stalled, with both Hamas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu resisting proposed ceasefires. Netanyahu's government recently approved new plans for further attacks in Gaza. Humanitarian agencies and global leaders have continued to call on Israel to allow the delivery of vital aid into the besieged territory. Also on Saturday, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called for increased pressure 'to halt the massacre in Gaza' at an Arab League summit in Iraq, while UN chief Antonio Guterres told the Baghdad meeting 'we need a permanent ceasefire, now.'
The Independent
17-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Tens of thousands of pro-Palestine protesters march on Downing Street for Nakba anniversary
Tens of thousands of pro-Palestine demonstrators have marched through London to mark the anniversary of Nakba. The demonstration, organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, began at Embankment before heading down to Big Ben, across the river to Waterloo, then over the bridge and down to the doors outside Downing Street. The PSC said the march was intended to 'mark the 77th anniversary of the 1948 Nakba and demand our government take action to end the ongoing ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from their land'. The Nakba, which means 'catastrophe' in Arabic, is the name Palestinians give to the violent displacement of an estimated 750,000 Palestinians from their homes and villages during the fighting surrounding the creation of the modern state of Israel in 1948, which resulted in the permanent displacement of more than half the Palestinian population, according to the UN. The anniversary coincided with reports that the Donald Trump administration was in talks with Libya about the northern African country taking up to a million Palestinians from Gaza in exchange for billions of dollars. Previous talk from Mr Trump about relocating the Palestinians from the enclave drew the ire of the international community, who referred back to the Nakba. A spokesperson for the PSC said they expected around 100,000 people to attend the London march, making it larger than previous demonstrations in recent months. The Metropolitan Police, which set out Public Order Act conditions in place for the protest, highlighting areas on a London map where attendees must remain, suggested about 20,000 demonstrators showed up. Protesters were bused in from around the country, as far as Wales and northern England. A counter-demonstration organised by 'Stop The Hate' gathered on the Strand at the north end of Waterloo Bridge. The group was told to remain in a specific area of the Strand by the Met. Dozens of Israeli flags were seen being waved by counter-protesters on the sidelines of the march. The pro-Palestine demonstrations hit their peak under the previous Conservative government, in the immediate months after Hamas launched its cross-border attacks on Israel on 7 October, 2023, and Israel responded by conducting widespread attacks on Gaza. Around 300,000 protesters attended the Armistice Day protest in 2023, according to the Met, which remains the most widely-attended demonstration since the outbreak of the war in the Middle East. Hamas killed around 1,200 people during the 7 October attacks, and took more than 250 hostage in Gaza. Israel's retaliatory air and ground offensives have killed more than 53,000 people, according to the local health ministry. Nearly the entire 2.3 million population has been displaced, many more than once, as the enclave has been razed to the ground by relentless Israeli airstrikes, which, they say, are intended to root out Hamas operatives. Efforts to negotiate an end to the conflict have been frustrated by both Hamas and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who recently approved fresh plans to launch more deadly attacks in Gaza. Humanitarian agencies and the international community have urged Israel to allow vital aid into the enclave.
Sky News
12-05-2025
- Sky News
Tube latest: Chaos for commuters as power outage hits London Underground
Are you affected? We want to hear from you. You can get in touch via WhatsApp here. By sending us your video footage, photographs or audio you agree we can publish, broadcast and edit the material. Evacuee grateful to TfL staff after 'nightmare' journey Vaughan Kennedy was caught up on a "baking hot" train at Waterloo when they were told to evacuate. On a hot day in the capital, he said TfL staff did "everything possible to communicate the problem, and to ensure that people were safely evacuated". "The ensuing bus journey was a bit of a nightmare with overcrowding, but eventually, after an hour and a half, we managed to get back home," he told us, completing what should have been a 15-minute train back. "A big thank you to London Underground staff, whose job at times like these, must be very difficult and frustrating." Shutters down at Waterloo We've just had this picture sent in to us by one of our readers, showing the shutters down at Waterloo, a key station in central London. If you have anything you want to send in to us, get in touch via the details in the post above. Two stations reopen Two of the Tube stations closed due to this afternoon's power outage have reopened. Transport for London said Embankment and Putney Bridge were now open after being shut around an hour ago. Delays on the underground services are still widely expected. Mildmay line part suspended In our first post at 15.46, we listed the lines affected by closures and delays. The Mildmay line has now been added by TfL, with no service between Highbury & Islington and Straford. There are severe delays on the rest of the line. Passengers turned away since 2.30pm The power outage hit the Tube at around 2.30pm, with passengers turned away from Elizabeth line services since then. Alison Hendry, 33, and Joseph Richardson, 37, were among them, having taken the Heathrow Express to Paddington after flying in from Glasgow earlier today. Alison said: "It's a bit annoying they only told us when we got here. "We walked all the way across the station, we have to go all the way back." The pair hope to reach Walthamstow in time for a comedy show tonight. Transport for London's website down It seems the Transport for London's website is also dealing with intermittent issues. When trying to access their page providing status updates on the affected lines, we were met with this message... Several stations closed Multiple London Underground stations have been closed due to the power outage caused by a "National Grid issue". Here are the stations that have been closed, according to the Transport for London Access account on X... Marble Arch Holborn Tottenham Court Road Putney Bridge Embankment South Kensington Covent Garden Charing Cross was also closed, but has recently reopened. TfL: 'We can't say when it will be fixed' TfL officials have been seen directing passengers away from Elizabeth line services at Paddington station. The Bakerloo line entrance is completely shut at the station - and TfL does not know when the issue will be fixed. A spokesman said: "It was a power outage. The lights just went off, we don't know anything else. "It's been about an hour-and-a-half now. We can't say when it will be fixed." Suspensions and delays caused by 'National Grid issue' The suspensions and delays hitting the London Underground have been caused by a "National Grid issue". Transport for London said there was an outage in southwest London for "a matter of minutes" and "everything shut down" due to the problem. "When the power goes out the trains will have stopped, obviously, there's emergency power on trains and stations so everything wouldn't have gone completely black, if you were on there, but the trains would have stopped and we would have cleared some stations because there's no electricity it might not necessarily be safe for them to be open ... some people would have probably been stuck in a tunnel for a little bit of time," the spokesman said. TfL is in the process of "getting things back up and running again", he said.
