#london

#london

And if you're going to cooking school in London, there's really only one place to start - Le Cordon Bleu. Founded in Paris in 1895, it's one of the oldest, most famous and most prestigious cooking schools out there, with campuses all around the world. The London school has been around since 1931 and now has two campuses and even a restaurant, CORD, which opened in 2022.

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

Getty Images A 2.4m package of support has been announced for victims and survivors of Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) in London. Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan said the money would directly fund new independent sexual violence advocates and expand counselling provision for all survivors of CSE. It comes after the Met announced it would re-examine hundreds of cases of CSE over the past 15 years as part of a national re-investigation overseen by the National Crime Agency and the National Police Chief's Council.

Larry Fraser, 48, stole the limited edition signed print of Girl with Balloon from Grove Gallery on New Cavendish Street on 8 September to pay off a historic drug debt.

In June, the company announced plans with Uber to begin trialing Level 4 fully autonomous robotaxis in the capital as soon as 2026, part of a government plan to fast-track self-driving pilots ahead of a potential wider rollout in late 2027. Alphabet-owned Waymo, now a staple fixture of US cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix, also has its eyes on London, announcing plans for its own fully driverless robotaxi service in 2026, one of its first efforts to expand beyond the US.

The core ideas of Watch Dogs have always been as engrossing as they are prescient. Playing as a hacker on the fringes of a surveillance state is an inherently cool setup for an open-world game, and when you add in a bunch of novel tech-based abilities that let you alter the world around you, you've got a franchise that meaningfully breaks away from more popular titles in the genre.

While the UK is in the middle of a northern lights boom , London hasn't seen so much of the borealis this year. The capital's southerly location is at a disadvantage when it comes to catching a glimpse of the phenomenon, and on the very rare occasion when the lights do make it down here they're often obscured by light pollution. But that could all change this week. Forecasters are predicting that London could be in for some spectacular shows of the northern lights this week,

Despite the rise of smart technology, physical keys remain the most familiar and universally understood way for guests to access a property. They don't require power, Wi-Fi, or batteries - and even the least tech-savvy guest can use them without issue. However, the way you manage those keys makes all the difference. Handing them over in person isn't always practical in a city like London, where hosts may live miles away or manage multiple listings.

Getty Two men who used the dating app Grindr to trick victims into letting them into their homes have been found guilty of carrying out a string of burglaries across London. After arranging to meet their targets at their homes, Rahmat Mohammadi, 22, and Mohammed Hotak, 21, stole mobile phones and passwords to access their money, the Met said. The pair, both Afghan nationals, carried out 35 burglaries and 20 related frauds within six months, the force said.

Battersea's ice rink will take up its usual spot right next to the Thames for a fourth year. Glide is one of the most aesthetic ice rinks in the city, with views over the river and across London's glistening skyline. Besides the rink itself, there's a vintage fairground and a bar with DJs. Opening date: November 7

FSB's Small Business Index (SBI) for Q3 shows overwhelming pessimism among small firms in the London region, with a headline confidence reading of -46 points. The proportion of small firms in the London region are bracing for contraction, be it downsizing, closure, or a sale, in the next 12 months has risen to 30% per cent.

To cut a lengthy story short, some wine has been recovered and there are a total of 32 unopened bottles of wine, they are valued at approximately 6,687.

London hosts plenty of the world's mightiest global hotel chains. Don't get us wrong, many of those are supremely fancy hotels - but all too often they're a tad generic. Perfect if you want to stay somewhere familiar, but not-so-great if you're looking for a bit of character and identity for your London stay. Fortunately, the capital also has plenty of boutique hotels that are just as luxurious as those aforementioned chains but far less predictable.

These days, Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez only take on murders in their block of flats. Hulu renewed Only Murders in the Building for a sixth season on October 28. Like the seasons before it, the upcoming season will be ten episodes. Unlike the previous seasons, it will find the main characters heading overseas, landing them in London. Will Gomez's Mabel like beans on toast? Will Short's Oliver enjoy the West End?

Creative Ops Masterclass is part documentary, part playbook,

A one-year-old child has died following a hazardous materials incident at a flat in east London, the London Fire Brigade (LFB) has said. Fire crews were called to a property in Barking Road, Upton Park, in Newham, after two adults and two children attended hospital complaining about a smell of chemicals in a flat. The one-year-old child later died in hospital while receiving treatment. Around 12 people were evacuated from surrounding properties as a precaution as crews responded, LFB said.

London saw more than 440,000 fly-tipping incidents in the year 2023/24, with 50 incidents per every 1,000 residents more than double the English average. Data reveals that eight out of the ten worst locations in the country for fly-tipping are in the capital. It comes after more than a dozen London authorities increased fly-tipping penalties to 1,000 and hired more enforcement officers in an effort to combat the city's spiralling waste problem.

Every year World's 50 Best Hotels enlists the help of 600 experienced hoteliers, travel journalists and 'seasoned luxury travellers' to compile its ranking of the greatest hotels on the globe. The list features establishments that go well beyond just providing a comfy overnight stay. They have magnificent buildings, huge glistening pools, Michelin-starred restaurants, some of the most opulent spas you've ever seen and brigades of the most polished, professional staff around.

He told BBC London: "I went to the driver and ask 'please can I have my bank card?' "He said 'get out, I don't like Jewish people you look like a Mossad agent'. I said 'why you say that?' So I was shocked."

What were you hoping for? A new experience, and the chance to meet someone the Guardian thinks I'd get along with. First impressions? She was very smiley and chatty! What did you talk about? Our jobs, what brought us to London, the differences between British and Australian humour (Isla is Australian), and our shared love of tiramisu. Most awkward moment? I was sweating quite a lot for the first five minutes.

Pizza Hut birthday parties were a staple of growing up in England in the noughties. But soon, ice cream factory unlimited refills and filling up on pasta from the salad bar are about to be banished to the graveyard of nostalgia along with Woolworths and portable CD players, because Pizza Hut is closing tonnes of its restaurants across the UK.

Our world has stood still since Isis went missing, and we desperately want her back home and safe. If you have any information, no matter how small, that could help us find her then I urge you to please contact the police. Even the smallest detail could make a difference.

London had 8,900 claims [12,060], with a total cost of £1,025m [£1,475m]. Inner London - East had 2,800 [3,675], Inner London - West 3,990 [5,145], Outer London - East and North East 530 [860], Outer London - South 460 [745] and Outer London - West and North West 1,130 [1,635]. Information & communication led with 4,050 claims [4,925], followed by professional, scientific & technical at 1,590 [2,010] and manufacturing at 760 [1,060].

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.

London is positively bursting at the seams with unmissable cultural events this month. The London Film Festival is well underway, with hyped films like Frankenstein, Hamnet and No Other Choice all making their UK debuts; esteemed contemporary art fair Frieze London has begun; Black History Month is being marked by book festivals, orchestra showcases and exhibitions and London Literature Festival is kicking off in the coming weeks with appearances from Zadie Smith, Malala Yousafzai, Reese Witherspoon and more.

"I welcome this move from the Mayor of London to help the London Ambulance Service reach their funding goal, giving every community better access to life-saving defibrillators. "This is a brilliant opportunity for community groups in Addiscombe one of the areas identified as a defibrillator desert - and across Croydon to step forward and host one. "By doing so, you could save a life."

The city's theatre district is a classic antidote to rainy weather. A matinee in the West End turns a grey afternoon into an unforgettable cultural experience, whether you choose a long-running musical or a sharp new drama. For something more intimate, London's independent cinemas, such as the Electric Cinema in Notting Hill, offer plush armchairs and a sense of nostalgia that transforms film-watching into an event. It's the same comfort you feel when revisiting a favorite childhood movie, only on a grander scale.

Google A man has been charged with raping a woman who was attacked in central London, the Met Police has said. A 19-year-old called the force at about 03:30 BST on Thursday to report that she had been raped on Euston Road in Camden. Officers attended the location, which was near a hospital, and a crime scene was put in place.

Despite concerns about United States President Donald Trump's proposed plan to end the war on Gaza, which calls for a transitional authority ultimately headed by the US leader, Jamal said there was an immense sense of relief. A sea of red and green, the colours of the Palestinian flag, formed along the embankment of the River Thames in central London, where the largely peaceful march began.

People coming from outside London to watch the city's flagship New Year's Eve fireworks display will face a 5 increase on last year. The first of about 100,000 tickets for London's annual New Year's Eve fireworks display will go on sale on 17 October. Ticket prices for Londoners remain 20 and 35, but those living outside the capital will pay 40 (up 14.5%) and 55 (up 10%), depending on the tier.

The Air Jordan 4 continues to dominate sneaker culture decades after its debut, and 2026 appears to be shaping up as another monumental year for the silhouette. Following a celebrated 35th anniversary in 2024 and a string of high-profile collaborations in 2025, new reports suggest Jordan Brand is preparing to pay tribute to one of the world's most iconic cities with an Air Jordan 4 "London."