#london

#london

Prices for blood tests in London depend on a few things. These include the type of test, whether it's from a vein or finger, and the lab's quality. How quickly you need the results also affects the price. Getting a doctor's review can add to the cost but can also help clarify the results. Details like fasting requirements and the time it takes for the blood test matter too. You might get a small bruise or feel faint, but serious problems are rare.

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. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

New figures have indicated a record-breaking 206 ebike and escooter fires broke out in London during 2025, according to the London Fire Brigade (LFB). Two Londoners died in the fires last year, with a total of five people since 2023. A brigade spokesperson said the blazes were often caused by faulty or poorly built vehicles, usually bought online or second hand, leading to failures in lithium-ion batteries, conversion kits or chargers.

The conversation around workplace productivity has shifted. For years, the focus sat squarely on output: longer hours, faster responses, and relentless availability. But a growing body of evidence suggests that sustainable performance depends less on time spent working and more on how effectively professionals recover between periods of high demand. This shift is playing out visibly across the capital's business districts, where mobile massage in London is becoming increasingly popular as a scheduled necessity rather than an occasional indulgence.

Cold temperatures are set to hit the UK next week, which could see snow fall in the capital. Sleet and snow are expected to arrive in London across five days next week from January 27 until February 1. The BBC has predicted wintry showers will fall on Tuesday, starting at around 6am, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. It will average around 6C with nighttime temperatures dropping to 1C, so it's unlikely the snow will stick.

Seventy-two different metrics were assessed and divided into these categories: economy (GDP per capita, employment levels, wage rate); research and development (number of patents, startups and presence of top universities); cultural interaction (proximity to World Heritage Sites and number of theatres, museums, stadiums and hotel rooms); livability (life expectancy and rent prices); environment (air quality and waste recycle rate); and accessibility (the price of a cab and the number of international flights).

As well as growing up from an eight-year-old boy into a twenty-year-old man at 4 Plaistow Grove in Bromley, the years 1955 - 1967 also saw David Robert Jones transform into David Bowie. The south London terraced house was the place where Bowie's musical journey started and it's where he wrote one of his most iconic songs, 'Space Oddity'.

As UK small businesses gear up for a new year of trading, research from Novuna Business Finance reveals a five-year peak in percentage of small business owners (84%) that are starting 2026 with plans to invest in new growth initiatives in order to make their enterprises stronger for the year ahead - and that growth agenda is being driven from the Capital

Across the country, highways authorities are responsible for nine out of every 10 miles of road - approximately 225,000 miles throughout the UK. They grit on average 40% of roads - a total of around 80,000 miles. In London, local councils and Transport for London (TfL) grit major roads. Gritter lorry on A9, south of Inverness. Amber weather warnings have been expanded after coming into force in parts of Scotland, as forecasters warn of heavy snow that could bring blizzard conditions and travel disruption. Picture date: Friday January 2, 2026.

Thousands of revellers lined the streets of London to watch the capital's dazzling New Year's Day parade as the party atmosphere rolled on into 2026. More than 8,000 performers took part in the spectacular procession from Piccadilly to Whitehall, treating crowds to marching bands, acrobats and eye-catching floats. A large inflatable in London Parade, the New Year's Day parade through the West End (Ben Whitley/PA) Spectators braved bitterly cold temperatures to watch dancers twirling in daffodil costumes

Jason Hawkes has been capturing the capital from the skies for over 25 years, and his method is not for the faint-hearted. Flying in a helicopter with the doors removed, Mr Hawkes climbs between 500ft and 2,400ft. Both himself and the camera are harnessed to the helicopter so nothing falls out when it turns on its side to get the perfect shot.

As a family, we are deeply concerned for Abdul's safety and are asking for the public's help in locating him.

"It's a huge, huge cultural loss for not just the current musicians, but the musicians of the future, especially working-class ones that used to have this as one of the few possibilities of getting inside the craft," she said.

Analysis by Deutsche Bank investigated how much a 5km journey cost in a cab in cities across the world, as part of its Mapping the World's Prices 2025 report. The data included both traditional taxis and cabs ordered through an app like Uber or Bolt. London came in fifth place, with around £17.26 per 5km ride, ahead of other expensive cities including Amsterdam, Milan and Tokyo.

A viral British photographer is celebrating ten years of transforming iconic landmarks across the world with humorous cutouts to put a smile on people's faces. London is the city that Rich McCor, @paperboyo on Instagram, first used as his artistic playground to hone his niche craft. But now Mr McCor, 38, travels the world adding amusing and thought-provoking stencils to famous buildings.

Anthony Gilheaney, 31, was drunk and when he mounted the pavement with his Mercedes and repeatedly targeted people to run over. He was convicted of the murder of Aiden Chapman, 25, who suffered catastrophic brain injuries after being struck by Gilheaney's car. A couple on their way home from midnight mass were also attacked in the early hours of Christmas Day 2024 in London's West End.

According to the company's website, Waymo Drivers 'never get drunk, tired, or distracted'. The vehicles employ a mix of cameras, radar sensors, and lidar sensors - a 3D scanning system - within its autonomous fleet. This enables the cars to detect overlapping fields of vision in every direction up to 500 metres away, the company claims. The vehicles are intended to operate without any driver, but currently human 'safety drivers' remain behind the wheel as the cars are tested in London.

With so many places to eat out in London, competition for customers is intense. This means that there are lots of offers to encourage us to choose where to go. For many tourists, afternoon tea in a stylish setting is one of the highlights of their time spent here. Voucher sites like Groupon and Wowcher always have some deals that let you save money on tea, cakes and scones in classy establishments.

You won't find it in the gift shops or on the tourist board website, but amnesia is about as precise a postcard of a certain side of London as you'll find. While on paper this is a transatlantic link-up- Jawnino is from South London, while the production collective Surf Gang reps New York-it was recorded entirely in the UK capital, and these hazy London conjurings are hugely evocative of the city.

Several car-sharing companies are considering launching or expanding in London, with the imminent closure of Zipcar's UK operation leaving a large gap in the market in one of Europe's biggest cities. Free2Move, owned by the carmaker Stellantis, said it was closely monitoring the London market, and actively assessing options for its services. It already operates fleets in cities including Berlin, Paris, Rome and Washington DC.

When he and his Danish wife, Majken Bech, opened Aimsir at the Cliff at Lyons in May 2019, they were a breath of fresh air. His food and her wine were exceptional, modern and cool in a way we had not seen before and - whisper it - haven't seen since, except perhaps at Comet, where Kevin O'Donnell and Laura Chabal achieve similar levels of edge on a much smaller budget.

If you want to experience true sophistication, then may we suggest drinking in a hotel bar? Fancier than a London pub and classier than a cocktail bar, drinking in a hotel bar is much more than simply sipping a martini in a foyer. The city's best hotel bars are glamorous hideaways that offer elite drinking experiences. A new list by Forbes has ranked the very best hotel bars in the world with its inaugural Forbes Travel Guide Star Bars for 2025 .

Even in the rain, London's rich history can be explored indoors. Many iconic landmarks offer indoor areas that are perfect for wandering without exposure to the elements. The Tower of London, for example, provides a fascinating journey through centuries of history with exhibits, armoury displays, and the Crown Jewels. Similarly, Westminster Abbey allows visitors to admire stunning architecture and historical artefacts in a sheltered environment. These sites combine education and sightseeing, making them ideal for a wet day.

The rapid growth of "energy-hungry" data centres is delaying new homes in London, just as its housing crisis is "at its worst", a new report has warned. Data centres are giant warehouses full of powerful computers used to run digital services, such as streaming and artificial intelligence. However, they require masses of electricity from the National Grid to keep running.