News

Updated: 12:03 EDT

Protesters storm Kensington Town Hall after Grenfell fire

Demonstrators have stormed a council town hall today amid heightened tensions following the fatal Grenfell Tower blaze.. Singer Lily Allen (inset) joined protesters from across London to gather outside the offices to demand justice after at least 30 people died in the fire in West London. Around 70 people took to the streets outside the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Town Hall to wave placards and demand a response from the authority. Mustafa Almansour, who helped organise the protest outside the town hall addressed the crowd. He said: 'The outpouring of love and generosity from the public has been extraordinary, £5 million has already been raised. But neither the leader of the council nor his cabinet have not made any commitments to those who have suffered.' As he gave his rousing speech, angry protestors shouted 'murderers' and 'shame'. 

Queen and Prince William visit Grenfell Tower survivors

Her Majesty The Queen, accompanied by HRH The Duke of Cambridge, visited the Westway Sports Centre in White City - a venue that has been a focal point for efforts to support those affected by the deadly inferno inside the high rise. The royal visitors met volunteers, local residents (left), paramedics (bottom right), firefighters (top right) and community representatives while visiting the shelter, which is in the shadow of the charred remains of Grenfell Tower in west London. Prince William talked emotionally about the inferno which has claimed the lives of at least 30 people and described it as 'one of the most terrible things I have ever seen'. While talking to Penny Appeal charity worker Taksima Ferdous, 31, from east London, The Queen, who signed a book of condolences (inset), said, ‘You have been incredible, please keep continuing,' and Prince William shook her hand to say thank you.

Children, 12 and 13, missing after Grenfell Tower fire

Yahya, 13, Firdaws, 12, and Yaqub Jemal, six, have been missing since the blaze in the early hours of Wednesday along with their parents, Noura and Hashim Jemal. And neighbour Rami Mohammed (left) held up a poster with the faces of Yahya and Firdaws as the Queen (centre) and Prince William (right) left the scene after paying a visit today, as he shouted: 'What about the children?' But the Duke of Cambridge held his hand up calmly and told the man not to worry - reassuring him by saying: 'We'll come back, we'll come back.' The family were believed to have been together inside their flat on the 23rd floor of the block in West London. On Wednesday, Mrs Jemal made a series of desperate calls from the stricken tower and is believed to have told friends: 'Goodbye, I'm not going to make it.'

Christos Fairbairn, 41, who lived on the 15th floor of the block, has given the most detailed account yet of the horrors inside Britain's worst fire for a generation.

Anne Johnson, who lives nearby the west London tower block and was woken during the night by screaming, said trapped children scrawled 'help' onto the ash-covered windows of their homes.

Mohammed Alhajali, 23, pictured, also asked his parents in Syria to 'forgive him' in the moments before he died in the west London blaze on Wednesday morning.

London fire: Theresa May meets Grenfell Tower victims

Theresa May met victims of the Grenfell fire disaster in hospital today after she faced a furious backlash by not meeting them when she visited the scene. Anger at Mrs May was threatening to boil over today as her cold and stilted approach left one of her Cabinet ministers being heckled in the street over the missing PM. 

Grenfell resident caught by neighbour in London tower fire

The child survived the fall from the fifth floor after her neighbour caught her 'like a rugby ball'. A witness said he then tucked her 'into his chest' and cuddled the little girl as they sheltered from falling debris under a tree. 

Nick Paget-Brown, the Tory leader of Kensington and Chelsea Council, said there was not a 'collective view' among residents in favour of sprinklers.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, pictured hugging a local resident at St Clement's Church, said the London borough was a ‘tale of two cities’ between a wealthy south and a poor north.

Sarah Vine: Grenfell donations put politicians to shame

The sense of community spirit in North Kensington is truly uplifting and inspiring, writes SARAH VINE. Sadly, not everyone feels the same. The fire had not yet been fully extinguished in Grenfell when those seeking to fan the flames of hatred were hard at work. While politicians squabbled like vultures fighting over carrion, on the ground real people were hard at work, getting on with the job at hand. Sorting donations, ferrying milk between respite centres, handing out water to the emergency services and generally doing their best to alleviate the appalling suffering.

Among the poignant tributes to those missing or dead from Grenfell are angry messages calling for the parties responsible for the blunders that caused the inferno to be given jail sentences.

The royals responded to an appeal by the Evening Standard for their Dispossessed Fund, which is providing urgent assistance to families left homeless by the tragedy.

Bing

Armed Police respond to incident outside Parliament

A knifeman was tasered and held at gun point at the gates of Parliament today after a shout of 'knife, knife, knife'. Armed police rushed to the Palace of Westminster's Carriage Gates at around 11.10am. A deployed taser could be seen on the floor at the scene. A bearded man, wearing black trousers and a grey sweatshirt, was held against the railings of Parliament by a number of armed police. An eyewitness described to MailOnline seeing the 'agitated' suspect with his fist clenched standing outside Parliament moments before he watched the incident unfold. The Metropolitan Police confirmed today it had arrested a man on suspicion of carrying a knife. The suspect was driven away in a police van at 11.45am.

TV Host Gabby Logan, married to Scottish rugby star Kenny Logan, has revealed she encourages her children to be gender fluid at home, not forcing them to be interested in 'girly' or 'manly' things.

Chris Deegan (left), 29, of Rochdale, Greater Manchester attacked the beautician, 35, at the Midland Hotel's Derby Suite. His partner, Jodie Hardy, 27, dragged her by the hair across the room.

Kylie Cain, from Wigan, caught her daughters Myla and April-Rose, licking milk off the floor after Myla, two, stood on the family dog to get the fridge open and help herself to the drink.

Virgin reveals he was seduced in woods by BBC paedos

A schoolboy victim of BBC paedophile Julie Wadsworth has told how she asked if he liked her breasts as she wore only a cream mac and lured him into the woods for sex. Clint Billingham, right, said he was a young looking 14-year-old virgin who had only ever seen naked women in 'girlie' magazines. He believed former lapdancer Julie, left, and her husband Tony Wadsworth (both inset) used him as their 'warm up act' before the perverted pair had sex up against a tree in front of him. Bravely waiving his right to anonymity, Clint, pictured at school inset bottom, recalled how he was 'giddy with excitement' at the prospect of touching a woman for the first time - before realising it was abuse. The BBC pair were jailed for five years for abusing boys last week.

Princess Diana is seen on a shoot in candid photos

Hair whipped up by the wind, a fresh-faced Princess Diana flashes a smile for the camera as she joins her husband on a shoot (top). The candid photograph, taken in the early 1980s, offers a rare, unguarded glimpse at the life of the young princess away from the public eye. It is one of a handful of never-before seen images of Diana (left, bottom left) and her new husband, Prince Charles (centre, bottom right), that belonged to the housekeeper of Princess Alexandra, the Queen's cousin, in Richmond, west London.

A damning new report says the true scale of those here unlawfully is being hidden because the Home Office estimates have been held back and warns drastic action is needed to meet Theresa May's target.

Researchers polled women and revealed the typical female has £2,768 either in cash or in a secret account that they are purposely keeping from their other half.

Staff are worried that two dogs seen on the travellers' camp which was set up on Monday could get into the grounds under a fence at Wat's Dyke Primary School, in Wrexham.

The M4 version, fitted with four rotors instead of three, proved to be one of the most difficult to decrypt for Alan Turing and his team of code-breakers at Bletchley Park, in Buckinghamshire.

A charity are now calling for the nets used to trawl for wild prawns put on the UK's dinner tables to have guards fitted - preventing the turtles from getting caught by allowing them to swim away.

Figures show that the institutions gave their bosses above-average pay increases of up to 13 per cent in 2015-16. John Joughin (pictured), of the University of East London, rise 13 per cent.

Figures from the Student Loans Company show outstanding debt on loans has rocketed by almost 17 per cent to £100billion in a single year and could reach £200billion in six years time.

Diana tapes reveal how the Queen thought she was neurotic

Despite her aristocratic background, Diana was never comfortable in the Royal Family - and they in turn never understood her. As she revealed to royal author Andrew Morton in 1991, in tape recordings she insisted be kept secret, the Queen was firmly of the opinion that the breakdown of Charles and Diana's marriage was due to Diana's bulimia. But as Morton's sensational book - Diana, Her True Story - made clear, the real reason was that Charles (left) had resumed his affair with Camilla Parker Bowles. Now, 20 years after her death, the book is being republished, with transcripts of her tapes. Today's extract focuses on her relationship with the Royals - and how jealous she was of Fergie (pictured right with Diana).

Labour's shadow chancellor called on Left-wing activists to turn a union-organised march on Parliament next month into a mass protest.

One possibility is that former equalities minister Jo Swinson takes over from Tim Farron, and agrees to enter into a coalition with the Tories after their deal with the DUP is done.

The Queen's Speech, which lays out the Government's legislative programme, has been delayed until Wednesday. It was due to have been delivered on Monday but has been put back.

On Tuesday Brexit Secretary David Davis said Monday was not fixed in the diary, prompting frustration from Brussels that Britain appeared unprepared for the start of talks.

Gerry Adams, president of the Republican party, said he had told the PM 'very directly' during talks in Downing Street this afternoon that she was undermining the peace deal.

According to YouGov, the Prime Minister's favourability rating of minus-34 now matches Mr Corbyn's position last November, while the Labour leader's popularity has soared.

Dogs Trust searches for Polish owner to home dog

Dogs Trust Kenilworth is hoping to home Caleb the German Shepherd (right and left with trainer Jess Murphy) in a Polish-speaking home after the pup was initially trained by Polish people. At first, the charity thought he was untrainable, but soon discovered he was perfectly capable of understanding commands - as long as they were in Polish. Caleb was given to the trust three months ago because his original owners could not look after him. Caleb has started to learn some basic commands in English, but the trust are hoping someone who speaks the language will adopt him.

Joanne Rand, 47 (pictured), was sat on a park bench in Frogmoor, High Wycombe, when a group of men began fighting. A bottle was kicked by one of the men and sprayed Ms Rand.

Captain Wayne Dolby had an condition which affected his eyesight on the day his whale watching vessel Leviathan II capsized, pictured, near Vancouver Island in October 2015.

The service for Liam Curry, 19, and Chloe Rutherford, 17, took place in South Shields, South Tyneside, with couple's families asked those attending to wear pink and blue for the funeral.

Stephen Clements, a grandfather, from Cromer, Norfolk, inhaled toxic bacteria which had grown in stagnant water within the pipe. He died a week later at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital.

Marilyn Scott (pictured), 27, from Kilmarnock, only had a £10 note on her and decided to buy the scratchcard when she needed coins for a parking meter.

Leanne Kennedy, 30, was left feeling 'humiliated and discriminated' after she was ordered to leave The Range in Gosport, Hampshire, while shopping for garden equipment.

Pair escaped prison by sawing through cell bars

Matthew Baker, 29 (left), and James Whitlock, 32 (right), fooled guards at HMP Pentonville with blankets and pillows to make it look like they were still in bed. They escaped by sawing through the bars of the cell with a diamond tipped saw and using their sheets as ropes on November 7 last year. Baker broke his leg in two places during the escape and was discovered hiding under a bed at his sister's house in Ilford, Essex, two days later. He applied a home-made cast of wall filler so tightly he almost had to have his leg amputated, but surgeons at Royal London Hospital managed to save it.

Muslim van driver who drove into men gets jailtime

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT. Lugman Aslam, 26,(top, inset) can be seen mounting the pavement in Leicester city centre before smashing into the group of five men,(left, middle and right) leaving two ending up on the bonnet. Leicester Crown Court heard Aslam attacked the group after he was involved in a fight with them. In mitigation the court heard Aslam had been fasting for Ramadan on that day and for more than 20 days in total.

Kirstie Covele, 18, was behind the wheel during 13 of 33 burglaries which were carried out in just two months last summer.

Dionne Gaye, 38, talked her way into her victims' homes before making off with their handbags, Snaresbrook Crown Court heard. She pocketed nearly £100 from elderly women.

Lee Johnson, 30,  from West Yorkshire, struck a kerb and ploughed into a roundabout in the luxury Bentley Continental GT, which he borrowed from his boss to attend the wedding.

Florin Haiduc, 28, was accused of molesting the hen and one of her party while performing private dances at the For Your Eyes Only strip club, in Moorgate, central London.

Armed police were called to a building site in Calder Road, Lower Hopton, West Yorkshire after a workman was said to grab a pickaxe and embed it in the bonnet of his boss's 4x4 (pictured).

The 67-year-old indecently assaulted seven teenage boys in his care during camping and boating trips in the 1970s and 1980s while working as a biology teacher at a school in Manchester.

Photographer captures kingfisher's beak touch the water

Gary Jones (inset) embarked on dozens of 400-mile round trips from Merseyside to Scotland trying to catch a kingfisher (pictured) at the precise moment its beak hit the water. And the father-of-one was rewarded when he landed this flawless photograph as the bird dived into a lake in search of fish. With its wings spread out, the female kingfisher's beak hadn't even caused a ripple in the water before Gary managed to capture the winning shot from inside a hide in Dumfries and Galloway. Gary, 50, from Wirral, Merseyside, said: 'I'm a bit of perfectionist. This is the kingfisher picture that all photographers dream about but they're so quick it's almost impossible.'

Eton schoolmaster's new book reveals students before fame

Rare photographs of some of the most famous men in the UK as pupils have been published. They are featured in a new biography about renowned Eton schoolmaster Michael Kidson, who was known for his unconventional manner, eccentric catchphrases, maverick attitude towards authority, passion for his subject (history) and a great dedication towards his pupils. It has been written by former pupil Jamie Blackett and features several contributions from many well-known athletes, politicians and businessmen. Can you guess who is in the photographs?

The Queen pays tribute to children killed in WWI bombing

and the Queen were at Upper North Street School, in Poplar, to mark 100 years since innocent children were killed when a WWI bomb hit the site. The Royals were given a rapturous welcome by the children before they were given a tour of the classrooms. At one point Philip was shown to a table where pupils' work that had been proudly put on display. As he examined it the Prince bluntly asked the teacher manning the table: 'Do you ever teach them joined-up writing?'

A pile-up on the M25 that involved a coach carrying schoolchildren - along with a second crash on the approach to the Dartford Tunnel in Kent - were expected to cause severe congestion in the area.

Willie Walsh, the chief executive of International Airlines Group, gave the estimate during the airline giant's annual general meeting. During the event, the company also apologised to customers.

The papers record in detail the slaves owned by former Conservative politician Philip John Miles on his family's sugar plantations in Jamaica and are dated 1817, 1820 and 1823.

Laura Houston, 25, was convicted of assaulting the three one-year-olds while working at Happy Days Too in Busby, Glasgow, and she now faces beings struck off and banned from working with children.

Summer died when the bouncy castle she was playing on was blown away by a gust of wind in Harlow, Essex in 2016. Shelby Thurston, 25, and William Thurston, 28, have been charged.

Searing heat from the Azores Islands, off the coast of Portugal, will push temperatures towards the 86F (30C) mark in Britain over the next few days.

Rosa King, 33, died at Hamerton Zoo Park in Cambridgeshire on May 29 in what was described as a 'freak accident' after being killed by Cicip (pictured), a rare Malayan male.

The supermarket giant will lower a price cap at its 305 filling stations to 111.7p per litre for unleaded and diesel. The Alliance for British Drivers told MailOnline: 'Any drop in the price of fuel is good news.'

Residents living on the street in Birmingham revealed that their lives have been made a misery by mothers and fathers who inconsiderately park their vehicles when picking up their children.

US bombers spearhead assault in Russia's 'backyard'

B-1, B-2 and B-52 bombers are currently taking part in BALTOPs (pictured), the US-led annual live training exercise involving 14 nations and thousands of soldiers in the Baltics. Dramatic new photos showed some of the 6,000 service members, as well as dozens of planes and ships taking part in the exercise in Ustka, Poland. They have emerged in the same week as a Russian jet intercepted a US bomber flying over the Baltic Sea. BALTOPs - comprising some 6,000 soldiers, 50 ships and submarines and another 50 aircraft - is designed to 'provide high end training for the participants'.

French conservative candidate knocked down in Paris

A French conservative politician was attacked in a Paris market while handing out leaflets ahead of Sunday's parliamentary election. Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet, 44, a former environment minister under Nicolas Sarkozy, briefly lost consciousness and was taken to hospital, her campaign team said. The politician, who is known under the acronym 'NKM', was pictured lying on the ground following the attack.

X-ray shows bullet in reporter's neck in Philippines

Australian journalist Adam Harvey was shot while in Marawi, a key Muslim city in the mainly Catholic Philippines where government forces are struggling to defeat hundreds of Islamic State (IS) militants. The bullet amazingly missed his spine - an injury that could have left him paralyzed - as well as critical veins that could have caused him to bleed out. The Southeast Asia correspondent, who is based in Indonesia, was hit with a stray bullet at the provincial capitol building, where journalists have congregated during the weeks of fighting. Although the compound is secured by the military, it is only about 1.2 miles (two kilometres) from the pockets of the city that the gunmen control.

Emerald rock weighing 794 pounds is dug up in Brazil

The private holder, who can only be identified by his initials FG, said the giant stone is extremely rare because of its 'considerable size and the quality of its gigantic crystals'. He revealed that while it would need a forklift truck to lift the huge cluster of jewels, the risks of a heist are high in Brazil where criminal gangs use explosives to raid banks and carry powerful firearms. The massive emerald, which weighs 794 pounds (360kg) and stands around 4.3 feet high (1.3metres), was unearthed a month ago, 200 metres deep inside the Carnaiba Mine, a gem-rich mineral exploration area in Bahia, north east Brazil. Experts predict the impressive jewelled boulder, which contains around 180,000 carats of emerald crystals, could fetch around £238million.

In a report Thursday summarizing trends from 2016 , Europol says explosives that mimic those used in Syria and Iraq are a leading threat to the European Union.

The region in Nangarhar province was used by al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in late, in a bid to hold out against the US troops and Afghan allies who toppled the Taliban regime.

Human rights chief Jacques Toubon said migrants are 'in a state of physical and mental exhaustion' and suggested the reinstatement of sprawling camps akin to Calais Jungle (pictured).

In a series of interviews with American film director Oliver Stone, Putin explained his views against same-sex marriage and his belief that he has to 'uphold traditional values'.

French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte Trogneux, joined King Mohammed VI for an Iftar meal at the King Palace in Rabat, Morocco, on Wednesday night.

The suspect, identified as 37-year-old Alexander Bischof by family members, was a tourist from Fort Collins, Colorado, who was visiting Germany when the shooting took place.

Critics denounced Poland's PM for making comments during a memorial observance at Auschwitz that appeared to defend her tough anti-migrant policies.

Émilie Hallouin and Guillaume Grémy died in Beauvilliers, northern France , on Monday at about 4.30am, when Gremy tied his wife to rail tracks before leaping in front of an express train.

Exhausted Dima Peskov was covered in ticks and mosquito bites when he was discovered in the Urals, western Russia, having survived five days by eating grass and drinking puddle water.

To be absolutely honest, until yesterday I couldn't have given two hoots whether or not Tim Farron was leader of the Liberal Democrat Party, writes PETER OBORNE.

I should say at once that I love them both dearly. It's just that we tend to get on each other's nerves - as perhaps other parents in our predicament will understand.