Police in London have promised to use facial recognition technology and more “boots on the ground” to combat the city’s problem with violent robberies.
The new head of a task force specifically focusing on crime in the West End said the Metropolitan Police are determined to make the area “the most hostile environment to operate anywhere”.
The West End shopping streets of Oxford Street and Regent Street plus the nearby areas of Mayfair and Knightsbridge have gained a reputation for violent thefts, spawning the term 'Rolex Rippers' due to the number of luxury watches that have been stolen.
Phone snatching, often by people on electric bikes, has also become prolific in the hotspots, leading to some international visitors being put off returning.
The offenders will be pursued as part of an agreement by the police, Westminster Council, the mayor’s office and businesses to tackle crime.
Commander Andy Featherstone has now said that known offenders would be pursued using technology and information from security guards in shops.
He told the Metro: “Our aim is to make the West End the most hostile environment to operate anywhere.
“We want to make it the safest environment for tourists, residents and workers. We are going to do that through a number of initiatives.
“There will be more officers and more surveillance, the use of facial recognition technology is among the tools.”
He also said that the criminals who use violence would also probably be violent at home as well, suggesting that police may be able to get a warrant for allegations of domestic abuse.
One other tactic is to focus on traffic offences because they are easy to prove.
“We could get a violent criminal on a traffic charge then they have no vehicle which is a disruption for them and unsettles them,” he said.
“Convictions are not everything, if we can disrupt the criminal that can be valuable.”
In June, three men were jailed after preying on victims for their expensive watches in London's Rolex Ripper crime wave.
They struck in upmarket areas of the British capital, including one attack outside a Rolls-Royce showroom in Stratton Street, Mayfair.
Met Police figures show homicide is at a 10-year low, violent incidents in which people are injured are down by a fifth, which is proportionally lower than any other UK city, and firearms discharges are less than half the level they were seven years ago.
This is in contrast to knife crime, which has almost doubled in a decade.
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
The view from The National
Getting there
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Tbilisi from Dh1,025 return including taxes
BRAZIL SQUAD
Alisson (Liverpool), Daniel Fuzato (Roma), Ederson (Man City); Alex Sandro (Juventus), Danilo (Juventus), Eder Militao (Real Madrid), Emerson (Real Betis), Felipe (Atletico Madrid), Marquinhos (PSG), Renan Lodi (Atletico Madrid), Thiago Silva (PSG); Arthur (Barcelona), Casemiro (Real Madrid), Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa), Fabinho (Liverpool), Lucas Paqueta (AC Milan), Philippe Coutinho (Bayern Munich); David Neres (Ajax), Gabriel Jesus (Man City), Richarlison (Everton), Roberto Firmino (Liverpool), Rodrygo (Real Madrid), Willian (Chelsea).
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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1.
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United States
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2.
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China
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3.
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UAE
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4.
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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6.
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Canada
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7.
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Singapore
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8.
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Australia
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9.
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Saudi Arabia
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10.
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South Korea
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Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Wenger's Arsenal reign in numbers
1,228 - games at the helm, ahead of Sunday's Premier League fixture against West Ham United.
704 - wins to date as Arsenal manager.
3 - Premier League title wins, the last during an unbeaten Invincibles campaign of 2003/04.
1,549 - goals scored in Premier League matches by Wenger's teams.
10 - major trophies won.
473 - Premier League victories.
7 - FA Cup triumphs, with three of those having come the last four seasons.
151 - Premier League losses.
21 - full seasons in charge.
49 - games unbeaten in the Premier League from May 2003 to October 2004.
Profile of Udrive
Date started: March 2016
Founder: Hasib Khan
Based: Dubai
Employees: 40
Amount raised (to date): $3.25m – $750,000 seed funding in 2017 and a Seed round of $2.5m last year. Raised $1.3m from Eureeca investors in January 2021 as part of a Series A round with a $5m target.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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