Credit Cut Deepens Bank Crisis

The banking system is today facing a credit agency downgrading because of doubts over the strength of the Government's support. Just a day after Bank of England Governor Mervyn King said the world was facing its worst ever financial crisis, Moody's Investors Service revealed the downgrades included a two-notch downgrade for Government-controlled Royal Bank of Scotland. Lloyds TSB Bank, a unit of part-nationalised Lloyds Banking Group, was the subject of a single notch cut. Spanish bank Santander also had its British business downgraded by one notch, while Nationwide Building Society suffered a two-notch reduction.

Bahraini Medics Legal Move

The UK has welcomed the Bahraini Attorney General's announcement that the cases of medical personnel who had been sentenced to between five and 15 years in prison for treating rioters will be retried in a civil court. A Foreign Office spokesperson said: "We welcome the announcement that the cases of the medical personnel will be retried in a civil court and that it will also consider whether judgements passed by the National Safety Court comply with the rule of law. The decision to close the National Safety Court on 7 October is also a positive development. All civilian cases should be tried before civilian courts. These steps, if carried through in a fair and transparent way, will promote reconciliation in Bahrain and will constitute an important step towards reaching our shared goal of peace and stability for the country," the statement concluded.

M4 Fatality Appeal

Police are appealing for witnesses and information following a fatal collision on the M4 close to Heathrow Airport. Officers were called at 9.50pm on Friday 30 September, to reports of two cars in collision between junctions 2 and 3, on the westbound M4. The London Ambulance Service also attended, and a driver, Jamal Mahamaud, 25 a security guard, of Kentish Town, was pronounced dead at the scene. "We understand that a black Vauxhall Corsa, which was being driven by Mr Mahamaud, had collided with a silver Peugeot 307, while they were travelling in the same direction along the motorway," said the police statement.

GBH Leads To Jail

Two young men have been sentenced for Grievous Bodily Harm (GBH) after an operation carried out under Operation Connect - the Met's unit dedicated to tackling gangs. Operation Connect was launched at the end of March this year to crack down on violence driven by gang culture. Monsur Zaman, 20 from Waltham Forest was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment for GBH and four months for possession of an offensive weapon, with the sentences to run concurrently and 18-year-old Eren Mehmet, also from Waltham Forest was sentenced to two years in a young offenders institute (he was 17 at the time of the attack) following a violent assault in east London. In April, the two victims, a 41-year-old man and a 43-year-old man, left a pub in Leytonstone High Road, London E11 and soon were attacked by a group of youths. Police and London Ambulance Service were called and both victims were treated at the scene but were subsequently taken to hospital. One victim received 18 stitches to his ear and the other received cuts to his face that also required stitches.

(BMcC)