London Mayor Sadiq Khan has blocked a £50 million deal between the Metropolitan Police and US tech company Palantir, citing a serious breach of procurement rules. City Hall stated that the Met had exclusively engaged with Palantir, risking technological lock-in and failing to demonstrate value for money. The decision comes amidst growing public and political unease over Palantir’s expanding contracts with UK public services, with concerns also raised about the company’s ethics. Despite this blockage, a new procurement process is anticipated, allowing Palantir to bid again.
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The Freemasons are seeking an emergency injunction from the High Court to stop the Metropolitan Police’s new policy requiring officers to disclose their Freemason membership. The Freemasons claim the policy constitutes religious discrimination, arguing that it violates the human rights of its members who are required to have religious faith. The Met, aiming to restore public trust, is defending the policy, which was implemented in response to concerns about potential conflicts of interest and past claims of Masonic influence in the force, including a case under investigation involving allegations of wrongdoing. The policy has also gained support from two-thirds of officers and staff, as revealed by a Met survey.
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The Metropolitan Police has announced two additional charges against Russell Brand, including one count of rape and one count of sexual assault, stemming from allegations made by two more women. These new charges come after Brand previously pleaded not guilty to five earlier charges of rape, sexual assault, and indecent assault involving four other women. Brand, aged 50, is scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on January 20, 2026, to address these latest allegations.
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The Metropolitan Police have arrested three individuals suspected of spying for Russia. A 41-year-old man and a 35-year-old woman were apprehended in Grays, Essex, while a 46-year-old man was arrested at a separate address in the same area. All three were arrested under the National Security Act 2023, specifically for assisting a foreign intelligence service, with the alleged target country being Russia. They were taken to a London police station for further investigation.
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Two Metropolitan Police officers, Kristina Linge and Rafal Szmydynski, have been dismissed for gross misconduct following a strip search of a 15-year-old schoolgirl, known as Child Q, suspected of possessing cannabis. The search, conducted in 2020 with no appropriate adult present, was deemed “unnecessary” and “disproportionate” by the misconduct panel. While a third officer received a final written warning for misconduct, the panel did not find that race was a factor in the incident. The police have since apologized and acknowledged organizational failings in their handling of the situation and the traumatic experience for Child Q.
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John Q. Hosedrinker