LONDON: A British government minister has criticized the London authorities for deciding to strip Uber of its taxi license, a major setback to the US technology firm that has become a big player in the city’s transport system.
The British capital’s transport regulator deemed Uber unfit to run a tax service and said its license would not be renewed when it expires on Sept. 30. London Mayor Sadiq Khan, a member of the opposition Labour Party, backed the move.
“At the flick of a pen Sadiq Khan is threatening to put 40,000 people out of work and leave 3.5 million users of Uber stranded,” Greg Hands, the government minister for London, wrote on Twitter late on Friday.
He said Uber had to address safety concerns and it was important that there was a level playing field across the private hire market.
“But blanket ban will cause massive inconvenience to millions of Londoners, showing that the mayor is closed to business & innovation,” Hands tweeted. “Once again the actions of Labour leave ordinary working people (to) pay the price for it.”
In backing the decision to strip Uber of its license, Khan said: “All private-hire operators in London need to play by the rules. The safety and security of customers must be paramount.”
Uber has said it will contest the decision. Regulator Transport for London (TfL) said it would let Uber operate until the appeals process is exhausted, which could take months.
Uber has turned to customers to help defend itself in other battles around the world, and an online petition to support Uber in London gathered nearly 430,000 signatures by early Saturday.
In Friday’s announcement, TfL cited concerns about Uber’s approach to reporting serious criminal offenses, background checks on drivers and software that could be used to block regulators from gaining full access to the app.
Britain’s minister for London slams “blanket ban” on Uber
Britain’s minister for London slams “blanket ban” on Uber
Suspect in Michigan synagogue attack is dead, AP source says
- The person confirmed the death at the Temple Israel synagogue in West Bloomfield Township
- Patel said agents were on scene of an “apparent vehicle ramming and active shooter situation” at the synagogue
MICHIGAN, USA: The suspect in an attack on a synagogue in Michigan is dead, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press, after a sheriff said security at the largest Reform Synagogue in the US had engaged in gunfire.
The person confirmed the death at the Temple Israel synagogue in West Bloomfield Township, but did not provide additional details. The person could not publicly discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
The person said no one else was reported injured.
Oakland County Sheriff Sheriff Mike Bouchard confirmed during an earlier news conference that security at the synagogue had engaged in gunfire with at least one person, and that no one was in custody.
WDIV-TV reported that a truck had crashed into the synagogue. Smoke could be seen billowing from the synagogue’s roof. Footage from the scene shows dozens of police vehicles surrounding the building.
FBI Director Kash Patel said agents were on scene of an “apparent vehicle ramming and active shooter situation” at the synagogue.
The Oakland County Sheriff’s office said authorities are clearing the building. About a dozen parents sprinted to get their children from an early childhood learning center inside the building after getting approval from police. West Bloomfield School District went on lockdown.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued a statement saying she was tracking developments.
“This is heartbreaking,” the governor said. “Michigan’s Jewish community should be able to live and practice their faith in peace.”
Temple Israel calls itself the nation’s largest Reform synagogue, with 12,000 members. according to its website. It has an early childhood education center and offers educational programs for families and adults.
The website says the synagogue is “passionate about helping Jewish communities across the globe” and that its mission is to “create a community building through the lens of Reform Judaism.”
The Jewish Federation of Detroit advised all Jewish organizations in the area “to go into lockout protocol — nobody in or out of your building.”
