Pregnant Sana Muhammad's son was delivered safely after she died in an attack at her home in Ilford.

BBC London News

Geeta Pendse has this morning's top stories.

Move over Fifth Avenue and Oxford Street.

The annual ‘Main Streets Across the World’ report has placed Hong Kong's Causeway Bay in the top spot for the first time in five years. Fergus Nicoll finds out why.

(Image: Hong Kong shoppers Credit: Getty Images)

Image source, Getty Images

Discarded syringes have been left in play areas and car parks as a BBC investigation found councils were being called 50 times a day to remove them.

Figures obtained by the BBC showed councils handled 18,496 cases in 2017-18, a rise of 7% in two years.

A volunteer pricked by a discarded needle has told how he faces a wait for HIV and hepatitis test results.

The Department for Communities and Local Government said it was "committed to doing more to reduce drug misuse".

BBC Weather

A dull start with lots of cloud, as well as some mist and fog patches.

Staying mild into the afternoon, which may be a bit brighter.

Top temperature: 16C (61F)

BBC London Travel
BBC Radio London Travel

Delays are reported on overground services between Clapham Junction and Milton Keynes Central following a fault with the signalling system, external.

There is a good service reported on all other lines.

For the latest updates follow @BBCTravelAlert, external.

BBC London News

Good morning.

We'll be bringing you updates of all the latest news, sport, travel and weather in London until 18:00.

If you would like to get in touch, you can tweet, external, email or leave a message on our Facebook, external page.

Today Programme
BBC Radio 4

Image source, Getty Images

Dr Gerard Lyons, chief economic strategist at Netwealth Investment and chief economic adviser to Boris Johnson while he was Mayor of London, says the draft Brexit withdrawal deal is not something to cheer about.

"Whilst it has avoided the cliff edge, I think it's important we don't bury our heads in the sands here and view this as a 'good' deal - this is still disappointing," he tells the Today programme.

"To make a success of Brexit, we've got to get three things right - our relationship with the EU, our position with the rest of the world, and our domestic economic and financial agenda.

"The biggest single problem with this divorce settlement is it ties our hands on two of those three areas - our ability to position ourselves globally, and our domestic economic agenda."

However, he said that the financial sector had come quite well out of it, because the EU recognises that the City of London will remain the financial capital of Europe.

Exposure to diesel fumes was linked to an approximate 5% reduction in lung capacity in London children.

Fulham will "never give up" as the Premier League's bottom side look to avoid relegation, says new manager Claudio Ranieri.

Two thieves clad in hi-vis vests scaled the hotel in London and made off with the 160kg model.

Former Arsenal and Manchester City midfielder Samir Nasri is set to train with West Ham in a bid to secure a permanent contract.

At least 27 environmental campaigners have been arrested in central London.

The UK's big cities will be the first to get the futuristic mobile technology, says mobile operator.

BBC London News

Updates for London have ended for the day but we'll be back at 08:00 on Thursday with the latest news, sport, travel and weather.

Keep checking back here throughout the evening for any breaking news.

BBC Weather

A dry evening with clear periods. Tonight will remain dry with some further clear spells for a time.

However, low cloud and fog are likely to develop in places later in the night.

Gentle winds.

Minimum Temperature: 7C to 10C (45F to 50F).

Image source, Met Police

Police have released CCTV images of two men they are trying to find following a burglary in Chingford.

The house in Hampton Road was broken into on 12 September between 07:45 and 09:12 BST by two males who jumped over a garage and entered via a ground floor window.

While inside the house they took about £11,500 worth of jewellery and £4,000 in foreign currency while also causing about £500 of damage.

Police believe the pair had been dropped off at the house in a white transit van but left on foot, running towards York Road.

Det Con Rosie Doyle said the men had taken "thousands of pounds worth of sentimental jewellery and cash".

“I hope that someone in the area would have seen them before or after the burglary, or may know who they are or where they are from," she said.

Image source, ADDISON LEE/ TWITTER

A claim that Addison Lee's drivers are employees, not self-employed contractors, has been upheld in a major blow to the private hire company.

The Employment Appeal Tribunal ruling confirms that drivers should be paid the minimum wage and holiday pay.

The judgement could affect thousands of Addison Lee drivers and follows similar rulings against ride-sharing firm Uber and delivery company Hermes.

GMB, which brought the case, called it a "huge win" for worker rights.

Katie Hope
BBC business reporter

Image source, SSA UK

The high cost of housing has helped to create a boom in self-storage with many people now renting self-storage units long term because their home is too small.

"It's a bit of a rip-off really," laughs Angela Andrew, talking about the £120 she pays a month for a self-storage unit in east London.

In the unit, which is packed to the roof with boxes and bags, she keeps her collection of records, costumes from her work as a performing artist and other stuff such as old gas heaters. The items may not have monetary value, but they have "nostalgic value", she says.

"I wouldn't say I'm a hoarder, but I do see value in stuff."

When she took out the space, Angela expected to keep it for a year, but she's now had it for two years and uses the unit to supplement her small living space.

"The amount of money I pay to sub-let plus this works out at a normal monthly rent," she says.

Find out more here.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Image source, Local Democracy Reporting Service

“Considerable” daily fines are now being issued to Thames Water because repair work to a sewer in Richmond is taking too long.

Work began on 1 October after concrete was poured into the sewer, causing a 35m-long blockage, meaning that a section of pipe would need to be replaced.

Since that work started, Thames Water has also put two tankers in place, pumping 24 hours a day to ensure nearby buildings are not flooded with sewage, and is also conducting an investigation into who is responsible for pouring the cement.

Richmond Council was assured by the utility company that the replacement work would only take three weeks.

But six weeks on, it is still ongoing and causing disruption to businesses around the repair site in Richmond Road, next to Richmond Bridge.

Alexander Ehmann, cabinet member for transport, streetscene and air quality, said fines were being imposed because "Thames Water have taken far too long to repair the problem and weeks of proposed work have turned into months of disruption."

The council is allowed to issue fines under the New Roads and Streetworks Act 1991, and began doing so on 13 November.

A council spokeswoman said she could not disclose the size of the fines, but did say they are “considerable” and will continue until the works are finished.

A Thames Water spokeswoman said: “It has taken longer than first expected to remove the concrete, which was poured into the sewer by a third party, due to areas where it has set hard making it extremely difficult to clear.

“We’ve ramped up our work on the job and have been working round the clock to get it done as soon as possible."