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A Brazilian director, an international cast and three made-in-Britain Hollywood stars — the London Film Festival opened Wednesday with “360,” a tale of intertwined romances on several continents.

It was a fittingly globe-circling beginning to a cinema showcase that includes more than 300 features and shorts from 55 countries.

“It is very international, and therefore it feels entirely apt,” said festival artistic director Sandra Hebron.

The Singapore Exchange Ltd (SGXL.SI) is tying up with London’s main bourse to make a joint bid for the London Metal Exchange, a source told Reuters on Friday, as the world’s largest metal market seeks a suitor in a deal that could be worth 1 billion pounds ($1.57 billion).

The consortium has appointed a bank to advise it on the bid, said the source, who had direct knowledge of the deal, with the auction expected to attract rival offers.

A father whose five children died in a house fire with their mum screamed, “My wife, my wife!” as he tried to get back into the blazing home.

Bassan Kua, 51, and his daughter Nur, 16, managed to escape the ­inferno but his wife Muna, 41, and their five other children, aged two to 14, were killed.

Police said they believed the fire, which broke out at the four-bedroom semi at about 1am ­yesterday, was caused by an electrical fault in a fridge in the hallway.

The Guardian newspaper says London police are demanding it reveal its sources for the story that reignited Britain’s phone-hacking scandal.

The paper says police are seeking an order forcing it to unveil sources behind stories that exposed how the now-defunct tabloid News of the World hacked the phone of missing schoolgirl, Milly Dowler. The girl was later found murdered.

Police arrested a 30-year-old man on Friday in connection with the probe into phone hacking at the now-defunct Rupert Murdoch-owned tabloid the News of the World.

The suspect was questioned on suspicions of phone hacking and perverting the course of justice after he reported to a London police station.

Police did not identify the man, who is the 15th suspect detained on suspicion of phone hacking.

Plans by the English Defence League (EDL) to march through five London boroughs have been blocked by Home Secretary Theresa May.

The EDL wanted to demonstrate in Tower Hamlets, Newham, Waltham Forest, Islington and Hackney on 3 September.

The Metropolitan (Met) Police feared there could be violence and disorder if the marches went ahead.

Mrs May said such rallies would be banned for 30 days to reflect the need to protect “communities and property”.

A British police officer suspected of leaking information about the police’s phone-hacking investigation to a newspaper had been arrested, the Metropolitan Police announced on Friday.

The 51-year-old officer was arrested at work on Thursday afternoon and has been bailed until September 29 when further inquiries will be started.

The Met’s Deputy Assistant Commissioner Sue Akers said the officer’s arrest was “hugely disappointing,” but did not disclose the name of the arrested officer.

Courts in the London have charged almost 600 people with violence, disorder and looting over riots earlier this week.

Boris Johnson, the mayor of London, said people in the city wanted to see “significant sentences” handed out to the guilty. More >

Tottenham MP David Lammy says it is “important our community remains calm” after a man was shot dead during an operation by police. A friend of Mark Duggan told Channel 4 News there may be unrest.

Officers from Operation Trident – the unit dedicated to dealing with gun crime in the black community – stopped a mini-cab in Ferry Lane on Thursday to carry out the arrest on 29-year-old Mark Duggan.