[JURIST] London Metropolitan Police [official website] Commissioner Sir Ian Blair said Friday that the confirmed death toll from the Thursday bomb attacks in the British capital [JURIST report] had risen to "at least 50" and would go up as more bodies were recovered from damaged cars in the subway system, but that it was not likely to go beyond 100. The London police service is maintaining an updated webpage of announcements and information about the blasts that also wounded more than 700 persons. Meanwhile UK Home Secretary Charles Clarke said in a BBC radio interview [recorded audio] Friday that investigations continued urgently, although he admitted that finding the perpetrators was like looking for "needles in a very large haystack." He also said that the UK government would be pressing on with legislation to establish a system of national ID cards [Home Office backgrounder], although he said he doubted that such a scheme, had it been in place already, would have stopped the bombings.

11:54 AM ET - London Mayor Ken Livingstone has announced [press statement] the launch of a London Bombings Relief Fund in conjunction with the British Red Cross [donations website].

Previously in JURIST's Paper Chase:

• UPDATE ~ UK Islamic rights group warns Muslims to stay home after bombings
  
• BREAKING NEWS ~ US terror threat elevated after London bombings
• BREAKING NEWS ~ Blair says it "reasonably clear" London blasts were terror attacks
• BREAKING NEWS ~ Many injured in London blasts; bombs suspected; PM to speak