Police confirm deaths of three-year-old girl and 79-year-old man in M6 crash last night - Lancashire Evening Post

Officers say the child was travelling in a Vauxhall Meriva which collided with a Porsche Boxter sportscar being driven by the man. One of the vehicles flipped over and burst into flames.

Two other adults in the Vauxhall suffered serious injuries and were taken to the Royal Preston Hospital for treatment.

An appeal for witnesses and dashboard camera footage was launched this afternoon. The collision occurred at around 5:50pm yesterday and closed the motorway overnight. Two lanes of the southbound carriageway are still closed awaiting emergency resurfacing repairs which will be carried out this evening.

Police confirm girl, 3, among two who died in M6 crash

A spokesman for Lancashire Police said this afternoon: "Officers were called around 5.49pm yesterday (November 19) to reports of a collision between two cars on the southbound carriage between junctions 29 and 28.

"Sadly, a three-year-old girl and a 79-year-old man, suffered fatal injuries. Our thoughts are with their families at this sad and distressing time and they will be supported by specially-trained officers.

"We believe a Porsche Boxster car driven by the 79-year-old man collided with a Vauxhall Meriva car in which the young girl was travelling. Two adults in the Vauxhall Meriva suffered serious injuries and were taken to the Royal Preston Hospital for treatment.

"The motorway was shut for several hours while the collision was investigated and for repairs to the carriageway."

M6 was still expected to be partially blocked almost 24 hours after crash.

Sgt Craig Booth, serious collision investigator, said: “These are very sad and tragic circumstances. This was a traumatic scene for all witnesses and emergency services involved. I would like to pass on my thanks for their dedication in dealing with an incident which can only be described as horrific.”

Anyone with information or who has footage, please contact 101 – quoting log 1102 of November 19.

This afternoon there were still tailbacks of up to four miles north of the collision site with vehicles delayed by around 45 minutes.

Motorists trapped in the tailbacks last night between junctions 29 and 28 took to social media overnight to condemn "heartless" drivers who used the hard shoulder to get past.

One said he had dashcam footage of the "disrespectful" drivers and would be handing it to police for action to be taken against them.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiaGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmxlcC5jby51ay9uZXdzL2dpcmwtMy1hbmQtNzkteWVhci1vbGQtbWFuLWtpbGxlZC1pbi1tNi1jcmFzaC1uZWFyLXByZXN0b24tbGFzdC1uaWdodC0zOTI1MDY30gEA?oc=5

2022-11-20 19:10:23Z
1652475564

Nottingham: Murder probe as children, three and one, die in flat fire - BBC

By George Torr

BBC News

A murder investigation has been launched after two children died in a flat fire in Nottingham.

The children, aged three and one, died in hospital after the blaze in Fairlisle Close, Clifton, early on Sunday morning.

A woman has also been left critically injured, Nottinghamshire Police said.

A joint fire and police investigation has concluded the fire, which was extinguished at about 04:00 GMT, was started deliberately.

The fire was in a first floor flat of a two-storey residential property.

Neighbouring properties were temporarily evacuated as fire crews tackled the blaze.

The injured woman, who is thought to be in her 30s, and the children were initially treated at the scene by paramedics for smoke inhalation and taken to Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on Twitter to get the latest alerts.

Related Internet Links

• Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiPmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL3VrLWVuZ2xhbmQtbm90dGluZ2hhbXNoaXJlLTYzNjkwMDk30gFCaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmJjLmNvLnVrL25ld3MvdWstZW5nbGFuZC1ub3R0aW5naGFtc2hpcmUtNjM2OTAwOTcuYW1w?oc=5

2022-11-20 16:37:59Z
CBMiPmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL3VrLWVuZ2xhbmQtbm90dGluZ2hhbXNoaXJlLTYzNjkwMDk30gFCaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmJjLmNvLnVrL25ld3MvdWstZW5nbGFuZC1ub3R0aW5naGFtc2hpcmUtNjM2OTAwOTcuYW1w

Labour would abolish the House of Lords - BBC

Getty Images

By Ione Wells

Political correspondent

Labour would abolish the House of Lords and replace it with a "new, reformed upper chamber", the party has confirmed to the BBC.

Sir Keir Starmer told Labour peers that he wanted to strip politicians of the power to appoint people to the chamber in the first term of a Labour government.

He said that Tory leaders have handed peerages to "lackeys and donors".

The party is expected to confirm its plans in its next manifesto.

The Observer first reported that part of the reason for reform was because the public "have lost faith in the ability of politicians and politics to bring about change", according to Sir Keir.

It plans to hold a consultation on what a reformed new chamber would look like - including on its size and composition - in addition to reforming the current appointments process.

Sir Keir also told peers there was strong support for reforming the House of Lords and that any new chamber should be elected by voters not fellow politicians, but that the second chamber would remain a place for scrutinising and amending new laws rather than forming governments or setting budgets.

A government source said the measures proposed by Sir Keir "risk undermining the Union of the United Kingdom".

"A second chamber of politicians with their own elected mandates would invariably clash with the House of Commons and other devolved chambers," the source said.

"Legislative gridlock and confused mandates would make it harder for Parliamentarians to deliver commitments to their constituents - as illustrated by the paralysis and stalemate over Brexit in the last Parliament."

• Ministers withhold Lebedev peerage security advice

The size and role of the House of Lords has come under scrutiny in recent years, with warnings that membership has grown excessive, with 784 sitting members.

Concerns have also been raised about some of the peerages issued by former prime ministers including Boris Johnson, notably the peerage of Lord Lebedev.

The media mogul and son of an ex-KGB agent was given a life peerage in 2020 but has spoken just once on the floor of the House.

PA Media

Mr Johnson has also faced accusations that he has proposed several Conservative MPs for peerages but told them to delay accepting them to prevent triggering by-elections.

Plans to reform the appointment process of the House of Lords are one step closer to becoming law after several peers from across the political spectrum acknowledged the upper chamber is "too large".

On Friday, the House of Lords (Peerage Nominations) Bill passed its first reading, which would require the prime minister to wait until a commission advises on whether a nominated individual met specified criteria to be granted a peerage.

This is not the first time the plans to abolish the upper chamber have been mentioned by Sir Keir.

The Labour leader made the same pledge as part of his leadership campaign.

His comments also echo ideas that have formed part of a review overseen by former prime minister Gordon Brown into the constitution of the UK.

The plans also advocated expanding devolution - the decentralisation of power and decision-making from central government to nations and regions.

• THIS CULTURAL LIFE: Florence Pugh on her big break and plans to become a singer
• SHINING A LIGHT: Can SAD lamps and wake-up lights help boost your mood?

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiL2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL3VrLXBvbGl0aWNzLTYzNjkyOTgx0gEzaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmJjLmNvLnVrL25ld3MvdWstcG9saXRpY3MtNjM2OTI5ODEuYW1w?oc=5

2022-11-20 15:04:08Z
CBMiL2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL3VrLXBvbGl0aWNzLTYzNjkyOTgx0gEzaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmJjLmNvLnVrL25ld3MvdWstcG9saXRpY3MtNjM2OTI5ODEuYW1w

Awaab Ishak: Councils put 'on notice' following toddler's mould death - BBC

family handout

Housing providers are being put "on notice" following the death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak, the government has said.

Housing Secretary Michael Gove has written to every English council leader and all social housing providers saying they have to improve conditions.

Awaab died in Rochdale from a respiratory condition caused by exposure to mould in his family's flat.

Rochdale Boroughwide Housing's chief executive was sacked on Saturday.

• Housing boss sacked after boy's mould death
• Awaab's family call for accountability over death
• How dangerous is mould in the home?

Gareth Swarbrick had been in charge of the housing association since 2008.

Awaab's family first raised the issue of mould in the flat in 2017 but it had not been fixed by the time of his death in 2020.

Mr Gove sent a separate letter to housing providers saying the country needed to "raise the bar dramatically" on the quality of social housing and "empower tenants" to ensure "their voices are truly heard".

He said that housing providers should carry out assessments of damp and mould in their properties, as well as any action that may need to be taken to tackle the issue.

He added he had been made aware of many cases where this had gone unaddressed for too long.

"Where people complain about damp and mould, you must listen; where you find them, you must take prompt action. To keep tenants safe, you must not hide behind legal process," he said,

In the letter to council leaders, he called the death of Awaab an "avoidable loss" and said councils must make an urgent assessment of housing conditions for tenants with particular focus on issues of damp and mould and the enforcement action being taken.

"This becomes ever more urgent as we go into winter with a cost of living and energy crisis, which may exacerbate damp and mould conditions in some homes," he said.

"I am putting housing providers on notice, I will take whatever action is required to improve standards across the country and ensure tenants' voices are heard."

Eleanor Barlow/PA Wire

Awaab's inquest, which finished on Tuesday, heard that his father Faisal Abdullah - who came from Sudan to the UK in 2016 and was joined by his wife Aisha Amin a year later - reported mould in their flat to RBH in 2017 and was told to paint over it.

In June 2020, the family contacted solicitors and initiated a claim over the recurring mould issue, but policy meant any repairs would not be done until an agreement had been reached.

The inquest heard Awaab had consistently suffered from cold and respiratory issues. He died after being rushed to hospital with shortness of breath in December that year.

After the inquest finished, Mr Swarbrick, who was appointed chief executive in 2008, apologised for the organisation's response over the mould but rejected calls to quit his job, saying he had the board's "full backing".

Why not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk

Related Internet Links

• Housing Ombudsman

• Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH)

• Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

• Rochdale Borough Council

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiJmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL3VrLTYzNjkxNTc40gEqaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmJjLmNvLnVrL25ld3MvdWstNjM2OTE1NzguYW1w?oc=5

2022-11-20 04:46:16Z
1640396805

'More people could die', claim ex-staff at housing body criticised after Awaab Ishak's death - Sky News

Two former employees of the housing association that managed the flat in which mould killed toddler Awaab Ishak have claimed more people could die as they accused it of having a "toxic and bullying culture".

Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH) controls more than 12,000 homes in the area.

Two years on from Awaab's death, Sky News witnessed a number of properties on the Freehold Estate in Rochdale, where the boy and his family lived, with severe mould and damp.

Two ex-employees who resigned over the culture within RBH told Sky News that tenants are suffering because of the poor standard of accommodation.

Gareth Swarbrick, its chief executive, was sacked on Saturday, with the association's board saying he had been removed with "immediate effect".

An employee who worked at RBH for six years, Dave (not his real name), told Sky News: "The culture was horrible. It was bullying, toxic for the employees. It's not fit for purpose at all. It's meant to be run as a charity for the focus of the tenants [but] nothing could be further from the truth."

When Awaab's parents were complaining about the state of their mouldy and damp flat in 2017, Dave was working in the association's call centre.

"All the staff were advised to tell anyone ringing up to just open up your trickle vents on your window - make sure you ventilate your property and put heating on and they would fob people off," he said.

"The total disregard for the tenants and cost-cutting was so obvious and it's really sad to be honest."

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

1:34

'Awaab's death must not be in vain'

'Association is racist'

Advertisement

Awaab's parents, who fled Sudan to seek asylum in the UK, claimed the housing association was racist.

Dave said he agrees with them. "In my view, yes [it is racist]," he said. "It's sad to say but it is."

RBH refuted his claim, telling Sky News: "We are not a racist organisation, but we accept that assumptions were wrongly made in Awaab's case. We are taking swift action to review our current approach and changes we need to make."

There is only one way to avoid another tragedy, Dave claimed. "I definitely think there'll be more deaths due to the lack of repairs," he said.

"I think the only way that tenants will be safe is if RBH is closed down and the council takes it back over."

Another employee, who resigned this year, quit after she heard about how and why Awaab had died.

Julie (not her real name) claimed the management "covered it up" and did not tell staff what had happened.

She told Sky News: "I knew one day RBH would make headlines because of how bad it was getting. I just hoped it wasn't through the death of someone, especially a tenant. Even worse, it was a little boy."

Julie added: "It just wasn't right what they were doing. They were saying one thing and doing another - and that wasn't right for me morally."

On the culture of RBH, Julie commented: "It was toxic and people were getting away with treating employees how they wanted to, especially ones that challenged decisions. They'd be disciplined. In the end it just put a fear factor through the organisation."

Image: Former chief executive of RBH, Gareth Swarbrick, has been sacked

Awaab, who was two, died in December 2020. A coroner's inquest concluded this month that he lost his life because of prolonged exposure to mould and damp in the inadequate accommodation provided by Rochdale Boroughwide Housing.

This should be a defining moment for the social housing sector, the coroner said.

RBH told Sky News it was "disappointed that two former employees claimed there is a culture of bullying", adding: "We are an employee and tenant-owned mutual organisation with a strong set of values at our core. Our culture is one of collaboration and mutuality."

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMifGh0dHBzOi8vbmV3cy5za3kuY29tL3N0b3J5L21vcmUtcGVvcGxlLWNvdWxkLWRpZS1jbGFpbS1leC1zdGFmZi1vZi1ob3VzaW5nLWJvZHktY3JpdGljaXNlZC1hZnRlci1hd2FhYi1pc2hha3MtZGVhdGgtMTI3NTEwMDfSAYABaHR0cHM6Ly9uZXdzLnNreS5jb20vc3RvcnkvYW1wL21vcmUtcGVvcGxlLWNvdWxkLWRpZS1jbGFpbS1leC1zdGFmZi1vZi1ob3VzaW5nLWJvZHktY3JpdGljaXNlZC1hZnRlci1hd2FhYi1pc2hha3MtZGVhdGgtMTI3NTEwMDc?oc=5

2022-11-19 17:04:08Z
1640396805

Ukraine war: Rishi Sunak visits President Zelensky in Kyiv - BBC

Ukrainian President's Office

Rishi Sunak pledged £50m in defence aid to Ukraine as he met the country's President Volodymyr Zelensky in his first visit to Kyiv since becoming prime minister.

The meeting was held to show "continued UK support" for Ukraine, No 10 said.

"We discussed the most important issues both for our countries and for global security," Mr Zelensky wrote on Telegram following the meeting.

"We are stronger and we will achieve the desired results," he added.

Mr Sunak - who took office last month - said it was "deeply humbling" to be in Kyiv and pledged that the UK would continue to stand by Ukrainians in their fight.

During the meeting with Mr Zelensky, he said the UK would provide a major new package of air defence to help protect Ukrainian civilians and the country's national infrastructure from Russian strikes.

• Sunak urges Russia to 'get out' of Ukraine at G20
• Has Putin's invasion of Ukraine failed?
• Searching for clues about Poland missile strike

Ukraine has been requesting assistance from Western nations in recent months amid intense Russian aerial attacks on Kyiv and across the country.

The £50 million package of defence aid comprises 125 anti-aircraft guns and technology to counter deadly Iranian-supplied drones, including dozens of radars and anti-drone electronic warfare capability.

It follows more than 1,000 new anti-air missiles announced by the UK's Defence Secretary Ben Wallace earlier this month.

Earlier in the week Russia hit Ukraine with one of its biggest barrages of missiles yet, days after its troops were forced to withdraw from Kherson.

Kyiv was hit and there were strikes across the country, from Lviv in the west to Chernihiv in the north.

That attack coincided with the G20 summit in Bali where, in a virtual speech, Mr Zelensky said he was "convinced now is the time when the Russian destructive war must and can be stopped".

Ukrainian Presidents Office

Mr Sunak announced the UK will also increase the training offer to Ukraine's armed forces, sending expert army medics and engineers to the region to offer specialised support.

While in Kyiv, the UK prime minister laid flowers at a memorial for the war dead and lit a candle at a memorial for victims of the Holodomor famine, before meeting emergency workers at a fire station. Mr Sunak also saw captured Iranian-made drones which have been used to target and bomb Ukrainian civilians in recent months.

"I am proud of how the UK stood with Ukraine from the very beginning. And I am here today to say the UK and our allies will continue to stand with Ukraine, as it fights to end this barbarous war and deliver a just peace," Mr Sunak said.

"While Ukraine's armed forces succeed in pushing back Russian forces on the ground, civilians are being brutally bombarded from the air. We are today providing new air defence, including anti-aircraft guns, radar and anti-drone equipment, and stepping up humanitarian support for the cold, hard winter ahead," he added.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiMGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL3dvcmxkLWV1cm9wZS02MzY4NzA0NdIBNGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL3dvcmxkLWV1cm9wZS02MzY4NzA0NS5hbXA?oc=5

2022-11-19 14:30:28Z
1653711810

Edinburgh weather: Cars trapped due to heavy flooding at busy junction Granton - Edinburgh News

Photos show a car and a taxi submerged in water covering the tyres and registration plate both stranded in the middle of the junction of Ferry Road and West Granton Access Road on Friday morning (November 18). The pictures show severe flooding which is nearly at the the height of buttons for pedestrian crossing poles.

In a video footage shows a truck and a cyclist both approach the junction from Granton and then make a u-turn once they spot the conditions of the road. The road has now been closed due to flooding both ways between Telford Road at the Crewe Toll roundabout and West Granton Access.

Due to significant flooding the road is likely to remain closed for some time, the council confirmed.

The view from the Red bridge, Ferry Road Photo: Helen Todd

In an update on Edinburgh Travel News it was reported that the junction is impassable for vehicles and pedestrians but access to the red bridge remains open on both sides.

Helen Todd, a local resident said: "I've lived in the area since 2009 and have never seen flooding here like this. To me, this is a real warning that the climate is changing. It shows the kind of impact it'll have on our daily lives if we don't act now and take this issue seriously.”

It comes after drivers were urged to stay off the roads as heavy rain and flooding brings chaos to road and rail networks. Flooding has led to disruption on roads and railways as heavy rain drenches some areas.

A yellow warning is in place for a large part of eastern Scotland until 6pm on Friday. Authorities said the rain will make driving difficult, with the potential for reduced visibility and surface water, and conditions likely to affect travel on both the trunk road and rail network.

Cars were submerged at the busy junction Photo: Helen Todd

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMigQFodHRwczovL3d3dy5lZGluYnVyZ2huZXdzLnNjb3RzbWFuLmNvbS9uZXdzL2VkaW5idXJnaC13ZWF0aGVyLWNhcnMtdHJhcHBlZC1kdWUtdG8taGVhdnktZmxvb2RpbmctYXQtYnVzeS1qdW5jdGlvbi1ncmFudG9uLTM5MjMzNjPSAQA?oc=5

2022-11-19 08:07:58Z
CBMigQFodHRwczovL3d3dy5lZGluYnVyZ2huZXdzLnNjb3RzbWFuLmNvbS9uZXdzL2VkaW5idXJnaC13ZWF0aGVyLWNhcnMtdHJhcHBlZC1kdWUtdG8taGVhdnktZmxvb2RpbmctYXQtYnVzeS1qdW5jdGlvbi1ncmFudG9uLTM5MjMzNjPSAQA