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  • Eight injured in Glasgow tower block hearth

    Symbol caption A Big selection of emergency automobiles had been sent to the scene

    The Scottish Hearth and Rescue officer to blame of the incident, Alan Fairbairn, stated firefighters have been alerted to the kitchen fire at 07:FIFTY EIGHT.

    “Operations Regulate mobilised a selection of tools to the scene at Business Court, where firefighters extinguished the flames.

    “a total of eight casualties were passed into the care of the Scottish Ambulance Service and transported to the Queen Elizabeth College Medical Institution.”

    Image caption The Fireplace was once on the subject of the highest floor of the development

    Stacey Holmes, who lives slightly under the place the fire broke out said she had heard a “commotion” after which saw hearth engines out of doors.

    “Whilst I went to my landing there was water everywhere my landing as if it was a swimming pool. I knew at that point something was certainly fallacious,” she mentioned.

    Ms Holmes advised BBC Scotland that the construction’s concierge advised her there was a fire and that she will have to stay in her flat.

    She mentioned she noticed a girl at the veranda outdoor the flat that was once on hearth.

    “She could not get out of her flat and had tied sheets in combination. I’m shouting to her: ‘It’s now not the movies – don’t do that. Keep at your window.’

    “In The End the hearth brigade did get into her.”

    Margarita Bhoslae, who lives on the first ground stated she was acutely aware of the hearth after leaving the building together with her youngsters and was once looking to get to her car, which used to be blocked in through emergency cars.

    “there have been 3 fireplace engines there already. Through the time we left, as a result of I needed to call a taxi, more fireplace engines arrived.

    “They labored rather well to get this stopped. It was once frightening simply because of what took place ultimate 12 months.”

    The Hearth broke out precisely a yr after the Grenfell crisis in London.

    Eliot Brown, 19, used to be evacuated from his flat on the 13th floor.

    He stated: “I woke up and opened my eyes and noticed smoke emerging earlier the window.

    “i believed it was once mist to start with and then after that I heard a knock on the door and it was once someone shouting to get out.”

    First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who’s the local MSP for the Gorbals, tweeted: “Up To Date replace is that the #Gorbals hearth is fully beneath regulate – regardless that firefighters stay on scene as precaution against any more chance.

    “My thank you again to our firefighters.”

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  • World Cup 2018: Royal Mail bans all flags from vans

    England flag attached to car Image caption Other drivers are loose to fly flags on their automobiles, equipped they are properly attached and not too large

    Patriotic postal staff seeking to show their reinforce for England won’t be allowed to fly flags on their supply vehicles through the International Cup.

    The Royal Mail has banned all flags and stickers from being placed on trollies, motorcycles, trucks and lorries.

    It says they may distract drivers or “pose a possible hazard to other street users”, must they come loose.

    But the Royal Mail isn’t banning flags altogether – they’ll be allowed to be displayed in places of work.

    Your questions about English identification Which World Cup team if you truly make stronger? Saudi flag far from pubs’ International Cup bunting

    the company mentioned the policy was once in position for previous World Cup tournaments.

    Image copyright Reuters

    Some have called Royal Mail’s resolution “unpatriotic”, whilst others mentioned it was the right resolution, as they were professional automobiles.

    Riding with a flag hooked up to a car is criminal. But, according with the Freeway Code, it must not difficult to understand the driving force or any other road user’s imaginative and prescient, and it’s going to be fastened securely to the vehicle.

    It may cost drivers on the pump although – with a few mavens claiming a normal automotive with flags hooked up burns a litre of gas more in step with hour than those without.

  • Stephen Hawking’s phrases will be beamed into house

    CD cover of Vangelis composition Symbol copyright Stephen Hawking Basis Symbol caption Copies of the CD of the composition will likely be given to all guests at the thanksgiving carrier

    The phrases of renowned physicist Professor Stephen Hawking shall be beamed into space as a “message of peace and wish”, his family has said.

    His words were set to an original ranking via composer Vangelis, well-known for his Chariots of fireside movie theme.

    The tune will probably be beamed towards the nearest black hollow following a carrier of thanksgiving for Professor Hawking’s existence at Westminster Abbey on Friday.

    He died in March, elderly SEVENTY SIX, after an extended fight with motor neurone disease.

    The satellite tv for pc broadcast will take place after the carrier, with the intention to function readings and addresses from folks together with Benedict Cumberbatch, who performed the physicist in a BBC drama, and astronaut Tim Peake.

    Symbol copyright Getty Photographs Image caption Professor Hawking’s existence tale used to be made into a movie starring Eddie Redmayne

    The song chosen to accompany her father’s phrases is a “beautiful and symbolic gesture that creates a link between our father’s presence in this planet, his want to move into house and his explorations of the universe in his mind”, the professor’s daughter Lucy said.

    She delivered: “the broadcast might be beamed in opposition to the nearest black hollow, 1A 0620-00, which lives in a binary system with a reasonably extraordinary orange dwarf superstar.

    “it is a message of peace and desire, about cohesion and the need for us to reside together in team spirit on this planet.”

    A CD of the composition – a private tribute to the professor via Vangelis, the Greek composer of electronic, revolutionary, jazz, pop rock and orchestral song – shall be given to all guests at the Westminster Abbey service.

    Family and friends are set to wait to boot as up to 1,000 members of the general public who carried out for seats in a ballot.

    Prof Hawking died in Cambridge on 14 March and heaps covered the streets of the town for his funeral later that month.

    During the thanksgiving provider his ashes shall be interred between Sir Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin.

    Image caption The physicist was a fellow at Gonville & Caius College at Cambridge School for more than 50 years

  • SNP pledges more action over Brexit invoice

    SNP MPs Symbol copyright PA Symbol caption SNP MPs including Mr Blackford (centre) accumulated on College Inexperienced after Wednesday’s walk-out

    The SNP will continue to “frustrate what the federal government are doing as so much as we possibly can”, the party’s Westminster leader has said.

    Ian Blackford led a stroll-out of his MPs during High Minister’s Questions About Wednesday over the government’s coping with of the Brexit bill.

    Opponents branded the transfer a “pre-prepared stunt” aimed best at furthering the reason for independence.

    Mr Blackford stated it was “no longer the end of the problem, it’s the beginning”.

    The stroll-out got here after Speaker John Bercow expelled Mr Blackford from the chamber whilst the MP refused to take a seat down after asking for the Commons to take a seat in private.

    Image caption Mr Blackford and his SNP colleagues lower back to the house of Commons on Thursday morning

    A protest against what the SNP claims is a “Westminster energy snatch” used to be held outdoor the Scottish Parliament ahead of Thursday’s session of First Minister’s Questions.

    Ms Sturgeon used FMQs to argue that this week’s occasions were “the most clear and strong proof so far that the Westminster device merely does not paintings for Scotland”.

    And she repeated her declare that the Tories had “ripped up the conference that has underpinned devolution for nigh on twenty years.”

    Truth Take A Look At: Has the devolution payment been ripped up?

    the united kingdom executive has signalled that it desires to proceed working with its opponents against finding a resolution to the lengthy-operating row, with Scottish Secretary David Mundell pronouncing it used to be still no longer too late to come to an agreement.

    In a statement to MPs on Thursday afternoon, Mr Mundell said the powers on the centre of the row had been exercised by way of Brussels since the UK joined the eu Financial Community in 1973, and had by no means been beneath the regulate of Holyrood.

    Image copyright HoC Symbol caption Mr Mundell made a press release to MPs at the row on Thursday afternoon

    He stated it was therefore improper to argue that the powers were “taken away” from the Scottish Parliament.

    Mr Mundell stated the federal government could press on with its Brexit plans regardless of the shortage of Holyrood consent, however insisted that its aim used to be nonetheless for settlement to be reached between the two sides.

    He said: “We on this side of the house have compromised, now we have made every attempt to achieve settlement. we now have sought consent.

    “Now, we are legislating in line with the Sewel Convention to make sure the entire of the Uk leaves the european with as so much criminal simple task as conceivable. that is what folks and businesses in Scotland want.”

    Image caption Mr Blackford refused to sit down when requested to achieve this via Speaker John Bercow

    Scottish Conservative MP Andrew Bowie hit back at claims that the Withdrawal Invoice used to be a Westminster “power grasp”.

    He said: “as a result of the regulation we handed this week A HUNDRED AND TWENTY further powers will likely be going to Holyrood – this is going to enhance the devolution settlement, no longer in any means limit it.”

    He conceded that there “will need to have been a miles more substantial debate” on Tuesday, but blamed Labour for this, announcing so much of the time have been taken up with votes within the Commons that were pressed for through Jeremy Corbyn’s party.

    Mr Bowie additionally hit out at Mr Blackford, announcing: “By Means Of strolling out of the chamber in a pre-ready parliamentary stunt he in fact gave up the opportunity to carry the government to account and actually have a debate in regards to the very issue he is complaining he hasn’t had a debate on.”

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  • Queen and Meghan seek advice from Cheshire on first joint go back and forth

    Queen Elizabeth II and the Duchess of Sussex at the opening of the new Mersey Gateway Bridge, in Widnes, Cheshire Image copyright PA Symbol caption Queen Elizabeth II and the Duchess of Sussex on the starting of the brand new Mersey Gateway Bridge, in Widnes, Cheshire

    The Queen and Duchess of Sussex are in Cheshire for his or her first royal engagement together.

    Her Majesty and newly-married Meghan are formally establishing the Mersey Gateway Bridge and Chester’s Storyhouse Theatre.

    They will then attend a lunch at Chester The City Hall as visitors of town council.

    It’s the primary time the duchess has attended an event with the Queen without her husband Prince Harry.

    Hundreds of individuals have been already ready at the venues hours prior to the royal pair arrived, with stalls set up at the streets selling flags and souvenirs.

    Symbol copyright Getty Photographs Symbol caption The Duchess of Sussex was once dressed in Givenchy and the Queen lime green Stewart Parvin

    The Queen, dressed in inexperienced in honour of Grenfell Tower hearth sufferers on the first anniversary of the tragedy, and duchess had been greeted via hundreds of cheering schoolchildren as they stepped off the royal teach at Runcorn station.

    Lord-Lieutenant of Cheshire David Briggs MBE, who welcomed Meghan as she left the teach, stated: “Welcome to Cheshire. I take into account this is your first visit to northern England.”

    The duchess, wearing a cream outfit by means of Givenchy, responded: “That Is right yes.”

    Symbol copyright Getty Photographs Symbol caption The Queen formally establishing the Mersey Gateway Bridge Symbol copyright PA Symbol caption It Is the first time the Queen and the duchess have taken phase in a royal adventure in combination with out the duke

    Abigail Grimes, a scholar at Runcorn’s Beechwood Primary Faculty, used to be chosen to provide the duchess with a posy of vegetation because it used to be the youngster’s 5th birthday.

    The Queen, dressed in a Stewart Parvin outfit and matching hat by Rachel Trevor Morgan, used to be given plant life by way of Jack Jackson, 10, from St Michael’s Catholic Primary Faculty in Widnes.

    Image copyright Getty Pictures Symbol caption The Duchess of Sussex accepts vegetation from a schoolgirl in Runcorn

    Grange Hill and Brookside writer Phil Redmond and wife Alexis, the High Sheriff of Cheshire, have been amongst the ones amassed to greet the royals.

    Mr Redmond joked he should have asked Meghan if she sought after a component in his soap Hollyoaks.

    “i did not ask her, but there’s nonetheless lunch yet. She’ll need to go through the audition procedure like everyone else.”

    Mrs Redmond stated: “It Is implausible to have them here and it is a big day for Cheshire.”

    on the scene, Danny Savage, BBC North Of Britain correspondent

    Symbol copyright PA Image caption Schoolchildren near Runcorn Station have been eager for a glimpse of Queen Elizabeth II and the Duchess of Sussex

    The Duchess of Sussex has taken part in royal engagements in view that her wedding however that is arguably her most important yet – accompanying the Queen on a day of visits.

    They arrived in Cheshire on board the royal teach and are visiting the brand new Mersey Gateway Bridge and Chester.

    Lots of individuals are already ready on the venues to take a look at and get a view of the pair.

    Stalls selling flags and souvenirs were arrange at the streets of Chester and schoolchildren who will meet the Queen and duchess in the course of the day have been dropped at the place they had to be early this morning.

    during the talk over with to the bridge, the royals met architects, planners and neighborhood representatives and watched a performance from local schoolchildren ahead of Her Majesty unveiled a plaque to mark the opening.

    The bridge between Runcorn and Widnes was opened in October and has been topic of fierce debate over its tolls.

    Image copyright Mersey Gateway Venture Image caption The Mersey Gateway Bridge is the primary calling point

    The Queen and the duchess then headed to Chester the place they are having a excursion of the Storyhouse Theatre.

    The £37m theatre opened in May 2017 following a -and-a-part-year mission to radically change town’s former Odeon cinema.

    in the course of the discuss with they will see performances from a theatre company for individuals in recovery from dependancy.

    Image copyright PA Symbol caption A patriotic pair await the arriving of the Queen and the duchess

    Kaleigh Watterson, BBC Information On-Line, in Chester

    Symbol copyright Getty Pictures Symbol caption The Queen Elizabeth and Duchess of Sussex arrive at the Storyhouse

    Pleasure built outside the Storyhouse as the motorcade arrived and there were cheers from the waiting crowds because the Queen and duchess got out in their automobile.

    As they arrived, cameras and smartphones had been put in the air to assist those waiting within the dense crowds on the streets by means of the theatre report the moment – despite the fact that they have been not able to trap greater than a fleeting glance.

    Many bystanders have been glad that the Queen’s vivid inexperienced outfit – the colour used to keep in mind sufferers of the Grenfell Tower hearth victims – helped her to face out.

    Image caption Alison Inexperienced with her mother Margaret Bamber hopes to peer the duchess to make her US friends jealous

    Alison Green, FORTY NINE, who’s firstly from the uk however now lives in Virginia, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, stated: “I landed the previous day to peer mum and pop and made up our minds to come back down today.

    “I Am principally having a look forward to seeing Meghan as i need to make my friends at house jealous!”

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  • Immigration rules to be at ease for non-EUROPEAN medical doctors and nurses

    Stock picture of three junior doctors Symbol copyright Getty Pictures

    The Federal Government is to chill immigration regulations to allow extra non-EUROPEAN skilled employees into the uk.

    On Friday, The Home Office is expected to make sure that international docs and nurses will probably be excluded from the government’s visa cap.

    The cap – offered through Theresa Might whilst she was once home secretary – units a restrict for all non-EUROPEAN professional staff at 20,700 people a year.

    There were warnings it makes it onerous to fill vacancies in the NHS.

    Labour said the anticipated announcement was once a “welcome U-turn”, and NHS bosses said it will be a “massive aid” to health trusts.

    in keeping with assume tank Global Future, 12.5% of NHS England’s body of workers are from in a foreign country. That number rises to 45% in positive specialities including paediatric cardiologists and neurosurgeons.

    The present annual cap on these visas has additionally ended in over 1,000 IT specialists and engineers being denied visas.

    The proposed modification might handiest observe to medical doctors and nurses – however could unlock heaps of visas for employees in different industries like it and instructing, even supposing the 20,700 general didn’t change.

    A new manner?

    House Secretary Sajid Javid hinted at the adjustments earlier this month, telling the BBC’s Andrew Marr he “noticed the issue” with the cap and might take a “fresh look” at it.

    His contemporary move may indicate a brand new direction for immigration coverage post-Brexit, the BBC’s political correspondent Ben Wright mentioned.

    It may also inspire others to argue for the web migration goal – which hasn’t ever been met – to be abandoned, he stated.

    Media playback is unsupported in your instrument

    Media captionSajid Javid is pressed on the executive’s migration aim

    Saffron Cordery, of trade body NHS Suppliers, instructed BBC Radio 4’s Today programme the change used to be “the absolute proper determination”.

    “That Is going to be an enormous aid for trusts up and down the rustic who had been really struggling to fill their docs and nurses vacancies,” she mentioned.

    The Royal College of GPs stated the cap were “arbitrary, unhelpful and actually reasonably harmful” and defined except medics from it as a “great breakthrough”.

    Alp Mehmet, of power workforce Migration Watch, said he familiar the modification but that it’ll now not be the lengthy-term answer.

    “What we must not forget to do is educate our personal clinical body of workers,” he said, including that the uk should not “raid other countries that need doctors and nurses an ideal deal greater than we do”.

    Current executive policy objectives to reduce net migration to under 100,000.

    “Possibly that is an indication that Sajid Javid is prepared to take a bolder and extra versatile strategy to immigration, and ship the kind of machine that Britain will want when we leave the european,” said Sunder Katwala, director of the immigration suppose-tank British Future.

    “It by no means made experience to show away doctors and nurses that the NHS wishes.”

    Are you a doctor or nurse who had their visa application to the united kingdom refused due to the cap? Electronic Mail haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.

    Please come with a contact number if you happen to are keen to talk to a BBC journalist. you can also contact us in the following ways:

    WhatsApp: +FORTY FOUR 7555 173285 Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay Ship footage/video to yourpics@bbc.co.uk Or Add your pictures/video here Textual Content an SMS or MMS to 61124 or +44 7624 800 100 Please learn our terms & stipulations and privateness policy

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  • Grenfell: What Is took place to money promised for fireplace survivors?

    grenfell memorial Symbol copyright Getty Images

    A 12 months on from the Grenfell Tower fire crisis, survivors are marking per week of remembrance – away from the “politics” – for the SEVENTY TWO people who misplaced their lives.

    BBC Reality Check has obtained figures appearing the dimensions of the restoration attempt, and what is nonetheless to be performed to start out to assist the community again onto its toes.

    In February, on the Brit Awards, London-born grime artist Stormzy used his live performance after choosing up two awards to invite the top minister: “Theresa Might, where’s the money for Grenfell?”

    On The time, the federal government stated it had pledged £58.9m, of which £30m had been spent.

    But the Ministry for Housing, Groups And Local Executive (MHCLG) was unable to say what it were spent on – even though it spoke back to a Freedom of data request made by means of Fact Check saying the “majority of the money” have been spent by way of the council.

    What has been spent in total?

    The £256.7m spent thus far has been used for:

    obtaining and renovating social housing, and other similar prices (£145.4m) social care (£25.9m) emergency accommodation for survivors (£25.6m) securing and dealing with the location of the fireplace (£19m) brief and permanent accommodation for survivors (£THIRTEEN.5m) toughen products and services for survivors and the wider community, together with offering welfare centres and neighborhood-based totally beef up (£THIRTEEN.2m) compensating leaseholders for lack of assets (£10.1m) corporate services – principally prices in the case of aiding the general public inquiry and the coroner (£4m) Symbol copyright Getty Photographs Image caption All The Way Through his performance on the Brit Awards, filth artist Stormzy requested Theresa Might what had took place to the money for survivors

    The council has devoted over £235m to secure 307 homes, such a lot but not all of which has now been spent.

    And it has also promised to cover costs in terms of the future use of the Grenfell Tower website, which “has but to be decided through the neighborhood”.

    Meanwhile, in addition to the £10m for psychological health fortify products and services that was once given to the council by the Treasury, NHS England spent about £4m closing financial 12 months and is ready to spend £6m this monetary 12 months, during the native NHS Accept As True With, for psychological well being products and services for survivors.

    what is the £78m from the federal government for?

    rehousing survivors (£24m) refurbishing the Lancaster West Estate, which the tower used to be a part of (£15m) handling the Grenfell Tower web site (£12m) mental health fortify – now not together with separate money for NHS products and services – (£10m) make stronger for the quick reaction, for example emergency repairs (£7.3m) funeral prices and cash bills to survivors (£6m) welfare centres (£3m)

    What about cash donated by the general public?

    in addition to the money pledged by means of the government and raised through the council, £28m was raised in charitable donations, of which £24m has now been distributed.

    And TWO HUNDRED tonnes of bodily charitable donations were additionally made, of which FORTY ONE tonnes of recent or nearly new pieces were disbursed some of the neighborhood suffering from the fire.

    the rest was both sold in British Purple Go shops for Grenfell or became cash thru recycling, raising an extra £226,000 for survivors.

    What approximately cladding?

    in addition because the £80m the government has promised to spend on the survivors and the local area, £78m of which is to move during the council, the government has additionally committed to spend £400m on doing away with doubtlessly unhealthy cladding from council and housing affiliation owned tower blocks round England.

    This cash will initially come from an present pot of money intended to fund the Reasonably Priced Homes Programme.

    Symbol copyright Getty Pictures

    In Would Possibly, it was showed there have been 323 such homes taller than 18m (60ft) in England that had unsafe cladding on them – together with residential blocks and publicly owned homes akin to schools and hospitals.

    of these, 311 have been judged to be a fire danger and not going to fulfill current building laws.

    Work has began to eliminate the cladding from 107 of these however to this point has been completed in exactly 10.

    Where are the survivors?

    a complete of SEVENTY TWO other folks died as a result of the blaze, the judge-led inquiry has mentioned. This comprises Maria Del Pilar Burton, SEVENTY FOUR, who died in January. She had been in hospital due to the fact that she was once rescued from the nineteenth floor.

    The survivors, who lived in 138 of the residences within the tower and the adjoining Grenfell Stroll, have now break up into 203 households – 116 from the tower and 22 from the walk.

    some of the unique families dwelling within the tower contained a couple of generations, for example grandparents and grown-up kids, who’re now being given the opportunity to have properties of their own.

    The council mentioned it had dedicated to securing 307 properties to offer the 203 households with a call of properties.

    As of 13 June, in keeping with the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea:

    the council has made a complete of 971 offers of a few kind of accommodation to the 203 families 198 of the 203 have now usual an offer of a house 135 of these have moved in – 52 into an temporary home, EIGHTY THREE into a everlasting home SIXTY EIGHT households from Grenfell Tower and Walk are still living in emergency lodging – of those, FORTY TWO are in lodges, 22 are in serviced apartments and 4 are staying with circle of relatives or friends NINETY households from the encompassing estate – but no longer the tower or Grenfell Walk – are also nonetheless living in emergency or brief accommodation, prior to moving again to their original houses

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  • Grenfell Tower fire: Who have been the sufferers?

    Within The early hours of 14 June 2017 a devastating hearth engulfed the Grenfell tower block in North Kensington, west London.

    The development burned for a number of hours and SEVENTY TWO people had been ultimately confirmed to have lost their lives.

    Spouse And Children of many sufferers got the danger to commemorate their loved ones on the public inquiry in London.