Wednesday, February 12

Day: May 5, 2016

London mayoral election voters are turned away in lists blunder
ENGLISH, London

London mayoral election voters are turned away in lists blunder

f     The London mayoral election started with an absolute shambles in one borough as voters were turned away from polling stations given incomplete electoral lists. Hundreds of residents in Barnet said they were told they could not vote without their polling card, while some carrying the document said they were also refused. Arjun Mittra, a Labour councillor for East Finchley ward, said the logistical nightmare affected every one of the borough’s 155 polling stations. Out of the seven people who came to my polling station in the first 10 minutes, only one was able to vote. She had come at 7am to vote because she was going away for the day, she said she was disenfranchised. It's a disgrace. For the first half an hour after voting started the majority of voters were turned away,...
HC scraps 16th amendment
Bangladesh, ENGLISH

HC scraps 16th amendment

    The High Court today scrapped the 16th amendment to constitution that empowered the parliament to impeach Supreme Court judges for incapacity or misconduct. A three-member special bench led by Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury by majority view declared the amendment illegal and unconstitutional following a writ petition that challenged the legality of the 16th amendment. After the ruling, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam said the government will appeal against it. The government will not have to take HC permission for appealing against today’s verdict. The HC has given the government a certificate that is needed for appeal. The House led by the Awami League on September 17, 2014 unanimously passed the 16th amendment and regained the power available in the 1972 constitution to...
How I made £6,500 by reporting a single empty home and you could too
ENGLISH, United Kingdom

How I made £6,500 by reporting a single empty home and you could too

    Properties stand empty and derelict. Meanwhile, rents and house prices soar and families are made homeless because they can't make payments. It's a national scandal. The good news - as one mum found out - is that by taking action yourself, you can not only help get a home back into use, but make yourself (and a local charity) a very tidy sum. Meet mum of two Levinia Gluck, who decided it was about time a home in Hendon, London, was lived in again. “I always wondered why such a potentially great property across the road from a park and with good access to the North Circular was sitting empty and abandoned," she explained. Late last year she came across YouSpotProperty, and realised there was a way to not just get the home back on the market, but get rewarded for it too. She...
Alberta declares state of emergency as wildfire forces Fort McMurray evacuation
Canada, ENGLISH

Alberta declares state of emergency as wildfire forces Fort McMurray evacuation

    The Canadian province of Alberta has declared a state of emergency after a raging wildfire destroyed dozens of homes, engulfed several neighbourhoods and forced the hurried evacuation of the entire city of Fort McMurray. More than 80,000 residents were ordered to leave the northern Alberta city after shifting winds saw the blaze go from being largely controlled to a “nasty, ugly” inferno as described by the local fire chief. By Wednesday, more than 250 firefighters were fighting the fire, assisted by helicopters and air tankers. Officials estimated that 1,600 structures had been damaged or destroyed by Wednesday night. As flames fanned south on Thursday, officials also issued mandatory evacuation orders for the Anzac, Gregoire Lake Estates and Fort McMurray First Nation co...
Fire At London Station Causes Commuter Chaos
ENGLISH, London

Fire At London Station Causes Commuter Chaos

    A fire on the tracks on one of London's busiest railway routes into the capital has caused chaos for commuters. Firefighters were called to Vauxhall railway station in south London at around 2.40am and the track could be seen smouldering hours later when commuter traffic was at its peak. One of London's busiest stations, Clapham Junction, has been evacuated due to overcrowding and British Transport Police are urging people to avoid the area. Electrical cabling and the power to the tacks at Vauxhall had to be switched off to allow the emergency service staff to reach the blaze. London Fire Brigade station manager John Ryan said: "Once the power was isolated firefighters quickly got to work to tackle the fire. "We're currently assessing how much electrical cabling has been a...