Sunday, October 18

ENGLISH

10 questions that need answers after Grenfell Tower fire tragedy
ENGLISH, London

10 questions that need answers after Grenfell Tower fire tragedy

    Serious questions need to be answered in the wake of the Grenfell Tower block fire which has left at least 12 dead. The blaze started just before 1am on Wednesday in a flat in one of the lower levels, somewhere between the 2nd and fourth floors. But in less than an hour, it had engulfed the entire 24-storey building in west London. A major investigation is being launched by the fire service, Metropolitan Police and the Health and Safety Executive. This disaster could well prove to be the deadliest fire since the Bradford City stadium blaze of 1985. Already, a number of serious concerns have been raised and many are demanding a public inquiry. The shell of the burnt out tower block Those who lost loved ones or their homes deserve answers. Here are 10 questions that could be...
Theresa May visit Grenfell Tower: Distraught resident tells Jeremy Corbyn the PM didn’t speak them
ENGLISH, London

Theresa May visit Grenfell Tower: Distraught resident tells Jeremy Corbyn the PM didn’t speak them

    A distraught resident at Grenfell Tower has hit out at the Prime Minister for not speaking to survivors and residents during a private visit to the fire-ravaged site today. The woman - whose name is not known told Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn that Theresa May was "s**t" after she broke through a police cordon to ask for his help. The resident said action needed to be taken to ensure there was no repeat of the horrific blaze, which has left at least 17 people dead with the death toll expected to rise. She told Mr Corbyn: Theresa May was here but she didn't speak to any of us. She was s**t. Mr Corbyn stopped to speak to the woman and told her he would do what he could to help and hugged another woman who told him about a missing 12-year-old girl who was on the 20th floor of t...
Grenfell Tower no more survivors: Death toll reaches 17
ENGLISH, London

Grenfell Tower no more survivors: Death toll reaches 17

    There are still unknown numbers of people missing in the Grenfell Tower disaster and it could be weeks before the final death toll is established, London’s fire commissioner said today. Dany Cotton said that tragically we are not expecting to find anyone else alive as the number of fatalities confirmed so far rose to 17. Sniffer dogs were being sent in to search for further victims, she said. She warned that it would take a long time for firefighters to conduct a full search of the tower block because of the severity of the blaze. She said her colleagues and police would work in the quickest way possible but that the fingertip examination of the charred building had to be done properly so that relatives could be told with certainty whether their loved ones had perished. Ms...
Grenfell Tower Kensington appeal for donations
ENGLISH, London

Grenfell Tower Kensington appeal for donations

A significant number of people in Kensington have been forced the leave their homes following the devastating fire at Grenfell Tower today (14 June) . Residents of Tower Hamlets are being encouraged to donate clean clothes, children's toys, bottled water and toiletries to support those affected by the fire. Donations of the following are very much appreciated • Toiletries (toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, deodorant, disposable razors, body lotion, cotton wool, tissues) • Nappies, baby toiletries, baby food in jars, baby bottles and formula • Clothing – all sizes t-shirts, sweatpants, leggings, socks, underwear, hoodies, cardigans, slippers, nightwear • Bottled water • Non- perishable food. If you would like to help you can make your donations at collection bins at the front of Tower Hamlets...
Maths teacher arrested over sex with three high school students
America, ENGLISH

Maths teacher arrested over sex with three high school students

    A25-year-old maths teacher has been arrested for allegedly having inappropriate sexual contact with three students. Erin McAuliffe, who taught at Rocky Mount Preparatory School in North Carolina, was reported to police by staff from the school and left her job at the beginning of May. Police officers have interviewed faculty members and said the alleged incidents were thought to have taken place off campus, involving two 17-year-old students and one 16-year-old. In a statement Rocky Mount Preparatory, which accepts students between the ages of three and 18, said staff had been “fully cooperative” with police in its handling of the matter. Ms McAuliffe has been charged with three counts of sexual activity with a student and one of indecent liberties with a minor, and is bei...
British Prime Minister’s visit to France between two-pronged pressure
ENGLISH, Europe

British Prime Minister’s visit to France between two-pronged pressure

    Theresa May is battling to survive in power at home and abroad: at home trying to build a Commons majority and in Europe starting Brexit negotiations. Before joining French President Emmanuel Macron to watch England get beaten 3-2 by France in Paris, she insisted she will not need extra time to negotiate Brexit. Speaking alongside the President at the Elysee Palace, she said: "I confirmed to President Macron that the timetable for the Brexit negotiation remains on course and will begin next week." But Mr Macron appeared to suggest the UK could change its mind about Brexit, saying: "Of course the door remains open, always open, until the Brexit negotiations come to an end." The PM's predecessor David Cameron, meanwhile, claimed in Poland that there would be "pressure for a ...
Grenfell Tower fire: woman live tweets escape after being trapped in blaze
ENGLISH, London

Grenfell Tower fire: woman live tweets escape after being trapped in blaze

    A resident who was trapped in the blazing inferno that ripped through a 24-storey tower block live-tweeted her escape. A huge fire broke out at Grenfell Tower on the Lancaster West Estate in west London in the early hours of Wednesday morning. The London fire brigade said 200 firefighters and 40 engines were sent to the scene to tackle the inferno. The woman, whose Twitter handle is @rsrzy, posted her first tweet around 1:40am saying she was “stuck in this block” in response to a tweet from an onlooker saying firefighters were “struggling to bring the fire under control”. “Can’t leave my house because I’ll die from the smoke,” she continued as concerned followers offered advice. An hour later she posted another tweet saying people were jumping out of windows in a bid to es...
West London Grenfell Tower inferno fire: terrified residents jump from 15th floor to escape
ENGLISH, London

West London Grenfell Tower inferno fire: terrified residents jump from 15th floor to escape

    Several people have been killed - and others remain trapped - in a large fire on a west London estate being battled by more than 200 firefighters and 40 fire engines. Horrified witnesses told how they saw people jumping from windows as high as the 15th floor of a tower block as a huge fire engulfed the building. More than 200 firefighters were called to the 27-storey Grenfell Tower near Ladbroke Grove just after 1.15am as flames raged through the building while people slept in their beds. Residents reportedly used bed sheets as makeshift ropes, while others are said to have jumped from their flats to escape the inferno as it tore through the building within minutes. One witness, named only as Daniel, told the BBC: “Nobody could come out, they were trapped in there. They co...
ENGLISH, London

West London Grenfell Tower block: Huge fire engulfs, lots of resident stuck

    At least six people have been killed and others remain trapped in a large fire on a west London estate being battled by more than 200 firefighters and 40 fire engines. Hundreds of residents in the 24-storey Grenfell Tower have been evacuated from their flats in the burning building, and at least 50 people have been taken to five hospitals in the capital for treatment. Smoke billows from a fire that has engulfed the 24-storey Grenfell Tower in west London. Witnesses described hearing screams, watching people jump out of the high-rise block and a baby being dropped out of a window and caught on the street below. Others told of seeing people shouting and waving from the windows for help, and seeing people shining torches from within as the inferno erupted in the dead of night...
Mayor welcomes new powers to crack down on anti-social behaviour on Brick Lane
ENGLISH, London

Mayor welcomes new powers to crack down on anti-social behaviour on Brick Lane

The Mayor of Tower Hamlets has welcomed new powers to tackle anti-social behaviour on Brick Lane. The decision came after more than 400 residents and businesses responded by post and online to a consultation on whether a new Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) should be introduced in a bid to stamp out anti-social behaviour (ASB) and improve the quality of life for local communities around Brick Lane. 84 per cent of respondents consulted about the PSPO said ASB around Brick Lane was detrimental to their quality of life. They added that the PSPO would help reduce those issues. A three year order has now been introduced, giving the police and council enforcement officers powers to issue Fixed Penalty Notices if conditions in the order are breached. This includes: No urinating or defecating...