Summary
- Updates on the Rwanda Bill with a vote expected today.
- The dangers of Smart Motorways will be the focus of tonight’s Panorama on BBC1.
- South Yorkshire Police officer to appear in court charged with common assault.
- Police Appeal for indecent exposure in Endcliffe Park.
- Rishi Sunak calling on more effort to rebuild the trust among Jewish community.
- Margaret McKeich saying that justice has finally been made after the murderer of her child has been jailed.
- UK is about to become the first country to ban extreme right-wing online terror group
- A Sheffield teacher heard for exchanging over 1,000 chats with student.
- The Crucible theatre selling iconic outfits in order to raise money for their costume department.
- Updates on Doncaster Rovers and Sheffield United
- Guinness World Records for Lloyd Martin at the London Marathon.
- Train strikes expected during May.
- Newsreader Huw Edwards resign from BBC.
Live Reporting
Edited by Esme Kenney and Marie Koehl
George Gilbey had been working on a roof when he fell to his death through a plastic skylight on 27 March, an inquest heard.
The 40-year-old sustained traumatic injuries to his head and torso and died at the scene in Shoeburyness, Essex, the hearing in Chelmsford was told.
He starred in Gogglebox alongside his mother Linda McGarry and stepfather Pete McGarry, who died aged 71 in 2021.
He was also a finalist in the 14th series of Celebrity Big Brother in 2014.
A man, aged in his 40s and from the Witham area of Essex, was previously arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter in connection with the incident, but he was later released under investigation.
Coroner Mr Brookes said he had received a written request from Essex Police to suspend inquest proceedings pending the outcome of a criminal investigation, and he granted this request.
Gogglebox star dies after falling through skylight, inquest finds
Fifty cannabis-infused chocolate bars were found by Doncaster South Neighbourhood Policing Team during a raid at a residence in Rossington.
The raid, which took place on 16 April, was part of a crackdown on drugs-related activities.
Police also found over £5,000 in cash and large quantities of cannabis.
Three people have been arrested.
Doncaster police seize Cannabis chocolate bars
The Prime Minister said the first flights to Rwanda would leave in 10-12 weeks at a press conference at Downing Street.
The bill will be voted on in the Commons later today until the bill passed through.
According to Rishi Sunak, an airfield is already on standby.
He said: “The only way to stop the boats is to eliminate the incentive to come.”
The Supreme Court previously ruled the bill as unlawful.
Sunak: “No ifs, no buts – the flights are going to Rwanda.”
To mark the 35th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster, mourners in Liverpool and Sheffield laid wreaths and stood in a minute’s silence to remember the dead.
Sheffield Wednesday held a memorial service for the 97 people who died in the crowd crush during the Hillsborough Disaster at Hillsborough Stadium.
In Liverpool, Lord Mayor Councillor Mary Rasmussen led a minute of silence at the Exchange Flags near Liverpool’s Town Hall.
Liverpool FC players and staff also laid wreaths and left notes.
“Always in our hearts, the 97 will never be forgotten,” said one card signed “From Matt, Niamh, and the LFCW team” that was laid alongside the wreaths.
During an FA Cup semi-final on 15 April 1989, 97 people died in a crowd crush at Hillsborough stadium.
An inquest in 2016 determined that the disaster, which took place during a game between Liverpool FC and Nottingham Forest, was caused by “gross negligence” from the game’s match commander, who should be held “responsible for manslaughter.”
Hillsborough Disaster 35th Anniversary: Silence to honour those who died in the crowd crush
The strike vote will continue until May 22.
University and College Union strike vote at Sheffield Hallam continues
David Hughes, PA Political Editor
Spending on the nuclear deterrent and the UK’s special forces should be scrutinised by a new committee of MPs, ministers have been told.
The Commons’ existing spending watchdog, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), said a new panel should be established to scrutinise spending in sensitive areas.
The proposed committee could use private evidence sessions and correspondence to examine how billions of pounds are spent on highly classified projects.
The PAC warned there were “scrutiny gaps” where secret projects were not examined by existing panels of MPs and peers.
PAC chairwoman Dame Meg Hillier said: “Parliament must no longer see through a glass darkly on whether value for money is being secured on confidential expenditure.
“There are of course sound reasons why certain areas of spending must be examined in a manner appropriate to their sensitivity.
“Such sensitivity is all the more reason why the processes around its scrutiny should be made robust.
“A new select committee would address the current gaps in how such matters are scrutinised, and the PAC would be pleased to work with the Government to take this proposal forward.”
Special forces and nuclear deterrent spending should be examined by MPs – report
Charlotte McLaughlin, PA Senior Entertainment Reporter
Sunset Boulevard has earned seven wins at the Olivier Awards last night following a starring turn from Nicole Scherzinger.
The US actress and singer won the best actress in a musical gong at the Royal Albert Hall as the reinterpretation of the 1950 black comedy of the same name also picked up best director and best musical revival.
Tom Francis also won the best actor in a musical gong for his role in the show at the Savoy Theatre.
Referring to her almost tripping before accepting her award on stage at the Royal Albert Hall, Scherzinger said: “Thank God for saving me from that trip right there,” before adding that she was “nothing without him”.
The Pussycat Dolls singer also said that “coming from really humble beginnings I always wanted to be a singer and do musicals”.
She added that she wanted to do “so many roles” and joked that the failing Hollywood star, Norma Desmond, depicted in the original film, was not “one of them”.
An In Memoriam segment paid tribute to Harry Potter film series star Sir Michael Gambon, Drop The Dead Donkey actress Gwynne, Australian comedian Barry Humphries, theatre producer Bill Kenwright, Coronation Street star John Savident and singer Tina Turner.
Sunset Boulevard with Nicole Scherzinger storms Olivier Awards
Liverpool City Council has held a minute’s silence this afternoon to honour the 97 victims who died in the crowd crush of the Hillsborough disaster this afternoon.
You can watch it here:
Hillsborough Disaster 35th Anniversary: Silence in Liverpool to honour the dead
A Sheffield festival which brings communities together by celebrating international culture is welcoming its ‘best line up ever’ this year, Holly Phillips reports.
The city’s ninth Migration Matters Festival will take place on 14 June until 22 June at multiple venues across Sheffield.
Director of the festival, Sam Holland said: “This year’s festival will include our best line up yet.
“Whether you want to discover new stories about people of colour throughout history in South Yorkshire, or dance to African drum beats in the city streets, the festival will have something for you.
“We are committed to giving underrepresented communities a voice through our truly eclectic and diverse programme.”
Refugee Week is the world’s largest arts and culture festival celebrating the resilience of refugees and people seeking sanctuary, attracting 13,4000 people last year.
Headliners for the festival taking place from 17 until 23 June include Grammy-nominated husband-and-wife duo, Amadou & Mariam, who performed at Glastonbury last year.
More than 50 individual events will take place over the course of the week, including comedy nights, theatre shows, art exhibitions, dance and drag shows, and Latin American film screenings.
Migration Matters Festival: International culture festival returns to Sheffield
David Hughes, PA Political Editor
RAF jets were pulled away from protecting Nato from Vladimir Putin’s Russia to bolster efforts to defend Israel.
The Typhoon aircraft were redeployed from Romania to take part in the operation to defend against Tehran’s drone and missile barrage.
Other Nato allies covered for the RAF in eastern Europe, but the decision has once again put the UK’s defence budget under the spotlight with resources stretched around the world’s hotspots.
Rishi Sunak has committed to increase defence spending to 2.5% of gross domestic product – a measure of the size of the economy – when conditions allow.
But he is under pressure from the military and senior Tories to go further and faster due to the current level of global insecurity.
Former defence secretary Ben Wallace told the PA news agency: “The absurd line, deployed by both political parties that we shall only invest in defence ‘when economic conditions allow’ have been exposed as a political excuse.
“We need to invest as the threat determines. Without such investment our security will be at risk and our forces will be stretched.”
RAF jets moved from Romania to help shore up defence of Israel
Sheffield Wednesday is holding a memorial service for those who died in the crowd crush during the Hillsborough Disaster this afternoon.
It can be watched on the Sheffield Wire livestream on Facebook here:
Hillsborough Disaster 35th Anniversary: Watch the livestream of the Sheffield Wednesday memorial
Sheffield Children’s hospital has set up the first partnership with Choices College which specialises offering supported internship courses for 16-24 years old adults, Zhaona Li reports.
The partnership aims to provide a variety of 12-week placements tailored for individuals with autism, learning difficulties and disabilities with only 4.8% of adults with a learning disability known to adult social care in England in paid work in 2023, according to NHS data.
The latest data from a Labour Force Survey shows that only around 30% of working age autistic people are in employment, compared with around 50% for all disabled people and 80% for non-disabled people.
Joan Pons Laplana, Choices College Area Manager for South Yorkshire, who is autistic, said: “That’s why I’m very passionate about this project. I got a lot of problems during my career.
“I was a bit sick of the misperception that because you have autism, you are not capable of doing a job.
“We want to change perspectives about people with additional needs. The fact is that they can be fantastic employees if they are given the opportunity.
“We support them, we help them to believe in themselves and also change perceptions of people who work with them to show that they have huge potential, to stop people thinking of the limits and to see their possibilities.”