Author: Loveworld UK

Manchester’s fire service took more than two hours to respond to the bomb attack on the city’s arena, a report has found. An independent panel report into the bombing, which killed 22 people and injured more than 100, said Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service “played no meaningful role” in the two hours after the explosion.Chaired by Lord Bob Kerslake, the panel was commissioned by the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, to assess the city’s response to the attack on 22 May last year.Even though police, arena staff and even the military were on the scene within minutes, the…

Melrose, the company behind a hostile takeover bid for engineering firm GKN, is facing Government demands for a series of commitments on the engineering group’s future. Ahead of a deadline of lunchtime on Thursday for a majority of GKN investors to accept Melrose’s £8.1bn offer, it has been revealed Business Secretary Greg Clark has written to the turnaround specialist to outline several concerns.Chief among them is a question mark about long-term investment and ownership – given GKN’s standing, its work in UK defence and Melrose’s usual operating model of restructuring and selling for a profit.Mr Clark wrote: “I recognise that…

Forty-one children were killed in a fire at a shopping centre complex in Kemerovo, Russia, local media has said. Both the RIA and Interfax news agencies reported the figure, saying that a list of victims had been made available to relatives.It came as thousands of residents held a rally in the city, demanding a full inquiry into what happened. Image: People grieve at a makeshift memorial in Kemerovo Protesters, many of them in tears, claimed authorities had been hiding the true death toll and that the number killed was higher.One of them shouted: “Why don’t they tell us the truth?”…

More than 130 Russian diplomats have been ordered to leave capital cities across the globe, as the West unites behind Britain over the Salisbury nerve agent attack. Some 60 Russians are to be expelled from the US, while suspected intelligence officers in Canada, Ukraine, Australia, Albania, Macedonia and a number of EU states will also be ejected.Forty-eight of those being kicked out of the US are attached to Russian diplomatic missions and the other 12 are accredited to the United Nations in New York. Video: Over 100 Russian diplomats expelled from countries across the globe in act of solidarity with…

A Scottish vehicle-hire group employing more than 500 people is on the brink of collapse, amid faltering hopes of a rescue deal. Sky News understands that TOM Vehicle Rental, which is based in Airdrie, could call in administrators within days following a frantic search for new investors.The company is majority-owned by Equistone Partners Europe, a private equity firm which acquired control of the business just 15 months ago.Sources said that EY, the professional services firm, had been conducting a process to bring in new funding to TOM and was being lined up to act as administrator to the company.The sharp…

A man has pleaded guilty to causing the deaths of brothers Corey and Casper Platt-May by dangerous driving in Coventry. Robert Brown, aged 53, crashed into the boys, aged six and two, as they walked to the park with their family.He will be sentenced on April 27 at the same court after Tyrone Smith QC, defending, said the presiding judge would need to watch “troubling” CCTV footage before passing sentence.Judge Anthony Potter told Brown: “I’m satisfied there’s good reason for adjournment in your case. In the meantime, you will be remanded into custody.”Brown remained calm in the dock at Warwick…

Russian President Vladimir Putin is trying to divide Britain from its allies, according to Britain’s defence secretary. Gavin Williamson, who is in Tallinn, Estonia, said the world’s patience was wearing thin with Mr Putin and his actions.He said the world was united behind the British, in a “powerful message to the Kremlin”.The Russian government hit back, saying Britain’s accusations over the nerve agent attack on a former spy in Salisbury “border on banditry”.Mr Williamson said the universal backing for Britain was in “itself a defeat for President Putin”.”The world’s patience is rather wearing thin with President Putin and his actions,…

The battle for the future of GKN became even more frantic on Monday as its chief executive was forced into an embarrassing climbdown. The engineering group retracted claims of shareholder support for its proposed future ownership as US group Dana increased its cash offer to buy GKN’s automotive unit, Driveline.It is the route favoured by GKN as it faces a separate, hostile, takeover approach from Melrose – a turnaround specialist.GKN hopes to merge its automotive business with Dana in a deal worth £4.3bn ($6.1bn). The British company would then focus on its aerospace business.The new sweetened offer would mean GKN…

The Children’s Commissioner for England has said the Government must put youngsters at the heart of the Northern Powerhouse project after a report has shown children in northern regions are falling behind their southern counterparts. Anne Longfield said children in the North West, North East and Yorkshire and the Humber are more likely to go to a poor school, do less well at secondary level, and leave school early.Her report found that a child on free school meals living in Hackney, east London, was three times more likely to go to university than a similar child in Hartlepool.And in London, children on…

A security guard switched off the public address system at a shopping centre in western Siberia where a deadly fire took hold, officials have said. Russia’s Investigative Committee also says fire exits at the mall in Kemerovo were blocked, and that “serious violations” have been discovered. It is looking for the guard. Video: Children and parents flee shopping mall fire At least 64 people have died and others are missing.Children are thought to be among the dead, local media said. Parents of missing youngsters have been posting pictures in an attempt to find them.Pictures broadcast on Russian television showed people…