Sheffield City Trust have cancelled the proposed visit of US evangelist Franklin Graham over hate speech concerns. The controversial preacher, with a record of homophobic statements, was due to speak at an event at Sheffield Arena in June. After protests from the LGBTQ+ community, Sheffield Council intervened and urged the trust to cancel the event. Luke Allan Roberts an equality campaigner welcomed the decision to cancel the event. Baillor Jalloh reports for Sheffield Live!
Underperforming rail company Northern Rail is to be brought under government control following months of major disruption. Since a time table change in 2018, Northern Rail has struggled to meet performance targets. Baillor Jalloh reports for Sheffield Live!
Two children were taken to hospital after a school bus, carrying 25 pupils, crashed in Handsworth Road, on Wednesday morning. The bus was taking pupils to Sheffield Girls’ High School and Birkdale School in Broomhill. Baillor Jalloh reports for Sheffield Live!
Around a hundred people from LGBTQ+ communities and allies joined a protest outside Ponds Forge International Sports Centre against a planned visit, to be hosted by Sheffield International Venues, of US preacher Franklin Graham. Graham has been accused of promoting homophobic and Islamaphobic views which protesters say constitute hate speech and represent a risk to social cohesion. They are calling for his planned visit to Sheffield in June be cancelled. Baillor Jalloh reports for Sheffield Live!
South Yorkshire Police have promised Arbourthorne residents to deploy more community patrol officers to reduce crime in the area following the suspected murder of a 54 year old man and a recent, unrelated shooting incident. On Wednesday senior police officers, MPs and local councillors met with residents in the estate to discuss the way forward on how to police the area and create opportunities to help engage young people. Bailor Jalloh reports for Sheffield Live!
Sheffield Hallam University has formerly opened its Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre which will investigate and develop innovations to increase physical activity and improve population health. The centre, based at the Olympic Legacy Park on the site of the former Don Valley stadium, will host world leading research into approaches to prevent and treat chronic disease through physical activity. Baillor Jalloh reports for Sheffield Live!
Police have made an arrest and are seeking witnesses following what they describe as the “suspicious” death of a man in Arbourthorne on Tuesday morning. Officers say they were called by the ambulance service following a report that a 54-year-old man had been found at the bottom of a block of flats in Brimmesfield Close. Baillor Jalloh reports for Sheffield Live!
Sheffield City Region Mayor Dan Jarvis has said he is backing Lisa Nandy in the Labour leadership election. The Barnsley MP told Sheffield Live! he believes Nandy understands the challenges facing the North of England and that she is a capable leader. She is one of four candidates who are still in contention. alongside Rebecca Long-Bailey, Emily Thornberry and Sir Keir Starmer. Baillor Jalloh reports.
Dozens of people joined a Sheffield march at the weekend to highlight the plight of refugees and migrants stranded in Libyan detention centres and at risk of torture, rape or being sold into slavery. Since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 Libya has been divided by competing military factions. Migrants and refugees face indefinite detention in notoriously dangerous holding centres which have been condemned by United Nations observers. Tchiyiwe Chihana reports for Sheffield Live!
Political leaders have agreed this week to move forward with a South Yorkshire devolution deal nearly five years after the deal was initially announced. Under the original deal struck in October 2015 the Sheffield City Region deal would grant a directly elected mayor powers over transport, strategic planning and skills, as well as £900M investment over 30 years. In an interview with Sheffield Live! Sheffield City Region Mayor, Dan Jarvis, said: “It’s a really good deal, everybody is a winner, there are no losers.”