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.”
Sheffield Council has launched a citywide celebration of creativity and the written word under the banner Sheffield Year of Reading 2020 with an invitation to all to take part. The aim is to encourage people from all walks of life to read books, journals or articles and to help younger children develop key reading skills. Baillor Jalloh reports for Sheffield Live!
A group of Arbourthorne residents have come together to call a public meeting after a spike in violent knife and gun crime in the area, including the shooting of a 12 year old boy at the weekend. Organisers of the meeting say that they are inviting all residents to attend, together with local councillors and the police, to discuss what needs to be done to make the area safe for residents. Baillor Jalloh reports for Sheffield Live!
Sheffield Council has announced plans to invest £500m in the next 5 years to build new social housing and improve existing ones. The investment is part of the local authority’s business plan for the year 2020/2021. Baillor Jalloh reports for Sheffield Live!
The GMB union has called on the government to help steel firms in the UK after Liberty Steel announced plans to axe nearly three hundred jobs in South Yorkshire. Around 250 jobs in Stocksbridge, 17 in Rotherham, and 15 in Brinsworth are under threat as well as 70 in Newport, South Wales. Liberty Steel has blamed “challenging” market conditions and a reduction in demand for UK steel products. Sheffield Live! reporter Baillor Jalloh spoke to William Dalton, regional organiser for the GMB union in South Yorkshire.
An Iranian community activist living in Sheffield has condemned the killing of General Qasseim Sulleimani by a US drone strike. In an interview with Sheffield Live! Manuchehr said he believes Sulleimani had active roles in conflicts across the region but the assassination was “against international law”. Baillor Jalloh reports for Sheffield Live!
Sheffield tree campaigners have asked the Council to apologise after a new report revealed that many felled trees could have been saved by simple repairs. The joint report by Sheffield Council, Amey and Sheffield Trees Action Group contradicts the local authority’s claim that there were no easy engineering solutions to save hundreds of healthy trees. Baillor Jalloh reports for Sheffield Live!
Thousands of people have had their names engraved onto a 2.4 metre-high steel heart sculpture which has been unveiled at Meadowhall to raise money for heart research. The British Heart Foundation is raising funds for research into new treatments and cures for heart and circulatory diseases, including heart disease, stroke, vascular dementia and risk factors such as diabetes. The Heart of Steel sculpture has already raised more than £500,000 since it was designed by artist Steve Mehdi. Baillor Jalloh reports for Sheffield Live!