the record rainfall that has hit cumbria and lancashire.e update is that we have just one severe flood warning still in place and power has been restored to 168,000 homes and the west coast main line is open. but we have to be there for the long term for these families. we continue to support the immediate rescue efforts, and the military have deployed. on recovery and the question the -- she asks about, i can today announce a £50 million fund for families and businesses affected in the area. this will be administered by the local authorities to avoid some of the administrative problems she alludes to in her question. when it comes to rebuilding the infrastructure of cumbria, lancashire and other areas affected, we are assessing now the damage to the flood defenses and to the roads. funds will be made available. one of the benefits of having a strong and resilient economy is we can help people in need. ms. eagle: i thank the chancellor for that answer but, from listening to him, you would not think that he has cut flood defense spending by

in lancashire the roads flooded. some families who were evacuated returned this evening to assess damage and salvage possessions. but the cleanup here will take months. >> this is the first time we've been in this state. robert's been here 50 years. hugh et has been here 20 years and never, this is totally unprecedented. >> reporter: efforts to keep the waters at bay were seemingly futile and the army was drafted in. >> believe' be we've been going to the houses and asking people to leave, helping them to evacuate their property or registering whether they say they want to leave. and taking their information. >> there we go. >> oh, my god. >> reporter: the force of the floodwaters swept away the red rocks foot bridge on the river darwin. while in dell, homeowners attempted to bail out their properties as the river levels continued to rise. parts of manchester city central were submerged. the m-62 motor way were shut after a sinkhole appeared. with it continuing to fall this evening, residents are wondering when it wi

some 500 soldiers have been deal with the unprecedented flooding in lancashire and northern england. 1000 more remain on standby. more rain is forecast for later in the week. over 25 flood warnings have been issued for england and wales. critics have called for a complete rethink of the country's defenses. prime minister david cameron says future plans will be reviewed. prime minister cameron: after any one of these events, it makes sense to sit down, workout are we doing this in the right way? do we need to do more? we will ask all of those questions. downing street says emergency assistance is available for homeowners and businesses affected. ave been00 homes h flooded and leads alone. the government was previously flood was aa major catastrophe waiting to happen. the damage could exceed two billion euros. you to the's take top world news stories we are following. in several south american countries, flooding has forced many to flee their homes. compounded by summer heat and mosquitoes as the summer sets in. many more are also impacted in argentina, uruguay, and southern brazil. an

lifeboat crews and soldiers rescued hundreds trapped in their homes across cumbria and lancashire. the waters contaminated. you have petrol cars. sewage. all kinds of diseases. you have stuff underneath the water. desmond flooded some homes with a meter of water and lift 50,000 people without power. carlisle united's football ground seen here was inundated. team members have offered to help clean flooded homes. boat is the only method of transport for these residents. >> we saw the water coming up. it was quite frightening. claire: the local and national authorities flood defenses after severe flooding in the area 10 years ago. the fact that it has happened again have left -- has left many frustrated. >> it hasn't worked. it's not just the flood defenses. it's sewage as well. the pressure was pushing the water up. winde: heavy rain and subsided on sunday, but more rain has been forecast for later in the week. genie: this is france 24. let's take a look at today's headlines. round one of the french regional elections cements the anti-immigration anti-eu party's grassroots rise acros

in lancashire, the raf was back in action, lowering sandbags.repetitive but vital work. >> well done. can i shake your hand? danny: the labor leader jeremy corbin came to see the damage . >> the only people work in helping me is the cleveland fire rescue service. danny: 10 those left angry because they feel they didn't get enough help. do you think it makes a difference for high-profile pill people to come? >> definitely. yeah, definitely. it makes a big difference for people to turn out. but after the high-profile visitors have gone this carries on, the people living in cities affected by flooding over the last month, this will happen again if the heavy rain comes. the hope is that the weather will hold for the next few days at least to allow the northern floodplains to drain and communities to recover. danny savage, bbc news. kasia: for some of you watching, it is already 2016. for us in london, there are a few hours left of 2015. how will you remember it? here are thoughts from us about the most memorable stories of the year. , evenll the pre

in lancashire, northwest of london, many had to be rescued by boat and the military was deployed to stack sandbags. fedex said stormy weather is partly to blame for late holiday packages. on this night after christmas, deliveries. here's marlie hall. >> reporter: for this customer, fedex was a day late, and he was more than a dollar short. >> it's december 26, and this package just showed up. looks pretty nice, doesn't it? yeah. good work, fedex. thanks. >> reporter: others took to social media, where hashtag fedex fail is trending. one person wrote, "so much for the guaranteed two-day delivery. i want my money back." while some came to the carrier's defense. "they can't control the weather." and "did you wait until the last minute to place your order?" prchristmas storms in the south and deadly tornadoes slowed deliveries. employees, who volunteered to work, delivered thousands of packages on christmas day, and the company opened some pickup centers on christmas morning for customers to get their packages. but for this man, it was all too late. he picked up a gift for his eve. >> wanted

warnings across england, wales, and scotland, and a string of red alerts largely in the counties of lancashire in the northwest and yorkshire. this area is known as the backbone of england. according to the environmental agency these red alerts are only issue first degree there is deem to be potential loss of life, and people there have been warned to evacuate quickly if ordered to do so. according to the environment agency within the course of a day, 13 inches. 33 centimeters of rain. that much rain is expected to fall within the counties of york suryorkshire and this is making life for people miserable, indeed. according to the meteorological office, it looks that things are set to get even worse before they improve. >> this is a damage limitation exercise now. the government is saying this is about protecting lives, businesses, people's homes. and i see as well that the cobra committee, they have been meeting at 10 downing street as well. >> well, that's right. the emergency committee will not rest on christmas day. they'll make sure that people and their livelihoods are looked after. but t