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The first flight carrying British civilians out of Sudan has landed in Cyprus – as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the next 24 hours are “absolutely critical”.

A passenger plane with about 40 civilians on board landed at Larnaca airport, a spokesperson for Cyprus’s foreign ministry said.

Around 4,000 UK passport holders have been stranded in the east African country after heavy fighting broke out.

An RAF plane collected people from an airfield near Khartoum, with priority being given to families with children, the elderly and people with medical conditions.

And two more flights are expected overnight – though Britons will also have to reach the airfield themselves, negotiating checkpoints and potential outbreaks of fighting, as no escorts are being provided.

Evacuation effort begins for stranded Britons – Sudan latest

Africa minister Andrew Mitchell said all British nationals in the country who want to leave should head to the airstrip “before 8pm Khartoum time” – 7pm BST – to be processed for departure, but reiterated they would have to make it there “by their own steam”.

He also appealed to people to continue to register their location with the Foreign Office, and said the government was “continuing to work up other options to assist British nationals wanting to leave Sudan, including other points of exit.”

More than 1,200 personnel from 16 Air Assault Brigade, the Royal Marines and the RAF are involved: Pic: MoD
Image:
More than 1,400 military personnel are involved in the UK operation: Pics: MoD
An MoD-supplied image of personnel from the RAF's 40 Commando Brigade and the Joint Force Head Quarters, in Cyprus, ahead of their mission to Sudan
Ministry of Defence handout photo of personnel of 40 Commando Brigade and the Joint Force Head Quarters deployed to Cyprus in support of the FCDO Non-combatant Evacuate Operation to remove personnel from Sudan receive early morning briefs, prepare and depart RAF Akrotiri on C-130 Hercules aircraft. Around 1,400 military personnel are involved in the "large-scale" evacuation of UK nationals after a three-day ceasefire was agreed. Issue date: Tuesday April 25, 2023.
A Hercules took off from Cyprus on Tuesday morning. Pic: MoD

It appears to be a race against time as there are fears over whether a 72-hour ceasefire, which began late on Monday, will hold.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said it was “impossible for us to predict how long this opportunity will last”.

Around 1,400 military personnel are believed to be involved in the UK operation.

The first Hercules left Sudan this morning, according to a flight-tracking site, and landed at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus this afternoon.

It is understood to have been carrying an advance team, rather than people evacuated from Khartoum.

An RAF Hercules was tracked leaving Sudan and heading towards Cyprus. Pic: Flightradar24
Image:
An RAF Hercules was tracked leaving Sudan and heading towards Cyprus. Pic: Flightradar24

Mr Mitchell said around 200 people were working in a crisis centre in the Foreign Office “day and night”, with a range of government departments “joined at the hip”.

The PM visited staff earlier to thank them for their work, telling them: “Keep at it… the next 24 hours are absolutely critical.

“We can make a big push as we’re already doing and you can help us get everyone who wants to come home, home.”

The government has faced criticism for evacuating diplomatic staff two days before a full evacuation of British nationals began.

But Mr Sunak said he had been chairing emergency meetings on the crisis everyday since Thursday – including one his minister revealed took place at 3.15am on Saturday morning – and he was “pleased that we were actually one of the first countries to safely evacuate our diplomats and their families”.

He added: “It was right that we prioritise them, because they were being specifically targeted.

“Now, the security situation on the ground in Sudan is complicated, it is volatile and we wanted to make sure we could put in place processes that are going to work for people, that are going to be safe and effective and we now have over 100 people on the ground in Sudan.

“The first flight has already left with British nationals, we’ll have more flights this evening, and we’ll have many more into tomorrow and that is down to the hard work of lots of people and we will keep at it.”

Speaking to the Foreign Affairs committee, Mr Mitchell was also questioned as to why other countries – namely France – had already carried out evacuations of their citizens and was asked if the country was doing a better job.

“No I don’t,” he said. “I think everyone is going about this in their own way [and] we have a much larger number of citizens to take out.”

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Sudan ‘fundamentally different’ to Afghanistan – Cleverly

About 4,000 UK passport holders are thought to be trapped in Sudan as rival military factions battle for control.

Hundreds of people have died since the fighting started on 15 April and the evacuation comes after days of pressure for a plan to get Britons out.

Food and fuel have soared in price, electricity and internet are cut off in much of the country and the clashes have left governments scrambling to get their citizens and diplomats out.

Mr Cleverly said contact had been made with leaders of the two factions “calling on them to allow British nationals, dual nationals and minors to be evacuated”.

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Briton escapes Sudan on French flight

Sky’s Alistair Bunkall – in Cyprus – saw the first flight take off from RAF Akrotiri and said many more are likely to follow considering the number of people who need evacuating.

It takes about three and a half hours to travel from the Mediterranean base to Sudan.

The Foreign Office said it is also looking at other potential “points of exit” – possibly by sea via Port Sudan, according to Bunkall.

Two ships, RFA Cardigan Bay and HMS Lancaster, are being lined up in case they are needed, said the Foreign Office.

The airborne evacuations carry obvious risks for the RAF, such as potential exposure to gunfire or even missiles, according to Sky’s defence editor Deborah Haynes.

Although they shouldn’t be targeted, she said there is “always the possibility of a mistake, a miscalculation or a deliberate attack given the chaos and unpredictably on the ground”.

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Streets of Khartoum devastated by fighting

Read more:
Which countries have evacuated their citizens from Sudan?
What’s happening in Sudan?

Some UK citizens have manged to escape on evacuation flights operated by other countries.

Germany, Italy, Spain and France are among those that have already rescued hundreds of people from dozens of countries on their own flights.

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An elderly woman could be seen being helped off the military plane.

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However, the Foreign Office said only British passport holders would be able to get a place on the UK planes.

Britain’s diplomats and their families were evacuated over the weekend in a precarious mission by elite troops that took place under the cover of darkness.

Some senior Foreign Office officials will be at the airstrip to coordinate the evacuations.

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Ben Wallace has told MPs that 120 British forces had arrived at an airfield in Sudan to help with the evacuation of British nationals, but warned the situation continued to remain ‘volatile’.

The violence in Sudan comes after rival generals fell out over a deal to incorporate the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) group into the military.

The army and RSF mounted a coup together in 2021 after long-time ruler Omar al Bashir was overthrown in a popular uprising two years earlier.

However, their relationship broke down during negotiations to integrate and form a civilian government.

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The father of Jihad al Shamie has called for unity, one week on from deadly attack

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The father of Jihad al Shamie has called for unity, one week on from deadly attack

The father of the Manchester synagogue attacker has called for unity, as the community marked one week on from the assault which claimed the lives of two men.

People gathered outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation in Crumpsall at 9.30am, the time of the attack last Thursday, to pray and mourn the victims.

Pic: PA
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Pic: PA

Pic: PA
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Pic: PA

Jihad al Shamie was shot dead by police after launching his car and knife attack as worshippers gathered on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.

In a statement posted on Facebook, al Shamie’s father Faraj wrote: “The recent tragic act of terror has brought deep pain – to our family and to the families of the victims. Our hearts and prayers are with them.

“No one should ever experience such suffering again. We must all stand together – united, vigilant and compassionate – to prevent such acts and protect the peace of our communities.”

Adrian Daulby, 53, is believed to have been shot dead by police while attempting to prevent al Shamie from entering the synagogue.

Mervyn Cravitz, 66, also died while trying to keep the attacker from entering the building. Three other people remain in hospital.

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Manchester synagogue terrorist: what we know now

Rabbi Daniel Walker told the congregation that “evil will not prevail” and called for “deep resolve” from the community.

There was applause from the crowd for Greater Manchester Police, with a large presence of officers at the event, for their response on the day of the attack.

Raphi Bloom, a board member of the Jewish Representative Council, said there was a feeling of anger in the community as “we were screaming this would happen and no one listened”.

He told Sky News: “Our feelings are still of mourning, of fear and of isolation. We feel very alone. We’re very, very angry that this was allowed to happen and fearful that it will happen again.

“But we won’t be cowed and we won’t be beaten.”

Read more:
Attacker was ‘monster’ who ‘tried every door’
Ex-wife of man injured in attack says he ‘no longer wants to live in UK’

All six people who were arrested and questioned by police on suspicion of terrorism offences have now been released without charge.

Counter Terrorism Policing North West Assistant Chief Constable Rob Potts said: “This does not mean our investigation has concluded.”

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Police: Synagogue attacker ‘made 999 call’

Police have confirmed that al Shamie dialled 999 during the attack, claiming responsibility and pledging allegiance to Islamic State.

They have reiterated that he had never been referred to the government’s anti-terror Prevent programme and was not known to counter-terror policing.

“This remains a live counter terrorism investigation,” they said.

Events have been taking place across the country to mark one week on from the attack.

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Phones creating ‘epidemic of disconnection’ in families, says Princess of Wales

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Phones creating 'epidemic of disconnection' in families, says Princess of Wales

The Princess of Wales has said smartphones and computer screens create “an epidemic of disconnection” within families.

Kate’s words – in an essay co-written with a Harvard professor – come ahead of a visit to Oxford to highlight her work on early years education and support.

In the piece, she says that “while new technology has many benefits, we must also acknowledge that it plays a complex and often troubling role in this epidemic of disconnection”.

“While digital devices promise to keep us connected, they frequently do the opposite,” writes the princess.

“Our smartphones, tablets, and computers have become sources of constant distraction, fragmenting our focus and preventing us from giving others the undivided attention that relationships require.”

Emphasising how she believes technology can interfere in family life, she adds: “We sit together in the same room while our minds are scattered across dozens of apps, notifications, and feeds.

“We’re physically present but mentally absent, unable to fully engage with the people right in front of us.

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“This technological interference strikes at something fundamental: our undivided attention is the most precious gift we can give another person. Yet, increasingly, it’s the most difficult gift to offer.”

The Prince and Princess of Wales have previously spoken about the potentially harmful effects of social media.

Kate says technology is increasingly interfering in family life
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Kate says technology is increasingly interfering in family life

In a recent interview, Prince William revealed that their three children, George, Charlotte and Louis, currently don’t have mobile phones, and that they try to have dinner together.

Kate’s essay, titled The Power of Human Connection in a Distracted World, was released by her Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood and written in collaboration with Professor Robert Waldinger.

Read more from Sky News:
William hints at ‘changes’ to come when he is king
William says he misses late Queen and Prince Philip

Kate first met the Harvard academic in 2022 and he’s worked closely with the Royal Foundation ever since.

“We live increasingly lonelier lives, which research shows is toxic to human health, and it’s our young people (aged 16 to 24) that report being the loneliest of all, the very generation that should be forming the relationships that will sustain them throughout life,” write the princess and the professor.

Later today, the princess will visit Home‑Start Oxford to meet volunteers and families, and talk about how they are using resources and films produced by the Centre for Early Childhood to help parents and children.

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Murderer jailed for attacking Glasgow man with ‘napalm cocktail’ before stabbing him in heart

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Murderer jailed for attacking Glasgow man with 'napalm cocktail' before stabbing him in heart

A murderer who threw “prison napalm” over a man before stabbing him in the heart has been jailed for at least 20 years.

Gavin Gallagher, 33, claimed he was acting in self-defence when he launched the boiling water and sugar mix over Stephen Gray, 23, before knifing him.

However, he was convicted of murder and accused of staging the crime scene in an attempt to cover his tracks.

In his sentencing statement, Judge Lord Mulholland told Gallagher: “I was not surprised that the jury rejected self-defence and provocation.

“It seemed to me that your defence of self-defence was staged, and your lies unravelled.”

Stephen Gray. Pic: Police Scotland
Image:
Stephen Gray. Pic: Police Scotland

The fatal attack occurred at a block of flats in Glasgow’s Southcroft Street on 3 November 2023.

Lord Mulholland said Mr Gray was bare chested when Gallagher threw the boiling water and sugar mix over him.

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The concoction is often referred to as “prison napalm” due to being used by inmates during assaults.

The judge said the vast majority of burns were to Mr Gray’s back.

Lord Mulholland said: “He was bare chested, and the burns caused by what you did must have been very painful. You can see that from the photographs of his injuries.”

Gallagher then stabbed Mr Gray twice with a large kitchen knife.

The judge said: “One of these blows penetrated his heart and caused massive bleeding which led to his death. This injury was unsurvivable.

“You then did what you could to set up a defence of self-defence in an attempt to cover your tracks.

“You placed a knife alongside his dying body and said to a neighbour that it was the deceased’s knife.

“You told anyone who would listen that you killed him in self-defence.”

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Sentencing of ‘evil Jesus’ postponed
Man arrested over deadly California fire

Gallagher was convicted of murder at the High Court in Glasgow last month.

He returned to the dock for sentencing on Wednesday, when he was handed a life sentence with at least 20 years in jail.

Detective Superintendent Hannah Edward said: “Our thoughts remain with the family and friends of Stephen and while we know nothing can change what has happened, I hope this brings them some degree of closure as they try to move forward.

“This was a shocking attack and Gallagher will now face the consequences of his despicable actions.”

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