‘Leave immediately,’ Starmer tells Britons in Lebanon – as UK troops sent to Cyprus
The prime minister has told Britons in Lebanon to “leave immediately” as around 700 UK troops are deployed to Cyprus in case an emergency evacuation is needed.
Sir Keir Starmer said “we are ramping up the contingency plans… in light of the escalation”, with fears growing of all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah.
“It is important that we be really, really clear: now is the time to leave,” the PM said.
Defence Secretary John Healey – who chaired a meeting of the UK’s emergency COBRA committee earlier – also urged all Britons to leave Lebanon “now”.
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Two British warships are already in the region and would be used if any evacuation operation is ordered. Royal Air Force planes and helicopters are also on standby.
A major UK military base in Cyprus – RAF Akrotiri – would be an important staging post.
The deployment of military personnel will happen in the coming hours. They will be supported by Border Force and Foreign Office officials.
The move marks a significant ramping up of UK efforts to prepare for a potential large-scale evacuation operation – a complex and dangerous move that has long been anticipated as a possibility given the volatility on the ground.
RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus would be an important staging post for an evacuation. File pic
A government statement described it as “the first phase of its contingency plans following significant escalation between Israel and Hezbollah in recent days”.
Thousands of British nationals are in Lebanon.
Sir Keir said he was “worried about the situation” in Lebanon, adding: “I think we need to be clear we need de-escalation, we need a ceasefire, we need to pull back from the brink.”
In a sign of growing concern, Mr Healey left the Labour Party conference early to chair the COBRA meeting of ministers as well as intelligence chiefs and diplomats.
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Israel vows to continue attacks on Lebanon
“Events in the past hours and days have demonstrated how volatile this situation is, which is why our message is clear, British nationals should leave now,” the defence secretary said in a statement afterwards.
“We continue to urge all sides to step back from conflict to prevent further tragic loss of life. Our government is ensuring all preparations are in place to support British nationals should the situation deteriorate. I want to thank the British personnel who are deploying in the region for their commitment and professionalism.”
HMS Duncan, a Type 45 destroyer, and RFA Mounts Bay, a Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship, are already in the eastern Mediterranean ready to mobilise.
It is not the first time this year that the military has scrambled to prepare for a potential evacuation of British nationals from Lebanon.
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Middle East: Latest from Sky News as conflict escalates
Just last month, more than 1,000 military personnel were on standby in Cyprus and the UK to mobilise as tensions soared. That level of readiness was subsequently eased but it is now being ramped back up, with the crisis far more grave.
In the past week, Israel has launched its biggest offensive against Hezbollah – which is backed by Iran – since the two sides went to war in 2006. Hezbollah’s military wing is considered a terrorist organisation by the UK government.
The operation began with the detonation of thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies used by the group – though Israel has not confirmed it was behind this covert hybrid attack.
It quickly evolved into overt warfare, with Israeli jets launching punishing waves of airstrikes. The Israel Defence Forces said they targeted Hezbollah weapons sites and killed a number of senior commanders. However hundreds of people have been killed and thousands injured, including women and children.
Tens of thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes in southern Lebanon.
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‘Lebanon will pay a big price if war escalates’
The Israeli government says the aim of its operation is to stop Hezbollah from being able to fire into northern Israel – something the militant group has done since a day after the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel, which triggered the war in Gaza.
The Hezbollah strikes have forced tens of thousands of Israeli citizens to flee their homes in the north of Israel. The government says it wants to enable them to return home – a goal that Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah – has vowed to thwart.
The Israeli operation – which has dealt a punishing blow to Hezbollah – raises the possibility of Hezbollah using its arsenal of longer rage missiles to hit targets deeper inside Israeli territory – such a move would almost certainly trigger an Israeli ground attack.
Nigel Farage has told Sky News he “can’t be pushed or bullied” by anybody after Elon Musk said the Reform MP “doesn’t have what it takes” to lead his party.
In an interview with Sky’s political correspondent Ali Fortescue, Mr Farage said he has spoken with the billionaire owner of X since his criticism on 5 January, when Mr Musk said: “The Reform Party needs a new leader. Farage doesn’t have what it takes.”
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Asked if the pair are still friends, Mr Farage said: “Of course we’re friends. He just says what he thinks at any moment in time.”
He added he has “been in touch” with Mr Musk, though wouldn’t divulge what they had discussed.
“Look, he said lots of supportive things. He said one thing that wasn’t supportive. I mean, that’s just the way it is,” Mr Farage said.
Musk and Farage met in December. Pic: PA
Asked if he was afraid to criticise the tech mogul, the Clacton MP said the situation was “the opposite”, and he openly disagreed with Mr Musk on his views on far-right activist Tommy Robinson.
Mr Farage said: “What he [Musk] was saying online was that effectively Tommy Robinson was a political prisoner and I wouldn’t go along with that.
“If I had gone along with that, he wouldn’t have put out a tweet that was against me.
“By the way, you know, I can’t be pushed or bullied or made to change by anybody.
“I stick to what I believe.”
Mr Musk has endorsed Robinson and claimed he was “telling the truth” about grooming gangs, writing on X: “Free Tommy Robinson”.
But Mr Farage said that Robinson, who is serving an 18-month jail term for contempt of court, isn’t welcome in Reform UK and neither are his supporters.
He said: “If people within Reform think Tommy Robinson should be a member of Reform and play a central role in Reform, that disagreement is absolutely fundamental.
“I’ve never wanted to work with people who were active in the BNP. I’ve made that clear right throughout the last decade of my on/off political career. So that’s what the point of difference is.”
Despite their disagreement, Mr Farage said he is confident Mr Musk will continue to support Reform and “may well” still give money to it.
The entrepreneur has previously spoken positively about Reform UK and there have been suggestions he could make a multi-million-pound donation in its favour.
Devolution plans ‘denial of democracy’
Mr Farage was speaking from Reform’s South East of England Conference, one of a series of regional events aimed at building up the party’s support base.
Elsewhere in the interview, he hit out at the Labour government’s devolution plans which could see some local elections scheduled for May postponed.
This would apply when councils seek permission to reorganise, so that smaller district authorities merge with other nearby ones to give them more sway over their area.
Mr Farage, who is hoping to make gains in the spring contests, claimed the plans are not about devolution but about “elections being cancelled”.
“I thought only dictators cancelled elections. This is unbelievable and devolution or a change to local government structures is being used as an excuse,” he said.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage earlier this month. Pic: PA
He claimed Tory-controlled councils are “grabbing it like it’s a life belt”, because they fear losing seats to Reform.
“It’s an absolute denial of democracy,” he added.
Mr Farage was also asked why many Reform members don’t like to speak on camera about why they support his party.
He said he did not accept there was a toxicity associated with Reform and claimed there was “institutional bias against anybody that isn’t left of centre”.
Specialist search teams, police dogs and divers have been dispatched to find two sisters who vanished in Aberdeen three days ago.
Eliza and Henrietta Huszti, both 32, were last seen on CCTV in the city’s Market Street at Victoria Bridge at about 2.12am on Tuesday.
The siblings were captured crossing the bridge and turning right onto a footpath next to the River Dee in the direction of Aberdeen Boat Club.
Henrietta Huszti. Pic: Police Scotland
Eliza Huszti. Pic: Police Scotland
Police Scotland has launched a major search and said it is carrying out “extensive inquires” in an effort to find the women.
Chief Inspector Darren Bruce said: “Local officers, led by specialist search advisors, are being assisted by resources including police dogs and our marine unit.”
Aberdeenshire Drone Services told Sky News it has offered to help in the search and is waiting to hear back from Police Scotland.
CCTV of the sisters. Pic: Police Scotland
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The sisters, from Aberdeen city centre, are described as slim with long brown hair.
Police said the Torry side of Victoria Bridge where the sisters were last seen contains many commercial and industrial units, with searches taking place in the vicinity.
The force urged businesses in and around the South Esplanade and Menzies Road area to review CCTV footage recorded in the early hours of Tuesday in case it captured anything of significance.
Drivers with relevant dashcam footage are also urged to come forward.
CI Bruce added: “We are continuing to speak to people who know Eliza and Henrietta and we urge anyone who has seen them or who has any information regarding their whereabouts to please contact 101.”
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