Singing, dancing, hugging and crying. Hundreds of Syrians have gathered in Manchester city centre to celebrate the end of the regime, a regime many fled in fear of their lives.
Their faces are full of joy and tears as years of fear, worry and disappointment make way for hope.
They wave flags saying “freedom” and cheer as an impromptu fireworks display lights up the sky.
Many refugees said they’ve dreamt of this moment for years. I’ve never been approached by so many people wanting to tell their story.
After years of repression, they want the world to hear what they’ve been through.
Refugee Yasmin said her words are her weapon, which is why she had to flee Syria. But now she no longer has to be quiet.
Image: Yasmin says she’s ‘ecstatic’ the regime was overthrown without bloodshed
“It’s an indescribable joy to see your country of origin liberated in the way that it’s been liberated – without any bloodshed, without any destruction, without any division,” Yasmin told Sky News.
After years away, she said she hopes to return home soon – a sentiment shared by many at the celebration.
Yasser has been in the UK since 2015 when he came to Manchester as a refugee. But, like many who fled the civil war, he still has close family back in Syria.
“Every moment there they could be in danger,” he said. “But finally this dream has become true now.
“I was welcomed very well from the Mancunian people – I am very, very happy to stay here, but I’m looking forward to the first flight to Syria to go back.”
Image: Yasser says he was welcomed in Manchester but can’t wait to return home
Some people at the celebration are unsure if their relatives are still alive.
Amneh was jailed for six months and tortured by a regime she likened to Nazi Germany. She sobbed as she said she could now return to help build a “new Syria”.
“In my dream I cannot imagine we will arrive to this moment,” she said.
“Do you know what happened now – the dictator is done! The freedom for Syria – we paid a huge price for that.”
Image: Hundreds gathered in Manchester to celebrate a new dawn for Syria
Three of Amneh’s brothers were also sent to prison, but she’s had no news about them and isn’t sure if they are still alive.
“We are full [of] hope, full [of] pain – because I lost my three brothers, and for other detainees still missing,” she said.
“[But] I feel hopeful because I want to look forward to the future, to rebuild a new Syria with justice, with democracy for every single person.”
“While we had hoped to bring Mr Doughty’s family better news, we are thankful to be able to provide them with some closure,” said special agent Kristin Rehler.
“This discovery is the direct result of our partnerships and special agents from FBI Jacksonville’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team (CAST), who were relentless in their efforts to narrow down potential search locations.”
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has said Runcorn needs a new Labour MP after Mike Amesbury was jailed for beating up a constituent – and will keep his £91,000 MPs salary in prison.
She told Wilfred Froston Sky News Breakfast: “Whether it is resigning or through recall, everyone’s clear – the people of Runcorn deserve better representation, and that would come by having a newly elected MP.”
Amesbury, who has been an MP since 2017, remains as the MP for Runcorn and Helsby after being jailed for 10 weeks on Monday.
He had at an earlier hearing pleaded guilty to assaulting Paul Fellows, 45 by punching him to the ground and hitting him five more times in Frodsham, Cheshire, after a night out last October.
He has not resigned, despite calls for him to do so.
The 55-year-old MP will keep receiving his £91,000 salary while in prison because parliamentary rules state a recall petition, which kickstarts a by-election, can only happen once an appeal period for a custodial sentence of a year or less is exhausted.
Amesbury’s lawyer stated in court he would be appealing the 10-week sentence, of which the MP will serve four weeks in HMP Altcourse in Liverpool.
There is also no mechanism to stop pay for MPs, unless they are suspended from the House of Commons, which has not yet happened for Amesbury.
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CCTV shows Labour MP punch man
Ms Cooper added: “It’s completely unacceptable what has happened. No matter who you are. No one is above the law.”
On whether the government is considering changing the law so MPs who receive a prison sentence can no longer serve as an MP, Ms Cooper said: “I think these are matters, obviously, for the parliamentary authorities and processes that is separate from the decisions government make.
“But we are clear we need a new representation in Runcorn.”
Conservative shadow minister Victoria Atkins told Sky News the public and MPs have been “disgusted” by Amesbury keeping his job and called for the rules to be changed.
“I find it extraordinary that someone can claim their salary from their prison cell when their job is to be here in parliament, representing their constituents,” she said.
“I think the government needs to look at this and we will look at these measures very, very carefully, whatever they bring forward.
“I share the public’s disgust that a Labour MP is sitting in prison, serving a prison sentence because he beat up a constituent.”
After the judge left the courtroom in Chester on Monday, following sentencing, Amesbury’s lawyer asked for him to return and requested bail while he appealed the sentence.
Judge Tan Ikram returned to the court, sat down, paused briefly and said: “Application refused.”
The head of NHS England has announced she is standing down.
Amanda Pritchard was the first woman to take on the role in 2021, having previously served as NHS England’s chief operating officer, and before that, the former head of Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust.
Her decision to step down comes weeks after MPs on the cross-party Commons public accounts and health and social care committees accused her of lacking the “drive and dynamism” to radically reform the service.
It has been a “hugely difficult decision for me to stand down”, she said in a statement on Tuesday.
“I believe now is the right time – with the NHS making continued progress in our recovery, and with the foundations firmly in place to deliver the 10 Year Health Plan.”
She said it had been “an enormous privilege to lead the NHS in England through what has undoubtedly been the most difficult period in its history”.
“The NHS is full of extraordinary people, who do extraordinary things every day for patients,” she said, adding: “I am confident they will continue to achieve incredible things for patients now, and into the future.”
Image: Ms Pritchard giving evidence to MPs in the House of Commons earlier this month. Pic: PA
MPs on the health and social care committee earlier this month said they were disappointed and frustrated by the “lengthy and diffuse answers” Ms Pritchard and other officials gave them under questioning.
Last week, she admitted “we’re not all brilliant performers at committee hearings” as she was challenged on the issue on BBC Breakfast.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said Ms Pritchard could be “enormously proud” of her tenure.
He said: “Amanda can be enormously proud of the leadership she has given in the face of the biggest health emergency for our country in modern history, as well as steering NHS England during turbulent political waters and six secretaries of state in her time as chief executive.
“She has led with integrity and unwavering commitment.”
NHS England said that having discussed everything with Mr Streeting in recent months – and now that the NHS has “turned a corner on recovery from the pandemic and the foundations are in place to make the necessary changes to the centre to best support the wider NHS” – Ms Pritchard had “decided now is the right time to stand down”.
Sir James Mackey will take over as “transition” chief executive from the first of April on a secondment basis, it said.
He is the chief executive of Newcastle Hospitals Foundation Trust and national director of elective recovery.
Ms Pritchard, who is married with three children and studied modern history at St Anne’s College, Oxford, was also deputy chief executive at Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Trust.