The UK's Coalition Government Heads For A Split
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The ruling Labour government may have won by a landslide, but the government — and the country — is far from united.
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Yahoo
11 minutes ago
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British woman stranded in Israel remains in dark about evacuation flights
A British woman stranded in Israel said she has still not heard from the Government about chartered evacuation flights – despite registering and paying hundreds of pounds last week. The first RAF flight set off from Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv on Monday afternoon carrying 63 British passengers, who landed in Cyprus and were then flown back to Birmingham Airport, where they arrived in the early hours of Tuesday. In the days since, more Britons have made the journey home as part of the Government's evacuation strategy. It comes as Israeli airspace reopened on Monday after being closed for 10 days following the start of the conflict between Israel and Iran on June 13. British-Israeli Mali Smith, 66, said she has not heard from the Foreign Office since registering for the repatriation flights on Wednesday June 18, leading her to book a flight home to London for 600 US dollars (£439) as she 'can't bear the stress anymore'. Mrs Smith, a solicitor born in Tel Aviv but who now lives in Hampstead Garden Suburb, London, with her husband, had arrived in Israel on June 11 to see her mother and friends. The mother-of-two has twice booked flights to Luton Airport, one with Wizz Air and one with Israir, which were both cancelled. She said: 'After my flights were cancelled, the Foreign Office sent many of us an email saying that they were planning on sending an RAF plane to rescue us and take us back to the UK. 'But it's been days now and I'm still waiting for a response – even though we had to pay them £350 for the pleasure. 'They have been in touch with some Brits but many of us are still waiting and I don't understand why they are sending such a small aeroplane with only 63 seats, while there are thousands who have applied for the flights. 'I sent them emails and I called them, but they couldn't give me an answer – I have been in touch with my MP and she has tried hard to help some of us here, but we've had no success. 'It's nerve-wracking and it's really hard to sit around and wait for them to do something. 'Now the war has a ceasefire, so I don't know what's going to happen – they might cancel it all even before they have rescued us.' Mrs Smith says that the lack of information about the flights has left those who remain in the country feeling stranded waiting for more support. She said she had also been told that British nationals have had phone calls from the Foreign Office as late as 3am in the morning, asking them to be at the airfield just six hours later at 9am, only for their flight to be delayed until 1pm. Mrs Smith said: 'The organisation of the evacuation has not been good enough. 'I'm in Tel Aviv, right next to the Iron Dome, and the noise is really loud and scary, and it means you can't sleep properly. 'The community has been great, they've been so supportive and there's a lot of warmth from everyone. 'But the UK Government has been so slow to respond and I'm just disappointed that it's taken them that long and that the communication is that bad. 'I don't know whether to book another flight and forget about the evacuation flight, and whether I can claim the money back. 'The situation has improved here with the ceasefire which seems like it's holding, but the Foreign Office needs to be so much better.' The FCDO has been contacted for comment.
Yahoo
32 minutes ago
- Yahoo
‘Safety foremost in our minds': Faishal Ibrahim reassures Singaporean students in the Middle East
SINGAPORE - The Government is monitoring developments in the Middle East closely and is working with the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to remain in touch with Singaporean students in the region. Associate Professor Faishal Ibrahim in a Facebook post on June 22 assured Singaporeans pursuing higher Islamic education in Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait that the Government has their welfare and well-being in mind, following a dramatic escalation of tensions in the region. Israel began a series of air strikes against Iran on June 13. This was followed by the US ordering air strikes on Iran's three main nuclear sites on the morning of June 22. The Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs said he spoke with more than 40 student leaders from the Singapore Students Welfare Assembly in Egypt and Singaporean Students' Association in Jordan via video call on the evening of June 21. 'This call was important – it was an opportunity for me to check in on our students, to listen, understand, and offer my assurance that the safety, well-being and welfare of our students are foremost in our minds,' he said, adding that Muis' student liaison officers remain in close contact with those studying in the Middle East. He added that he is heartened that the student leaders are stepping up during this period to engage their peers and look out for one another. 'This ensures that every student feels safe, supported and can focus on their studies... The spirit of looking out for one another reflects the strength of our community,' he said. Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction Discover how to enjoy other premium articles here
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Swinney apology to Gypsy Travellers ‘significant milestone', campaigner says
A campaigner has lauded the First Minister's apology over the 'cultural genocide' of Gypsy Travellers in Scotland as a 'significant milestone' for her community. Roseanna McPhee welcomed the apology, which she said was the result of years of campaigning. John Swinney made the formal apology at Holyrood on Thursday over 'unfair and unjust policies' that caused 'trauma' in what was known as the 'tinker experiment'. Between 1940 and 1980, the so-called experiment – supported by councils and the UK Government – attempted to strip away the nomadic lifestyle of Gypsy Travellers, providing rudimentary and often cramped huts for people to live in. A report published by the Scottish Government stated that 'the context within which the TE (tinker experiment) occurred is best understood as cultural genocide'. Ms McPhee, whose family was among those settled in Pitlochry on the former Bobbin Mill site, had grown up in a prefabricated Second World War-style Nissen hut which had no electricity and used candles for light. She welcomed the First Minister's apology, but said more needed to be done to stop the discrimination that her community continues to face. First Minister @JohnSwinney has apologised in @ScotParl for historical policies affecting Gypsy/Traveller communities, acknowledging they were unacceptable and caused enduring harm. More information here: — Scot Gov Fairer (@ScotGovFairer) June 25, 2025 She told the PA news agency: 'It's a milestone that we have reached in our long, long campaign, with no resources and just two or three generals and few food soldiers, really, because most people want to hide. 'I think the fact we managed to achieve that apology from the Government is a significant milestone. 'We're hopeful that discussions shall move forward, and perhaps something may be done about the general level of racism which we suffer, particularly in relation to public bodies.' Ms McPhee said the apology could have been 'more robust' and expressed disappointment that Mr Swinney did not label the Tinker Experiment as 'cultural genocide', the description used in the report published by the Government. 'Cultural genocide is a crime against humanity,' she said. 'They did not name the offence. They did not say they took full responsibility of the offence. 'However, it's a positive step on the road towards the discussion around restitution and just satisfaction.' Asked if she believed the Scottish Government should offer redress to affected families, she said: 'I absolutely believe it. 'If you'd been kept in degrading conditions as long as I have, with 16 health conditions and prevented from working with a joint-honours degrees and two post-graduates I think you might see some reason to have redress too.'
