Tag: return
UK ambassador to Sudan says it’s ‘too dangerous’ to return – but promises huge effort to evacuate stranded Brits
BRITAIN’S ambassador to Sudan wasn’t in the country when the conflict erupted, but promises every effort is being made to rescue stranded Brits.
Ambassador Giles Lever had gone on annual leave and was in the UK before Sudan became an open warzone in a bloody struggle for power.
Sudan is ‘on the edge of abyss’ according to UN chief[/caption]
427 have been killed and over 3,500 injured mostly in the capital (pictured) which is under heavy bombardment by the warring factions[/caption]
As other countries safely evacuate their citizens, Britons trapped in Sudan are feeling ‘abandoned’ by the UK government[/caption]
For 10 days, rivalling Sudan militaries have been violently battling for power and the capital of Khartoum has borne the brunt of the destruction.
At least 427 have been left dead – half of which are civilians – and 3,500 injured as Sudan teeters on the “edge of abyss” according to the UN chief.
Mr Lever confirmed on Monday that he was on annual leave at the time fighting broke out, MailOnline reported.
Outside his south London home he said: “I came back here for a scheduled holiday at Easter and have been unable to return.
“I had been working solidly on the problems in Sudan for three months before I left.”
The decision to extract 30 diplomats and their families using British Special Forces over the weekend caused controversy as more than 4,000 British citizens were left behind in an extraction mission and remain trapped.
They claim they feel “abandoned” by the UK government after other nations managed to rescue their citizens, while they have been left cowering in their homes under bombardment.
Mr Lever responded to the criticism, saying: “But it is incorrect to say that the embassy had been abandoned. There was a very senior diplomat, my deputy, in charge while I took leave.
“It is a war zone there and no way I can return because there isn’t a means to get into Khartoum with the airport being decommissioned.”
He added: “There are people working around the clock to get British people out and to safety.”
The Times reported that officials had believed violence was unlikely during the lead up to Eid, the Muslim festival which marks the end of the month-long fasting period of Ramadan.
Foreign Office minister Andrew Mitchell confirmed the ambassador was not in Sudan, following questioning from MPs.
He also told MPs that 200 civil servants were working shifts “night and day” in the crisis centre set up in response to the conflict.
Trying to calm anxious ministers, he claimed: “We most certainly have learned lessons from Afghanistan and the position in Sudan is completely different.”
The Government’s emergency committee Cobra has meanwhile “met six times so far” since violence began and five of these meetings had been chaired by Rishi Sunak, he claimed.
Mitchell also told Radio 4 today that he “cannot give any assurances” on getting out the remaining Brits out the war-torn country.
The news comes after a crack SAS team reached Sudan last night as fears grew for the remaining 4,000 Brits still left in the country.
A flight tracking website showed a C-17 transport aircraft heading to Port Sudan on the Red Sea — 500 miles from tinderbox capital Khartoum.
It is believed that two Royal Navy ships — RFA Cardigan Bay in Bahrain, and HMS Lancaster in India, will still help with the rescue mission.
However, this could involve British nationals making a deadly three-day drive through the war-ravaged Sudan to make it to Port Sudan where the Royal Navy ships are understood to be travelling to.
On Monday, Sudanese generals agreed to a three-day ceasefire.
The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said: “Following intense negotiation over the past 48 hours, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have agreed to implement a nationwide ceasefire starting at midnight on April 24, to last for 72 hours.”
Blinken’s statement came two hours before the truce was to take effect.
Meanwhile, a Brit filmed gunfire inching ever closer to his home as he hid in his home waiting to be rescued today.
Amar, who lives in Edinburgh and was there visiting relatives, told the BBC the situation is “very scary”.
Other desperate British citizens have allegedly had to kill their own pets to save them from starving after food and water were cut.
There are also 71 stranded NHS doctors who are said to have “lost all hope” of being evacuated having urged the UK government to act quickly.
The NHS staff had created a WhatsApp group to stay in touch, however as internet communications went down – the group has reportedly gone silent.
Dr Taha, 35, a junior doctor in South Yorkshire told the Mirror that the medical professionals have been forced to try to escape themselves after the government’s inaction.
“It’s heartbreaking because we can see that they have managed to evacuate the diplomats and you can see other countries have managed to evacuate their citizens,” she said.
“So far, the British government has been very slow.
“The problem now is communication is becoming more and more difficult. Internet services are poor and international calls are not going through.”
She pleaded: “Act quickly please. Help evacuate these UK citizens and residents and get them home safely.”
4000 British nations are trapped in Sudan and are desperately awaiting rescue[/caption]
Saudi Royal Navy officers help a child onto an evacuation flight as pressure mounts on the UK government to save British nationals[/caption]
Italian citizens were rescued from the capital of Khartoum recently in military aircraft[/caption]
PJ Harvey teases return and shares new studio clips
The musician has made a new playlist available via her Spotify
The post PJ Harvey teases return and shares new studio clips appeared first on UNCUT.
‘Noah’s Arc’ Creator Announces the Return of Groundbreaking Show
‘Noah’s Arc’ is coming back!
The groundbreaking Logo series originally launched in 2005 and ran for two seasons.
Anchored by Darryl Stephens, Jensen Atwood, Rodney Chester, Doug Spearman, and Christian Vincent, it followed the much-loved queer circle as they navigated life, love, and drama.
For almost two decades, fans have been calling for a return of the franchise (which also birthed a movie in 2008).
» Read more about: ‘Noah’s Arc’ Creator Announces the Return of Groundbreaking Show »
The post ‘Noah’s Arc’ Creator Announces the Return of Groundbreaking Show appeared first on ..::That Grape Juice.net::.. – Thirsty?.
Spy sent to jihadist camp despite instability killed his own child upon his return, report claims
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Best Apple Deals of the Week: AirPods Max Return to $449.99 Along With All-Time Lows on iMac, MacBook Pro, and More
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
AirPods
- What’s the deal? Take up to $99 off the AirPods Max, AirPods Pro 2, AirPods 3, and AirPods 2
- Where can I get it? Verizon and Amazon
- Where can I find the original deal? Right here
All of Apple’s current AirPods models are available at a discount this week across Verizon and Amazon. This includes solid deals on the AirPods Pro 2 ($199.99, $50 off), AirPods 3 ($149.99, $20 off), and AirPods 2 ($99.00, $30 off). We’re also tracking the first $99 discount of 2023 on the AirPods Max, priced at $449.99 in multiple colors on Amazon.
Apple Watch
- What’s the deal? Take up to $70 off the Apple Watch SE, 8, and Ultra
- Where can I get it? Amazon
We’re tracking a large selection of Apple Watch discounts on Amazon today, including a few record low prices on the Apple Watch SE ($219.00, $30 off) and Apple Watch 8 ($329.00, $70 off). There’s also the Apple Watch Ultra for $749.00 in numerous configurations, which is $50 off and a solid second-best price.
MacBook Pro
- What’s the deal? Take $200 off the new 14-inch MacBook Pro
- Where can I get it? Amazon
- Where can I find the original deal? Right here
Earlier in the week, Amazon and B&H Photo introduced a new deal on the 14-inch MacBook Pro, available for $1,799.00, down from $1,999.00. This deal on the 10-Core M2 Pro, 512GB notebook is a match of the best price we’ve ever tracked on the notebook.
M1 iMac
- What’s the deal? Take $299 off the M1 iMac
- Where can I get it? Amazon
- Where can I find the original deal? Right here
Following the MacBook Pro, Amazon also introduced an all-time low price on the M1 iMac this week. You can get the 8-Core, 256GB computer for $1,199.99, down from $1,499.00, and it’s still available in multiple colors as we head into the weekend.
Additionally, there are a few other 24-inch iMacs on sale today on Amazon, including the 7-Core GPU, 256GB model for $1,099.99, down from $1,299.00. Lastly, the 8-Core GPU, 512GB M1 iMac is on sale for $1,499.99, down from $1,699.00.
iPad Air
- What’s the deal? Take up to $119 off the 2022 iPad Air
- Where can I get it? Amazon
- Where can I find the original deal? Right here
Nearly every model of the 2022 iPad Air saw a discount on Amazon this week, and they’re still available right now. Prices start at $499.99 for the 64GB Wi-Fi iPad Air and $649.99 for the 256GB Wi-Fi iPad Air. If you head to our full article on the sale, you’ll also find discounts on both cellular devices.
Our full Deals Roundup has more information on the latest Apple-related sales and bargains.
This article, “Best Apple Deals of the Week: AirPods Max Return to $449.99 Along With All-Time Lows on iMac, MacBook Pro, and More” first appeared on MacRumors.com
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Why Universities Should Return To Oral Exams In the AI and ChatGPT Era
This type of oral assessment — or viva voce as it was known in Latin — is a tried and tested form of educational assessment. No need to sit in an exam hall, no fear of plagiarism accusations or concerns with students submitting essays generated by an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot. Integrity is 100% assured, in a fair, reliable and authentic manner that can also be easily used to assess multiple individual or group assignments. As services like ChatGPT continue to grow in terms of both its capabilities and usage — including in education and academia — is it high time for universities to revert to the time-tested oral exam? “Chatbots cannot replicate this sort of task, ensuring student authenticity,” writes Dobson. “I argue that it is time to change our conversation to be more about assessment that actually involves a ‘conversation.'”
“Writing would still be important, but we should learn to re-appreciate the importance of how a student can talk about the knowledge and skills they acquired. Successfully completing a viva could become one of our graduate attributes, as it once was.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
NASA’s Mars Sample Return Mission Is Already Facing a Serious Cash Crunch
NASA’s quest to return rocky samples from the surface of Mars to Earth in 2033 is already running up the bill, with the project needing a lot more money than what was allocated to the mission for 2023.