Ukraine interior minister, others killed in helicopter crash
BROVARY, Ukraine — (AP) — Ukraine's interior minister died Wednesday in a helicopter crash near the capital that killed at least another 14 people, including other officials and three children, authorities said. Kyiv Regional Governor Oleksii Kuleba said 18 people overall were killed, including three children, and that 25 were injured. “For now, we are considering all possible versions of the helicopter crash accident,” he said on Telegram. The crash comes at a particularly dark period in the war for Ukraine, just days after the Russian strike on the apartment building in southeastern Ukraine killed 45 people, including six children — the deadliest attack on civilians since the spring. The forum held 15 seconds of silence after opening the session to honor the Ukrainian officials killed.
wftv.comCourt to rule on UK plan to send asylum-seekers to Rwanda
LONDON — (AP) — Judges at Britain’s High Court are set to rule Monday on whether the U.K. government’s controversial plan to send asylum-seekers on a one-way trip to Rwanda is legal. Under the deal, the U.K. plans to send some migrants who arrive in the U.K. as stowaways or in boats to the East African country, where their asylum claims would be processed. They also cite Rwanda’s poor human rights record, including allegations of torture and killings of government opponents. Critics point out there are few authorized routes for seeking asylum in the U.K., other than those set up for people from Ukraine, Afghanistan and Hong Kong. A surge in arrivals and a U.K. bureaucratic backlog, exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic, has led to many Channel migrants languishing in overcrowded processing centers, where there have been outbreaks of diphtheria and other diseases.
wftv.com4 confirmed dead after boat capsizes in English Channel
LONDON — (AP) — Helicopters and lifeboats swooped to the English Channel off the coast of Kent in southern England to rescue a small boat that capsized in the freezing water, killing four people, authorities said Wednesday. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak confirmed in comments before Parliament there was a loss of life but offered no specifics. “After a coordinated search and rescue operation led by HM Coastguard, it is with regret that there have been four confirmed deaths as a result of this incident. The U.K. Maritime and Coastguard Agency coordinated a rescue operation involving the Royal Navy, border officers, Kent police and the French navy. Thousands of migrants have relied on small boats to cross the Channel in hopes of receiving asylum in the U.K.
wftv.comUK sends helicopters to small boat in distress in Channel
LONDON — (AP) — Helicopters and lifeboats were dispatched to the English Channel off the coast of Kent in southern England to rescue a small boat that capsized in the freezing water, authorities said Wednesday. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak confirmed in comments before Parliament there was a loss of life but offered no specifics. The U.K. Maritime and Coastguard Agency coordinated a rescue operation involving the Royal Navy, border officers, Kent police and the French navy. Thousands of migrants have relied on small boats to cross the Channel in hopes of receiving asylum in the U.K. Sunak pledged Tuesday to clear a backlog of asylum-seeker applications and announced new measures aimed at curbing the number of migrants reaching the U.K. by crossing the Channel.
wftv.comAlbania: Wrong for Britain to blame Tirana on migrants
TIRANA, Albania — (AP) — Albania's prime minister said Tuesday that Britain is carrying out a "calculated attack" on his country by blaming it for the increased number of migrants crossing the English Channel. Edi Rama said that the new U.K. The U.K. and France signed an agreement Monday that will see more police patrol beaches in northern France in an attempt to stop migrants from trying to cross in small boats. U.K. interior minister Suella Braverman has described the arrivals as an “invasion on our southern coast” also riling Albania by blaming Albanian criminal gangs for “abusing” Britain’s asylum system and modern slavery laws. Last week, U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s office said it is “extremely grateful” for Albania’s cooperation on managing migration.
wftv.comFrance and U.K. sign agreement to curb Channel crossings
PARIS — (AP) — The interior ministers of France and Britain on Monday signed a joint agreement to try to curb migration across the English channel — a regular source of friction between the two countries. The British government has agreed to pay up some 72.2 million euros to France in 2022-2023 in exchange for France increasing its security presence by 40% across sea access points on the coast. French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin and British Home Secretary Suella Braverman signed the agreement in Paris. The pact contains proposals to fight crime across the regular migration routes, with the two ministers agreeing that their countries would harvest information from intercepted migrants to help tackle smuggling networks. “Technological and human resources” including drones could be used on the French coast to better intercept boats, the agreement adds.
wftv.comPrison-like center puts focus on UK's response to migrants
Up to 4,000 were staying there at one point this week, with some reportedly detained unlawfully for a month or more. Independent government inspectors said they saw families sleeping on floors in prison-like conditions that presented fire and health hazards. “The government rhetoric since I arrived has been scapegoating migrants, blaming us for the problems of this country. The overcrowding at the Manston center reached a breaking point this week after hundreds of people were moved there from another migrant processing center nearby that was hit with gasoline bombs. The U.K. is a preferred destination in Europe for migrants who speak English or have family connections in the country.
wftv.comUK minister visits migrant centers to grapple with crisis
LONDON — (AP) — Britain's interior minister visited immigration facilities on England's southeastern coast Thursday as she grappled with an overcrowding crisis at a migrant facility and outcry over her claim that the U.K. faced an “invasion” of asylum-seekers. Independent inspectors have reported migrant children sleeping on floors, with no access to phones or fresh air. They have accused her of blocking hotel bookings to ease overcrowding at the Manston center — claims that she denies. In total, Britain has seen 40,000 migrants crossing the English Channel to reach its shores this year. On Thursday, Braverman visited a migrant center in the port town of Dover, the scene of a gasoline bomb attack on Sunday, but did not answer reporters’ questions.
wftv.comUK minister under fire for calling migrants an 'invasion'
Braverman referred to small-boat crossings on Monday as “the invasion of our southern coast” and said “illegal immigration is out of control.”Her deputy, Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick, distanced himself from her words. “In a job like mine you have to choose your words very carefully,” he told Sky News. Critics accuse Braverman of deliberately worsening conditions at Manston by refusing to book hotel rooms for asylum seekers. Just over 48,000 people applied for asylum in the U.K. in 2021, fewer than in Germany, France or Spain. Dozens have died, including 27 people in November 2021 when a packed smuggling boat capsized.
wftv.comUK minister under fire for calling migrants an 'invasion'
Britain’s interior minister was facing criticism Tuesday for describing migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats as an “invasion.” Home Secretary Suella Braverman used the term while defending conditions at a processing center for new arrivals where some 4,000 people have been held in a facility intended for 1,600. Braverman referred to small-boat crossings on Monday as “the invasion of our southern coast” and said “illegal immigration is out of control.”
news.yahoo.comUK govt under fire for 'wretched' migrant center conditions
Lawmakers are demanding that Home Secretary Suella Braverman come to Parliament on Monday to answer questions about conditions at Manston. “It’s now broken and it’s got to be mended fast.”Gale accused the government of deliberately worsening conditions at Manston by refusing to book hotel rooms for asylum seekers. Critics say the plan is immoral and impractical, and it is being challenged in the courts. Braverman, who was appointed in September by ex-Prime Minister Liz Truss, is an enthusiastic supporter of the stalled Rwanda plan and has been accused by critics of demonizing migrants. The government says problems are being caused by a surge in migrant numbers, but critics accuse the government of allowing a backlog to develop.
wftv.comSunak makes Parliament debut as PM, axes more Truss policies
LONDON — (AP) — Rishi Sunak faced the opposition in Parliament for the first time as Britain's prime minister Wednesday, promising to restore economic stability after his predecessor's tax plans triggered market tumult. Sunak ripped up more of predecessor Liz Truss' flagship policies, reinstating a moratorium on fracking for shale gas that Truss had lifted. Plans for large-scale deregulation of the economy, part of Truss' vision to unleash economic growth, are also under review, Sunak's spokeswoman said. “We will have to take difficult decisions to restore economic stability and confidence,” Sunak told the House of Commons. Sunak also kept in place Treasury chief Jeremy Hunt, whom Truss appointed two weeks ago to steady the markets.
wftv.comUK leader Sunak faces opposition in Parliament for 1st time
LONDON — (AP) — British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is holding the first meeting of his new Cabinet before facing the opposition in Parliament on Wednesday for the first time as leader. Sunak is seen by Conservatives as a safe pair of hands they hope can stabilize an economy sliding toward recession — and stem the party's plunging popularity. Sunak brought in people from different wings of the Conservative Party for his Cabinet. He faces a backlash for reappointing Home Secretary Suella Braverman, who resigned last week after breaching ethics rules by sending a sensitive government email from a private account. The government has not confirmed whether Hunt’s statement, due on Oct. 31, will be delayed because of the change of prime minister.
wftv.comWhat to know about British Prime Minister Liz Truss's resignation and what's next for the U.K.
In a continuation of "utter chaos" for Britain's Conservative Party, Prime Minister Liz Truss has resigned after just six weeks in office. In Truss’s final days, several Conservative MPs submitted a letter of no confidence to the prime minister, calling for her resignation. Truss served 44 days — the least time a prime minister of the United Kingdom has ever served. 10 three months ago, could run to become prime minister again. Under legislation reintroduced by Johnson in 2022, only the prime minister can call for a snap general election.
wftv.comTruss faces clamor to quit amid UK government chaos
LONDON — (AP) — U.K. Prime Minister Liz Truss was hanging on to power by a thread on Thursday, after a senior minister quit her government with a barrage of criticism and a vote in the House of Commons descended into chaos and acrimony. A national election does not have to be held until 2024, and under Conservative Party rules, Truss technically is safe from a leadership challenge for a year. Truss faced more turmoil in Parliament Wednesday evening on a vote over fracking for shale gas — a practice that Truss wants to resume despite opposition from many Conservatives. Rumors swirled that Conservative Chief Whip Wendy Morton, who is responsible for party discipline, and her deputy had resigned. On Monday Kwarteng's replacement, Treasury chief Jeremy Hunt, scrapped almost all of Truss' tax cuts, along with her flagship energy policy and her promise of no public spending cuts.
wftv.comUK PM Truss vows to stay, but on the brink as minister quits
She used her resignation letter to lambaste Truss, saying she had “concerns about the direction of this government." Braverman was replaced as home secretary, the minister responsible for immigration and law and order, by former Cabinet minister Grant Shapps. Truss faced more turmoil in Parliament Wednesday evening on a vote over fracking for shale gas — a practice that Truss wants to resume despite opposition from many Conservatives. Conservative officials denied there had been manhandling, but in the chaos Truss herself failed to vote, according to the official record. Asked by opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer, “Why is she still here?” Truss retorted: “I am a fighter and not a quitter.
wftv.comMinister departs UK govt in new blow to embattled Liz Truss
LONDON — (AP) — British Prime Minister Liz Truss described herself as "a fighter and not a quitter" Wednesday as she faced down a hostile opposition and fury from her own Conservative Party over her botched economic plan. Yet the grim faces of Conservative lawmakers behind her in the House of Commons suggested that Truss faces an uphill struggle to save her job. Truss faces another test in Parliament later Wednesday when lawmakers vote on a Labour Party motion seeking to ban fracking for shale gas — a policy that Truss recently approved. Truss' press secretary said the prime minister was “not resigning” and was in a “determined” mood. Cleverly said he understood why colleagues were angry, but said “defenestrating another prime minister” was the wrong thing to do.
wftv.comMinister departs UK govt in new blow to embattled PM Truss
British Prime Minister Liz Truss described herself as “a fighter and not a quitter” Wednesday as she faced down a hostile opposition and fury from her own Conservative Party over her botched economic plan. Home Secretary Suella Braverman said she resigned after breaching rules by sending an official document from her personal email account. In her resignation letter, Braverman said she had “concerns about the direction of this government” and — in a thinly veiled attack on Truss — said “the business of government relies upon people accepting responsibility for their mistakes.”
news.yahoo.comShaken UK Conservatives seek unity after Truss' rocky start
LONDON — (AP) — U.K. government ministers implored Conservative colleagues to rally behind Prime Minister Liz Truss after a disastrous start to her premiership that has left the governing party demoralized and divided. A misfiring economic plan that sparked turmoil on financial markets marred Truss’ tumultuous first month in office and threw her party into disarray. Truss was elected Conservative leader on Sept. 5 and asked to form a government by Queen Elizabeth II the next day, two days before the monarch's death. She wants to reshape Britain's economy through tax cuts and deregulation in a bid to end years of sluggish growth. Lawmaker Nadine Dorries, a backer of the former leader, told the BBC that Johnson's return was “extremely unlikely,” but not impossible.
wftv.comUK still backs Rwanda deportations despite legal challenge
Home Secretary Suella Braverman said that “unfortunately,” a court challenge to the Rwanda plan would have to run its course. Britain has already paid Rwanda 120 million pounds ($145 million) but no one has been sent there as part of the deal. The crossings, and how to stop them, are a source of friction between the U.K. and France. Braverman said the U.K. was committed to working with France to stop the smuggling gangs. The Times of London reported that she will announce a plan to ban migrants who have crossed the Channel from claiming asylum in Britain.
wftv.comUK still backs Rwanda deportations despite legal challenge
Britain’s immigration minister says people who arrive by unauthorized means should not be allowed to claim asylum in the U.K. Home Secretary Suella Braverman vowed to press on with a contentious plan to send some arriving asylum-seekers on a one-way trip to Rwanda.
UK leader Truss vows energy relief, rules out windfall tax
But she added: “I am against a windfall tax. Truss's spokesman said she wouldn't cancel a windfall tax imposed in May by former Treasury chief Rishi Sunak, her defeated leadership rival, but wouldn't bring in a new one. Instead, the cost of energy price relief will have to be paid by British taxpayers, he said, branding Truss's economic plans a “Tory fantasy." British news media have reported that Truss plans to cap energy bills. Truss, 47, was appointed prime minister by Queen Elizabeth II on Tuesday after winning an internal Conservative Party election to lead the Tories.
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