Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

UK to evacuate citizens from Diamond Princess cruise ship on Friday

THE Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) has confirmed the evacuation flight back to the UK for British nationals on the Diamond Princess in Japan, following the outbreak of coronavirus.

Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab, said that the evacuation flight to depart Tokyo on Friday (21).


“Details have been sent to those who have registered for the flight. We urge other British nationals still seeking to leave to contact us.” He said.

“We will continue to support British nationals who wish to stay in Japan.”

The evacuation happens at a time when Japan announced two elderly Japanese passengers have died who were aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship.

This was the first fatality from the cruise ship where more than 600 people are believed to have been infected with the deadly coronavirus.

Diamond Princess was originally carrying a total of 3,711 passengers.

According to reports, there were 78 Britons stuck on the ship since February 3. At least five British nationals, including elderly couple David Abel, and his wife Sally, tested positive and were receiving treatment.

The repatriated will be quarantined at accommodation at Arrowe Park Hospital, near Liverpool, in northern England on their return, said the health ministry.

The British-flagged Diamond Princess arrived in Yokohama on Feb 3. The ship was quarantined after the virus was diagnosed in a man who disembarked last month in Hong Kong.

Britain's final evacuation flight from Wuhan, carrying more than 200 people, landed at a Royal Air Force base in central England on February 9. A plane carrying 83 British and 27 European Union nationals from Wuhan landed in Britain at the end of January.

So far, Hong Kong (two), the Philippines (one), Japan (three)France (one) and South Korea (1) have reported deaths outside China due to COVID-19.

More For You

Liz Kendall

Work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall will outline welfare reforms in a green paper next week, followed by chancellor Rachel Reeves’ Spring Statement on 26 March.

Ministers may drop plan to freeze disability benefits: Report

MINISTERS are considering dropping plans to freeze Personal Independence Payments (PIP) for a year, according to a report.

Initial proposals suggested PIP would not rise in line with inflation, but strong opposition from Labour MPs has prompted a review.

Keep ReadingShow less
BBC settles age and sex discrimination case
BBC headquarters in Central London.
Getty Images

BBC settles age and sex discrimination case

THE BBC on Friday (14) said it had settled a case with four female journalists who claimed they lost their jobs because of their sex and age.

Martine Croxall, Annita McVeigh, Karin Giannone and Kasia Madera, who have all presented on the BBC's television channels, claimed they lost their jobs following a "rigged" recruitment exercise.

Keep ReadingShow less
Indian student in US self-deports after visa revocation

In this screenshot from a video posted by @Sec_Noem via X on March 14, 2025, Ranjani Srinivasan, an Indian citizen who participated in pro-Palestinian protests at United State’s Columbia University, leaves the country after her visa was revoked by the Department of State. (@Sec_Noem via PTI Photo)

Indian student in US self-deports after visa revocation

AN INDIAN student at Columbia University, whose visa was revoked for allegedly supporting Hamas, has self-deported, says the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Ranjani Srinivasan, an Indian citizen, came to the US on an F-1 student visa as a doctoral student in Urban Planning at Columbia University, and her visa was revoked on March 5.

Keep ReadingShow less
'Companies with diverse leadership are better positioned for growth'

From LtoR- Lord Karan Bilimoria, Sir Trevor Phillips, Seema Malhotra MP, David Tyler and Nathan Coe

'Companies with diverse leadership are better positioned for growth'

COMPANIES with diverse leadership are better positioned for sustainable growth, improved decision-making, and will connect better with multicultural markets, equalities minister Seema Malhotra has said.

She added that the government will soon launch a public consultation on their approach to mandatory ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting.

Keep ReadingShow less
Subrahmanyam Jaishankar with  Wang Yi (right)

Subrahmanyam Jaishankar with Wang Yi (right)

S Jaishankar: ‘Delhi’s global interests shape its regional ties'

INDIA today sees itself as a global power or, at least, a country with global interests, which is why Subrahmanyam Jaishankar has spoken of its equation with Russia, China and notably the Middle East.

India’s external affairs minister was in conversation last Wednesday (5) in London with Bronwen Maddox, director of the Royal Institute of International Affairs at Chatham House.

Keep ReadingShow less