A rescue operation has been launched in the search for a person who has fallen overboard from a vessel in the North Sea.
The alarm was raised at around 8.15am on Thursday about 35 nautical miles northeast of Fraserburgh in Aberdeenshire.
A Coastguard helicopter has been sent to the scene, along with a fixed wing aircraft.
Nearby vessels and teams from RNLI Fraserburgh Lifeboat and RNLI Peterhead Lifeboat have also been called to assist.
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A Maritime and Coastguard Agency spokesperson said: “An HM Coastguard rescue helicopter, a fixed wing coastguard aircraft, nearby vessels, and RNLI Fraserburgh and Peterhead lifeboats have been called to assist in the search for a person overboard from a vessel in the North Sea.
“The alarm was raised at around 8.15am this morning, after HM Coastguard received a distress alert from the vessel around 35 nautical miles northeast of Fraserburgh.”
A social enterprise that hopes to train young people to protect the ocean has expanded to the UK.
The Sea Rangers Service is now running from Port Talbot, after first launching in The Netherlands in 2016.
They hope to restore one million hectares of ocean biodiversity by 2040, while training 20,000 young people, mainly from coastal areas, into maritime careers.
Its founder, Wietse Van Der Werf, told Sky News that inspiration for the scheme “originated from the idea that, on the one hand, we need to better protect the oceans and the environment. And on the other hand, in many coastal areas, there’s high unemployment. And it would be amazing to create jobs in these regions.”
To that end, applicants must be aged between 18 and 29, and, before being selected, take part in a gruelling boot camp run by Royal Navy veterans, designed to test their teamwork and motivation.
Successful recruit Selena, said being paid to be a Sea Ranger was an amazing opportunity to protect the environment in her local area – which crucially didn’t rely on qualifications.
“I finished school, I did art in college and was really searching around for what I wanted to do.
“Eventually I decided on something in marine conservation, but there wasn’t much… The closest thing you could get was whale watching in North Wales, and that’s miles away.
“But then I found this and – literally like 10 minutes later – I signed up.”
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For fellow Ranger Isaac, his family were “amazed” that “something like this was available to someone like me”.
He beams as he tells Sky News he’s “found a real passion”.
The work they’ll do, Van Der Werf explains, involves “anything from scrubbing the deck, cleaning the toilets, preparing food, but also preparing the navigation of the various journeys we take”.
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“But once we have an assignment that really involves all types of environmental monitoring, surveying, environmental research,” adds Mr Van Der Werf.
“And we work directly with government agencies to ensure that that work is also meaningful and impactful.”
After launching in Port Talbot, he hopes to expand the scheme to Portsmouth and Grimsby.
A crew member on a 120-day voyage around the world is missing at sea.
Ambassador Cruise Line’s Ambience ship was making its final journey from Lisbon, Portugalback to the UK when the crew member was reported missing.
In a statement to Sky News, the British cruise line said Ambience had initially turned back to “retrace her route to the ship’s position when the crew member was last seen”.
However, it has since been “released by coastguard authorities from the search” and is “continuing on her original course back to the UK”.
According to the statement, the crew member, who was from India, was reported missing “shortly after breakfast” this morning while the ship was off Cape Finisterre, on the west coast of Spain.
It said thorough ship-wide searches were conducted for the person, who has not been named, and the local coastguard was informed.
Ambience had departed from Tilbury, Essexon 6 January and is due to return to the port on Sunday.
Ambassador has confirmed its arrival time, initially planned for 9am, will be delayed until the evening.
All events to mark its return have also been cancelled.
“Our immediate priority is to provide full support to all crew members closely affected by this incident,” Ambassador said.
“Guests onboard have been kept informed throughout the day and have been advised of recent developments.
“Ambassador remains committed to the safety and wellbeing of all our crew and guests. We are deeply saddened by this incident and our thoughts and prayers are with the friends and family of our colleague at this difficult time.”
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British cruise line Ambassador has its headquarters in Purfleet, Essex, and its home port is the nearby Tilbury.
The 800ft-long Ambience is its flagship boat and can carry 1,400 guests in its 789 cabins.
Stops on its 120-day Grand Round The World Cruise voyage have included New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa and Brazil.
An unexploded bomb from the Second World War which forced thousands to evacuate their homes in Plymouth has been detonated at sea.
Around 30 of the Armed Forces’ most experienced bomb disposal experts led the “highly complex disposal operation” on Friday after the 500kg bomb was discovered on Tuesday, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said.
Police had been called to a property in St Michael Avenue in the Keyham area of Plymouth after the device was unearthed by a man digging out foundations for an extension to his property.
A 300-metre cordon was then put in place around the site, affecting 1,219 properties and an estimated 3,250 people – making it one of the largest evacuation operations since the end of the Second World War.
Read all of our coverage on the Second World War bomb here
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WW2 bomb found in Plymouth
The device was detonated just before 10pm, the MoD said.
The explosive was discovered in a back garden on, which prompted “one of the largest UK peacetime evacuation operations” according to the MoD.
On Friday, a military convoy towed the unexploded bomb from the home where it was found and through the densely populated residential area to Torpoint Ferry slipway, where it was later detonated.
More than 100 personnel from the British Army and Royal Navy were involved in the operation along with Plymouth City Council officials, Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service, and Devon and Cornwall Police.
Lt Colonel Rob Swan, who was at the scene, explained before the detonation that the bomb would be taken to a depth of at least 14 metres before a diver would place a donor charge on the bomb to ignite the explosive.
Image: The bomb was discovered in a garden in Keyham
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Defence Secretary Grant Shapps praised the “bravery and fortitude” of personnel involved in the “highly complex operation” and the “patience and cooperation” of members of the public.
He said: “I would like to express my thanks to all our personnel involved in this highly complex operation, who worked both night and day this week to keep the public safe and minimise the risk of damage, as well as the public for their patience and cooperation.
“The success of this operation is testament to the level of skill and expertise across our Armed Forces, as well as the bravery and fortitude of our personnel when faced with high-risk situations and working under extreme pressure.”
Plymouth City Council leader Tudor Evans said: “I think it is fair to say that the last few days will go down in history for Plymouth.”
The UK could send an aircraft carrier to the Red Sea amid the ongoing attacks by Iran-backed Houthi rebels, the armed forces minister has suggested.
James Heappey indicated an aircraft carrier could be deployed to the region to replace the USS Dwight D Eisenhower – nicknamed the Ike – when it is returned to America.
Alongside the US, the UK has launched a series of airstrikes against Houthi targets in the region following attacks by the rebel group on commercial shipping interests in the Red Sea.
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The UK warship HMS Diamond is stationed in the Red Sea to protect shipping in the key trading route, while US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said the USS Dwight D Eisenhower was sent to the region to “deter hostile actions against Israel or any efforts toward widening this war following Hamas’s attack on Israel”.
In an interview with the House magazine, Mr Heappey suggested a UK aircraft carrier could be sent to the region to “plug a gap”.
“There’s no real need for more carrier mass – for more carriers to be in the region than the Ike can provide. She’s a very capable ship,” he said.
“So our judgment was that with the Ike on station – the Eisenhower on station – and with jets available from Akrotiri, that we were able to meet the challenge as it is now.”
He indicated the Royal Navy could step in “when the Eisenhower goes home, if we were needed to plug a gap in US deployments, or if the situation deteriorates and we need more”.
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“The fact is the Eisenhower can’t stay there forever,” he added. “And so there’s a thing about just maintaining a carrier presence in the region where we might cooperate with the Americans to provide a capability there.”
The UK currently has two aircraft carriers in service – the HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales.
Earlier this week Rishi Sunak urged Iran to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East after three US troops were killed in a drone strike on a US base in Jordan.
US President Joe Biden has blamed Iran-backed militias for deaths, which have come after months of strikes by the Houthis against US forces since the start of the Israel-Hamas war.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt says the former net zero chief is “wrong” after he quit the Tory party in protest of the government’s decision to ramp up oil and gas drilling.
Chris Skidmore resigned as an MP on Friday, accusing the government of “rowing ever further back from its climate commitments”.
Speaking on Saturday, Mr Hunt – who praised Mr Skidmore’s work as energy minister on climate change – said he “profoundly” disagrees with his reason for stepping down.
“The point is, I think he is wrong on North Sea oil and gas,” he told the BBC.
“When you have the problems in the Red Sea [with shipping routes under attack], it is very important for energy security that we have domestic sources of that kind of energy as we go into transition.”
It comes ahead of a vote in parliament on Monday on the Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill, which, if passed, would mandate that licences for oil and gas projects in the North Sea are awarded annually.
Mr Skidmore said he could not vote for legislation that “clearly promotes the production of new oil and gas”.
Read more: There’s a lot of noise in the debate over North Sea oil and gas – but numbers tell a different story
Image: Chris Skidmore quit over new legislation ‘that promotes the production of new oil and gas’
“To fail to act, rather than merely speak out, is to tolerate a status quo that cannot be sustained,” he said in his resignation statement.
But Mr Hunt said the independent panel for climate change state the UK will still get a “significant proportion” of energy from fossil fuels “even when we reach net zero in 2050”.
“And domestic oil and gas is four times cleaner than imported oil and gas,” he added.
Mr Skidmore’s decision leaves Prime Minister Rishi Sunak facing two tricky by-elections in early 2024, with another already in motion after voters last month ousted scandal-hit Peter Bone in Wellingborough.
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Kingswood, in South Gloucestershire, had been held by Mr Skidmore since 2010, after beating second-placed Labour by 11,220 votes at the last general election in 2019.
But that margin is far smaller than in the last two by-election defeats Labour handed to the Tories, with a majority of more than 24,000 overturned in Mid Bedfordshire and more than 19,000 in Tamworth.
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Analysis: North Sea oil and gas
Labour says it will vote against Monday’s oil and gas legislation and has challenged Mr Sunak to call a general election rather than undergo more by-elections.
The prime minister has indicated the country will go to the polls in the second half of 2024.
Thousands of people have joined a pro-Palestine protest in London calling for an end to Israel’s bombardment of Gaza.
Police estimated around 100,000 demonstrators gathered in the capital, as other rallies have been organised elsewhere in the UK including Manchester and Glasgow.
A suspect was arrested on Whitehall after an officer was assaulted and the officer is on their way to hospital with an update on their condition expected later, the Metropolitan Police said.
Protesters young and old marched from Embankment and across Westminster Bridge waving Palestine flags and holding various placards, some saying “free Palestine”, “stop bombing Gaza” and “end Israeli apartheid”.
“From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”, was one of the chants heard from the crowds – despite controversy surrounding the slogan.
For some, it is a call to end the Israeli occupation of the West Bank. To others, including many Jewish groups, it is an antisemitic slogan – calling for a state extending from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea, which would wipe Israel off the map.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman said the chant was antisemitic, claiming it is “widely understood” to call for the destruction of Israel.
A police horse knocked over a woman during the protest after it was startled by fireworks near the Houses of Parliament. She appeared to be fine when helped back up.
The route of the demonstration traverses Waterloo Bridge, the Strand, Whitehall and Parliament Street.
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Ahead of today’s event, the Metropolitan Police said there was no place for hate crime.
They said they would have 2,000 officers on duty across the city, adding that interventions are expected if protesters are heard to use the word “jihad” – a word with numerous interpretations including struggle or effort but also holy war.
They decided not to arrest a man filmed chanting words including “jihad” at a pro-Palestine protest last weekend after assessing the video and failing to identify any offences, with specialist Crown Prosecution Service lawyers reaching the same conclusion.
Authorities have also imposed a separate condition which prevents protesters gathering outside the Israeli Embassy in South Kensington.
A protest shrouded in green and red smoke – Emma Birchley
‘Free, free Palestine’ echoed along the Embankment as tens of thousands marched in solidarity with those suffering in Gaza.
They turned on to Westminster Bridge in a haze of green and red flare smoke… the same colours as the Palestinian flags waving in the autumn breeze as far as the eye could see.
This was a crowd of all ages, backgrounds, nationalities and faiths.
Among the placards that read ‘freedom for Palestine’ and ‘ceasefire now’ there were others too. ‘This Jew stands with Gaza. End the occupation’ said one.
The pre-planned route was close to 2.5 miles long bringing much of central London to a standstill.
So huge was the crowd that as the front of the march arrived at the final destination of Parliament Square, at the back they were still passing the official starting point.
It was predicted the protest would be big, with thousands of police officers on duty in case of trouble.
But for the vast majority this was about peaceful protest while making sure their message was heard loud and clear.
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Meanwhile police are looking for three women and a man who attended pro-Palestinian protests in London – three of which had images on them of paragliders.
Image: Counter-terrorism detectives appeal for help from the public in identifying four people. Pic:Met Police
Paragliders were used by Hamas militants during their deadly surprise attack on Israel earlier this month.
Hundreds of Israelis were killed, including 260 people at a music festival.
Thousands of Palestinians have been killed in retaliatory strikes by Israel.
Two people have been pulled from the sea in Bournemouth by the coastguard after reports of people “in difficulty in the water”.
South Western Ambulance NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) said two patients were taken to Royal Bournemouth Hospital and Poole Hospital after the service was called to a “sea incident” at 4.07pm.
A spokesperson said the service sent multiple teams to the scene including two air ambulances, six land ambulances and a critical care car.
Photos taken near the pier showed helicopters on the beach and multiple emergency service vehicles.
A spokesperson for the coastguard said: “HM Coastguard has been assisting South Western Ambulance Service after a call was received from Poole Bay RNLI lifeguards about people in difficulty in the water.
“Coastguard helicopter from Lee-on-the-Solent, two air ambulances, Poole and Southbourne coastguard rescue teams, Mudeford RNLI lifeboat, Dorset Police were all sent in support.
Image: Pic: Prof Dimitrios Buhalis
“Two people had been pulled from the water and passed into the care of the ambulance service. Coastguards searched to make sure there were no other people missing and are satisfied there are not.”
A SWASFT spokesperson said: “We were called at 16.07 on Wednesday 31 May to a sea incident in Bournemouth. We sent two air ambulances, six double-crewed land ambulances, one critical care car, two operations officers, one doctor, one hazardous area response team and one responding officer.
Image: Pic: Prof Dimitrios Buhalis
“We conveyed two patients to Royal Bournemouth Hospital and Poole Hospital.”
A Dorset & Wiltshire Fire & Rescue spokesperson said the service was called to East Beach to support a “multi-agency incident” but added that they had now left the scene.
Two Britons were among four killed after two helicopters collided mid-air near a marine theme park in the Australian state of Queensland.
An FCDO spokesperson said: “We are supporting the family of two British nationals who died in Australia and are in contact with the local authorities.”
The collision occurred on the Gold Coast at around 2pm local time, when the park would have been filled with families enjoying school summer holidays.
Initial information suggested one of the helicopters had been taking off and the other had been landing when they collided, Queensland Police Acting Inspector Gary Worrell said.
Members of the public were among those first on the scene, with a sandbank making it difficult for emergency service workers to access the site of the crash.
“Members of the public and police tried to remove the people and they commenced first aid and tried to help these people to safety,” said Inspector Worrell.
Janey Shearman, from Queensland Ambulance Service, said 13 people had been on the two helicopters.
The three people critically injured were suffering from “multi-system trauma”, while six people with minor injuries – mainly from the impact of the glass – were also taken to hospital.
Sea World Helicopters, a separate company from the theme park, expressed its condolences, saying it was “devastated” by what had happened and was co-operating in an investigation opened by authorities exploring the cause of the crash.
A statement read: “We and the entire flying community are devastated by what has happened and our sincere condolences go to all those involved and especially the loved ones and family of the deceased.”
A witness named John described to Melbourne radio station 3AW that there was a “massive, massive bang” and staff at the theme part moved swiftly to close off areas closest to the crash.
“It was just huge. I’m not sure if it was the propellers or whatever hitting against each other. But there was this poor lady and her son near the helipad in tears.”
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the accident was an “unthinkable tragedy”.
She said: “My deepest sympathies are with each of the families and everyone affected by this terrible accident.”
A missile was released from a Russian aircraft near an unarmed RAF plane on a routine patrol over the Black Sea, the defence secretary has said.
In a statement updating MPs on the war in Ukraine, Ben Wallace said the incident happened on 29 September and that Russia has acknowledged it took place in international airspace.
The RAF RC-135 aircraft was on routine patrol over the Black Sea when it was “shadowed” by two Russian armed SU-27 fighter jets.
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Mr Wallace said that while it is not unusual for aircraft to be shadowed in this way, “during that interaction however, it transpired that one of the SU-27 aircraft released a missile in the vicinity of the RAF Rivet Joint beyond visual range”.
He described the incident as a “potentially dangerous engagement” but said it was not deemed a “deliberate escalation”.
However, he said it did show the Russian military are “not beyond” deciding “the rules don’t apply to them”.
“While this was obviously the release of a weapon, we have seen very, very close flying next to US, UK NATO assets over the last few years,” Mr Wallace said.
“In one event I was aware of, a Russian fighter went within 15 feet of a NATO aircraft. You know that is reckless, unnecessary and puts at risk many people’s lives.”
The Commons heard Russia blamed the Black Sea incident on a “technical malfunction”.
The British defence secretary said: “Our analysis would concur it was a malfunction.”
“The total time of the interaction between the Russian aircraft and the Rivet Joint was approximately 90 minutes,” he said. “The patrol completed and the aircraft returned to base.”
Image: A RAF RC -135 Rivet Joint aircraft. File pic
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Mr Wallace raised his concerns directly with his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu, and the chief of defence staff in Moscow.
“In my letter I made clear the aircraft was unarmed, in international airspace, and following a pre-notified flight path,” he said.
“I felt it was prudent to suspend these patrols until a response was received by the Russian state.”
UK patrols over the Black Sea were initially suspended, but have now resumed and are escorted by fighter aircraft, Mr Wallace said.
The cabinet minister added that the UK had shared information on what happened with allies, and would continue to carry out regular sorties with the RAF Rivet Joint in international airspace over the Black Sea – which it has done since 2019.
Labour’s shadow defence minister Luke Pollard said the incident was a “serious reminder about the importance of avoiding escalation and miscalculation while continuing the UK’s united support for Ukraine”.
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