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UK PM Truss Unveils Non-white Top Cabinet Members
Published
3 years agoon
By
Editor
Liz Truss on Tuesday unveiled her new top team as she formally took over from Boris Johnson as UK prime minister, with no place for white men in any of the three senior-most cabinet posts for the first time ever.
As expected, she rewarded allies to her during her victorious Conservative leadership campaign, promoting Kwasi Kwarteng to finance, James Cleverly to foreign affairs and Suella Braverman to interior.
The son of Ghanaian immigrants, Kwarteng is the country’s first black chancellor of the exchequer. His immediate focus will be turning round Britain’s dire economic fortunes.
READ ALSO: buharBuhari Congratulates New UK Prime Minister
Cleverly is a mixed-race army reservist who served under Truss at the foreign office, while Braverman, whose parents are of Indian origin from Kenya and Mauritius, inherits a tricky brief from Priti Patel.
Cigar-smoking Truss loyalist, Therese Coffey, was made health secretary and deputy prime minister, Downing Street said in a slew of announcements.
Ben Wallace retained the defence ministry, with Truss vowing to extend Johnson’s staunch support for Ukraine.
– Storm clouds –
Truss – Britain’s third female prime minister and the fourth Tory premier in just six years – earlier promised sunnier days ahead despite the current economic gloom.
Heavy rain and thunder forced her supporters to scramble for cover as they waited for her to arrive in Downing Street to make her inaugural speech.
But the clouds lifted as the 47-year-old former foreign secretary’s motorcade swept in, and she vowed that the country would “ride out the storm” of double-digit inflation and soaring energy prices.
“I will take action this week to deal with energy bills and to secure our future energy supply,” she said.
“As strong as the storm may be, I know that the British people are stronger,” she added, outlining her priorities as the economy, energy and health.
Truss became Tory leader on Monday after a summer-long campaign sparked by a rebellion against Johnson in July after a series of scandals.
She arrived in Downing Street after a 1,000-mile (1,600-kilometre) round trip from London to see Queen Elizabeth II in the Scottish Highlands, where she accepted the invitation to form a government.
As soon as Thursday, Truss is expected to sanction a freeze on household energy bills to prevent steep hikes this winter, and possibly beyond, at a cost of tens of billions of pounds.
– Energy crisis –
Hard-pressed households facing 80-per cent increases in electricity and gas bills from October have demanded immediate action to prevent millions being forced to choose between heating and eating this winter.
Businesses have also warned they could be forced to close because of even steeper hikes in energy costs.
Truss, who touts herself as a free-market liberal, has promised tax cuts to stimulate growth, despite warnings that greater borrowing could make inflation worse.
The contrast to her beaten leadership rival Rishi Sunak’s more cautious approach has opened another rift in the Conservative party that was already divided by Johnson’s departure.
Recent opinion polls suggest a sizeable chunk of the British public have no faith in her ability to tackle the cost-of-living crisis.
A new poll by YouGov said only 14 percent expect Truss to do a better job than Johnson.
– Comeback? –
Johnson, whose tenure was dominated by Brexit and Covid, and cut short by the succession of scandals, earlier promised Truss his unswerving support as he made a farewell speech in Downing Street.
“I will be supporting Liz Truss and the new government every step of the way,” he said, before leaving for Balmoral to tender his resignation to the queen.
He urged the Tories to put aside their ideological differences which have seen the party fight like Downing Street’s cats and dogs over how best to tackle the energy crisis.
READ ALSO: JUST IN: Boris Johnson Resigns As British Prime Minister
But the former newspaper polemicist failed to dampen speculation that he is eyeing a potential return to the political front line.
“Like Cincinnatus, I am returning to my plough,” Johnson said. Latin scholars were quick to point out that the Roman statesman eventually returned to politics.
Johnson, 58, remains popular among grassroots Tories as a charismatic election winner who took the country out of the European Union.
Despite repeated accusations of corruption and cronyism during his tenure, and an unprecedented police fine for breaking his own lockdown rules, Johnson is said to be smarting at having to leave.
Speculation has swirled that he could bide his time for a comeback, particularly if Truss struggles to overcome the country’s many problems.
Truss has ruled out seeking her own mandate at an early general election, promising to extend the Tories’ 12 years in power from 2024.
AFP.
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In a world filled with sprawling mega-terminals and transcontinental flights, there are still places where flying is raw, rugged, and incredibly personal.
Each one is a story of bold landings, short runways, and human ingenuity. although there’s no official metric defining “smallest” (e.g., by size, traffic, or infrastructure).
These are the world’s smallest airports, tiny airstrips tucked into remote islands, mountainsides, and icy frontiers.
1. Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport – Saba, Caribbean Netherlands
On the volcanic island of Saba, this airport looks more like a cliffside parking lot than a place for planes. Its runway is only 400 meters long, the shortest in the world that handles commercial flights.
At each end is a drop straight into the Caribbean Sea. There is no room for error here, which is why only small STOL aircraft and specially trained pilots are allowed to land. Despite its challenges, this little airport is a lifeline for the island’s residents and the adventurous tourists who dare to visit.
2. Tenzing-Hillary Airport – Lukla, Nepal
High in the Himalayas near Mount Everest, Tenzing-Hillary Airport is not just small, it’s extreme. At nearly 9,400 feet above sea level, its 527-meter runway slopes sharply downward toward a cliff, helping planes gain speed on takeoff but giving pilots little room to brake when landing.
Strong winds, fog, and unpredictable weather make it one of the most dangerous airports in the world. Yet it’s the main gateway for trekkers and climbers heading toward the Everest Base Camp, and most consider it an unforgettable part of the journey.
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3. Barra Airport – Outer Hebrides, Scotland
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Barra is a place where the ocean tide decides when planes can land. This airport, located on a beach in the Outer Hebrides, is the only one in the world where scheduled commercial flights use sand as their runway.
Aircraft land and take off during low tide, using the wide, flat shoreline as a landing strip. When the tide comes in, the runway disappears beneath the waves. It is an extraordinary experience for passengers and a perfect example of how humans adapt to nature in creative ways.
4. Courchevel Altiport – French Alps, France
This airport serves one of the most exclusive ski resorts in the world, but it is also one of the trickiest to land in. Courchevel’s runway is only 537 meters long and built into a steep Alpine slope.
There is no chance to circle back if something goes wrong, so the approach must be perfect. Surrounded by snow-covered peaks and perched at over 6,500 feet, the airport is used mostly by helicopters and small private planes. Landing here feels less like aviation and more like mountain sport.
5. Agatti Aerodrome – Lakshadweep, India
Agatti is a thin strip of coral in the Indian Ocean, and its airport is just as narrow. The 1,200-meter runway stretches across a sliver of land, with water visible on both sides during takeoff and landing. It looks like the plane is about to land in the sea until the wheels touch down.
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With no space for expansion or emergency runoffs, pilots have to land with absolute precision. Despite its size, Agatti is the only air connection for the Lakshadweep islands, making it a vital piece of infrastructure.
6. Luang Namtha Airport – Laos
Tucked into the forested hills of northern Laos, Luang Namtha Airport is a quiet, no-frills place that serves a largely rural area. The airport is small, with limited flights and a modest terminal building.
On most days, the sound of crickets and birds fills the air while the occasional propeller plane comes and goes. It might not look like much, but to locals and travelers looking for access to northern Laos, it is a key part of the journey.
7. Helgoland Airport – North Sea, Germany
The island of Helgoland is a tiny speck in the North Sea, and its airport is equally compact. With a runway just 480 meters long, strong sea winds, and limited space, pilots need special training to land here.
Most aircraft that come in are small and lightweight, ferrying tourists and supplies from the mainland. Though the flight only takes about 20 minutes, the approach feels dramatic, with the island rising from the sea like a rock. For residents and visitors, this airport is a fragile but essential bridge to the rest of Germany.
8. Yrausquin Airport – Aruba (Historic)
Before Aruba became a bustling tourist destination with a large international airport, it relied on small domestic airfields. One of the early ones bore the Yrausquin name, like the better-known airport in Saba.
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These runways were short, bare-bones, and often located in isolated parts of the island. Though most of them no longer exist, they played a critical role in connecting the Caribbean’s scattered islands before modern aviation infrastructure took hold.
9. Tiksi Airport – Siberia, Russia
Tiksi is about as remote as it gets. Located deep in the Arctic Circle, this small airport connects the town of Tiksi with the rest of Russia. Conditions here are harsh. Temperatures can plunge well below freezing, and snow and ice often cover the runway. Flights are rare, and delays are common due to unpredictable weather.
Still, the airport is vital for delivering supplies, medical aid, and even news to the isolated population living in one of the coldest inhabited places on Earth.
10. Funchal Airport – Madeira, Portugal
Funchal’s airport, now named after Cristiano Ronaldo, is a modern facility today, but its past tells a different story. Originally, the runway was much shorter and curved along a cliffside with no margin for error.
Pilots had to be specially trained to land there, especially with frequent crosswinds and sudden weather changes. Though the runway has since been extended on massive pillars over the ocean, the airport’s early days remain a dramatic chapter in aviation history.
Headline
Russia Blacklists Yale University In Latest Crackdown
Published
1 day agoon
July 8, 2025By
Editor
Russia has labelled Yale University an “undesirable organisation”, authorities said Tuesday, part of the Kremlin’s crackdown on critics that has accelerated during Moscow’s campaign in Ukraine.
Being declared “undesirable” effectively bans entities from operating in Russia and makes anyone who works with them liable to prosecution.
According to the prosecutor general, Yale’s activities were aimed at “violating territorial integrity of the Russian Federation, imposing an international blockade on the state and undermining its economic foundations.”
The prosecutors singled out Yale’s School of Global Affairs, accusing it of preparing opposition activists to organise protests in the country.
READ ALSO: Russian Strikes Kill 16 In Kyiv
President Vladimir Putin’s top contender, late opposition activist Alexei Navalny who died in prison in unclear circumstances in February 2024, was among the school’s fellows.
The US university joins international organisations and nonprofits such as Amnesty International, British Council, Greenpeace, Elton John’s AIDS Foundation which Moscow has labelled as undesirable.
Russia has also put on the list independent media outlets such as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Meduza.
AFP

A man died after being sucked into the engine of a plane preparing to take off at Bergamo Airport in northern Italy Tuesday, an airport spokesperson told AFP.
The victim, who was “neither a passenger nor an airport employee”, forced his way onto the runway, where he was “pursued” in vain by airport security, according to the spokesperson for airport management company SACBO.
According to Italy’s Corriere della Sera daily, the man — in his thirties — burst into the airport, then used an emergency exit to rush onto the runway toward an aircraft preparing for take-off.
Earlier in the day, Spanish airline Volotea wrote on social media that its flight from Bergamo to Asturias in Spain was involved in an “incident” at 10:35 am (0835 GMT).
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“One person not onboard and not affiliated with the company was seriously injured. All 154 passengers and six crew are safe,” it said on X.
“We are doing everything possible to support the affected passengers and crew, providing them with psychological support, while working in close coordination with the Italian authorities.”
The plane was an Airbus A319, according to tracking website Flightradar24.
Flights were suspended at Bergamo Airport, Italy’s third largest by passenger volume, following the incident, but resumed at midday, according to SACBO.
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