welcome to bbc news. we start in sudan. the first british evacuation flight from sudan has departed and two more are expected overnight, prime minister rishi sunak s spokesperson has said. the spokesperson added that the government was examining alternative evacuation routes including looking at using the port of sudan. a shaky ceasefire is holding in the sudanese capital, khartoum, allowing civilians out on to the streets for the first time in days. some gunfire can still be heard, but both the sudanese army and the paramilitary rapid support forces appear to observing the three day truce brokered by the united states. unverified videos posted online show people walking through streets where almost every building has been damaged. many british nationals live in the east of khartoum the route to the airfield in the north involves crossing the nile, with at least some of the bridges reported to be under the control of rival militia. the engagement of the bird is in the fc is a
legendary singer and campaigner harry belafonte died at the age of 96. the un secretary general sent their condolences to his families and friends. welcome back to our programme. we ve been learning details of that british evacuation effort with the flights leaving cyprus and that centre being opened in the airfield to the north of the capital. we ve heard from the prime minister s also is office that many more flights evacuating british nationals from the conflict torn country into tomorrow. we don t know any numbers in terms of people out, but we ve seen pictures from the military personnel leaving cyprus. let s bring in our political correspondent, jonathan blake. the prime minister s office just giving us a few more details. that mission is clearly up and running. confirmation in the last few minutes that what appears to be a large scale operation by the british government to evacuate british citizens from act iii is now under way, and downing street confirming it has