'He shed blood with us'

The Independent's Morning Headlines email

May 22, 2023 View online 1 / Another Afghan hero who served with British forces is threatened with Rwanda deportation An Afghan colonel who fought alongside British troops and fled to the UK on a small boat has been threatened with deportation to Rwanda, in a new betrayal of heroic soldiers who supported coalition forces.   The war veteran, who was part of joint operations with UK forces in Helmand province during some of the fiercest fighting of the Afghan war, was left in fear of his life and claims he "was not helped in any way" after Kabul fell to the Taliban in August 2021.   Recovering from a wound sustained during combat, he left his wife and children behind in Afghanistan to find safety and, after a perilous journey across 11 countries, arrived in the UK on a small boat in September last year.   But, like the Afghan pilot who has been the subject of a campaign by The Independent that calls on the government to grant him asylum, the colonel received a notice of intent from the Home Office threatening him with deportation to Rwanda.   The notice came after he applied to the Ministry of Defence's resettlement scheme, also known as Arap (the Afghan relocations and assistance policy), towards the end of 2021, while he was still in Afghanistan. He says he received a follow-up call from a British official but that he has heard nothing since. 2 / One in four young men agree with Andrew Tate's views on women, poll finds Exclusive: Campaigners say the influencer is a 'legitimising force' for misogynistic ideas 3 / Prince William urges change after survivors of Manchester Arena attack told it would 'make them stronger' Survey finds 29 per cent of child victims have never received any mental health support, six years after bombing 4 /'Hottest day of year' ahead as UK braces for 'African plume' heatwave Monday is expected to have temperatures in the mid 20s, which could lead to the country getting the warmest day of the year so far 5 / Keir Starmer pledges Labour government will cut suicide rates and NHS waiting times Labour set NHS targets on 'biggest killers' THE BIG QUESTION Will Gabon become Africa's new ecotourism hotspot? Elephants may be closer than they appear. That was my first lesson of forest lore in Gabon, as a one-tusked creature slowly shuffled towards me. "His name is Emile," explained Ghislain Bouassa – one of the first local guides to be trained after the creation of Gabon's national parks network in 2002. "He's on his own quite a lot," he added, pointing at Emile's damaged foot. The injury was slowing down the six-tonne animal. On foot in the muggy Pongara National Park and clutching my increasingly moist camera, I'm frankly closer to the ambling Emile than I would like to be, but Ghislain was unfazed. Lonely Emile is one of the estimated 95,000 forest elephants in Gabon. Pongara is a short boat ride away from the capital, Libreville, and is a place where humid tropical forests and lush mangroves provide refuge for endangered wildlife. Here, adventurous tourists can observe elephants, buffaloes, gorillas and chimpanzees as part of the country's burgeoning tourism efforts. Gabon's officials see massive potential for ecotourism in these tree-laden lands, and they have big plans to increase visitor numbers. For the full story click here  £99 £20 for 1 year ✓ Full access to Premium news analysis ✓ Advert-free reading across web and app ✓ The Independent Daily Edition newspaper ✓ Puzzles, virtual event tickets and more SUBSCRIBE NOW Watch / Rome's Trevi Fountain turns black in climate protest against fossil fuels NUMBER OF THE DAY 25,000 – More than 25,000 people from an ethnic minority background live with dementia in England and Wales, although many more may be undiagnosed. This number is expected to double by 2026 and is projected to increase seven-fold by 2060, with the steepest increase in south Asian communities, according to the Alzheimer's Society. Read more here  QUOTE OF THE DAY "We have monumental questions about consumer energy bills coming forward – they're too expensive, they're badly structured, there's no competition in the marketplace. Clearly, the people who have been in charge have been asleep at the wheel for the last few years, and things need to change." – Personal finance guru Martin Lewis has warned that despite record-high energy prices being forecast to fall in the months ahead, households won't feel "any real benefit". Read more here We noticed that you might not be registered By registering, you will enjoy limited access to Independent Premium articles, commenting, and virtual events with our leading journalists REGISTER FOR FREE OTHER STORIES YOU MIGHT LIKE The radical new technology helping those living with dementia Martin Lewis issues 'monumental' warning Melissa McCarthy recalls 'volatile' set experience that made her 'physically ill' Articles available exclusively to subscribers Les Carpenter - How one woman's life of adventure led to victory in the ultimate sailing challenge OTHER NEWSLETTERS YOU MIGHT LIKE The Race Report Fortnightly Written by Nadine White Join now The View from Westminster  Every weekday Written by John Rentoul Join now The Independent proudly partners with Refuge and the National Domestic Abuse Helpline: 0808 2000 247 If you can spare a minute we'd love your feedback on our newsletters. 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