UK Independent

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 08:44:05 GMT
Trees being destroyed by disease could be saved by breakthrough discovery
Researchers have developed a fast-track method of breeding disease-resistant ash that could save the species

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 08:39:54 GMT
Half of young people say they would never fight for Britain in a war, poll shows
The number of young people who expected to live better lives than their parents has also halved in a year, according to the poll

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 08:38:18 GMT
Starmer-Mandelson latest: Ex No 10 staffer says vetting scandal ‘haunting’ PM as Labour MPs ramp up pressure
The prime minister is due to face another challenging grilling at PMQs

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 08:29:26 GMT
Bird flu vaccine trial begins to fight ‘real possibility’ of virus threat for humans
The vaccine will utilise mRNA technology similar to that employed in Covid-19 jabs

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 08:08:04 GMT
Tram operator sued for £200k in damages over death of teenage e-scooter rider
Reuben Abakah, 19, was hit by a London Trams service in Croydon on August 22, 2022

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 08:05:14 GMT
UK’s most iconic trade marks revealed, as voted by the British public
From chocolate bars to Calpol, they are some of the nation’s most nostalgic brands

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 08:01:26 GMT
Billy Bragg and Sajid Javid urge public to reject ‘hateful division’ this St George’s Day
The singer and former Conservative MP are supporting a new campaign encouraging English people to celebrate what they share in common

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 08:01:01 GMT
Olly Robbins should be reinstated, former cabinet secretary says
Lord Sedwill says the sacked Foreign Office chief ‘shouldered his responsibilities rather than shunting them’

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 07:45:42 GMT
Cornish estate linked to former PM William Wyndham saved after £1.2m inheritance tax blunder
The error had ‘grave and unintended tax consequences’

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 07:38:14 GMT
Hundreds of children subjected to ‘intrusive and traumatic’ strip searches
A report by the Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza estimates 377 strip searches took place in 2024

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 07:15:58 GMT
Iran war drives UK inflation up to 3.3% in major blow for Reeves
Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the Iran crisis was ‘not our war, but it is pushing up bills for families and businesses’

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 07:09:59 GMT
London Tube strikes: When are they and what lines will be affected?
London commuters may need to change their travel plans ahead of the action

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 21:22:00 GMT
Two UK ticket-holders win more than £41m each in EuroMillions jackpot
Players have been urged to check their tickets to see if they won a share of the estimated jackpot of £126 million

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 23:59:19 GMT
Act now on ‘devastating’ temporary accommodation crisis, MPs urge government
The deaths of over 100 children have been linked to temporary accommodation

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 23:51:15 GMT
No 10 put ‘constant pressure’ on Foreign Office to get Mandelson in post
Downing Street also accused of trying to find diplomatic job for former Starmer aide Matthew Doyle, later suspended by the party for his links to a convicted paedophile

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 23:05:05 GMT
UK hosting countries for talks on Strait of Hormuz mission
It comes as the rise in fuel costs has led to many in the UK changing their behaviour

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 23:01:00 GMT
UK schools could lose £288m in funding due to falling pupil numbers, watchdog warns
The warning comes as some primary schools are already being forced to merge or close their doors entirely due to dwindling pupil numbers

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 23:01:00 GMT
Plastic production ‘out of control’ as UK households throw away 1.6bn pieces every week
Burning plastic can contribute to air pollution and climate change, while waste incinerators often tend to be near more deprived communities, further driving health inequality

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 23:01:00 GMT
Energy firm bosses could lose bonuses if they ‘break the rules’ in major Ofgem reforms
The energy regulator is set to undergo a ‘transformation’ to enable it to enforce quicker compensation for households let down by their suppliers

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 22:40:10 GMT
Man pleads guilty to religiously aggravated rape and assault of Sikh woman in Walsall
The court was told Ashby ‘targeted’ the woman he wrongly thought was Muslim

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 22:33:16 GMT
Migrant, 32, becomes first to be convicted of new Channel crossing offence
Tajik Mohammad pleaded guilty to endangering others during a sea crossing to the UK

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 21:30:08 GMT
Iran, Russia and China behind most major cyberattacks targeting UK, security chief warns
Businesses must be prepared to defend themselves against cyber attacks, Dr Horne is expected to warn

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 20:10:25 GMT
No 10 ‘secretly pushed Olly Robbins to give ambassador job to disgraced Starmer aide’
Matthew Doyle, Keir Starmer’s former communications chief, was suspended by Labour over his past association with paedophile councillor Sean Morton

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 18:58:10 GMT
Farage urged to act against Reform local election candidates with racist, misogynistic and homophobic views
Exclusive: Despite the pledge to employ the best vetting system in British politics, some Reform UK candidates have been condemned for their ‘grotesque views’ posted online

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 18:58:05 GMT
Morrisons store manager says he was sacked for tackling shoplifter
Sean Egan said he reacted as a ‘human’ after being aggressively spat at by shoplifter

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 17:05:07 GMT
Takeaways from former top UK official's testimony on the Mandelson appointment scandal
The former leader of Britain's Foreign Office has revealed details about the appointment of Peter Mandelson as the U.K.'s ambassador to Washington despite failing security checks

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 16:29:38 GMT
Commuters’ tube journeys delayed and disrupted as underground drivers’ strike starts
Services on some Tube lines were suspended or part suspended

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 16:29:25 GMT
Seven more arrested over conspiracy to commit arson at another Jewish site in London
Since the attack on the Hatzola ambulances in Golders Green on 23 March, officers have now arrested a total of 23 people

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 16:25:10 GMT
Robbins asked if No 10 told Foreign Office to ‘just f***ing approve’ Mandelson vetting
Sir Olly Robbins was asked whether Morgan McSweeney, the then-chief of staff for Sir Keir Starmer, told the Foreign Office to “just f***ing approve” Peter Mandelson’s security vetting for his appointment as ambassador to the US.

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 16:24:07 GMT
The UK can’t claim to take national security seriously at all after these Mandelson revelations
This week we have seen the sorry spectacle of politicians and civil servants squirming over matters of national security – that’s a failure of their most sacred duty, writes world affairs editor Sam Kiley

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 14:56:15 GMT
Shabana Mahmood swears at hecklers over Reform UK comparison
‘Refugees welcome’ chanted by hecklers as home secretary says she refuses to be ‘put in a box’

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 14:55:29 GMT
Nike accused of shaming Parkrun walkers with ‘elitist’ ad campaign
Parkrun’s head of public affairs

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 14:40:04 GMT
Serial sperm donor who fathered 180 children loses High Court paternity bid
Robert Albon, who began acting as an unregulated sperm donor in 2013, claims to have fathered more than 180 children around the world

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 14:34:28 GMT
‘I live in a care home after three strokes – new visa rules mean I’ll be in my 80s before I’ll know if I can stay in UK’
Some foreign nationals face up to 30 years in visa limbo under Shabana Mahmood’s changes to settlement

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 14:33:43 GMT
Two men guilty of murdering mother-of-two in drive-by shooting at wake
The drive-by shooting took place in north London in December 2024

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 14:28:54 GMT
Every revelation from Olly Robbins’ evidence over Mandelson’s appointment
The former top official at the Foreign Office was sacked last week over failings around Peter Mandelson’s vetting

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 14:20:38 GMT
Counter-terror police arrest former parliament worker under anti-hacking laws
The Metropolitan Police said that a 40-year-old man was arrested in Coventry on Thursday on suspicion of offences under the Computer Misuse Act

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 14:03:14 GMT
TV star Guy Martin handed driving ban for motorbike speeding
The 44-year-old TV presenter and racing driver admitted to exceeding the speed limit on two separate occasions

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 13:46:17 GMT
Pair lose High Court challenge against Metropolitan Police over use of live facial recognition technology
Youth worker Shaun Thompson and Silkie Carlo of campaign group Big Brother Watch, voiced concerns that LFR could be used arbitrarily or in a discriminatory manner across London

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 13:44:58 GMT
Teenage boy pleads guilty to arson after attack on London synagogue
The teenager, who has not been named because of his age, admitted arson not endangering life at Westminster Magistrates’ Court

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 13:39:37 GMT
Regular consumption of coffee ‘significantly’ boosts mood and reduces anxiety
Benefits were also recorded in non-caffeinated coffee, found to improve learning and memory

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 13:01:00 GMT
Anti-Islam influencer Valentina Gomez threatens to defy UK ban by entering country via small boat
Gomez has been banned from entering the UK to speak at a Tommy Robinson rally next month

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 12:44:54 GMT
Paranoid cannabis user recorded torture of 93-year-old man, jury told
Prosecutors have told Northampton Crown Court that Martin Glynn was punched, kicked, stamped on and strangled in a ‘senseless attack’ by Samuel Field

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 12:41:40 GMT
Olly Robbins reveals cronyism under Starmer is worse than we ever thought
The sacked Foreign Office chief gave evidence to MPs over the Mandelson scandal – and exposed the rotten core of Keir Starmer’s government, says political editor David Maddox

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 12:28:17 GMT
Smoking ban for people born after 2008 agreed as ‘landmark’ Bill clears Parliament
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill is designed to ‘create a smoke-free generation’

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 11:34:36 GMT
‘Serious consequences’: Telegram faces major Ofcom probe over child sexual abuse concerns
The UK’s online safety regulator says messaging apps will ‘face serious consequences’ if they fail to protect children

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 11:29:58 GMT
Why The Independent’s evidence from last September is a problem for Starmer
Analysis: ‘Smoking gun’ claims after this publication told Downing Street that Peter Mandelson had failed security vetting last year

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 11:23:53 GMT
Starmer grilled over Independent front page on Mandelson vetting failure amid desperate fight for survival
Kemi Badenoch asked why Sir Keir claimed to have only learnt about Lord Mandelson failing vetting last week, when The Independent raised concerns with Downing Street in September

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 11:19:15 GMT
Trump says Starmer made ‘really bad pick’ in Peter Mandelson
The US president weighs in on the scandal over Keir Starmer’s appointment

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 10:59:20 GMT
The surprising effect of loneliness on the brain of older people
Loneliness may cause initial cognitive decline, but research suggests it doesn’t speed up dementia

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 10:35:25 GMT
Little Mix star Jesy Nelson takes SMA baby health check campaign to Downing Street
The singer has since dedicated herself to raising awareness of SMA after her twin daughters were born with the condition

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 10:29:09 GMT
Unemployment falls below 5% in surprise boost for Labour
The rate of UK joblessness dropped sharply from 5.2% in the three months to February

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 10:28:58 GMT
Warning as Tube strike set to hit London’s pubs and restaurants
Transport for London urged passengers to check before travelling

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 10:18:00 GMT
Hungary's anti-LGBTQ+ legislation violates EU law, court finds
The European Court of Justice has ruled that Hungary's legislation banning LGBTQ+ content for minors violates EU law

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 09:50:56 GMT
Teenager charged with arson over Kenton United Synagogue attack
Footage was posted online of a figure in dark clothing setting light to a bottle of liquid and throwing it through a window at Kenton United Synagogue in Harrow

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 09:45:08 GMT
Mobile phones to be banned in schools in England under government plans
On Monday evening, peers voted through a Conservative amendment to the Bill on mobile phones

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 09:43:02 GMT
Voices: ‘It can always get worse’: Readers warn voting Reform could backfire at local elections
After some Swindon locals said ‘things couldn’t get worse’ if they backed Reform UK in the upcoming local elections, readers warned that protest voting could instead deepen the issues behind that frustration – including pressure on public ser...

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 09:14:37 GMT
Cabinet minister grilled over fears of unvetted staff inside government after Mandelson scandal
Cabinet minister Nick Thomas-Symonds faced a grilling from Victoria Derbyshire over fears of unvetted staff inside the government following the Lord Peter Mandelson scandal.

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 09:03:53 GMT
Government grant to replace oil boilers with heat pumps boosted as prices bite
Families dependent on heating oil or LPG have faced significant cost increases following the Iran war

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