Markus Andrews

Your support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.CloseRead moreEconomic growth is more important than protecting human rights, Downing Street has suggested, amid questions over Sir Keir Starmer’s meeting with Saudi Arabia’s crown prince on Monday.The meeting between the prime minister and Mohammed bin Salman is expected to be focused on boosting growth, with the prime minister saying that such a mission “requires us to strengthen partnerships abroad”.He insisted his “international agenda starts at home” as he visits the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia on Monday in a bid to build closer economic ties with the two Gulf states.Asked if promoting economic growth is more important for the government than protecting human rights, the prime minister’s official spokesperson said: “Promoting economic growth is the prime minister’s number one priority, he has been very clear about that.”But they added that “no aspect of the relationships that we’re building internationally and abroad stop us from raising issues around human rights and protecting our values globally”.In 2022, Sir Keir accused predecessor Boris Johnson of “going cap in hand from dictator to dictator” when the former prime minister met the Saudi crown prince. The prime minister is facing calls to raise the wider human rights record of Saudi Arabia, as some 300 people have been executed in the country since 2024, the highest ever toll in a single year.Legal campaign group Reprieve said the PM could help to save the lives of those awaiting the death penalty, including two child defendants, while the widow of murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi urged the prime minister to question the crown prince about the case.Starmer welcomed the end of Bashar Assad’s ‘barbaric’ regime More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.CloseRead moreOpposition to Rachel Reeves’ family farm tax raid is growing ahead of a second major demonstration in London planned for Wednesday.North Northamptonshire Council (NNC) has become the fourth local authority to publicly oppose the chancellor changes to inheritance tax rules for farms announced in the Autumn Budget. The East Midlands council has joined Cornwall, Buckinghamshire and Staffordshire Moorlands in backing the protesters.It comes as scores of tractors are expected to descend on Westminster on Wednesday as angry farmers continue to ratchet up the pressure over tax changes they believe will destroy family farms in the UK by forcing them to be sold off or broken up.Already farmers in north Wales have blocked the port at Angelsey in protest on a number of occasions.The changes mean that farms worth £1 million or more will be subject to a 20 per cent inheritance tax – half the usual death duty rate of 40 per cent – having previously been exempt.Reeves’ Budget has angered farmers More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.CloseRead moreWatch live as David Lammy delivers a statement in Parliament on Monday, 9 December, after Syria’s brutal Assad regime came to an end.Syrians are celebrating the demise of Bashar al-Assad’s government after 13 years of civil war sparked by the president’s violent crackdown on pro-democracy protesters following the Arab Spring.A rebel coalition took control of the capital Damascus in a lightning offensive overnight on Sunday, 11 days after launching a major operation.Sir Keir Starmer has welcomed the end of Assad’s “barbaric regime.”Russia, a close ally that has propped up the regime for years, said Assad left the country after negotiations with rebel groups and had given instructions to transfer power peacefully.Late on Sunday, Russian state media said Assad and his family had been granted asylum and were in Moscow.Labour minister Pat McFadden said the UK government will make a swift decision on whether to lift the ban on the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) after it ousted Assad’s regime.HTS is banned in the UK because of its past association with al Qaida, the terrorist organisation once led by Osama bin Laden.Speaking to Mishal Husain on BBC Radio 4 on Monday (9 December), the cabinet minister said “the situation is very fluid” but he hoped if there was a need to hold talks with HTS “it should be a relatively swift decision”. More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.CloseRead moreBritish politicians and the family of jailed businessman Ryan Cornelius, imprisoned in Dubai jail for the last 16 years, are pleading with Sir Keir Starmer to fight for the property developer’s freedom as he visits the United Arab Emirates for trade talks. Father-of-three Mr Cornelius, 70, has spent his children’s lives languishing in prison over an alleged £370 million fraud. The UAE says he illegally obtained a loan from the government-affiliated Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB) by bribing staff members, but the United Nations says the charge of fraud is unjust. Mr Cornelius accuses the DIB, which is chaired by a senior, non-royal government official, of being his “effective jailers”.Iain Duncan Smith, the former Conservative Party leader, says the UAE imprisoned Mr Cornelius “deliberately to take possession of his properties” financed by the loan. Some of that property, Mr Cornelius has alleged in a letter to Sir Keir this week, dictated to his brother-in-law Chris Pagett over the prison phone in a bid to secure the help of the PM to negotiate his release, is “now being marketed as Dubai’s latest prestige residential development, worth many times the value of their loan”.In a statement issued to The Telegraph, the UAE claims Mr Cornelius was convicted following a “fair trial in which all due processes were followed”, and that his sentenced was extended after he failed to repay the creditor. Mr Pagett describes the UAE’s repeated justifications for keeping the businessman in prison as “utter, cynical, bare-faced lies”.Despite the UAE constitution stating that prisoners should be released when they turn 70, Mr Cornelius wrote in his letter to Sir Keir that his sentence has been tripled, upon request by the DIB. He is now scheduled for release in 2038, when he will be 84. Already the longest-held British victim of arbitrary detention, his family say he is suffering from cumulative health effects of tuberculosis, Covid and high blood pressure.“Ryan has come to realise that the nightmare may never end,” Mr Pagett told The Independent. “The time he has lost can’t be recovered. His health has deteriorated, and his children have grown up without him. He has been stripped of everything he ever possessed.”Keir Starmer, pictured with UAE president Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Monday, has been urged to raise Mr Cornelius’s case as he visits the Gulf state on Monday More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.CloseRead moreRachel Reeves has been urged to prioritise reversing the economic damage caused by Brexit as she becomes the first chancellor since Brexit to join a meeting of European finance ministers.She is banking on Labour’s Brexit reset with the European Union to help deliver the economic growth she pledged ahead of the general election.The chancellor is expected to say the UK and EU should aim to have a businesslike relationship going forward at Monday’s meeting, taking place in Brussels.In an attempt to reset the dynamic, Ms Reeves is expected to acknowledge Britain and Europe’s fractious relationship in recent years, telling her counterparts: “Division and chaos defined the last government’s approach to Europe. It will not define ours.”But she has been urged to address the impacts of the UK’s exit from the EU more explicitly, with pro-EU campaign group the European Movement saying ministers must use the meeting to “end the silence around the costs of Brexit and start a conversation about how to reverse the damage”.Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves will meet with EU finance chiefs on Monday (Danny Lawson/PA) More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.CloseRead moreJamal Khashoggi’s widow has urged Sir Keir Starmer to raise her husband’s murder at his meeting with Saudi Arabia’s crown prince on Monday.The prime minister will arrive in Saudi Arabia on Monday morning as part of a two-day trip to the Middle East.Hanan Elatr Khashoggi urged him to raise the case of her husband, a Saudi journalist, who wrote a column for The Washington Post and was regularly critical of the Saudi government.US intelligence officials have accused Crown prince Mohammed bin Salman of personally ordering Mr Khashoggi’s murder, which took place inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018.Ms Khashoggi told the Guardian: “We look here to your country, to the UK and to the US and most western countries, with respect because you have justice and you care for democratic and human rights.Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer welcomed the end of Bashar Assad’s ‘barbaric’ regime (Andy Buchanan/PA) More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.CloseRead moreKemi Badenoch landed a major political coup when she secured a meeting with vice president elect J. D. Vance on her trip to Washington DC.The convivial meeting saw the pair share a picture of Mr Vance with his arm around Ms Badenoch and praising the new Conservative leader on X (formerly Twitter).He said: “Great to see the leader of the UK Conservatives, ⁦ Kemi Badenoch⁩ during her trip to the US. We discussed many topics, but I was unable to persuade her that coffee is much better than tea. Cheers, Kemi!”Ms Badenoch retweeted Mr Vance’s post and Canadian MP Jamil Jivani who joined them in the meeting posted: “Thanks to the VP-elect and Kemi Badenoch for a great conversation in DC.”J.D. Vance met up with Kemi Badenoch More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.CloseRead moreRachel Reeves will bank on Labour’s Brexit reset with the European Union to help deliver the economic growth she pledged ahead of the general election.The hope that living standards can be raised with a better Brexit deal will be the core subject of Ms Reeves’ keynote speech in Brussels on Monday.With economic analysts and business leaders questioning whether Ms Reeves will achieve substantial growth after adding an extra £40bn in taxes including a hike in national insurance, the chancellor is looking towards a better deal with the EU to boost prosperity.Already, Sir Keir Starmer downgraded the promise of economic growth – previously the centre of Labour’s election campaign – to focus more on raising living standards.Rachel Reeves is aiming for a better deal with the EU to boost prosperity More