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.Read moreSir Keir Starmer’s government has been accused of trying to mimic Nigel Farage’s Reform party by publishing videos of raids on migrants accused of working illegally in Britain.Release of the footage is part of a crackdown on those entering the country illegally, but echoes similar initiatives by Rishi Sunak’s Tory government that were criticised by Labour and others.The raids are being publicised as home secretary Yvette Cooper’s landmark Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill returns to parliament for its second reading in the Commons today.But the films have been criticised by human rights groups and MPs for being “melodramatic”. The Refugee Council said the government was using “performative” stunts to try to promote division, while former Green Party leader Caroline Lucas said it was “sickening” to see Labour try to appease Reform.Veteran Labour MP and former shadow home secretary Diane Abbott accused Sir Keir of turning Labour into “Reform-lite”.The footage is part of a crackdown on people entering the country illegally and an attempt to ratchet up action to protect UK borders 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.Read moreKeir Starmer is facing a new backlash from the trade unions after he was accused of imposing a new round of austerity again on fire and rescue.Fire Brigades Union general secretary Steve Wright has claimed that the Labour government has imposed a real-terms cut to fire and rescue services across England.In a warning to the prime minister he said: “Austerity under a Labour government is still austerity”.He went on: “Next time there is a fire, a flood, or an extreme weather event, the public will ask why their fire service is unable to respond effectively”, he said. “The Fire Brigades Union urges the government to think again and deliver the investment we need to keep people safe.”The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has sent a warning about austerity (Aaron Chown/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.Read moreSir Keir Starmer is facing calls to widen his party’s investigation into allegations of offensive messages on a WhatsApp group, which has already led to the sacking of former health minister Andrew Gwynne.It came as Burnley MP Oliver Ryan admitted to being a member of the Whatsapp group where Gwynne made the offensive comments and issued an apology for not speaking out.Mr Gwynne, the 50-year-old MP for Gorton and Denton has also been suspended from the party after it was claimed he posted a number of “antisemitic”, “sexist” and “racist” messages on a group named Trigger Me Timbers.While Mr Gwynne has apologised and is now being investigated, there are concerns another Labour MP and councillors, thought to have been members of the group, were also involved or failed to report the comments.Andrew Gwynne is MP for Gorton and Denton 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.Read moreA new report has revealed that the UK economy could be boosted by 2.2 per cent of economic growth simply by aligning more closely to that of the EU.The report by Frontier Economics was commissioned by Best for Britain and is understood to reflect the UK government’s own estimates of what can be achieved with the Brexit reset talks which began officially last week.With Britain teetering on a recession, the boost could put Sir Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves’ drive for economic growth back on track. Chief negotiator Nick Thomas-Symonds hopes a deal can be struck in three months.Two of Britain’s leading trade experts also believe the figures are “realistic” expectations but have warned that they can only be achieved through EU goodwill – which may not have returned after Brexit.Sir Keir Starmer will become the first PM to attend a dinner with EU leaders since Brexit 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.Read more Kosovo will hold a parliamentary election on Sunday considered a key test for Prime Minister Albin Kurti whose governing party achieved a landslide win four years ago.This is the first time since independence in 2008 that Kosovo’s parliament has completed a full four-year mandate. It is the ninth parliamentary vote in Kosovo since the end of the 1998-1999 war between Serbian government forces and ethnic Albanian separatists that pushed Serbian forces out following a 78-day NATO air campaign. Serbia does not recognize Kosovo’s independence, proclaimed in 2008.The vote will determine who will lead the Kosovo side in negotiations on normalizing ties with Serbia, which stalled again last year. Those talks brokered by the U.S. and the European Union did not figure high on any party’s agenda. Some 2 million eligible voters are to cast their ballots in 941 polling stations. They will elect 120 lawmakers among almost 600 candidates from 27 political groupings. One independent candidate is also running.The Kosovar parliament has 20 seats reserved for minorities regardless of election results; 10 of which are for the Serb minority.Kosovars abroad started voting on Saturday at 43 diplomatic missions around the world where some 20,000 voters from the nearly 100,000 of the diaspora, have physically cast their ballots. Others sent their votes by post.Kurti’s left-wing Vetevendosje! or Self-Determination Movement Party is seen as the front-runner but is not expected to win the necessary majority to govern alone, leaving open the possibility the other two contenders join ranks if he fails to form a Cabinet.The other contenders are the Democratic Party of Kosovo, or PDK, whose main leaders are at The Hague tribunal accused of war crimes, and the Democratic League of Kosovo, or LDK, the oldest party in the country that lost much of its support after the death in 2006 of its leader, Ibrahim Rugova.The parties made big-ticket pledges to increase public salaries and pensions, improve education and health services, and fight poverty. However, they did not explain where the money would come from, nor how they would attract more foreign investment.Kosovo, with a population of 1.6 million, is one of the poorest countries in Europe with an annual gross domestic product of less than 6,000 Euros per person.Kurti has been at odds with Western powers over some Cabinet actions last year, such as a ban on using the Serbian dinar and transfers from Serbia to Kosovo’s ethnic Serb minority members who depend on Belgrade’s social services and payments. Washington, Brussels and the NATO-led stabilization force KFOR have urged the government in Pristina to refrain from unilateral actions, fearing the revival of inter-ethnic conflict.The EU suspended funding for some projects almost two years ago. Brussels has set conditions for the gradual lifting of the temporary measure, linked to Kosovo taking steps to de-escalate tensions in the north, where most of the Serb minority lives.Kosovo is also suffering after Washington imposed a 90-day freeze on funding for different projects through the U.S. Agency for International Development, which has been key in promoting the country’s growth.KFOR has increased its presence in Kosovo after last year’s tensions and added more for the parliamentary election period.A team of 100 observers from the European Union, 18 from the Council of Europe and about 1,600 others from international or local organizations will monitor the vote which starts at 0600 GMT and ends at 1800 GMT. 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.Read moreHealth minister Andrew Gwynne has been sacked over alleged “antisemitic” and “racist” comments posted on a WhatsApp group.Mr Gwynne becomes the latest former ally of Jeremy Corbyn to be ousted by Keir Starmer after reportedly making antisemitic comments and “joked” about a pensioner constituent, saying he hoped she died before the next election, according to the The Mail on Sunday.He is also accused of making racist comments about Labour MP Dianne Abbot, and sexist remarks about deputy prime minister Angela Rayner, the paper claimed.Sir Keir has made it clear that he will not tolerate antisemitism in the party after the issue almost destroyed Labour’s reputation under Mr Corbyn. Another ally of the former leader Rebecca Long-Bailey was sacked in 2020 from the shadow cabinet for retweeting an antisemitic post on social media.Andrew Gwynne said he deeply regretted his ‘badly misjudged’ remarks 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.Read moreThe last culture secretary to renegotiate the BBC charter has claimed that the licence fee is now “unsustainable” and must be replaced by an alternative form of funding.Sir John Whittingdale has responded to a new report which suggests that viewers have turned off from the BBC and moved to streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon.It comes just ahead of the Labour government opening talks for the next charter renewal.While Sir John has not specified a preferred option, theBBC could turn to advertising or a new version of the licence fee. One of the options understood to be on the table is that viewers of Netflix, Amazon and Disney Plus who do not watch the BBC may be forced to pay the licence fee in the future.Former culture secretary minister Sir John Whittingdale (Dominic Lipinski/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.Read moreThe government has denied it is set to hold talks with Caribbean representatives over reparations for the slave trade as one Labour MP called for the UK to take steps towards acknowledging the damage caused by its colonialist past.The Foreign Office angrily denied reports on Saturday that it was to meet with a Caribbean delegation on reparations.Clapham and Brixton Hill MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy, who chairs the all-party parliamentary group on Afrikan Reparations, said she had been “surprised” by the initial reports in The Telegraph, but added it was “a shame” they are not going ahead.She told The Independent: “Talks with Caricom nations would be a significant step towards acknowledging the enduring harm caused by enslavement and colonialism. Critics often misconstrue the campaign for reparations as being solely about financial compensation, or historic events that have no relevance today.“But for these countries our historic crimes play a central part in their present struggles. So reparations at its core is about equality and justice. There are many ways we can go about righting our wrongs, and that starts with a conversation.”Bell Ribeiro-Addy More