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Your support helps us to tell the storyThis election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.CloseRead moreCloseMore than £116m of UK taxpayers’ money has been used to fund “cruel and damaging” factory farms abroad in the past five years, analysis has found.Researchers who looked at shares held by the government in five global development banks said the cash has also helped fuel greenhouse gas emissions, as well as air pollution, antibiotic resistance and pesticide use, which all threaten human health.Schemes supported by the banks have also taken homes, livelihoods and ancestral lands from local communities through the expansion of industrial agriculture, according to a study carried out for the World Animal Protection organisation.Factory-farmed animals are confined to small cages More

Your support helps us to tell the storyThis election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.CloseRead moreCloseA Northern Rail official has admitted the operator still uses fax machines to communicate with its train crews in an excruciating exchange about the state of its services.The shocking admission came as Northern mayors were grilling the rail operator on its poor performance on Wednesday, with issues raised including staffing problems, underinvestment, bad communication, and a lack of coordination with other parts of the sector – which has all led to repeated cancellations and growing anger among passengers.When Andy Burnham put to the rail official that he had heard Northern is still using fax machines, they argued that it was an issue of “depth and complexity” that would require a change in the agreement made with colleagues – a point disrupted by the incredulous Greater Manchester mayor.The Financial Times reported Mr Burnham posed the question over the use of fax machines: “Can that possibly be true?” to which the official responded, “It is very much true, chair.”The mayor demanded an explanation, “How? How on earth is that the case in 2024?” with the official replying: “That is a very fair and reasonable question. It’s our challenge to get rid of them. We have plans to get rid of them.”Mr Burnham stated: “You could do it tomorrow.” And the official agreed – but when the mayor asked if the operator was going to, they admitted it was not, “because the tools we use to get information and messages to our crew rely on faxes, amazingly. We will get there before we’re forced to because fax technology, in telecoms terms, turns off. Our plan that we’re putting forward…”Mr Burnham interrupted: “People will say: ‘How come we have three decades of privatisation when money was being poured into the railway and you are still communicating via fax machines in 2024?’”The official admitted: “It is a very fair question. Our job is to get rid of them. Our job is to unleash the full potential of emerging technological revolution,” but added that the “right agreement with our colleagues” needs to be reached.The mayor responded: “I hear what you say but it tells me though that your modernisation plan, like your training plan, is moving nowehere near fast enough. You could get rid of this stuff tomorrow. You could put in place IT to support people to communicate differently.”He went on to accuse Northern of having a “disregard for the travelling public”.Northern has been issued with a ‘breach notice’ by its owner, the Department for Transport, which requires the operator to produce an improvement plan More

Your support helps us to tell the storyThis election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.CloseRead moreCloseWith a date now set for the UK’s ban on disposable vapes, we wanted to know if you thought the new law goes far enough. The new legislation, set to take effect next summer, follows a sharp rise in youth vaping, with the number of 11 to 15-year-olds using disposable vapes tripling over the past three years.When we put the question to Independent readers, opinions were mixed. Many of you focused on the environmental impact of disposable vapes, agreeing that the ban is a step in the right direction. However, some also argued it should also cover waste from other disposable items, like traditional cigarettes.Others pointed out that banning disposable vapes alone might not stop young people from accessing them, as they’ll likely find ways to get around the rules. Others questioned how effective the ban will be overall, suggesting it could just push the market for them underground.There was also a strong call for better education and awareness campaigns to teach young people about the risks of vaping. Here’s a closer look at what you had to say:‘You need to start somewhere’Disposables are rather bad for the environment and way too attractive for kids. I’d argue banning them is the right thing to do. Of course, whenever someone tries to do something good, there are plenty of armchair activists who shout that it’s not enough. Yes, well, perhaps that’s true, but you need to start somewhere. Better to move fast in small increments than to get bogged down trying to solve the meaning of life.Vapist‘Too much ends up in landfill’Why particularly the concern of children buying disposable vapes? Disposable or not, children will find a way to get their hands on it. I think anything that comes with a disposable label needs to be questioned. Too much of these disposables end up in landfill or third-world countries, which are not that concerned about how they dispose of it.mike1558‘Why not ban normal cigarettes?’Why not ban ‘disposable’ normal cigarettes then? They are also used only once and thrown away, and billions of their residue are in nature, rivers, lakes, and in our streets.NellyNelly‘More needs to be done’When my daughter turned 21, I was astonished at the amount of e-cigarettes and vaping stuff she received as gifts from her friends. These kids will not touch drugs, as far as I know, but for some reason, they think vaping is harmless. More needs to be done to make children aware of all the dangers associated with vaping.My daughter stayed with me until she was 23 years old. After her 21st birthday, she started to vape openly in front of me, and I said NOTHING, reminding myself that I also used to smoke when I was her age. I got concerned when she started coughing non-stop and advised her to go and see a doctor. Luckily, the doctor, a GP, convinced her of all the harm she was doing to her body, and my daughter was able to stop vaping before she got addicted.PollyHannah‘I doubt much will change’I don’t really see such a move doing much to protect children. Kids smoked cigarettes they weren’t allowed to buy when I was at school, so it’s probably better if they’re vaping instead, even if it’s not ideal. They’ll get their hands on them.I suspect the ban on single-use vapes will be largely meaningless. Firstly, there’s already a hefty trade in illegally imported vapes, so I suspect single-use stock will remain in circulation as enforcement is very weak anyway.Secondly, the law will be easily circumvented by vape manufacturers who will simply add a charging port, removable battery, or a liquid reservoir that is technically refillable to their disposable vapes. These vapes will be technically reusable but, in practice, still treated as disposable. This could potentially increase the amount of battery and electrical waste generated.Thirdly, nothing is being done to reverse the last foolish set of vape regulations, which limited bottle sizes with nicotine to 10mL, creating a vast amount of unnecessary plastic waste. A product originally sold in one large bottle is now sold in the same large bottle, plus another one with the nicotine in it. The 10ml bottles have an extremely high plastic-to-volume ratio.More use of reusable vapes could mean more of this kind of waste, which might be a little better than disposable vapes but still quite a lot of waste.One benefit of disposable vapes is that they typically include a mechanism that prevents the vape from being used dry. This is not the case with reusable ones, which may raise risks.In summary, I doubt much will change or a meaningful reduction in waste will happen. I also highly doubt it will do anything to protect children who, in theory, shouldn’t be able to access the vapes they’re already using.Leesheep‘Good riddance to them’Good riddance to them, that will clean up the streets a bit. Not sure how that protects kids. They will buy reusables like everyone else.TheDarkSideoftheTruth‘Worse than drugs’Nicotine is the most addictive substance known. It should never be encouraged, and vapes and cigarettes should be banned. They are far worse than “illegal” drugs.PaulJonssonSome of the comments have been edited for this article. You can read the full discussion in the comments section of the original article here.Don’t hold back: you can continue the debate in the comments section below.Make sure you adhere to our community guidelines, which can be found here. For a full guide on how to comment click here. More

Your support helps us to tell the storyThis election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.CloseRead moreCloseDomestic abuse victims who make multiple reports to the police of violence and abuse carried out by their partners are being failed, the women’s minister has admitted.Speaking to The Independent, Anneliese Dodds warned that violence against women is “stubbornly high” but charge rates for such crimes are “extremely low”.Ms Dodds, currently in Washington with chancellor Rachel Reeves, said the impact of such violence was also having a devastating impact on children caught up in the abuse.“For some women, unfortunately, home can be an extremely dangerous place,” she said. “We are determined to change that. That is why we said we will put domestic abuse specialists into every 999 control room so that we can have a joined-up approach.“So you end that situation where women are reporting repeatedly that they have been subject to domestic violence, but no one is joining the dots and making sure that they are protected.”The move to place domestic abuse specialists in emergency control rooms in England and Wales is one of a raft of measures being rolled out to fulfil the government’s manifesto pledge to halve violence against women and girls in a decade.Ms Dodds said the whole Labour team is determined to ensure they are tackling domestic abuse. “It has an impact on women, also on their children,” she added. “It really holds women back. There is a strong moral case, but I have to say there is also an economic case for taking action on this too, and we are determined to make sure that we are moving things forward.”Ms Dodds lent her backing to The Independent’s Brick by Brick campaign which has been launched in partnership with charity Refuge to build a house for women and children escaping abusive partners. Plans are already underway for building a second home after the initial target of £300,000 for the campaign was smashed and more than £350,000 in donations has poured in.“Everyone deserves a safe roof over their head. No one should have to fear for their safety at home,” Ms Dodds said. “I fully support The Independent’s fantastic Brick by Brick campaign and commend the campaign for already surpassing its original £300,000 target. This campaign will make a huge difference to the lives of women affected by domestic abuse.”The Independent recently reported that more than half of domestic abuse survivors face homelessness after being turned away from refuges due to a chronic national shortage of spaces. Figures show around six in 10 women fleeing domestic abuse who requested a space in a refuge in England between April 2022 and March 2023 were denied a place.The new Labour government has got a really clear reform agenda for women – making changes across a range of areas so that women can fulfil their potentialAnneliese DoddsSir Keir Starmer also gave his personal backing to the Brick by Brick campaign recently in an exclusive interview with The Independent – with the PM promising he and his cabinet would donate to the campaign. Dame Joanna Lumley, Dame Helen Mirren, Olivia Colman, Sir Patrick Stewart, David Morrissey and Victoria Derbyshire are among the famous faces backing The Independent’s appeal.Every five days in England and Wales, an average of one woman is killed by a partner or ex-partner. While one in four women will be subjected to domestic abuse in their lives in England and Wales, someone will turn to Refuge for help as often as every two minutes.Fears have recently been raised that domestic abusers are “slipping through the net” of the government’s early release scheme for prisoners and survivors could be put at grave risk.Discussing the 14 years of Tory rule before Labour came to power in July, she warned of “really disturbing developments” in regards to women’s safety and women’s health being “deprioritised”.“We have also seen women’s economic opportunities not being opened as they should have been,” she said. “The new Labour government has got a really clear reform agenda for women – making changes across a range of areas so that women can fulfil their potential and that is going to be important not just for those women but for our whole society, communities and our country as well.” More

Your support helps us to tell the storyThis election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.CloseRead moreCloseThe UK government is planning to ban disposable vapes by summer 2025 – and we want to know if you back the move.The new legislation will reportedly give suppliers until 1 June 2025 to clear all stock across England, with the UK government expecting Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland to implement similar measures.Supporters of the ban argue that it will help curb the rise in vaping among children and reduce the environmental impact of single-use vapes, which are often discarded improperly. Research shows that the number of children experimenting with vaping has increased by 50 per cent in the past year. Health officials also note that disposable vapes are the preferred choice for young users.However, some critics argue that disposable vapes can help people quit smoking, and that the ban could push them back to cigarettes.On the other side of the debate, several people have suggested that broader regulations are needed for all vaping products, not just disposables. Some have also questioned whether the government should focus more on smoking regulations, such as banning smoking in outdoors, or revisit former prime minister Rishi Sunak’s scrapped plan to phase out smoking entirely by gradually raising the legal age to buy cigarettes.We want to know what you think: Is banning disposable vapes the right solution to protect young people and the environment, or should the government focus on more comprehensive measures?Share your thoughts in the comments — we’ll highlight the best responses as they come in.All you have to do is sign up and register your details — then you can take part in the discussion. You can also sign up by clicking ‘log in’ on the top right-hand corner of the screen. More

Your support helps us to tell the storyThis election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.CloseRead moreCloseDisposable vapes are set to be banned across Britain next year amid fears children are illegally buying the devices.New laws will reportedly give suppliers a deadline of 1 June 2025 to get rid of all stock across England, with the UK government expecting devolved nations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to follow suit.The number of children vaping has tripled in the last three years with a significant proportion (nine per cent) of 11 to 15-year-olds using the devices, figures show.“It is deeply worrying that a quarter of 11 to 15-year-olds used a vape last year,” health minister Andrew Gwynne said.“We know disposables are the product of choice for the majority of kids vaping today. Banning them will keep them out of the hands of vulnerable young people.”New laws will give suppliers a deadline of 1 June 2025 to get rid of all disposable vape stock across England More

Your support helps us to tell the storyThis election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.CloseRead moreCloseRachel Reeves has been boosted by a sharp drop in inflation as she seeks to find £40bn of tax hikes and spending cuts in this month’s Budget. The chancellor will welcome the dip, which saw inflation fall under the Bank of England’s 2 per cent target for the first time in more than three years, as she prepares for what promises to be a brutal Budget.The consumer price index (CPI) dropped to 1.7 per cent, down from 2.2. per cent in August, according to the Office for National Statistics.Rachel Reeves has identified a £40 billion funding gap she will seek to plug in the Budget. Issue date: Wednesday October 9, 2024. More

Your support helps us to tell the storyThis election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.CloseRead moreCloseTributes have flooded in for former Scottish first minister Alex Salmond, who has died aged 69. The Alba Party leader, who served as Scotland’s first minister between 2007 and 2014, passed away on Saturday after giving a speech in North Macedonia.Describing his death as “sudden” and “a shock”, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar paid tribute to Mr Salmond as “a central figure in politics for over three decades”.Anas Sarwar said Alex Salmond’s ‘contribution to the Scottish political landscape cannot be overstated’ More