More stories

  • in

    Trump won’t embarrass himself and let Putin win Ukraine war, claims French-speaking Boris Johnson

    Boris Johnson has said that he believes Donald Trump will not embarrass himself by allowing Vladimir Putin to win the war in Ukraine.Speaking on France Inter on Monday, 18 November, the former British prime minister declared that he could not imagine someone like the president-elect “inaugurating his mandate by humiliating the United States and NATO by letting Putin defeat Ukraine.”Mr Johnson’s comments came amid fury in Moscow as the US gave the green light for Ukraine to use US-made long-range missiles to target Russian territory, according to reports. More

  • in

    Louise Haigh defends Labour’s budget measures after Starmer shuns farmers at tax protest

    Louise Haigh has defended Labour’s budget measures after Keir Starmer shunned farmers at a tax protest.The transport secretary said budget measures that affect farmers are “fair and proportionate”.She sidestepped questions about why the prime minister did not speak to farmers who gathered to protest outside the Welsh Labour conference on Saturday (16 November) and whether it was wise for a farming minister to say farmers should calm down over plans to raise inheritance tax plans.“We do recognise the difficult situation that many are in, but we think the choices that we set out in the budget are fair and proportionate,” she told Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips. More

  • in

    William Hague discusses running for Oxford University chancellor against Peter Mandelson and the future of conservatism

    In an exclusive interview with The Independent, Lord Hague discusses with Geordie Greig his campaign to win election as Chancellor to the University of Oxford. The former foreign secretary explains his opinions on what the statue of Cecil Rhodes, his love of history and how his experience as a student shapes his view on opening Oxford to more state-educated students.In the wide-ranging interview, Hague maintains his stance on Donald Trump being a threat to democracy as US President and the Right have strayed from the ideals of Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan.Read the story here. More

  • in

    Moment New Zealand Maori MPs disrupt parliament with haka in protest against treaty bill

    This is the moment New Zealand Maori MPs disrupt parliament with a haka to protest against a treaty bill.New Zealand’s parliament was briefly suspended on Thursday (14 November), after Maori members staged a haka to disrupt the vote on a contentious bill that could reinterpret an 184-year-old treaty between the British and Indigenous Maori.As parliamentarians gathered for a preliminary vote on the bill, Te Pati Maori MPs stood and began a haka, a traditional Maori dance made famous by New Zealand’s rugby team.Parliament was briefly suspended as people in the gallery joined in, and shouting drowned out others in the chamber. More

  • in

    Reform UK MP says NHS patients ‘should speak English’ in row over taxpayer-funded translators

    A Reform UK MP has criticised taxpayer-funded translators for the NHS, describing them as a “complete waste of money.”Rupert Lowe, MP for Great Yarmouth, told BBC Politics Live he “did not care” that some patients may feel more comfortable speaking their native language during medical appointments.“They live in England, they should speak English,” he told Ash Sarkar, who said the cost of translators “is not where the problem is.”She added: “The problem is we’ve had 14 years of austerity.” More

  • in

    Farage heckled during PMQs as he congratulates Trump and Starmer makes immigration jibe

    Nigel Farage was heckled during Prime Minister’s Questions as he congratulated President-elect Donald Trump on his US election win on Wednesday, 13 November.The Reform UK leader’s comments prompted a joke from Sir Keir Starmer, who said he was glad to see Mr Farage making a “rare appearance” in the UK after his time in the US.“I was half expecting to see him on the immigration statistics,” the prime minister continued.Mr Farage asked the prime minister to “mend fences” between the UK and the incoming Trump presidency “given that the whole of his cabinet have been so rude about him.” More

  • in

    Wes Streeting’s shock as he is compared to Elon Musk

    Wes Streeting appeared shocked when he was compared to Elon Musk during a live TV interview on Wednesday, 13 November.The health secretary appeared on Sky News to detail government plans to name and shame failing NHS hospitals in league tables.Managers will be sacked if they cannot improve patient care and take control of finances in a package of measures aimed at tackling poor performance.When asked if he and the billionaire X owner share similar sentiments towards driving government efficiency, Mr Streeting laughed: “That was not the comparison I was expecting this morning.” More

  • in

    Oil and gas are gift of god, Azerbaijan president tells climate summit

    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 moreOil and gas are a “gift of god”, Azerbaijan’s president Ilham Aliyev has told the Cop29 climate conference – which is country is hosting. Speaking to delegates at the United Nations summit, held in the capital city of Baku, Mr Aliyev defended his nation’s oil and gas resources. He added that “countries should not be blamed for having [oil and gas] and should not be blamed for bringing the resources to the market, because the market needs them”.“Azerbaijan’s share in global gas emissions is only 0.1 per cent” he told the conference.The declaration stunned many at the summit, where global leaders, thousands of delegates and campaigners have assembled to push for a transition away from fossil fuel. Azerbaijan’s role as the host was already under scanner. Before the start of the summit, recordings highlighted in a report by the BBC allegedly showed the chief executive of Azerbaijan’s Cop29 team, Elnur Soltanov, discussing “investment opportunities” in the state oil and gas company with a man posing as a potential investor.”We have a lot of gas fields that are to be developed,” he appears to say. Azerbaijan’s Cop29 team have not commented on the allegations.However, Mr Aliyev said “western fake news media” was unfairly targeting the country. Participating world leaders and delegates pose for a family photo during the United Nations Climate Change Conference (Cop29) in Baku More