In this issue

June 03, 2023

Johnson derided for blunder on trade deal with Australia

Boris Johnson has been accused of causing “embarrassment” for Britain after blundering into a £10bn trade deal concession with Australia in farcical scenes.

3 mins

Covid campaigners tell PM to hand over his WhatsApps

Rishi Sunak has been urged to hand over his own WhatsApp messages to the Covid inquiry so crucial pandemic decisions, including the Eat Out to Help Out scheme, can be scrutinised.

4 mins

The 150 questions Covid inquiry has put to Johnson

The Covid inquiry has sent Boris Johnson a list of 150 questions and requests for his witness statement, documents released by the Cabinet Office have shown.

4 mins

Is 'eat out to get Covid' the real reason Sunak wants to hold back the WhatsApps?

The Covid pandemic turned Rishi Sunak from someone who was virtually unknown outside the Westminster bubble to a politician everyone knew, and most people had reason to like.

3 mins

Why Is Sunak Resisting The Covid Inquiry's Demands?

Things will have been said and done during the pandemic that will look bad in the cold light of day, says Sean O'Grady

4 mins

Government had secret unit to monitor lockdown critics

The government had a secret unit that worked with social media companies to monitor and prevent speech that was critical of Covid lockdown policies, it has been revealed.

2 mins

Swing voters worried about Labour's cost of living plan

Swing voters’ main concerns about Labour are revealed in new polling that shows nearly a third are worried the party will not do a better job of tackling the cost of living crisis than the Tories.

3 mins

Caroline Flack's mum sends support to Phillip Schofield

'Don't do anything silly' warns mother of late TV presenter

3 mins

'Revolutionary' blood test detects 50 types of cancer

A blood test that can detect more than 50 different types of cancer could speed up diagnosis, a study suggests.

2 mins

Bournemouth boat returned to pier twice during tragedy

A boat seized by police in Bournemouth returned twice to the pier during the tragic incident that led to the death of two children on Wednesday, marine traffic data shows.

3 mins

How reporting a WhatsApp message stopped terror plot

On 13 April 2022, a video appeared in a WhatsApp group showing a young man holding a knife as words appeared proclaiming: \"Now the battle has begun and it will continue until the day of judgement. So take out your sword, O youth, and destroy the kufr [disbelievers].”

4 mins

'This is how I stand up for people... what I care about'

Riz Possnett tells Tara Cobham why they protested when Kathleen Stock spoke at the Oxford Union gender-critical

3 mins

More than 200 people dead after trains collide in India

Two passengers services crashed into each other after one derailed, injuring 800 about 220km southwest of Kolkata

2 mins

Decades-old grievances spark violence in Kosovo

Roots of this week's clashes run deep, says Chris Stevenson

5 mins

Read all stories from The Independent

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The Independent has been at the frontline of journalism since 1986, with its mission to challenge and debate always ahead of its time. The Independent is free-thinking and free of bias in an increasingly fragmented world where communities locally, regionally and across continents are disenfranchised with traditional establishments. They want real facts and frank opinions delivered first-hand from a news source that is ready to stand for something, not everything.