In this issue

March 20, 2024

Fear and famine grip Gaza as UN warns of war crimes

Bel Trew, Nedal Hamdouna in Rafah and J Shammla in Gaza City, speak to doctors treating babies dying of malnutrition while pregnant women miscarry and children need IV drips Medics reduced to eating animal feed to get through their gruelling shifts. Mothers unable to breastfeed because they are so weak and hungry.

6 mins

Sunak's Asylum Scheme Will Cost Even More Than Hotels

Government’s plan will cost 46m more than the current system despite Home Office claiming it would save 94m

5 mins

Police crisis with one in five officers planning to quit job

Policing is facing a “perfect storm”, with fears of a looming staffing crisis as figures reveal more than one in five officers is poised to quit the service.

4 mins

Chancellor hints at October election as speculation rises

The chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, has suggested that the general election could be held in October, as speculation continues over the question of when the UK might go to the polls for a national vote.

2 mins

Why Did Reeves Invoke The Thatcher Era In Her Speech?

According to the shadow chancellor, Britain faces a 1979 moment, a decisive shift in economic policy reminiscent of the way in which Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative government broke with the post-war consensus on full employment and a mixed economy – but in a rather different direction, seeing as Rachel Reeves wants to put economic growth at the centre of “a decade of national renewal”.

6 mins

Hospital staff tried to access princess's medical records

An investigation has been launched at the clinic where the Princess of Wales had surgery over claims staff tried to access her private medical records, according to reports.

2 mins

Trump Hints Harry Could Be Deported For Past Drug Use

Donald Trump has hinted that he would kick Prince Harry out of the US if it emerges that he lied on his visa application.

2 mins

Black and ethnic minority ambulance staff are twice as likely to face discrimination

Nearly one in five Black and ethnic minority ambulance workers reported experiencing discrimination from colleagues last year compared to one in 10 white staff, according to new figures from the NHS.

2 mins

Food companies accused of taking shoppers 'for mugs'

MPs have accused food companies of taking British consumers for mugs” during a testy exchange over profits made during the cost of living crisis.

3 mins

Man first to be jailed under new crime of cyberflashing

A convicted sex offender has become the first person to be jailed for cyberflashing crimes under new laws, after he sent nonconsensual images of his genitals to two victims.

4 mins

Ex-PC 'punched inspector having sex with wife in car'

A former police constable has told a jury he punched an inspector in self-defence after he caught him having sex with his police officer wife in the back seat of a car.

3 mins

Film censor gets tougher on sex and violence age ratings

...but new guidelines reflect public’s cooling on cannabis use

2 mins

Russia confirms new navy chief after Black Sea losses

Aleksandr Moiseev appointed after predecessor was sacked following a string of successful Ukrainian attacks on fleet

3 mins

Hong Kong silences dissent with harsh new security law

Hong Kong has passed a tough new national security law the latest step in a sweeping political crackdown that was triggered by pro-democracy protests in 2019.

3 mins

Number starving rises from 149m to 333m in four years

The number of people going hungry around the world has more than doubled in the past four years, as the world’s leading weather agency sounded a red alert” on the climate crisis.

3 mins

Sunak's infant nephew becomes a multimillionaire

Prime minister Rishi Sunak’s four-month-old nephew has become a multimillionaire after receiving 22m worth of shares in a leading Indian tech firm as a gift from his billionaire grandfather.

2 mins

I was a victim of exploitation - the Rwanda plan is wrong

As a victim of child sexual exploitation – a form of modern slavery – I know the terror and fear that can be felt, the helplessness and despair.

4 mins

Downing Street visit a real Barack to the future moment

I wonder how many people felt a pang of nostalgia as they saw the pictures of Barack Obama striding down Downing Street to pay a courtesy visit” to the prime minister. It’s the correct description. God, we miss him.

2 mins

A pal begged: 'Stop writing about how great it is here'

Folkestone was recently named the South East’s top town but popularity comes at a price, writes resident Helen Coffey

6 mins

DOUBLE EXPOSURE

The works of photography pioneers Francesca Woodman and Julia Margaret Cameron are paired in Portraits to Dream In.It's a decision that does neither justice, writes Chloe Ashby

3 mins

LONG LIVE ROCK

Roger Daltrey’s fumbled mic twirls and Pete Townshend’s hearing aid woes only add charm as The Who blow the roof off the Royal Albert Hall for charity, says Mark Beaumont

3 mins

Unilever To Cut 7,500 Jobs And Spin Off Ben & Jerry's

Unilever has announced plans to spin off its Ben & Jerry’s ice cream division and cut around 7,500 jobs globally as part of a major shake-up productivity, saving around €800m (£684m) over the next three years.

2 mins

At a crossroads, Newcastle must stay steady with Eddie

Newcastle United have been knocked out of the title race and the contest for the Champions League spots.

5 mins

Our stars of the Six Nations

The Indy team picks the top performers over five rounds

4 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.