In this issue

March 31, 2024

Tory 'bankroller' handed £1.7m Post Office contracts

Cronyism claims after donor won lucrative government deals

5 mins

Tories on course to win fewer than 100 seats - poll

Rishi Sunak is facing an electoral wipeout with the Conservative Party reduced to fewer than 100 MPs at the general election, a new poll suggests.

2 mins

Cleverly tells church to stop people 'exploiting system'

The home secretary James Cleverly has warned churches not to allow asylum seekers to exploit the system after the Clapham chemical attack suspect, with the backing of a minister, convinced a judge he had converted to Christianity.

2 mins

Easter events disrupted as heavy rain causes flooding

Flooding caused by heavy rain has disrupted a number of events over the Easter weekend. The Met Office said that travel disruption is likely as a band of heavy rain moves across England and Wales today.

1 min

We can't keep children safe, say stretched social workers

Murder of baby Finley Boden lays bare a failing care system

4 mins

Record number of police forced to rely on food banks

Worried officers have proposed setting up food banks for police recruits, The Independent can reveal, as one in 10 admit to relying on handouts. Figures show that record numbers of police are struggling with food poverty and turned to food banks last year as wages stagnated.

4 mins

DUP turmoil won't threaten power-sharing, says O'Neill

Power-sharing in Northern Ireland is not at risk despite the turmoil in the DUP following the shock resignation of party leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson over sex offence charges, Stormont's first minister has said. Sinn Fein vice-president Michelle O'Neill said she had approached the leaders of the three other parties in the ministerial executive in Belfast - the DUP, Alliance, and Ulster Unionists – to ensure “cohesion” amid the political fallout.

2 mins

Second cargo ship heads for Gaza carrying tonnes of aid

Cypriot authorities have secured a maritime corridor to the territory, ending a 17-year Israeli naval blockade and allowing the delivery of humanitarian supplies

3 mins

Iranian journalist defiant after stabbing in London

An Iranian TV journalist who was stabbed outside his London home has posted a picture from his hospital bed, as counterterrorism police were called in to investigate the horrifying knife attack. Pouria Zeraati was described as being in a stable condition after being stabbed in the leg during the incident, which took place in south London on Friday.

3 mins

'Bomb threat' hostages are freed after nightclub siege

Suspect arrested following stand-off in Dutch market town

2 mins

Pope attends Easter Vigil after earlier health concerns

Pope Francis presided over the Vatican’s Easter Vigil last night, a day after making a last-minute decision to skip the Good Friday procession at the Colosseum as a health precaution.

1 min

'We can shift the focus from a nation going after its own'

Amnesty International India is locked in a head-on clash with Narendra Modi's government. Aakar Patel, the man at its helm, tells Arpan Rai that he won't go down without a fight

6 mins

Age-gap relationships cause a brouhaha for a good reason

Nothing gets the group chat going quite like an age gap. Whether it’s a balding politician wheeling out his second 25-year-old girlfriend of the year, or a divorced mother of two canoodling with a man half her age, people with partners significantly younger or older than them are a perpetual conversation starter.

3 mins

Bees' late-late show earns draw with unworthy United

An extraordinary game got a dramatic finish when substitute Mason Mount seemed to have stolen an unworthy win for Manchester United, before Kristoffer Ajer smashed a 98thminute equaliser to ensure Brentford took away a point.

3 mins

Barnes decides a thriller as Newcastle stun Hammers

Harvey Barnes came off the bench to fire Newcastle to a remarkable Premier League victory over West Ham as they fought back from two goals down to snatch the points.

2 mins

'Mr Dependable' helping to salvage Liverpool's title bid

Joe Gomez's stunning resurgence has been crucial to Liverpool keeping their head above water in this season's title race - and this doesn’t look set to change as the club braces itself for an intense title climax.

4 mins

Eight-try England march on as Wales see progress stall -

Win illustrates Red Roses' Women's Six Nations dominance

3 mins

The pyjama-clad teacher poking fun at the super-rich

Shabaz Ali is famed for his TikTok videos targeting ludicrous displays of wealth. He tells Zoë Beaty why he decided to take a stand against the fashion for conspicuous overconsumption

6 mins

Visit London? Nah... don't bother, say the Tories, it's a crime capital of the world

Visitors are free money for any country so the Conservatives' policy of turning off tourists is lunacy

2 mins

PENINSULA PARADISE

Chris Wilson suggests eight options for seeking out the less crowded spots in Cornwall during the height of summer

3 mins

Read all stories from The Independent

The Independent Newspaper Description:

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.