In this issue

January 19, 2022

I wasn't aware No 10 drinks broke rules, claims Johnson

Boris Johnson has insisted he wasn’t told it was against the rules for him to attend a gathering in the garden of No 10 during lockdown – but did not rule out resigning if he was shown to have misled parliament.

4 mins

Cabinet To Meet To Discuss End Of Plan B Covid Rules

Boris Johnson’s and his cabinet will meet this morning to review whether to lift the government’s plan B Covid measures – with an announcement due in parliament in the afternoon.

2 mins

Government approach to Covid ‘harmed the young'

The UK’s approach to tackling Covid-19 was weighted in favour of the elderly and has harmed children as a result, a leading paediatric expert has said.

4 mins

Hancock's Serpentine swim ‘broke rules', says member

Conservative MP Matt Hancock “definitely broke the rules” with an impromptu swim in London’s Serpentine, a member of the lake’s swimming club has told The Independent.

2 mins

Hospitals Given Warning Over Level Of Blood Stocks

Hospitals in England have been sent a fresh warning over national blood stocks and urgently need donations of a rare blood type, The Independent has learnt.

2 mins

Minister Will Have To Draw Up New Bill To Force Through ‘Dangerous' Protest Laws

The government will have to draw up a new bill to bring in protest laws backed by Priti Patel, following a series of humiliating defeats in the House of Lords. Peers stripped some of the most controversial clauses out of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts (PCSC) Bill after the government attempted to add them at a late stage of scrutiny.

3 mins

Ghana Rejects Offshore Plan To Process Channel Refugees

The government has been accused of having “no plan” to curb Channel crossings as it emerged that reports ministers were in talks with Ghana about creating an offshore processing hub in the country were false.

3 mins

Tories only produce absurd proposals for Channel crisis

When reports came out at the end of September 2020 that Priti Patel was considering building an asylum processing centre on the remote overseas territory of Ascension Island, it came as a surprise to many and dominated the headlines.

2 mins

Thousands Sign Petition To Demand End To Ghost Flights

As airlines across Europe fly planes without passengers purely to hang on to take-off and landing slots, a UK parliamentary petition demanding an end to “ghost flights” has attracted more than 3,000 signatures.

4 mins

Hong Kong To Cull 2,000 Hamsters Over Covid Link

Hong Kong authorities have announced a drive to cull nearly 2,000 hamsters after 11 tested positive for coronavirus at a pet shop. Offiials yesterday asked pet owners to hand over hamsters they purchased in the last four weeks to be euthanised.

1 min

Why Is The Aviation Industry Worried About 5G's Impact?

Following a flurry of headlines about the delay to the rollout of high-speed 5G internet in the US, many travellers have concerns about its potential effect on flight safety.

4 mins

Germany Could Stop The Nord Stream 2 Pipeline If Russia Attacks Ukraine

Germany may consider halting the Nord Stream 2 pipeline if Russia attacks Ukraine, Chancellor Olaf Scholz signalled yesterday, as pressure grew on his government to take a more hawkish stance on the Kremlin.

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.