The Independent - October 11, 2024

In this issue

October 11, 2024

Reeves weighs capital gains tax increase to 39 per cent

Rachel Reeves is being warned that a massive hike in capital gains tax could endanger her hopes of creating economic growth.

3 mins

Tory centrists refuse to back Badenoch or Jenrick in race

The leading centrist group on the left of the Tory party has announced it will not endorse either of the hard-right candidates put forward by Conservative MPs in the race to become leader.

1 min

Britain could send troops to Ukraine to train soldiers

Talks over extra support confirmed as Zelensky visits No 10

3 mins

Workers' rights Bill like Swiss cheese, says union

Labour's new workers' rights legislation is under fire, with one union boss claiming the proposal has \"more holes than Swiss cheese\".

3 mins

Will laws to raise workers' rights live up to the billing?

A new Labour government is hardly worthy of the name (at least to its core supporters) if it doesn't address the legal rights of working people. Hence the Employment Rights Bill, unveiled as promised in Labour's first 100 days in office, albeit only just beating the deadline.

3 mins

Kate's back on duty to meet Southport victims' families

The Prince and Princess of Wales have made their first joint public appearance since Kate finished cancer treatment, as they met the bereaved families of the Southport knife attack yesterday. Kate and William spent 90 minutes chatting privately with them after making an unannounced visit to the town.

2 mins

Women cut short maternity leave as statutory pay so low

A woman forced to go back to work six weeks after giving birth due to not being able to live on statutory maternity pay has said she will regret the decision for the rest of her life.

3 mins

Police chiefs in 'crisis' with half admitting morale down

Police chiefs have sounded the alarm over a \"morale and wellbeing crisis\" among leaders, with more than half admitting their morale is lower than a year ago.

2 mins

Slow Horses star secretly.marries Bloomberg chief

Kristin Scott Thomas, who plays the ruthless MI5 spymaster, Diana Taverner, in the hit TV drama Slow Horses, has secretly married John Micklethwait, the editor-in-chief of Bloomberg.

1 min

Shackleton's 'Endurance' revealed in 3D splendour

Sir Ernest Shackleton’s lost ship Endurance has been seen in spectacular 3D detail in new images released more than a century after it sunk. The vessel was hidden at a depth of 3,000 metres at the bottom of the icy Weddell Sea in Antarctica after sinking in 1915 – before it was discovered two years ago, beautifully preserved by the ice.

2 mins

Gales of laughter as BBC forecasts 14,000mph winds

The BBC was forced to reassure the public yesterday after running a forecast for winds of more than 14,000mph in a glitch. Locations across the UK were forecast to be hit by \"hurricane-force winds\" with temperatures of more than 400C, according to the incorrect BBC weather app.

1 min

Rain of terror hits pumpkin farmers ahead of Halloween

As Halloween approaches, pumpkin farmers are in a particularly scary situation as they face mass crop failures following extreme weather conditions.

2 mins

Several deaths as Milton causes havoc in Florida

More than 3m without power amid widespread destruction

3 mins

Conspiracy theories about hurricane aid could be fatal

America is diving headfirst into a maelstrom – and I’m not just talking about Hurricane Milton, the “worst storm in 100 years”. Watching Donald Trump, JD Vance and Elon Musk spread viral conspiracy theories about my agency’s (the Federal Emergency Management Agency, also known as Fema) response to Hurricane Helene feels like not just a personal attack on first responders like me, but also a blatant assault on disaster relief, turning a lifesaving mission into a bitter political battleground.

3 mins

UN says Israel 'deliberately' hitting Gaza health system as school airstrike kills 28

An Israeli strike on a school where displaced people were sheltering in Gaza killed 28 people, including women and children, the Palestinian Red Crescent said.

2 mins

Outrage as zoo kills healthy lioness after male mate dies

A zoo in Australia has euthanised a pair of African lions after one of them suffered a medical episode, sparking a backlash on social media. The Adelaide Zoo said Amani and her male partner Mujambi were euthanised yesterday. \"Both big cats are now at rest,\" the zoo said.

2 mins

Can new hypersonic engine revolutionise air travel?

An aerospace company has unveiled a new hypersonic engine that it says marks a “major breakthrough” in high-speed flight. The Texas-based Venus Aerospace – in conjunction with aircraft maker Velontra – has announced it is producing an advanced propulsion engine that could power high-speed vehicles, including drones and aircraft.

2 mins

Tennis great Nadal to retire.after Davis Cup next month

Rafael Nadal has confirmed his retirement from tennis later this year, bringing to an end the career of one of the greatest players of all time during which he won 22 grand slam titles.

4 mins

Greece deserved winners as England experiment fails

A failed experiment, which will doubtless lead to the first calls over whether that should be said of Lee Carsley. The interim England manager himself said he wouldn’t describe his tactical approach to this first senior defeat in that way, only to also say it was something worth trying. He then actually refused to confirm he wanted the job, but talked around it so much he started to tie himself in knots.

4 mins

England squeeze Pakistan after record-breaking day

Harry Brook struck a masterful triple century to catapult England into a position where winning the match against Pakistan has gone from near-impossible to almost within reach.

3 mins

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