The Independent - December 25, 2024

In this issue

December 25, 2024

Two safe havens for abuse survivors become reality

Work on the properties has begun after The Indy's campaign with Refuge raises nearly £600,000, says Maya Oppenheim

4 mins

'We had children going to sleep in the reading corner'

Holly Evans speaks to families whose children are benefiting from the 900 beds your generosity helped us to buy last year

4 mins

Starmer delivers Christmas message for ‘lonely people'

Sir Keir Starmer has delivered his Christmas message to the nation, saying his \"thoughts are with all those who are lonely\" over the festive season.

2 mins

Archbishop to say Church 'must kneel in penitence'

Christmas Day message follows on from abuse scandal

3 mins

Nato can't defend Europe from Russia without US, say alliance's frontline leaders

Nato is \"not ready\" to fight against Vladimir Putin's Russia without the US, the leaders of the alliance's three frontline states have told The Independent, as they called on allies to drastically increase defence spending.

6 mins

Mauritius holds out on Chagos Islands deal again

Mauritius has rejected Sir Keir Starmer's deal to hand the Chagos Islands over to the country, in a humiliating blow for the prime minister.

2 mins

Thousands of armed forces personnel not medically fit for war, government says

More than 10,000 people in the armed forces are deemed not medically fit for deployment, the Ministry of Defence has said.

3 mins

Families hit by surge in no fault evictions before ban

\"Exactly one week before Christmas we are surrounded by boxes with no home to go to,\" says Ana*, a mother of two from Sheffield.

3 mins

Prepay meters costing up to third of households' income

Households on prepayment meters in the UK could see their energy bills cost up to a third of their household income this winter, new research has warned.

2 mins

Hong Kong issues arrest warrant for teenage activist

A 19-year-old pro-democracy activist who went from finishing secondary school in the UK to becoming one of Hong Kong's most wanted critics has vowed that she will not be silenced by Chinese fear and suppression.

4 mins

Canal threat is latest drama in Trump's Panama history

Donald Trump strained North American diplomatic relations over the weekend with a threat to retake the Panama Canal, two and a half decades after the US transferred control of the vital global trade route to Panama.

4 mins

Protests in Syria erupt after Christmas tree set on fire

Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets across Syria after foreign fighters burned down a Christmas tree in the centre of the country, sparking concerns about sectarian violence.

1 min

Sanctioned Russian cargo ship sinks after explosion

A US-sanctioned Russian cargo ship sank in the Mediterranean Sea overnight after an explosion ripped through the engine room, Russia's foreign ministry confirmed.

1 min

CLAUSE FOR CONCERN

A new study suggests lying about Santa is not only 'unethical' but also bad parenting. Charlotte Cripps finds out if telling a festive fib should really earn you a spot on the naughty list

5 mins

The flightmare before Christmas: why December disruption is so painful

Air traffic control language is commendably succinct. The advisory message that was sent out by the US Command Center at 11.50am GMT on Christmas Eve read: “Nationwide ground stop for all AAL Main and Subs”.

2 mins

Why are there no trains running on Christmas Day?

Q Why don't any trains run on Christmas Day in the UK? Everywhere else on the European continent trains run on 25 December.

1 min

Sign on the dotted line: the £12m steal and £50m dud

The best and worst Premier League transfers this season

6 mins

Mbappe looks a spare part in the Real Madrid machine

Real Madrid are the kings of Europe, that much was true even before La Decimoquinta.

4 mins

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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.