Caspar Barnes

Broadcaster and writer Zakia Sewell finds a more inclusive vision of Britain in its folk traditions

The fatal shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti during an altercation with federal agents in Minnesota on Saturday (24 January) has sparked renewed debate over US immigration policing tactics. The shooting of Mr Pretti comes less than three weeks after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good also in Minneapolis on January 7. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem claimed Pretti drew a gun before agents fired “defensive shots” at him, but so far, the government has provided no evidence to support this. Now, even Republican lawmakers are urging the Trump administration to launch a full investigation into the shooting. The Independent took to the streets of London to gauge public reaction in the UK.

Families with loved ones in Iran experience an excruciating wait for news following the regime’s total internet blackout after the brutal crackdown of protests across the country. Caspar Barnes and Moha Tahery report

Nick Kyrgios defeated Aryna Sabalenka, the world’s No. 1 women’s tennis player, in a ‘Battle of the Sexes’ tennis exhibition in Dubai on Sunday. Both players took the opportunity in the post-match press conference to respond to some of the negative comments that had surrounded the event. Tennis legend Billie Jean King, who defeated self-proclaimed male chauvinist Bobby Riggs in the second ‘Battle of the Sexes’ match in 1973, dismissed this version as “not the same”, underlining how she played for “political” reasons and to spark “societal change”. Kyrgios defended the event, claiming it has been one of the most talked-about sporting events of the last six months. “We just brought more attention to our sport and I don't see how it can be bad,” Sabalenka said.

Donald Trump’s bizarre AI video of his vision for Gaza as a beach resort has resurfaced after the president’s historic peace deal. Trump originally posted the video to his Truth Social account back in February. It features a depiction of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lounging on a beach next to the US President, with the words “Trump Gaza” inscribed between the two men. Elon Musk eating hummus, gold statues of Trump, and Tesla’s cars also make appearances alongside bearded women dancing on the beach. Trump vowed to “rebuild Gaza” after Israel and Hamas exchanged hostages and detainees on Monday (13 October), bringing a brutal two-year conflict in the enclave to an end. But speaking to reporters after the summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, he avoided taking a stance on a Palestinian state.

More than 1,120 senior gang members have been charged in the 12 months to July, the government said

A man was arrested in a dramatic police raid on a home in Liverpool as part of an operation targeting drug smuggling - as crime and policing minister Sarah Jones vowed to crack down on the “evil trade”. On Tuesday (7 October), Ms Jones joined officers as they arrested the 29-year-old man from Kirkby on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine and heroin. It came as new data released showed that a record number of gang leaders have been charged with County Lines drug offences in the last 12 months. According to the government, in addition to closing 2,300 “deal lines”, targeted work on key transport networks and investment into automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) technology resulted in more than 1,120 senior gang members being charged in the 12 months to July. That number is the highest annual figures since the Government’s county lines programme began six years ago, in 2019. The Independent’s Caspar Barnes reports from the scene.

This is the moment French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed France will officially recognise the state of Palestine on Monday, September 22. France has become the fifth country in two days to recognise officially the state of Palestine. The move came during a United Nations conference chaired by France and Saudi Arabia aimed at generating new support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Mr Macron received loud applause from the more than 140 leaders in attendance. The Palestinian delegation, including its UN ambassador, Riyad Mansour, could be seen standing and applauding as the declaration was made.

Jeremy Corbyn has called on the UK government to reverse its ban on Palestine Action. The Independent MP implored Home Office Minister Dan Jarvis to reverse the July decision which has seen the group designated as a proscribed terrorist organisation. “ The minister knows that the weight of history is against him. He knows that at some point, the government is going to have to review this legislation,” Mr Corbyn said as he addressed parliament on Monday (8 September). Almost 900 people were arrested at a demonstration in London’s Parliament Square on Saturday as hundreds defied the controversial ban. Earlier on Monday Mr Corbyn called the arrested individuals people of ‘principle’ and ‘courage’ during a TV interview with Sky News.

Thousands of Palestinians, including 21-year-old student Sara Awad, are fleeing Gaza City after the Israeli military launched a new ground invasion on Thursday (August 21). A lifelong resident of Gaza City, Ms Awad has begun packing her clothes and belongings as her family prepares to evacuate their home, for refuge in a tent in southern Gaza. “Yesterday I was crying, telling my mother, father, and siblings that I cannot be in a tent. My dreams are big and I can’t hold them, a tent cannot hold them,” Ms Awad said. The IDF has described the city as a “Hamas stronghold” in its justification for the offensive, which has received widespread condemnation, including from British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. More than 62,000 Palestinians have been killed since 7 October 2023, according to the enclave’s Hamas-run health ministry.