18 h. ago How a stranger stopped me from taking my own life as a missing child

A musician and public speaker who disappeared from home multiple times has opened up about the moment a stranger stopped him from taking his own life as a missing child.

Events

45 h. ago Families keep missing their flights because children's teddy bears go missing

Almost one in five families have missed a flight or delayed a journey because of a lost children's teddy bear, new research has discovered

Society

54 h. ago Dara Ó Briain becomes latest star to back The Independent’s SafeCall campaign for missing children

Appeal alongside Missing People charity to launch lifeline for young people in crisis hit more than £75,000 in donations over the weekend

Events

4 d. ago More than 2,000 children disappear in social services care each year, report finds

A new report that reveals the rate at which vulnerable children go missing in the care of social services has exposed safeguarding failures, charities say

Events

4 d. ago The heartbreaking moment a little finds out his 'magical' mission has been a big hit

It was a heartbreaking moment which has gone viral on TikTok as Noah Playforth is told his 'magical mission' has raised more than £10,000 for 'poorly children'

Events

4 d. ago Heartwarming moment little boy finds out his 'magical' mission has been a big hit

It was a heartbreaking moment which has gone viral on TikTok as Noah Playforth is told his 'magical mission' has raised more than £10,000 for 'poorly children'

Events

5 d. ago Missing People CEO on why SafeCall will be a lifeline for children

The Independent and Missing People’s SafeCall will be a lifeline for children, the charity’s CEO said.

Events

5 d. ago Sir Trevor McDonald backs The Independent’s SafeCall campaign

Sir Trevor McDonald has announced his support to help reunite missing children with their families as the veteran newsreader backed The Independent's SafeCall campaign.

Politics

5 d. ago ‘We have to stay calm in high emotion’: What it’s really like to answer a call from a missing child

Every day, helpline workers from Missing People speak to children who have gone missing, their heartbroken loved ones, or those who feel like they want to disappear. The Independent heard from those picking up the phone and helping bring young people back to safety

Events

5 d. ago More then 2,000 trafficked children and lone child asylum seekers missing from UK councils’ care

Charities say vulnerable young people are being failed by local authorities, the police and central governmentMore than 2,000 children who have been trafficked or who arrived in the UK alone to claim asylum disappeared from social services’ care last year, according to freedom of information data shared with the Guardian.The authors of a report, Until Harm Ends, submitted FoI requests to children’s services departments in councils across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland asking for information about trafficked children and those who arrived alone in the UK and claimed asylum, who then went missing after being taken into care. Continue reading...

Events

5 d. ago More than 2,000 trafficked children and lone child asylum seekers missing from UK councils’ care

Charities say vulnerable young people are being failed by local authorities, the police and central governmentMore than 2,000 children who have been trafficked or who arrived in the UK alone to claim asylum disappeared from social services’ care last year, according to freedom of information data shared with the Guardian.The authors of a report, Until Harm Ends, submitted FoI requests to children’s services departments in councils across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland asking for information about trafficked children and those who arrived alone in the UK and claimed asylum, who then went missing after being taken into care. Continue reading...

Events

6 d. ago Keir Starmer backs SafeCall campaign to protect missing children as donations surge past £75,000

Prime minister hails The Independent’s appeal in supporting the 70,000 children who go missing each year, as major donors and public figures join effort to fund new national service

Economics

7 d. ago Voices: Britain’s missing children and the heartbreaking question that no one asked in the case of Fred West

It’s 30 years since Andrew O’Hagan wrote his debut book ‘The Missing’, but he has never forgotten the desperate people he met and the heart-shattering stories that never had an ending. It’s why, today, he is backing The Independent’s SafeCall campaign, to provide a lifeline for those in crisis who don’t have anyone to turn to

Events

8 d. ago Mobland star Emmett J. Scanlan backs The Independent’s SafeCall campaign: ‘It breaks my heart’

Emmett J. Scanlan is backing The Independent’s SafeCall campaign.

Politics

9 d. ago ‘Every disappearance is a warning sign’: The important next steps after a missing child is found

With a child reported missing every 2.5 minutes in the UK, it is vital to address the cause behind their disappearance. As part of our SafeCall campaign, The Independent looks at what help is needed to ensure missing children are happy and safe

Events

9 d. ago Kate says her children were ‘very sad’ to miss Paddington at Royal Variety show

Stepping onto the red carpet at the Royal Albert Hall, William appeared in a classic tuxedo while Kate wore a green velvet gown.

Politics

1 week ago ‘I reported my child as missing then heard nothing’: The young people who fall through the gaps when they disappear

Charity Missing People warns these children are at particular risk of exploitation and calls for more resources to tackle the crisis of the young people who have disappeared

Events

1 week ago Taheen Modak makes plea to help missing children as actor backs The Independent’s SafeCall campaign

Actor Taheen Modak has backed The Independent's SafeCall campaign to help raise £165,000 to support the 70,000 children who go missing every year in the UK.

Events

1 week ago Thomas Coombes makes plea to help missing children as actor backs The Independent’s SafeCall campaign

Actor Thomas Coombes has backed The Independent's SafeCall campaign to help the 70,000 children who go missing every year in the UK.

Events

1 week ago Humanitarian officials race to reopen Gaza schools, in photos

With a ceasefire reached last month largely holding, humanitarian officials are working frantically to reopen dozens of makeshift schools in the Gaza Strip. UNICEF estimates that over 630,000 Palestinian children missed out on school during the war.

Culture