Lorry with £70,000 of stolen whisky stopped on motorway

In Catford, south east London, a family home was destroyed by a fire caused by an exploding e-bike just days before Christmas. Three people were inside when the lithium battery burst into flames, forcing two family members to escape onto the roof. One man fell from the roof while waiting for rescue, and a woman was treated for smoke inhalation after slipping and falling into the arms of a firefighter. Full Article

Peter Mandelson's nomination as Britain's new ambassador to the United States has caused anger within Donald Trump's team, with one insider calling it a "horrible, arrogant" choice. The former EU commissioner and Blair-era minister has previously criticized Trump as a "white nationalist and racist", leading to concerns about trust and access to important discussions. Trump's campaign coordinator publicly called Mandelson a "moron", highlighting the strained relations between the two sides due to past insults and...

Authorities in Germany believe the driver responsible for the recent tragedy acted alone, having arrived in the country in 2006 and worked as a doctor. The upcoming election, triggered by Chancellor Olaf Scholz's coalition collapse, sees the CDU leading in polls ahead of the far-right AfD, with migration issues playing a significant role. Likely next chancellor Friedrich Merz plans to reduce asylum-seekers, while current Chancellor Scholz expressed condolences for the victims and praised rescue workers....

The Independent relies on reader support to cover important stories like reproductive rights and climate change, providing unbiased reporting without paywalls. Sue Gray, former chief of staff for Sir Keir Starmer, has been given a peerage after a power struggle within the Labour Party and her role in investigating Partygate, ultimately leading to Boris Johnson's resignation. Gray's report on lockdown parties at No 10 revealed leadership failures, contributing to Johnson's downfall, and her subsequent appointment...

A Swansea-based criminal group used false identities to book 35 Ryanair and Easyjet flights between August 2018 and January 2020 to smuggle migrants into the UK, resulting in a combined 18 years and 5 months of sentencing. Their operation was exposed when clients posted selfies online, leading Home Office teams to link the photos to fraudulent flight bookings, ultimately resulting in the group's conviction. Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Dame Angela Eagle, emphasized that...

Novo Nordisk shares plummeted 24% in London trading after its weight-loss drug CagriSema fell short of expectations, inducing a 22.7% weight loss compared to the forecasted 25%. Investor concerns triggered a midday recovery to an 18.8% loss. The setback comes amidst growing competition from Eli Lilly's Zepbound, which outperformed Novo Nordisk's Wegovy in recent trials. Full Article