independent.co.uk

Care failings behind runaway heiress Constance Marten’s baby tragedy laid bare – with thousands more children at risk

The mother – who was jailed for 14 years for the gross negligence manslaughter of her newborn daughter Victoria – concealed the pregnancy with her partner after her four other children were taken into care

British supermarket named UK’s favourite for fifth year in a row

The nation’s best and worst stores for a food shop have been revealed

Keeping your brain busy could reduce Alzheimer’s risk

Starmer demands apology from Man Utd co-owner Jim Ratcliffe over ‘offensive and wrong’ immigration comments

Founder of chemicals giant Ineos, which received £120m in UK aid last year, said immigration is ‘costing too much’

Millions of children with rare diseases set to benefit from faster diagnosis and better treatments

A new platform is being developed by Great Ormond Street Hospital and LifeArc in collaboration with the Children’s Hospital Alliance

Victoria Marten was a victim of our failed approach to child safeguarding

Editorial: The official report into the tragic newborn, whose parents inflicted fatal injuries while on the run, has drawn attention to loopholes in the law – and will better help authorities prevent similar incidents

Cost of staycations could rise due to potential ‘holiday tax’

Around 200 bosses of leading UK accommodation firms have hit out at the government plans

Why sales of pension annuities are on the rise

The Association of British Insurers indicated that the total value of premiums paid into individual pension annuities reached £7.4 billion in 2025

The best cities for single home buyers to get on the property ladder

Single buyers account for around two-fifths of first-time purchases, Zoopla said

Africa ‘needs permanent place on UN Security Council’ – with 80% of resolutions involving conflict on the continent

Exclusive: The disproportionate number of armed conflicts taking place Africa – many of which are climate-driven – has led campaigners to call for the continent to have better representation

China’s emissions have stopped rising for two years. Is this the start of a decline?

Whether the current plateau becomes a sustained decline will depend largely on decisions in the next five-year plan, due in March

Bags of tiny chocolate chip cookies under recall for presenting a choking hazard

Recalled Chips Ahoy! products include select cartons and pouches of Baked Bites Brookie with best‑by dates in May 2026

Syria's president and 2 top ministers were targets of 5 foiled assassination attempts, UN says

A U.N. report on threats posed by Islamic State militants says they targeted Syria’s president, interior minister and foreign minister in five foiled assassination attempts last year

Oil giant tells Trump it’s ‘too expensive’ to reinvest in Venezuela despite president’s urging

The French multinational energy company had left Venezuela in 2022 but, along with others, faced pressure to return from Trump following the U.S. military operations to capture the ousted president Nicolas Maduro on January 3

Gun accessory company to pay $1.75 million to Buffalo supermarket shooting victims

The maker of a gun accessory tied to a racist shooting that killed 10 Black people at a supermarket in Buffalo will pay $1.75 million to survivors and victims’ families and will stop selling the device in New York

Groundbreaking AI helps musician who lost his voice sing again

MAGA civil war erupts with Steven Bannon and Roger Stone in online feud over Epstein

Emails released with the Epstein files allegedly suggest Steve Bannon was planning a favorable documentary about the sex trafficking New York financier

Who is Chloe Kim: Olympic snowboarder vying for third successive gold medal in Milan

American Chloe Kim will be aiming for a third gold medal at her third Winter Olympics

Researchers find molecule that drives skin cancer growth

A key protein helps fuel melanoma tumors — the deadliest form of skin cancer

Mount Sinai nurses approve new contract ending strike at its NYC hospitals

Mount Sinai nurses have approved a new contract, ending a monthlong walkout at its hospitals in New York City

Heartbreak for Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson as Team GB’s medal drought continues

Fear and Gibson were widely tipped to win Britain’s first figure skating medal since Lillehammer 1994, but suffered heartbreak as they recorded their worst result since their debut Olympics four years ago

Canada school shooting latest: Police identify suspect as 18-year-old who killed eight people, including mother and brother

Police identified 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar as the suspected shooter