Jan 14: Electric bus fleet withdrawn after fire; Boost for sat navs …

An electric bus fleet has been withdrawn in south London after a double-decker caught fire.

Three fire engines and around 15 firefighters attended the scene of the rush-hour fire in Wimbledon Hill Road on Thursday. The bus was quickly evacuated and the fire put out.

TfL said electric buses on route 200, which runs between Raynes Park and Mitcham, were being temporarily withdrawn by operator GoAhead as a precaution while an investigation into the blaze continues.

The government is to launch new measures to ensure sat navs are up to date and don’t send drivers down closed roads.

As part of its new Plan For Drivers – to be set out tomorrow – the measures will include making all traffic regulation orders (TROs) digital.

TROs are short-term traffic measures, such as temporary speed limits or road closures. Until now, they weren’t automatically updated on digital systems, meaning they are sometimes missing from sat nav systems.

Injuries from e-scooter crashes are being significantly under-reported, according to new analysis by government advisers.

More rigorous collection of data is vital to ensure the dangers of the vehicles are fully understood, the independent Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety said.

It analysed data from October and November 2021, comparing 300 e-scooter crash casualties recorded by hospitals in Britain with figures held by police forces and operators of rental trials. The study found that fewer than 10% of casualties treated at hospital were represented in police statistics.

Britain could strike Houthi targets in Yemen again if the rebel group continues to attack ships in the Red Sea, foreign secretary Lord David Cameron has suggested.

He warned that the Iran-linked militants could force up prices in Britain if they are allowed to block the passage of container ships in the busy trade route.

The US struck another site in Yemen early yesterday after the Houthis vowed revenge for a second bombing raid carried out by the Americans and the RAF.

Thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters took to the streets of London yesterday, calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

Around 1,700 police officers patrolled the capital as the march made its way to Parliament Square, with a total of nine people being arrested, including three on suspicion of showing support for a proscribed organisation and another three for inciting racial hatred.

Nissan has unveiled the Ariya Nismo as its first road-going electric performance car.

It’s the first Nismo-badged SUV since the Juke and gets a range of performance and visual alterations to set it apart from regular models.

Changes to the electric motor increase peak power by around 10% to 429bhp and 600Nm of torque, with a 0-60mph time of less than four seconds expected. It’ll be launched in Japan in the spring, but it’s unknown if or when the sporty electric SUV will be introduced to Europe.

New Zealand’s former prime minister Jacinda Ardern has finally married her long-time partner, Clarke Gayford.

Ardern, 43, who was in office from 2017 to 2023, tied the knot with the 47-year-old in a private ceremony after almost five years of engagement, a Covid-19 postponement, the Christchurch mosque shootings, the birth of their daughter and running a country.

Details of the event were closely guarded, but the ceremony is reported to have been staged at a luxury vineyard in the scenic Hawke’s Bay region of Aotearoa, 200 miles from New Zealand’s capital of Wellington.

Today will see bright spells and variable cloud for most areas, with the occasional shower possible, mainly along the coasts, says BBC Weather. It’ll be windier with more frequent showers in northern Scotland, turning to sleet and snow.

Monday will be cold but bright for many, with wintry sunshine. Sleet and snow showers will continue for northern Scotland, Northern Ireland and along some coasts elsewhere.

[embedded content]