Author: BBC

Katy Austin,Transport correspondentandEmer Moreau,Business reporterGetty ImagesLearner drivers could have to practise for up to six months before they are allowed to sit their practical testLearner drivers in England and Wales could face a minimum learning period of up to six months between sitting their theory and practical tests, the BBC can reveal.The government will unveil the measure, which will be subject to consultation, as part of its wider road safety strategy launched on Wednesday.The strategy will include proposals for a lower drink-driving limit in England and Wales, to bring them in line with Scotland. The shake-up of driving laws is…

Laura CressTechnology reporterBloomberg via Getty ImagesTechnology Secretary Liz Kendall has called on Elon Musk’s X to urgently deal with its artificial intelligence chatbot Grok being used to create non-consensual sexualised images of women and girls.The BBC has seen multiple examples on X of people asking the bot to digitally undress people to make them appear in bikinis without their consent, as well as putting them in sexual situations.Kendall said the situation was “absolutely appalling”, adding “we cannot and will not allow the proliferation of these degrading images.”In a statement, X said: “We take action against illegal content on X, including…

Nick TriggleHealth correspondentGetty ImagesThe new NHS online hospital service being launched in England next year will initially focus on menopause, prostate and eye conditions.The NHS has selected nine different conditions in total for the service which will be available through the NHS app in 2027.The service, which was first announced in September, will allow patients to have assessments, check-ups and follow-up appointments online and will have its own dedicated team of doctors.The aim is to carry out 8.5 million appointments in the first three years – four times more than the average NHS trust.But experts have questioned how it will…

Theo LeggettBusiness CorrespondentGetty ImagesIndustry discounts for electric vehicles are “unsustainable”, a major motoring group has warned, as the number of new cars registered in the UK exceeded two million last year for the first time since the pandemic.Nearly 500,000 of the new cars sold were electric, according to figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).SMMT chief executive, Mike Hawes, welcomed what he called a “reasonably solid result amid tough economic and geopolitical headwinds”.But electric car sales were still not increasing fast enough to meet official targets, he said, warning of a growing gap between consumer demand and…

Nvidia boss Jensen Huang on Monday announced Alpamayo, a tech platform the company says will help self-driving cars think like humans.”Alpamayo brings reasoning to autonomous vehicles, allowing them to think through rare scenarios, drive safely in complex environments, and explain their driving decisions,” Huang said on stage at the annual CES technology conference in Las Vegas.Huang also said Nvidia has begun producing a driverless car powered by its technology, the Mercedes-Benz CLA, in partnership with the German automaker.The vehicle will be released in the US in the coming months before being rolled out in Europe and Asia.Wearing his trademark black…

Archie MitchellBusiness reporterGetty ImagesNestle has issued a global recall of some baby formula products over concerns they contain a toxin which can cause food poisoning.The food and drink giant said specific batches of its SMA infant formula and follow-on formula were not safe to be fed to babies.The batches were sold across the world, Nestle said, and they potentially contain cereulide, which can cause nausea and vomiting when consumed.The company said there had been no confirmed reports of illness associated with the products, but was recalling them “out of an abundance of caution”.”The safety and wellbeing of babies is our…

Precious metal prices have risen after the US capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro increased investors’ concerns about geopolitical risks.Gold was about 2.2% higher at $4,424 (£3,292) an ounce, while the price of silver was up by 3.9%, as money was moved into so-called “safe-haven” assets.Meanwhile, crude oil prices fell back and share indexes in Europe and Asia were mostly higher.Both gold and silver hit record highs in 2025 before losing ground in the last few days of the year.Despite dipping at the end of last year, gold still saw its best annual performance since 1979 after rising by more…

Some major retailers and independent stores have introduced AI body scans, CCTV or facial recognition equipment to identify crimes like shoplifting.

Pallab GhoshScience CorrespondentBBCListen to Pallab read this articleLarissa Hope believes psilocybin, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms, helped her through a difficult mental health condition.Back when she was 17 and starting out as an actress, she was cast in the TV drama Skins, but the new-found fame brought out a previously buried trauma. She didn’t find antidepressants effective – but that small dose of psilocybin, which she took under clinical supervision, marked a turning point.”When I experienced it, I burst out crying,” she says today. “It was the first time in my life I had ever felt a sense of…

Kumail JafferLocal Democracy Reporting ServiceBBCPeople are choosing between food and basic hygiene products, campaigners saidAlmost a third of Londoners aged 16 to 55 cannot afford basic hygiene products, leaving them unable to live normally, a charity has warned.According to research from the Hygiene Bank, about three out of 10 women in London have had to choose between buying enough food or hygiene products, and some have missed job interviews or work because of it.It has been described as a “scandal that shouldn’t exist” by charity In Kind Direct which is campaigning with the Hygiene Bank to end it.A spokesperson for…