Author: BBC

Nick EdserBusiness reporter, BBC NewsGetty ImagesUK retail sales rose at the fastest pace for nearly four years in the first few months of the year, after warmer weather helped boost sales in March.Between January and March, sales volumes were up 1.6% from the previous three months, according to the Office for National Statistics, which was the biggest quarterly rise since July 2021.March’s sunny weather provided a boost for garden centres, and demand for clothing and DIY goods also improved. However, the ONS said food sales volumes fell, particularly at supermarkets.Analysts also warned that sales could weaken in the months ahead…

M&S shoppers are facing further frustration at the checkout as the company struggles to recover from a cyber attack.Customers began reporting problems on the weekend, with the retailer confirming on Tuesday it was dealing with a “cyber incident.”It told the BBC on Wednesday that customer-facing systems were back to normal.However, it has since confirmed it has been forced to take some systems offline as part of its “proactive management of the incident.”It said it had stopped processing contactless payments, had paused the collection of click and collect orders in stores, and warned of delays to online order deliveries.Contactless payments have…

Two sisters competing in Race Across the World have said taking part in the tough contest has strengthened their sisterly bond.Elizabeth and Letitia, from West Sussex, are racing four other teams from China to India in the fifth series of the reality show, which launched on BBC1 on Wednesday.”Doing it like this is something unexpected, unimaginable, and a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Elizabeth told BBC Radio Sussex.”It was a different way of trying to bond with a sibling, for sure,” added the 33-year-old.Letitia, 26, admitted that they “didn’t really take it so seriously” when they applied to take part…

The US health secretary on Tuesday announced the country would ban eight commonly used artificial food dyes, many found in breakfast cereals.

Children have been injured and patients left stuck in hospital because of a lack of carpet in their homes, a charity has said.The Noah’s Ark Centre, in Halifax, has fitted carpets in more than 400 homes since 2023 and said it had more than 70 people on its waiting list.By law UK landlords only have to put flooring in kitchens and bathrooms, with campaign group End Furniture Poverty saying at least 1.2m homes have no carpet or flooring in their bedrooms and living areas.Andrew Sykes, from the Noah’s Ark Centre, said carpet was “not just to make a home look…

The final version of rules the regulator says will offer children in the UK “transformational new protections” online have been published.Sites will have to change the algorithms that recommend content to young people and introduce beefed up age checks by 25 July or face big fines.Platforms which host pornography, or offer content which encourages self-harm, suicide or eating disorders are among those which must take more robust action to prevent children accessing their content.Ofcom boss Dame Melanie Dawes said it was a “gamechanger” but critics say the restrictions do not go far enough and were “a bitter pill to swallow”.…

Getty ImagesDJ Próvai from Kneecap performing onstage at Coachella on 11 AprilThe west Belfast rap group Kneecap have hit back at a call for their US visas to be revoked after their performance at Coachella where they ended their set with pro-Palestinian messages.Writing on social media, TV personality and music manager Sharon Osbourne said the hip-hop trio “took their performance to a different level by incorporating aggressive political statements”.When asked by BBC News NI for a response, the band replied: “Statements aren’t aggressive, murdering 20,000 children is though.”The festival’s organisers have also been approached for comment.Kneecap have been vocal supporters…

Sarah HawleyBBC News, East MidlandsSuppliedVanellope Hope Wilkins, now aged seven, was born with her heart outside of her bodyVanellope Hope Wilkins made medical history when she was born with her heart outside of her body in 2017. Described by experts as “one of a kind”, Vanellope had three operations to place her heart back in her chest due to an extremely rare condition called ectopia cordis.The hospital where she was born – Glenfield Hospital in Leicester – says it knows of no other case in the UK where the baby has survived.Now seven years old, Vanellope has undergone groundbreaking surgery…

Charlotte EdwardsBusiness reporter, BBC NewsGetty ImagesThe transport secretary has pledged to reduce the number of learner drivers in England waiting more than five months to sit practical tests.Heidi Alexander said the government would aim to clear the backlog by next summer, providing at least 10,000 extra driving tests a month to help tackle the issue.Current driving test wait times are “totally unacceptable”, she told parliament’s transport committee on Wednesday.There is a minimum six-month wait to book a driving test in several areas of the UK, according to data from the AA.Alexander also revealed plans to double training capacity so more…

Lily JamaliReporting fromSan FranciscoReutersElon Musk (left) with Donald Trump outside the White House (file photo)Tesla boss Elon Musk has pledged to “significantly” cut back his role in the US government after the electric car firm reported a huge drop in profit and sales for the start of this year.Musk has led the newly created advisory body – the Department for Government Efficiency (Doge) – since last year, putting the world’s richest man at the heart of cutting US spending and jobs.But Musk said his “time allocation to Doge” would “drop significantly” from next month, adding he would spend only one…