Author: BBC

Emer MoreauBusiness reporterGetty ImagesDrivers are being advised to allow extra time to travel with the surge in Christmas travel across the UKBritain’s roads, railways and airports are set to be thronged by festive travellers on what is anticipated to be the busiest day for Christmas trips.The AA has warned of gridlock on Friday, with a survey suggesting as many as 24.4 million cars could hit the roads.It is also expected to be the busiest day of the Christmas period for airports, with 460,000 journeys planned.Network Rail has also advised travellers to check their journeys and book a seat if possible.Drivers…

Kevin PeacheyCost of living correspondentGetty ImagesMillions of people will be able to set their own contactless card payment limits or even have no limit at all, a regulator has confirmed.Banks and card providers will be given the power, from March, to set a maximum – or unlimited – single payment amount without the need to enter a four-digit PIN.But they are also being encouraged by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to allow cardholders to set their own individual limits, or switch off contactless entirely. Some banks already offer this function.The move comes despite the FCA’s own survey showing little appetite…

Getty ImagesRuth CleggHealth and wellbeing reporter More babies are being born by caesarean section in England than delivered naturally – without assistance – for the first time.Latest NHS data for 2024-25 shows that 45% of births were by C-section, compared to 44% which were spontaneous, a term used to describe a natural vaginal birth. Another 11% needed extra support and interventions like forceps.Nearly half of the caesaereans – when the baby is delivered by surgeons cutting into the mother’s abdomen and womb – were planned in advance.NHS England says the increase is influenced by many factors, including women choosing to…

Archie Mitchell and Josh MartinBusiness reportersReutersNewly appointed BP chief executive Meg O’Neill currently runs Australian oil and gas firm Woodside EnergyBP has appointed a new chief executive, making Meg O’Neill the first woman to run a major global oil firm.The London-based energy giant said its current boss Murray Auchincloss would step down less than two years after he replaced Bernard Looney, who was found to have committed “serious misconduct” in failing to disclose relationships with colleagues.Under Ms O’Neill, who currently runs Australian oil and gas firm Woodside Energy, BP is expected to continue its recent strategy of moving away from…

Parents should lead by example this Christmas and turn their phones off during family time, the children’s commissioner for England has said.Dame Rachel de Souza told the Press Association children were “crying out” for engagement with their relatives over the festive break, and urged them to have “phone-free time”.Nearly half of parents with children aged 18 or younger plan to allow phones at the Christmas dinner table this year, according to a recent survey.”I can’t tell you how many children tell me about sitting at dinner and the parents are on the phone,” Dame Rachel said. “So this Christmas, let’s…

Complex presenter Kimberly Wilson speaks to Nina Higson-Sweeney about ways to manage OCD.

Getty ImagesLower prices for clothing, food and alcohol helped the UK inflation rate ease last monthFalls in food, alcohol, and clothing prices last month helped drive inflation to its lowest level in eight months in November.The inflation rate fell to 3.2% from 3.6%, a larger fall than analysts expected.Lower food prices were the main driver of the fall, “with decreases seen particularly for cakes, biscuits, and breakfast cereals”, according to Office for National Statistics (ONS) chief economist Grant Fitzner.It comes ahead of the Bank of England’s decision on interest rates on Thursday, with a cut widely expected.The fall in inflation…

Downing Street says the UK remains in “active conversations with US counterparts at all levels of government” about a wide-ranging tech deal.The BBC understands talks over the Technology Prosperity Deal have stalled because of US concerns about what it considers to be wider UK trade barriers.Billed as “historic” when it was unveiled during US President Donald Trump’s state visit in September, the partnership saw both countries pledge to co-operate further in areas such as AI and quantum computing.”We’re confident of securing a deal that will shape the future of millions on both sides of the Atlantic,” the Prime Minister’s official…

GoogleGraham had been taken for treatment to Bassetlaw Hospital several times beforeThe care given to a 45-year-old man with disabilities who died from sepsis after not being given the correct medication for 34 hours has been described as a “shambles” by his mother.The father of two – named only as Graham – was taken into Bassetlaw Hospital in Nottinghamshire with an infection in November 2022.An investigation by Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) noted doctors did not follow advice from the mother, care home staff or paramedics to give him intravenous (IV) antibiotics rather than oral as it was not…

Thousands of drivers could have speeding fines cancelled after a fault saw some cameras falsely triggered on English A roads and motorways.National Highways said it had found 2,650 wrongful speed camera activations since 2021 due to a delay between cameras and variable speed signs.Affected drivers will be contacted by police and be reimbursed for any fines while points will be removed from their licences where needed.Not all camera activations are enforced, so not all of the wrongful activations will have resulted in fines.National Highways apologised for the error and chief executive Nick Harris said a fix for the issue has…