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BBC stories as at 18:15 12 Nov 2025
. Learner driver failed theory test 128 times, report says
[27 hours old]: The theory test was introduced almost 30 years ago to test a learner's knowledge of road rules.
. 'This is the big one' - tech firms bet on electrifying rail
[306 hours old]: Railway operators have new options for electric trains including getting rid of locomotives altogether.
and in other news ...
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Starmer says he 'never authorised' attacks on ministers after leadership row [3 hours old]: Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch accused the prime minister of running a "toxic" Downing Street.
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Henry Zeffman: Efforts to shore up Starmer's leadership may have backfired [4 hours old]: Briefings aimed at seeing off leadership plots may have left the PM more vulnerable, some in Labour fear.
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Italy investigates claims that tourists paid to shoot at civilians in Bosnian war [5 hours old]: Italians and others are alleged to have paid large sums to fire at Bosnians risking their lives in besieged Sarajevo.
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Youth detention guard 'possibly most prolific sex offender in British history' [4 hours old]: An inquiry catalogues missed opportunities to stop abuse at Medomsley Detention Centre.
* Driving test rules to change and military examiners brought in to cut backlog [0 hours old]: The Transport Secretary has announced new measures to tackle the continuing backlog of driving tests.
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Victims' commissioner Baroness Newlove dies, aged 63 [1 hours old]: Baroness Helen Newlove has been remembered as a commissioner who stood up for all victims.
* Streeting accuses doctors' union of acting 'like cartel' ahead of latest strike [1 hours old]: The health secretary launches strongest criticism yet of the union ahead of Friday's strike by resident doctors.
* Major corruption scandal engulfs top Zelensky allies [0 hours old]: The Ukrainian president has called for the justice and energy ministers to be removed from their posts.
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Israeli settlers set fire to Palestinian warehouse and land as West Bank attacks surge [7 hours old]: Several Palestinians were also injured when settlers launched arson attacks targeting an industrial area, a Bedouin village, and farmland east of Tulkarm.
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New consoles used to come out every five years – so where's the PlayStation 6? [8 hours old]: On the fifth anniversary of the PlayStation 5, the firm says its focus remains on its current console.
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Adele to make acting debut in Tom Ford film Cry to Heaven [2 hours old]: The music superstar will appear in Cry to Heaven, the next movie by former fashion designer Tom Ford.
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Why the shake-up of school inspections risks causing new problems [14 hours old]: Ofsted's new 'traffic light' rating system comes into force this week - does this mark meaningful change or, as one expert puts it, 'high level tinkering'?
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Fifty-year mortgages and ,000 cheques: What's behind Trump's affordability drive? [2 hours old]: The US president is increasingly focusing on affordability amid growing public pessimism on the economy.
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Northern Lights set to dazzle UK once again tonight - here's how to see them [7 hours old]: The Northern Lights have been shining over the UK and there is another chance to see them Wednesday as Elizabeth Rizzini and Helen Willetts explain.
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From YouTube team to the Prem: Ndiaye's unusual run to the top [9 hours old]: The French-born footballer did not have an easy run on his way to the top, with numerous clubs rejecting him.
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Why Scotland's teachers want 90 minutes back [12 hours old]: Scotland's teachers are preparing to vote on industrial action over workload and time spent in front of pupils.
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PM says BBC must 'put house in order' over mistakes [5 hours old]: Sir Keir Starmer says it "must uphold the highest standards" but supports "a strong, independent BBC".
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Danish man given suspended sentence for sharing nude film scenes on Reddit [3 hours old]: Police said the man shared 347 clips of naked actors on the social media site, which were viewed 4.2 million times.
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Thousands of NHS England staff to lose jobs after Treasury approves £1bn pay-off deal [9 hours old]: The compromise deal would allow the NHS to overspend this year.
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Trump urges Israel's president to pardon Benjamin Netanyahu [2 hours old]: President Herzog's office says he holds Trump "in the highest regard", but that anyone seeking a pardon has to submit a formal request.
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MBE 'greatest honour' of my career, says Tess Daly [2 hours old]: The presenter was recognised in the King's Birthday Honours for her services to broadcasting.
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'Friendly competition' - could Rogers keep Bellingham out of England team? [1 hours old]: Lifelong friends Jude Bellingham and Morgan Rogers are set to compete for England's number 10 shirt at the World Cup - who will prevail?
* Stokes must 'respect' views of ex-players - Vaughan [1 hours old]: England captain Ben Stokes must "respect" views of former players, says ex-skipper Michael Vaughan, after Stokes described some of his critics as "has-beens".
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Former defender Edwards' return to Wolves - a gamble all round? [4 hours old]: Wolves finally have their man. But how big a gamble have the Premier League side made in appointing Rob Edwards?
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'We want a Grand Slam, England want our scalp' [3 hours old]: New Zealand boss Scott Robertson wants to turn "expectation to joy" as he and his All Blacks side zero in on a first Grand Slam tour since 2010.
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England enlist Raducanu to help beat All Blacks [6 hours old]: England enlist the help of British number one tennis player Emma Raducanu to beat the All Blacks on Saturday.
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'Salary cap would be legally challenged by clubs' [3 hours old]: A Premier League proposal to introduce a controversial salary cap "cannot be imposed unilaterally", says Professional Footballers' Association chief executive Maheta Molango.
* Driving test rules to change in bid to stop bots booking slots [0 hours old]: The Transport Secretary has announced new measures to tackle the continuing backlog of driving tests.
* '0 for a cut-up sock' - Apple's new iPhone Pocket ridiculed online [0 hours old]: Many took aim at the high price online, while others made fun of its striking likeness to a piece of footwear.
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AI will slash headcount by two-thirds - retail boss [2 hours old]: Buy It Direct boss Nick Glynne said increased taxes on business in the UK had sped up the process.
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Ryanair scraps printed boarding passes to go fully digital [4 hours old]: The airline is only accepting digital boarding passes from Wednesday.
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Thousands of NHS staff to lose jobs after Treasury approves £1bn pay-off deal [9 hours old]: The compromise deal would allow the NHS to overspend this year.
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US ends penny-making run after more than 230 years [2 hours old]: Pennies today cost nearly four cents each to make - more than twice the cost of a decade ago.
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Two popular gay dating platforms removed from Apple app store in China [15 hours old]: The removal of Blued and Finka has raised concerns amongst the LGBT community in the country.
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Will Starbucks staff strikes hit turnaround plans? [2 hours old]: The coffee giant is returning to its roots to boost sales but labour tensions could derail the strategy.
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Jet2 to offer flights from Gatwick for first time [8 hours old]: Flight destinations include Spain, Greece, Turkey, Portugal, Malta, Italy, Croatia, Bulgaria and Cyprus.
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Government to rethink rejection of Waspi compensation [8 hours old]: Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden says that the rethink does not mean that payouts will necessarily follow.
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Lib Dems call for 5% VAT cut for pubs and restaurants [7 hours old]: The party also wants to axe the renewables levy from bills, funded by a windfall tax on big banks.
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One in four missing meals due to cost pressures - report [3 hours old]: New report says parents of under 18s are among the groups most affected by cost of living pressures.
and in other older news ...
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Global girl group Katseye have received 'thousands' of death threats [17 hours old]: The band, nominated for best new act at the Grammys, discuss the "jarring" hatred they've received.
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BBC News app [4708 hours old]: Top stories, breaking news, live reporting, and follow news topics that match your interests
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Americanswers on 5 Live! Why is Donald Trump threatening to sue the BBC for billion? [46 hours old]: And how will the U.S. government shutdown end?
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Will We See Trump v BBC In Court? [24 hours old]: How likely is it that President Trump’s threat to sue the BBC will end up in court?
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Aliens are invading in this sci-fi Spielberg epic [598 hours old]: Roy Neary has an encounter with an alien spacecraft and becomes consumed with the desire to see it again
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The remarkable story of an everlasting Hollywood icon [60 hours old]: The epic story of a Hollywood star whose life and talent blazed like no other.
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Building society pledges to keep branches open [18 hours old]: It says its current network of 696 branches will remain until at least 2030.
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UK toy sales up as 'kidults' buy Lego and Pokémon [18 hours old]: Sales have risen by 6% so far this year, analysts say, after a string of post-pandemic falls.
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Two meals for : Why China's youth are not spending [19 hours old]: Economic uncertainty is encouraging some young people to cut back on their spending.
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Andrew shuts down Pitch@Palace business [25 hours old]: The closure of the former prince's start-up competition Pitch@Palace marks his step away from public life
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UK unemployment rate rises to 5% as jobs market weakens [26 hours old]: Latest official data ahead of the Budget later this month shows it is the highest rate since 2021.
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India's start-ups fire up public markets amid valuation concerns [18 hours old]: Start-up fundraising has raised uncomfortable questions about valuations, but signals a maturing ecosystem.
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Vinted users outraged by sizing changes [26 hours old]: The popular second-hand shopping app has changed how sizes are categorised.
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Cryptoqueen who fled China for London mansion jailed over £5bn Bitcoin stash [26 hours old]: Qian Zhimin bought cryptocurrency using funds stolen from thousands of Chinese pensioners, say police.
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Lloyds' use of staff bank data during pay talks 'concerning' [27 hours old]: The bank looked at anonymised information about spending habits, saving rates and salary increases.
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Strikes at helicopter manufacturer to go ahead [28 hours old]: Aerospace workers at the home of British helicopters will strike after rejecting the latest deal.
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Battle over Chinese chip maker rocks global car industry [42 hours old]: In an extraordinary move, the Dutch government seized control of Nexperia, triggering anger in Beijing.
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Reeves suggests benefit limits on larger families to be lifted [49 hours old]: The chancellor tells the BBC children in bigger families should not be "penalised" by the welfare system.
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Post Office Horizon IT contract extended for another year [52 hours old]: It is paying £41m to the Japanese-owned company Fujitsu to use the Horizon system until March 2027.
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Guinness maker appoints former Tesco boss to stem flagging sales [52 hours old]: It is hoped the former Tesco boss can reignite sales at the biggest drinks-maker in the world, Diageo.
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Heathrow should be expanded without moving M25, says BA boss [53 hours old]: British Airways CEO Sean Doyle tells an aviation conference he would prefer to see a shorter runway.
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The Kenyan start-up aiming to electrify African transport [42 hours old]: From fleets of e-bikes to individual riders, eWaka aims to sell across Africa's delivery market.
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Fire-blocking chemicals promise safer buildings [138 hours old]: New treatments promise to make buildings fire-resistant without using older, toxic chemicals.
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Will quantum be bigger than AI? [162 hours old]: The highly complex technology is increasingly being tipped to transform computing.
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The start-up creating science kits for young Africans [210 hours old]: Stemaide's goal is to bring tech skills to young Africans and prepare them for future jobs.
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Businesses are running out of pennies in the US [284 hours old]: Find a penny, pick it up, then what? Now the US has stopped making pennies, a shortage has emerged and created confusion.
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The US bet big with Argentina bailout - is it paying off? [306 hours old]: US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has called the Argentine peso "undervalued". But not many people agree.
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Should K-beauty products have to come from South Korea? [330 hours old]: Sales of Korean skincare treatments continue to soar, but some are now made by overseas companies.
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The South African start-up bringing tech to townships [378 hours old]: Entrepreneur Talifhani Banks has bought a modern delivery system to smaller firms in South Africa.
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These robots can clean, exercise - and care for you in old age. Would you trust them to? [378 hours old]: It sounds like something from a sci-fi film - but some scientists believe this clever new tech could help alleviate strains on the UK care system
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Why the 5G symbol on your phone doesn't mean you have 5G [376 hours old]: New research shows that 40% of the time a phone displays the 5G symbol, it is actually using a 4G connection.
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The striking Swedish workers taking on carmaker Tesla [402 hours old]: The industrial action against the company's operation in Sweden has reached its second anniversary.
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Can the plastic recycling industry be saved? [475 hours old]: Plastic recycling plants in Europe are being shut as they struggle to find a business model
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How the outsourcing sector became South Africa's newest goldmine [499 hours old]: South African firms that do remote work for North American and European businesses growing strongly.
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Protests and food poisonings test Indonesian president's first year in office [571 hours old]: Prabowo Subianto's promises of dynamic economic growth and social change have faced major challenges.
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How good is the battery in a used electric vehicle? [643 hours old]: Companies are offering tech they say can accurately test the health of batteries in used EVs.
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Netherlands' renewables drive putting pressure on its power grid [667 hours old]: Homes asked to use less electricity as network is overloaded by the rush to wind and solar power.
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Why AI is being trained in rural India [655 hours old]: Smaller Indian towns are becoming centres for training and correcting artificial intelligence models.
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The £5.30 orange juice that tells the story of why supermarket prices are sky high [515 hours old]: Butter, chocolate, coffee and milk have all seen prices rocket. Tracing back through the story of one particular supermarket staple begins to explain why
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How Milei's 'Thatcherite' economics divided his nation - but won over Trump [702 hours old]: Ahead of Milei's visit to the White House - amid protests and anger on the streets back at home - Ione Wells unravels the paradox that Argentina's president has created
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Trump's state visit is mired with potential pitfalls despite careful planning [1387 hours old]: Months of preparations have gone into this state visit - but the Lord Mandelson question is not the only concern troubling insiders.
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The UK car industry is at a tipping point - can it be saved? [2203 hours old]: Tariffs, Brexit, pandemic havoc... All of this caused short-term disruption - but the impact concealed a deeper problem for the UK automotive industry
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Trump's global tariffs 'victory' may well come at a high price [2491 hours old]: The US president considers it a win - but if this all triggers a foundational realignment, the results may not break in his favour
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The savings account offering a 50% bonus - with a catch [121 hours old]: Martin Lewis explains Help to Save, which is open to some people on universal credit.
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Former shop worker has 'nightmares' over abuse at work [191 hours old]: A former retail worker from Dundee backs a campaign asking shoppers to treat staff with respect.
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US and China's different reports of their trade meeting [320 hours old]: Donald Trump says the US can sign a trade deal with China "pretty soon" following talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea