Waiting times for driving tests have dropped below 20 weeks for the first time since November 2024, according to official figures. But learner drivers in September still had to wait an average of 19.7 weeks, or around five months, for a practical test. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has been trying to cut waiting times and clear a backlog which began during the Covid pandemic in 2020. Commenting on the agency's progress, one driving instructor told the BBC: I don't think this is anything to boast about. The DVSA initially had hoped to reduce the average waiting time to seven weeks by the end of last year.

Russell Brand was a'sexual predator', says prosecution as rape trial begins To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Russell Brand was described as ruthless and a sexual predator by the prosecution at the start of his trial for rape and sexual assault on Wednesday. The 51-year-old actor and comedian faces three counts of rape, three charges of sexual assault and one of indecent assault. The allegations, made by six female complainants, span a 10-year period between 1999 and 2009. Riel Karmy-Jones KC, for the prosecution, told Southwark Crown Court in London the women did not know each other, have never met each other and came forward independently of each other.

US inflation rose by more than expected in the year to September, according to official figures, in the final data release before the midterm elections next month. The pace of price rises increased to 3.7%, up from 3.4% in the 12 months to August. Inflation was above forecasts, driven by higher gasoline prices which have spiked following disruption to Middle East energy supplies due to the US-Israel conflict with Iran. The elections are being fought over cost of living pressures across the US. Inflation is the rate at which the price of products or services increase over time.

The kingdom of Hyrule has been prettified, the soundtrack is newly orchestrated and our hero feels strikingly different under the thumbs we play a hands-on demo of Nintendo's Switch 2 remake of a 1998 game-changer W hen beloved art is revisited and revised, a familiar cry is often heard: "You're ruining my childhood!" But with Nintendo's Switch 2 remake of Ocarina of Time, there are also livelihoods at risk: specifically, the man running the shooting gallery in Castle Town. But in 2026 we have more responsive frame rates and a motion-controlled slingshot that allows precision adjustments. Even in Hyrule, the death of the high street seems inevitable. Bad news for him but great news for Link, a child of the forest who, as in 1998, steps into a vast fantasy kingdom to vanquish a great evil, but now does so with a number of improvements.

Police say a body has been found in the search for three men who were onboard a fishing boat that has gone missing off the Western Isles. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said the alarm was raised at about 21:20 on Tuesday when it emerged the boat was overdue from Lewis. A plane, two helicopters, two lifeboats and volunteers were making searches off the Port of Ness in north Lewis. Local councillor Kenneth Macleod said it was a very dark day for islanders, and their thoughts were with the families of the three men. Police Scotland said: The body of one of the men has been recovered, however formal identification is yet to take place.

Pope's cancer diagnosis leaves Catholics questioning what comes next Image caption, Pope Leo is expected to remain at Rome's Gemelli Hospital for a week as he recovers from surgery Vatican transparency about papal health has come a long way from the secrecy of the past. But that does not mean Catholics were prepared for such seismic news about cancer and removal of a large section of Pope Leo XIV's lung - even after he announced on Sunday that doctors had discovered a nodule. On Tuesday, the 71-year-old was diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma following 90-minute surgery to remove a lower lobe of his right lung. Part of the shock has, of course, been because there had been few signs until now that concern was needed about any imminent risks to the Pope's health. An Augustinian, he is known to place great importance in good habits, including when it comes to health and fitness, such as weekly games of tennis.

A hidden video recording device has been found in an Australian navy ship's cabin, the Australian Defence Force (ADF) has confirmed. The device was located on Sunday in the cabin of Royal Australian Navy ship HMAS Leeuwin in Cairns, Queensland. The confirmation came after independent Australian senator Jacqui Lambie, a former veteran and defence advocate, told parliament she was contacted by personnel with allegations that concealed cameras have recently been found in the female sailors' showers facilities. Australia's defence department has not said whether the device was found in a female-only space and said the incident was referred to the Joint Military Police United. Lambie told the Australian Senate on Wednesday: I was also told this had occurred recently and prevented the vessel from sailing while investigations were ongoing.

A civil servant is accused of earning almost £350,000 by juggling five full-time public sector roles - using sick notes and working from home to cope with the workload. Kashim Chowdhury allegedly held multiple government jobs between February 2020 and September 2023, earning £350,000 overall. The jury at Southwark Crown Court has been told he wore white make-up during a video call with his boss to try to look ill, but the make-up began peeling off his skin. Chowdury, a 55-year-old from east London, is on trial accused of nine counts of fraud, which he denies. He denies acting dishonestly or intending to make a dishonest gain. The jury was told that Chowdhury got jobs by making ''false representations'' about his employment status whilst applying.

Police in Mauritius imposed an overnight curfew overnight to quell the worst riots to break out on the Indian Ocean island in decades. Peaceful protests over water shortages and the high cost of living that started a week ago erupted into violence on Friday when a woman was shot and wounded by police at a roadblock. The circumstances of the shooting are not clear, but the officer has since been arrested and remanded in custody. Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam ordered the curfew on Tuesday, warning against those acting against the interests of the country, which is a tourism and financial services hub. Those who have carried out these actions will have to face the very heavy consequences warranted by their anti-patriotic acts, he said in an address to the nation.

Image caption, The managing director of the IMF, Kristalina Georgieva, has praised the UK's approach to debt reduction. Get your fiscal health in order, is a key message at the the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) annual meeting here in Thailand. The IMF is worried about the debts of the world's biggest economies. It is doing its job as a watchdog, looking for and warning about financial vulnerabilities. In the meantime, the finance ministers of former crisis countries are boasting about how little their borrowing costs have gone up, compared to the world's biggest economies, such as the US.