Temperatures fell to nearly -8C overnight as an Arctic blast hits the UK, with warnings that snow could bring "significant disruption" this weekend.

Amber cold weather health alerts warning of a risk of a rise in deaths are in place for the whole of England, with one local NHS service urging people to avoid going out early in the morning when the frost is thick.

Yellow weather warnings for snow and ice are in place for most of England, Wales and Scotland between Saturday and Monday.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting told BBC Breakfast "it is definitely a weekend to turn the heating on", after charity Age UK said the weather would bring the winter fuel payment cuts "into sharp relief".

Benson in Oxfordshire recorded the UK's lowest temperature of -7.9C overnight, with much of the UK seeing cold and frosty conditions on Friday morning.

Elsewhere, temperatures dropped to -7.5C in Shap, Cumbria, and -6.4C in Eskdalemuir, Dumfries and Galloway, earlier on Thursday night.

In Wales, the lowest temperature was -4.9C in Usk, while in Northern Ireland, it was -5.7C in Katesbridge.

Yellow Met Office warnings for ice are in force until 10:00 GMT on Friday in west Wales, north-west England and parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland, with wintry showers at times throughout the day.

Snow showers will continue in north-east Scotland bringing accumulations of up to 10cm over high ground during Friday too.

• How to keep babies warm during cold weather and other winter tips
• How to drive in snow and icy weather
• How do cold weather health alerts work?

BBC weather presenter Sarah Keith-Lucas said 20-40cm of snow could fall across northern England and southern Scotland from late Saturday into Monday, which could cause "significant disruption".

She said temperatures in towns and cities across the UK were expected to fall below freezing overnight on Friday into Saturday morning, with "significantly colder" conditions in rural areas. There could be some freezing fog patches in the Midlands and East Anglia, she added.

On Saturday evening, snow is forecast in parts of southern England, Wales, the Midlands in England and Northern Ireland.

On Sunday morning, snow is expected in parts of northern England, Northern Ireland and southern Scotland especially over higher ground where the snow is expected to be quite disruptive.

Later on Sunday, temperatures are expected to be milder in parts of the country, reaching 13C in London in contrast to Aberdeen where it could be just 2C.

The weather warnings include:

• A yellow warning for snow and ice in north-east Scotland, including the Orkney and Shetland Islands, until 10:00 GMT on Friday
• A yellow warning for ice is in place across north-west England, western Scotland and part of Northern Ireland until 10:00 on Friday
• Western Wales is also covered by a yellow ice warning until 10:00 on Friday.
• On Saturday from noon until midnight, a yellow warning for snow and ice is in place covering all of England apart from the south-west, and the whole of Wales
• A separate yellow warning for snow covers most of Scotland, except the far north, from midnight on Sunday until 12:00 GMT on Monday

The amber cold health alerts cover the whole of England but are not in place for the rest of the UK.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issues the alerts when temperatures are likely to affect people's wellbeing, in particular those who are elderly or have health conditions.

The alerts provide early warning to healthcare providers, and suggest actions such as actively monitoring individuals at high risk, and checking that people most vulnerable to cold-related illnesses have visitor or phone call arrangements in place.

Local NHS services have been issuing tips to residents, with NHS Black Country's integrated care board telling people to "avoid going out early when the frost is thick or late at night when it's dark".

Age UK's director Caroline Abrahams said on Thursday that the cold weather would bring the government's decision to limit winter fuel payments "into sharp relief", and added the charity had already been contacted by people "worrying about what to do".

She urged older people "to do everything they can to stay warm" including risking spending more on their heating. Ms Abrahams added energy companies had "an obligation to help" those struggling and there may be support from local councils too.

The prime minister previously said it was important to protect pensioners who most needed the allowance, but many did not need it because they were "relatively wealthy". The cut aims to save £1.5bn a year.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said on Thursday that no fresh postcodes had been triggered for cold weather payments.

Payments of £25 are made to eligible households when an area's average temperature has been recorded as, or is forecast to be, 0C or below for seven consecutive days.

You can keep up to date with BBC Weather forecasts online and on the app.

In Donald Trump's first term, governments around the world braced for his morning social media posts. What policy would be reversed, what insult thrown? Four years on, diplomats are once more getting twitchy when the sun rises on America's east coast.

Back then, they learned to take Trump - as the adage had it - "seriously but not literally". Despite many campaign promises, he did not take the US out of Nato or lock up Hilary Clinton. But can ministers stay so sanguine a second time around?

Trump's latest morning salvo criticised the UK government's decision to increase taxes on oil and gas firms working in the North Sea, in part to help fund renewable energy.

On his platform, Truth Social, Trump responded to a report about a US oil firm leaving the region, saying: "The U.K. is making a very big mistake. Open up the North Sea. Get rid of Windmills!"

Was this merely a familiar defence of a US firm by Trump and a repetition of his pro-fossil fuel instincts? Or was it evidence of a greater willingness by the president-elect to intervene in an ally's own domestic policies?

The main difference - four years on - is that Trump is no longer alone at the keyboard; his increasingly powerful fellow traveller, Elon Musk, is even more prolific, using his own platform, X, to attack the British government across the board. He has criticised its handling of last summer's riots, the running of the economy and now especially its attitude towards child abuse scandals.

Musk has issued a torrent of tweets attacking Sir Keir Starmer personally, accusing the prime minister of not doing enough to prosecute child grooming gangs while he was the director of public prosecutions.

British politicians cannot stem these posts from across the Atlantic. But they can control their reaction. During Trump's first term, governments - and news desks - learned to pause and take a moment before responding to - or reporting - the latest electronic missives from the White House.

Thus far the Conservatives have chosen to engage with and echo Musk's agenda. The party leader, Kemi Badenoch, said a full national inquiry into organised grooming gangs was "long overdue".

But the Conservatives balked at Musk's apparent support for the jailed far-right activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, also known as Tommy Robinson.

Musk has shared several posts on X calling for the release of Yaxley-Lennon, who was jailed in October after admitting contempt of court by repeating false claims against a Syrian refugee.

Alicia Kearns, the Conservative shadow safeguarding minister, said it was "frankly dangerous" of Musk to be "lionising people like Tommy Robinson".

As for Labour, it seems keen to avoid picking a fight with one of the world's richest men who could one day fund a rival political party. Nigel Farage's Reform Party has said Musk is among "a number of billionaires" interested in donating money for their campaigns.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting said Musk's comments about child grooming scandals were "misjudged and certainly misinformed" but asked the billionaire to work with the UK government to tackle online child abuse.

UK politicians are not alone in being the target of Musk's increasingly eccentric interventions. He has described Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany as a "fool" and the country's head of state, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, as "an anti-democratic tyrant". He has also called President Justin Trudeau of Canada "an insufferable tool" who "won't be in power for much longer".

Monitoring closely

So the challenge once again for politicians in Britain and around the world is to work out which, if any, of these social media outbursts and interventions merit a response.

In Whitehall, there is some hope the arrival of Lord Mandelson as the new British ambassador might help stem the flow of personal vituperation across the Atlantic.

There is also weight being placed on Trump's affection for the UK and the Royal Family; he had a good meeting with the Prince of Wales in Paris in December after the opening of Notre Dame.

Other officials are even musing that the relationship between Trump and Musk might prove too combustible in office.

But for now officials are monitoring their timelines closely. US social media diplomacy is back and some of it is heading our way.

Just metres away from a stage of precise sporting drama, five young men dressed as seagulls are bobbing their heads up and down in time to the raucous noise that greets each dart meeting the board.

As teenage sensation Luke Littler lands yet another 180, hundreds of people in fancy dress wave signs at the camera with their own bizarre range of messages to catch the eye of the TV audience.

And amid the noisy, party atmosphere a hapless guy destined to become viral on TikTok struggles to carry five giant pitchers of lager back to his waiting friends and sees much of their contents spill to the floor.

Welcome to Ally Pally 2025 - scene of the PDC World Darts Championship and also the most distinctive live spectating experience in the sporting fans' calendar. Wimbledon, this is not.

"You know it's going to be fun," says Anna Heneghan, a 28-year-old from Harpenden who went to watch the event at London's Alexandra Palace (to give the venue its formal name) dressed as an Average Joe from the 2004 film DodgeBall.

The frenzy around Littler last year was the main reason she went to this year's championship, she says. "You can see on the television when you're watching it the sort of an atmosphere that's in the room."

"People are just there to have a good time," she adds.

Littler's phenomenal rise in the sport saw him reach the final at the PDC World Darts Championship last year at the age of just 16.

Littler is playing Michael van Gerwen in Friday's final - and if he wins, he'll be the youngest player to take home the trophy.

Every year, darts fans from around the world - but particularly from the UK and the Netherlands - vie to get their coveted spot at the Ally Pally as the championship plays out either side of Christmas, another reason why the atmosphere is particularly festive.

Tickets can cost hundreds of pounds and some fans plan their outfits months in advance, but it's largely not a formal event.

Spectators don their finest fancy dress: There are monks and nuns, bananas and vegetables, traffic cones and dart boards, cartoon characters and Vikings. And of course the Dutch masses who bring a large dash of orange to the proceedings.

They are given signs on which they can write jokey messages to hold up to the TV cameras. Dedicated chants are sung for each player. And regardless of who wins a match, the audience erupts into cheers.

The alcohol is flowing, too.

'Some couldn't name three players'

"People go for the atmosphere more than anything," Charlie Murphy, a darts TikToker from Ripon, says. "They can't really see much, you couldn't probably see where the darts land from your seat" because the dart board is so small and far away, he says.

"You don't necessarily have to know about darts to have a good time," says Jessie Sale, a 25-year-old sports journalist from Manchester.

When she interviews members of the public at the matches, "some of them are very knowledgeable on the sport, and some of them absolutely don't have a clue and couldn't name three players," she says.

"You look about and see people carrying a four-pint pitcher in each hand, singing, chanting, writing whatever nonsense they want on the 180 cards and basically having one big party," Jessie adds.

Scramble for tickets was 'like a mini Oasis'

Tickets have been in high demand. Barry Hearn, the president and former chairman of the Professional Darts Corporation, said that the 90,000 tickets for this year's championship games sold out within 15 minutes.

Anna got a PDC membership so that she should buy early bird tickets in the summer, but even then it was "like a mini Oasis" in the scramble to get tickets.

In the end she bought six standing tickets at about £57 each for a weekday afternoon session.

Amanda Worthington, 62, from Hertfordshire, couldn't get tickets through the PDC website. "Literally as soon as you logged on, the tickets were taken up."

Instead, she bought six tickets for the quarter-final from a resale website for about £130 each. From where they were sat, her group could "just about" make out the darts, she says.

Amanda had been to the championship at Ally Pally the year before and found the experience "just phenomenal".

This year was no different. "You do get carried along on that wave of excitement," she says.

"I've got a hoarse voice at the end of it from singing and laughing."

Cheering and booing but no rivalry

Like Anna, Renee Rogers, a 38-year-old CEO from Borehamwood, went to the PDC because of Luke Littler.

In the past, darts "would always be something that I would turn off and probably roll my eyes at," she says.

But she was "hooked" watching the matches last year - and ended up booking a ticket to go to the semi-finals on Thursday. She and her husband dressed as characters from the TV series Squid Game.

"It all starts the moment you park your car," Renee says. "You can hear the chants. You're driving through Ally Pally and you're seeing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles one side, Viking men the next."

The atmosphere with chanting and booing is "like pantomime", Renee says. "There's not an intense rivalry of fandom like the football."

Even if people go into the match with a favourite, they'll cheer for everyone taking part.

Luke Bodily, another TikTok creator, says spectators will "start cheering the guy who's about to lose to encourage him to get back in the match... They don't want the match to end because they don't want to go home".

Women's sport is growing

Darts is still heavily male-dominated - both in terms of players at the championship and spectators watching. But Jessie says the women's sport has come on massively in recent years.

When she started at university, she was the only female player on its darts team. Now, some universities have dedicated women's darts teams and Jessie says she gets messages on TikTok from girls who love the sport.

England's Fallon Sherrock - who in 2019 became the first female player to win a match at the PDC World Darts Championship - played in the tournament for the fifth time in December.

Anna isn't a darts player, but she says that she and her friends enjoyed watching the darts so much they're even organising their own mini tournament.

And as for the PDC at Ally Pally? "We are already planning to go next year for sure," she says.

US law enforcement is looking for clues to unravel the mystery behind the Tesla vehicle that exploded outside Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas earlier this week, giving seven people minor injuries.

The man who rented the Cybertruck - then drove it to the city and parked it in front of the hotel - has been identified as Matthew Alan Livelsberger, a 37-year-old active-duty US special forces soldier.

Police found his lifeless body inside the charred Tesla with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. They also found fuel cannisters and more than a dozen firework mortars in the bed of the vehicle.

On Thursday, there remained a heightened police presence at the hotel, located right off the busy Las Vegas strip. Yellow police tape cordoned off a small section of the hotel's entrance as employees worked to repair damage to the facade.

Authorities continue to work and piece together information, and many questions remain.

For example, it is unclear why Livelsberger rented the car - or if the perpetrator was intending to make a political statement ahead of Donald Trump's return to the White House later this month.

Why did Livelsberger drive to Las Vegas?

One of the biggest unanswered questions is why Livelsberger rented the Tesla and drove it more than 800 miles (1,300km) from Colorado to Las Vegas.

Las Vegas police said he rented the vehicle on 28 December in Denver. They were able to track his movements using photographs taken on the drive and information from Tesla's charging technology. He was the only one seen driving it, they said.

The vehicle arrived in the city on Wednesday morning, less than two hours before the explosion, police said.

Las Vegas Sheriff Kevin McMahill said on Thursday that a body inside the vehicle was recovered. It was burned beyond recognition, but the county's coroner used DNA and dental records to confirm that Livelsberger had been inside the Cybertruck at the time of the blast. He was found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

"I'm comfortable calling it a suicide with a bombing that occurred immediately after," Sheriff McMahill said. He added that no motive for the incident had been established.

Was the explosion meant to be a political statement?

Another big question is whether the explosion was meant as a statement ahead of the change of US president later this month.

Police have not found any evidence that links the alleged perpetrator to specific political beliefs, but they said they were investigating whether the incident was tied to the fact that President-elect Donald Trump owns the hotel, or that Elon Musk runs Tesla.

Trump recently named Musk to co-lead a presidential advisory commission, the Department of Government Efficiency, after the two became close during Trump's campaign.

"It's not lost on us that it's in front of the Trump building, and that it's a Tesla vehicle," said Spencer Evans, an FBI agent based in Las Vegas, on Thursday.

"But we don't have information at this point that definitely tells us, or suggests, that (the incident) was because of a particular ideology," he said.

Was it related to the attack in New Orleans?

The explosion happened just a few hours after a man drove a pickup truck into New Year revellers on the crowded Bourbon Street in New Orleans, Louisiana, killing 14 people and injuring dozens of others.

That attacker has been identified as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old US citizen who also served in the US Army.

President Joe Biden has said investigators are looking into whether the two incidents are linked, though so far nothing has been uncovered to suggest that is the case.

But the question continues to be fuelled by the apparent similarities between the two incidents and some biographical details of the drivers of both vehicles.

Both incidents happened in the early hours of New Year's Day. Both men served in the US armed forces - including at the Fort Liberty (formerly Fort Bragg) military base in North Carolina - and both completed a tour in Afghanistan. Both men also rented the vehicles they used through a mobile car rental application called Turo.

However, police have said there is no evidence the two men were in the same unit or served at the same time at Fort Liberty. Although both were deployed to Afghanistan in 2009, there is no evidence they served in the same province, location or unit.

In the New Orleans attack, police recovered an Islamic State (IS) group flag from the vehicle used by Jabbar. They added that he posted videos to social media moments prior claiming allegiance to the group. Police have determined that Jabbar was acting alone.

Meanwhile, in Las Vegas, there is no evidence that suggests that Livelsberger was motivated by IS, or that he and Jabbar had ever been in contact. Police have cautioned that the investigation remains active.

What is Livelsberger's background?

Livelsberger was a decorated special forces intelligence sergeant who was serving in Germany, but was on approved leave at the time of the incident.

His father told BBC's US partner CBS News that his son was in Colorado to see his wife and eight-month-old daughter.

He said he last spoke to his son at Christmas and that everything seemed normal.

The Daily Beast reported that Livelsberger was a "big" supporter of Trump. A senior law enforcement official who spoke with Livelsberger's family told the outlet that Livelsberger voted for Trump in November's election.

His uncle told The Independent that Livelsberger loved Trump "and he was always a very, very patriotic soldier, a patriotic American."

A news summary from Apple has falsely claimed darts player Luke Littler won the PDC World Championship - before he has even played in the final.

On Friday morning, an iPhone notification based on a news story of Littler winning the semi-final of the PDC World Championship falsely made it appear that the BBC was reporting he had won the whole event.

The BBC previously complained to Apple when the feature generated a false headline about a high-profile alleged murder in the US.

Apple has been contacted for comment.

"It is essential that Apple fixes this problem urgently - as this has happened multiple times," said a BBC spokesperson.

"As the most trusted news media organisation in the world, it is crucial that audiences can trust any information or journalism published in our name and that includes notifications."

Littler, 18, has generated huge excitement in the darts world on his way to the final, which takes place on Friday evening.

Even though the notification appears to be directly from the BBC, it is in fact Apple Intelligence summarising three much longer headlines.

The other two stories in the summary, about the South Korean president and flu cases, were accurately summarised.

Apple Intelligence, which launched in the UK in December 2024, is intended to give users a simple round-up of all the alerts they have missed.

But the firm has run into some trouble since the feature launched, with inaccurate summaries of news stories and other notifications.

It prompted the journalist body Reporters Without Borders (also known as RSF) to call on Apple to axe its AI-powered summaries of news stories.

"The automated production of false information attributed to a media outlet is a blow to the outlet's credibility," said Vincent Berthier, the head of RSF's technology and journalism desk, in December.

He added it was "a danger to the public's right to reliable information on current affairs."

The latest notification glitch on Littler's semi-final win was received by a BBC News employee.

It is likely that most people's AI-generated summaries would be unique as different combinations of notifications are summarised depending on the device being used and the alerts coming through.

Apple Intelligence is only available on certain iPhones - those using the iOS 18.1 system version or later on recent devices (all iPhone 16 phones, the 15 Pro, and the 15 Pro Max). It is also available on some iPads and Macs.

The grouped notifications are marked with a specific icon, and users can report any concerns they have on a notification summary.

Apple has not outlined how many reports it has received.

A cyber hacker has pleaded guilty to stealing unreleased music from artists including British rock band Coldplay and US singer-songwriters Upsahl and Melanie Martinez.

Skylar Dalziel made about £42,000 by selling the tracks online, according to City of London Police.

Prosecutor Richard Partridge said she "selfishly used their music to make money for herself by selling it on the dark web".

The 22-year-old, of Winchester Gardens in Luton, admitted 11 copyright offences at Luton Crown Court and was sentenced to 21 months imprisonment, suspended for 24 months.

Det Con Daryl Fryatt, from the force's Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit, said: "Stealing copyrighted material for your own financial gain is illegal.

"It jeopardises the work of artists and the livelihoods of the people who work with them to create and release their music."

The thefts came to light when Sony Music Entertainment discovered a cloud account owned by Upsahl had been compromised and reported it to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) in June 2021.

Forty unreleased tracks had been extracted and were being sold online, police said.

The IFPI and the Recording Industry Association of America identified an account on an online forum selling unreleased music from various artists and that account was linked to Dalziel.

Officers said they arrested Dalziel on 9 January 2023 and seized three drives which contained 291,941 music tracks.

They also found a spreadsheet which showed she had sold tracks to customers and her PayPal and bank accounts revealed she had received £42,049 from April 2021 to January 2023.

Some of this money was transferred to bank accounts in the US and City of London Police said it was working with Homeland Security Investigations to identify the people linked to the accounts.

Dalziel pleaded guilty to 11 counts of making for sale an article without licence of the copyright's owner, one count of transferring criminal property and three counts of acquiring/using/possessing criminal property.

She was also sentenced to 180 hours of unpaid work.

Det Con Fryatt said the sentencing "sends a clear message that we have the ability and tools to locate cyber criminals and hold them to account for their actions".

Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.

A "cowardly" attacker who murdered a 64-year-old man with a single punch outside a pub has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 16 years.

Christopher Cooper, 39, from the Maritime Quarter in Swansea, punched Kelvin Evans, from Gorseinon, Swansea, once to the head.

The judge at Swansea Crown Court told Cooper Mr Evans's life was "senselessly and cruelly extinguished", and he had shown no remorse about the attack from behind outside The Station Hotel in Gorseinon, even boasting about the attack only taking one punch.

Mr Evans's 92-year-old mother Maureen said she looked at her son's picture every morning and night, and in tears told the court of her sadness.

Cooper and his partner Catherine Francis were at the pub - known locally as "The Gyp" - as were Mr Evans and his partner.

The judge said a perceived slight seemed to have been the trigger for the attack. Cooper had waited for Mr Evans to leave before hitting him.

After the attack in May the victim was immediately knocked unconscious and was taken to hospital, but his condition deteriorated, and he died a month later.

The judge told Cooper it was "a cowardly punch... totally unexpected" and it "would result in real serious injury" when the head would hit a hard surface.

Mr Evans was described by family as a kind man who would help anyone. He loved trips in his camper van Bella, often taking loved ones for days out.

Nephew Mark Jones said: "To lose him to such a cowardly attack has been nothing short of devastating.'"

He said Cooper and Francis' lies were "disrespectful and disturbing".

Cooper had previously admitted manslaughter but denied murder.

Judge Walters said Francis had lied throughout her evidence and shown no remorse.

She was previously convicted of assisting an offender and was sentenced to two years.

The Crown Prosecution Service said after the hearing that Francis was aware of the assault but did not call police.

Analysis of her phone showed she searched for hotels after the attack, and they were both arrested the next day at a service station.

A news summary from Apple has falsely claimed darts player Luke Littler won the PDC World Championship - before he has even played in the final.

On Friday morning, an iPhone notification based on a news story of Littler winning the semi-final of the PDC World Championship falsely made it appear that the BBC was reporting he had won the whole event.

The BBC previously complained to Apple when the feature generated a false headline about a high-profile alleged murder in the US.

Apple has been contacted for comment.

"It is essential that Apple fixes this problem urgently - as this has happened multiple times," said a BBC spokesperson.

"As the most trusted news media organisation in the world, it is crucial that audiences can trust any information or journalism published in our name and that includes notifications."

Littler, 18, has generated huge excitement in the darts world on his way to the final, which takes place on Friday evening.

Even though the notification appears to be directly from the BBC, it is in fact Apple Intelligence summarising three much longer headlines.

The other two stories in the summary, about the South Korean president and flu cases, were accurately summarised.

Apple Intelligence, which launched in the UK in December 2024, is intended to give users a simple round-up of all the alerts they have missed.

But the firm has run into some trouble since the feature launched, with inaccurate summaries of news stories and other notifications.

It prompted the journalist body Reporters Without Borders (also known as RSF) to call on Apple to axe its AI-powered summaries of news stories.

"The automated production of false information attributed to a media outlet is a blow to the outlet's credibility," said Vincent Berthier, the head of RSF's technology and journalism desk, in December.

He added it was "a danger to the public's right to reliable information on current affairs."

The latest notification glitch on Littler's semi-final win was received by a BBC News employee.

It is likely that most people's AI-generated summaries would be unique as different combinations of notifications are summarised depending on the device being used and the alerts coming through.

Apple Intelligence is only available on certain iPhones - those using the iOS 18.1 system version or later on recent devices (all iPhone 16 phones, the 15 Pro, and the 15 Pro Max). It is also available on some iPads and Macs.

The grouped notifications are marked with a specific icon, and users can report any concerns they have on a notification summary.

Apple has not outlined how many reports it has received.

US President Joe Biden has formally blocked the takeover of US Steel by a bigger Japanese company, saying foreign ownership could pose risks for national security.

The controversial decision comes a year after Nippon Steel first announced the $14.9bn (£12bn) deal, describing it as a lifeline for its smaller Pennsylvania-based rival.

But the transaction soon ran into political trouble, after leaders of the United Steelworkers union loudly opposed the deal, bringing political pressure to bear in a key state during the 2024 presidential election.

Biden decided to scrap the deal despite concerns by some advisors that it could damage Washington's relations with Tokyo, a key ally.

BBC News has contacted Nippon Steel and US Steel for comment.

Nippon Steel has previously denied that it planned to reduce production or cut jobs, while US Steel had warned that it might have to close plants without the investment that would come with a new owner.

Those concerns had been echoed by some workers and local politicians.

Other business groups said they feared rejecting the transaction would chill the climate for international investment in the US.

But Biden has voiced longstanding opposition to the deal. The transaction has also been criticised by President-elect Donald Trump and the incoming vice-president, JD Vance.

A US government panel charged with reviewing the deal for national security risks failed to reach a consensus by late December, leaving the decision to Biden, who was required to act within a 15-day deadline.

In his announcement on Friday he said maintaining US ownership was important to keeping the US steel industry and it supply chains strong.

"As I have said many times, steel production - and the steel workers who produce it - are the backbone of our nation," he said.

"That is because steel powers our country: our infrastructure, our auto industry, and our defense industrial base. Without domestic steel production and domestic steel workers, our nation is less strong and less secure."

Nippon Steel and US Steel have previously suggested they may pursue legal action against the government if the deal did not happen.

Prof Stephen Nagy, of the Department of Politics International Studies at the International Christian University in Tokyo, said this was a "political" decision, noting that the Biden administration from its start promised a "foreign policy for the middle class".

"This was a direct response and continuation of the Trump MAGA agenda of Making America Great Again," he said.

"The Biden administration couldn't appear weak on foreign businesses, whether it's an ally or adversary."

A seven-month-old baby has died after a crash on the A1 as officers investigate whether the incident was linked to icy conditions.

Lincolnshire Police were called to the southbound carriageway near the A52 junction at Grantham at 22:50 GMT on Thursday, after a yellow Honda Jazz left the road and crashed into a tree.

The baby boy suffered serious injuries and was taken to hospital but died just after 05:00 on Friday. A woman travelling in the car also suffered serious injuries.

The southbound carriageway remains closed while investigations take place.

Lincolnshire Police said two other people were in the vehicle and were not seriously hurt.

The force said it was keeping an "open mind" over the cause of the collision but said it could be linked to icy conditions in the area.

The family of the boy is being supported by specially-trained officers.

Alicia Kearns, the Conservative MP for Rutland and Stamford, said the incident was "heart-breaking" and said her "heart goes out to the family and loved ones at this impossible time".

Lincolnshire Police said it was keen to speak to anyone who may have been driving in the area at the time of the incident or over the past few days.

Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.

The stand-off started long before dawn. By the time we arrived in the dark, an army of police had pushed back suspended president Yoon Suk Yeol's angry supporters, who'd camped out overnight hoping to stop his arrest. Some of those I spoke to were crying, others wailing, at what they feared was about to unfold.

As dawn broke, the first officers ran up to the house, but were instantly thwarted - blocked by a wall of soldiers protecting the compound. Reinforcements came, but could not help. The doors to Yoon's house stayed tightly sealed, his security team refusing the police officers entry.

For several hours the investigators waited, the crowds outside growing more agitated - until, after a series of scuffles between the police and security officials, they decided their mission was futile, and gave up.

This is totally uncharted territory for South Korea. It is the first time a sitting president has ever faced arrest, so there is no rule book to follow - but the current situation is nonetheless astonishing.

When Yoon was impeached three weeks ago, he was supposedly stripped of his power. So to have law enforcement officers trying to carry out an arrest - which they have legal warrant for - only to be blocked by Yoon's security team raises serious and uncomfortable questions about who is in charge here.

The investigating officers said they abandoned efforts to arrest Yoon not only because it looked impossible, but because they were concerned for their safety. They said 200 soldiers and security officers linked arms, forming a human wall to block the entrance to the presidential residence, with some carrying guns.

This is arguably part of Yoon's plan, leveraging a system he himself designed. Before he declared martial law last month – a plan we now know he cooked up months earlier – he surrounded himself with close friends and loyalists, injecting them into positions of power.

One of those people is the current head of his security team, who took up the job in September.

But although alarming, this situation is not entirely surprising. Yoon has refused to cooperate with the authorities over this investigation, ignoring every request to come in for questioning.

This is how things reached this point, where investigators felt they had no choice but to bring him in by force. Yoon is being investigated for one of the most serious political crimes there is: inciting an insurrection, which is punishable by life in prison or death.

Yoon has also spurred on his supporters, who have gathered in force outside his residence every day since the arrest warrant was issued. He sent them a letter on New Years' Day thanking them for "working hard" to defend both him and the country.

Although most people in South Korea are upset and angry at Yoon's decision to impose martial law, a core of his supporters have stayed loyal. Some even camped overnight, in freezing temperatures, to try and stop police reaching his home.

Many told me this morning they were prepared to die to protect Yoon, and repeated the same unfounded conspiracy theories that Yoon himself has floated – that last year's election was rigged, and the country had been infiltrated by pro-North Korea forces. They held up signs reading "stop the steal", a slogan they chanted over and over.

Attention is also now on South Korea's acting President Choi Sang-mok, and how far his powers extend; whether he could and should sack the president's security chief and force the team to allow his arrest. The opposition party says police should be arresting anyone who stands in their way.

Although investigators have until 6 January to attempt this arrest again – this is when the warrant runs out - it is unlikely they will go in once more without changing their strategy or negotiating with the security team in advance. They will want to avoid a repeat of today's failure.

They also have to contend with the throngs of Yoon's supporters, who now feel victorious and empowered. They believe they are largely responsible for the authorities' climb down. "We've won, we did it," they have been singing all afternoon.

As their confidence grows, so will their numbers, especially with the weekend approaching.

Elon Musk's attack on the government's handling of grooming gangs is "misjudged and certainly misinformed", Health Secretary Wes Streeting has said.

Tech multi-billionaire Musk has posted a series of messages on his social media site X, accusing Sir Keir Starmer of failing to prosecute gangs that systematically groomed and raped young girls, and calling for Safeguarding minister Jess Phillips to be jailed.

Asked about his comments, Streeting said "this government takes the issue of child sexual exploitation incredibly seriously".

He invited Musk to "roll up his sleeves and work with us" against rape gangs.

The Tories have also criticised Musk for "sharing things that are factually inaccurate".

While visiting a care home in Carlisle on Friday, Streeting said Labour was getting "on with the job" of implementing the recommendations of the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse led by Professor Alexis Jay "in full".

He told reporters: "Some of the criticisms Elon Musk has made I think are misjudged and certainly misinformed.

"But we're willing to work with Elon Musk who I think has got a big role to play with his social media platform to help us and other countries tackle these serious issues.

"If he wants to work with us and roll his sleeves up, we'd welcome that."

Musk, a key adviser to US President-elect Donald Trump, has accused Sir Keir of failing to properly prosecute rape gangs while director of public prosecutions (DPP), and repeatedly retweeted Reform UK and Conservative MPs calling for a national inquiry.

He also suggested safeguarding minister Jess Phillips "deserves to be in prison" after she rejected a request for the Home Office to order a public inquiry into child sexual exploitation in Oldham. She said the council should commission a local inquiry instead.

The decision was criticised by several senior Tories, despite the previous Conservative government turning down a similar request in 2022.

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has called for a full national public inquiry into what she called the UK's "rape gangs scandal".

But the party has also criticised Musk for "sharing things that are factually inaccurate" and distanced itself from his call for Phillips to be jailed.

Alicia Kearns – who shadows Phillips as the Conservative spokesperson on safeguarding – told BBC Radio 5 Live Musk had "fallen prone" to sharing things on his X platform "without critically assessing them".

She accused Musk of "drawing away attention from the survivors and from the victims" of rape gangs, and "lionising people like [far-right activist] Tommy Robinson - which is frankly dangerous".

Jay inquiry

There have been numerous investigations into the systematic rape of girls and young women by organised gangs, including in Rotherham, Cornwall, Derbyshire, Rochdale and Bristol.

Earlier on Friday, health minister Andrew Gwynne suggested Musk "ought to focus" on US politics, where he is set to act as an unelected adviser to the Trump administration on cutting federal spending.

Speaking to LBC Radio, Gwynne added that child grooming was a "very serious issue", pointing to previous investigations which had taken place into sexual abuse scandals.

"There comes a point where we don't need more inquiries, and had Elon Musk really paid attention to what's been going on in this country, he might have recognised that there have already been inquiries," he said.

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sex Abuse (IICSA), which published its final report in 2022, described the sexual abuse of children as an "epidemic that leaves tens of thousands of victims in its poisonous wake".

It knitted several previous inquiries together alongside its own investigations.

Professor Jay said in November she felt "frustrated" that none of her report's 20 recommendations to tackle abuse had been implemented more than two years later.

She said: "It's a difficult subject matter, but it is essential that there's some public understanding of it.

"But we can only do what we can to press the government to look at the delivery of all of this.

"It doesn't need more consultation, it does not need more research or discussion, it just needs to be done."

Neil Young has announced he will play this year's Glastonbury Festival, just days after saying he had turned down a slot because of the BBC's involvement.

The 79-year-old had announced that he and his band would not play the event because the BBC "wanted us to do a lot of things in a way we were not interested in".

But in a new post on his website, the rock legend wrote: "Due to an error in the information received, I had decided to not play the Glastonbury Festival, which I always have loved.

"Happily, the festival is now back on our itinerary and we look forward to playing. Hope to see you there!"

Glastonbury organiser Emily Eavis welcomed the decision.

"What a start to the year!" she wrote on Instagram.

"Neil Young is an artist who's very close to our hearts at Glastonbury. He does things his own way and that's why we love him.

"We can't wait to welcome him back here to headline the Pyramid in June."

It is not known whether the change of heart means Young's 2025 Glastonbury set will be televised.

The BBC has been Glastonbury's exclusive broadcast partner since 1997, and broadcasts more than 50 hours of coverage every year.

However, the last time Young played the festival in 2009, he only allowed the BBC to show a short portion of his two-hour headline set.

The corporation said at the time it had spent a "couple of months" negotiating with Young's management over televising the performance.

In the end, his team only agreed to let five songs be broadcast, a decision that was made as Young was playing on the Pyramid Stage.

"They believe in the live event and retaining its mystery and that of their artist," explained Mark Cooper, the then-executive producer of the BBC's Glastonbury coverage.

"You probably won't find too many Neil Young performances available freely on TV or online," he added. "He generally prefers the audience to find his albums."

In his initial post on Tuesday, the star lashed out at what he described as the BBC's "corporate control" of Glastonbury, and said the festival "is not the way I remember it being".

Artists are not forced to hand over broadcast rights when they play the event, and often contracts are signed at the last minute.

BBC News has contacted Glastonbury and BBC Music for clarification.

A British woman and her fiance have been found dead in a holiday villa in Vietnam, local police have said.

Greta Marie Otteson, 33, was discovered by staff dead on a bed in a first-floor room in Hoi An, a coastal city in the central region of the East Asian nation, at around 11:18 local time (04:18 GMT) on 26 December, police said in a statement on Monday.

Her fiance Els Arno Quinton, a 36-year-old South African man, was found dead on a bed in another room in the villa that had reportedly been locked from the inside.

The UK Foreign Office confirmed it was in contact with local authorities and supporting the family of a British woman who had died in Vietnam.

Ms Otteson was a social media manager, and Mr Quinton was a musician and livestreamer.

A video announcing their engagement was posted on Instagram by videography company Red Eye Studios on 11 December.

Both had registered for long-term temporary residence at the Hoa Chuong villa, in the Cam Thanh commune, since last summer.

Police said a preliminary inspection of the bodies had found no signs of external force and that the rooms showed no sign of burglary.

Local media reports that several empty bottles of wine were found at the scene.

An investigation into the cause of the pair's deaths is ongoing.

A spokesperson for the UK Foreign Office said in a statement: "We are supporting the family of a British woman who has died in Vietnam and are in contact with the local authorities."

US President Joe Biden has formally blocked the takeover of US Steel by a bigger Japanese company, saying foreign ownership could pose risks for national security.

The controversial decision comes a year after Nippon Steel first announced the $14.9bn (£12bn) deal, describing it as a lifeline for its smaller Pennsylvania-based rival.

But the transaction soon ran into political trouble, after leaders of the United Steelworkers union loudly opposed the deal, bringing political pressure to bear in a key state during the 2024 presidential election.

Biden decided to scrap the deal despite concerns by some advisors that it could damage Washington's relations with Tokyo, a key ally.

BBC News has contacted Nippon Steel and US Steel for comment.

Nippon Steel has previously denied that it planned to reduce production or cut jobs, while US Steel had warned that it might have to close plants without the investment that would come with a new owner.

Those concerns had been echoed by some workers and local politicians.

Other business groups said they feared rejecting the transaction would chill the climate for international investment in the US.

But Biden has voiced longstanding opposition to the deal. The transaction has also been criticised by President-elect Donald Trump and the incoming vice-president, JD Vance.

A US government panel charged with reviewing the deal for national security risks failed to reach a consensus by late December, leaving the decision to Biden, who was required to act within a 15-day deadline.

In his announcement on Friday he said maintaining US ownership was important to keeping the US steel industry and it supply chains strong.

"As I have said many times, steel production - and the steel workers who produce it - are the backbone of our nation," he said.

"That is because steel powers our country: our infrastructure, our auto industry, and our defense industrial base. Without domestic steel production and domestic steel workers, our nation is less strong and less secure."

Nippon Steel and US Steel have previously suggested they may pursue legal action against the government if the deal did not happen.

Prof Stephen Nagy, of the Department of Politics International Studies at the International Christian University in Tokyo, said this was a "political" decision, noting that the Biden administration from its start promised a "foreign policy for the middle class".

"This was a direct response and continuation of the Trump MAGA agenda of Making America Great Again," he said.

"The Biden administration couldn't appear weak on foreign businesses, whether it's an ally or adversary."

Israel has confirmed it is holding Gaza hospital director Dr Hussam Abu Safiya after earlier telling a local NGO that it was unaware of his case, sparking concern for his well being.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) statement said he was "currently being investigated by Israeli security forces" in person.

The statement did not offer an explanation for the confusion but repeated that he was suspected of being a "terrorist" and for "holding a rank" in Hamas, the armed Palestinian group at war with Israel in Gaza.

Dr Abu Safiya was arrested as the Israeli military forced patients and medical staff to leave Kamal Adwan hospital in northern Gaza last Friday, alleging the facility was a "Hamas terrorist stronghold".

On Thursday the IDF told Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI) that it had "no indication of the arrest or detention of the individual in question".

The PHRI filed a petition with the Israeli High Court of Justice on Thursday, demanding Dr Abu Safiya's location be disclosed. It said the court had given the IDF a week to comply.

Meanwhile Amnesty head Agnès Callamard said Israeli authorities must "urgently disclose his whereabouts".

She said Israel had detained "hundreds of Palestinian healthcare workers from Gaza without charge or trial" and said they had been "subjected to torture and other ill-treatment and been held in incommunicado detention".

Israel denies mistreating detainees.

Dr Abu Safiya's family previously told BBC Arabic they believe he is being held at Sde Teiman military base in southern Israel, where Israeli forces have taken many detainees from Gaza for interrogation.

Whistleblowers have previously told the BBC and other international media of extremely harsh conditions for detainees there. Israel has said all detainees there are kept "carefully and appropriately".

The IDF ordered everyone inside Kamal Adwan hospital to leave last Friday morning, giving the hospital about 15 minutes to move patients and staff into the courtyard, medical staff told the BBC.

Beit Lahia, where the hospital is located, has been under a tightening Israeli blockade imposed on parts of northern Gaza since October. The UN has said the area has been under "near-total siege" as the Israeli military heavily restricts access of aid deliveries to an area where an estimated 10,000 to 15,000 people remain.

On Saturday, the IDF said it apprehended 240 combatants at Kamal Adwan and said Dr Abu Safiya was among medical staff taken for questioning.

Video footage showed him walking towards an Israeli armoured vehicle before being taken for interrogation. An Israeli military spokesperson confirmed the arrest that same day, saying the doctor had been transferred for questioning.

Dr Abu Safiya was previously arrested by Israeli forces during an earlier raid on the hospital in October, but was freed shortly afterwards. During that Israeli operation Dr Abu Safiya's 15-year-old son was killed in a drone strike. Footage from later that day showed him leading funeral prayers for his son in the hospital courtyard.

Israeli attacks on Gaza's healthcare facilities have prompted increasing condemnation.

On Tuesday the UN Human Rights Office says Israeli attacks on and around hospitals have pushed Gaza's healthcare system to "the brink of total collapse" and raised serious concerns about war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Israel's mission in Geneva said Israeli forces operated in accordance with international law and would "never target innocent civilians".

Israel launched a campaign to destroy Hamas in response to the group's unprecedented attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

More than 45,580 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory's health ministry.

The number of people going to shops has fallen for the second year in a row, according to a leading data monitor, after the year ended on a "drab December" for retail.

Footfall dropped 2.2% in 2024, having also fallen in 2023, the British Retail Consortium's (BRC) analysis of Sensormatic's data found.

Experts said a combination of cost of living pressures, the rise of online shopping, low consumer confidence and bad weather were to blame.

Tom Rowley, owner of Backstory Bookshop in south London, said he has been trying to beat the slump by offering shoppers a drink as part of their shopping "experience".

"People come here, pick up a whole pile of books, but then once they've done their Christmas shopping, we can reward them with a large glass of wine," he told the BBC.

"Sadly, you don't get that through online shopping."

Tom is not the only shop owner who is having to get creative to encourage customers.

Leanne Fridd, owner of Bookbugs and Dragon Tales in Norwich, told BBC Radio 5Live's Wake Up to Money that her bookshop has tried "a Santa's grotto, and authors, and all sorts of other things to try and entice people in".

However, despite her best efforts, she said "overall spend was down this year" even though footfall was "on par" with last year.

"We are really feeling it on the bottom line," she added.

'Dino day' to draw in shoppers

For Jenny Fazackerley, owner of Jenny Stitches in Barrow, drawing shoppers in with events is something that happens all year around.

She and the other local firms in the town's business improvement district (BID) have pooled money to put on events "at every school holiday and at every major event" in an effort to improve footfall.

The BID has hosted a soapbox derby, an autumn festival, and a "dino day", where actors dress up as dinosaurs and walk around the town to entertain children.

The town was also the final destination of a bike ride in honour of Hairy Biker and local Dave Myers, who died in February last year.

The event attracted thousands of people to Barrow and a second 'Dave Day' bike ride is planned again for this year

Jenny said footfall has been good in 2024 as a result of all these events, but describes it as an "ongoing challenge" for the area.

'A disappointing year'

While some shops and towns have fared better than others, the national picture is less rosy.

The figures for the final three months of 2024, which is usually the time of year when shoppers spend most, were also down on the same period last year by 2.5%.

"A drab December which saw fewer shoppers in all locations, capped a disappointing year for UK retail footfall," said BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson.

The BRC has urged the government to reduce business rates, a tax on commercial buildings, to help retailers invest.

Retail experts pinned the drop on a combination of cost of living pressures, the continued rise of online shopping, and low consumer confidence.

Next week, big retailers will reveal how they have fared over the Christmas period, with Tesco, Sainsbury's, Marks & Spencer, and Next all due to report after Lidl posted its results on Thursday.

"People are just being a lot more cautious about their spending," said Catherine Shuttleworth, chief executive of Savvy Marketing.

She pinned the lack of consumer confidence on the government for "talking down the economy". She also criticised its tax decisions, such as the employer national insurance contribution rise.

A Treasury spokesperson told the BBC "a thriving retail sector plays a crucial role in growing the economy and features at the heart of our communities", adding it had introduced a 40% business rates relief next year and will cut rates "permanently" from 2026.

Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, said things could improve for the retail sector in the year ahead if inflation and interest rates fall while the economy improves.

"You can construct a more optimistic narrative for 2025," he said.

US law enforcement is looking for clues to unravel the mystery behind the Tesla vehicle that exploded outside Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas earlier this week, giving seven people minor injuries.

The man who rented the Cybertruck - then drove it to the city and parked it in front of the hotel - has been identified as Matthew Alan Livelsberger, a 37-year-old active-duty US special forces soldier.

Police found his lifeless body inside the charred Tesla with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. They also found fuel cannisters and more than a dozen firework mortars in the bed of the vehicle.

On Thursday, there remained a heightened police presence at the hotel, located right off the busy Las Vegas strip. Yellow police tape cordoned off a small section of the hotel's entrance as employees worked to repair damage to the facade.

Authorities continue to work and piece together information, and many questions remain.

For example, it is unclear why Livelsberger rented the car - or if the perpetrator was intending to make a political statement ahead of Donald Trump's return to the White House later this month.

Why did Livelsberger drive to Las Vegas?

One of the biggest unanswered questions is why Livelsberger rented the Tesla and drove it more than 800 miles (1,300km) from Colorado to Las Vegas.

Las Vegas police said he rented the vehicle on 28 December in Denver. They were able to track his movements using photographs taken on the drive and information from Tesla's charging technology. He was the only one seen driving it, they said.

The vehicle arrived in the city on Wednesday morning, less than two hours before the explosion, police said.

Las Vegas Sheriff Kevin McMahill said on Thursday that a body inside the vehicle was recovered. It was burned beyond recognition, but the county's coroner used DNA and dental records to confirm that Livelsberger had been inside the Cybertruck at the time of the blast. He was found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

"I'm comfortable calling it a suicide with a bombing that occurred immediately after," Sheriff McMahill said. He added that no motive for the incident had been established.

Was the explosion meant to be a political statement?

Another big question is whether the explosion was meant as a statement ahead of the change of US president later this month.

Police have not found any evidence that links the alleged perpetrator to specific political beliefs, but they said they were investigating whether the incident was tied to the fact that President-elect Donald Trump owns the hotel, or that Elon Musk runs Tesla.

Trump recently named Musk to co-lead a presidential advisory commission, the Department of Government Efficiency, after the two became close during Trump's campaign.

"It's not lost on us that it's in front of the Trump building, and that it's a Tesla vehicle," said Spencer Evans, an FBI agent based in Las Vegas, on Thursday.

"But we don't have information at this point that definitely tells us, or suggests, that (the incident) was because of a particular ideology," he said.

Was it related to the attack in New Orleans?

The explosion happened just a few hours after a man drove a pickup truck into New Year revellers on the crowded Bourbon Street in New Orleans, Louisiana, killing 14 people and injuring dozens of others.

That attacker has been identified as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old US citizen who also served in the US Army.

President Joe Biden has said investigators are looking into whether the two incidents are linked, though so far nothing has been uncovered to suggest that is the case.

But the question continues to be fuelled by the apparent similarities between the two incidents and some biographical details of the drivers of both vehicles.

Both incidents happened in the early hours of New Year's Day. Both men served in the US armed forces - including at the Fort Liberty (formerly Fort Bragg) military base in North Carolina - and both completed a tour in Afghanistan. Both men also rented the vehicles they used through a mobile car rental application called Turo.

However, police have said there is no evidence the two men were in the same unit or served at the same time at Fort Liberty. Although both were deployed to Afghanistan in 2009, there is no evidence they served in the same province, location or unit.

In the New Orleans attack, police recovered an Islamic State (IS) group flag from the vehicle used by Jabbar. They added that he posted videos to social media moments prior claiming allegiance to the group. Police have determined that Jabbar was acting alone.

Meanwhile, in Las Vegas, there is no evidence that suggests that Livelsberger was motivated by IS, or that he and Jabbar had ever been in contact. Police have cautioned that the investigation remains active.

What is Livelsberger's background?

Livelsberger was a decorated special forces intelligence sergeant who was serving in Germany, but was on approved leave at the time of the incident.

His father told BBC's US partner CBS News that his son was in Colorado to see his wife and eight-month-old daughter.

He said he last spoke to his son at Christmas and that everything seemed normal.

The Daily Beast reported that Livelsberger was a "big" supporter of Trump. A senior law enforcement official who spoke with Livelsberger's family told the outlet that Livelsberger voted for Trump in November's election.

His uncle told The Independent that Livelsberger loved Trump "and he was always a very, very patriotic soldier, a patriotic American."

The number of people with flu in hospital in England has risen sharply over Christmas, NHS chiefs warn.

The latest data shows there were 5,000 patients in hospital with the virus at the end of last week - almost 3.5 times higher than the same week in 2023.

The levels are not as high as those reached in the same period in 2022.

The figures come as top doctors warn about the impact of very cold weather over this weekend on vulnerable patients and the health system.

Professor Julian Redhead, NHS national clinical director for urgent and emergency care, said: "These latest figures show the pressure from flu was nowhere near letting up before we headed into the New Year, skyrocketing to over 5,000 cases a day in hospital as of the end of last week and rising at a very concerning rate.

"With what looks like an extreme cold snap expected right across England ahead of the weekend, we know the low temperatures can be dangerous for those who are vulnerable or have respiratory conditions".

Prof Redhead says people at risk should try and keep warm and make sure they are stocked up on any regular medication.

Apple has agreed to pay $95m (£77m) to settle a court case alleging some of its devices were listening to people without their permission.

The tech giant was accused of eavesdropping on its customers through its virtual assistant Siri.

The claimants also allege voice recordings were shared with advertisers.

Apple, which has not admitted any wrongdoing, has been approached for comment.

In the preliminary settlement, the tech firm denies any wrongdoing, as well as claims that it "recorded, disclosed to third parties, or failed to delete, conversations recorded as the result of a Siri activation" without consent.

Apple's lawyers also say they will confirm they have "permanently deleted individual Siri audio recordings collected by Apple prior to October 2019".

But the claimants say the tech firm recorded people who activated the virtual assistant unintentionally - without using the phrase "Hey, Siri" to wake it.

And they say advertisers who received the recordings could then look for keywords in them to better target ads.

Class action

Apple has proposed a decision date of 14 February in the court in Oakland, California.

Class action lawsuits work by a small number of people going to court on behalf of a larger group.

If they are successful, the money won is paid out across all claimants.

According to the court documents, each claimant - who has to be based in the US -could be paid up to $20 per Siri-enabled device they owned between 2014 and 2019.

In this case, the lawyers could take 30% of the fee plus expenses - which comes to just under $30m.

By settling, Apple not only denies wrongdoing, but it also avoids the risk of facing a court case which could potentially mean a much larger pay out.

The California company earned $94.9bn in the three months up to 28 September 2024.

Apple has been involved in a number of class action lawsuits in recent years,

In January 2024, it started paying out in a $500m lawsuit which claimed it deliberately slowed down iPhones in the US.

In March, it agreed to pay $490m in a class action led by Norfolk County Council in the UK.

And in November, consumer group Which? started a class action against Apple, accusing it of ripping off customers through its iCloud service.

Wayne Osmond, a founding member of family band The Osmonds, who had a string of hits in the 1970s, has died at the age of 73.

Wayne was a singer and guitarist, and co-wrote many of their biggest hits, including Crazy Horses, Goin' Home And Let Me In.

"Wayne brought so much light, laughter, and love to everyone who knew him, especially me," wrote brother Donny. "He was the ultimate optimist and was loved by everyone."

Merrill Osmond called his late brother "a genius in his ability to write music" who was "able to capture the hearts of millions of people and bring them closer to God".

He continued: "I've never known a man that had more humility. A man with absolute no guile. An individual that was quick to forgive and had the ability to show unconditional love to everyone he ever met."

Merrill and Donny said the cause of death was a stroke.

Born in August 1951, in Ogden, Utah, Wayne was the fourth oldest of nine children and raised in a Mormon household.

As a child, he started performing in a barbershop quartet with siblings Alan, Merrill and Jay.

By 1961, the harmonising brothers were regular performers at Disneyland in Florida. A year later, they made their TV debut on The Andy Williams Show.

They quickly became regulars on the show, earning the nickname "one-take Osmonds" because of their flawless, tirelessly rehearsed performances.

Younger sibling Donny joined the line-up in 1963, and they began to broaden their repertoire to include clean-cut pop songs.

Their initial singles flopped but, after the success of the Jackson 5 showed that family pop could be a commercial success, MGM Records signed the band and sent them to work at the famed R&B studio Muscle Shoals.

There, they were given a song called One Bad Apple (Don't Spoil the Whole Bunch), which had originally been written for the Jacksons but was rejected by their record label.

Perky, bubbly and bright, the song topped the US singles chart for five weeks in 1971 and established the band as a chart presence, a decade after their professional debut.

For a while, the siblings generated the same sort of fevered excitement as The Beatles.

When the band flew into Heathrow Airport in 1973, 10,000 teenage fans packed the roof gardens at a nearby office block to see them arrive. Part of the balcony railing and wall collapsed amidst a crowd surge, slightly injuring 18 women.

On their departure, hundreds of fans mobbed their limousine. A reporter for the New York Times said "they were lucky to escape alive", while the Guardian said the scenes almost led to a ban on pop groups entering the UK via Heathrow.

But pop is a fickle industry, and The Osmonds' record sales started to tail off by the mid-1970s.

At the same time, Donny and Marie Osmond were offered their own TV variety show, which became a massive hit in the US and was screened by BBC One in the UK.

As a result, the band went on hiatus and ultimately dissolved in 1980, although they regularly reformed for county fairs and reunion tours over the coming decades.

Wayne Osmond suffered a number of health problems during his life. He was diagnosed with a brain tumour as a child, which resulted in cognitive problems.

In 1994, he noticed that the condition was worsening.

"I noticed I couldn't play my saxophone any more because my head would start throbbing," he later recalled. "And my knees would fall out from under me when I was on stage. This all began happening within a week."

The subsequent surgery and related cancer treatments resulted in significant hearing loss that persisted for the rest of his life. He also suffered a previous stroke in 2012.

In 2019, the musician joined his siblings Alan, Merrill and Jay for their final ever performance on TV show The Talk.

Performing in front of a screen that showed a montage of their career highlights, the original quartet performed a song called The Last Chapter, written as a thank you to their fans.

Sister Marie, who presented the show, joined them afterwards to pay tribute, saying: "I am so honoured to be your sister. I love you guys. You've worked so hard. Enjoy your retirement."

Wayne spent his retirement indulging in hobbies including fly fishing, and spending time with his family. He maintained an optimistic outlook, telling Utah newspaper Desert News that hearing loss didn't bother him.

"My favourite thing now is to take care of my yard," he said. "I turn my hearing aids off, deaf as a doorknob, tune everything out, it's really joyful."

He is survived by wife Kathlyn and five children, Amy, Steven, Gregory, Sarah and Michelle.

He is also survived by his eight siblings: Virl, Tom, Alan, Merrill, Jay, Donny, Marie and Jimmy.

The stand-off started long before dawn. By the time we arrived in the dark, an army of police had pushed back suspended president Yoon Suk Yeol's angry supporters, who'd camped out overnight hoping to stop his arrest. Some of those I spoke to were crying, others wailing, at what they feared was about to unfold.

As dawn broke, the first officers ran up to the house, but were instantly thwarted - blocked by a wall of soldiers protecting the compound. Reinforcements came, but could not help. The doors to Yoon's house stayed tightly sealed, his security team refusing the police officers entry.

For several hours the investigators waited, the crowds outside growing more agitated - until, after a series of scuffles between the police and security officials, they decided their mission was futile, and gave up.

This is totally uncharted territory for South Korea. It is the first time a sitting president has ever faced arrest, so there is no rule book to follow - but the current situation is nonetheless astonishing.

When Yoon was impeached three weeks ago, he was supposedly stripped of his power. So to have law enforcement officers trying to carry out an arrest - which they have legal warrant for - only to be blocked by Yoon's security team raises serious and uncomfortable questions about who is in charge here.

The investigating officers said they abandoned efforts to arrest Yoon not only because it looked impossible, but because they were concerned for their safety. They said 200 soldiers and security officers linked arms, forming a human wall to block the entrance to the presidential residence, with some carrying guns.

This is arguably part of Yoon's plan, leveraging a system he himself designed. Before he declared martial law last month – a plan we now know he cooked up months earlier – he surrounded himself with close friends and loyalists, injecting them into positions of power.

One of those people is the current head of his security team, who took up the job in September.

But although alarming, this situation is not entirely surprising. Yoon has refused to cooperate with the authorities over this investigation, ignoring every request to come in for questioning.

This is how things reached this point, where investigators felt they had no choice but to bring him in by force. Yoon is being investigated for one of the most serious political crimes there is: inciting an insurrection, which is punishable by life in prison or death.

Yoon has also spurred on his supporters, who have gathered in force outside his residence every day since the arrest warrant was issued. He sent them a letter on New Years' Day thanking them for "working hard" to defend both him and the country.

Although most people in South Korea are upset and angry at Yoon's decision to impose martial law, a core of his supporters have stayed loyal. Some even camped overnight, in freezing temperatures, to try and stop police reaching his home.

Many told me this morning they were prepared to die to protect Yoon, and repeated the same unfounded conspiracy theories that Yoon himself has floated – that last year's election was rigged, and the country had been infiltrated by pro-North Korea forces. They held up signs reading "stop the steal", a slogan they chanted over and over.

Attention is also now on South Korea's acting President Choi Sang-mok, and how far his powers extend; whether he could and should sack the president's security chief and force the team to allow his arrest. The opposition party says police should be arresting anyone who stands in their way.

Although investigators have until 6 January to attempt this arrest again – this is when the warrant runs out - it is unlikely they will go in once more without changing their strategy or negotiating with the security team in advance. They will want to avoid a repeat of today's failure.

They also have to contend with the throngs of Yoon's supporters, who now feel victorious and empowered. They believe they are largely responsible for the authorities' climb down. "We've won, we did it," they have been singing all afternoon.

As their confidence grows, so will their numbers, especially with the weekend approaching.

Proposals on the long-term funding of adult social care in England are unlikely to be delivered before 2028 at the earliest, the government has confirmed.

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting is promising "to finally grasp the nettle on social care reform", with an independent commission due to begin work in April.

But the commission, chaired by Baroness Louise Casey, is not due to publish its final report until 2028.

Councils and care providers say it is too long to wait for reform of vital services which are already on their knees.

The government also announced immediate plans to get care workers to do more health checks, and a funding boost for services to help elderly and disabled people remain in their homes.

Social care means help for older or disabled people with day-to-day tasks like washing, dressing, medication and eating.

Only those with the most complex health needs get social care provided free by the NHS, so most care is paid for by councils.

In England, only people with high needs and savings or assets of less than £23,250 are eligible for that help, leaving a growing number of people to fund themselves.

Some face paying hundreds of thousands of pounds for their care and may be forced to sell their own home as a result.

The government's ultimate aim is "a new National Care Service, able to meet the needs of older and disabled people into the 21st Century", said Streeting.

He said he had invited opposition parties to take part in the commission "to build a cross-party consensus to ensure the National Care Service survives governments of different shades, just as our NHS has for the past 76 years".

Baroness Casey - who has led several high-profile reviews, including into homelessness, the Rotherham child exploitation scandal and the Metropolitan Police - said she was pleased "to lead this vital work".

She is viewed in government as being straight-talking, with good cross-party links, and as someone who gets things done.

Even so, drawing up a plan for a National Care Service that meets the needs of an ageing population and is affordable is perhaps her biggest challenge yet.

There is agreement that the care system has been in crisis for years, struggling with growing demand, under-funding and staff shortages.

The problem has been getting political agreement on how overdue reform will be funded.

In 2010, Labour plans to fund social care were labelled a "death tax"' in that year's election, and Conservative plans were called a "dementia tax" in the 2017 election.

There have also been numerous commissions, reviews and inquiries over the past 25 years which have failed to bring change.

The 2011 Dilnot Commission plan for a cap on individual care costs came closest, making it into legislation, but was not implemented.

It was finally scrapped by the new Labour government last summer because it said the last Conservative administration had not set aside the money to fund the reform.

However, providing enough support for people in their own homes, care homes and supported living remains a pressing issue.

The care systems in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are slightly more generous, but all are facing the pressures of growing demand and squeezed finances.

"Our ageing society, with costs of care set to double in the next 20 years, demands longer-term action," said Streeting.

The government had promised a National Care Service in its manifesto, although provided little detail.

The independent commission will work with users of care services, their families, staff, politicians and the public to recommend how best to build a care service to meet current and future needs.

"Millions of older people, disabled people, their families and carers rely upon an effective adult social care system to live their lives to the full with independence and dignity," said Baroness Casey.

"An independent commission is an opportunity to start a national conversation, find the solutions and build consensus on a long-term plan to fix the system."

The commission will report to the prime minister and its work will be split into two phases.

Phase one will identify critical issues and recommend medium-term improvements. This will report by mid-2026.

Phase two will look at how to organise care services and fund them for the future. This report is not due until 2028 - a year before the next election.

The King's Fund independent health think-tank urged the government to "accelerate the timing".

"The current timetable to report by 2028 is far too long to wait for people who need social care, and their families," said its chief executive, Sarah Woolnough.

Councils, which are under huge financial pressure, pay for care services for most people.

Melanie Williams, president of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, agreed that the "timescales are too long".

She believes much of the evidence and options on how to reform adult social care are already known and worries that "continuing to tread water until a commission concludes will be at the detriment of people's health and well-being".

About 835,000 people received publicly funded care in 2022, according to the King's Fund. The charity Age UK estimates there are about two million people in England who have unmet care needs - and according to workforce organisation Skills for Care, while 1.59 million people work in adult social care in England, there are currently 131,000 vacancies.

Helen Walker, the head of Carers UK, which represents millions of unpaid people who provide care to family members, said families were "under intense pressure and providing more care than ever before"

When older or disabled people are unable to get the help they need in the community they are more likely to end up in hospital, or get stuck on a ward when they are ready to leave.

Amanda Pritchard, NHS England chief executive, said: "We hope this vital action plan and commitment to create a National Care Service will both help better support people and ease pressure on hospital wards."

The government also confirmed an extra £86m would be spent before the end of the financial year in April to help thousands more elderly and disabled people to remain in their homes.

The money is on top of a similar sum announced in the Budget for the next financial year.

Overall, it should allow 7,800 disabled and elderly people to make vital improvements to their homes which should increase their independence and reduce hospitalisations, says the government.

Other changes include:

• better career pathways for care workers
• better use of technology and new national standards to support elderly people to live at home for longer
• up-skilling care workers to deliver basic checks such as blood pressure monitoring
• a new digital platform to share medical information between NHS and care staff.

The number of people with flu in hospital in England has risen sharply over Christmas, NHS chiefs warn.

The latest data shows there were 5,000 patients in hospital with the virus at the end of last week - almost 3.5 times higher than the same week in 2023.

The levels are not as high as those reached in the same period in 2022.

The figures come as top doctors warn about the impact of very cold weather over this weekend on vulnerable patients and the health system.

Professor Julian Redhead, NHS national clinical director for urgent and emergency care, said: "These latest figures show the pressure from flu was nowhere near letting up before we headed into the New Year, skyrocketing to over 5,000 cases a day in hospital as of the end of last week and rising at a very concerning rate.

"With what looks like an extreme cold snap expected right across England ahead of the weekend, we know the low temperatures can be dangerous for those who are vulnerable or have respiratory conditions".

Prof Redhead says people at risk should try and keep warm and make sure they are stocked up on any regular medication.

A day of high drama has drawn to an end in South Korea, with investigators suspending an attempt to arrest ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol after a six-hour standoff with the security team outside his home.

"We've determined that the arrest is impossible," said the Corruption Investigation Office (CIO), which has been investigating Yoon's short-lived martial law declaration.

"Next steps will be decided after review," the CIO said, adding that Yoon's "refusal of the legal process" is "deeply regrettable".

Yoon's supporters, who have been camped out in front of the presidential residence for days, cheered in song and dance as the suspension was announced. "We won," they chanted.

Investigators have until 6 January to arrest Yoon, before the warrant expires. However they can apply for a new warrant and try to detain him again.

The man who rented a Tesla Cybertruck that exploded outside of President-elect Donald Trump's Las Vegas hotel is an active-duty US special forces soldier, officials have confirmed.

Las Vegas police identified Matthew Alan Livelsberger, 37, of Colorado, as the renter of the vehicle who drove the Cybertruck from Colorado to Las Vegas.

They said they were fairly certain he was the same person found dead in the vehicle after the explosion but were waiting for DNA evidence to confirm this.

The body was burnt beyond recognition and found with a gunshot wound to the head believed to be self-inflicted, according to Las Vegas Sheriff Kevin McMahill.

The explosion injured seven people after the vehicle - filled with fuel canisters and firework mortars - exploded. Officials said all injuries were minor.

Authorities said they were yet to determine any motive.

"I'm comfortable calling it a suicide with a bombing that occurred immediately after," Las Vegas Sheriff Kevin McMahill said during a Thursday afternoon press conference.

Livelsberger rented the Cybertruck on 28 December in Denver, Colorado. He has decades of experience with the US military, having served in the Army and National Guard.

He entered the active duty Army in December 2012, serving as a special operations soldier.

The US Army said he was on approved leave at the time of his death.

Livelsberger's father spoke to the BBC's news partner CBS and said his son was currently serving in Germany and on leave to visit Colorado and see his wife and eight-month-old daughter.

Livelsberger's father said he last spoke to his son at Christmas and that everything seemed normal.

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US law enforcement is looking for clues to unravel the mystery behind the Tesla vehicle that exploded outside Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas earlier this week, giving seven people minor injuries.

The man who rented the Cybertruck - then drove it to the city and parked it in front of the hotel - has been identified as Matthew Alan Livelsberger, a 37-year-old active-duty US special forces soldier.

Police found his lifeless body inside the charred Tesla with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. They also found fuel cannisters and more than a dozen firework mortars in the bed of the vehicle.

On Thursday, there remained a heightened police presence at the hotel, located right off the busy Las Vegas strip. Yellow police tape cordoned off a small section of the hotel's entrance as employees worked to repair damage to the facade.

Authorities continue to work and piece together information, and many questions remain.

For example, it is unclear why Livelsberger rented the car - or if the perpetrator was intending to make a political statement ahead of Donald Trump's return to the White House later this month.

Why did Livelsberger drive to Las Vegas?

One of the biggest unanswered questions is why Livelsberger rented the Tesla and drove it more than 800 miles (1,300km) from Colorado to Las Vegas.

Las Vegas police said he rented the vehicle on 28 December in Denver. They were able to track his movements using photographs taken on the drive and information from Tesla's charging technology. He was the only one seen driving it, they said.

The vehicle arrived in the city on Wednesday morning, less than two hours before the explosion, police said.

Las Vegas Sheriff Kevin McMahill said on Thursday that a body inside the vehicle was recovered. It was burned beyond recognition, but the county's coroner used DNA and dental records to confirm that Livelsberger had been inside the Cybertruck at the time of the blast. He was found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

"I'm comfortable calling it a suicide with a bombing that occurred immediately after," Sheriff McMahill said. He added that no motive for the incident had been established.

Was the explosion meant to be a political statement?

Another big question is whether the explosion was meant as a statement ahead of the change of US president later this month.

Police have not found any evidence that links the alleged perpetrator to specific political beliefs, but they said they were investigating whether the incident was tied to the fact that President-elect Donald Trump owns the hotel, or that Elon Musk runs Tesla.

Trump recently named Musk to co-lead a presidential advisory commission, the Department of Government Efficiency, after the two became close during Trump's campaign.

"It's not lost on us that it's in front of the Trump building, and that it's a Tesla vehicle," said Spencer Evans, an FBI agent based in Las Vegas, on Thursday.

"But we don't have information at this point that definitely tells us, or suggests, that (the incident) was because of a particular ideology," he said.

Was it related to the attack in New Orleans?

The explosion happened just a few hours after a man drove a pickup truck into New Year revellers on the crowded Bourbon Street in New Orleans, Louisiana, killing 14 people and injuring dozens of others.

That attacker has been identified as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old US citizen who also served in the US Army.

President Joe Biden has said investigators are looking into whether the two incidents are linked, though so far nothing has been uncovered to suggest that is the case.

But the question continues to be fuelled by the apparent similarities between the two incidents and some biographical details of the drivers of both vehicles.

Both incidents happened in the early hours of New Year's Day. Both men served in the US armed forces - including at the Fort Liberty (formerly Fort Bragg) military base in North Carolina - and both completed a tour in Afghanistan. Both men also rented the vehicles they used through a mobile car rental application called Turo.

However, police have said there is no evidence the two men were in the same unit or served at the same time at Fort Liberty. Although both were deployed to Afghanistan in 2009, there is no evidence they served in the same province, location or unit.

In the New Orleans attack, police recovered an Islamic State (IS) group flag from the vehicle used by Jabbar. They added that he posted videos to social media moments prior claiming allegiance to the group. Police have determined that Jabbar was acting alone.

Meanwhile, in Las Vegas, there is no evidence that suggests that Livelsberger was motivated by IS, or that he and Jabbar had ever been in contact. Police have cautioned that the investigation remains active.

What is Livelsberger's background?

Livelsberger was a decorated special forces intelligence sergeant who was serving in Germany, but was on approved leave at the time of the incident.

His father told BBC's US partner CBS News that his son was in Colorado to see his wife and eight-month-old daughter.

He said he last spoke to his son at Christmas and that everything seemed normal.

The Daily Beast reported that Livelsberger was a "big" supporter of Trump. A senior law enforcement official who spoke with Livelsberger's family told the outlet that Livelsberger voted for Trump in November's election.

His uncle told The Independent that Livelsberger loved Trump "and he was always a very, very patriotic soldier, a patriotic American."

Proposals on the long-term funding of adult social care in England are unlikely to be delivered before 2028 at the earliest, the government has confirmed.

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting is promising "to finally grasp the nettle on social care reform", with an independent commission due to begin work in April.

But the commission, chaired by Baroness Louise Casey, is not due to publish its final report until 2028.

Councils and care providers say it is too long to wait for reform of vital services which are already on their knees.

The government also announced immediate plans to get care workers to do more health checks, and a funding boost for services to help elderly and disabled people remain in their homes.

Social care means help for older or disabled people with day-to-day tasks like washing, dressing, medication and eating.

Only those with the most complex health needs get social care provided free by the NHS, so most care is paid for by councils.

In England, only people with high needs and savings or assets of less than £23,250 are eligible for that help, leaving a growing number of people to fund themselves.

Some face paying hundreds of thousands of pounds for their care and may be forced to sell their own home as a result.

The government's ultimate aim is "a new National Care Service, able to meet the needs of older and disabled people into the 21st Century", said Streeting.

He said he had invited opposition parties to take part in the commission "to build a cross-party consensus to ensure the National Care Service survives governments of different shades, just as our NHS has for the past 76 years".

Baroness Casey - who has led several high-profile reviews, including into homelessness, the Rotherham child exploitation scandal and the Metropolitan Police - said she was pleased "to lead this vital work".

She is viewed in government as being straight-talking, with good cross-party links, and as someone who gets things done.

Even so, drawing up a plan for a National Care Service that meets the needs of an ageing population and is affordable is perhaps her biggest challenge yet.

There is agreement that the care system has been in crisis for years, struggling with growing demand, under-funding and staff shortages.

The problem has been getting political agreement on how overdue reform will be funded.

In 2010, Labour plans to fund social care were labelled a "death tax"' in that year's election, and Conservative plans were called a "dementia tax" in the 2017 election.

There have also been numerous commissions, reviews and inquiries over the past 25 years which have failed to bring change.

The 2011 Dilnot Commission plan for a cap on individual care costs came closest, making it into legislation, but was not implemented.

It was finally scrapped by the new Labour government last summer because it said the last Conservative administration had not set aside the money to fund the reform.

However, providing enough support for people in their own homes, care homes and supported living remains a pressing issue.

The care systems in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are slightly more generous, but all are facing the pressures of growing demand and squeezed finances.

"Our ageing society, with costs of care set to double in the next 20 years, demands longer-term action," said Streeting.

The government had promised a National Care Service in its manifesto, although provided little detail.

The independent commission will work with users of care services, their families, staff, politicians and the public to recommend how best to build a care service to meet current and future needs.

"Millions of older people, disabled people, their families and carers rely upon an effective adult social care system to live their lives to the full with independence and dignity," said Baroness Casey.

"An independent commission is an opportunity to start a national conversation, find the solutions and build consensus on a long-term plan to fix the system."

The commission will report to the prime minister and its work will be split into two phases.

Phase one will identify critical issues and recommend medium-term improvements. This will report by mid-2026.

Phase two will look at how to organise care services and fund them for the future. This report is not due until 2028 - a year before the next election.

The King's Fund independent health think-tank urged the government to "accelerate the timing".

"The current timetable to report by 2028 is far too long to wait for people who need social care, and their families," said its chief executive, Sarah Woolnough.

Councils, which are under huge financial pressure, pay for care services for most people.

Melanie Williams, president of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, agreed that the "timescales are too long".

She believes much of the evidence and options on how to reform adult social care are already known and worries that "continuing to tread water until a commission concludes will be at the detriment of people's health and well-being".

About 835,000 people received publicly funded care in 2022, according to the King's Fund. The charity Age UK estimates there are about two million people in England who have unmet care needs - and according to workforce organisation Skills for Care, while 1.59 million people work in adult social care in England, there are currently 131,000 vacancies.

Helen Walker, the head of Carers UK, which represents millions of unpaid people who provide care to family members, said families were "under intense pressure and providing more care than ever before"

When older or disabled people are unable to get the help they need in the community they are more likely to end up in hospital, or get stuck on a ward when they are ready to leave.

Amanda Pritchard, NHS England chief executive, said: "We hope this vital action plan and commitment to create a National Care Service will both help better support people and ease pressure on hospital wards."

The government also confirmed an extra £86m would be spent before the end of the financial year in April to help thousands more elderly and disabled people to remain in their homes.

The money is on top of a similar sum announced in the Budget for the next financial year.

Overall, it should allow 7,800 disabled and elderly people to make vital improvements to their homes which should increase their independence and reduce hospitalisations, says the government.

Other changes include:

• better career pathways for care workers
• better use of technology and new national standards to support elderly people to live at home for longer
• up-skilling care workers to deliver basic checks such as blood pressure monitoring
• a new digital platform to share medical information between NHS and care staff.