• Honda reveals towable solar-powered trailer that can sleep a family of four

    Honda has unveiled a solar-powered towable travel trailer designed to be lightweight so it can be attached to the back of compact SUVs. Dubbed the Base Station Prototype, the trailer can be fitted with various optional accessories, including an air conditioner, an external shower and an external kitchen, complete with running water and an induction stovetop. It comes with five side windows as default but these can be removed and replaced with the accessories depending on how users want to customise the trailer. The designers were able to keep the weight under 700kg by utilising a fibre-glass upper shell resting on a full aluminium cage and chassis. This allows it to be towed by a wider range of lower-power vehicles, including electric SUVs. The top of the Base Station Prototype can be…

  • Facial recognition pilot in south London leads to 100 arrests in three months

    A live facial recognition (LFR) technology trial on a busy south London street resulted in more than 100 arrests over three months, according to the Metropolitan Police. The pilot was launched in October 2025 and saw LFR cameras mounted on existing street furniture – such as lamp posts – at two locations on either ends of North End, a pedestrianised road in Croydon town centre. This marked the first time that Metropolitan Police in London operated LFR deployments without need for a police van. Previously, the cameras were mounted on vans and could only be used when officers were present in the vehicle. This pilot, however, enabled the Met to monitor camera feeds remotely during deployments, making operations more efficient. But the cameras were only switched on when officers were on the…

  • First structural engineering manual for bamboo could boost sustainable construction

    The Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE) has released comprehensive guidance about the design of permanent bamboo structures for the first time. Bamboo has been used in traditional construction for centuries in countries such as China, Indonesia, Colombia and Vietnam. But it has seen renewed interest as a key material in modern buildings as engineers and architects look for lower-carbon alternatives to steel, concrete and timber. Bamboo is a fast-growing grass that can be harvested in three to five years and regrows without replanting, absorbing large amounts of carbon dioxide as it grows. Structurally, it has a high strength-to-weight ratio, comparable to steel in tension, while requiring far less energy to process than concrete or metals. The detailed design manual from IStructE…

  • UK’s first rare earth magnet recycling plant in 25 years opens

    A Birmingham-based rare earth magnet recycling plant aims to reduce the UK’s reliance on imports and cut carbon emissions. The commercial-scale facility uses a “ground-breaking” hydrogen-based process developed by the Magnetic Materials Group at the University of Birmingham. This hydrogen processing of magnet scrap (HPMS) technology efficiently extracts rare earth magnets from end-of-life products without the need to fully disassemble them. Rare earth magnets are among the critical minerals needed for the development of low-carbon technologies such as wind turbines and electric vehicles as well as medical equipment, pumps, robotics and electronics. The recycling facility at Tyseley Energy Park will be able to extract over 400kg of rare earth alloy powders per batch and will directly…

  • UK to bolster Ukraine’s energy infrastructure after sustained Russian attacks

    The UK will give Ukraine £20m to help bolster its energy infrastructure after it incurred significant damage from Russian strikes. Russia has repeatedly attacked Ukraine’s energy infrastructure throughout the war, severely damaging key power plants, grid networks and heating systems. Large thermal power stations including Trypilska (pictured above) and Zmiivska have been permanently disabled by Russian fire, while combined heat and power facilities like Kharkiv TEC-5 were knocked offline by missile and drone attacks. Russian forces have also hit high-voltage substations and transmission lines, and caused extensive damage to hydroelectric facilities on the Dnipro River. But with temperatures across Ukraine plummeting to as low as -20°C over the winter, hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians…

  • TikTok to roll out age-detection tech in Europe for under-13s

    TikTok will introduce technology to tighten age checks across Europe to keep under‑13s off the platform. The social media platform said it would introduce the technology “in the coming weeks” as part of compliance and safety efforts amid regulatory pressure. Owned by Chinese tech firm ByteDance, TikTok is one of the most popular social media apps, enabling users to watch, create and share short videos. It is known to be highly additive, with more than 1.6 billion people worldwide using it every month. In Europe alone, TikTok has more than 200 million monthly users – roughly one in three citizens on the continent. With many of these users being teenagers, the firm has faced pressure under EU data protection and safety expectations to better identify and remove accounts belonging to children…

  • AWS launches new cloud service entirely located within the EU

    Amazon Web Services (AWS) has launched the AWS European Sovereign Cloud, an independently operated cloud infrastructure located entirely within the European Union. The European Sovereign Cloud will be physically and logistically separate from other AWS regions, such as the US. This ensures that sensitive data and workloads utilising this service remain within the region. European regulators and business leaders have previously criticised AWS and other US-based cloud providers for a lack of independent control, raising concerns that sensitive data stored in Europe could still fall under US legal jurisdiction. Amazon says this new independently operated cloud will offer its European users sovereignty and operational independence to meet strict EU data rules, while still enabling access…

  • UK electrical wiring standard update brings new rules for low-voltage installations

    The IET has announced that the latest amendment to the UK’s national standard for low-voltage electrical installations, BS 7671, will be available from 15 April 2026. Co-published with the British Standards Institution, Requirements for Electrical Installations: IET Wiring Regulations is a rulebook used by electricians, electrical engineers, inspectors and building control to ensure wiring is safe and legal. The 18th edition of the rulebook, BS 7671:2018, was published in 2018. Since then, several amendments have been issued, and the fourth amendment will be available for purchase from April, featuring an orange cover. BS 7671 is based on European standards, which in turn are generally based on international standards. According to the IET, standard development is an ongoing process to…

  • Nasa astronauts land back on Earth early after health concern on the ISS

    Four astronauts have landed back on Earth from the International Space Station (ISS) after the decision was taken last week to end their mission early due to a medical problem. Nasa’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission safely splashed down early Thursday morning in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego carrying US astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (Jaxa) astronaut Kimiya Yui and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov. The team had already spent five months aboard the ISS and were originally not expected to return until next month. It is the first time astronauts have been evacuated due to a health issue since the ISS was put into Earth’s orbit in 1998. Nasa has been careful not to give any clues about which of the four passengers had the medical issue, but…

  • Autonomous AI screens for cognitive decline using routine clinical notes

    An autonomous AI system capable of screening for cognitive decline using routine clinical documentation has been developed by researchers at the Boston-based Mass General Brigham. The system, which requires no human intervention or prompting after deployment, achieved 98% specificity in real-world validation testing: that is, the rate at which it reduces false positives. Corresponding author on the study Hossein Estiri said: “This AI system includes five specialised agents that critique each other and refine their reasoning, just like clinicians would in a case conference.” Cognitive impairment remains significantly underdiagnosed in routine clinical care, and traditional screening tools and cognitive tests are highly resource-intensive to administer and difficult for patients to access…

  • UK government scraps unpopular compulsory digital ID plan for workers

    The compulsory digital ID scheme, proving a worker’s right to work in the UK, has been dropped by the government amid widespread backlash. The government has said that digital IDs, initially planned for launch in 2029, will no longer be mandatory for proving the right to work. Workers will instead have the choice of using other documents to verify their identity, such as an electronic visa or passport. First announced in September 2025, the government planned to introduce digital ID cards in a bid to cut down on illegal working and make it easier for people to use government services. It said that the new ID, which would be downloaded and used on smartphones, would make it harder for people who lack the right to find work from earning money, described as one of the key ‘pull factors’…

  • Microsoft pledges community-first approach to AI data centres that won’t drive up bills

    Tech giant Microsoft will cover electricity costs and reduce water use under a new initiative to ease the impact of its AI data centre expansion. With its new ‘Community-First AI Infrastructure’ initiative, Microsoft has pledged to “responsibly” build its AI infrastructure to help “strengthen, rather than strain” local communities. The rapid expansion of AI data centres is driving demand for vast amounts of land, electricity and water, increasing pressure on local power grids, water supplies and environmental resources. This has led to local community and political backlash. Brad Smith, vice-chair and president of Microsoft, said the initiative would aim to be a “good neighbour in the communities where we build, own and operate our data centres”. The new initiative includes five community…

  • New Liverpool–Manchester rail line unveiled after HS2 link scrapped

    A new rail route connecting Liverpool with Manchester has been unveiled by the government as part of efforts to boost the Northern economy. The two cities were previously planned to be connected as part of HS2, but Phase 2 of the project was cancelled by Rishi Sunak in 2023 as part of a raft of cost-saving measures. The Department for Transport said the new route, dubbed Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR), would help to grow productivity in the North and potentially provide a £40bn uplift to the UK economy annually. The second phase of NPR will include 3 new stations at Manchester Airport, Manchester Piccadilly and Warrington Bank Quay Low Level along the route, with construction beginning in the 2030s. The proposal would also see improvements to busy stations including Liverpool Lime Street…

  • Hinkley Point C receives second nuclear reactor ahead of 2029 opening

    The second nuclear reactor has been delivered to Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant, marking a major milestone before its planned 2029 opening. The power station received its first nuclear reactor in 2023, which has subsequently been installed and welded in place on Unit 1 of the power station. The delivery of the second ‘reactor pressure vessel’ is a major moment for the identical Unit 2. The pressure vessel harnesses nuclear fission to make heat and steam for the turbines. Each steel cylinder weighs in at 500 tonnes and is just 13 metres long. Work on Unit 1 has moved onto the fitting out of pipes, cables and equipment, while Unit 2 is focused on the completion of its buildings following the lifting of the dome last year. According to EDF, the experience gained by the team from constructing…

  • Thermal battery solution turns heat pumps into home energy storage systems – new study

    Home heat pumps can turn into compact energy storage units through a new system developed by Norwegian and Swiss researchers. Researchers at Norwegian research organisation SINTEF and Swiss company COWA Thermal Solutions have developed a compact thermal battery that allows home heat pumps to store excess heat and release it when needed. Galina Simonsen, a senior research scientist at SINTEF, said: “A heat pump that runs constantly is expensive, energy-consuming and can lead to overloading the power grid. With the new batteries, heat pumps combine storage and smart distribution of heat.” Heat pumps extract energy from the environment – air, soil or water – and transport the heat into the home. However, heat demand in households vary depending on usage patterns, time of day, outdoor temperature…

  • Perovskite solar cells made significantly more stable – new study

    New perovskite solar cells are able to retain around 95% of their performance after extended heat testing, according to a new study. A research team at the University of Manchester has enhanced the stability of perovskite solar cells by fine-tuning the small molecules that coat their surface. These molecules, known as amidinium ligands, effectively ‘glue’ the perovskite structure together. Professor Thomas Anthopoulos, professor of emerging optoelectronics at the University of Manchester, who led the research, said: “This could overcome one of the last major hurdles facing perovskite solar cell technology and ensure it lasts long enough for large-scale deployment.’ Perovskite has long been hailed as a game-changer for the next generation of solar power. Solar cells featuring a perovskite…

  • Traffic light ratings introduced for councils on pothole measures

    Motorists in England are now able to scrutinise how swiftly their local highway authority (LHA) is tackling potholes following the introduction of a traffic light system. A map released by the Department for Transport (DfT) grades 154 LHAs based on current road conditions and gives them a red, amber or green rating for the effectiveness of their pothole-fixing measures. The rating also takes into account how much the LHAs are spending on road repairs and whether they are following best practice. Last year, the Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA) estimated that the cost of repairs to rid England and Wales of its pothole problems and bring the road network up to ‘ideal’ conditions had reached almost £17bn. The government subsequently committed an additional £7.3bn to local road maintenance…

  • SpaceX granted approval to launch another 7,500 next-gen Starlink satellites

    The US government has approved SpaceX’s plan to launch thousands of next-generation Starlink satellites, significantly expanding the company’s global internet service. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) said it had authorised SpaceX to deploy an additional 7,500 second-generation (Gen2) Starlink satellites. This brings the total number of satellites the company will have in orbit to around 15,000. The FCC said the approval marked a “significant milestone in global broadband connectivity” by enabling SpaceX to deliver high-speed, low-latency internet service globally. SpaceX began launching its Starlink satellites in 2019. As of January 2026, the constellation consists of over 9,422 satellites in low-Earth orbit (LEO). The FCC’s decision will allow SpaceX to upgrade its next…

  • Badenoch calls for under-16 social media ban in UK after Australia crackdown

    Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has called for a ban on all social media for children under the age of 16 a month after Australia enacted similar rules for its citizens. The government has not made any moves towards implementing such a policy despite a range of studies – including from the former US surgeon general Vivek Murthy – that link excessive social media use to negative impacts on children’s mental health. Speaking on BBC One’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Badenoch said: “What we are seeing is a lot of children spending so many hours a day on platforms that are profiting from their anxiety, from their distraction, and they are actually designed to be addictive. “So what we want to see is common sense, protection for children and freedom for adults. We want to give parents…

  • Drones capable of lifting people spark security fears in UK prisons

    Criminals are increasingly using sophisticated drones to infiltrate prisons to deliver contraband such as drugs or aid in prison escapes, MPs have warned. In a report, the Justice Committee said that the use of illicit drugs and their trade across prisons has reached “endemic” levels, which is fostering a “dangerous culture of acceptance that must be broken”. But it is the emergence of drones to deliver the drugs that represents a “paradigm shift” in how prisons should be thinking about tackling the drugs trade. As well as being able to bypass traditional perimeter security to deliver packages, the committee also heard about drones that could lift “a moderate-sized person”, which raises the threat that they could be used to aid in prison escapes. Recent data on drone incidents published…

  • O2 and Starlink team up to boost rural UK mobile coverage

    Virgin Media O2 has announced a deal with Elon Musk’s Starlink to bring satellite-based connectivity to rural areas across the UK. The deal will provide coverage in previous rural ‘not spots’ by automatically connecting phones via satellites when no standard mobile signal is available. Scheduled to launch in the first half of 2026, the new service, O2 Satellite, will initially offer messaging, maps and location services, with further improvements, such as voice and video calls, to follow. Virgin Media O2 has said the deal could see over 95% of the UK landmass covered within 12 months of launch. The service will connect to Starlink’s network of around 650 satellites, a satellite-to-mobile constellation in low-Earth orbit (LEO), delivering connectivity directly to compatible devices using…

  • Virgin gets green light to introduce trains on Channel Tunnel route for the first time

    The Virgin Group has announced a “landmark decision” by the rail regulator that allows it to press ahead with plans to launch a rival train service through the Channel Tunnel. Rail regulator the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has approved Virgin’s use of the Temple Mills International depot in East London. Virgin says this “landmark decision” means it can now move ahead with its plans to launch a rival international train service through the Channel Tunnel, introducing competition on the route for the first time. Eurostar has had exclusive use of the Channel Tunnel up to now, with around 400 trains passing through the tunnel each day. Sir Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group, said: “The ORR’s decision is the right one for consumers – it’s time to end this 30-year monopoly. …

  • Rolls-Royce successfully tests ‘world first’ methanol engine for carbon-free shipping

    The first high-speed marine engine that runs entirely on methanol has been demonstrated in initial bench tests at Rolls-Royce. Following six years in development, this bench test was a milestone, according to Denise Kurtulus, head of marine business at Rolls-Royce, who said: “We've proven that CO2-free marine propulsion with combustion engines is possible.” The engine manufacturer performed the test at its advanced engineering division in Friedrichshafen, Germany, demonstrating that a 2,000kW engine can run entirely on methanol. Dr Jörg Stratmann, CEO of Rolls-Royce Power Systems, said: “This is a genuine world first. To date, there is no other high-speed engine in this performance class that runs purely on methanol.” Methanol is considered one of the major contenders as a green shipping…

  • Nvidia to invest $1bn in Nokia to bring next-gen AI mobile networks to US

    Nvidia and Nokia have announced a strategic partnership to accelerate next-gen AI mobile networks to enable the US to “regain global telecommunications leadership”. The announcement was made during the tech giant’s annual Nvidia GPU Technology Conference (GTC), a major technology and developer event taking place in Washington DC. During his keynote speech, Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang said that while telecommunications was the lifeblood of the US economy, wireless technology around the world was largely today “deployed on foreign technology”. “That has to stop – and we have an opportunity to do that. It’s time to get back into the game,” he said. By joining forces with Nokia, the aim is for the Finnish tech company to use Nvidia’s AI chips and software to build smarter, more…

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