March and April remain the months when many broadband and mobile contracts become more expensive. But while the increases are still happening, the way they are calculated has changed significantly.

Until recently, many of Britain’s largest telecoms providers linked annual increases to inflation, typically adding a further percentage on top. A contract might, for example, have increased each year by the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) plus 3.9%.

That made the eventual cost difficult to predict when customers signed up. Inflation would not be known until months or even years later, meaning someone entering an 18 or 24-month broadband contract could not know exactly what they would be paying towards the end of it.

Ofcom changed the rules from 17 January 2025. Providers can no longer include inflation-linked or percentage-based price rises in new contracts. Any increases written into a contract must instead be clearly stated in pounds and pence before the customer signs up, along with when they will take effect.

The annual price rise, however, has not disappeared.

Ofcom’s latest pricing analysis found that in-contract increases announced for fixed broadband customers in 2026 ranged from £2 to £4 per month.

That means a household paying £25 per month could see its broadband bill rise to £29 following a £4 increase. Over a full year, that is an additional £48.

The change has therefore made broadband price rises more predictable, but not necessarily insignificant.

It also creates an unusual effect for customers on cheaper broadband packages.

A fixed £3 monthly increase represents a 12% rise on a £25 tariff. The same £3 added to a £50 package represents a 6% increase.

In percentage terms, customers starting with some of the cheapest broadband deals can therefore experience the largest increases.

Tharindu Fernando, co-founder of Full Fibre Broadband Deals, which tracks pricing across the UK broadband market, says customers increasingly need to look beyond the headline price when assessing the cost of a new contract.

“A £3 monthly increase doesn’t sound particularly large when you’re signing up, but that’s another £36 a year. On a £25 broadband package, it represents a 12% increase,” Fernando says.

“The important number isn’t necessarily what the service costs in the first month. With 18 and 24-month contracts, it’s increasingly useful to look at what you’ll actually pay across the entire minimum term.”

The new system represents a fundamental change from the inflation-linked model.

Before the rules changed, a customer might have known the formula behind a future increase but not the actual amount. Under the new system, someone signing a contract should be able to see in advance what their monthly payment will become and when.

Ofcom introduced the rules after concluding that inflation-linked increases left consumers carrying financial risk they could neither predict nor easily understand.

The regulator has stopped short of controlling how large contractual increases can be. Providers remain free to set their prices, including scheduled increases, provided the amount and timing are clearly disclosed under the applicable rules.

There is also still a legacy of the old system.

Contracts signed before 17 January 2025 may contain inflation-linked or percentage-based increases. This meant some customers continued to face increases calculated under the previous model during 2026, while newer customers were already moving onto fixed pounds-and-pence increases.

The transition is gradually working its way through the market as older contracts expire.

The wider picture is also more complicated than annual increases alone suggest. Ofcom’s latest research found that prices for many faster broadband products have been falling in real terms, while customers who are out of contract can often make substantial savings by switching or agreeing a new deal.

Its 2026 analysis found that in-contract customers typically paid less than those who had fallen out of contract. For standalone broadband and common broadband bundles, average savings for customers who were in contract ranged from £7 to £9 per month.

That makes the annual spring increase only one part of what households actually pay.

A customer whose bill rises by £3 per month may still have a competitively priced contract. Someone whose monthly price has not recently increased could nevertheless be paying considerably more if their minimum term has ended and they have moved onto an out-of-contract rate.

For consumers, the new pricing rules at least make one part of the equation easier to understand.

The old question was how high inflation might be when the next annual increase arrived. Increasingly, the relevant numbers are already sitting in the contract.

As another March and April approach, Britain’s annual broadband price rise has not vanished. It has simply become easier to see coming.

London records the 9th-highest per-capita anti-ageing search intensity of any major UK city at 60.29 per 100,000 residents, while generating the highest absolute search volume in the country at 5,540 average monthly searches.

Cream and topical products account for 84.7% of London’s monthly anti-ageing searches, highlighting strong demand for targeted skincare.

Four individual search terms tie for the joint-highest volume in the city, each drawing 720 average monthly searches.

New research into Google search behaviour across 50 major UK cities, carried out by UK wellness brand Kollo Health, has identified London as the 9th-highest city in the country for per-capita anti-ageing search interest. With 60.29 searches per 100,000 residents, London outpaces 41 other cities analysed.

Despite that 9th-place ranking, London generates the highest absolute anti-ageing search volume of any city in the study at 5,540 average monthly searches, more than seven times the volume of the next-highest city, Birmingham, at 750. The gap reflects the effect of measuring per capita against London’s population of over 9.1 million: in raw terms its search volume dwarfs every other city, but once adjusted for population size, eight smaller cities record higher rates. The nearest city above London in the rankings is Birmingham at 8th with 62.53 per 100,000, just 3.7% higher than London’s rate.

Top 10 UK cities for anti-ageing search interest

Scarlett Gray, Registered Dietitian at Kollo Health, said: “London’s sheer volume of anti-ageing searches is unmatched by any other UK city. While the per-capita rate places it 9th, the scale of interest across a population of over nine million residents is remarkable. The data suggests that anti-ageing skincare is a mainstream concern for Londoners, with a clear demand for targeted products such as creams and eye treatments.”

The figures are drawn from Google Keyword Planner search data, normalised against 2026 population estimates from World Population Review; the full dataset is available for review.

Alabama teenagers using TikTok will soon face two-hour daily limits, overnight curfews and an end to the app’s customized “For You” page after the social media giant reached a $100 million settlement with the state.

TikTok reached the first-of-its-kind settlement just days before the lawsuit was scheduled to go to trial. Rather than imposing only financial penalties, the agreement requires the company to overhaul several of its core features for minors.

“TikTok has agreed to give parents real control over what their kids see and how much time they spend on the app,” Republican Attorney General Steve Marshall said in a statement. “We’ve said from day one that our number one goal was to stand up for Alabamians when they are being harmed, and today, we did exactly that.”

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TikTok said the settlement reflects its ongoing efforts to improve safety features for teens.

“TikTok’s priority has always been fostering a safe and positive space where people can be creative, discover what they love, and connect with their community,” a TikTok USDS Joint Venture spokesperson said. “This builds on our commitment and core objective to continually enhance our robust safety tools to protect teens.”

Marshall filed the lawsuit against TikTok in April 2025, alleging the company intentionally designed the app to keep children scrolling while misleading parents about its safety features and the risks it posed to minors.

The lawsuit alleged TikTok’s recommendation algorithm exposed children to content involving self-harm, eating disorders, suicide, drugs and sexually explicit material, while overstating the effectiveness of tools such as Restricted Mode and age-verification features.

Within 45 days, TikTok must implement sweeping changes to how minors use the app. Among the most significant is disabling the personalized “For You” page for children. The algorithm-driven feed, which recommends videos based on a user’s viewing habits, is widely considered the centerpiece of TikTok’s engagement strategy.

The TikTok app logo is shown on an iPhone on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025, in Houston.  (AP Photo/Ashley Landis / AP Newsroom)

The agreement also imposes two-hour daily limits, overnight curfews, mandatory “productive pauses” after 15 minutes of continuous use and then another pause at 60 and 90 minutes, bans cosmetic filters for children, strengthens age-verification measures and adds new safeguards limiting interactions between teen and adult accounts.

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The changes are intended to curb addictive use among minors and strengthen protections for young users. If TikTok fails to comply with the settlement, the company could face an additional $300 million penalty.

The website for ByteDance Ltd.’s TikTok app is displayed on a smartphone in an arranged photograph in Beijing, China, on Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2020. (Photographer: Yan Cong/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)

The settlement marks the latest setback for TikTok, which has faced bipartisan scrutiny in Washington for years. Although the social media platform avoided a nationwide U.S. ban earlier this year after its Chinese parent company agreed to divest control of its American operations, it continues to face lawsuits and ongoing questions over children’s safety and date privacy.

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In August, TikTok reached a $400 million settlement with the Justice Department over allegations that it violated children’s privacy laws and failed to adequately protect young users.

Fox News Digital reached out to TikTok for comment.

A recall has been issued for raw milk cheese after more than a dozen people were sickened with E. coli across several states.

The recalled products include Sierra Nevada Graziers grass-fed raw milk cheeses: medium cheddar, sharp cheddar, jalapeño jack, and Monterey jack sold at retail in 8-oz or 16-oz packages.

A total of 13 people have been sickened so far, including eight hospitalizations. The last onset of symptoms was on Aug. 26.

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Recalled cheese packages are shown. (FDA / Unknown)

“The FDA and CDC, in collaboration with state and local partners, are investigating a multistate outbreak of E. coli O26:H11 infections linked to Sierra Nevada Graziers grass-fed raw milk cheese,” the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said in a release. “FDA’s investigation is ongoing.”

When public health officials interviewed nine of those sickened, they all said they had eaten Sierra Nevada Graziers grass-fed raw milk cheese within the last week.

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The Sierra Nevada Cheese Company, LCC voluntarily issued the recall and is working with the FDA.

Three people were sickened in California and Nevada and one in Oregon, Utah, Colorado, Michigan, Kentucky, Tennessee and Georgia.

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“Do not eat, sell, or serve recalled Sierra Nevada Graziers grass-fed raw milk cheeses,” the FDA said.

An E. coli case map. (FDA / Unknown)

It added, “This product has a long shelf life. Check your refrigerators and freezers for the recalled raw milk cheeses and throw them away. If you refrigerated or froze cheese without the original packaging and can’t tell if it’s part of the recall, throw it away.”

WHITE HOUSE ADDRESSES GROWING PARASITE OUTBREAK AFTER MORE THAN 400 AMERICANS SICKENED

The FDA is still investigating the source of the contamination, and to see if there are any other affected products.

Consumers who purchased the cheese should not only throw it away or return it for a refund, but also carefully sanitize any surfaces or containers the cheese touched.

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Number of Gram-negative Escherichia coli bacteria of the strain O157:H7, revealed in the 6836x magnified scanning electron microscopic (SEM) image, 2006. Image courtesy Centers for Disease Control (CDC) / National Escherichia, Shigella, Vibrio Refere (Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images / Getty Images)

E. coli symptoms can start as late as nine days after eating the contaminated food and include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, fever, and nausea.

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In severe cases, it can cause life-threatening conditions like chronic kidney disease, kidney failure and high blood pressure.

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Bentley has unveiled the Torcal, its first fully electric model and the first entirely new Bentley in a decade, and early impressions from journalists who have seen and driven the car suggest the British luxury automaker has produced a genuinely compelling entry into the electric SUV market rather than a compromised transitional model.

The Torcal is built on the Premium Platform Electric architecture shared across the Volkswagen Group, the same underlying platform used by the Porsche Cayenne Electric. According to Bentley, the SUV is available in two trims: a standard Torcal producing up to 821 brake horsepower and 1,194 newton-meters of torque, and the more powerful Torcal S, which delivers up to 876 brake horsepower, or 888 metric horsepower, and 1,350 newton-meters, or 996 pound-feet, of torque, making it the most powerful production Bentley ever built. Bentley says the standard Torcal accelerates from zero to 60 miles per hour in 3.4 seconds, while the Torcal S completes the same sprint in as little as 2.8 to 2.9 seconds, figures the company describes, with characteristic understatement, as “sufficient.”

Power comes from a 113-kilowatt-hour battery pack, of which 108 kilowatt-hours are usable, feeding dual electric motors mounted on each axle for standard all-wheel drive. Bentley says the standard Torcal delivers 375 miles of range on the WLTP testing cycle, a figure expected to translate to somewhat lower results, likely north of 300 miles, under the stricter EPA testing standard used in the United States. The Torcal’s 800-volt electrical architecture supports DC fast charging at up to 400 kilowatts, allowing the battery to charge from 10% to 80% in approximately 16 minutes.

Reviewers who have seen the Torcal in person have generally praised its design as a successful modern interpretation of Bentley’s traditional styling language. Motor1’s assessment described the car as adapting Bentley’s classic, squared-off grille into a pattern of light-up crystal diamonds, clear-centered on the standard model and black-filled on the S trim, giving the front end an upright, aggressive character distinct from the more rounded, aerodynamically driven designs common among competing electric SUVs. The outlet called the Torcal “one of the best-looking EVs I’ve seen,” while noting the influence of the shared Cayenne platform remains visible in the vehicle’s wheelbase and roofline when viewed in profile.

Top Gear’s review offered a similarly favorable take on the design, while noting the illuminated grille, built using 76 hand-applied LED diamonds according to Bentley, makes the car strikingly visible on the road, particularly at night. The outlet described Bentley’s overall approach as designing the Torcal to “blend seamlessly into its existing lineup,” an EV built to avoid drawing attention to its electric drivetrain specifically, in contrast with more overtly futuristic electric SUV designs from rival luxury brands.

The interior has drawn particularly strong praise across multiple reviews. Edmunds described the Torcal’s cabin as “one of Bentley’s best ever,” highlighting new design touches including multilayer pressed wood trim, wool upholstery options, exposed aluminum, and real metal buttons with knurled texturing. The review also praised Bentley’s approach to digital interface design, noting that starting the vehicle triggers a video sequence in the gauge cluster designed to resemble light shining through crystal, an attempt to give the digital experience what the reviewer described as an analog feel consistent with Bentley’s traditional craftsmanship.

The Autopian’s review focused heavily on the Torcal’s dynamic capabilities, noting the vehicle’s substantial braking hardware, with standard iron discs measuring 16.5 inches in diameter at the front and 14.56 inches at the rear, expandable to 17.2 inches and 16.1 inches, respectively, with the optional carbon ceramic brake package. The outlet positioned the Torcal favorably against other ultra-luxury electric SUVs currently on the market, contrasting it with Mercedes-Benz’s electric G-Class, criticized for its limited 239 miles of range at a comparable price point, and the Cadillac Celestiq, whose broader market positioning the reviewer described as still unclear.

Bentley has also emphasized battery longevity as a specific design priority for the Torcal, given the brand’s positioning of its vehicles as long-term heirlooms rather than short-ownership-cycle products. According to Top Gear’s reporting, the Torcal’s nickel-manganese-cobalt-aluminum battery chemistry is designed to retain 90% of its original capacity after 100,000 miles of driving, a durability target Bentley has specifically highlighted given its cars’ traditional role as vehicles intended to be passed down across generations.

Pricing for the Torcal starts at approximately $200,000 in the United States, according to Edmunds, positioning it as a new, more accessible entry point into the Bentley lineup below the existing Bentayga SUV, despite carrying nothing resembling entry-level features or materials. In the United Kingdom, Autocar reported the Torcal starting at £173,000, positioning it as a direct electric rival to high-end Range Rover models. The vehicle arrives roughly a year later than Bentley had originally planned, reflecting a broader revision to the company’s electrification strategy, and represents a new, fourth model line for the brand rather than a direct electric replacement for any existing Bentley model.

With reviewers consistently praising the Torcal’s design, interior craftsmanship and performance credentials, Bentley’s first fully electric model appears, based on early impressions, to have avoided the pitfalls that have affected some other ultra-luxury electric SUV launches from rival automakers, positioning the Torcal as a genuine, credible entry into the growing high-end electric SUV segment rather than a compromised first attempt at electrification.

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