Image copyright Thinkstock Image caption Does this have to be the most expensive meal of the year? The cost of Christmas dinner, the annual festive feast of turkey and all the trimmings, is at a four-year high. With an average dinner and drinks now coming in at £10.71 per person, …

Image copyright Thinkstock Image caption Have you ever panicked when asked to choose the wine in a restaurant? If you’ve ever been handed a wine list the size of an encyclopaedia in a posh restaurant and succumbed to mild panic, you’re not alone. Many of us feel sweaty palmed when …

Image copyright Reuters News conferences are rare events for President-elect Donald Trump. Since he beat Hillary Clinton, his media appearances have been restricted to television interviews and the occasional audiences with an important outlet such as the New York Times. Now his plans to hold one on Thursday to tackle …

Image copyright iStock Image caption Universities, tech companies and publishers are experimenting with automated ways of teaching What do you call a sick bird? An illegal. OK, it’s not exactly hilarious. But it’s not a joke from a five-year-old with a Christmas cracker. This is computer-generated wordplay and an example …

Image copyright Steve Spill Image caption Michelle Spill supported her husband’s dream of owning a red phone box As soon as the red phone box arrived at Steve and Michelle Spill’s house, it had captured people’s attention. “There’s only love for it. From the moment it was in our drive, …

Image copyright Microsoft An update to Windows software has caused problems for personal computer users trying to connect to the internet. Several European internet service providers (ISPs) have highlighted the problem, which can strike regardless of the type of router box or the particular ISP in use. Virgin Media has …

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Wonder Woman’s appointment was criticised by UN staff and women’s rights advocates The UN has ended its campaign with comic book heroine Wonder Woman, a spokesman says, less than two months after her appointment sparked outrage. The superhero had been declared an honorary ambassador …

Image copyright PA Any interim deal between the UK and the EU should not be allowed to become “eternal”, according to a key figure in the negotiations. Guy Verhofstadt, the European Parliament’s chief Brexit negotiator, said any “transitional arrangement” should have a strict time limit. A House of Lords report …

Image copyright AFP The London market doubled its lunchtime gains to close well over 1.3% after US shares rose on expectations of a rate rise this week. The FTSE 100 index closed 78.15 at 6,968.57 points. The index was boosted by a wide-ranging rally, with aero-engine maker Rolls-Royce, broadcaster ITV, …

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Trump will put his sons in charge, but some critics argue this is not enough Donald Trump has said his sons will run his businesses during his presidency but there will be “no new deals”. He tweeted he would “hold a news conference in …