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A high court judge in Nigeria has ruled that some popular soft drinks sold under the Coca-Cola brand could be poisonous.

Bottles and cans of Fanta and Sprite in Nigeria may soon come with written health warnings after Justice Adedayo Oyebanji ordered the Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC) - the local manufacturer of the soft drinks - to place labels on the beverages to inform consumers against drinking them with vitamin C, according to a CNN report citing local sources.

Coca-Cola said the claims are inaccurate and unsupported by science.

"All our products are safe and strictly adhere to regulations in the countries where they are sold while complying with our company's stringent global safety and quality standards," a spokesperson for Coca-Cola told the Independent.

Asked about drinks sold in the UK, Coca-Cola said: "Everywhere in the world, we review and evolve our recipes to meet the local market's needs and tastes. All of the drinks that are sold in Great Britain are manufactured locally. Our priority is always to provide great tasting, affordable drinks with the same high level of quality regardless of where they are sold."

The Lagos High Court ruled that high levels of benzoic acid and additives in Coca-Cola's soft drinks could pose a health risk to consumers when mixed with ascorbic acid, commonly known as vitamin C.

The judge also gave a fine equivalent to $6,350 (£5,115) to the National Agency For Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for failing to ensure health standards.

"It is manifest that NAFDAC has been grossly irresponsible in its regulatory duties to the consumers of Fanta and Sprite manufactured by Nigeria Bottling Company," the judge said.

"NAFDAC has failed the citizens of this great nation by its certification as satisfactory for human consumption products [...] which become poisonous in the presence of ascorbic acid," he added.

The ruling was the result of a nine-year-long court battle initiated by Nigerian businessman Fijabi Adebo.

Mr Adebo's drinks company attempted to export the drinks to the UK in 2007. However, the beverages were confiscated by UK customs and after being tested by UK health authorities they were deemed unsafe for human consumption and destroyed.

Mr Adebo then sued NBC, which had sold him the products.

In an interview with the BBC, Mr Adebo said: "Initially they were flexing their muscles, which dragged [out] the process. I went to court to compel Nafdac to do its duty.

This Coca-Cola issue has shown us how negligent our regulator agencies are. The only job the know how to do is tax people.
- Nubari Saatah (@Saatah) March 15, 2017

"We shouldn't have a product that is considered substandard in Europe."

NBC lawyers argued that the products were not intended for export but the defense was rejected by the judge.

"Soft drinks manufactured by Nigeria Bottling Company ought to be fit for human consumption irrespective of colour or creed," the judge said.

No longer drinking Coca Cola products in Nigeria. Short story, they are not fit for consumption.
- Onye Nkuzi (@cchukudebelu) March 15, 2017

Both the NBC and NAFDAC are appealing against the ruling.

"Both Benzoic Acid and Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) are ingredients approved by international food safety regulators and used in many food and beverage products around the world. These ingredients are also used in combination in some products within levels which may differ from one country to another as approved by the respective national food and drug regulators in line with the range prescribed by CODEX, the joint intergovernmental body responsible for harmonizing international food standards," NBC said in a statement.

Nigeria's health ministry published a statement reassuring Nigerians that the drinks are safe for human consumption.

However it also advised all Nigerians to take medicine with potable water as this "would help to prevent unexpected drug-food interactions". It also "encourages" all bottling companies to "insert advisory warning" on all products as necessary.

Customers took it to Twitter to express their anger and call for a boycott after the ruling was made public.

Stop drinking Coca Cola's Coke and Fanta for now. Until their appeal against the poisonous substance they put in those drinks are decided.
- Bassey Sam (@businessknit) March 16, 2017

"No longer drinking Coca Cola products in Nigeria. Short story, they are not fit for consumption," Onye Nkuzi, based in Nigeria, tweeted.

"Nigerians should boycott Coca-Cola products until foreign experts come to certify their products in Nigeria safe for consumption," Henry Asede said on Twitter.

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Coca-Cola products may be 'poisonous', a high court rules

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A high court judge in Nigeria has ruled that some popular soft drinks sold under the Coca-Cola brand could be poisonous. Bottles and cans of Fanta and Sprite in Nigeria may soon come with written health warnings after Justice Adedayo Oyebanji ordered the Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC) - the local manufacturer of the soft drinks - to place labels on the beverages to inform consumers against drinking them with vitamin C, according to a CNN report citing local sources.

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Britain starts the process of leaving the European Union.http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-39430910

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Scary clowns, mad hatters and a giant-headed Theresa May.

Just some of the fancy dress outfits worn by those protesting the triggering of Britain's exit from the EU outside the Houses of Parliament.

"I felt like I needed to come down and remind Parliament, the British public and the world that we are not willing to put up with having Brexit", Eddie Spinx, whose been standing outside Downing Street shouting from a megaphone all day, tells me.

A group of UKIP members all smiles and brightly dressed in purple are celebrating.

"I feel very happy", one tells me.

"The divorce settlement is zero maintenance", adds another.

We've still got two years until we actually leave the EU - and at the moment no signs here of the two sides coming together.

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Scary clowns, mad hatters and a giant-headed Theresa May. Just some of the fancy dress outfits worn by those protesting the triggering of Britain's exit from the EU outside the Houses of Parliament.

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Philip Hammond was very visibly sitting alongside Theresa May as the prime minister made her statement on Article 50.

And the push and pull between the UK's two most important addresses as Britain starts the process of leaving the European Union - No 10 and No 11 - was evident in every word of the statement and the following letter triggering our exit from the EU.

Mrs May talked of prosperity, quite deliberately, more than once.

She said that Britain would be a "magnet for international talent", that entrepreneurs would be welcome and that the UK would be a committed partner for the EU, which Britain wanted to flourish.

'Smooth and orderly'

You can almost see the hand of the Treasury in every part, with its concern that the toughest economic period is not behind us, but is still to come.

In the Article 50 letter published just after Mrs May's statement, many of those who share that feeling of economic concern will have read much to welcome.

The letter says that the government wants to see "as little disruption as possible on each side" (code for no "cliff edge" as we leave).
What do businesses want in Brexit talks? Dover boss warns of Brexit backlog What are Brexit Britain's trade options?
It also wants to see "certainty" as soon as possible (suggesting that there might be rather more transparency about the process than previously thought, giving reassurance to businesses).

The letter adds that the UK wants an ambitious free trade deal and that both sides would "benefit from implementation periods to adjust in a smooth and orderly way to new arrangements".

Cue sighs of relief from the chancellor and No 11. The prime minister has put the economy at the heart of this process.

And she certainly has reduced the volume of excited chatter that Britain could walk away with no deal and "fall back" to World Trade Organization rules, which could see significant tariffs on sectors such as cars as well as a probable increase in vital "non-tariff" barriers, which control how rules such as consumer rights are enforced across borders.

That would certainly be a major change and, many argue, highly disruptive.

Security issues

But, then, a curveball.

Mrs May, the former home secretary, links the talk of prosperity with the issue of security, not a traditional fit when it comes to discussing economic arrangements to increase trade between separate interests.

Rupert Harrison, former chief of staff to George Osborne, called it "punchy".

"Weakening our co-operation for the prosperity and protection of our citizens would be a costly mistake," Mrs May says in the letter, which mentions security no fewer than 11 times.

The key will be how the 27 other members of the EU respond to that direct link.

And to begin to understand what that reaction might be, I returned to an interview I did at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January with the deputy Prime Minister of Poland, Mateusz Morawiecki.

One of Poland's biggest concerns, with Russia on its doorstep, is security, and Britain's continuing role in backing a robust attitude to President Vladimir Putin.

"How important is Britain's security role and should that be made part of the negotiations around Brexit?" I asked him.

"It is very important. There are only three countries of Nato, the United States, the United Kingdom and Poland, that spend 2% or more of GDP on defence expenditure and 20% of this on military equipment," he answered.

"So it is very important for Poland and the UK to work together [on the] dangers that are around us, and Russia is definitely one of those and the situation in Ukraine.

"And yes, Poland and the UK can be strong links for the platform around security, to really cement the solidarity of the transatlantic partners."

I pushed a little more. "Should that be part of the negotiations for Brexit?"

"I am not sure it should be part of the Brexit negotiations because Brexit is Brexit," Mr Morawiecki said.

"Brexit is the UK leaving the EU."

Mrs May has set a new course. The economy, trade and security, in her eyes, are now inextricably linked.

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Philip Hammond was very visibly sitting alongside Theresa May as the prime minister made her statement on Article 50. And the push and pull between the UK's two most important addresses as Britain starts the process of leaving the European Union - No 10 and No 11 - was evident in every word of the statement and the following letter triggering our exit from the EU.

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Wiral explosian-affected usinees 'may never reopen'

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Half of the businesses in a town hit by a huge suspected gas explosion are "out of action" and "some may never reopen", a residents' group has claimed.

Thirty businesses cannot trade because of collapsed or damaged buildings, New Ferry's Residents' Association said.

Two people were seriously hurt and 31 others injured in the blast in Bebington, Wirral on Saturday evening.

The site remains a crime scene as Merseyside Police investigate the cause of the explosion.

'Absolutely devastating'

Ann Grimes, 44, who has run the Cleveland pub for three years, said: "I don't have insurance to cover wages or losses.

"I don't think the traders can come back from this. If that building comes down I have no livelihood, nothing.

"I'm a single mum. I've got a rented home. My 10-year-old son keeps asking what's wrong. I can't explain how bad it is going to be. It could be weeks or months before we even know. It's bleak."

Residents' association chairman Mark Craig, 54, said: "The whole shopping precinct has been closed. [Businesses] were living hand to mouth as it is. Some of them may never reopen. A catastrophe like this could finish them off completely. The sheer scale of the damage, the impact is huge."

Ms Grimes, who said she put her "heart and soul" into renovating the pub, was inside the building when the blast happened at about 21:15 GMT.

"The explosion came first then there were flying bricks. People were covered in blood and screaming for help. The whole community is in shock."

Wirral Chamber of Commerce (WCC) said there were "huge barriers" to trading and many businesses, including florists, butchers and glazers, were struggling to access stock, electronic ordering systems and price lists.

It said it wanted to reopen the old Co-op building in the town to provide space for trading.

A meeting was due to be held at 17:30 BST in the village hall for businesses to get advice and support.

Meanwhile, residents affected by the explosion are being urged to contact Wirral Council for help.

Ten people have been placed in emergency accommodation but others who were forced to leave their homes have not been in touch, the council said.

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Half of blast town's shops 'not trading'

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Half of the businesses in a town hit by a huge suspected gas explosion are "out of action" and "some may never reopen", a residents' group has claimed. Thirty businesses cannot trade because of collapsed or damaged buildings, New Ferry's Residents' Association said.

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Westinghouse Files for Bankruptcy, in Blow to Nuclear Power

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Ford will create 130 jobs at its Romeo engine parts plant, it said in a statement.

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Ford has said it will spend $1.2bn (£1bn) as part of a planned upgrade of three Michigan plants.

It said $850m will be spent on retooling its factory in Wayne where Ford plans to build Bronco and Ranger models.

In addition, Ford will create 130 jobs at its Romeo engine parts plant, it said in a statement.

In January, the US car giant said it would cancel a $1.6bn plant it had planned to build in Mexico.

US President Donald Trump, who put pressure on Ford over its planned Mexico investment, tweeted earlier on Tuesday:

"Big announcement by Ford today. Major investment to be made in three Michigan plants. Car companies coming back to US. JOBS! JOBS! JOBS!"

Ford's US investment announcement is largely in line with a previous agreement it reached with the United Auto Workers union.

'Very confident'

Mr Trump has at times promoted job announcements at the White House that had been previously planned or announced.

Last week he praised an investment decision by Charter Communications that the company had announced before he was elected.

Ford will spend $150m on its Romeo plant to boost its ability to make car parts, and $200m will be ploughed into a new data centre.

"We're optimistic that we'll continue to see good economic growth for the US in the near term," said Joe Hinrichs, president of the Americas at Ford. "We feel very confident about our plan and our products and about investing in Michigan and the US."

The $1.2bn total is in addition to $700m to expand Ford's plant at Flat Rock in Michigan, which it announced in January.

Ford said last week that it expected higher investments, as well as other spending, to drag on 2017 earnings.

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Ford to invest $1.2bn in Michigan plants

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Ford has said it will spend $1.2bn (£1bn) as part of a planned upgrade of three Michigan plants. It said $850m will be spent on retooling its factory in Wayne where Ford plans to build Bronco and Ranger models. In addition, Ford will create 130 jobs at its Romeo engine parts plant, it said in a statement.

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The new £1 is soon set to disperse around the country in order to put an end to the rising forgeries which are being detected in our currency.

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The new 12-sided £1 coin - which comes into circulation on Tuesday - has a hidden security feature to make it difficult to counterfeit.

It is thought to involve material inside the coin itself which can be detected when electronically scanned by coin-counting or payment machines.

But officials at the Royal Mint have not released any further details.

Other security measures include an image that works like a hologram, and micro-sized lettering inside both rims.

As a result, the Mint claims it will be the "most secure coin in the world".

It will replace the existing £1 coin, of which about one in 40 are thought to be fake.

"It's been designed to be fit for the future, using security features that aim to safeguard our currency, and currencies around the world, for years to come," said Adam Lawrence, chief executive of the Royal Mint.

The old coin will remain legal tender until 15 October this year, after which shops are under no obligation to accept it.

After that date, consumers will have to take the coin to a bank to exchange it.

Supplies of the new coin have initially been delivered to 33 banks and post offices around the UK (see list below).

The new £1 coin: Vital statistics

Thickness: 2.8mm - thinner than old coin

Weight: 8.75g - lighter than old coin

Diameter: 23.43mm - larger than old coin

Number to enter circulation: 1.5 billion - about 23 per person. Old £1 coins will be melted down to make new ones

Outer ring: gold-coloured, made from nickel-brass

Inner ring: silver-coloured, made from nickel-plated alloy

Where can I get one?

To start with, supplies of the new coin have been delivered to 33 banks and post offices throughout the UK, including seven in Scotland, three in Wales and two in Northern Ireland.

They will gradually become more widespread over the next few weeks.

Lloyds Bank, which has the biggest branch network in the UK, said most of its customers would start to see the coins from Wednesday this week.

The coins will be available on Tuesday in the following towns and cities:

Aberdeen: Clydesdale, Queens Cross

Bath: Post Office, Northgate St

Belfast: Bank of Ireland, High Street; Ulster Bank, Donegall Square East

Birmingham: Lloyds, New Street; Post Office, Pinfold Street

Cardiff: Barclays, St David's Centre; Lloyds, Queen Street; HSBC, Churchill Way

Edinburgh: Barclays, Princes Street; RBS, St Andrew Square; Clydesdale, George Street; Post Office, Frederick Street

Glasgow: Bank of Scotland, Argyle Street; Clydesdale, St Vincent Street

Leeds: NatWest, Park Row; Yorkshire, Briggate

Liverpool: NatWest, Castle Street

London: Barclays, Churchill Place; NatWest, Princes Street; Halifax, Old Broad Street; Post Office, William IV Street; HSBC, Station Road, Edgware;

Manchester: Barclays, Market Street; NatWest, Deansgate; Post Office, Spring Gardens; HSBC, St Anne's Square

Newcastle: 16 Northumberland Street

Sittingbourne, Kent: Santander High Street

York: Post Office, Lendal

Do you have a new £1 coin? What has your experience been like using it in machines? Email us at Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk .

WhatsApp: +44 7525 900971

Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay

Send pictures/video to yourpics@bbc.co.uk

Upload your pictures/video here

Text an SMS or MMS to 61124

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The new 12-sided £1 coin - which comes into circulation on Tuesday - has a hidden security feature to make it difficult to counterfeit. It is thought to involve material inside the coin itself which can be detected when electronically scanned by coin-counting or payment machines.

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US chipmaker Intel is taking a big bet on driverless cars with a $15.3bn (£12.5bn) takeover of specialist Mobileye.

Intel will pay $63.54 a share in cash for the Israeli company, which develops "autonomous driving" systems.

Mobileye and Intel are already working together, along with German carmaker BMW, to put 40 test vehicles on the road in the second half of this year.

Intel expects the driverless market to be worth as much as $70bn by 2030.

Jerusalem-based Mobileye has contracts with 27 car makers. It also controls about two thirds of the market for software that runs automatic emergency braking and semi-autonomous cruise control systems already fitted to cars and trucks.

Technology companies are racing to launch driverless cars.

Earlier this month, Nissan test drove a converted Leaf vehicle and said it hoped to make the cars available by 2020.

Google has also done extensive development of driverless cars.

Announcing the deal, Intel said that as cars "progress from assisted driving to fully autonomous, they are increasingly becoming data centres on wheels".

The chipmaker reckons that by 2020 driverless cars will generate 4,000 GB, or 4 terabytes, of data a day that can be mined for information.

Betsy Van Hees, analyst at Loop Capital Markets, said Intel had very little presence in the automotive market, "so this is a tremendous opportunity for them to get into a market that has significant growth opportunities".

Timothy Carone, a Notre Dame University academic, said: "Major players are finding ways finding ways to position themselves for a change as seminal as the personal computer revolution."

Shares in Intel fell 2.2% to $35.10 in New York.

Mobileye was founded in 1999 to develop "vision-based systems to improve on-road safety and reduce collisions".

The company, along with Intel's automated driving group, will be based in Israel and led by Amnon Shashua, Mobileye's co-founder, chairman and chief technology officer.

In its results for last year, Mobileye said revenue more than tripled to $358m, while pre-tax profit jumped from $79.7m to $125.4m.

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Intel makes $15bn bet on driverless cars

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US chipmaker Intel is taking a big bet on driverless cars with a $15.3bn (£12.5bn) takeover of specialist Mobileye. Intel will pay $63.54 a share in cash for the Israeli company, which develops "autonomous driving" systems. Mobileye and Intel are already working together, along with German carmaker BMW, to put 40 test vehicles on the road in the second half of this year.

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Intel has now contributed as a shareholder in the new future development of self driving cars and will be looking to profit a substantial amount of $70 billion by 2030

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US chipmaker Intel is taking a big bet on driverless cars with a $15.3bn (£12.5bn) takeover of specialist Mobileye.

Intel will pay $63.54 a share in cash for the Israeli company, which develops "autonomous driving" systems.

Mobileye and Intel are already working together, along with German carmaker BMW, to put 40 test vehicles on the road in the second half of this year.

Intel expects the driverless market to be worth as much as $70bn by 2030.

Jerusalem-based Mobileye has contracts with 27 car makers. It also controls about two thirds of the market for software that runs automatic emergency braking and semi-autonomous cruise control systems already fitted to cars and trucks.

Technology companies are racing to launch driverless cars.

Earlier this month, Nissan test drove a converted Leaf vehicle and said it hoped to make the cars available by 2020.

Google has also done extensive development of driverless cars.

Announcing the deal, Intel said that as cars "progress from assisted driving to fully autonomous, they are increasingly becoming data centres on wheels".

The chipmaker reckons that by 2020 driverless cars will generate 4,000 GB, or 4 terabytes, of data a day that can be mined for information.

Betsy Van Hees, analyst at Loop Capital Markets, said Intel had very little presence in the automotive market, "so this is a tremendous opportunity for them to get into a market that has significant growth opportunities".

Timothy Carone, a Notre Dame University academic, said: "Major players are finding ways finding ways to position themselves for a change as seminal as the personal computer revolution."

Shares in Intel fell 2.2% to $35.10 in New York.

Mobileye was founded in 1999 to develop "vision-based systems to improve on-road safety and reduce collisions".

The company, along with Intel's automated driving group, will be based in Israel and led by Amnon Shashua, Mobileye's co-founder, chairman and chief technology officer.

In its results for last year, Mobileye said revenue more than tripled to $358m, while pre-tax profit jumped from $79.7m to $125.4m.

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Intel makes $15bn bet on driverless cars

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US chipmaker Intel is taking a big bet on driverless cars with a $15.3bn (£12.5bn) takeover of specialist Mobileye. Intel will pay $63.54 a share in cash for the Israeli company, which develops "autonomous driving" systems. Mobileye and Intel are already working together, along with German carmaker BMW, to put 40 test vehicles on the road in the second half of this year.

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Workers suffered a fall in real pay for the first time in more than two years in January as inflation outpaced wage growth, underlining the fresh squeeze in living standards facing UK households.

Total pay including bonuses was up 1.7% compared with January 2016, weaker than the 1.8% headline rate of inflation and the lowest rate of wage growth since February last year according to the Office for National Statistics.

Pay prospects weakened despite a fall in Britain's unemployment rate to its joint lowest level since 1975. The jobless rate fell to 4.7% in the three months to January from 4.8% in the previous three months, matching the rate last seen in 2005. It was last lower in the three months to August 1975, when it was 4.6%.

Martin Beck, a senior economic adviser to the EY Item Club, a forecasting group, said the slowdown in pay growth was worrying.

"The most concerning aspect was the further slowdown in wage growth. The January data already showed the first year-on-year decline in real wages since August 2014 and, given the likelihood that inflation will continue to climb through 2017, continued weakness in pay growth could threaten a squeeze on household finances. This, in turn, would risk a more severe slowdown in consumer spending growth than we currently anticipate."

Household finances are expected to come under increasing pressure in 2017, as the sharp fall in the value of the pound since the Brexit vote increasingly feeds through to higher prices for consumer goods. Inflation is expected to rise to about 3% by the end of the year and household budgets are already under increased strain from a spike in supermarket prices.

Frances O'Grady, the general secretary of the TUC, said the prime minister must put a stop to the slide in living standards.

"Workers are facing the double whammy of rising prices and slower pay growth. But Theresa May seems content to leave Britain drifting towards a new living standards crisis. Working people in Britain have seen their pay take a proper hammering in the last decade. It's long past time the government took action."

UK unemployment rate

Taking into account a longer period of time, total pay growth slowed sharply from 2.6% to 2.2% in the three months to January, the lowest since early 2016. Real pay growth - adjusted for inflation - was just 0.7%, the weakest in more than two years.

Chris Hare, an economist at Investec, saida squeeze in real wages was under way and was likely to intensify as inflation picks up.

"There are clear signs that households are beginning to suffer from a real income squeeze. Because household spending makes up around two-thirds of UK demand, this is the main reason why we see the economy slowing down over the course of this year."

The employment rate was unchanged at 74.6%, the highest since records began in 1971. The number of people in work rose by 92,000 over the three months, to 31.85 million. There were 1.58 million unemployed people, 31,000 fewer than for August to October.

UK pay growth

David Freeman, a senior statistician at the ONS, said: "With the unemployment rate last lower in summer 1975 and the employment rate still at a record high, the labour market remains robust. But smaller wage increases and higher inflation mean the growth in real earnings has slowed sharply in recent months."

The employment minister Damian Hinds welcomed the fall in unemployment, saying: "Employment is up, wages are up and there are more people working full time. This is good news for hardworking families across the UK as we continue to build a country that works for everyone."

The latest official snapshot of the UK jobs market also confirmed that the number of people on zero-hours contracts hit a record high of 905,000 in the final three months of 2016. It was an increase of 101,000, or 13%, compared with the same period a year earlier.

The ONS said people on zero-hours contracts, which do not guarantee a minimum number of work hours, were more likely to be young, female, part-time or in full-time education people in other employment. Such contracts are widely used by retailers, restaurants, leisure companies and hotels.

About one in three people on a zero-hours contract want more work, compared with one in nine people in other employment.

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uk unemployment and employment statistics

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UK unemployment falls to joint lowest rate since 1975 but wages stall

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Workers suffered a fall in real pay for the first time in more than two years in January as inflation outpaced wage growth, underlining the fresh squeeze in living standards facing UK households.

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Brexit has the potential to slowly bring the UK’s £500bn infrastructure pipeline to a standstill – according to RICS’s (The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) head of UK policy. This will be because  Britain will lose access to the European single market, jeopardising half a billion pounds’ worth of infrastructure projects

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Inflation

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Hipster culture is officially mainstream after the rising popularity of vegan diets, cycling and artisan gin were reflected in the annual shakeup of the shopping basket used to measure UK inflation.

Non-dairy milks made from soya, rice and almonds have made it into to the basket for the first time, reflecting the growing trend of dairy-free diets according to the Office for National Statistics.

Gin and cycling helmets also made a return to the basket after long absences, while menthol cigarettes and basic mobile phone handsets are out.

The ONS updates the basket once a year to better reflect the lifestyle of the modern consumer in Britain.

"The once-parodied trappings of hipster subculture - from well-groomed beards to a taste for the retro - appear to have become increasingly mainstream in the last few years," said Jonathan Athow, deputy national statistician for economic statistics at the ONS.

"So perhaps it isn't a surprise to see items in the latest basket of goods and services which seem as though they could be at home in a hipster household."

Children's scooters are also in, replacing swings. Fees for stopping cheques are out, while council tax has been included.

The ONS said charities such as Veganuary, which campaign to change public attitudes and encourage people to try vegan for the month of January, had contributed to the growing popularity of non-dairy milk, increasingly thanks to lifestyle choices rather than decisions driven by allergies.

"A few years ago, those avoiding cow's milk because of lactose intolerance or for ethical reasons were drinking soya, but there's been a rising demand for alternative plant milk substitutes, including rice, hemp and - most popular - almond," the ONS said.

Gin has been reintroduced after a 13-year absence. The ONS said the one-time favourite of the middle-aged suburban couple had become a staple of the younger drinker. Growth in the number of small gin producersand gin festivals have also helped to boost its popularity. The value of gin sold by manufacturers in the UK almost doubled from £126m in 2009 to £239m in 2015.

Michael Andrews, the director of ambient buying for Waitrose, said gin sales had risen 16% over the past year. "With the UK experiencing a 'ginaissance', it's no wonder gin has entered back into the basket this year. It has consistently been our fastest-growing spirit and with so many new boutique brands entering the market this shows no sign of slowing."

Bicycle helmets made it back into the basket after a 12-year absence, as the success of British cyclists such as Jason and Laura Kenny in the Olympics and Chris Froome in the Tour de France fuelled enthusiasm for the sport.

The number of Brits interested in taking up cycling almost doubled in the last two years from one in 10 in 2014 to one in five in 2016, according to the market-research company Mintel.

"While cycling is famed for its Mamils [middle-aged men in lycra], Brits most likely to aspire to cycle are those aged 16 to 24, with young women more interested in cycling than young men," said David Walmsley, a senior leisure analyst at the firm.

Paul Martin, the UK head of retail at the accountancy firm KPMG,said the changes to the inflation basket broadly reflected a growing trend of healthier living. "The ONS basket of goods offers a fascinating peek from behind the curtain at today's typical household shopping list," he said.

"As in previous years, factors including changes in consumer tastes, technological advancements and the latest fads and trends all carve out a new, modern-day consumer.

"The updated basket clearly mirrors the consumer shift towards health, fitness and Free From [gluten-free], as well as the resurgence of traditional tastes and activities, albeit often with a modern twist."

Basic mobile handsets were ejected from the 2017 basket, pushed out by more popular smartphones and a reflection of changing technology and fewer models being available in the shops.

The inflation basket dates back 70 years and now includes about 700 goods and services. The ONS uses it to collect about 180,000 individual prices each month from shops across the UK and online. It then uses weights for each item - their relative importance in calculating inflation - based on survey evidence of people's spending, and comes up with an inflation figure for the whole economy.

The headline rate of annual inflation in the UK is currently 1.8%. It is expected to rise in the coming months as the impact of the sharp drop in the value of the pound since the Brexit vote feeds through into prices.

Alistair McQueen, the head of savings and retirement at Aviva, said looking at the basket over the past decade was like a "trip down memory lane", with technological advances a big driver of recent changes.

When the basket was first compiled in 1947, prices were collected for about 200 items including corsets, mangles and wireless licences, items which are no longer included. Many items remain the same, however, including tickets to football matches, haircuts, and several types of fruit and vegetables.

Technological changes are clear. In 1947, there were just three items listed under electrical appliances - vacuum cleaners, irons and radio sets. Black and white televisions were included in 1950, and fridges in the 1960s.

What's in for 2017

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Child scooters are now included Photograph: Mikhail Japaridze/Tass

Half chocolate-coated biscuits

Non-dairy milk

Flavoured water

Gin, bottle

Flavoured cider, bottle

Apple cider, four-can pack*

Men's base layer top

Cycle helmet

Average council tax bills in Great Britain

Average rates bills in Northern Ireland

Cough liquid

Child's scooter

Jigsaw (now very popular with adults)

Cider

*Together with the flavoured cider, canned apple cider replaces bottled cider in the basket, reflecting the availability of the products in outlets

What's out for 2017

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Menthol cigarettes - remember them? Photograph: BAT

Spirit-based drink

Apple cider, bottle*

Menthol cigarettes

Single drainer sink

Motor vehicle brake pads

Mobile phone handset

Child's swing

Apple cider**

Fee for stopping a cheque

*This was replaced in the basket by a combination of canned apple cider, and bottled flavoured cider

**Apple cider was replaced with a broader cider item, enabling prices of apple, pear and flavoured ciders to be collected
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UK inflation basket: gin and cycling helmets dropped in

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Hipster culture is officially mainstream after the rising popularity of vegan diets, cycling and artisan gin were reflected in the annual shakeup of the shopping basket used to measure UK inflation. Non-dairy milks made from soya, rice and almonds have made it into to the basket for the first time, reflecting the growing trend of dairy-free diets according to the Office for National Statistics.

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Philip Hammond says he wants the UK to become a "world leader" in 5G, the next-generation mobile technology that proponents say is the key to an internet-connected world of driverless cars, smart home appliances, delivery drones and lightning-fast video on the go.

The government, which has published a 70-page tome on its future 5G strategy, said in the budget it would invest up to £16m to run trials and support the technology's development, to make sure the UK is at the crest of the "next wave of mobile technology services".

However, 5G, which is set to be rolled out in the UK next decade, also has its critics. They argue consumers don't need the superfast speeds the upgrade from current 4G technology promises, and many in the industry believe that logistical issues mean that 5G may not be properly rolled out in the UK for decades. In the meantime, there are still basic infrastructure issues - including rural areas with little or no broadband coverage at all - that need sorting out.

Last month, the telecoms and media regulator Ofcom published an update on 5G which highlighted a plethora of supposed benefits the technology will provide. The list includes superfast speeds for mobile broadband - downloading a high-definition movie will take just 1 second compared with almost 10 minutes using the older 3G network and up to a minute on 4G.

The mass connectivity it allows will also help expand the so-called internet of things (IoT), in which everyday appliances and devices wirelessly connect to the internet and each other. "IoT technology is being used in everything from smart homes to wearables," says Ofcom. "5G should help the evolution of IoT. Possible future applications could include real-time health monitoring of patients, street lighting to suit the weather or traffic, environmental monitoring and smart agriculture."

Analysts Gartner estimate that by 2020 there will be 20 billion IoT-connected devices.

In addition, 5G could be used to enable driverless cars to communicate with each other and other road users, as well as develop "smart manufacturing" - connecting all the various machines involved in a production chain - and the drone delivery networks that companies such as Amazon would like to develop.

"We believe delivery drones and droids could replace drivers for takeaway delivery," says Bob Liao, an analyst at Macquarie. He points out that Just Eat has partnered with Starship Technologies, started by two of Skype's co-founders, which already has "six-wheeled robots that navigate using cameras and ultrasonic sensors" that travel at 4mph and hold 10kg of cargo.

"Starship already has dozens of droids delivering packages, groceries and takeaway food to customers in several European cities, Washington DC and parts of Silicon Valley," he says.

Macquarie says 5G could also enable the widespread adoption of virtual reality (VR), with applications including virtual tours of properties for homebuyers.

The theory runs that increased data speeds and capacity provided by 5G will be necessary for plans like these to become a mainstream reality. However, despite the enthusiasm, there are a number of health warnings. In December, a report on 5G from government-appointed experts said that while it provided a technology leadership opportunity, its introduction must not be bungled, as the rollout of 4G arguably was.

The report by Lord Adonis, who heads the National Infrastructure Commission, found that the UK's 4G network ranked only 54th in terms of coverage, behind countries such as Albania, Panama and Peru.

The report said that there were too many "digital deserts" across the UK where there was no coverage, while mobile signal on trains and motorways was "frankly appalling" - all issues that should be addressed.

Ofcom, which later this year is set to auction off valuable spectrum for use in mobile broadband and future 5G services, says "virtually all" UK premises will get a 4G signal by the end of the year.

The regulator is confident that the first wave of commercial products taking full advantage of 5G will be available by 2020. Not everyone agrees.

Professor William Webb, an academic and former Ofcom director, has been outspoken in warning that 5G could be a case of the "emperor and his supposed new clothes".

Webb is not convinced that the industry obsession with faster speeds is matched by consumer demand. He also believes mobile operators may be in danger of investing billions in 5G networks that they may struggle to recoup their costs from. Telecoms companies forked out £2.3bn in Ofcom's auction of 4G spectrum just a few years ago in 2013.

However, Ofcom argues that the evidence backing the case for 5G expansion now is clear.

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A Starship Technologies robot makes a delivery in Greenwich. Photograph: Christian Sinibaldi for the Guardian

"We cannot forget the elephant in the room: video," says Giasone Salati, an analyst at Macquarie. "It is already the biggest beneficiary of 4G deployment."

The proportion of mobile-phone owners that own smartphones - which has driven the data and video explosion - has surged from a little over 20% in 2011 to 75% last year. Data usage per phone user rocketed from an average of 0.11Gb to 1.26Gb between 2011 and 2016, as gaming and video streaming services such as Netflix took off on mobiles.

"5G has the potential to revolutionize the way we see the mobile industry," says Tony Maroulis at Ampere Analysis. "Before all of that happens though, infrastructure vendors, chipset makers, and operators will have to come to an agreement on industry standards: and that is unlikely to happen before 2020."
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Robots delivering pizza and house viewing by VR: is 5G really the future?

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Philip Hammond says he wants the UK to become a "world leader" in 5G, the next-generation mobile technology that proponents say is the key to an internet-connected world of driverless cars, smart home appliances, delivery drones and lightning-fast video on the go.

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Theresa May will be making her Commons statement on the EU summit shortly.May did give a press conference at the end of the summit on Thursday, but it was dominated by the row about the decision to increase national insurance contributions (NICs) for the self-employed in the budget.

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Theresa May will be making her Commons statement on the EU summit shortly.May did give a press conference at the end of the summit on Thursday, but it was dominated by the row about the decision to increase national insurance contributions (NICs) for the self-employed in the budget.

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A partnership between Levi's and Google has yielded a jacket with technology woven into the fabric.

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Rail staff are going on strike because the government wants "Driver only trains". This will reduce the ability of the RMT (National rail, maritime and transport union) from having power over rail strikes. The government wants to change laws so that the trains no longer need two members of staff on to leave the station.

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Passengers appear to have largely stayed away from the railway network as staff from three train firms across England held 24-hour strikes.

Guards and drivers working for Merseyrail, Northern rail and Southern rail took action over proposals for driver-only-operated (DOO) trains.

Up to 2,000 rail staff have walked out in the dispute, but only limited disruption was reported.

Northern rail thanked customers for "altering travel plans".

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union held their 30th strike day in an ongoing dispute with Southern, but the dispute has now spread to the north of England.
Rail strike: Latest updates What does a train guard do?
Commuters at railway stations including Manchester Victoria reported stations being quieter than normal.

Paul Barnfield, regional director at Northern, thanked passengers for "working with us".

Services on many routes were wound down from mid-afternoon, he said, with "very few trains" running after 17:00 GMT.

Disruption on Monday

Southern: A number of its train services were not running - including between Clapham and Milton Keynes and London and Brighton.

Merseyrail: About 20% of services were running with trains every 30 minutes on most, but not all, lines between 07:00 and 19:00, with a full break in service from 11:00 to 14:00. There were no trains running on the Ellesmere Port, Kirkby and Hunts Cross lines

Northern: It was running 40% of its normal services, with trains operating on its busier routes between 07:00 and 19:00 but wound down from 17:00. The firm said it would run 300 rail replacement bus services.

Merseyrail members have refused to work "rest days" since 6 March and a bid by the company to derail the strike action on Thursday was rejected by the High Court in London.

Disruption to its services on Monday included a full break in service from 11:00 to 14:00, while all services in and out of Liverpool were to finish by 19:00.

The company's deputy managing director, Andy Heath, said the "much reduced" service on the planned timetable was due to train drivers choosing "not to cross picket lines".

A statement on the Merseyrail website added: "We are sorry that we are unable to run the previously advertised timetable today.

"This is because train drivers, who are not part of the industrial action taking place on the Merseyrail network today, have decided not to cross RMT picket lines."

RMT general secretary Mick Cash said the union's position on driver-only-operated trains was "perfectly clear" and added it would "not agree to any introduction of DOO".

He added there was "rock solid" support for the walkouts, including the Southern network action which "continues to hold firm in the fight for rail safety nearly a year on".

Management at all three affected rail companies have said they want a negotiated solution and deny jobs will be lost.
Analysis: Richard Westcott, BBC transport correspondent
It's the south and the north today, but could this dispute keep spreading across England?

The government's made it clear that it wants an expansion of "driver-only-operated" trains and that puts it at loggerheads with the unions.

The Department for Transport talks about introducing them in the next two franchises about to be awarded, South Western and West Midlands.

The unions say it's a long-term ploy to get rid of all train guards and save money - they claim it puts passenger safety at risk.

But rail bosses argue it's about modernising the service, freeing up the second on-board person to deal with passengers rather than closing the train doors.

Handing all the safety jobs to the driver means you don't HAVE to have two people on every train before it can leave the station. That would shrink the power of the RMT, because more trains would be able to run if their guards went on strike in the future.

Paul Plummer, chief executive of the Rail Delivery Group, which represents train operating companies, said the industrial action was "completely unnecessary and will be very painful".

He said: "Rail companies are willing to guarantee pay and jobs; new trains which customers desperately want enabling better services, no threat to safety and this is a very early stage of discussion."

Theresa May's official spokesman said the prime minister was "disappointed ...that once again the RMT are disrupting passengers across the country".

He said: "These strikes are unnecessary. The RMT should return to talks and help deliver the high-quality rail services that passengers deserve."

Arriva Rail North, which operates Northern trains, proposes to modernise the network by 2020 with the introduction of 281 new carriages, 243 upgraded trains, 2,000 extra services each week and better stations.

It has promised to protect jobs and pay and said it was "disappointed" by the strike.

Merseyrail plans to introduce a new fleet of 52 (DOO) trains from 2020 and said none of the permanent guards or guard managers would lose their jobs.

The company said it "pledged to do everything we can to bring the dispute to a satisfactory and swift conclusion".

'Strike misery'

Southern has said the RMT union is "hell-bent on further strike misery".

Its parent company, Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), said the union chose to put its members "through even more pointless industrial action."

All three strikes are due to end at midnight.

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Passengers stay away as rail strike hits

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Passengers appear to have largely stayed away from the railway network as staff from three train firms across England held 24-hour strikes. Guards and drivers working for Merseyrail, Northern rail and Southern rail took action over proposals for driver-only-operated (DOO) trains. Up to 2,000 rail staff have walked out in the dispute, but only limited disruption was reported.