Image caption TV reporter Stephen Beckett is used to being watched by strangers – but not at home It’s 08:00 GMT and I’m sitting silently in my lounge while a stranger watches me via my webcam. I can see them too. In fact we’ve both agreed to spend the next 50 minutes spying on each …
Image copyright Reuters The Defence Secretary has reportedly said he has “very deep concerns” about Chinese firm Huawei being involved in upgrading the UK’s mobile network. Gavin Williamson’s comments – reported by the Times – came after some nations restricted use of the firm’s products in 5G networks over security concerns. MI6’s head recently said …
Image copyright PA The 5p fee for plastic carrier bags in England will be doubled to 10p, and extended to all shops, under plans set out by the environment secretary. The change is contained in a government consultation aimed at further reducing the plastic used by consumers and could come into effect in January 2020. …
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption How long will the slime craze last? Slime is serious business, and shows no sign of losing its slippery appeal among children. YouTube slime “crafters” have gained celebrity status, with some gaining hundreds of thousands of online followers. That’s led to significant growth for suppliers, including Blackburn-based Zimpli Kids. …
Image copyright Getty Images Britain’s black and ethnic minority workers face a “pay penalty” and earn less than white colleagues in the same jobs, according to a research group. A report from the Resolution Foundation says overall the 1.6m BAME workers are paid about £3.2bn less than their white counterparts every year. It used data …
Image copyright Reuters Stock markets in the US have seen significant rises, with the Dow Jones up by nearly 5% and the technology-focused Nasdaq rising by nearly 6%. It contrasts strongly with the run-up to Christmas when stocks suffered their worst weekly falls in a decade. Analysts say data from MasterCard showed US holiday retail …
Image copyright EPA The number of people heading to the Boxing Day sales has fallen for the third year running despite some heavy discounting, retail analysts have said. Springboard, which examines information from High Street and shopping centre cameras, found UK average footfall up to mid-day was 4.2% lower than in 2017. It suggested Boxing …
Image copyright Getty Images There is a growing sense of unease among many smartphone owners about the amount of time we’re spending on our devices. Google told me that around 70% of the Android users it spoke to wanted to “find a better balance” in their tech use. But this puts the tech sector in …
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The global success of K-pop and boy band BTS was one of the surprises of 2018 One of President Donald Trump’s key aims in 2018 was to “level the playing field” of global trade. But so far, his main achievement has been to fill the fields of America with …
Image copyright EPA Japan’s main stock market index has plunged, reflecting traders’ worries following a slide on Wall Street. The Nikkei closed down 5% on Tuesday, its worst finish since April 2017. Indexes in Shanghai, Bangkok and Taiwan also fell. Investors have been concerned about President Trump’s dispute with the US central bank chief and …