Image copyright Getty Images Production of cars in the UK tumbled by almost 20% in November compared with a year earlier, according to the industry’s trade body. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) blamed weaker demand in the UK and in export markets. It also said changes in regulation and the introduction of …
Image copyright AFP Image caption Users whose IP addresses connected to Slack in countries like Cuba are reportedly affected Some users of communication service Slack have reported their accounts have been closed over visits to countries under US sanctions. The move, which Slack says is to comply with US regulations, is believed to be affecting …
Image copyright AFP/Getty Image caption Donald Trump said he wanted the funding bill to include more money for “border security” Wall Street shares closed at their lowest levels in roughly 14 months on Thursday, as the threat of a government shutdown added to wider investor angst. Losses accelerated around midday, as Republicans said President Donald …
Image copyright Centrica British Gas owner Centrica is to mount a legal challenge against Britain’s upcoming energy price cap, arguing it has not been calculated fairly. The energy provider said it would apply for a judicial review against the regulator Ofgem, saying it had set the threshold too high. The firm said it wanted not …
Image copyright Amazon Image caption The sending of a private conversation was a rare occurrence, Amazon insisted A user of Amazon’s smart assistant Alexa was sent 1,700 audio files from a complete stranger, after he requested access to his own recordings. Amazon described the incident as an “isolated case” and put the mistake down to …
Image copyright FBI The US justice department has indicted two Chinese men accused of hacking into the computer networks of companies and government agencies in Western countries. The pair are allegedly part of a “hacking group” known as Advanced Persistent Threat 10, affiliated with China’s main intelligence service. They have not been arrested. The US …
Image copyright Alamy To some, slipping a note or two into the hands of the postie or the refuse collector at Christmas time is second nature. But others have never heard of it. The tradition of the “Christmas box” sees people give cash or small gifts to those who perform personal services in their lives …
Image caption About 14,000 of Guernsey’s 17,781 companies are tied to the financial services sector Britain’s Crown Dependencies are home to 76,000 companies – slightly fewer than one for every third person living there. It is many of these companies that will now have to prove their presence in Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of …
The Bank of England has cut its UK growth forecast and warned a lack of Brexit clarity is hitting the economy. The Bank said uncertainty over the UK’s departure from the EU had “intensified considerably” over the past month. Against a backdrop of weaker global growth, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted unanimously to keep …
Image copyright AFP Marlboro cigarette maker Altria is buying a $12.8bn (£10bn) minority stake in vaping company Juul Labs. The marriage between a traditional tobacco giant and Juul underlines how the fast-growing e-cigarette is changing tastes among smokers. Altria said in a statement the move was preparation “for a future where adult smokers overwhelmingly choose …