Facebook joins $1 trillion club after anti-trust victory
PA Media The stock market value of Facebook has topped $1 trillion for the first time after the tech giant won a court victory against US regulators. A federal court dismissed two lawsuits, from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and a coalition of states, sending Facebook shares up 4.2%. It took the value of Facebook […]
Viral Essex author who sold just two books becomes bestseller
George King/BBC Vicky Ball’s novel Powerless became a bestseller on Amazon after her social media post went viral An aspiring author said seeing her novel become a bestseller after she went viral on social media was “a bit overwhelming” but “very exciting”. Vicky Ball, a former Suffolk school teacher who lives in Colchester, Essex, proudly […]
Irn Bru sales go up as new recipe introduced
AG Barr The maker of Irn Bru has reported its sharpest annual rise in sales of the soft drink, up by 8%. AG Barr issued its figures for the year to January with strong results also for its Rubicon fruit drink brand, up 5%, and Funkin mixers, up 25%. The firm cited an increase in […]
Huawei boss hopes for better relations with US
Getty Images Huawei CEO Ren Zhengfei Huawei’s founder Ren Zhengfei said he hopes the new US administration will take a softer approach towards the Chinese telecoms giant. However, he doesn’t expect much to change over the short-term. Mr Ren’s comments come as he challenges the Federal Communications Commission’s designation of Huawei as a threat to […]
Brexit: Lambs to the slaughter
Getty Images The port of Calais may not be the most welcoming to British products after Brexit Brexit talks have been passed back to negotiators, with little sign of progress from the UK and EU leadership, and with no deal getting worryingly close for exporters. Sheep meat is one sector facing particularly high tariffs – […]
Should social media face-altering filters be regulated?
Krystle Berger Krystle Berger before and after she has used an app called FaceTune to change her appearance The issue of photo manipulation on social media has long been a concern for many, but with the technology now increasingly extending to videos, should authorities intervene? Krystle Berger insists that she is “not drastically changing my […]
Comeback of 1990s Indian crime drama sparks nostalgia
SET India/YouTube The show featured three intrepid policemen solving cases “Daya, darwaaza tod do.” (Daya, break down the door) Most Indians will instantly recognise this dialogue from the popular detective show CID, which ran from 1998 to 2018, making it one of India’s longest-running television shows. The whodunnit featured three intrepid policemen – ACP Pradyuman, […]
Firms struggle amid Sri Lanka’s economic crisis
BBC Workers at the Kolonna Manufacturing garment factory in Sri Lanka It is a daily struggle for Ranjith Koralage, the boss of a Sri Lankan clothing manufacturer, to find enough diesel to run his company’s machines and steam rollers. The chief of Kolonna Manufacturing, which is based in Sri Lanka’s central province, has been running […]
First MoT could be delayed to cut costs for drivers
Getty Images Owners of new cars, motorbikes and vans could be permitted to delay their vehicle’s first MoT by a year, under plans to cut costs for drivers. The Department for Transport (DfT) is consulting on proposals to require most vehicles to have their first MoT four years after they are registered. Views on the […]
Canada Bread agrees to pay C$50m for role in price-fixing scheme
Getty Images Canada Bread baked at least an extra C$1.50 into the price of bread A major bread maker in Canada will pay C$50m ($38m; £30m) for its role in a price-fixing scheme – the highest such fine ever imposed by a Canadian court. Canada Bread pleaded guilty on Wednesday to four counts of price-fixing […]