News

We’ve teamed up with the BBC to bring you the very latest business and finance news as it happens.

• Busiest ever Christmas Eve for air travel, says civil aviation body

  Passengers travelling on Christmas Eve are forecast to be the highest on record.

• BP sells stake in motor oil arm Castrol for $6bn

  BP has sold a 65% stake in its motor lubricant arm Castrol to US-based investment firm Stonepeak.

• US economy grows at fastest pace in two years

  Strong consumer spending helps the US economy grow at a faster rate than expected.

• Rivalries and rumours: How the new order of the Murdoch dynasty is playing out

  Family feuds and strategic change are redefining who holds power inside the Murdoch empire.

• Major fires still a risk under 'spineless' new safety law, construction boss warns

  David Jones believes it will permit too many risks, but the government calls it a proportionate approach.

• The showers and baths keeping data centre tech cool

  Finding greener ways to keep giant new data centres cool is a challenge.

• UK social media campaigners among five denied US visas

  The Trump administration bans five people who have called for tech regulation from entering the country.

• Government waters down inheritance tax plan for farms

  The government has now said it will lift the intended threshold from £1m to £2.5m.

• Bet365 boss pay package rises to £280m

  Denise Coates, the founder and chief executive of Bet365, is consistently one of Britain's highest-paid bosses.

• TikTok removes AI weight loss ads from fake Boots account

  The adverts for prescription-only drugs showed healthcare professionals impersonating the British retailer.

• Our son can't come home for Christmas after insulation mould took over

  Mr and Mrs Wadley's 19-year-old son has asthma and cannot come home for Christmas due to mould all over the walls.

• Who are the frontrunners for the top Fed job?

  Donald Trump is due to name a new leader of the Federal Reserve at a tricky moment.

• Amazon blocks 1,800 job applications from suspected North Korean agents

  The firm’s chief security officer said North Koreans tried to apply for remote working IT jobs using stolen or fake identities.

• US regulator approves pill form of Wegovy weight-loss drug

  Wegovy becomes first pill of its kind to be approved, shifting weight-loss drugs beyond injections.

• Post Office had deal with Fujitsu to fix Horizon errors 19 years ago

  The emergence of a document contradicts claims made by the Post Office over bugs in its IT system during criminal prosecutions.

• US pauses offshore wind projects over security concerns

  The Trump administration has long opposed wind power, most often citing cost and reliability concerns.

• English councils warned against adopting four-day week

  Local Government Secretary Steve Reed has told council leaders to not introduce four-day working weeks.

• Call of Duty co-creator Vince Zampella dies in California car crash

  The influential video game developer died after his car crashed and caught fire on a highway in Los Angeles.

• Lush co-founder takes pride in being a 'woke nerd'

  Mark Constantine tells the BBC he enjoys being a woke nerd and discusses why he backs the High Street and family-run businesses.

• Petrol and diesel profit margins still persistently high, says watchdog

  The consumer watchdog says weak competition between retailers is keeping profit margins up.