Business

A composite picture shows Elon Musk wearing a blue suit jacket and white shirt next to a photo of a Tesla car and a picture of a SpaceX rocket taking off

Why is Elon Musk plotting a mega-merger of SpaceX and Tesla?

Musk says there's "a lot to be gained" by combining the firms in what would be the biggest merger in history.

Meta fined $25bn for 'lies' over user data privacy

The fine is the largest to date against Facebook's owner, larger than an $18bn deal with California.

10 hrs ago

Technology

Barclays cutting 5,000 jobs as it increases reliance on AI

The bank says it is using more AI leading to a 5% reduction in its workforce.

18 mins ago

The Jackdaw gas platform and drilling rig in the North Sea.

The 'trillion pound' oil fund the government believes Britain could have built

For the first time, the Treasury calculates how much the UK could have raised by investing North Sea proceeds.

A female technician dressed in navy blue clothes and wearing a lanyard around her neck is standing in a server room using her laptop.

Trump's green card curbs test Indian tech workers' American dream

With immigration curbs and tech firms cutting foreign hiring, US residency is becoming a distant dream for many Indians.

India

From left to right, Charlie West, Rachel James and Owein Iveson

The grads ditching the UK for a fresh start abroad

With graduate jobs hard to come by, more young adults are reported to be considering emigrating.

A woman with red nail polish stands over the sink washing a yellow plate. She is wearing a patterned top and can only be seen from her waist to her shoulders.

Airbnb hosts can no longer make guests strip beds and wash dishes under new rules

The updated policy will apply to all reservations booked on the accommodation site on or after 20 November.

Investigative genetic genealogy can help hunt down criminals but raises worries over privacy.

As Christmas rush looms, how do China-made toys find their way to the US?

With the festive season on the horizon, we trace toys from factories in China to US shelves.

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A split screen of Sabrina Carpenter wearing a burgundy costume to the Met Ball in 2025 with a long train and Sabrina Carpenter blowing a kiss

The Sabrina Carpenter clip that helped a 22-year-old make £120,000 a year

Social media "clippers" make short, vertical videos that appear on the likes of Instagram and TikTok.

NYSE Opening Bell

US stocks rebound as rumors of SpaceX-Tesla merger loom

Kelly Bogdanova, of RBC Wealth Management, says investors came into earnings season with the 'bar set very high'.

15 hours ago

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US market opens lower as AI stocks lead sell-offs

AI sell-off lingers as tech shares mount recovery

Inflation jumps alongside US retail sales

Wall Street and US economy 'resilient' amid inflation

Wall Street down from record highs

US markets sluggish after weak job report

US markets open higher as jobs growth slows

Wall Street opens higher despite bond turmoil

US markets up as oil prices drop

Wall Street down amid renewed concerns

Wall Street opens down as oil edges up

Nasdaq hits record high as AI stocks rally

US markets open steady after turbulent week

US markets remain on edge as oil ticks down

New candy stores are popping up across NYC. Why?

While US consumer confidence is at an historic low the Big Apple's sweet shops are expanding.

Kelp farmer Suzie Flores bringing in seaweed hauled from the ocean

The kelp producer who wants to get Americans eating seaweed

Marine farmer Suzie Flores also hopes the crop can revitalise the US's small fishing towns.

The tech helping crack decades-old cold cases

More news

A woman sits looking at a laptop in a kitchen - stock shot.

UK PM Burnham proposes plan to cut standing charges from gas bills

The prime minister provided little detail, and there are questions over shifting the fees onto unit costs.

Kashim Chowdhury wears dark sunglasses, a hat, hoody and gloves as he arrives at court. His face is largely obscured.

Civil servant admits he 'made mistakes' juggling five government jobs

Kashim Chowdhury was contracted for 183 hours a week, more than the number of hours in seven days.

Five workers in fluorescent orange workwear in underground tunnel

How much money does the UK government borrow, and why does it matter?

The UK government borrows to fund day-to-day spending as well as long-term infrastructure projects.

John Healey, chancellor of the UK, speaking to a woman at the IMF annual meeting in Bangkok, Thailand, earlier this month. He is wearing a black suit with a white shirt and red tie.

Faisal Islam: Inflation and borrowing figures illustrate UK chancellor's Budget challenge

The economic figures released on Wednesday show the constraints for John Healey as he puts the finishing touches to his Budget.

A woman filling up her car with petrol in London April 2026

Inflation and government borrowing highest for a year ahead of next week's Budget

Inflation accelerated to 3.5% from 3.1% in the year to September, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Audit regulator looking into Manchester City accounting

No formal investigation has started, but the regulator is making inquiries into the case.

Why you must share your idea and get honest feedback

Learn Steven's three crucial steps for validating your business proposal and why impartial feedback is vital.

BBC Maestro - Evy Poumpouras

The power of making and owning decisions

Learn why making your own decisions is the key to increasing your confidence.

The power of absorbing information

Learn how to listen to improve your self-awareness. People will give you information, and that's power.

BBC Maestro - Evy Poumpouras

Why planning can be a form of procrastination

Learn how to avoid compulsive planning and instead hold plans loosely as a navigational aid.

How to navigate a world competing for your attention

Oliver offers tips on how to avoid getting distracted on social media when people profit from your scrolling.

The difference between 'good' and 'bad' procrastination

Forget trying to stop procrastinating. Instead, learn Oliver's three rules to become a better procrastinator.

Why 'inbox zero' is a strategy that breeds distraction

Managing infinite emails, ideas, errands, and goals is hard. Oliver recommends a little strategic neglect.

How time creates problems, especially when it is so limited

Discover why so many of our struggles are down to poor time management and denial of its finitude.

Why sustainable productivity will drive success

Steven shares his three 'M' goal-setting framework to help you be more productive for the long-term.

How to hire the best people for your team

Are they a bar raiser, bar maintainer or bar lowerer? Learn how to build a team that can get behind your mission.

What is your business culture and why is it so important?

Explore how you can use your mission to set the right culture for your business.

How to know yourself, grow yourself, and take control

Find out how to counteract limiting beliefs you hold about yourself and build new ones that serve you better.

How to get the money you need to start a business

Learn how to start a business with nothing in the bank and how to get funding if you need it to get started.

Why you should start a business and why to start it now

Steven explains the common obstacles to starting a business and why now is the time to start yours.

More Business

Donald Trump talks while seated and wearing a navy suit, with blurry US flags behind him.

Trump sued over Canadian tariffs in latest legal challenge

The lawsuit argues the White House exceeded its authority in imposing the latest tariffs on the country and caused "immediate harm to American businesses".

Paddy Power cuts 1,400 jobs and blames betting tax rises

The UK government increased taxes on online casino and sports betting in last year's Budget.

An out-of-focus man walks past a Natwest branch

Union attacks NatWest plans to get workers back to the office

The bank says workers will be required to attend the office at least two days a week from February.

Jobless rate falls but small firms cut back hiring

Small firms cite labour costs as a key factor in scaling back hiring, the Office for National Statistics says.

Olivia Miller-Davis, with long blue hair and glasses, sits smiling in a bar

'I'm fed up of swiping': The singles choosing dating events over apps

The BBC hears from people who think dating events are better value for money than dating apps.

A yellow and black Parking Charge Notice under the window wiper of a car.

Burnham vows end to 'rip-off parking charges' under new rules

The changes come after concerns that penalties issued by private providers are too harsh and leave motorists unfairly punished.

People try to destroy the window of a Snipes store near Chatelet, Les Halles in Paris as riots broke out. There are a group of onlookers looking at someone smashing a shop window. They are all wearing dark clothing and have their faces covered. One person is filming it on a phone.

Vinted blocks French looters listing stolen goods for sale

The platform said since the weekend it had "taken immediate action to identify and remove listings linked to looting".

Phone showing Uber app and a London black cab in the background.

Uber wins bid to throw out £200m black cab claims

Claims that Uber misled TfL over its licence were thrown out because they were brought too late.

A stock image of a couple in their 40s looking at a laptop together in their home and looking concerned. Viewed from the side

Home sellers cut asking prices on 3,000 properties a day

More property asking prices are being cut than at any time in 15 years, data shared with the BBC shows.

People playing loud music on England's buses could face fines

Antisocial behaviour on buses in England could lead to fines while a new campaign is also being launched for trains. A national campaign asking rail passengers "share the carriage, not the noise" is being launched.

Elon Musk smiles at a camera while appearing to walk by. He is wearing a black coat and has short brown hair

Musk and Anthropic pledge public share giveaways

Musk's announcement comes after Anthropic pledged to create a public benefit fund ahead of its blockbuster stock market listing.

Workers produce export orders at the workshop of Dongfang Jiule Automotive Electronics (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. Xinle Branch on September 15, 2026 in Xinle, Hebei Province of China.

China's growth accelerates as AI boom helps boost exports

Exports have helped offset weak spending at home, but trade tensions and AI doubts cloud its outlook.

Worker at the Zaporizhstal steel plant, owned and operated by Metinvest, in Ukraine.

EU tariffs aimed at China hitting Ukraine, steel boss says

The boss of one of Ukraine's biggest steel companies says the country has been "bundled together" in measures aimed at curbing cheap imports.

Close up of a young woman in a jumper looking at her mobile phone

Don't fall for this - how to protect yourself from AI scams

Trading standards officers say AI is "super-charging" existing scams through clones and fake websites.