Netflix ad-supported tier has 70 million monthly users

People wait in a line to enter “The Lab,” a “Stranger Things” Netflix series experience in Madrid on June 2, 2022. Beata Zawrzel/ | Nurphoto | Getty Images Netflix’s cheaper, ad-supported tier has reached 70 million global monthly active users two years after it was launched. The company said Tuesday more than 50% of its new sign-ups are for ad-supported plans in countries that offer the option. Netflix said it

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NatWest blocks staff from using WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger

NatWest Group has blocked messaging services WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and Skype on company devices to stop staff using them to communicate with each other. The bank had already told employees to stick to “approved channels” for conversations about business matters. But now it has gone further and made the platforms inaccessible on work phones and computers. So-called off-channel communications are a persistent problem in both business and politics, with concerns

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GM’s newest EV is a ‘baby Escalade’ SUV

2026 Cadillac Vistiq EV GM DETROIT — General Motors‘ newest all-electric vehicle is a three-row SUV for its Cadillac luxury line, which the brand is dubbing a “baby Escalade.” The 2026 Cadillac Vistiq will be the last in a lineup of new EVs in the brand’s portfolio when it goes into production and arrives in dealer showrooms beginning in 2025. The SUV will start at $78,790. It will slot between the

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Car finance industry sets aside billions for motorist claims

BBC Marcus Johnson did not know he would be paying commission on his car finance agreement Motorists who bought a car on finance could share in billions of pounds in compensation following a landmark test case. When Marcus Johnson, 34, from Cwmbran, Torfaen, bought his first car – a Suzuki Swift – in 2017, he was not informed the car dealership was being paid 25% commission, which was added on

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Seven wild moments from its turbulent history

Reuters Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election has helped push the price of Bitcoin to a series of record highs. Backers of the digital currency are celebrating, and wondering how much more valuable it could become – with some suggesting it could reach $100,000 per coin. Its price is rocketing because the president-elect has vowed to make the US “the crypto capital of the planet” – a remarkable

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Shell wins landmark climate case against green groups in Dutch appeal

Oil giant Shell has won a landmark case in the Dutch courts, overturning an earlier ruling requiring it to cuts its carbon emissions by 45%. The Hague court of appeal said it could not establish that Shell had a “social standard of care” to reduce its emissions by 45% or any other amount, even though it agreed the company had an obligation to citizens to limit emissions. Three years ago,

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Unemployment rises as pay growth slows again

The UK’s unemployment rate has risen, official figures suggest, while pay growth continues to slow. The rate of unemployment stood at 4.3% in the three months to September, up from 4% the previous quarter. However, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) urged caution over giving too much weight to its latest jobs figures due to issues with how it gathers the data. While wage growth has eased, pay is still

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Wessex Water fined £500,000 over sewage leaks that killed fish

Wessex Water has been fined £500,000 for polluting two rivers and killing thousands of fish. The company admitted a series of failures which led to untreated sewage being discharged into the rivers in Wiltshire and North Somerset in 2018. Janine Maclean, from the Environment Agency, said: “These cases are further examples of a water company breaking the law and causing serious pollution.” It is the second-highest fine in the company’s

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Is it worth making your home more energy efficient?

Simon Duffy Getting good advice on making your house more energy efficient is not easy says Simon Duffy When Simon Duffy gets another energy bill, his heart sinks. “It’s madly expensive,” he says. Mr Duffy lives in a traditional stone-walled detached house in Sheffield. He estimates that he spends £3,100 every year on heating and electricity. Despite being someone who cares about climate change, and keen to retrofit his property

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Struggling DNA-testing site 23andMe to lay off 40% of its workers

The struggling genetic testing company 23andMe says it will cut 40% of its workforce, or 200 jobs, as it fights for survival. The once-popular DNA-testing site will also halt work on therapies it was developing. Last year, the company said hackers had managed to gain access to personal information of millions of its users. 23andMe’s share price has fallen by more than 70% this year, as its co-founder and chief

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