BBC Steve Corrick says he has to close his Somerset teashop to avoid falling into a “tax trap” A man who owns a small teashop has urged the Chancellor to change the rules on VAT in her Budget. Steve Corrick said the current tax rules have forced him to close his Somerset cafe one day a week, to avoid making too much money. He said the situation “means we’re not
Getty Images Lake Huron at Killarney Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada Canada has launched a new drive to get more overseas tourists to visit the country. Yet staffing shortages, wildfires and a spat with China will not make the task easy. “You can learn about nature, indigenous culture and our history,” says tour guide Jack Rivers. These are three reasons why he thinks more people should take a chance on holidaying
Juan Botero Juan Botero and his Halloween front door The door of Juan Botero’s apartment in Houston, Texas is made of wood – with a classy, walnut-like finish. But, for Halloween, he planned an eye-catching change. “I’m going to paint my door orange,” Mr Botero, founder and chief executive of Colombia-based Glasst, told the BBC last month. And he has kept his promise. However, the move is not as drastic
Julie Bolthouse Julie Bolthouse is opposing new data centre planning applications in Northern Virginia Environmental campaigner Julie Bolthouse points out that Northern Virginia has the world’s largest concentration of data centres. This is not something she is thrilled about. “We’re the Wall Street of the data centre industry,” says Ms Bolthouse, who is a director of local Virginian charity and campaign group Piedmont Environmental Council. Data centres are vast warehouses
Getty Images Some textile dyeing is still done by hand In a small corner of rural Taiwan, set amongst other dye houses and small factories, the start-up Alchemie Technology is in the final phase of rolling out a project it claims will upend the global apparel industry and slash its carbon footprint. The UK-based start-up has targeted one of the dirtiest parts of the apparel industry – dyeing fabric –
Getty Images Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo star in Wicked which is due to be released this month Toy manufacturer Mattel has said it “deeply regrets” a misprint on packaging for dolls inspired by the new Wicked movie which listed the address for an adult website. The company recently released the singing dolls ahead of the long-awaited film starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. But eagle-eyed fans posted images on
General view of the City of London skyline, the capital’s financial district, in October. Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty Images LONDON — The International Monetary Fund on Tuesday raised its 2024 growth outlook for the United Kingdom, saying declines in interest rates and inflation would boost domestic demand. The IMF now sees 1.1% growth for the U.K. economy this year, up from a July forecast of 0.7%. The agency
Space NK Space NK said it only sells via its own website – and its advent calendar is currently sold out online Shoppers looking for a good deal on a luxury advent calendar are being warned to watch out for online scams. Advent calendars have evolved beyond just offering a picture or a little chocolate behind each door. Now they offer everything from beauty products to luxury food and drink
Chinese flags for sale on Nanjing East Road in Shanghai, China, on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024. Qilai Shen | Bloomberg | Getty Images The International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned of a possible worsening of the state of China’s property market as it trimmed its growth expectations for the world’s second-largest economy. In a report published Tuesday, the IMF trimmed its forecast for growth in China for this year to 4.8%,
BBC Smart meters enable people to monitor their electricity and gas use The way smart energy meters work in northern England and Scotland is causing issues for customers, BBC Panorama has been told. The body that represents energy companies, Energy UK, has confirmed for the first time there is a regional divide – because of the way meters send usage data back to suppliers. The technology used in the north
