Business

Image copyright Getty Images French media giant Vivendi wants to sell shares in its most-prized asset, Universal Music Group, by early 2023. Universal is the world’s biggest music label and home to global stars Taylor Swift, Drake and Lady Gaga. Vivendi had considered floating the profitable music division back in 2018, though felt it was […]

Image copyright Poundland Image caption Poundland’s “Bling Rings” retail for £1 Some say it with flowers, others with chocolates – but it seems an increasing number of us are showing our affections with rings bought from Poundland. The discount retailer told the BBC it had sold almost 40,000 engagement rings ahead of Valentine’s Day this

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Workers leave the Mobile World Congress venue in Barcelona on the day the event was cancelled From phones to watches, planes to jeans, some of the world’s biggest trade exhibitions are being cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak. More and more organisers are pulling events over fears of spreading

Image copyright Savage X Fenty Image caption Rihanna models her Valentine’s collection for Savage X Fenty Modern fashion has taught us that the line between the empowerment and the objectification of women is a difficult one for brands to tread. With PrettyLittleThing coming under fire from the Advertising Standards Authority for their overly sexualised advertising,

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The Pentagon contract will be worth $10bn over the next 10 years A judge has hit pause on a major US government contract in a win for Amazon, which had challenged the award. The tech giant, which had been favoured to win the cloud computing deal, sued last year

Image copyright Reuters Image caption The US unveils charges against Chinese telecoms firm Huawei last year The US has expanded its lawsuit against Huawei, accusing the Chinese telecoms giant of a “decades-long” plan to steal technology from US firms. Prosecutors said Huawei had violated the terms of partnerships with US companies and stolen trade secrets

Image caption Andrew Pattison from the WHO travelled to the US to speak with tech firms directly about misinformation on the coronavirus The World Health Organization is urging the tech companies to take tougher action to battle fake news on the coronavirus. The push comes as a representative from the WHO travelled to Silicon Valley

Image copyright PA Media Activity in the UK housing market picked up at the start of the year, surveyors say, with cautious expectations of the lift continuing. The number of people looking to buy rose in January, as did the amount of homes for sale, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) said. Sales that

Image copyright Getty Images Digger manufacturer JCB is cutting production and working hours as its faces a shortage of components from China due to the coronavirus outbreak. It is thought to be the first time a major UK manufacturer has warned about the epidemic’s impact on its output. There will be reduced working hours for

Image copyright Getty Images The founder of Chinese tech giant Xiaomi has urged the country’s smartphone industry to return to work. Analysts predict smartphone shipments within China will drop by around 40% in the first quarter as the coronavirus disrupts the country’s supply chain. Numerous factories across China have suspended production as the country continues