Kendall Field-Pellow

Fewer companies are expanding their workforces in anticipation of the higher costs announced in the budget.
The proportion of employers that hired additional staff fell to 24 per cent in the final three months of last year, down from 27 per cent in the previous quarter, a survey by the British Chambers of Commerce found.
The survey showed that 79 per cent of those attempting to recruit faced difficulties, up from 76 per cent the previous quarter.

Tesla has released an updated version of its best-selling car in China in the face of strong competition.

The electric carmaker priced the new Model Y at 263,500 yuan (£29,200), 5.4 per cent more than the previous version, in its second-largest market after the United States.

Tesla was the biggest seller of electric vehicles in China in 2020 but its market share slipped to 10.4 per cent last year, down from 11.7 per cent in 2023.

The model railway manufacturer Hornby enjoyed strong Christmas trading as traditional toys continue to thrive in the era of smartphones and video games.
The Margate-based company, which dates back to 1901, said December sales were up 23 per cent year-on-year. Revenue for the last three months of 2024 rose 7 per cent.
It cheered strong trade from first-time customers as direct-to-consumer sales pick up pace, with nearly half of all Black Friday sales coming from new customers.

WizzAir expects to return to growth in 2026 after striking a compensation deal with Pratt & Whitney following trouble with its engines which will see about 40 of the carrier’s planes grounded through the year.
The FTSE 250 airline, which is based in Hungary, has secured a two-year agreement with the US aerospace manufacturer guaranteeing operational support and compensation for costs directly incurred by having to ground a fifth of its fleet for inspections.

‘Chinese spy’ with close links to Prince Andrew banned from UK.
The businessman was invited to the Duke of York’s birthday party and was authorised to act on his behalf to seek investors in China.
The Duke of York appointed an alleged Chinese spy as his business adviser and promised him links to the heart of the royal family in an apparently serious breach of national security.
Prince Andrew and the alleged spy became so close that he was invited to the duke’s birthday party and into the royal estate at Windsor. He was authorised to act on Andrew’s behalf to seek investors in China.

Data journalism piece with analysis of ONS datasets and visualisations made in Datawrapper.
Rental prices across London are taking up higher fractions of people’s income, and Brent has experienced the biggest rise in one-bedroom prices in recent years, official data shows.
Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed that one-bedroom properties in Brent, Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster this year cost on average the highest proportions of gross income, before tax and other deductions were made.

World leaders including the Israeli prime minister have congratulated Donald Trump after his victory in the 2024 US election on Wednesday morning.
Benjamin Netanyahu praised the Republican on his “historic” return to the presidency and emphasised the alliance between Israel and the United States.
He wrote on X: “Congratulations on history’s greatest comeback!
“Your historic return to the White House offers a new beginning for America and a powerful recommitment to the great alliance between I...

The value of the New York Stock Exchange and Bitcoin have reached record levels and the dollar has soared after Donald Trump was announced as the next president.
The cryptocurrency reached its highest value to date, more than $75,000 (£58,000), on Wednesday morning, while the dollar reached its highest value on the dollar index since March, its largest increase in a day since the Brexit referendum in June 2016.
The index compares the dollar with a basket of important currencies such as the po...

The Republican Party has gained control of the United States Senate and is closing in on overall control of Congress with seats in the House of Representatives are yet to be announced.
President-elect Donald Trump’s party now have 52 of the 100 seats in the Senate, which was a loose Democratic majority before the election, including four independent senators such as Bernie Sanders.
Of the 33 seats being contested, three have switched to Republican including Ohio, a key seat, as well as West V...

A live blog covering the results from the London elections including the mayor of London and London Assembly - latest coverage for the Londoner websites #LondonersVote2024

The dance charity Queer Tango London (QTL) hosted a class for those who had never tried Argentine tango before at the Coal Drops Yard shopping plaza in north London, on Saturday.
Another session will be held from 2:30pm on Saturday, August 24 as part of the Summer Sounds festival.
One attendee, Mark Bradshaw, said: “It was really fun. With a friend I had learnt a few basic steps but I really knew nothing."

Artificial intelligence has supercharged recruitment, helping job hunters to improve their CVs and recruiters to identify the best candidates. But there are issues lurking beneath the surface. But how is AI changing recruitment for the better? And is it perhaps a hindrance?

A fire-damaged boarded up house in Durham with pictures on the listing showing a mattress-filled skip in the garden is being sold as a fix-up ‘project’ with a £20,000 auction guide price.

As NHS waiting lists lengthen and the cost-of-living crisis precludes most Britons from paying for fast medical treatment, private health insurance is becoming a key recruitment and retention tool.

A woman who lured her ex into a ‘honeytrap’ murder at the hands of her new lover has been jailed for 30 years.