BBC Business News
Trump seeks $100bn for Venezuela oil, but Exxon boss says country 'uninvestable' (Fri, 09 Jan 2026 23:55:07 GMT)
Oil executives expressed caution, with one executive saying Venezuela had seized their assets twice.
EU reaches South America trade deal after 25 years of talks (Fri, 09 Jan 2026 19:35:38 GMT)
Some farmers in Europe opposed the deal, but the EU Commission said it had listened to their concerns.
X could face UK ban over deepfakes, minister says (Fri, 09 Jan 2026 21:41:19 GMT)
It comes after government urged Ofcom to use all its powers – up to and including an effective ban – against X.
US calls Argentina peso bet a 'homerun deal' (Fri, 09 Jan 2026 17:39:08 GMT)
The US Treasury Secretary said the US no longer held pesos in its exchange stabilisation fund.
US job creation in 2025 slows to weakest since Covid (Fri, 09 Jan 2026 18:55:43 GMT)
Employment growth for the world's largest economy eased significantly last year.
Excel: The software that's hard to quit (Fri, 09 Jan 2026 00:07:59 GMT)
Companies are trying to wean staff off Excel spreadsheets to centralise control of their data.
Businesses call to be included in any pub rates backtrack (Fri, 09 Jan 2026 11:21:03 GMT)
Shops, pharmacies and music venues want any climbdown on business rates for pubs to apply to them too.
Weight loss jabs affecting Greggs, boss says (Thu, 08 Jan 2026 15:38:19 GMT)
The Greggs boss says there is "no doubt" weight loss jabs have led it to having a healthier menu.
Ofcom urged to use 'banning' powers over X AI deepfakes (Fri, 09 Jan 2026 06:00:44 GMT)
It follows an ongoing backlash against the use of X's AI Grok to digitally remove clothing from images.
Inside the sub-zero lair of the world's most powerful computer (Thu, 08 Jan 2026 08:03:50 GMT)
Faisal Islam gets rare access to Willow - Google's quantum computer.
Unions accuse McDonald's of 'repeated harassment' against 'mostly teenage' staff (Thu, 08 Jan 2026 00:00:14 GMT)
It follows a BBC investigation three years ago which exposed a toxic culture at the fast-food chain.
Tesco and M&S report strong Christmas food sales (Thu, 08 Jan 2026 13:42:32 GMT)
Both major retailers report strong food sales, but M&S says sales of clothing and homeware fell.
Workers' rights reforms will cost billions less after concessions, analysis shows (Thu, 08 Jan 2026 11:07:03 GMT)
Firms implementing the new employment terms are expected to face lower additional costs after the legislation was watered down.
Trump calls for US military spending to rise more than 50% to $1.5tn (Thu, 08 Jan 2026 02:15:51 GMT)
The president also called on defence firms to increase production or face a crackdown on payouts.
Sportswear firm Castore defends price of football kits (Thu, 08 Jan 2026 09:38:59 GMT)
Tom Beahon, of sportswear firm Castore, says fans buy official shirts because they can afford to.
Government to water down business rate rise for pubs (Thu, 08 Jan 2026 19:10:16 GMT)
The hospitality industry had called for a rethink of planned changes to the way the tax based on property is calculated.
Trump backs ban on institutional investor home purchases (Wed, 07 Jan 2026 22:38:36 GMT)
Wall Street investors have bought thousands of homes to rent out, a practice that has sparked concerns about affordability.
Elon Musk's Grok AI appears to have made child sexual imagery, says charity (Thu, 08 Jan 2026 09:58:38 GMT)
It said analysts discovered the images on a dark-web forum, by users who claimed to have used Grok
US will control Venezuela oil sales 'indefinitely', official says (Wed, 07 Jan 2026 20:31:48 GMT)
Officials say sales were expected to start with 30 million to 50 million barrels of oil and the revenue would be controlled by the US government.
Young people say new driving rules are condescending and expensive (Wed, 07 Jan 2026 16:12:54 GMT)
Young drivers have spoken to the BBC about how the proposed changes could affect them.
Starmer urged to rethink business rate reforms to save pubs (Thu, 08 Jan 2026 10:01:01 GMT)
Some Labour MPs are optimistic there could be further relief to protect the hospitality industry.
Learner drivers may have to wait six months before taking test (Wed, 07 Jan 2026 10:35:04 GMT)
Proposed changes by the government may also include lower drink-driving limits for novice motorists.
Warner Bros urges shareholders to reject 'inferior' Paramount offer (Wed, 07 Jan 2026 13:20:10 GMT)
The Warner Bros board said it remained unanimous in recommending the deal with Netflix instead.
The 'magical' blue flower changing farmers' fortunes in India (Tue, 06 Jan 2026 00:01:52 GMT)
Indian farmers are turning to butterfly pea flower which is in demand for its bright blue colour.
What are cold weather payments and who can get them? (Wed, 07 Jan 2026 13:12:06 GMT)
Some people in England, Wales and Northern Ireland can get help with heating costs during cold spells.
Trump says Venezuela will be 'turning over' up to 50 million barrels of oil to US (Wed, 07 Jan 2026 10:10:24 GMT)
Earlier the president said US oil firms could be "up and running" in the country within 18 months.
Fujitsu 'not a parasite' for profiting after Horizon scandal, says boss (Tue, 06 Jan 2026 17:56:44 GMT)
The European boss of the tech firm said it had been awarded £500m of government contract extentions.
How tariff disruption will continue reshaping the global economy in 2026 (Thu, 08 Jan 2026 00:00:40 GMT)
Trump's import levies are still changing the patterns of international trade.
How the new road safety measures could affect you (Wed, 07 Jan 2026 15:37:07 GMT)
The government is proposing lowering alcohol limits for drivers and regular eye tests for older motorists.
How the defence sector is battling a skills crisis (Fri, 02 Jan 2026 00:53:13 GMT)
Attracting younger workers into the defence industry can be challenging.
