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After discovering that it had hired dozens of children to clean meatpacking plants on overnight shifts, investigators found that a major US food sanitation company had agreed to pay $1.5m (£1.25m). The Department of Labor reported that Packers Sanitation Services employed more than a hundred teenagers aged 13 to 17. This was a “systemic” failure, according to the Company. Laws in many countries restrict the number of hours teenagers can work and prohibit hiring anyone younger than 14. According to a company spokesperson, Packers Sanitation Services has a “zero-tolerance policy” against hiring anyone under the age of 18. The company…

The telecoms regulator is investigating BT over allegations that it violated rules when customers signed up for new mobile and broadband contracts. Ofcom is investigating whether the telecoms giant failed to provide “clear and simple” contract information, as required. It stated that it had evidence that two BT subsidiaries, EE and Plusnet, had violated the rules. BT stated that it was “fully engaged” with Ofcom’s investigation. Before signing up, telecom providers must provide customers with contact information and a brief – usually one-page – summary of the main contract terms. This policy has been in effect since June of last…

Bill Gates has backed a climate technology company in Australia that is working to lessen the environmental impact of cow flatulence. The Microsoft co-creator has been vocal about the adverse effects of the meat industry on the environment. Beyond carbon dioxide, methane is the most abundant naturally occurring greenhouse gas (CO2). The digestion process of tough fibers like grass produces methane in livestock such as cows, goats, and deer. Methane gas is produced during the fermentation process and expulsed primarily through burping. University research indicates that seaweed fed to cattle can significantly reduce methane emissions. Perth-based newcomer Rumin8 is developing…

Tesla has reduced the price of some of its most popular electric vehicles by thousands of pounds in Europe and the United States in an effort to increase customer demand. The company is facing a difficult global economic outlook as well as increased competition from other automakers. Price reductions range from 10% to 13% in the UK but can reach 20% on some US models. New UK customers will save £5,500 on the base Model 3 and £7,000 on the base Model Y. However, over 16,000 customers purchased those best-selling models last year, and some were upset because they had…

Jack Ma, the founder of Ant Group and a billionaire in his own right, will step down as CEO due to pressure from Chinese regulators. According to Ant Group, every person or group will only control the company once the transition is made. In 2020, Mr. Ma made headlines by publicly criticizing China’s financial sector. Since then, he has been rarely seen in public. After hearing such feedback, Ant Group’s planned IPO on the stock market was shelved. Alipay, operated by Ant Group, is China’s preferred method of making online payments, surpassing those made via cash, checks, or credit cards.…

Meta, Facebook’s parent company, has agreed to pay $725m (£600m) to settle legal action over a data breach linked to political consultancy Cambridge Analytica. Over the course of the lengthy legal battle, the British company claimed that Facebook had given it access to the private information of millions of its users. The attorneys claim that the proposed amount is the largest ever in a US data privacy class action. While it did not admit any wrongdoing, Meta stated that it had “revamped” its approach to privacy over the preceding three years. Settlement was “in the best interest of our community…

Unions representing Rolls-Royce employees say they have avoided a strike by negotiating their members’ wage raise of 17.6 percent. An estimated 1,200 workers at the company’s West Sussex plant would each receive a 10% raise in salary plus a £2,000 incentive. Strikes are occurring across a wide variety of businesses as workers try to get pay raises to match growing costs of living. On Friday, rail workers began a new 48-hour walkout, and other businesses will follow suit the following week. New data released this week indicated that annual price growth in the 12 months ending in November was 10.7%,…

According to the Wall Street Journal, Mr Zuckerberg informed hundreds of Meta executives of the plans on Tuesday. Mr. Zuckerberg stated that the company would prioritize high-growth areas such as artificial intelligence, advertising, and “our long-term vision for the metaverse.” Meta will also cut costs elsewhere by spending less on buildings and offices and increasing desk-sharing. He stated that affected Meta employees would receive an email soon and have the opportunity to ask questions. Employees in the United States will receive redundancy payments totaling 16 weeks’ pay plus one week for each year worked. Additional benefits will include the continuation…

Start-up of UK batteries Britishvolt may run out of funds and enter administration after the government rejected a £30 million funding advance. The company intends to construct a factory in Blyth, Northumberland, to manufacture batteries for electric vehicles. The government, which had pushed for the project, had committed £100 million to Britishvolt. According to reports, the firm wanted to withdraw nearly a third of the funding early, but the government refused. It has cast doubt on the £3.8 billion project, which has already been delayed several times. Britishvolt has struggled to find investors to help fund the construction of its…

A former governor of the Bank of England has warned that the UK faces a “more difficult” period of austerity than the one that followed the 2008 financial crisis in order to stabilize the economy. According to Lord Mervyn King, the average person could face “significantly higher taxes” to fund government spending. On October 31, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt will lay out his economic plans. He has already repealed nearly all of the tax cuts announced by Liz Truss. Mr. Hunt stated: “This administration will make the difficult decisions required to restore trust and confidence in our national finances. “That means…