Business

Brazilian prosecutors are suing Chinese electric vehicle (EV) giant BYD and two of its contractors, saying they were responsible for human trafficking and conditions “analogous to slavery” at a factory construction site in the country. The Public Labour Prosecutor’s Office (MPT) in the state of Bahia says 220 Chinese workers were rescued after it began an investigation in response to …

Vivergo/PA The plant produces bioethanol, which is used in E10 petrol The UK’s largest bioethanol plant will be forced to close unless the government acts, according to its operator. In April, Associated British Foods (ABF) said it was in talks with the government to help save its Vivergo Fuels site at Saltend, near Hull, after being forced to cut production …

PDD Holdings, the Chinese owner of online shopping platform Temu, has reported a near 50% drop in profit as US President Donald Trump’s trade policies added to its struggles in its home country. US-listed shares of the e-commerce giant fell by more than 13% on Tuesday, after the firm said its profits for the first three months of the year …

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has signed an online child safety bill that requires Apple and Google to ensure that their app stores verify the age of users in the nation’s second most populous state. Under the new law, minors will need parental approval before they can download apps or make in-app purchases. The bill was opposed by Google and Apple. …

Dave Harvey Business and Environment Correspondent, BBC West River Lane Photography Godney Farm in Somerset has its own church and hosts dozens of weddings every year Farmers have faced a difficult year, with the longest wet winter since records began followed by the driest spring on record. Meanwhile, the Labour government’s decision to start levying inheritance taxes on farms has …

A second suspect has been arrested for allegedly kidnapping and torturing an Italian tourist in an upmarket Manhattan home for weeks in an effort to steal his cryptocurrency. William Duplessie, 32, turned himself in to authorities on Tuesday after his alleged accomplice was arrested last week. Their alleged victim told police he was hung off a roof ledge, shocked with …

Dukas/Universal Images Group via Getty Images Tesco’s introduction of AI technology to some self-checkouts has led to customers joking that it bears a striking resemblance to the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology used in football. The supermarket is aiming to reduce shoplifting by installing overhead cameras to identify when shoppers fail to scan an item properly, and then showing a …

Lucy Hooker Business reporter Getty Images Tens of thousands of energy customers are set to receive payouts of up to £1,000 each, and could see debts written off, in response to the scandal over the forced fitting of prepayment meters. Energy companies are paying out more £70m in compensation and financial support to customers. It follows a review by the …

Felicity Evans Money editor, BBC Wales News BBC Tiffany Bramley turned to community lender Purple Shoots to start her cleaning business A low credit score should not stop someone from getting a loan to start a business, a community lending charity founder has said. Karen Davies, who founded Purple Shoots to provide credit for people turned away by mainstream lenders, …

India-US are in talks for trade deal (AI image) A successful bilateral trade agreement between India and the US could transform current challenges into economic opportunities by expanding market access and boosting exports, according to the Finance Ministry’s Monthly Economic Review released on Tuesday.The report comes amid ongoing negotiations between the two nations, with an interim trade agreement expected before …