[ad_1] Dave Harvey,West of England business and environment correspondentandJoe Skirkowski,West of EnglandBBCWayne Edge faces an extra £1,200 a month in business tax for his pub in the Forest of DeanPub landlords are urging the government to avoid "sticking plaster" solutions in the battle over business rates.The government has announced plans to scale back the proposed business rate increases revealed in November's budget, but many landlords at a meeting in the
[ad_1] A labour rights organisation claims it has found evidence of worker exploitation in a Chinese factory that makes the viral Labubu dolls.China Labor Watch (CLW), a US-based non-governmental organisation, alleges that its investigation found that one of Pop Mart's suppliers made employees work excessive overtime shifts, sign blank or incomplete contracts and did not give them paid leave.The furry Labubu dolls have surged in popularity around the world in
[ad_1] Elon Musk's AI model Grok will no longer be able to edit photos of real people to show them in revealing clothing, after widespread concern over sexualised AI deepfakes in countries including the UK and US. "We have implemented technological measures to prevent the Grok account from allowing the editing of images of real people in revealing clothing such as bikinis. "This restriction applies to all users, including paid
[ad_1] California's top prosecutor has launched an investigation into the spread of sexualised AI deepfakes generated by Elon Musk's AI model Grok.Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement announcing the probe: "The avalanche of reports detailing the non-consensual, sexually explicit material that xAI has produced and posted online in recent weeks is shocking."xAI, which develops Grok, has previously said "anyone using or prompting Grok to make illegal content will
[ad_1] Chloe HughesWest MidlandsKeep It LocalThe store in Telford Shopping Centre has shut, meaning job losses and a loss of income for small businesses, its co-owner has saidA family-run Stoke-on-Trent business says it has had to shut one of its retail stores in Shropshire because of a lack of sales.Yellow by Keep It Local has shops in Stoke's Potteries Centre, and Warrington, Cheshire, and stock items from small businesses -
[ad_1] "Build it from the north" was the cry from transport experts for years as tens of billions of pounds were channelled into projects in the south east, London, and even HS2's viaducts, verges, and bat tunnels in the home counties.The wide-ranging Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) plan is not just about rail expansion to realise the potential of the "untapped goldmine of the North of England" — although that is
[ad_1] Jemma CrewBusiness reporterPA MediaTGI Fridays has closed 16 of its UK restaurants, putting 456 employees out of work.The American-inspired casual dining chain's remaining 33 restaurants will continue to operate after the business was sold in a rescue deal.Interpath was appointed as administrator to Liberty Bar and Restaurant group, which managed the operations of TGI Fridays' UK restaurants, on Tuesday.TGI Fridays' business and assets were immediately sold to a company
[ad_1] The Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said he has been informed that Elon Musk's X is "acting to ensure full compliance with UK law" over sexualised deepfakes produced by its AI tool, Grok.There has been a fierce backlash to the images made using Grok and widely shared on X. Women whose images have been digitally undressed using the tool have told the BBC the experience has been humiliating
[ad_1] China announced record export numbers for 2025, a year when US President Donald Trump's tariffs and trade policy caused turmoil in the global economy.Beijing on Wednesday reported the world's largest-ever trade surplus - the value of goods and services sold overseas compared to its imports - at $1.19tn (£890bn).It's the first time China's full-year trade surplus has passed $1tn, beating 2024's record figure of $993bn.China's monthly export surpluses passed
[ad_1] The US government has given chip giant Nvidia the green light to sell its advanced artificial intelligence (AI) processors in China, the Department of Commerce said on Tuesday.The H200, Nvidia's second-most-advanced semiconductor, had been restricted by Washington over concerns that it would give China's technology industry and military an edge over the US.The Commerce Department said the chips can be shipped to China granted that there is sufficient supply
