Average user generates greenhouse gases equal to driving an extra 123 miles in gasoline-powered car a year, data shows TikTok’s annual carbon footprint is probably larger than that of Greece, according to a new analysis of the social media platform’s environmental impact, with the average user generating greenhouse gases equivalent to driving an extra 123 miles in a gasoline-powered car each year. Estimates from Greenly, a carbon accounting consultancy based in Paris, place TikTok’s 2023 emissions in the US, UK and France at about 7.6m metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) – higher ..read more

Electronics retailer says national insurance increase will add costs and depress investment and hiring Currys said price rises were “inevitable” as it told shareholders that it expected to face £32m in extra costs due to policies from the budget. The electronics retailer, which runs 715 stores, revealed that group revenues increased by 1% to £3.92bn for the half-year to 26 October, compared with the same period a year earlier ..read more

Concerns also raised over allegations about labour practices at fast-fashion retailer’s suppliers ..read more

‘Hawk tuah girl’ Haliey Welch’s coin fails amid new wave of hype around crypto-related assets It is a parable for the attention economy. A celebrity created entirely by social media, “hawk tuah girl” Haliey Welch, helps launch a crypto asset that stokes a viral frenzy and then flames out. The Hawk memecoin was worth $490m (£385m) hours after it launched on 4 December but now has a market capitalisation – the value of all Hawk coins in circulation – of $17m ..read more

UK Energy Research Centre says there is ‘very little room for error’ to avoid delays and protect vulnerable people Labour’s plan to switch to a clean power system by 2030 faces “significant challenges” to avoid delays and prevent vulnerable households paying higher bills, experts have warned. The UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC) has said there is “very little room for error” in meeting the government’s plan to create a 95% low-carbon electricity grid by the end of the decade ..read more

Ofgem aims to provide choice as Martin Lewis describes daily fees as a ‘poll tax’ on gas and electricity bills Energy suppliers will have to offer customers a “zero” standing charge tariff by next winter to address criticism of the daily fees described by the consumer champion Martin Lewis as a “poll tax” on gas and electricity bills. Ofgem, the energy regulator for Great Britain, said the zero standing charge option will be offered by suppliers under its quarterly price cap, alongside existing tariffs, as part of an industry shake-up ..read more

The company said it would no longer fund the venture and will prioritize Super Cruise, its driver assistance program General Motors announced on Tuesday it will end robotaxi development at its money-losing Cruise business, a blow to the ambitions of the largest US automaker to advance the technology. GM said it would no longer fund work on self-driving robotaxis “given the considerable time and resources that would be needed to scale the business, along with an increasingly competitive robotaxi market ..read more

Social media giant says it is ‘aware that a technical issue is impacting some users’ ability to access our apps’ Meta has said it has suffered a global outage, with some users facing issues using the social media apps Instagram and Facebook, and the WhatsApp messaging service. In a statement posted on X, Meta said: “We’re aware that a technical issue is impacting some users’ ability to access our apps. We’re working to get things back to normal as quickly as possible and apologize for any inconvenience ..read more

When an insecure government borrows credibility from business leaders, a lot can go wrong A new government, anxious over economic policy and fretful about its polling, invites business leaders to whip Whitehall into shape. That was Rachel Reeves, ordering ministers a few days ago to submit their spending plans to corporate executives. Among those wielding an “iron fist against waste” will be former bankers from Lloyds and Barclays. But it was also David Cameron in the summer of 2010, bringing in Sir Philip Green as his efficiency guru. From day one, Sir Philip’s appointment raised ey ..read more

Doughnut maker said it was investigating attack, which affects its online operations but not in-person sales Krispy Kreme is struggling to meet online orders of its doughnuts, after a cybersecurity attack that continues to disrupt the company’s operations almost two weeks after it was noticed. The doughnut maker said on Wednesday that it became aware of “unauthorized activity” on a portion of its computer systems on 29 November ..read more