The UK’s service sector stagnated last month, with new orders falling for the first time in two-and-a-half years, according to the IHS Markit/CIPS purchasing managers’ index (PMI).
The index fell to 50.1 in January from 51.2 in December, marking the PMI’s lowest level since July 2016 and barely above the 50 mark that separates growth from contraction.
***
Government pledges of £80m in support to Nissan were part of a package of almost £150m in state aid promised to leading car makers since the EU referendum in 2016, as ministers tried to prevent an exodus of jobs from the UK.
***
Apple has agreed to pay 10 years of back taxes to France- marking the latest victory for European governments pushing tech multinationals to pay their fair share in local markets.
