Jane ChambersBusiness reporter, Asunción, Paraguay Gabriela Cibils Gabriela Cibils wants to help Paraguay attract big tech from the US and elsewhere Gabriela Cibils is on a mission – to help turn Paraguay into the Silicon Valley of South America. When she was growing up in the landlocked country, nestled between Brazil and Argentina, she says the nation “wasn’t super tech focused”. But it was different for Ms Cibils, as her parents worked in the technology sector. And she was inspired to study in the US, where she got a degree in computing and neuroscience from the University of California, Berkeley.…

George King and Owen SennittLocal Democracy reporter PA Media The Museum of Homelessness recorded nine deaths in Norfolk in 2024, four more than recorded in the year before The number of people who have died while homeless in a county has almost doubled in a year, new data has found. Research by the Museum of Homelessness has revealed that nine people died in Norfolk last year compared with five in 2023, with the average age being 43. Nationally, the figure has reached 1,611, which includes 11 children, and represents an increase of 9% overall, while in the East of England…

The Dutch government has taken control of Nexperia, a Chinese-owned chipmaker based in the Netherlands, in a bid to safeguard the European supply of semiconductors for cars and other electronic goods and protect Europe’s economic security. The Hague said it took the decision due to “serious governance shortcomings” and to prevent the chips from becoming unavailable in an emergency. Nexperia’s owner Wingtech said on Monday that it would take actions to protect its rights and would seek government support. The development threatens to raise tensions between the European Union and China, which have increased in recent months over trade and…

Chancellor Rachel Reeves should avoid “directionless tinkering and half-baked fixes” when trying to boost the government’s tax take in next month’s Budget, a leading think tank has said. Taxes are widely expected to go up in the Budget, with pressure on the chancellor to raise money in order to meet her self-imposed rules for government finances. The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has said Reeves could raise tens of billions of pounds a year more in revenue without breaking manifesto promises, but this would not be straightforward. The Treasury said the chancellor had been clear the Budget would strike a…

Average mortgage rates have risen for the first time month-on-month since February as lenders approach the winter with caution. Following a series of drops in mortgage interest rates, the picture worsened slightly for new and renewing borrowers over the last month, according to financial information service Moneyfacts. The average rate for a two, or five, year fixed rate stands at about 5%, much lower than the peak of recent years, but still a stretch for many homeowners. Analysts suggest imminent, further base rate cuts by the Bank of England appear unlikely, and uncertainty always foreshadows a Budget. Moneyfacts data shows…

Lloyds Banking Group is setting aside an additional £800m for car finance compensation claims, bringing the total amount allocated by the bank for redress to nearly £2bn. The company said that the number of eligible claims is expected to be higher than previously thought. Millions of drivers who bought cars on finance with hidden commission payments between 2007 and 2024 may be eligible for redress. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) published details of its proposed compensation scheme last week. The FCA said payouts could be due on around 14 million unfair deals, averaging at about £700 each. This could result…

Click Energy has announced it will implement a 3.5% increase in household electricity rates, “due to a rise in wholesale and market costs”. It said this would result in the typical annual domestic electricity bill rising by about £39.60. The rates are effective from 1 November. Click Energy said it recognised that “any increase in energy prices is disappointing and not something customers ever want to hear”. However, it added that it had “not increased its domestic prices in over three years”. “Unfortunately, the sustained rise in wholesale and market costs means it has become necessary for us to adjust…

Emer MoreauBusiness reporter and Theo LeggettBusiness correspondent Getty Images There was a small protest by the group Mums for Lungs and outside the High Court as the trial opened A major lawsuit against five leading carmakers accused of cheating on emissions tests has opened at the High Court in London. The trial is the latest chapter of what has become known as the “dieselgate” scandal, with the companies facing allegations they used illegal software to allow their cars to reduce emissions of harmful gases under test conditions. The court heard on Monday that car manufacturers decided they would “rather cheat…

Thousands of Vodafone customers across the UK have reported its services are down. Downdetector, which monitors web outages, showed more than 130,000 people had flagged problems affecting their Vodafone broadband or mobile network on Monday afternoon. According to its website, the firm has more than 18 million customers in the UK, including nearly 700,000 home broadband customers. Vodafone said in a statement it was aware of a “major issue on our network affecting broadband, 4G and 5G services”. “We appreciate our customers’ patience while we work to resolve this as soon as possible,” the company said. It comes as people…