Friday newspaper round-up: Apple, Amazon, energy bills

(Sharecast News) - People from working-class backgrounds employed in professional careers earn £6,000 less compared to those from other backgrounds in the same jobs, findings from the Social Mobility Foundation show, underscoring the UK's "shameful" class pay gap. Professionals from poorer upbringings face an average salary of £45,437 - 12% lower than the £51,728 for people from more affluent origins - in research based on quarterly Labour Force Surveys from 2014 to 2022. - Guardian Apple plans to adopt a messaging standard that will allow for a smoother texting experience between iPhones and Android devices, long a point of contention with rival Google. For years, Apple has refused to make its products play nice with devices not designed under its roof, a dynamic exemplified in the green background that is the hallmark of iPhone-to-Android chats. - Guardian

Amazon will start selling cars online from next year, the retail giant has announced. Customers in the United States will be able to choose, customise and buy a vehicle and schedule delivery through a local dealer. Marty Mallick, Amazon's vice-president, said the move was aimed at "changing the ease with which customers can buy vehicles online". - Telegraph

Business leaders and trade bodies from across the UK have called on the chancellor to provide a permanent tax break for investment in next week's autumn statement. In a letter to Jeremy Hunt, almost 100 chief executives and directors of companies including Siemens, Nissan and Astrazeneca urged the government to announce a full expensing regime for companies beyond the current three years, which they say would have a "transformational impact on business investment and growth". - The Times

Energy bills will rise by 5 per cent or almost £100 a year from January after the Israel-Hamas war and industrial action in Australia pushed up gas prices, leading analysts have warned. A household with typical consumption will pay an average of £1,931 a year under the energy price cap from January 1, up from £1,834 at present, according to final forecasts from the consultancy Cornwall Insight. That increase will reverse most of the drop in prices in October when Ofgem last updated the level of the cap, which limits gas and electricity tariffs for most households in Britain. - The Times