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More than 100 companies, including tech giants Google, Microsoft, Anthropic and OpenAI, have signed an open letter urging a global effort to strengthen AI-powered cybersecurity threats. "We have a limited window to strengthen cyber defences," the letter reads. "In the coming months, AI-enabled cyber attacks will become far more widespread and sophisticated as models around the world become increasingly capable." The companies call on national governments to provide "capable, defensive AI" and testing to hospitals and water utilities, and on technology companies to aid such efforts. Collectively, tech firms and government "should bring the full weight of their technology, resources, and expertise to this effort," the letter says.

 

Deutsche Welle

TechCrunch

New York Times

BBC News

Is Your Compliance Program Ready for What's Next?

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The UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) will implement new rules next month requiring nearly 40,000 firms to report serious non-financial misconduct, including bullying and harassment. The regulations aim to prevent "rolling bad apples" by ensuring that firms disclose misconduct to future employers. Despite some resistance from the industry, the FCA believes these changes could enhance the UK's competitive edge in finance. Jill Lorimer, a partner at law firm Kingsley Napley, said: "Firms dealing with allegations against their people now may want to ensure that these processes are wrapped up before the new regime takes effect."

 

The Guardian

Poland has asked the European Commission to impose a €250m fine on Meta, accusing it of failing to adequately tackle fraudulent advertisements on its platforms. Digital affairs minister Krzysztof Gawkowski said tests by Poland’s national cybersecurity response team identified 122 fraudulent adverts, of which Meta declined to remove 106, or 86.8%, while only ten were removed and six received no response. Meanwhile, Meta has agreed to pay as much as $18bn and introduce sweeping restrictions on how children use Facebook and Instagram as part of a landmark settlement with US states over alleged harms to young users. The deal remains subject to US judicial approval.

 

New York Times

PBS News

Reuters

Washington Post

Alphabet-owned self-driving technology company Waymo has announced tests of its autonomous ​vehicles in Munich in the coming ‌weeks, ahead of a planned commercial ride-hailing service in Germany that it aims to launch toward ​the end of next year. The vehicles would initially drive ⁠manually throughout the city to map local ​roads and test with trained autonomous specialists. Waymo said it plans to create high-skilled local jobs ​as ⁠it prepares to launch in Munich.

 

Euronews

Reuters

The US Federal Reserve, Department of Justice (DOJ), the US Senate, NASA, and other US federal agencies including the Energy Department, the Health and Human Services Department and the National Institutes of Health, have fallen victim to a cyber intrusion by a Chinese state-sponsored hacking group, the DOJ said as it announced the seizure of internet domains used for hacking platforms. The hacking platforms, known as “QScan and QTRouter,” were “used to target US critical infrastructure and other sensitive networks,” the DOJ said. Court documents unsealed in US District Court for the Southern District of California said that a Chinese state-sponsored group known as “QTFY” created and operated the hacking platforms.

 

CNBC

ABC News

Reuters

A cyber attack on Manchester Airports Group has exposed the personal data of 8.7m customers, marking one of the UK's largest recent breaches. Stolen information from wireless connections and parking bookings at Manchester, London Stansted, and East Midlands airports includes email addresses, phone numbers, vehicle registrations, and postcodes. The operator has confirmed that no bank or financial payment details were compromised during the weekend security breach.

 

Financial Times

The Daily Telegraph

Analysis of 30 countries by Deutsche Bank suggests that Britain is the most vulnerable major economy to disruption by AI. "If we had to narrow our findings down to one country that stands out, it would be the UK," said Deutsche analyst Shreyas Gopal, who compiled the report. "A high share of the domestic workforce are in roles impacted by AI."

 

Daily Mail

Samsung has been ordered by London’s High Court to pay Swatch Group $11.6m in damages for trademark infringement after its Galaxy app store hosted third-party smartwatch faces that mimicked designs from brands including Omega, Longines, Tissot, Breguet, and Blancpain. The award is significantly below the $170m sought by Swatch, but well above the token sum of $300 that Samsung argued was owed. The disputed watch faces were downloaded around 160,000 times across the UK and EU, and Samsung was held partly liable because it controlled the app review process. Samsung said it is considering possible countermeasures, including an appeal, while related US proceedings have been stayed pending the outcome of the English case.

 

Financial Times

Korea JoongAng Daily

FTSE 100-listed Melrose Industries has launched a $100m compensation scheme after a toxic chemical scare at a plant in California forced the evacuation of residents and businesses for several days. GKN Aerospace, which is owned by Melrose, halted ⁠production at a factory outside Los Angeles in late May after a tank ​overheated. "The claims programme, which is expected to become effective in the coming weeks and remain open into 2027, will reimburse those eligible for costs associated with the evacuation, including hotel stays, meals, transportation, loss of wages, and loss of use", Melrose explained.

 

Sky News

Financial Times

The Times

UEFA is preparing criminal legal proceedings against FIFA president Gianni Infantino over his attempts to sell off stakes in the World Cup and its other competitions to private investors. UEFA has requested access to evidence and documents for use in proceedings in Switzerland, according to reports.  

 

Sky News

Financial Times

The Daily Telegraph

Google parent company Alphabet has proposed a £260m settlement to compensate UK app developers for losses incurred due to high commissions on its Play Store. The payout, pending court approval, would be the largest under the UK's collective action regime. The claim, initiated by Barry Rodger from Strathclyde University Law School, alleged that Google imposed unfair commissions of up to 30% and restricted alternative distribution channels. Around £160m will be allocated for payouts, with £100m covering legal costs.

 

Financial Times

The Times

French food caterer Sodexo is to cut ​more than ​1,000 jobs in its home market ⁠as part ​of an overhaul ​aimed at accelerating growth and boosting ​competitiveness. The company ​said it would eliminate ‌963 ⁠positions, equal to 4% of its French ​workforce, ​and ⁠a separate project ​tied to ​the ⁠group head office could see ​a ​further 134 job losses.

 

Reuters

Alimentation Couche-Tard has formally launched an $8.7bn takeover bid for Zabka, Poland’s largest convenience store chain, offering 32 zloty per share in what would be its biggest-ever acquisition. The Canadian retailer plans to acquire all outstanding shares and delist Zabka from the Warsaw Stock Exchange, while retaining its workforce and existing external debt structure. Zabka operates more than 13,000 stores, and the deal would significantly expand Couche-Tard’s European presence, adding to its roughly 400 Circle K fuel stations in Poland. Major shareholders CVC Capital Partners and Partners Group have agreed to tender all their shares, with the transaction expected to settle on September 30th.

 

Financial Post

Consulting executives want junior staff in the office more frequently to develop key interpersonal skills, arguing human competencies are increasingly valuable as AI takes over their technical work. EY is encouraging junior employees to return to the office but has made no formal changes to remote work policies. Sayeh Ghanbari, EY's UK head of consulting, told the FT: "This change we've seen in the last few years where people have set up their lives to be at home a lot is just not the route to success in the world of AI." KPMG UK's head of advisory Callum Licence agreed, saying learning softer skills directly from others is now "more important than ever." Licence added: "While the benefits of AI will enable more efficient working and a different kind of role over the long term, the human benefits of connectivity and interaction will always remain."

 

Financial Times

Daily Mail

The Times

Sophie Lainault, a former flight attendant for Air France, has successfully had her breast cancer recognised as an occupational disease, marking a first for France's aviation sector. The ruling, made by a court in Bayonne, acknowledged her exposure to night work and passive smoking during her 30-year career. Some studies have suggested that women who regularly work night shifts may face a higher risk of developing cancer; smoking was permitted on Air France flights until 2000. Lainault, who is now in remission, expressed hope that her victory would inspire other women facing similar challenges. Breast cancer is not officially listed as an occupational disease in France.

 

Euractiv.com

The Local

BBC News

The Guardian

Banks have significantly increased their risk offloading to insurers through synthetic risk transfers, reaching €4.7bn in 2025, up from €2.7bn the previous year, the International Association of Credit Portfolio Managers says.

 

Financial Times