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European automakers are pressing policymakers for greater support to tackle competition from China and the transition to electric vehicles. At the Paris Auto Show, Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume highlighted the "enormous pressure" on the industry, calling for flexible regulations and incentives for local manufacturing. Despite a recent EU deal to reduce Chinese hybrid vehicle exports, manufacturers including Stellantis and Renault warned of continuing challenges, including high energy costs and production cuts. "We cannot build our future on export profits alone. Our European businesses must be profitable, resilient ​and competitive," Volkswagen's Blume said. "We must secure Europe's industrial base."

 

U.S. News

Dutch supermarket group Ahold Delhaize has reported no evidence of stolen customer, employee, or third-party data following a cybersecurity incident that forced it to shut down several systems ​in recent days. The group, which operates brands including Albert Heijn, Etos, and Gall & Gall, temporarily took several IT systems offline. The company has started to restore some systems while the investigation continues. Ahold Delhaize said: "We are committed to ensuring the safety of our data and systems." The Dutch National Cyber ​Security Centre has said that there ​is ⁠no reason to believe that there is a link between the incident in ⁠the ​Netherlands and similar incidents ​in other countries.

 

NL Times

Reuters

The UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and National Crime Agency have arrested three people after raiding five homes in London and Manchester over suspected organised insider trading and money laundering. More than 100 staff participated and seized over 30 electronic devices. The operation follows abnormal share movements before 41% of takeovers last year, up from about 38% in 2024. FCA chief Nikhil Rathi said the regulator was working with the Takeover Panel, banks, brokers and advisers to tackle potential leaks.

 

The Times

HSBC has announced a change to its pay structure, allowing for larger bonuses for its bankers. Starting in 2028, the bank will phase out fixed-pay allowances that supplemented base salaries due to EU bonus caps. The shift aims to foster a "high-performance culture" and align compensation more closely with performance. It follows a similar move at Barclays, which said it would focus on bonuses to boost competitiveness in July, while Wall Street banks JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs removed caps on UK bankers two years ago. British regulators removed a cap on bankers' bonuses three years ago, moving away from limits originally imposed by the EU in an effort to deter excessive risk-taking in the wake of the financial crisis.  

 

The Times

The Daily Telegraph

Chinese automotive giant BYD has said a hiring spree in Europe is being planned to increase the company's workforce in the region to about 40,000 people by the end of the decade. “BYD’s commitment in Europe is very deep, and it is long term,” Executive Vice President Stella Li, who heads BYD’s overseas business, said at the Paris Motor Show. Asked specifically about the company’s European employment plans, Li said separately that its workforce in Europe would be “absolutely over 40,000 in 2030.” The company will soon have more than 10,000 people, she added.

 

Bloomberg

The first major public sector strike in Ireland in almost two decades is set to go ahead after trade unions rejected a late bid by ‌the government to avert the stoppage. Teachers, health workers and civil servants are among those who plan a one-day strike amid deadlock between unions and the government ​on the basis for entering talks on public sector pay increases.

 

Reuters

London's High Court has ruled that PGMBM Law, formerly called Pogust Goodhead, can continue representing victims of the 2015 Mariana Dam disaster. A committee tasked with managing the litigation agreement with the firm did not have the power to terminate the contract, a judge ruled. The decision affects around 700,000 claimants involved in a $36bn lawsuit against mining companies BHP and Vale. PGMBM challenged the client committee’s decision last month to replace it with little-known law firm Edward McCourt & Company.

 

Bloomberg

The Daily Telegraph

An increasing focus on environmental harms and labour abuses has precipitated a sevenfold increase over five years in complaints to the Office for Responsible Business Conduct (ORBC) about firms' conduct.

 

Financial Times

Hungary's government has proposed a wealth tax aimed at individuals with assets exceeding 1bn forints ($3.08m). The tax will impose an annual 1% rate on wealth above the threshold, increasing to 1.5% for those with over 100bn forints ($308m). The tax will encompass all forms of wealth, including real estate and investments.  Prime ​Minister Peter Magyar said the tax proposals would shortly be published on the government website for public consultation; they are then expected to be approved ​by parliament.

 

U.S. News

London Stock Exchange Group is in talks to acquire US credit data provider Octus for $3.5bn. The deal would deliver a near threefold return for private equity firm Permira, which bought a controlling stake in Octus for $1.3bn in 2022. Octus specialises in data on financially distressed companies and serves asset managers, investment banks and law firms. 

 

Financial Times

The Times

The IMF has raised its 2026 global growth forecast to 3.1%, from 3.0%, as strong AI investment offsets economic disruption from the Middle East conflict and oil prices exceeding $100 per barrel. Growth is expected to reach 3.4% in 2027, although widening economic disparities and mounting debt threaten stability. The US economy is forecast to grow 2.3%, China 4.5% and India 7.0% in 2026, while several Gulf economies face deep recessions. IMF chief economist Silvana Tenreyro warned that global economic resilience is "reaching its limits." The IMF also highlighted risks from prolonged energy disruption, higher borrowing costs and disappointing AI returns, and urged governments to rebuild fiscal buffers.

 

Reuters

Dutch online retailers are joining forces to launch a scam monitor after 1.2m people in the Netherlands fell victim to fake webshops in 2025. Industry group Thuiswinkel.org disclosed the victim total on Thursday, showing the scale of fraud involving sham online stores. The joint initiative responds to an increase in the number of consumers deceived by websites posing as legitimate retailers. Participating online retailers will use the monitor as a coordinated industry response to fake webshops, rather than tackling the fraudulent operators separately.

 

NL Times