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North American Edition
26th June 2026
 
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THE HOT STORY

Ford hires veteran engineers to address quality problems

Ford Motor has brought back so-called “gray beard” engineers to help train younger staff and reprogram AI tools to address quality problems. The hiring of these 350 veterans over the last three years to address what were seemingly intractable quality issues that have cost the company billions has helped Ford become the top mainstream brand in the latest JD Power Initial Quality Survey. Charles Poon, Ford’s vice president of vehicle hardware engineering, said: “Over prior years, we didn’t pay as much attention as we should have to the experience of our most knowledgeable engineers that have been with us through many product cycles.” Ford chief operating officer, Kumar Galhotra, explained: “We had been relying more and more on automated quality systems” and not getting the desired results, adding that the rehired technical specialists “hunt for failure points before a part ever reaches the plant floor.”
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WORKFORCE

IRS exceeded expectations during 2026 tax filing season, watchdog says

The IRS performed better than expected during the 2026 tax filing season despite significant workforce reductions, successfully processing nearly 139m individual tax returns and issuing more than 90m refunds, according to the National Taxpayer Advocate’s latest report to Congress. National Taxpayer Advocate Erin Collins said the agency overcame challenges including new tax law implementation, leadership turnover, and a workforce reduction of more than 27% over the previous year. The IRS delivered 98% of refunds through direct deposit, with the average refund increasing to $3,275, up from $3,230 in 2025. Collins also credited continued technology improvements, including the agency’s "Where’s My Refund" tool, with helping taxpayers access information more efficiently.

Weekly jobless claims fall more than expected

Initial claims for U.S. unemployment benefits fell by 12,000 to a seasonally adjusted 215,000 in the seven days to June 20th, outperforming economists’ expectations of 225,000 and signaling continued resilience in the labor market, according to the Labor Department. The four-week moving average was up by 750 to 224,250, while continuing claims, reported with a one-week lag, rose by 21,000 to 1.821m.
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STRATEGY

Tesla to increase production in Germany by 20%

Tesla has said that production at its Berlin plant will increase by 20% to 7,500 vehicles per week from October, in a planned increase in production that means the auto maker will hire a further 1,000 employees.
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ECONOMY

U.S. economy grew at 2.1% annual rate in first quarter

The U.S. economy expanded at an annualized 2.1% rate during the first quarter of 2026, according to the Commerce Department’s final estimate, an upward revision from the previous 1.6% estimate and a rebound from 0.5% growth in the final quarter of 2025. The stronger-than-expected performance was driven by robust business investment, particularly in artificial intelligence-related infrastructure. Investment excluding housing increased 10.6%, while spending on information-processing equipment surged 39.9% as companies expanded data center capacity. Federal government spending and investment also rose 9.4% following the end of the previous quarter’s government shutdown, and a smaller-than-estimated drag from imports contributed to the upward GDP revision. Consumer spending, however, was revised lower, signaling weaker household demand amid higher gasoline prices linked to the conflict with Iran. Residential investment fell 7.8%, marking its fifth consecutive quarterly decline as elevated interest rates continued to weigh on the housing market. 
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LEGAL

Supreme Court rules asylum seekers can be turned back at U.S. border

The Supreme Court has said the Trump administration can block asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border. The decision allows the administration to revive its so-called turn-back or “metering” policy, allowing federal agents at the U.S. border to stop migrants from physically setting foot on U.S. soil, where federal law guarantees them the right to claim asylum and protection from persecution. In a 6-3 opinion, the court said the policy doesn't violate the Immigration Nationality Act (INA). “An alien standing in Mexico does not ‘arriv[e] in the United States’ by attempting, and failing, to set foot in this country,” read the majority opinion. “An alien ‘arrives in the United States’ only when he crosses the border. The INA thus neither entitles an alien standing in Mexico to apply for asylum nor requires an immigration officer to inspect him.”
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RISK

Trump seeks more than $1.4bn in Ebola funding from Congress

The Trump administration is seeking more than $1.4bn in new funds from Congress to address the widening Ebola ‌virus outbreak, including $800m for humanitarian crisis response. The move is part of a larger supplemental funding request which also includes $500m in global health security funds that health officials say are needed to prevent ​the virus from spreading to the United States. 
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INTERNATIONAL

Mining giant hit with class action

Women at Fortescue Mining have launched a class action in Melbourne, alleging systemic sexual harassment and gender discrimination at the company's Australian remote worksites. The action, filed by law firm JGA Saddler, follows previous claims against other mining firms. “We were speaking to thousands of women in mining in the Rio Tinto and BHP sex discrimination class actions and Fortescue's worksites kept coming up time and time again as places that were unsafe for women,” JGA Saddler lawyer Paris Hamrey said. “There have been reports of sexual assault, violence and retaliation especially when female staff reject sexual advances. We have heard from women who have lodged complaints about unacceptable behavior but are then dismissed, demoted, silenced or black-listed from the industry . . . One of the most disturbing regular reports is women on Fortescue worksites being warned against washing their underwear in on-site laundries because theft of female underwear is rife.”

U.K. firms unleash unchecked AI agents

Research from Gravitee, an agent management platform, reveals that U.K. businesses have deployed more than 700,000 AI agents, and 205,000 of them operate without human oversight. The survey of 250 chief technology officers and vice-presidents found that three-quarters of firms have experienced data breaches linked to these agents. Rory Blundell, chief executive of Gravitee, said: "There are now hundreds of thousands of AI agents loose at major firms: a number that's increasing every second. What worries me is that a huge number of these are acting right now without any oversight and with no accountability. There is nothing standing between them and causing untold chaos - leaking data, spending money, deleting files."

Hyundai Motor's South Korean union approves strike action

Hyundai Motor workers in South Korea have voted to strike over stalled wage negotiations and a plan by the country’s largest carmaker to introduce humanoid robots on the factory floor. The union is seeking a 149,600 won ($96.82) ​increase in base monthly pay ​and a performance bonus equal to 30% ‌of ⁠last year's net profit, and also guarantees on employment and working conditions related to the ​use of AI and automation.

Thai workers return to Israel

Despite ongoing conflict in the Middle East, the number of Thai workers in Israel has surged from 30,000 to around 50,000 since the October 2023 Hamas attack. Many are being drawn by better job opportunities in sectors including agriculture, construction, and services. The financial incentives, including salaries that are significantly higher than in Thailand, motivate many to endure the dangers of working in a conflict zone. A 43-year-old worker, "A", expressed her determination, saying: "I am not afraid of the current situation . . . I would rather come here and take the risk." 
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OTHER

U.S. proposes to drop brake pedal requirements for self-driving vehicles

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has proposed to end a government requirement for manual brake pedals ​in self-driving vehicles. The proposal would not apply to vehicles with human driver controls, and NHTSA said it would not drop braking performance requirements. NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison said: “If we want America to lead the way, we have to reimagine our regulatory framework. That’s why under Secretary Sean Duffy’s AV Framework, NHTSA is tearing down pointless barriers to innovative designs while strengthening the fundamental safety requirements that matter and holding AV developers accountable for safe performance. This approach will ultimately reduce roadway crashes, prevent fatalities, and increase mobility.”  
 
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