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Thursday newspaper round-up: Bond markets, Nike, ElevenLabs

(Sharecast News) - A government minister has defended long delays to a military spending plan that are also stalling the UK's next-generation Tempest fighter jet programme, but refused to say when it will be complete. The defence investment plan (DIP), originally expected last autumn, has faced repeated postponements amid warnings that the military faces a £28bn funding gap over the next four years. - Guardian The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has launched an investigation into Nike over allegations that the sports giant discriminated against white employees and job applicants. The federal agency is demanding that Nike turn over information related to the allegations, including the company's "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion-related 2025 Targets and other DEI-related objectives", it announced on Wednesday. - Guardian

Bond markets are increasingly at risk of a worldwide meltdown after hedge funds piled a record £2.2tn into government debt, a global watchdog has warned. The Financial Stability Board (FSB), led by Andrew Bailey, the Bank of England Governor, warned countries are dangerously exposed to the threat of fire sales in the event of economic shocks. - Telegraph

The UK's reliance on China is making the country "the weak link" in the West, MPs have warned. In a damning report published on Thursday, the House of Commons Business and Trade Committee said a dependence on "hostile actors" such as China for investment and trade was alarming international allies. - Telegraph

A London-based business which uses artificial intelligence to generate realistic sounding human-like voices has raised $500 million in a deal which values it at $11 billion. ElevenLabs, one of the UK's most valuable private companies, said the latest funding round was led by Sequoia Capital, a Silicon Valley venture capital firm. Its other backers include Andreessen Horowitz, also an American venture capital firm, and Matthew McConaughey, the Oscar-winning actor. - The Times

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Monday newspaper round-up: Electric cars, Richard Caring, Starbucks
(Sharecast News) - Ministers are planning to fundamentally reshape Britain's relationship with the European Union, with new legislation that could result in the UK signing up to EU single market rules without a normal parliamentary vote. In a major development in the prime minister's push for closer ties with the continent after the Iran war, the Guardian understands ministers are bracing to face down opposition to "dynamic alignment" with the EU from those who "scream treason" over the powers in a new EU-UK reset bill. - Guardian
Friday newspaper round-up: Tata battery factory, tech firms, UK tax rules
(Sharecast News) - The Somerset battery factory due to supply Jaguar Land Rover is to receive £380m in UK government funding as it pushes ahead with construction despite delays. JLR, Britain's largest automotive employer, is due to receive batteries from the site to make electric versions of its Range Rover and Jaguar models. The Indian conglomerate Tata owns JLR and the electric vehicle (EV) battery factory under its Agratas subsidiary. - Guardian
Thursday newspaper round-up: Subsidised energy, John Lewis boss, Anthropic
(Sharecast News) - In order to cut rising bills all UK households should receive a minimum amount of energy at rates subsidised by the government through North Sea taxes, a thinktank has suggested. Providing all homes with enough energy to heat two rooms, provide hot water and run key appliances such as a fridge and washing machine, at rates frozen at current levels, would require a subsidy of about £4.5bn, according to the New Economics Foundation. - Guardian
Wednesday newspaper round-up: Meta, Royal Mail, Octopus Investments
(Sharecast News) - A New Mexico jury on Tuesday ordered Meta to pay $375m in civil penalties after it found the company misled consumers about the safety of its platforms and enabled harm, including child sexual exploitation, against its users. This is the first bench trial to find Meta liable for acts committed on its platform. - Guardian

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