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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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Tuesday newspaper round-up: consumer confidence, easyJet, Thames Water
(Sharecast News) - Consumer confidence hit its highest level in almost two years in July, according to research that indicated the closing stages of the men's football World Cup and more people holidaying in the UK lifted summer spending. A truce in the Middle East conflict in June and the arrival of a new prime minister in No 10 also gave a lift to consumers after a long period of heightened uncertainty. A long-running monthly consumer spending survey by Barclays showed that 30% of those surveyed felt confident about the strength of the UK economy in July - representing a 21-month high and a six-percentage-point improvement on June. - Guardian
Monday newspaper round-up: Harvey Nichols, Heathrow, Lloyds Banking Group
(Sharecast News) - Andy Burnham has promised a series of measures to tackle the cost of living, including a ban on fake discounts and making it easier for people to escape unwanted subscriptions. The crackdown on "rip-off" business practices is expected to benefit consumers to the tune of £400m a year and will be the first in a range of "everyday fixes" to be implemented in the coming months. - Guardian
Friday newspaper round-up: Gas power stations, Apple, Raleigh
(Sharecast News) - Trains across parts of north-west England have ground to a halt after a power failure hit the signalling centre controlling the railway in the region. Passengers awaiting Northern and TransPennine trains have been advised not to travel, with widespread cancellations and other services delayed by more than an hour already. - Guardian
Thursday newspaper round-up: AI models, bank taxes, AstraZeneca
(Sharecast News) - Advanced artificial intelligence models have stunned the UK's AI Security Institute (AISI) by carrying out a hacking campaign against real people during a cybersecurity test. The institute said the incident was unprecedented and involved sending targeted emails to software developers in an attempt to pass a cyber challenge. - Guardian

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