Cuts

• Major corporations including Meta, Robinhood, Walmart, and Oracle are leading a wave of job cuts in 2026 as they pivot toward AI-driven operations. • These layoffs are driven by a strategic shift to invest heavily in artificial intelligence, raising concerns regarding automation and previous corporate over-hiring. • The trend underscores a broader workforce transformation, with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman predicting that AI will eliminate entire job categories while simultaneously creating new roles.

Fears hard-won gains in reducing child mortality over 20 years are at risk after end of USAID funding for nutrition programmesChild malnutrition in Nepal has reached “alarming” levels, according to the largest ever survey of under-fives in the country.The new figures came just over a year after USAID, the former US flagship agency closed by the Trump administration in 2025, stopped funding work on child nutrition in Nepal. Continue reading...

• BDO Unibank, the largest bank in the Philippines, has ruled out using artificial intelligence to implement job cuts. • CEO Teresita ASEAN-based BDO Unibank stated that AI is intended to augment human capabilities, claiming the technology "makes average performers exceptional." • This stance highlights a strategic shift toward AI-driven productivity and workforce empowerment rather than labor replacement within the financial sector.

• The 2026 NASCIO-Deloitte Cybersecurity Study, surveying all 50 U.S. states, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands, reveals that state CISOs are struggling to secure public data against increasingly sophisticated AI-driven threats. • Security leaders are facing a critical gap where evolving cyber risks are outstripping available budget allocations, necessitating a shift in how security value is measured. • To justify funding, officials are prioritizing operational KPIs—such as incident response time and phishing rates—and translating behavioral improvements into financial terms using breach cost data.

Firm has been developing full EV version of its top-selling model in Europe at its plant in SunderlandBusiness live – latest updatesNissan has reportedly stopped developing a fully electric version of its Qashqai, its top-selling model in Europe, as the Japanese carmaker looks to cut a fifth of its models and slash costs.The carmaker has quietly halted development of a full EV version of the Qashqai at Sunderland, the site of the UK’s largest car factory, last year, according to a report by Reuters. Continue reading...

• Lazada has reduced its workforce by approximately 5% as part of a strategic review across its South-east Asian operations. • The layoffs impact employees across six key markets: Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines. • Contrary to industry trends, reports indicate that these job cuts are not related to the implementation of AI initiatives.

Stand Up for Science founder says proposal to control how grants are spent would ‘dismantle US science ecosystem’While waiting to board her flight home at Ronald Reagan Washington national airport recently, Colette Delawalla was reviewing a list of possible impacts from a proposed Trump administration rule on controlling federal money, including grants for research.Delawalla, the founder of the group Stand Up for Science, had just completed a three-day visit to Capitol Hill, where she met one by one with more than 30 members of Congress, part of a full-court press the organization has launched in recent weeks, sounding the alarm on the office of management and budget (OMB) proposal. Continue reading...

• The BBC has announced a series of significant cost-cutting measures targeting Breakfast and Radio 4 as part of a broader plan to save £160 million. • These budget reductions are designed to streamline operations and reduce spending across the broadcaster's key programming and radio services. • The move has drawn sharp criticism from Equity, the entertainment and performing arts trade union, which expressed concern over the impact on staff and production.

• The US Federal Reserve has abandoned its previous bias toward cutting interest rates as inflation has surged to nearly double the central bank's target. • This policy shift coincides with the beginning of the Kevin Warsh era at the central bank and follows escalating geopolitical tensions stemming from Donald Trump’s conflict with Iran. • The decision matters as it signals a pivot toward tighter monetary policy to combat rising prices, potentially slowing economic growth to stabilize the currency.

• The BBC has announced plans to cut 550 jobs as the first phase of a broader £500 million savings initiative. • Initial proposals target 200 positions within the news division, as detailed in an email sent to staff. • Bectu union head Philippa Childs criticized the timing of the cuts, noting they coincide with the lead-up to the BBC's charter renewal.

Broadcast channels under review and 10% of senior leaders to go as part of drive to cut £500m in costsEntire BBC programmes will be scrapped and compulsory redundancies will be necessary as part of sweeping cuts at the corporation, its new director general, Matt Brittin, has told staff.The former Google executive also announced he was reviewing the BBC’s broadcast TV channels and radio network, as audiences continue to switch to online content. Continue reading...

National Audit Office says agency proposes closing operations in 11 countries as part of turnaround planThe British Council faces cutting its workforce further and closing operations in 11 countries as it struggles to repay a crippling £197m Covid-era government loan that threatens its survival, the public spending watchdog has said.The UK’s soft-power agency remains loss-making six years on from the pandemic and is not expected to make a profit until 2029-30, a report from the National Audit Office says. Continue reading...

Lisa Murkowski, a Republican senator, joins Democrats in bid to stop dismantling the Ocean Observatories InitiativeUS politics live – latest updatesA group of Democratic senators and one Republican, as well as two Democratic House committees, sent letters on Monday to the National Science Foundation asking it to reverse course on its plan to dismantle a sprawling ocean monitoring network, with House lawmakers going further and accusing the agency of acting illegally.The Ocean Observatories Initiative is a network of more than 900 ocean sensors built at a cost of $386m. Over the last decade it has tracked ocean circulation, marine ecosystems, climate change and extreme weather, producing data freely available to the public and informing more than 500 scientific publications. The project was slated to run another 15 to 20 years. Continue reading...

• Goldman Sachs has lowered its forecast for India's 2026 Current Account Deficit (CAD) to 1.3% of GDP. • The revision is driven by India's reduced vulnerability to crude oil price hikes, attributed to lower oil intensity and improved energy efficiency. • This shift suggests that India's oil demand has become more responsive to price increases, potentially stabilizing the economy against global energy volatility.

All departments will be affected but biggest cuts are in news, with job losses expected to run into the hundredsBBC News is braced for a major round of job cuts to be revealed within days, in an announcement that will kick off a brutal cost-saving drive designed to save £500m across the corporation.The cuts could come as soon as Wednesday, with staff already told to expect a high number of redundancies. Job losses could run into the hundreds. Continue reading...

Lisa Nandy says discussions are taking place about how to ‘keep this country safe’ after John Healey’s resignationUK politics live – latest updatesCabinet ministers have been asked to look for more money in their departments to fund an increase in defence spending after the resignation of the former defence secretary John Healey.The culture secretary, Lisa Nandy, told the BBC that her department was among those still in conversations with the Treasury about finding further sums for defence. Healey resigned last week over a far smaller than expected settlement for the defence investment plan (Dip). Continue reading...

Opposition and Greens could team up to extend inquiry into changes but health minister ‘utterly convinced’ federal government’s plan is rightFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastMark Butler has doubled down on his plans to pass contentious NDIS changes as early as this month, warning the opposition against using the bill as a “pawn in a bigger game of chess” as they consider a potential deal with the Greens.The Coalition and the Greens have criticised Labor’s truncated timeline to pass NDIS, negative gearing and capital gains changes, and have signalled they could team up against the government in the Senate to extend inquiries into the bills. Continue reading...

• On June 11, the World Bank lowered its global growth forecast for 2026 to 2.5%, the lowest projection since the 2019 COVID-19 pandemic. • The downgrade is primarily driven by the war in the Middle East, which has severely impacted energy exports for countries like Iraq and the United Arab Emirates. • The bank warns that growth could plummet further to 1.3% if energy supply disruptions worsen and trigger substantial stress in global financial markets.

Justice secretary’s plans likely to increase black people’s suspicion of court system, committee suggestsDavid Lammy’s planned changes to the criminal courts in England and Wales could have a “far-reaching” impact on race relations, a cross-party committee of MPs has concluded.The deputy prime minister’s plan to remove the right to elect for a crown court trial “has the potential to increase mistrust in the criminal justice system among the black community”, the justice select committee said, because black defendants are more likely to elect for trial. Continue reading...

Survey puts Labor behind the Coalition and One Nation in state election race; advocacy groups say care burden will shift to womenGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastGood morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then it will be Nick Visser with the main action.Jacinta Allan will be feeling the heat today after a poll showed her Labor party trailing the Coalition and One Nation before November’s state election. More coming up. Continue reading...

• Several celebrities, including Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi, were edited out of a pub scene in the second episode of *Clarkson's Farm* season five. • The missing stars were originally filmed attending the first event at the watering hole, where siblings Andrea, Sharon, and Jim were also featured. • This editing decision removes high-profile figures from the final broadcast despite their presence during the initial filming of the scene.

Greater Manchester mayor’s proposals amount to a notable criticism of Keir Starmer’s policy in the areaUK politics live – latest updatesAndy Burnham has proposed a 20% cut to business rates for pubs with many smaller, family-run enterprises taken out of paying the levy altogether, in his first major policy initiative during the Makerfield byelection.Burnham’s plans amount to a notable criticism of Keir Starmer’s policy in the area, with the Greater Manchester mayor saying: “Labour have got it wrong on small businesses.” Continue reading...

• Roblox Corporation (RBLX) shares fell 3.70% to $43.29, driven by a reduction in stake by Allen Investment Management. • The stock is currently trading below key moving averages, signaling sustained seller momentum across short, medium, and long-term timeframes. • To counter technical headwinds, Roblox is pursuing a strategic AI integration through the acquisition of Morpheus AI.

Exclusive: New loopholes for developers will exacerbate extreme environmental disparities, charity coalition warnsThe poorest and most nature-deprived communities in England will be further left behind in their access to green spaces if proposed changes to planning laws go ahead, a new report finds.More than 7.4 million people in England live in areas completely devoid of immediate biodiversity, including 1.42 million children under 15, the report commissioned by a number of wildlife and environmental NGOs says. Continue reading...

DfE plans to withdraw funding for assistive software, saying it is now rarely needed due to ‘widely available free tools’Disability campaigners have called on the government to halt plans to cut funding for specialist tech support for tens of thousands of disabled students in England.Almost 10,000 people have signed a petition opposing Department for Education (DfE) proposals to withdraw funding for specialist assistive software available as part of the Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA). Continue reading...

• The OECD has lowered its 2026 global growth forecast, warning that ongoing conflict in the Middle East is damaging worldwide economic prospects. • A more severe economic shock is predicted if an effective ceasefire is not reached before 2027, though some impacts may be offset by tighter fiscal policies and the end of the NextGenerationEU recovery spending. • Specifically in the United Kingdom, growth is projected to drop from 1.4% in 2025 to 0.9% in 2026.

• The Albanese government is facing increasing pushback over proposed reforms to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), with critics warning that cuts could cause significant harm to participants. • In the Middle East, Israel continued its overnight offensive, while Tehran announced it is halting peace talks and intends to fully close the strait of Hormuz. • Tensions remain high as Marco Rubio claims Iran has agreed to negotiate parts of its nuclear program, contradicting the current escalation.

Pelley reportedly rebuked ousting of show’s executive producer, executive editor and two top correspondentsScott Pelley, a veteran 60 Minutes correspondent, called out CBS News management in a heated meeting on Monday morning, attacking the network’s decision on Thursday to fire the show’s executive producer, executive editor, and two fellow correspondents, Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega, as part of a broader overhaul of the show, sources tell the Guardian.During a meeting of the show’s staff and Nick Bilton, its newly appointed executive producer, along with the CBS News managing editor Charles Forelle, Pelley took direct aim at Bari Weiss, the network’s controversial editor-in-chief. Continue reading...