Concern

Philip Barton says there was pressure over pace of vetting from No 10, which he says was ‘uninterested’ in processUK politics live – latest updatesThe former Foreign Office chief has said he was concerned about Peter Mandelson’s links to Jeffery Epstein – and said there was “absolutely” pressure from Downing Street over the pace of vetting.Giving evidence to the foreign affairs select committee, the former Foreign Office permanent secretary Sir Philip Barton said Number 10 seemed “uninterested” in the vetting process around Mandelson’s appointment as US ambassador, and said there were no avenues for him to express his concerns. Continue reading...

The singer’s company filed three applications on Friday after Matthew McConaughey launched similar strategyTaylor Swift has filed applications to trademark her voice and image in a move seemingly designed to protect against AI misuse.On 24 April, Swift’s company TAS Rights Management filed three trademark applications, Variety reports. Two of these are sound trademarks which cover Swift saying the phrases “Hey, it’s Taylor Swift” and “Hey, it’s Taylor.” Continue reading...

• China's National Development and Reform Commission prohibited Meta's acquisition of Singapore-based AI startup Manus on April 27, 2026, requiring all parties to withdraw. • Manus, with Chinese roots, was targeted in a security review of foreign investment despite Meta's compliance claims from its California headquarters. • The decision heightens US-China tech tensions, impacting Meta's AI expansion and cross-border M&A in semiconductors and intelligence tools.

• The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index declined to 98.3 in April 2026, down 4.2 points from March, marking the steepest monthly drop since July 2025 as Americans express renewed concern about inflation and job security. • Consumers' expectations for future economic conditions weakened notably, with the forward-looking component falling 6.8 points as respondents cited concerns about rising prices for groceries, gasoline, and housing costs. • The decline suggests potential headwinds for Q2 consumer spending and retail sales, pressuring guidance from discretionary retailers and restaurant operators ahead of earnings season.

• Tesla's stock fell 3.2% on April 26 after the company reported first-quarter global deliveries of 389,000 vehicles, missing consensus expectations of 410,000 units and marking the weakest quarterly performance in two years. • Management attributed the shortfall to supply chain disruptions at the Berlin and Texas Gigafactories, as well as slower-than-anticipated demand in European and Chinese markets, particularly for the Model 3 and Model Y lineup. • The miss reignites concerns about Tesla's ability to sustain its 50% annual growth target and prompted three major brokerages to lower 2026 earnings forecasts by 8–12%, citing heightened competition from legacy automakers' EV offerings.

• Brazil has suspended a $4 billion Chinese investment in Amazon infrastructure projects following international pressure over deforestation and environmental protection commitments. • President Lula cited insufficient environmental safeguards and lack of transparency in project oversight as the primary reasons for the suspension announced Friday. • Environmental groups and US officials praised the decision, though economic analysts warn the suspension could strain Brazil-China relations and impact Latin American development patterns.

Thousands of research papers have been published based on participants’ data, but there are questions over protection of private informationWith the revelation that the confidential health records of half a million British volunteers have been put up for sale on a Chinese website, we take a look at what the UK Biobank project has achieved – and why concerns have been raised. Continue reading...