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Lush cosmetics founder and Henry hoover boss among among leaders on new honours list

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It recognises people for their contribution to manufacturing in the UK

Mo Constantine, co-founder of Lush

Mo Constantine, co-founder of Lush(Image: Lush )

The co-founder of Dorset cosmetics giant Lush and a boss at Somerset’s Henry vacuum cleaner factory are among 14 West Country manufacturing professionals to be recognised in a new honours ranking.

Make UK’s list, to mark National Manufacturing Day, includes figures from industries including aerospace, consumer products, precision engineering and advanced industrial technologies.

Mo Constantine, co-founder of Lush, which is headquartered in Poole, was recognised for helping transform cosmetics manufacturing and having a strong focus on sustainable, handmade production.

Stuart Cochrane, manufacturing manager at Numatic International – the Chard-based maker of the famous Henry vacuum – was included for championing British manufacturing through innovation, automation and investment in people.

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Numatic is one of the region’s best-known manufacturing success stories and marked National Manufacturing Day with the release of a limited-edition vacuum cleaner.

Numatic International - maker of the Henry vacuum

Numatic International is the maker of the Henry vacuum(Image: Numatic International)

The honours also recognised Clive Higgins of Somerset engineering firm Leonardo and Richard Oldfield of Bristol’s National Composites Centre (NCC).

The initiative was launched on National Manufacturing Day, in partnership with Barclays, to mark Make UK’s 130th anniversary.

A total of 130 people across England and Wales were recognised on the honours list for 2026.

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Fiona McGarry, region director for the South of England at Make UK, said the people recognised showed “the talent, ideas and commitment” driving success in manufacturing.

“The South West is home to one of the UK’s most diverse and dynamic manufacturing economies, from world-leading aerospace and defence to household-name consumer brands,” she said.

“What better day to celebrate them than National Manufacturing Day, when manufacturers across the country are opening their doors to showcase the people, skills and innovation behind modern British industry.”

Business secretary Jonathan Reynolds added: “A stronger manufacturing base means more good jobs in every part of the country, which is why our Industrial Strategy is backing our world-class manufacturers.

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“I’d absolutely encourage young people, parents and teachers to visit a local manufacturer and see for themselves the rewarding opportunities available up and down the country.”

South West recipients of Make UK’s manufacturing honours

  • Paul Wenham, Managing Director, Geometric Manufacturing (Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire)
  • Karen Friendship, Managing Director, Aldermans (Plymouth, Devon)
  • Nick Smith, Chief Executive Officer, Bott (Bude, Cornwall)
  • Eric Nicholls, Chair, Cornwall Manufacturers Group (Truro, Cornwall)
  • Maurice Porter, Head of Learning, Development & Apprenticeships, Hepco Motion (Tiverton, Devon)
  • Tom McCurtie OBE, Managing Director, Hymid (Torquay, Devon)
  • Lee Crocker, Managing Director, Kawasaki (Plymouth, Devon)
  • Clive Higgins, UK Chair and CEO, Leonardo (Yeovil, Somerset)
  • Mo Constantine, Founder, Lush (Poole, Dorset)
  • Stuart Cochrane, Manufacturing Manager, Numatic International (Chard, Somerset)
  • Brian Cutts, Managing Director, Temco Wire Products (Cinderford, Gloucestershire)
  • Mark Bolton, CEO and Principal at Yeovil College (Yeovil, Somerset)
  • Simon Martin, Head of Global Manufacturing, Yunex (Poole, Dorset)
  • Richard Oldfield, Chief Executive, NCC (Bristol)
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Stubb on Google’s $15B Finland AI investment amid hybrid threats

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Stubb on Google's $15B Finland AI investment amid hybrid threats

UNITED NATIONS – Finland is looking to capitalize on the global artificial intelligence boom after Google announced plans to invest at least $15.2 billion in digital infrastructure across the Nordic nation over the next two years, marking one of the largest technology investments in the country’s history.

In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, Finnish President Alexander Stubb said the investment reflects a combination of abundant clean energy, a secure operating environment and an expanding technology sector that has made Finland an increasingly attractive destination for AI infrastructure.

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“Companies make their own decisions on where to invest in their data centers, and we’re of course happy that Google has invested,” Stubb told Fox News Digital.

“They do it because we’re able to provide clean energy, 95% of our electricity is clean. It’s because we have a system of security, and we are able to fend [off] any types of cyberattacks and, of course, because we are in a rather cold climate.”

MASSIVE AI BOOM PUTS ONE OF AMERICA’S OLDEST MANUFACTURERS ON PATH TO DOUBLE IN SIZE, CEO SAYS

Finnish President Alexander Stubb speaks to Fox News Digital during the United Nations General Assembly.

Finnish President Alexander Stubb speaks during an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York City, Sept. 2026.  (Brooke Curto/Fox News Digital / Fox News)

The investment comes as governments and technology companies pour billions into the data centers needed to support artificial intelligence, with reliable electricity and resilient infrastructure becoming increasingly important in deciding where those facilities are built.

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A drone view of an AI data center in Finland.

A drone view of a data center campus of the AI infrastructure firm Nebius and Finnish developer Polarnode, ahead of the start of its construction, in a forest area in Pajarila, Lappeenranta, Finland May 26, 2025. (Polarnode/Handout via REUTERS / Reuters)

Asked how Finland is adapting as Russia continues to employ cyberattacks and other forms of hybrid activity against neighboring countries, Stubb said security has become another factor companies weigh when choosing where to invest.

EXCLUSIVE: FINLAND’S STUBB CREDITS TRUMP FOR PUSHING UKRAINE PEACE TALKS WHILE DISMISSING RUSSIAN INVASION FEARS

He said Finland has developed an environment where businesses can confidently build critical digital infrastructure while the country continues strengthening its cyber defenses.

Stubb said Google is unlikely to be the last major technology company to expand in Finland.

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“Right now we have about 50 data centers, we have 25 more in the pipeline,” he said. “And we expect there to be more because we have a really strong infrastructure when it comes to artificial intelligence.”

CRUZ WARNS ANTI-AI WAVE IS A ‘DELIBERATE, ORGANIZED’ INFLUENCE PUSH

Beyond data centers, Stubb said Finland has built an ecosystem around emerging technologies, citing IQM Quantum Computers, satellite firms ReOrbit and Kuva Space, and telecommunications company Nokia.

“And we have, of course, Nokia,” he said. “Right now when Americans are looking at their phones, it’s very probable that it’s a Nokia network that they’re following.”

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Nokia HQ

A general view of the Nokia headquarters, showing the new logo, in Espoo, Finland, as seen in an image released February 26, 2023. (Reuters / Reuters Photos)

Google said its investment will expand digital infrastructure supporting AI and cloud services while creating jobs and strengthening Finland’s role as a technology hub.

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Stubb said Finland intends to keep building on that momentum.

“We have the infrastructure,” he said. “The basic message is Finland is open for investment. We’ve got this.”

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JP Morgan planning outdoor gym and terrace at Bournemouth office

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The financial giant is looking to expand its Chaseside campus

JP Morgan CGI

JP Morgan CGI(Image: Local Democracy Reporting Service)

JP Morgan is seeking to add a terrace, outdoor gym, and table tennis area at its Bournemouth campus. The financial giant has submitted the proposals as part of ongoing efforts to upgrade facilities for the thousands of employees and visitors at the site.

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The plans centre on three distinct zones within the bank’s Chaseside campus. A formal outdoor terrace is earmarked for the area next to Littledown House, a Grade II-listed former farmhouse.

An outdoor gym is planned close to the Satellite 1 building, while a separate table tennis area is set to be installed near the campus’s existing tennis courts.

Planning documents describe the intended improvements as “modest but important enhancements,” with the aim of boosting staff wellbeing, promoting outdoor activity, and strengthening the use of Littledown House as a corporate hospitality venue.

The proposals involve no new buildings and encompass only approximately 190 sq m of additional hard surfacing across the three sites.

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The proposed terrace is anticipated to occupy roughly 80sqm of existing lawn, connected to the building via a new footpath.

The 90 sq m outdoor gym is to be established on grassland near Satellite 1, while a 20 sq m table tennis zone is planned alongside the campus’s current sporting facilities.

Those behind the proposals have emphasised the designs have been developed with careful consideration of the historic setting of Littledown House, which sits at the heart of the campus.

The terrace, they note, will not alter the listed building’s fabric and will be constructed using materials designed to blend with its surroundings.

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The Chaseside campus, housing approximately 5,000 members of staff, is one of the largest employment centres in Bournemouth.

The site comprises office buildings, woodland, sports facilities, walking trails, and landscaped grounds.

The company reflects on the expansion of its local workforce, which began with roughly 650 employees when it was established in 1986.

All three proposed facilities will be made accessible via existing pedestrian routes, providing step-free access throughout, according to the application.

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Applicants conclude that the planned amenities will enhance the provisions available to both staff and visitors while sitting comfortably within the campus’s landscape and character.

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Openreach discount blocked by Ofcom over altnet concerns

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Openreach discount blocked by Ofcom over altnet concerns

Ofcom has today directed Openreach to withdraw a wholesale offer that would have given internet service providers a discount of up to £9.50 per customer per month, for up to 30 months, for bringing new full-fibre customers onto its network.

The final decision confirms the regulator’s provisional position from July and marks the first time Ofcom has stepped in to block a commercial offer from BT’s network business. Ofcom cleared the other offers Openreach notified in June, including a separate discount in Virgin Media areas and an Ethernet offer aimed at business connections.

The Incremental New to Openreach Customer Offer applied only to new customers above an ISP’s normal number of sign-ups. Retail providers that sell over Openreach’s lines, including BT, EE and TalkTalk, will not now receive the discount.

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In a statement reported by the Press Association, Ofcom said: “We have determined that the large discount involved, up to £9.50 per customer for up to 30 months, may mean that other reasonably efficient operators couldn’t match it while also recovering their costs.

“In addition, the offer is aimed exclusively at new customers, so could stymie alt nets’ ability to scale up their customer base at a time when around half of households that have access to full-fibre broadband are yet to sign up.”

The regulator added: “For these reasons, we consider the offer would be unfair and could harm sustainable competition, which is essential for low prices and better services in the long run, as well as helping to power the UK’s growth and productivity.”

In its published decision, Ofcom said that because of Openreach’s significant market power, the company was uniquely able to make such a targeted low-price offer, while leaving prices for other customers unchanged.

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Ofcom said it was not intervening in Openreach’s other notified offers, which carry smaller discounts. According to the regulator’s consultation announcement in July, these include a one-off £50 discount on new full-fibre customers above an ISP’s usual sign-ups in areas where Virgin Media operates.

A Frontbook ARPU Share Offer caps what an ISP pays on average for new high-speed connections at £19.32 per month, Ofcom said. That offer, along with a Box Swap Offer, began on 1 July. Ofcom also cleared an Ethernet Net Demand Offer and an expansion of the area covered by Openreach’s existing Equinox discounts.

Ofcom opened its consultation on the offers on 28 July, and it closed on 27 August. The review sits under the rules set out in Ofcom’s Telecoms Access Review for 2026 to 2031, which retained restrictions on certain Openreach discounting practices and lengthened the notice period for its offers.

When the proposal was published in July, Natalie Black, Ofcom’s group director for infrastructure and connectivity, said: “Openreach must be able to compete, but they cannot use their significant market power to drive other networks out of the market.”

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James Lowther, Openreach’s commercial managing director, said: “Ofcom’s decision not to approve our incremental FTTP new to Openreach offer is in line with their consultation position. We put this offer forward in good faith to help our customers compete and deliver better value for households.

“While we continue to believe the offer would have benefited customers and competition, we’ll review the decision carefully and continue to engage constructively with Ofcom and our customers.

“We’ll launch our other offers and continue to compete fairly, including our FTTP offer within the VMO2 footprint and an ethernet offer for businesses.”

The decision comes as full-fibre coverage expands across the UK, with competing networks building in the same towns alongside Openreach.

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Alex Tofts, strategist at comparison site Broadband Genie, said: “While blocking Openreach’s wholesale discounts might seem counter-intuitive, denying major retail providers the opportunity to pass on immediate savings, it lowers the risk of squeezing out independent altnets that drive long-term competition.

“Consumers rely on real market choice. Independent providers operating outside the Openreach footprint frequently lead the way on speed, pricing, and customer service compared to well-known providers.”

He added: “The key challenge now, is ensuring this intervention doesn’t inadvertently drive up bills during a cost-of-living squeeze. History shows that Ofcom’s interventions can easily backfire on the very customers they’re meant to protect.”

Amy Ingham
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Amy Ingham

Amy Ingham is a reporter at Business Matters, covering UK business news with a focus on breaking news, business policy, late payments and insolvency. She joined the magazine in 2026 after completing the NCTJ Diploma in Journalism at Harlow College’s journalism school. Her recent reporting includes British Steel’s nationalisation and its impact on SME suppliers, the decline in late payments by large firms, and Insolvency Service director disqualifications. Reach her at aingham@cbmeg.co.uk.

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RBS fraud claims ruled a civil matter by Police Scotland

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RBS fraud claims ruled a civil matter by Police Scotland

Police Scotland has closed its handling of fraud allegations made by an Edinburgh businessman against Royal Bank of Scotland, telling his MP that the dispute is civil rather than criminal and that it will take no further action unless ordered to by a court.

The position was set out last month by Inspector Quentin Russell, deputy local area commander for North West Edinburgh, in correspondence with Tracy Gilbert, the Labour MP for Edinburgh North and Leith, who had raised the case of her constituent George Dosoo.

Mr Dosoo, a former hotel owner, alleges that money deducted from his business accounts by RBS was misappropriated. In a follow-up reply to Ms Gilbert, Inspector Russell said the matter “has been deemed a civil matter and is now closed in terms of any further investigation. This includes the money he alleges has been stolen.”

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According to a Police Scotland Professional Standards Department letter to Mr Dosoo dated 27 March 2025, the case centres on his allegation that RBS failed to honour an agreement to provide a 13-month repayment holiday on a business loan to him and his then business partner.

The letter sets out a timeline based on Mr Dosoo’s statements. In June 2005 the partnership bought the County Hotel with RBS funding, after a valuer instructed by the bank put its value at £1.95m. The partnership went into provisional liquidation in August 2008, and the hotel was sold in July 2010 for £1.65m, a sale Mr Dosoo says went ahead without his consent.

Mr Dosoo alleges the sale was the result of a fraudulent scheme involving his former partner, bank officials and property consultants acting for the lender. The lender’s position, according to the letter, is that the disputed interest payments were authorised by a designated clause.

Inspector Russell said Mr Dosoo had reported the matter three times: once to local policing in Edinburgh and twice to the force’s national Economic Crime Unit. Two detectives visited him at home on 11 October 2016 and concluded the circumstances did not constitute criminality, the Professional Standards letter states.

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Mr Dosoo complained about the police handling of his case on 4 October 2023. A sergeant reviewed the documents he supplied and consulted specialist financial investigators, and the crime registrar, who has final authority over whether a matter is recorded as a crime, agreed with the original assessment.

Detective Sergeant Fyall, a specialist economic crime investigator consulted during the review, wrote: “The actions of RBS to revalue the property (and then recall the loan) are entirely proportionate and within their right, especially given the financial climate at the time this happened.”

Inspector Russell told Ms Gilbert the review found insufficient evidence to support allegations of fraud or any other criminality, and no evidence of criminality in the conduct of Mr Dosoo’s former business partner that would justify police intervention.

The Professional Standards letter also said an accountancy opinion prepared on Mr Dosoo’s behalf and sent to his lender made no reference to any fraudulent activity.

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Mr Dosoo then took his complaint to the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (PIRC), which, according to Inspector Russell, did not uphold any of his allegations. The PIRC states that its complaint handling review decisions are final.

In an email to Ms Gilbert on 22 August, Mr Dosoo said the police summary had omitted a central point. “The crucial and important fact he did not say is the fact that funds deducted by RBS had gone missing/misappropriated and stolen,” he wrote.

He said detailed computations had been provided to Police Scotland by himself and a firm of independent experts, and that a judge at the Court of Session had agreed his claim had merit.

Inspector Russell said civil proceedings pursued through the Court of Session in Edinburgh had not produced any evidence of criminality, and that any further challenge would require a judicial review.

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Police Scotland “will not be taking any further action in this matter unless instructed to by a court of law following any judicial review instigated by Mr Dosoo,” he wrote.

Jamie Young
About the author

Jamie Young

Jamie Young is Senior Reporter at Business Matters, covering SME finance, employment law and Westminster policy since 2016. He has reported on every Budget and Autumn Statement since 2018, helped make sense of the ‘covid era’ and the bounce-back loan scheme from launch through the fraud investigations, and broke the magazine’s coverage of the 2024 late-payment reforms. He joined Business Matters straight from completing his BA in Administration from Exeter University and is NCTJ-qualified. Reach him at jyoung@cbmeg.co.uk

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NSE shares fall 2%, slip below IPO price, but analysts’ target prices go up to Rs 2,050. Time to buy?

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NSE shares fall 2%, slip below IPO price, but analysts’ target prices go up to Rs 2,050. Time to buy?
Shares of newly listed NSE fell 2% to a low of Rs 1,761 on the BSE on Monday, slipping below the IPO price of Rs 1,785 apiece. Following the decline, NSE’s market capitalisation stood at Rs 4.36 lakh crore, placing it as the 11th-largest listed Indian company, ahead of Tata Group’s Titan Company.

Reliance Industries remained India’s most valuable listed company with a market capitalisation of Rs 16.42 lakh crore, followed by HDFC Bank at Rs 11.16 lakh crore. Other companies ranked ahead of NSE include Bharti Airtel, ICICI Bank, SBI, TCS, Bajaj Finance, L&T, HUL and Sun Pharma, according to stock exchange data.

Should you buy, sell or hold NSE shares?

Macquarie says NSE is ‘The Dominator’ after it assigned an Outperform rating and a Rs 1,965 target price, implying an upside potential of 9.5% from the last close of Rs 1,793. The brokerage highlighted NSE’s full suite of services, technology and deep liquidity, which make it a key part of India’s financialization, calling it the “lynchpin” of India’s financialization. Strong network effects, profitability, and cash generation further support the business.

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Also read: How Gautam Adani turned ₹1 lakh crore of stressed asset deals into a mega infrastructure bet

Emkay also initiated coverage on NSE with a Buy rating and a Sep-27E target price of Rs 2,050, implying around 14% upside. The brokerage’s positive view on NSE rests on three key factors. First, India’s capital market development and growth story has a long runway as wealth creation and financialisation gain momentum, with India’s per capita GDP expected to move from around $3,000 to $10,000 over the coming decades.


Second, NSE has maintained a resilient leadership position across capital market business segments over the decades. Emkay believes its business model has sufficient levers to adapt to changing regulatory and macroeconomic conditions while continuing to deliver profitable growth.
Third, strong profitability and cash generation at market infrastructure institutions (MIIs), including stock exchanges, allow them to command higher valuation multiples globally than other capital market players, which are more fragmented and exposed to competition.NSE commands uncontested leadership across cash and derivatives, driven by a self-reinforcing liquidity flywheel. In the cash segment, NSE holds 93% market share while retaining near-monopoly in the equity futures and stock options segment. While BSE has captured market share following its derivatives relaunch, the brokerage believes index options are transitioning to a phase of stabilisation following several regulatory rejigs. “Supported by secular domestic financialization and under-penetration, NSE possesses a multi-year structural runway, as rising household savings, record SIP flows, and capital formation continue to compound,” it added.

Also read: Rs 6 lakh cr rout! 6 key triggers behind today’s market meltdown

Domestic brokerage firm PL Capital has assigned an ‘Accumulate’ rating with a target price of Rs 1,950, forecasting an upside of over 9% from current levels.

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While transaction income accounted for 79% of NSE’s operating revenue in FY26, PL Capital expects the exchange to increasingly benefit from a more diversified revenue mix, supported by multiple recurring income streams. Listing services, colocation, data feed and index licensing are expected to grow at a faster 14% CAGR over FY26-29E, compared with 9% for transaction income.

Disclaimer: This article has been written by Veer Sharma, who is not a SEBI-registered Research Analyst or an Investment Adviser. Veer Sharma and his/her ‘relative(s)’ (as defined under Section 2(77) of the Companies Act, 2013) do not hold any financial interest in the companies mentioned in this article as of the date of publication. The views/recommendations mentioned in this article, wherever applicable, are those of the respective SEBI-registered Research Analyst/brokerage and have been reproduced/reported with due attribution. They should not be construed as the views or recommendations of The Economic Times Digital or the journalist. Readers are advised to consider the original research report and make their investment decisions based on their own assessment. Brokerage disclaimers here.

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Bill Gates Warns Rogue Actors With AI Could Drive a Billion Deaths, Rejects Self-Regulation Alone

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Microsoft founder and technology advisor Bill Gates laughs at a trade show during the Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting in Omaha.

WASHINGTON — Bill Gates said artificial intelligence is already powerful enough to help cause a billion deaths if people with bad intent get the latest tools, and he told NBC that U.S. law — not company promises — has to set the safeguards.

“AI is certainly powerful enough to drive events that cause a billion deaths,” Gates said on “Meet the Press,” in an interview recorded Sept. 24 and aired Sunday. “So even though it’s pretty hard to get to 100 percent, there’s never been a weapon as powerful as the combination of people with ill intent using the latest AI tools.”

He split two clocks. One is the long-run fear that systems could slip human control, a warning associated with former Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon and other safety advocates. The other is nearer: terrorists or hostile states using models now. Americans, he said, should not skip the second while arguing about the first.

Federal legislation is “absolutely” required to watch what advanced systems do and to force safety features, he said. “No one believes self-regulation is sufficient.” Rules would add “a little administrative burden,” he said, and would not “dramatically” slow the pace of innovation.

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He was more specific on method than on a bill number. A kill switch is “not enough.” “We do need to monitor any sophisticated model and record exactly what’s being done.” Small groups with AI, he said, can now attempt work that once took a state’s cyber or bioweapons team. “Unless governments insist on various safeguards, you know, we will see a lot of big, negative things because we’re not safeguarding.”

Asked whether the systems are already beyond control, he said no. They are not running “millions of robots yet,” and “we can turn off the computer.” Asked whether extinction talk is a hoax, as President Donald Trump has written, Gates said, “It’s not a hoax at all.”

Trump has framed AI as a race the United States is winning. “WHOEVER WINS AI, WINS! We are leading China, and all others, and will continue to do so,” he posted. Gates called that line “fine” and said monitoring would not “handicap us in whatever he thinks the nation-state race is.” “Certainly, all countries should want the safeguards in place,” he said. “So anyone that says, ‘Well, you know, China won’t put these safeguards in place’ — I totally disagree with that.”

He wants to see Trump. He said he would not ask for a freeze. “I’ll be saying we should impose a requirement on all the AIs in the U.S. and I expect China doesn’t want bioterrorism, they don’t want big attacks by nongovernmental actors.”

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Mark Zuckerberg drew the opposite map three days earlier. In an NBC interview with Joanna Stern, the Meta chief rejected an industry-wide pause. “I don’t think that we need some kind of industrywide coordination,” Zuckerberg said. “I think that each lab needs to take the time, and when it sees that there are issues, you just take the time that you need internally to basically make sure that you’re proceeding safely.”

Asked if AI would kill people, he said: “Well, I think if we all do a good job and act responsibly then, no. I mean, I’m quite optimistic about the fact that this is going to be a very positive future for everyone.” He called much of the extinction talk “rhetoric that is filled with doom” and said “there’s plenty of commercial incentive to get this right.” “People aren’t going to adopt it if they don’t trust it.”

That is the split Hankyoreh laid out: Gates wants statutes; Zuckerberg wants each lab to stop itself. Brad Smith, Microsoft’s president and vice chair, has been pushing a third line — companies should not wait for Congress if a product looks unsafe. In remarks this month he compared the choice to aviation. “If you’re making a commercial airplane or if you’re making anything and you’re the CEO of a company and you conclude that your product is unsafe, should you ship it anyway? And I think the obvious answer is no. You have a responsibility to public safety.”

States are not waiting. California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an order last week to stand up an expert panel on stronger AI safety rules. Maryland and New York announced plans this week aimed at tighter in-state limits on AI firms and the data centers that train them.

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Gates has made the employment argument in a long essay, asking policymakers to reserve some jobs as human-only. The Sunday interview was about harm at scale, not payrolls. The number he chose — a billion deaths — is not a forecast of a date. It is a claim about leverage: the same models that write code and draft mail can, in his telling, amplify a small group the way a government weapons program once did.

Nuclear arms control needed two capitals and inspectors. AI copies. That is why he told Welker a global framework would be “more difficult” than Cold War nuclear talks, and why he keeps returning to logging and mandates instead of a single off switch. Zuckerberg’s answer is that a lab that ships a product people do not trust will lose the market. Gates’s answer is that the market is not the party that gets hurt first.

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Nifty 50 Falls Below 23,000 as Brent Near $107 and Foreign Selling Erase Rs 6 Lakh Crore Value

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Nifty 50

MUMBAI — India’s Nifty 50 broke below 23,000 on Monday as oil jumped and foreign investors kept selling, extending a seven-week losing streak that has pulled the benchmark to its weakest stretch since 2020.

The index was at 22,799.25 in late afternoon trade, down 341.25 points, or 1.47 percent, from Friday’s close, according to the snapshot on exchange feeds at 2:59 p.m. India time. That print sat under the 23,000 floor the Nifty had defended through last week. The Sensex dropped more than 1,000 points in the morning, with an intraday low near 72,856 reported by The Week. BSE-listed companies lost about Rs 6 lakh crore of market value in early trade, India Today said, as capitalization slipped from roughly Rs 483 lakh crore to about Rs 477 lakh crore.

The week is short. The immediate drivers are not. Brent crude rose more than 2 percent to about $106.60–$107 a barrel. West Texas Intermediate traded near $94–$95. Those prices followed another weekend without a diplomatic opening on the Strait of Hormuz. President Donald Trump rejected Iran’s latest proposal to reopen the waterway and halt fighting. Iran kept its conditions. Shippers priced a longer disruption.

Crude at that level is a tax on India. The country imports most of the oil it burns. Higher barrels feed inflation expectations, pressure the rupee and lift the subsidy and current-account debate that fund managers have been running since the Middle East war widened. U.S. Treasury yields moved with the oil bid. The 10-year note was near 5.2 percent. The 30-year was above 5.5 percent, a zone last seen in 2004, CNBC-TV18 reported. Dollar assets at those yields compete with emerging-market equities.

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Foreign portfolios have already chosen. After buying in July and August, they sold again in September. India Today put September equity sales near Rs 19,000 crore and year-to-date selling above Rs 2.5 lakh crore. Provisional NSE data showed Rs 3,694 crore of foreign selling on Friday alone.

Dr. V.K. Vijayakumar, chief investment strategist at Geojit Investments, named the two prices that matter this week. Brent at $106 and the U.S. 10-year at 5.2 percent were “strong headwinds” for markets, he said. “FPIs, after turning buyers in July and August have again turned sellers in September. This scenario will keep the market under pressure in the near-term.”

Banks and other financials led the domestic damage. Rate-sensitive stocks usually do when global yields jump and foreigners cut India. Mid-caps and small-caps, which held up better than the Nifty in parts of the summer, were pulled into the same tape. Asia was mostly lower. The KOSPI, Nikkei 225 and Shanghai Composite traded red. The Hang Seng was the exception.

The technical break added speed. CNBC-TV18 noted that 23,000 had been the downside hold all last week and gave way at the open. Once that line went, systematic selling and stop-loss flows tend to chase the index toward the next round number. The session low near 22,820, reported in morning coverage, put the Nifty at about a six-month trough. From the August peaks above 24,300, the index has given back more than 1,500 points.

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None of that is a verdict on Indian company earnings by themselves. It is a verdict on the discount rate and the oil bill. A seven-week losing streak is rare. The Financial Express said it was the longest since 2020. Streaks that long usually need more than one bad headline. This one has three: war risk at Hormuz, $107 crude, and foreign accounts that flipped from buyers to sellers when U.S. yields climbed.

Domestic institutions have been the other side of that trade for much of the year. They cannot cancel a $107 barrel. They can keep buying dips if household SIP flows stay steady. Monday’s tape suggested they were not large enough to hold 23,000 once oil and the dollar moved together.

What happens next is still the same checklist. A ceasefire that reopens Hormuz would take the risk premium out of crude. A deal that does not would keep Brent elevated and keep FPIs cautious. U.S. yields near 5.2 percent make that caution rational. Vijayakumar’s line is the one desks will repeat into the next session: the near term stays under pressure while those two numbers stay high.

For a reader watching only the Nifty, the story on Sept. 28 is simpler. The index that closed Friday above 23,100 was trading under 22,800 before the last hour. Sensex names had already marked off more than 1,000 points. Six lakh crore of listed value was gone by late morning. Oil, yields and foreign sales did the work. The 23,000 handle did not.

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Select Water Solutions: A Lot Of Moving Factors (NYSE:WTTR)

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Select Water Solutions: A Lot Of Moving Factors (NYSE:WTTR)

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Suzlon Energy shares fall 2% to near six-month low, down 15% in one month

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Suzlon Energy shares fall 2% to near six-month low, down 15% in one month
Suzlon Energy shares slipped over 2% on Monday, hitting their lowest level in nearly six months, as analysts flagged key levels for investors to watch.

The stock fell to Rs 39.92 apiece on the NSE, its lowest level since early April. It is now nearing its 52-week low of Rs 38.19, which it touched in March this year.

Suzlon Energy shares have lost nearly half their value since hitting a 52-week high of Rs 61.50 in November last year. The company currently has a market capitalisation of around Rs 54,968 crore.

The decline came amid a sharp rise in trading volumes. The broader stock market also remained under pressure on Monday, weighed down by surging oil prices, rising bond yields and broader geopolitical concerns.

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Also read | Why is the market falling today? Sensex tumbles over 900 points, Nifty below 22,900. 6 key factors behind Rs 6 lakh crore rout

Suzlon Energy Q1 results

Suzlon Energy shares saw a sharp downturn in July this year after the company reported a 6% year-on-year (YoY) drop in net profit to Rs 305 crore in Q1 FY27 from Rs 324 crore a year ago. The renewable energy player’s EBITDA fell to Rs 595 crore in Q1 FY27, from Rs 599 crore in the same period last year, while EBITDA margin declined to 15.6% from 19.2%. While net profit, EBITDA and margins declined, its revenue from operations rose 22.5% YoY to Rs 3,819 crore in Q1 FY27 from Rs 3,117 crore in the year-ago period.
EBITDA and PAT margins fell amid ongoing developments, given the temporary logistics disruptions arising from the geopolitical situation, certain strategic investments, and a change in scope and segment mix, said Suzlon Group’s CFO Rahul Jain.

Suzlon Energy optimistic on wind energy opportunities

India’s wind energy industry has visibility of around 85 GW capacity that could be commissioned before 2030, putting the sector broadly on track to achieve the government’s 100 GW wind power target, Suzlon Energy co-founder Girish Tanti told The Economic Times.

“If you add up the bids which have been announced, the projects under development and the projects under construction, already today as an industry, we have visibility about 85 GW before 2030 to be commissioned,” Tanti said, adding that with another five years remaining until 2030 and additional bids expected, the industry is largely on track to meet the 100 GW target.

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The executive said the next phase of India’s renewables planning should target 400 GW of wind capacity by 2047. “As an industry we are ready,” Tanti said, adding that the wind target could increase further as confidence in the technology grows.

Also read | Suzlon’s Girish Tanti says wind energy sector can meet 100 GW target by 2030

Disclaimer: This article has been written by Debaroti Adhikary, who is not a SEBI-registered Research Analyst or an Investment Adviser. Debaroti Adhikary and her ‘relative(s)’ (as defined under Section 2(77) of the Companies Act, 2013) do not hold any financial interest in the companies mentioned in this article as of the date of publication. The views/recommendations mentioned in this article, wherever applicable, are those of the respective SEBI-registered Research Analyst/brokerage and have been reproduced/reported with due attribution. They should not be construed as the views or recommendations of The Economic Times Digital or the journalist. Readers are advised to consider the original research report and make their investment decisions based on their own assessment. Brokerage disclaimers here.

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South African gold giant set to pursue Australian rival

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South African gold giant set to pursue Australian rival

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