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Former DeepMind researcher from Google adds to the warnings that AI will 'kill humans'
Former Google DeepMind employees warned on Monday that AI technology could "kill off all humans", and that time was running out for the avoidance of this outcome. The public is becoming more concerned about the potential danger of AI. Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon announced last week that he was resigning, partly because "people who are building AI believe it will kill us by the end the decade." Evan Hubinger, an anthropologist, responded to?Coxon’s comments by saying that he agreed with him and believed that there was a higher than?10% probability that AI would kill all humans in the next decade. Bilal Chughtai, a writer for X, wrote: "I recently resigned... from Google DeepMind where I worked on AGI alignment and safety research." "I honestly believe that AI could kill us all, and we may be running out of time." Chughtai was a research engineer at Google DeepMind and worked as such until July 2026. His LinkedIn profile states that he left the company. Google didn't respond to an outside of regular business hours request for "comment". Anthropic CEO Dario modei, in response to recent concerns, called for a halt in the pace of AI?development. He received rare support from SpaceXAI’s Elon Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, sparking a discussion on AI "doomerism." Chughtai said that steering AI safely is?possible, but coordination would be required "to avoid the manic race between AI companies." He added, "We must pace AI development at a rate that the society can handle. Emerging risks should be addressed before extreme harm occurs." The President Donald Trump has, however, dismissed the warnings. He said on social media that the AI industry's calls for regulation are a "hoax."
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Arbitration sought by Combined BHP Ports Unions over wage dispute
The union announced on Tuesday that it would take BHP, the world's largest?miner, to arbitration if the two parties could not agree on the?terms of a new wage?deal in Western Australia for the Port Hedland Iron Ore Operations. Port Hedland, the largest iron ore export center in the world and BHP's main shipping gateway to the Pilbara region, is the hub for BHP Pilbara operations. The union, which represents 450 workers on the site (operators and maintenance), will apply for a "intractable bargaining statement" which allows the Fair Work Commission to determine the terms of the agreement. Over the past nine months, both sides have been in talks to determine a wage agreement that will last four years. They've met almost weekly in recent weeks, with Fair Work Commission as a facilitator. ".....BHP refuses to negotiate an accord that reflects their specialized skills, the extreme conditions they work in and the personal sacrifices made by the employees who have generated more than $13 Billion in profits for the company?this past year", the Combined BHP Ports Unions stated in a press release. In response to a?request for comment, a BHP spokesperson stated: "Our focus is on delivering an?fair?and reasonable?agreement." BHP offers a 17% increase in pay for most workers over the four-year agreement. This includes a 'transition payment' of A$25,000 (17,802.50 USD) spread over two years as well as a rise in roster allowances. The union claims that 40% of workers would be worse off if this proposal were to go through.
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India's Tata share price jumps as RBI decision revives holding company's listing prospects
The shares of several Tata Group firms soared?on Tuesday, after India's Central Bank?rejected Tata Sons?application?to deregister as a non-bank lender. This revived prospects for a stock exchange listing for the holding company. Tata Chemicals shares jumped by 20% while Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles shares rose by 4.4%. Tata Consultancy and Tata Investment, a major provider of IT services, both advanced by 10% and 4.4%. Tata Sons'?potential listing could increase valuation and unlock value for Tata-linked companies. Tata Chemicals, Tata Motors, and Tata Investment?are listed Tata firms that own stakes in Tata Sons. Tata Sons assets alone totaled 1.75 trillion rupees (18.25 billion dollars) as of March 2025. The company has been privately owned for more than 100 years. It controls companies such as Tata Consultancy and Tata Motors. Tata Sons has been classified as a "core investment company" and is subject to RBI rules for non-bank lenders, which require that companies with assets over 1 trillion rupees or those with direct or indirect access to public funds be listed. Tata Sons announced last month that Chairman N Chandrasekaran will not seek reappointment. This has added to the 'uncertainty' surrounding the future leadership of the group.
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Mayor of Kyiv: Russia has hit petrol stations and warehouses in Kyiv
Vitali Klitschko, the mayor of Kyiv, Ukraine, said that a drone struck a petrol station early Tuesday morning. He also added that a drone had also struck warehouses in another part of the city. Witnesses heard an explosion in Kyiv The attack follows a?U.S. Donald Trump stated on Monday that Ukraine had agreed with Russia not to?hit each other's targets. Recently, Russia began targeting petrol stations in Kyiv and expanded the scope of facilities that were targeted. In the last few months, Russia has targeted around 300 petrol stations, mostly in or near Ukraine's frontline areas. In a social media statement, Poland's Armed Forces stated that as a precautionary measure, it had begun military aviation operations to secure its airspace. A regional governor on Telegram said that a Ukraine missile strike?damaged a warehouse owned by the ecommerce company Ozon, in the southern port of Taganrog. Separately, a?industrial facility?in the Samara Region on the Volga River was hit by a drone, said Governor Vyacheslav Federishchev on Telegram without naming this particular industrial facility. A number of large oil refineries are located in the?region. It was not possible to independently verify all the reports. Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the president of Ukraine, said that Kyiv would only support a U.S.-proposed ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine on energy sites if Washington could guarantee that Moscow was truly ready to end its conflict with Ukraine.
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China's oil throughput in August is up for the second consecutive month amid Iran war
China's oil throughput in August?rose for a second consecutive month but was still?6.9% lower than a year ago, according to?data released on Tuesday by the National Bureau of Statistics. In August, the world's largest oil buyer processed 59.07 metric tons crude oil, or 13,91 million barrels per day. This is an increase of 11.2% compared to July. Oil throughput in the first eight months was 456.12 millions metric tons or 13.7 million bpd. This is down 6.6% compared to a year earlier. According to data, China's domestic crude oil production in August rose by 0.8% on the year to a total of?18.43 metric tonne, or 4.34 millions bpd. Beijing does not release information on its reserves. However, calculations that add official crude imports and domestic production, then subtract refinery output, estimated a drop of 639,000 barrels per day (bpd) in August. This was the second largest drop since the Iran War began, following a decline of 936,000 barrels per day?in June. The data also revealed that the crude oil production for the year to date was 146.39 millions metric tons. This is a 0.9% increase from last year. The natural gas production in August increased by 0.8% from the previous year to?21.4 billion cubic meters (bcm). The output for the year to date is 175.7 bcm. This represents a 1.1% increase from a previous year.
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New Hope coal miner in Australia pays out highest dividends since 2022
New Hope Corp, a thermal coal -miner in Australia, declared its 'largest ever final dividend' on Tuesday. This was despite the fact that their annual profit had more than halved and they missed expectations. The shares rose to their highest level in over 3-1/2 years. Rob Bishop, CEO of. "We had a good year and we were able to pay out a large dividend," said he. New Hope announced a final dividend per share of 30 Australian cents for fiscal 2026. This is the highest since 2021 when it was 31 cents and surpasses last year's 15 Australian cents. The company's shares rose by as much as 4.1% in the early trading, reaching their highest level since January 2023. As of 0056 GMT, the broader market was down 0.5%. Sales and production of saleable coal increased by 7.6% and 11.8% respectively. This was due to the ramp-up at its New Acland Mine in Queensland, and the strong performance in the second half of the year at the Bengalla Mine in New South Wales. The annual net profit after taxes fell by 63.4% compared to the previous year, falling to A$161 million ($114.94 millions), the lowest level since fiscal 2021 when A$79million was recorded. Visible Alpha's estimate of A$182.2 millions was also not met. New Hope said that its earnings were negatively affected by a decline of 8.8% in the average realized sales price to A$143.2 per tonne. This was due to unfavourable exchange rate fluctuations, as well as an increase in the percentage of sales with high-ash across the group. The company's Bengalla Growth Project and ramp-up at the New Acland Mine?also contributed to the decline in profits. The company stated that it expects thermal coal prices will be well supported in the medium to long term, due to a shortage of supply caused by ageing assets and a lack of investment in new projects.
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Asian shares fall as oil prices and yields increase ahead of Fed and BOJ meetings
Asian shares struggled on Tuesday, as investors considered Middle East tensions. Industry figures also called for a halt in AI development. Meanwhile, higher oil prices and bond yields heightened caution ahead of 'key' central bank meetings taking place in the U.S. Yemen's Houthis, who are aligned with Iran, launched a new offensive on Saudi Arabia Monday. Riyadh had blamed Iran-backed fighters based in Iraq for an assault on the east-west oil pipeline of the kingdom that could disrupt up to 4% global supply. Gulf Arab states have also delayed planned talks with Iran. Brent crude was up by 1.21% at $106.96 a barrel, while U.S. Crude rose 1.27% to $102,68 per barrel. In a recent note, Yokoo Akihiko, an analyst at Mitsubishi UFJ Bank said that the markets are likely to continue to focus on the possibility that higher crude oil costs could contribute to 'inflationary forces, and in turn, drive interest rates higher. Leading AI figures have called for a'slow down in development of AI technology. This has continued to resonate through the markets, even as U.S. president Donald Trump has played down concerns about misuse. He said that existing U.S. protections are adequate and China would benefit from any doubts regarding AI development. MSCI's broadest Asia-Pacific share index outside Japan fell 0.12%. South Korea's 0.25% drop led the way. Japan's Nikkei index edged up 0.19% after reversing its early losses. Shares of chip-related companies were mixed. South Korea's Samsung Electronics lost 0.2%, while Japan's Kioxia rose 3.3%. Federal Open Market Committee will begin its two-day session later that day. The markets have priced in a 90% probability of a rate increase, which would be the first since mid-2023. Morgan Stanley analysts said in an?address that "while inflation continues to decelerate" recent upside surprises have made the pace of disinflation slower and less convincing. They expect a 25 basis point hike on Wednesday and December. "We can see both arguments for a hike or a hold. However, signs of second-round impacts from energy prices and strong demand linked to AI-related investments, as well as a neutral rate which is temporarily higher and concerns over credibility, mean that the balance of risk now argues in favor of a slightly more restrictive policy." Overnight, the benchmark yield on 10-year U.S. Treasury bonds reached 5% for first time in 2023. Germany's 10-year yield rose above 3.51% to its highest level since 2009, and U.S. Treasury bond yields also touched 5% overnight. Tuesday, Japan’s benchmark 10-year government bond rate jumped back to 3%. Bank of Japan will likely raise its interest rate to 1.25% by 25 basis points at the conclusion of its two-day session on Friday, and signify that more tightening is to come. The Bank of Japan is looking to bolster the yen following intervention that helped move the currency away from a low for 40 years. The dollar index, which measures greenbacks against a basket including the yen, and euro, increased 0.05%, to 99.53. Meanwhile, the euro fell 0.03%, to $1.1543. The dollar rose 0.17% against the Japanese yen to 154.61. Spot gold fell 0.15%, to $4,291.59 per ounce. Spot silver dropped 0.31%, to $63.03 per ounce.
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SB Energy will sell shares worth up to $500,000,000 to Japanese investors as part US IPO
A filing on Tuesday showed that the SoftBank Group-backed Data 'centre developer SB Energy will sell up to $500 million worth of shares to Japanese investors as part a a U.S. public listing. The filing stated that the firm would issue new shares to the Japanese investors and the funds raised would be used for "general operating costs" for the development of data centres, "power generation", and other infrastructure projects. The filing did not disclose the size of the U.S. Initial Public Offering. SoftBank could be looking for a $50 billion valuation for SB Energy. SB Energy's investment prospectus from September reported that Nvidia had committed to investing $1.5 billion at the IPO price in a private placing, while OpenAI was issued warrants valued at approximately $5.5 billion. Investor interest in artificial intelligence led to a flurry of 'public listing' in related firms this year. SpaceX listed in June, and Anthropic is preparing to list in the second half of.this year. Japanese investors?secured a total of $2.2 billion in SpaceX shares at its IPO.
Trades to Make Europe Great Again are gaining momentum
Investors are recognizing that a more independent and less U.S. dependent Europe is emerging. These opportunities go beyond simply buying defence stocks.
There is good reason to be cautious, as the massive German expenditure on infrastructure and defence will not be felt for some time. Many are still playing the long-game.
Mark Dowding is the CIO of RBC's BlueBay Fixed Income team. He said that MAGA trades have now replaced MEGA trades. MAGA trades had lost their appeal. Mark was referring to President Donald Trump's Make America Great Again campaign.
DEFENCE FIRST
The German fiscal expansion and the Brussels plan to mobilize up to 800 billion euro ($866 billion) in rearmament means that defence stocks are still a fertile investment ground, even though they have risen since Russia invaded Ukraine 2022.
European aerospace and defense stocks are up 33% in the past year. The valuation multiples of these stocks now exceed those of their U.S. counterparts, reaching levels usually associated with high-tech or luxury goods.
This month, the tankmaker Rheinmetall briefly traded at a higher price than Ferrari, with a 44-fold multiple of its expected earnings. Investors are willing to pay more for this long-term trend.
Citi estimates that the average annual profit growth of defence companies is expected to range from 8% at BAE up to 32% at Rheinmetall by 2028.
It's not easy for the European Union to purchase more European weapons. Data from the European Commission shows that 78% of EU purchases have been made outside the EU since 2022. 63% went to the U.S.
Some caution after a large rally.
Markus Hansen, the Vontobel Fund Manager Markus Hansen believes that investors should concentrate on areas where there is a real and pressing need such as rebuilding depleted ammo stockpiles or infantry-related gear.
Defence supply chain companies and other sectors, including communications, could also benefit.
Eutelsat's stock has risen 260% in the last month on speculation that it could replace Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite to provide internet access to Ukraine.
Defence is not just about weapons. It's also about data, communication and logistics. Tomas Hildebrandt, portfolio manager at Evli, said that the value chain is a complex one where suppliers are important.
He said that examples could include the truckmaker Scania, Traton's Atlas Copco, which manufactures machinery for industrial and infrastructure projects, as well as construction companies.
Hey Bond
There will be more triple-A rated debts, whether they are joint EU bonds or German debt. This will help to maintain the status of the euro as a reserve currency.
The historic infrastructure and defense spending in Germany could amount to more than A
Additional debt of trillions of euros
Even the EU's supporters did not anticipate this move just a few months ago.
The SAFE bonds will add to the EU's debt of 650 billion euros.
This is a sign that the EU might be able to become a permanent borrower, as investors had long hoped. It would also mean it was ready to take on another challenge following its COVID-19 Recovery Fund.
However, the loans are only a small part of the 800-billion euro plan. The rest is left to the national governments.
3/ BINGING ON IT
The fiscal boost has brightened the economic outlook and European banks have surged by 26% in the first quarter of the year, their best since 2020.
Berenberg predicts that Germany's GDP will grow by roughly 1.4% between 2026 and 2027, after nearly four years of stagnation.
According to a March survey by BofA, the biggest sector overstretch in Europe is insurance and banks. Industrials are next.
Trevor Yates is a senior investment analyst at GlobalX and noted that the firm's DAX German stocks ETF has been receiving a lot of interest.
Investors expect European regulators to ease bank rules in light of the U.S. regulatory drive.
BlueBay Dowding stated that European bank capital bond were the firm's biggest overweight position in multi asset credit funds.
PERIPHERAL WINNS
Manish Kabra of Societe Generale's multi-asset strategist says that Spanish and Italian stocks are cheaper than those found in the core Europe. They could be poised to gain.
Southern European stocks also have a lower exposure to U.S. Tariffs than Germany and France, but they are heavily exposed to banks.
There are parallel developments. The German debt brake is one thing, but the MDAX (midcap) and the long euro are the other. "The two things that impact the banks are banking regulation and nominal GDP growth in Europe," Kabra explained.
The periphery provides exactly that.
5/ RENEWABLE
Analysts said that the push for Europe to become more independent in energy, starting 2022, will continue. Renewable energy and domestic power companies are expected to benefit.
The European Commission presented an Action Plan that aims to accelerate permits for renewable energy, change the way energy tariffs are calculated, and increase aid from state for cleaner industries and flexible power generation.
The German government plans to increase its spending by 100 billion euros, which will go towards climate and economic transformation.
Think tank Ember reports that solar generation will provide 11% of EU electricity in 2024 compared to 9.3% in 2030, and surpass coal.
Iberdola Endesa Enel, European utility companies have all rallied between 7-16% this year.
(source: Reuters)