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Fujitsu's European chief executive, Paul Patterson, has defended the company's continued profits from UK government contracts despite its role in the Post Office Horizon scandal. Patterson said: "We are not a parasite," as he emphasised that the government "has got an option as to whether they wish to extend those contracts or not." Fujitsu has been given £500m of contract extensions despite its faulty software being at the centre of the scandal that saw more than 900 sub-postmasters wrongly prosecuted. Patterson declined to specify the scale of Fujitsu's contribution to the £1.8bn redress scheme for victims, saying that the firm is awaiting the final report from an official Inquiry.

 

BBC News

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Experts are warning that this year's World Cup faces significant cyber threats. Darren Anstee, chief technology officer for security at Netscout, warns of a "very real risk" of distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks targeting the event, which is being co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada. He observed that the tournament's "scale and visibility make it a marquee target for hacktivists and cybercriminals." He warned that "preparation is essential" for organisers and sponsors to mitigate potential disruption that could impact revenue and brand reputation.

 

City AM

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) saw a £3bn loss in sales due to a cyber attack that disrupted operations. Shipments fell by 43% between October and December, with only 59,200 vehicles delivered compared to 104,000 the previous year. Retail sales also dropped by 25% to 79,600 units. JLR's factories were shut down for September following the attack, with production resuming slowly in October.

 

The Daily Telegraph

The Times

Bridgewater Associates founder Ray Dalio has cautioned that the current AI boom may be in the early stages of a financial bubble, as investor enthusiasm has significantly driven up technology stock prices. Despite a record-breaking year for US equities in 2025, Dalio observed that non-US stocks and gold outperformed their US counterparts, indicating potential risks in the market. As concerns about this bubble grow, analysts suggest investors may shift their focus towards undervalued areas of the financial landscape.

 

Reuters

UK media regulator Ofcom has contacted social media platform X about concerns that its Grok AI tool can generate inappropriate images, including undressed images of women and sexualised images of children. Ofcom is assessing potential compliance issues under the Online Safety Act, which mandates social media firms to prevent and remove child sexual abuse material. The watchdog said: "We have made urgent contact with X and xAI to understand what steps they have taken to comply with their legal duties to protect users in the UK."

 

Sky News

The Guardian

InPost, the owner of Yodel, has received a takeover proposal, boosting its shares by over 28%. The Polish company confirmed an "indicative proposal regarding a potential acquisition of all shares" but did not disclose details about the suitor or price. Reports suggest a consortium led by Advent International is behind the multibillion-euro bid. InPost operates in nine countries and has faced challenges, including a decline in reliance from its largest Polish customer. InPost said: "A special committee has been formed . . . to consider all aspects of a potential transaction."

 

The Times

Italy’s Eni and Spain’s Repsol are struggling to recover payments worth about $6bn from Venezuela amid indifference from US officials about the debt, according to people familiar with the situation. 

 

Financial Times

Howden, the UK insurance broker, has acquired M&A protection specialist Atlantic Group for over $500m. Founders Richard French, Joe O'Brien, and David Haigh will reinvest a significant portion of their equity to become shareholders in Howden. The acquisition aims to enhance Howden's presence in the US market, where it seeks to compete with major brokers including Marsh & McLennan and Aon. David Howden, Howden's CEO, said: "We aim to create a global powerhouse." 

 

Insurance Journal

The UK Treasury and the Debt Management Office, which conducts Britain’s debt sales, are reportedly looking at “measures to incentivise or promote investment” in short-term Treasury bills by retail customers. 

 

Financial Times

The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) aims to enhance transparency in European businesses by requiring them to report on societal and environmental impacts. Despite recent amendments that raise thresholds for compliance, experts argue that businesses should continue to engage with CSRD reporting. Susanna Arus, EU Public Affairs Manager at law firm Frank Bold, advises companies to maintain their reporting efforts to avoid being sidelined in investment decisions. The ongoing political debate around the CSRD reflects tensions between pro-business and environmental priorities within the European Parliament, with implications for future regulations.

 

Luxembourg Times

Delcy Rodríguez was sworn in as acting president of Venezuela in Caracas on Jan. 5. Bloomberg reports that executives, lawyers, and investors tied to the oil industry made the case for Rodríguez as Nicolás Maduro's successor following his ouster, observing that as an oil minister herself, she would be best placed to guide the US plan to optimise Venezuela's oil production. However, the biggest US oil majors were not among Rodriguez's advocates. A spokesperson for Chevron, the only major US oil company licensed to operate in Venezuela, said it “had no advance notice of the recent operation and did not engage in any discussions with administration officials regarding governance for a post-Maduro Venezuela.” 

 

Bloomberg

South East Water chief executive David Hinton has suggested that an increase in home working in the UK was partly to blame for leaving residents of Tunbridge Wells without water for nearly a fortnight in December.  “Starting in 2021, we had an uptick in demand following Covid. We are a commuter-based area and a lot of our customers are spending a lot more time at home,” he told MPs on the environment select committee. “There were lifestyle changes and we’ve had some really extreme weather events over that period between 2021 and 2025. And that has meant the resilience of these particular areas has been stretched.”

 

Financial Times

Daily Mail

The Guardian

The Times

The Louvre museum in Paris opened on Monday but some parts stayed closed as staff resumed their strike. Staff had convened earlier in the day to decide whether to resume the rolling strike to protest against pay and working conditions. Unions say employees at the world's most visited museum are overworked and mismanaged. They are urging more hiring, pay increases, and better use of how the Louvre's money is spent.

 

Reuters

The Local