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North American Edition
8th September 2025
 
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THE HOT STORY

Foreign companies need to train Americans, Trump says

Foreign companies need to hire and train American workers and respect immigration laws, U.S. President Donald Trump said after federal agents arrested about 475 workers at Hyundai's car battery plant in Ellabell, Georgia, on Thursday. "Following the Immigration Enforcement Operation on the Hyundai Battery Plant in Georgia, I am hereby calling on all Foreign Companies investing in the United States to please respect our Nation's Immigration Laws," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "Your Investments are welcome, and we encourage you to LEGALLY bring your very smart people, with great technical talent, to build World Class products, and we will make it quickly and legally possible for you to do so. What we ask in return is that you hire and train American Workers."
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LEGAL

Plans to target more businesses for immigration enforcement

The Trump administration is set to increase immigration enforcement in workplaces following the raid at a Hyundai facility in Georgia, which resulted in 475 arrests, primarily of South Korean nationals. Speaking on CNN's 'State of the Union,' White House border czar Tom Homan said the administration would intensify the focus on workplaces. "We're going to do more worksite enforcement operations," Homan said. "No one hires an illegal alien out of the goodness of their heart. They hire them because they can work them harder, pay them less, undercut the competition that hires U.S. citizen employees." Opponents of the crackdown and some business groups say major U.S. industries, including agriculture, hospitality and meatpacking, depend on immigrants without legal status.
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CYBERSECURITY

FBI probes China scheme to spy on trade groups using fake emails

The FBI is investigating a bogus email purportedly from a Republican lawmaker that contained malware apparently aimed at giving China insights into the Trump administration's trade talks with Beijing. The malware in the email that appeared to be sent by Rep. John Moolenaar (R., Mich.) in July to U.S. trade groups, law firms and government agencies, and which asked for input on proposed sanctions with which the legislators were planning to target Beijing, was traced by cyber analysts to a hacker group believed to be working for Chinese intelligence. In a statement, Moolenaar said the effort was another example of China’s offensive cyber operations designed to steal and leverage American strategy. “We will not be intimidated,” he said.
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WORKFORCE

U.S. economy added 22,000 jobs in August

The Labor Department reported on Friday that U.S. jobs growth continued to slow down in August. The economy added 22,000 jobs, down from 79,000 in July. Economists polled by the Wall Street Journal had expected a gain of 75,000 jobs. July’s figures were revised up by 6,000 to a gain of 79,000 for the month. The unemployment rate, which is based on a separate survey from the jobs figures, was 4.3%, up slightly from 4.2% in July. Private-sector employment grew by 38,000 jobs, driven by a gain of 46,800 jobs in healthcare and social assistance. Federal government employment declined 15,000 jobs. “The job market is stalling short of the runway,” said Daniel Zhao, chief economist at jobs site Glassdoor. “The labor market is losing lift, and August’s report, along with downward revisions, suggests we’re heading into turbulence without the soft landing achieved.” The report is the first to be published since President Donald Trump fired Erika McEntarfer, the official tasked with compiling labor statistics, alleging that she had "manipulated" the results to paint his administration's policies in a poor light.
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STRATEGY

Claire's cuts store closures to 291

Claire's, the bankrupt jewelry and accessories retailer, now plans to close 291 U.S. stores, far fewer than the 700 closures announced last month. The shift comes after private equity firm Ames Watson offered to acquire the chain for $140m, a deal awaiting court approval. Claire's, which filed for bankruptcy in August for the second time in under a decade, has struggled with high interest rates, rising labor costs and tariffs, alongside the broader decline of mall-based retail. While restructuring offers a lifeline, analysts warn that retailers re-emerging from Chapter 11 often face liquidation if challenges persist.
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ECONOMY

Service activity indices point to solid economic growth

The Institute for Supply Management (ISM)’s index of services rose 1.9 points in August to 52, the fastest pace of expansion seen in six months. The reading was above the 50-mark separating expansion from contraction, and ahead of all but one estimate in a Bloomberg survey of economists. The new orders index jumped 5.7 points, the most since September, to 56, while the business activity index climbed to a five-month high of 55. Twelve services industries expanded last month, led by information, wholesale trade and arts and entertainment. Activity contracted in four industries. Meanwhile, S&P Global's August U.S. Services Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) from S&P Global came in at 54.5, below the 55.4 forecast. The reading marks the 31st consecutive month of expansion and the second strongest growth of 2025 so far.
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TECHNOLOGY

Anthropic settles copyright lawsuit

Anthropic has agreed to pay $1.5bn to settle a class action lawsuit filed by authors who accused the company of using their work to train its AI models. The settlement, which is subject to judicial approval, could be the largest copyright recovery in history. Justin Nelson, a lawyer for the authors, said: “As best as we can tell, it's the largest copyright recovery ever . . . It is the first of its kind in the AI era.” He added: “This settlement sends a powerful message to AI companies that taking copyrighted works from these pirate websites is wrong.”
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CORPORATE

HR is not for wimps

The Financial Times' Pilita Clark says that as HR's remit relentlessly expands, "the profession is reaching a point where it is unusually prone to attack from employees and employers alike."
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INTERNATIONAL

Australian retailers warn of extra costs from staff underpayment ruling

Woolworths and Coles have warned they could incur millions in additional remediation costs following the Federal Court's decision on historical underpayments to staff. The court on Friday found that the Australian retailers failed to record overtime hours for up to 28,000 salaried managers who were underpaid from 2013. In separate ASX announcements, Woolworths said that its initial costs are likely to come in at A$180m-A$330m ($118m-$217.26m), potentially rising to A$530m, while Coles has flagged costs of A$150m-A$250m. Australian Retailers Association chief executive Chris Rodwell said the case demonstrated the challenges businesses across the retail sector faced in complying with the complex General Retail Industry Award (GRIA). “With 994 different pay rates across almost 100 pages, the GRIA is incredibly difficult for employers to understand. It is clearly not fit-for-purpose for larger employers,” he said. “The expectation that smaller mum-and-dad operated businesses, who lack legal and HR resources, can use the award appropriately is entirely unreasonable.”

U.K. labor unions call for workers’ rights commitment

Labor unions in the U.K. are urging the government not to water down the Employment Rights Bill amid a reshuffle that has seen ministers who spearheaded calls for enhanced workers’ rights leave their positions. Unions have voiced concern after Angela Rayner resigned as Deputy Prime Minister and Justin Madders was removed as Employment Rights Minister. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said that removing ministers who have worked with unions on the Bill "signals a move in the wrong direction." Paul Nowak, general secretary of the TUC, said that while the Conservatives and Lib Dems "are desperately trying to water this Bill down," Labour must stand firm and deliver legislation that will "level the playing field." TUC analysis shows that 4m people in the U.K. are in insecure work, including those on zero-hours contracts, agency workers and low-paid self-employed workers who miss out on key rights and protections. 

New law to target workplace bullying in Bahrain

A proposal to define and criminalise workplace bullying has been tabled by lawmakers in Bahrain who stress its importance for protecting employees’ dignity, upholding human rights and reinforcing workplace justice. The legislative push is being spearheaded by the Strategic Thinking Bloc. Dr Mariam Al Dhaen, a member of the bloc, has described workplace bullying as "a hidden injustice" that leaves lasting psychological scars on victims. “Bullying at work is not just a normal disagreement between employees; it is abusive behaviour that threatens human dignity and basic rights,” Dr Al Dhaen said.
 
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