Chief-Exec.com

Trump signs order seeking government access to new AI releases
Donald Trump on Tuesday signed an executive order creating a voluntary framework under which AI developers will share advanced models with the US government before public release. The central provision allows companies such as OpenAI, Google or Anthropic to give the government access to their most powerful models for up to 30 days before planned release. The order was triggered by concerns over Anthropic's Mythos model, which the AI start-up has held back from the public due to its ability to expose vulnerabilities in computer systems, including those of banks, governments and hospitals. The 30-day window represents a compromise. The original draft called for up to 90 days of pre-release government access, while tech companies had pushed to cut that figure to just 14 days. France 24, June 2

OECD warns of ‘dark scenario’ if Gulf energy crisis drags on
Failure to resolve the energy crisis in the Middle East would plunge the world into a “dark scenario” of tumbling growth and sharply higher interest rates, the OECD has warned. The Paris-based organisation said a “prolonged disruption” to energy flows that lasts into the second half of 2027 would cut global growth to 2.1 per cent this year and just 1.8 per cent next year. Such rates are “extremely low outside of major global recessions such as the global financial crisis or the pandemic”, the OECD warned, adding that major central banks such as the US Federal Reserve would need to respond by lifting interest rates at least a half-point to curtail inflation risks. Efforts to move beyond the fragile truce between Washington and Tehran have faltered in recent days as Iran attacked a US military base in Kuwait in response to American strikes against military targets in southern Iran. This has damped hopes that a deal may be close to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to more ships. Financial Times, June 3

Shell pumped oil through Nigeria pipeline for years despite pollution evidence, documents show
British multinational Shell continued operating a major oil pipeline in Nigeria for years even though it knew it was causing widespread pollution - despite a warning from its own staff and its own technical standards, internal documents obtained by the BBC show. The files, including emails and presentations, reveal that a senior Shell executive cautioned as early as 2008 about the risks of continuing to pump millions of barrels of unrefined fuel through one of the company's main pipelines in Africa's biggest oil producer while it was subject to massive and destructive uncontrolled theft and infrastructure failures. Across Nigeria's oil-rich southern Niger Delta, decades of oil spills have left a landscape deeply scarred, with wetlands increasingly coated in crude and contaminated sediment. The BBC obtained the internal documents after Shell disclosed them as part of ongoing legal proceedings in the UK brought by communities living around the creeks and mangroves of the Niger Delta, who want Shell to be liable for the pollution caused by more than 100 leaks stemming from theft and illegal refining of oil between 2011 and 2013 that have damaged their health, environment and livelihoods. BBC news, June 3

Several UK universities nearly ran out of cash last year, says report
Nearly a quarter of British universities had less than 70 days of cash to cover their costs at the end of 2024-25, according to a new analysis highlighting the intensifying difficulties facing the country’s higher education institutions. A report prepared by the University of East London based on the published accounts of 160 universities shows that 60 institutions scored badly on a range of financial sustainability metrics including liquidity, with 39 reporting less than two months’ net cash to cover costs. A quarter had very concentrated sources of income, with staffing accounting for at least three-fifths of total costs, and high marginal cost ratios, meaning spending had grown more rapidly than income in recent years. Financial Times, June 3

David Cameron offered Boris Johnson senior cabinet role if he agreed not to push for Brexit
David Cameron offered Boris Johnson a senior cabinet position in return for campaigning for the UK to remain in the EU during the 2016 referendum, it has been revealed. In the event, and with four months to go before the vote, Johnson transformed the terms of the debate by announcing in February 2016 that “after a huge amount of heartache” he was throwing his weight behind the campaign to take Britain out of the EU. Lord Cameron told a BBC documentary to mark the 10th anniversary of Brexit that he had offered Johnson - a sometime friend and long-term rival in the Conservative party - a “top five” position, such as defence secretary, on the condition that he did not support the push to leave. In the programme, Johnson speaks of being invited in early 2016 by Cameron, who was then the prime minister, to play tennis and discuss his position on the forthcoming poll. The Guardian, June 3

Trump administration abandons $1.8bn ‘slush fund’
The Trump administration has abandoned its plans to disburse $1.8 billion to Americans supposedly wronged by previous presidents after a political and legal backlash. The $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponisation Fund”, announced by the Department of Justice last month, drew criticism from both sides of the political divide. Todd Blanche, the acting attorney-general, told the House on Tuesday: “We’re not moving forward with the fund, period.” The Times, June 2

US in talks to expand nuclear weapons deployments in Europe
The US is discussing whether to deploy nuclear weapons in additional European Nato states, in a move intended to reassure allies that reduced conventional military support does not weaken security guarantees. US officials have signalled openness to additional deployments beyond the existing six countries hosting nuclear-capable bombers, three people briefed on the discussions told the FT. The talks, which are highly confidential and may not lead to any changes in nuclear-sharing arrangements, come amid widespread concern in Europe over Donald Trump’s moves to remove US troops and critical weapons systems from the continent. It would potentially allow more countries to host so-called US dual-capable aircraft, which are able to deliver nuclear strikes. Two of the people said the openness to discussing an expansion was intended to show the US commitment to providing a nuclear umbrella even as Nato allies were pushed to shoulder more of the conventional defence burden. Financial Times, June 2

Benjamin Netanyahu faces backlash after Donald Trump call
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has come under fire from both allies and opponents after failing to follow through on threats to bomb Hizbollah targets in Beirut, as a result of heavy pressure from US President Donald Trump. Netanyahu said on Monday morning that he had ordered the military to bomb targets in the Lebanese capital in retaliation for Hizbollah’s drone attacks on northern Israel, piling further strain on a disintegrating ceasefire between the two sides that was announced by Trump in April. But after a call between Trump and Netanyahu on Monday evening, during which the US president said he demanded Israel abandon plans for a “major raid”, the Israeli military did not carry out Netanyahu’s threats. Trump subsequently claimed Netanyahu had “turned his Troops around”. “[Hizbollah] agreed to stop shooting at Israel and its soldiers. Likewise, Israel agreed to stop shooting at them,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. “Let’s see how long that lasts — Hopefully it will be for ETERNITY!” Financial Times, June 2

EU agrees deal for deporting migrants to third-country 'return hubs'
European Union lawmakers and governments agreed on Monday to new rules allowing countries to deport migrants ordered to leave the bloc to centres in third countries, a move that has drawn sharp criticism from rights groups that warn it could ​enable abuses. The deal ‌is part of a broader tightening of EU migration policy amid pressure from right-wing parties, even as irregular arrivals fell ⁠26 per cent last year to their lowest level since 2021. The legislation, which still requires formal approval by EU governments and the European Parliament, was proposed by the European Commission last year. The commission says it would streamline ‌procedures and give governments more tools to deport people while respecting fundamental rights. Rights groups dispute that assessment. France 24, June 2

Trump administration appears to halt $1.8bn payout fund plan
The Trump administration has signalled it will halt its plans to disburse $1.8 billion of taxpayer money to Americans supposedly wronged by previous presidents after a political and legal backlash. President Trump met Mike Johnson, the Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives, on Monday after lawmakers from the party expressed unease over the administration’s plans to potentially reward those who stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021. The $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponisation Fund”, announced by the Department of Justice last month, drew criticism from politicians on both sides of the political divide. John Thune, the Republican Senate majority leader, said the funding would struggle to get approval from Congress and warned the White House it would slow the passage of a $72 billion budget reconciliation package. “I made my views very clear on the issue,” he told reporters. “I do think the best way to handle it is if the administration decides to shut it down themselves.” The DoJ confirmed the administration had paused the allocation of funding to comply with a court ruling by a federal judge in the Eastern District of Virginia. A hearing on the fund’s legality is scheduled for June 12. The Times, June 1

Third of people no longer believe degree is worth the time or money, UK poll shows
Public confidence in the value of a university education has plummeted after decades of unfettered expansion across the sector. The latest British Social Attitudes survey found the proportion of people who believe a degree is not worth the time and money has jumped from 14 per cent in 2005 to 34 per cent in 2025. Correspondingly, the proportion who believe those who go to university will end up a lot better off financially than those who do not has nosedived, down from 50 per cent to 36 per cent. Higher education in the UK has undergone a huge transformation since the first BSA survey in 1983. At that time, only a tiny proportion of school leavers - about 6% - went to university. By 2025, that had ballooned to 36 per cent, and more than 2 million domestic students were enrolled. This means more graduates are hunting for jobs. They are also paying more for their education. When tuition fees were introduced in 1998, they were set at £1,000 a year. Now, English students pay up to £9,535 a year, as well as living costs. The Guardian, June 2

China goes after 'ghost kitchens' to rein in cut-throat food delivery apps
Chinese authorities have taken aim at a new target as they rein in the country's cut-throat food delivery industry: "ghost kitchens", or restaurants that don't actually exist but appear on apps. The "ghost kitchens" outsource orders to third-party vendors, which fulfil them at lower costs, allowing merchants to push down prices and maximise profits. Authorities have found thousands of these "ghost kitchens" across China, raising concerns that the cheap prices are coming at the cost of food safety. Starting this week, apps must verify restaurants' licences and addresses, while merchants must ensure the listing online matches the physical business and specify if it offers dine-in services. The scrutiny of "ghost kitchens" began last year, after a man in Beijing lodged a complaint over an unsatisfactory cake topped with inedible flowers. He had ordered it on a food delivery app, state media reported. Officials found that the cake chain he had ordered from listed nearly 380 locations on major e-commerce platforms but did not have a single physical store. Its online shops also allegedly used forged business licences. BBC news, June 2