Marks & Spencer has confirmed that a cyberattack has disrupted food availability in some stores and forced the temporary shutdown of online services. The company has not officially confirmed the nature of the breach, but cybersecurity experts suspect a ransomware attack.
The retailer paused clothing and home orders on its website and app after issues arose over the Easter weekend, affecting contactless payments and click-and-collect systems. M&S said it took some systems offline as a precautionary measure.
Reports have linked the incident to the hacking group Scattered Spider, although M&S has declined to comment further or provide a timeline for the resumption of online orders. The disruption has already led to minor product shortages and analysts anticipate a short-term hit to profits.
Still, M&S’s food division had been performing strongly, with grocery spending rising 14.4% year-on-year, according to Kantar. The retailer, which operates around 1,000 UK stores, earns about one-third of its non-food sales online. Shares dropped earlier in the week but closed Tuesday slightly up.
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Meta is introducing facial recognition tools to help UAE users recover hacked accounts on Facebook and Instagram and stop scams that misuse public figures’ images. The technology compares suspicious ads to verified profile photos and removes them automatically if a match is found.
Well-known individuals in the region are automatically enrolled in the programme but can opt out if they choose. A new video selfie feature has also been rolled out to help users regain access to compromised accounts.
This allows identity verification through a short video matched with existing profile photos, offering a faster and more secure alternative to document-based checks.
Meta confirmed that all facial data used for verification is encrypted, deleted immediately after use, and never repurposed.
The company says this is part of a broader effort to fight impersonation scams and protect both public figures and regular users, not just in the UAE but elsewhere too.
Meta’s regional director highlighted the emotional and financial harm such scams can cause, reinforcing the need for proactive defences.
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Microsoft has unveiled a set of five digital commitments aimed at supporting Europe’s technological and economic future.
Central to the announcement is a major expansion of its cloud and AI infrastructure, including plans to grow its datacentre capacity by 40% across 16 European countries.
The company says this will help nations strengthen digital sovereignty, boost economic competitiveness and ensure data remains under European jurisdiction.
They reaffirmed commitments to EU data privacy laws, expanding its EU Data Boundary and offering customers advanced encryption and control tools.
As geopolitical tensions persist, Microsoft pledges to uphold Europe’s digital resilience and continuity of service. However, this includes a legally binding Digital Resilience Commitment, European oversight of datacentre operations, and partnerships to ensure operational continuity in the event of disruption.
Cybersecurity remains a core focus, with a new Deputy Chief Information Security Officer for Europe and increased support for compliance with the EU’s evolving regulations.
Microsoft also recommitted to open access principles for AI development and support for local innovation, including open-source ecosystems.
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The US Securities and Exchange Commission has dropped its investigation into PayPal’s dollar-backed stablecoin, PYUSD, without taking enforcement action.
PayPal confirmed in a 29 April filing that the SEC notified the firm in February that the inquiry had been closed. The regulator first issued a subpoena in November 2023, requesting documents related to the stablecoin.
PYUSD is said to be fully backed and redeemable in US dollars. Despite that, it has struggled to gain market share, with a market cap of just $880 million, far below competitors like Tether and Circle.
The stablecoin’s circulating supply has increased by 75% in 2025, helped by new incentives. US users can now earn 3.7% annually by holding PYUSD, and a new partnership with Coinbase aims to boost adoption further.
PayPal also posted strong first-quarter results, beating expectations with $1.33 earnings per share and $7.8 billion in revenue. It highlighted major share buybacks and plans for stablecoin innovation.
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President Donald Trump has signed executive orders easing his controversial 25% tariffs on automobiles and parts, aiming to relieve pressure on carmakers struggling with rising costs.
The move follows warnings from manufacturers and analysts that the tariffs could inflate prices, harm domestic production and slow the industry’s recovery. Trump framed the measure as a temporary bridge, allowing automakers time to shift more manufacturing into the US instead of facing harsh penalties.
The changes include a short-term rebate system tied to the proportion of foreign parts used in vehicles assembled domestically. Automakers have been told they’ll have two years of reduced levies, giving them time to reconfigure supply chains and invest in new US-based facilities.
Officials claim announcements on job creation and plant expansion are expected soon, with companies like Stellantis, Ford, and GM praising the policy shift as a step toward competitiveness rather than an immediate fix.
However, some experts warn that the industry needs stability instead of unpredictable policy swings. They argue that relocating production takes years and billions in investment, not mere months.
With vehicle prices already high and supply chains stretched, economists question whether the tariff adjustments can offset the broader economic risks posed by Trump’s wider trade strategy.
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Alphabet, Google’s parent company, may soon be forced to split into separate entities, with its Chrome browser emerging as a particularly attractive target.
With Chrome controlling over 65% of the global browser market, interest is mounting from AI-driven firms and legacy tech companies alike, all eager to take control of a platform that reaches billions of users.
OpenAI, known for ChatGPT, sees Chrome as a natural fit for its expanding AI ecosystem, especially with search features increasingly integrated into its chatbot.
Rival AI search firm Perplexity is also eyeing Chrome instead of building from scratch, viewing it as a shortcut to mainstream adoption and a rich source of user data and engagement.
Yahoo, backed by Apollo Global Management, is reportedly considering a $50 billion bid, even while developing its own browser internally.
Despite legal uncertainties and the threat of drawn-out regulatory battles, the opportunity to own Chrome could radically shift influence in the tech sector, especially while Google faces mounting antitrust scrutiny.
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The UAE has announced the launch of its AI Academy, aiming to strengthen the country’s position in AI innovation both regionally and globally.
Developed in partnership with the Polynom Group and the Abu Dhabi School of Management, it is designed to foster a skilled workforce in AI and programming.
It will offer short courses in multiple languages, covering AI fundamentals, national strategies, generative tools, and executive-level applications.
A flagship offering is the specialised Chief AI Officer (CAIO) Programme, tailored for leadership roles across sectors.
NVIDIA’s technologies will be integrated into select courses, enhancing the UAE academy’s technical edge and helping drive the development of AI capabilities throughout the region.
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A new report by Statewatch has revealed that the European Union is quietly laying the groundwork for the widespread use of experimental AI technologies in policing, border control, and criminal justice.
The report warns that these developments pose serious threats to transparency, accountability, and fundamental rights.
Despite the adoption of the EU AI Act in 2024, broad exemptions allow law enforcement and migration agencies to bypass safeguards, including a full exemption for certain high-risk systems until 2031.
Institutions like Europol and eu-LISA are involved in building technical infrastructure for security-focused AI, often without public knowledge or oversight.
The study also highlights how secretive working groups, such as the European Clearing Board, have influenced legislation to favour police interests.
Critics argue that these moves risk entrenching discrimination and reducing democratic control, especially at a time of rising authoritarian influence within EU institutions.
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The Children’s Commissioner has urged the UK Government to ban AI apps that create sexually explicit images through “nudification” technology. AI tools capable of manipulating real photos to make people appear naked are being used to target children.
Concerns in the UK are growing as these apps are now widely accessible online, often through social media and search platforms. In a newly published report, Dame Rachel warned that children, particularly girls, are altering their online behaviour out of fear of becoming victims of such technologies.
She stressed that while AI holds great potential, it also poses serious risks to children’s safety. The report also recommends stronger legal duties for AI developers and improved systems to remove explicit deepfake content from the internet.
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Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has unveiled an ambitious plan to make AI systems more transparent by 2027. In a recent essay titled ‘The Urgency of Interpretability,’ Amodei highlighted the pressing need to understand the inner workings of AI models.
He expressed concern over deploying highly autonomous systems without a clear grasp of their decision-making processes, deeming it ‘basically unacceptable’ for humanity to remain ignorant of how these systems function.
Anthropic is at the forefront of mechanistic interpretability, a field dedicated to deciphering the decision-making pathways of AI models. Despite these advancements, Amodei emphasized that much more research is needed to fully decode these complex systems.
Looking ahead, Amodei envisions conducting ‘brain scans’ or ‘MRIs’ of advanced AI models to detect potential issues like tendencies to deceive or seek power. He believes that achieving this level of interpretability could take five to ten years but is essential for the safe deployment of future AI systems.
Amodei also called on industry peers, including OpenAI and Google DeepMind, to intensify their research efforts in this area and urged governments to implement ‘light-touch’ regulations to promote transparency and safety in AI development.
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