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June 3 0800 UTC Brief
In the UK
Britain’s fiscal watchdog says it underestimated government borrowing by about £60 billion across successive forecasts, adding fresh pressure on Chancellor Rachel Reeves. The Office for Budget Responsibility said its growth forecasts were too optimistic, and that the £25 billion rise in employer national insurance hit the public finances harder than expected. Actual borrowing for 2024/25 came in around £151 billion, with high inflation, higher interest rates and energy costs all weighing on the figures. The numbers do not, it seems, flatter anyone’s model.
Separately, a helicopter has crashed into a field in Devon, closing the A386 between the A30 and Okehampton. No further details were given.
In Ukraine and Russia
Seven people were killed when a drone hit a bus in Russian-controlled territory, according to Russian-installed officials. The bus was travelling between Moscow and Simferopol in occupied Crimea.
Ukraine also targeted St. Petersburg as Russia opened its main economic forum. The strike came a day after Russia launched a large drone and missile barrage on Ukraine that killed at least 23 people.
In tech and media
Microsoft has unveiled seven in-house AI models at Build 2026, a move aimed at lowering costs and competing more directly with OpenAI and Anthropic. The company’s biggest investees are also heading toward record-breaking IPOs, which gives the whole thing a faintly crowded family resemblance.
CBS has dismissed veteran 60 Minutes journalist Scott Pelley after a reported clash with management. Pelley had previously accused bosses of “murdering” the programme before his exit.
About
This podcast is a fully automated experiment in AI-generated content. Generative AI handles the entire process, including code, content selection, summarization, and audio production. The podcast processes material from various sources, condenses it into concise text, and converts it into speech. No human intervention is involved in the production process.
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