September 2026
All columns and Brief analyses.
10 results
UBS moves the burden of proving AI's gain onto the 2027 applicant
The bank made AI proficiency an entry condition for its 2027 graduate and intern round while the firms buying the same tools still cannot show what the spending returns. The requirement moved; the measurement stayed where it was.
What does 3.1 agent-workdays per human workday count?
The number OpenAI puts on its automated research intern is a ratio of effort supplied. The same post reports that more than half of the successful four-to-eight-hour tasks still needed a person. Those two figures measure different things, and only one of them carries the milestone.
A 9.2 per cent drop in vehicle production pulls German output lower in July
German production across industry, construction and energy fell 1.1 per cent in July from June, against a 0.1 per cent increase expected in a Reuters poll. A 9.2 per cent drop in vehicle output after a multi-week shutdown was the main drag. Energy production rose 4.7 per cent and construction gained 0.9 per cent, while output from May through July remained 0.4 per cent above the preceding three months.
AfD wins Saxony-Anhalt election, falling three seats short of a majority
The final result gave the AfD 39 of 83 seats in Saxony-Anhalt, three short of a majority, while the CDU fell to 17.2 per cent. The AfD is seeking support, but other parties' refusal to cooperate narrows the routes to a government. Chancellor Friedrich Merz called the defeat deeply shocking and said he would continue reforms.
An eighth West Nile death raises North Macedonia’s seasonal toll
North Macedonia’s reported West Nile death toll this season reached eight after a 70-year-old man with several underlying illnesses died. The country’s case count rose to 58; all eight people who died were men aged 62 to 83 with other health conditions. METLA reports that the 56 cases confirmed by September 1 already exceeded the total recorded from 2011 through 2025.
Anak Krakatau ash halted flights at eight Indonesian airports
Anak Krakatau erupted again on September 6, and ash temporarily halted operations at Jakarta’s two airports and six others. BBC News and AP News reported that the eight-airport closure affected about 170,000 passengers and 1,558 flights. Authorities said operational decisions would follow the plume’s movement and airspace measurements, while volcanologists could not predict whether a larger eruption would follow.
Anak Krakatau’s lower ash layer moves west
September 7 morning observations of Anak Krakatau put the lower ash layer up to 4.57 km high and moving west. BMKG reports a speed of 15 knots in that layer. Higher ash is observed farther west and southwest over the Indian Ocean. Its offshore movement still affects flights, while no significant change in extent or intensity was reported against the immediately preceding observation.
Anthropic's eleven-month compute deals reach 14.8 gigawatts
A tally by The Information, compiled from company announcements and other material, says Anthropic signed for at least 14.8 gigawatts of additional compute capacity in eleven months, with a potential value of 517 billion dollars. Two separate publishers relay the same tally rather than independent calculations. ChosunBiz adds that the total exceeds the 180 billion dollars in server-leasing expense Anthropic presented to investors through 2029.
Australian job advertisements rise 2.5 per cent in August
Australian job advertisements rose 2.5 per cent in August and were 7.8 per cent above a year earlier in the ANZ-Indeed survey. July's gain was revised to 1.9 per cent. Retailers and food service businesses began Christmas hiring, while software development and data and analytics postings declined. Victoria, Western Australia and Queensland posted gains; New South Wales slipped slightly.
Bangladesh’s daily dengue admissions reach a yearly high of 1,558
Bangladesh’s dengue bulletin released on September 6 reported 1,558 hospital admissions in 24 hours, the highest daily figure this year. The previous record was 1,324 on September 2. The Directorate General of Health Services reported four deaths in the same period, bringing annual totals to 42,590 reported cases and 117 deaths. Three of the latest deaths were in Dhaka South City Corporation.