Background: UK military chief Sir Richard Knighton has warned of the most dangerous period since the Cold War, citing Russian probing of defences and hybrid threats. Today: British defense company executives were warned during a summer roundtable organized by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office about the growing risk of Russian espionage and assassination plots, following the exposure of a Russian plan to assassinate Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger. The warnings were delivered to manufacturers supplying drones and weaponry to Ukraine. Separately, Russia threatened to strike British military installations after UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham's visit to Kyiv and his approval of transferring Storm Shadow missile blueprints to Ukraine. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova warned of 'inevitable, catastrophic consequences' and refused to retract the threat when questioned about NATO Article 5.

Entain Plc, formerly GVC Holdings, has agreed to a £615 million deferred prosecution settlement with the UK Crown Prosecution Service over bribery allegations linked to its former Turkey-based gambling operations. The settlement covers penalties, disgorgement, costs, and a charitable payment. Separately, over 100 institutional and retail investors are pursuing claims exceeding £1.6 billion under UK financial services law, alleging the company misled them about risks in Turkey. Criminal charges have been brought against 11 former executives and associates, with trials scheduled from 2028 to 2029. The case highlights the lack of Turkish investigations into those who may have facilitated or benefited from the alleged bribery, despite international criticism of Turkey's anti-corruption record.