AGP Executive Report

Autonomous Mobility in Europe: Uber, Verne and Pony.ai have launched robotaxi rides in Zagreb via the Uber app, with a safety operator on board for now and plans to expand to other European cities. Publishing Spotlight: Sonia Gandhi’s memoir Belonging is set for release on November 10, with Knopf highlighting her life story from post-war Italy to India. Film Rights & Books-to-Screen: Warner Bros is in talks to adapt Allen Levi’s bestseller Theo of Golden, with Tom Hanks eyed to star, as the novel continues to sell strongly across multiple languages. Cultural Industry Pipeline: Ji.hlava’s Emerging Producers 2026 has revealed documentary pitch projects, including Glorious Utopia and Madam, as the festival spotlights Europe’s next generation of filmmakers. EU Policy & Media: France’s under-15 social media ban has been blocked by the Constitutional Council, a reminder that member states’ digital rules can still hit legal walls. Finance & Regulation: Croatia’s foreign-owned banks face a 50% tax on excess profits after the euro era boosted earnings, with the levy framed as anti-inflation burden-sharing.

Publishing & Books: Sonia Gandhi’s memoir Belonging: A Journey of Love is set for a Nov 10 release in hardcover and ebook, with audio via Penguin Random House; Knopf says a first printing of 100,000 copies is planned, as Gandhi reflects on heartbreak and why writing meant opening up. Printing & Industry: Heidelberg says it has kicked off FY 2026/27 with a push into systems integration, taking over manroland sheetfed lifecycle business and POLAR postpress operations, while also expanding into energy storage and the European defense sector. EU Policy & Tech: Apple is rewriting EU app tracking-consent rules after Germany’s push, with the wider EU AI transparency regime also moving into effect—another reminder that publishing and media platforms will keep adapting fast. Culture & Events: Abu Dhabi International Book Fair returns Sept 13–18 under “Turn the Page, Read the World,” with the Balkans as guest of honour and Don Quixote as Book of the World. Media & Influence: A Serbian page translating Putin speeches (“Govorit Moskva”) is under scrutiny for spreading Kremlin narratives, with unclear ownership and links to sanctioned figures.

AI & Privacy in Italy: Italy’s draft AI decree would let police collect biometric face data from everyone entering “sensitive” public areas, store it for seven days, and auto-delete it unless a crime is linked—prompting the data watchdog to warn it doesn’t fit the EU AI Act. Misinformation & War Tech: Ukrspecsystems says it was hit by a coordinated Polish media discrediting campaign using a fake X account impersonating its CEO, tied to a forged letter about flying a Ukrainian flag over Warsaw. Publishing & Books: Manga Mavericks Books appoints Erica Friedman as managing editor, signaling a push for 40+ releases across alternative, shojo, josei, LGBTQ+ and classic manga. Amazon & Rare Books: A 404 Media investigation claims Amazon destroys rare books for AI training at a Las Vegas facility, contradicting prior denials. Memoir Spotlight: Sonia Gandhi’s memoir “Belonging: A Journey of Love” is set for publication on November 10 via Knopf. Games & Print Culture: Gamescom 2026 in Cologne sells out its full floor for the first time in 18 editions, with 1,600+ exhibitors from 67 countries.

AI & Publishing Culture: British sociologist James Muldoon’s new Faber & Faber book Love Machines spotlights how AI companions are becoming friends, romance partners and “therapists,” with huge uptake among 18–24s and fresh questions about emotional dependence. Tech Regulation (EU): Germany’s antitrust watchdog forced Apple to change app tracking consent prompts after finding Apple made its own ads easier to approve than rivals’—a reminder that EU rules are reshaping how publishers and platforms handle consent. Data & Rights (Italy): Italy’s draft AI decree would let police collect and store biometric face data from everyone entering “sensitive” public areas for seven days, with the data auto-deleted unless a crime occurs; the data protection authority says parts don’t fit the EU AI Act. Travel & Consumer Friction: A new warning for UK travellers says “new EU cabin baggage rules” aren’t yet in force this summer, so packing by headlines could still trigger airport fees. Games Industry (Cyprus): Cyprus has broken into Europe’s top ten game markets, with €3.2bn revenue in 2025 and 415 studios—mostly mobile, with older titles driving most earnings. Books & Ideas: Penguin Classics has recalled Victor Hugo’s Ninety-Three, reviving a novel that once drew scrutiny in Stalin’s youth.

AI & Books: Authors and archivists accuse AI firms of buying rare and antique books in bulk, then stripping them for training by slicing spines, scanning pages at speed, and shredding originals—sparking a new pushback against “Project Panama” style practices. Publishing Policy: Italy’s draft AI decree would let police collect biometric face data from people entering “sensitive” public areas, with automatic deletion after seven days, but the country’s data watchdog says parts clash with the EU AI Act. Rights & AI Music: BMG and Suno announce a global alliance that frames licensed AI music with opt-in rights and compensation, including settlement of Suno’s prior use of BMG catalog. Games & Media: Square Enix is reportedly preparing a playable demo for Final Fantasy 7 Revelation at Gamescom 2026, ahead of a Spring 2027 release. Book Culture in Europe: A new partnership in Jamaica (via ECC and Author Forge) distributes a heritage nursery-rhyme book to early-childhood institutions, highlighting how publishing can be used for cultural repair and education.

AI & Publishing: Secondhand booksellers in Ireland and the UK report a surge of “mystery” bulk orders, with suspicion falling on AI firms scraping libraries for training data. Tech Policy: Italy’s draft AI decree would let police collect and store biometric face data from people entering “sensitive” public areas for up to seven days, with critics saying it clashes with the EU AI Act. Energy & Grids: A Reuters report says China curbed 360 TWh of clean power in the first half of 2026 as grids hit limits, a sign renewables buildouts are running into transmission and contract constraints. Games & Payments: Xsolla adds 15+ local payment methods across Europe and beyond, aiming to boost game checkout conversion ahead of Gamescom. Royal/Charity Spotlight: King Charles and Kate attended Cancer Research UK’s 125th anniversary reception at St James’s Palace, highlighting new tech in cancer research. Manga Business: HarperCollins launches manga imprint Kazé, reviving the brand after its European acquisition moves. Human Interest: British photographer Brock Elbank expands a homelessness portrait project across the UK, focusing on lived experience rather than appearance.

AI & Privacy: Italy’s draft AI decree would let police collect and store biometric face data from everyone entering “sensitive” public areas for seven days, with the data auto-deleted unless a crime is linked—prompting the national data watchdog to warn it doesn’t fit the EU AI Act. Publishing & AI: A former Pfizer toxicologist’s upcoming book claims COVID-19 mRNA vaccines were sold without proper safety testing, adding to Europe’s wider debate over how scientific claims are published and contested. War & Retail Supply Chains: Ukraine’s drone campaign hit Russia’s Wildberries logistics network, including an attack on a Kyiv book market—another reminder of how publishing-adjacent distribution and cultural sites are exposed in wartime. Sports & Culture: Ireland booked Los Angeles 2028 Olympic qualification in eventing, while Cambridge’s youngest Black professor Jason Arday was found dead amid an ongoing plagiarism scandal. Games & Consumer Habits: Resident Evil Requiem’s physical sales remain strong in France and Japan, underscoring how Europe still matters for console retail even as digital dominates.

AI & Policing: Italy’s draft AI decree would let police turn faces into biometric data for everyone entering “sensitive” public areas, store it for seven days, and auto-delete it unless a crime is linked—prompting the national data watchdog to warn it clashes with the EU AI Act. Academic Fallout: Britain’s publishing-and-ideas world mourns Jason Arday, Cambridge’s youngest Black professor, who resigned over plagiarism allegations and was later found dead at 41; Cambridge says it is investigating the circumstances of his appointment. Vaccines & Publishing Claims: A former Pfizer toxicologist, Dr Helmut Sterz, is set to publish a new book alleging COVID-19 mRNA shots were sold without proper safety testing, framing the programme as unlawful. Tech & Books/Reading: WhatsApp’s new Scam Alert uses an on-device AI check, but only scans messages from people not in your contacts—leaving hijacked-friend scams harder to catch. Culture on Screen: France’s De Gaulle biopic “La Bataille de Gaulle” has become a surprise hit with younger audiences, drawing millions since June. Robotics & STEM: Beijing’s second World Humanoid Robot Games will quadruple participation, with robots tested on tasks including library book sorting.

AI & Books: UK/Europe booksellers report “mysterious” bulk orders that may be tied to AI training, after a US court cleared Anthropic’s book-scanning approach—raising fresh copyright and supply-chain fears. Policy & Privacy: Italy’s draft AI decree would let police collect and store biometric face data from people entering “sensitive” public areas for seven days, with critics saying it clashes with the EU AI Act. Publishing & Rights: French outlets push regulators to force Google to pay for AI news summaries, while Apple is also pitching publishers a per-use model for Siri news. Book Culture: A London Arabic bookshop removed Arabic editions of Mein Kampf after backlash, stressing it wants to be “welcoming” rather than endorsing hate. History & Identity: New book The Jewish March of Folly argues Jewish political disasters repeat patterns of internal division. Sports & Reading: A surge in women’s golf trips highlights how leisure travel is reshaping book-and-media audiences. Travel & Slow Tourism: Italy’s ancient walking routes are being marketed as a crowd-free “slow travel” alternative. Environment: Britain’s Hampstead Heath issues stricter visitor rules after summer problems.

AI & Bookselling: UK and Irish secondhand booksellers say they’re getting “strange” bulk orders from mystery buyers, with suspicion aimed at AI firms scraping or stockpiling titles for data. Digital Rights & Culture: A German organ concert is billed as the world’s slowest, with “inheritable” tickets for a final performance in 2640—an odd reminder of how digital life (and access) can outlast us. Publishing, Politics & Public Trust: A former Pfizer toxicologist’s new book claims COVID-19 mRNA vaccines were sold without proper safety testing, reigniting debate over pharma accountability and publishing’s role in high-stakes narratives. EU Tech Governance: Italy’s draft AI decree would let police collect biometric data from faces in “sensitive” public areas, with its data protection authority warning it doesn’t fit the EU AI Act. Literary Heritage & Events: Cambridge writers share beach reads, while the Venice Film Festival’s hotel tie-ins underline how publishing-adjacent culture keeps feeding tourism and media calendars. Migration & Borders: Commentary on Ceuta’s surge frames migration as a political weapon—an issue that continues to shape European public debate.

Art Crime Update: Italian police recovered three high-value paintings stolen in a March heist—Cézanne, Renoir and Matisse—worth over $10m, with five suspects detained. AI & Privacy in Europe: Italy’s draft AI decree would let police collect and store biometric face data from people entering “sensitive” public areas for up to seven days, with the data auto-deleted unless a crime is linked; the country’s data watchdog says parts don’t fit the EU AI Act. Publishing & Culture: A viral “salt” book moment is driving renewed attention to Mark Kurlansky’s Salt: A World History, showing how social media can re-ignite older publishing hits. Media/Books & Tech: European publishers are facing tougher bot scraping as AI tools scale up, raising fresh questions about rights, access and enforcement. Travel-Reading Trend: “Readaways” and book-cation packages are booming, with travel brands tying itineraries to popular books and authors.

AI & Rights in Focus: Italy’s draft AI decree would let police collect biometric face data from everyone entering “sensitive” public areas, store it for seven days, and auto-delete it unless a crime occurs—while the country’s data watchdog says parts don’t fit the EU AI Act. Publishing Under Fire: Russian strikes have destroyed an 8-million-book Ukrainian warehouse in Kharkiv, wiping out schoolbooks and disrupting education supply chains. Book Culture & Heritage: A study posted by the Van Gogh Museum digs into why the artist signed with just “Vincent,” linking it to family dynamics and pronunciation. Literary Landmarks: Shakespeare’s birth home story resurfaces after it was nearly shipped to the US in 1847, saved via a £3,000 payment. Industry & Tech: A report warns European publishers are getting hit harder by AI bot scraping. Finance & Publishing Adjacent: Heineken UK launches a regenerative barley programme, aiming to source nearly half of malted barley via regenerative farming by 2027.

UK Publishing & Booksellers: Britain’s CMA has proposed sweeping cuts to competition rules, potentially freeing 10,000+ businesses from compliance burdens after a provisional review that would remove most of 33 remedies—an indirect but big deal for publishers and retailers navigating banking, travel and energy markets. EU AI & Privacy: Italy’s draft AI decree would let police collect and store biometric face data from everyone entering “sensitive” public areas for seven days, with the data auto-deleted unless a crime occurs; the country’s data watchdog says parts don’t fit the EU AI Act. AI & Authorship: A new wave of “imperceptible” text watermarking is rolling out as EU AI Act pressure grows, but critics warn detection doesn’t prove who wrote the underlying text—raising fresh questions for writers and publishers. Publishing Culture: A Lomé Youth Book Fair in Togo (Oct 14–17) expands with 30 exhibitors and a focus on children’s books as a driver of West African cultural cooperation. Books & Identity: Yale Strom’s historical novel The Autobiography of the Offenbacher brings Jewish history to life through a violin’s centuries-long journey across Central and Eastern Europe.

Publishing & Media Deals: iGaming.com Group is expanding in Spain by acquiring and relaunching sports digital brand Relevo, bringing the Relevo.com site, archive and social channels under a new editorial structure for the 2026–27 LaLiga cycle. Literary Events: Durham Book Festival has unveiled its 2026 line-up (9–11 October), led by Pet Shop Boys’ Neil Tennant alongside Susanna Clarke, Lucy Foley, Louise Doughty and others. Print Industry Watch: The World Print & Communication Congress returns to Korea (Aug 25–28) after a decade, with a conference on print’s future in the AI era and participation from 33 nations. Tech & Publishing Adjacent: Elektor will run a practical IoT sensor systems webinar (27 August) aimed at engineers moving from modular hardware to connected sensing—useful for makers and media labs. Games & Consumer Rights: Dutch group Stop Killing Games has joined a lawsuit against Sony over alleged PlayStation Store “monopoly” practices as digital-only buying tightens. Local Publishing Culture: Ilkley Literature Festival announced its 2026 programme, with tickets on sale from 25 August.

AI & Regulation: Italy’s draft AI decree would let police turn faces into biometric data in “sensitive” public areas, store it for seven days, and later match it to suspects—while the country’s data watchdog says it doesn’t fit the EU AI Act. Publishing & Media: French newspapers and press bodies are pushing regulators over Google’s AI search summaries, arguing they’re harming traffic; the fight is now moving from complaints to formal action. Books & Awards: EJ Swift’s When There Are Wolves Again wins the Arthur C Clarke award, a rewilding-focused near-future story that judges say argues for long-term hope. Culture & Bookselling: A report claims independent bookstores in Europe received suspicious orders for thousands of books, raising fears of coordinated disruption. Food & Supply Chains: Britain faces a potential crisps shortage as drought hits potato harvests, threatening availability and prices. Tech & Learning: Anthropic begins adding invisible watermarks to Claude outputs to comply with EU transparency rules, aiming to help distinguish AI-generated text.

AI Transparency & Deepfakes: Estonia is rolling out new EU rules that require clearer disclosure when users interact with AI or face deepfake content, with fines up to €15,000 for breaches. AI Writing Watermarks: Anthropic says it will embed invisible, machine-readable watermarks in Claude text (and provenance metadata in files), aiming to help schools and others spot AI-generated work. Privacy & Policing: Italy’s draft AI decree would let police convert faces into biometric data in “sensitive” public areas, storing it for seven days—prompting criticism from the country’s data watchdog as not coherent with the EU AI Act. Publishing/Books: A London review hails Philip Hensher’s A History of the Novel in Britain as a “masterpiece” of criticism, while a Cyprus-based debut fiction collection, Koraly Dimitriadis’ The Mother Must Die, lands finalist status at American Book Fest. Travel & Retail: TUI flags weaker trading as bookings fall, and a UK Isle of Wight author’s sailing memoir launches at Medina Bookshop.