
Gold prices have surged to just under $5,000 an ounce, squeezing margins for independent jewellery studios. Designers like The Cut Jewellery are leveraging agility, offering lower‑karat options and bespoke services to preserve profitability. Consumers continue to view fine jewellery as a long‑term asset, driving demand despite price pressures. The studio’s focus on transparent craftsmanship and disciplined quoting helps sustain growth as it expands to a third Melbourne location.

Ahmedabad‑based IRM Group has named Richa Ahuja Sharma as head of HR & administration to steer its expanding non‑pharma portfolio, which spans agriculture, animal health, pharma engineering, facilities management and aviation support. Sharma will oversee human‑resource and administrative functions across...

HEYTEA opened its first Canadian HEYTEA Lab on Level 1 of Toronto’s CF Eaton Centre, marking the brand’s experimental flagship debut in Canada and its second Lab in North America after New York. The 1,800‑sq‑ft store showcases research‑driven tea concepts, limited‑edition drinks...

Paras Health has appointed Balkishan Sharma as chief human resources and business transformation officer, a move that underscores the network’s drive toward operational excellence and growth. Sharma returns after a six‑year stint with the group and brings more than 18...

Red Teaming, also known as adversary simulation, pits authorized security experts against an organization’s defenses to expose real‑world attack gaps. By mimicking the full cyber kill chain—from OSINT‑driven reconnaissance to covert data exfiltration—teams reveal weaknesses that traditional scans miss. The...

The Conference Board Employment Trends Index rose to 105.06 in January 2026, up from 104.51 in December, indicating a modest acceleration in payroll growth. Unemployment insurance claims continued to fall and the share of involuntary part‑time workers slipped to 17.6%,...

The Conference Board‑Lightcast Help Wanted OnLine® (HWOL) Index rose to 100.4 in January 2026, a modest 0.4 % gain from December’s revised 100.0 reading. The increase follows a 5.6 % decline between November and December and leaves the index 15.4 % lower than a...

A new report from the Committee for Economic Development warns that the United States’ national debt has surpassed $38 trillion, matching the size of the economy and rising rapidly. The report urges Congress to create a bipartisan fiscal commission to devise...

Beauty brands are increasingly partnering with soda companies, leveraging the drinks' cultural cachet to launch limited‑edition collections and co‑branded experiences. The trend reflects a broader shift toward experiential marketing aimed at younger, social‑media‑savvy consumers. At the same time, Rare Beauty...

RONA Foundation has launched its 2026 Build from the Heart campaign, allocating $1 million to support construction and renovation projects for vulnerable Canadians. Applications are open from February 16 to March 13, and seven nonprofit organizations will be selected to receive grants. The...
Finland’s President Alexander Stubb warns that the West’s last chance to shape a cooperative world order hinges on listening to the global South. He argues that Western sanctions on Russia and confrontational policies toward China alienate billions, eroding the West’s moral...
Indexes are increasingly dominated by a handful of AI‑focused mega‑cap firms, turning passive funds into de‑facto concentrated bets. Peter Corey of Pave warns that investors often mistake broad ETF holdings for true diversification, while underlying exposure remains clustered around the...

Europe faces heightened risk of a broader NATO‑Russia confrontation as the Ukraine war drags on. Over the past four years, NATO allies have poured hundreds of billions of dollars in military, economic, and humanitarian aid into Ukraine, while European nations...

Edtech startup Beep announced an $850,000 pre‑Series A round, bringing its total funding to $1.5 million. The round was led by Knowhere Ventures, Pacific Global Solutions, and LeadAngels FLV, with participation from angel investors. Beep plans to scale its user base...

Walmart‑owned Sam’s Club is expanding in China by deepening localisation, offering China‑specific products such as ginseng, copper‑gourd ornaments, and right‑sized private‑label packs. The chain opened ten new stores in 2025, bringing its footprint to 63 locations and shifting focus to...
Vietnam’s startup funding has slowed as investors cite cross‑border frictions, notably congested airports and strict capital controls. The newly opened Long Thanh International Airport is intended to ease Ho Chi Minh City’s traffic but has yet to deliver full relief....
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is weighing a restart of official development assistance (ODA) loans to Pakistan after a ten‑year hiatus. The move reflects improving macro‑economic indicators, including steadier growth and reduced fiscal stress. JICA’s decision will be coordinated with...
The February Consumer Discretionary Dashboard shows the sector’s services segment trading about 14% below its 11‑year average, while autos and components remain the most overpriced subsector. Fidelity’s FDIS ETF and SPDR’s XLY deliver comparable long‑term Sharpe ratios, but FDIS offers...

Nigeria’s National Bureau of Statistics rebased its Consumer Price Index to a 2024 base year, pulling headline inflation down from 24.48% in January 2025 to 15.15% by December 2025. Critics argue the technical decline masks persistent real inflation, with food prices still...

Malbon Golf opened its first standalone store in Ho Chi Minh City, marking the brand’s debut in Vietnam. Rather than chasing rapid scale, the Los Angeles‑based label partnered with The Kho Group to ensure regional continuity and cultural fit. The...

Nigeria’s economy is structured to reward navigating bureaucratic friction rather than boosting productivity, efficiency, or innovation. World Bank data shows firms spend over 40% more time on regulations than the regional average, creating a thriving informal ecosystem of brokers, fixers...
Ethiopian‑born startup Gebeya has launched Dala, an AI‑powered no‑code app builder, and amassed 85,000 users within four months. The platform boasts an 8% paying‑customer rate, far above the typical 3% conversion for AI products, thanks to mobile‑first design and local...
Uganda’s eight lake ports, managed by state‑owned Uganda Railways Corporation, are crippled by illegal land encroachments, military occupations, and climate‑related water level shifts. Key facilities such as Port Bell and Lambu Port face stalled redevelopment despite an African Development Bank...

Australian IT distributor Synnex has opened a $150 million, AI‑enabled logistics centre in Melbourne, marking a shift from traditional distribution to a platform‑focused model. The new facility incorporates advanced automation, improving speed, safety and scalability while supporting a broader suite of...
India's textile and apparel exports fell 3.75% in January 2026, dropping to $3.27 billion from $3.40 billion a year earlier, primarily due to U.S. tariffs that remained until February 7. Cotton yarn, fabrics and handloom products declined over 4%, while carpet and jute...

Football Australia, in partnership with Ogilvy, has launched a new campaign featuring the iconic "Til it’s Done" slogan to rally support for the CommBank Matildas ahead of the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup. The film pairs the unofficial national anthem...
Most employers treat sexual‑harassment training as a compliance checkbox rather than a cultural transformation tool. Felicity Menzies of Culture Plus Consulting warns that such programs often trigger defensiveness, especially among men, and can actually reduce the likelihood of recognizing and...

Nike has unveiled All Conditions World, a WebGL‑based interactive platform that brings its All Conditions Gear (ACG) line to life. The digital world showcases real trail routes curated by elite athletes such as Cesare Maestri and Nienke Brinkman, complete with...

Deep‑tech startups often stumble not because the science is weak but because the risk profile between a working prototype and a scalable business is mis‑designed. Traditional venture capital timelines of five to seven years clash with the ten‑plus‑year gestation required...

Hourglass has launched its first direct‑to‑consumer website, hourglasscosmetics.com.au, targeting Australia and New Zealand. The rollout includes free standard shipping for the first month, a 10% welcome discount, and complimentary gifts for orders over $120 and $150. The DTC channel runs alongside...

Lumos, a robotics startup founded in September 2024, unveiled FastUMI Pro, a backpack‑mounted universal manipulation interface designed to accelerate embodied AI data collection. The company aims to deploy 10,000 units across six real‑world environments by 2026, targeting one million hours...
Brokerage houses have highlighted five Indian equities that could deliver 10‑40% returns by 2026. Motilal Oswal sees Indraprastha Gas (IGL) rising 41% to ₹235 and Siemens Energy up 31% to ₹3,600. Citi maintains a Buy on Lupin with a 15% upside,...

Jane Callister, a 30‑year advertising veteran, has joined Impala Talent as a senior recruitment partner. Her career spans top agencies such as Publicis UK, JWT, DDB, TBWA, and M&C Saatchi, giving her deep operational insight. Callister will apply this expertise...

The 2026 SBS Media Sustainability Challenge invites brands and agencies to compete for $500,000 in free advertising inventory. Applications close at 5 pm AEDT on March 6, and entrants must submit a 30‑second TV script plus a 500‑word rationale. The competition focuses...

Baby Bunting posted record half‑year sales of $271.4 million, a 4.9% increase year‑on‑year, driven by a mix of new large‑format stores, small‑format openings, and six "store of the future" refurbishments. Online sales climbed to 24.8% of total revenue, up 18%, reflecting...

Drive has launched a multi‑million‑dollar "Drive‑thru" campaign during Nine’s broadcast of the 2026 Olympic Winter Games, positioning car buying as simple as ordering food at a drive‑thru. Created by the Not Bad Pretty Good studio, the ads use a relatable...

Bajaj Broking rolled out the "Seedhi Simple Investing" campaign during the T20 World Cup, positioning its platform as an easy‑to‑use solution for Indian investors. The ads use everyday confusion—like unclear washroom signs or lift buttons—to illustrate how the Bajaj app...

The article argues that founders who fall in love with their product become blind to market signals and risk costly sunk‑cost fallacies. It contrasts the "Solution Developer" with the "Problem Solver," insisting that true entrepreneurial fuel is an obsessive focus...

Bank of America’s FX sentiment survey shows net US dollar exposure at a record underweight, the most negative level since the survey began in January 2012. Short positions have surged to extreme levels, surpassing the lows recorded in April 2023....

Beforepay is inserting branded fortune cookies into Melbourne restaurants to celebrate the Lunar New Year and the Year of the Fire Horse. Each cookie carries a supportive message and a QR code that directs diners to a dedicated landing page...
Sir John Templeton’s adage that the best buying opportunities arise at peak pessimism is highlighted as a timeless investing principle. The article notes that widespread fear compresses valuations, allowing strong companies to be bought at discounts, while emphasizing the need...

Ogilvy Malaysia partnered with home fragrance brand Scentify to launch a Chinese New Year drama series on Xiaohongshu called “Fabric Scented, Fortune Granted.” The episodic social drama promotes Scentify’s new Golden Breeze scent as the “lucky scent of the year,”...

ITC Infotech opened its Asia‑Pacific headquarters and digital‑AI hub in Melbourne, the fourth such centre globally. The hub targets sectors including consumer‑packaged goods, retail, manufacturing, banking and especially agriculture, aligning with Victoria’s $20 billion agri‑economy. ITC plans to hire about 150...
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, also finance minister, controls the state‑owned stakes that own nearly half of IJM Corporation, putting him at the centre of Sunway Group’s RM11 billion (S$3.5 billion) takeover bid. The offer, seen as hostile, combines RM1 billion in cash with...

Former Bank of Japan board member Seiji Adachi says the central bank is most likely to raise rates in April rather than March, waiting for clearer wage and inflation data. The BOJ’s December hike to 0.75% marked the first move...

HomeRun, a Bengaluru‑based on‑demand platform for construction and interior materials, announced a Rs 60 crore ($6.6 million) Series A funding round. The round was led by Sorin Investments, which contributed Rs 40 crore, with participation from Titan Capital Winners Fund, Sparrow Capital, Consumer Collective by Atrium...
XL and advertising agency SALVO unveiled a Ramadan‑themed film in Indonesia to showcase XL’s Ultra 5G+ service. The commercial follows a young woman returning home for the holy month whose urgent work request is resolved in seconds thanks to ultra‑fast, reliable...

Kaisercraft, an Australian gift‑store chain with 110 locations, is using four tactics to sharpen its in‑store customer experience. It standardises promotions across all outlets, leverages real‑time sales and inventory data to react swiftly to shifting demand, deploys an offline‑capable point‑of‑sale...
Lundin Mining secured an additional credit facility to fund its flagship copper development, expanding the financing previously arranged for the project. The new credit line, sourced from a syndicate of international banks, adds $500 million to the existing $1.2 billion pool,...

CEO turnover among the S&P 1500 accelerated to roughly 12‑13% in 2025, the highest rate since 2010, with 168 new chiefs appointed. The incoming cohort is markedly younger, averaging 54 years, and 80% are first‑time CEOs lacking prior public‑company leadership...