
The Employment Rights Act 2025’s first phase takes effect on 18 February 2026, introducing major trade‑union reforms. It switches political fund contributions to an opt‑out system while preserving existing opt‑outs. The Act also removes certain public‑sector reporting duties and streamlines industrial‑action notice requirements, including eliminating statutory picketing rules. Employers are urged to review union engagement policies and seek legal advice for ongoing disputes.

Moldova announced its formal exit from the Commonwealth of Independent States, signaling a decisive break from a key Russian‑linked institution. At the same time, Chişinău is accelerating its integration with the European Union under President Maia Sandu’s pro‑Western agenda. Public...

Kotex unveiled a global brand platform called “Own Your Flow,” pairing a refreshed visual identity—highlighted by a bold red palette—with a 90‑second AI‑enhanced video that uses tennis as a metaphor for the pressures women face. The campaign, produced by MJZ...

Consumer confidence has fallen to a decade low, prompting a trade‑down in spending as Americans cut big‑ticket indulgences and shift toward essentials. Even high‑income households are frequenting discount retailers like Walmart and Costco, reflecting broader budget pressure. Ulta Beauty’s hybrid...

OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Meta, Microsoft and others have united to launch F/ai, a Paris‑based accelerator for European AI startups. Hosted by Station F, the program runs twice yearly, each three‑month cohort featuring 20 companies building on the partners' foundational models. Startups...
Pigment, the Paris‑based business‑planning platform founded in 2019, has become a unicorn valued at over $1 bn after a $145 m Series D round led by ICONIQ Growth and Sandberg Bernthal Venture Partners. The company’s AI agents, launched last year, can perform CFO‑level scenario analysis and...

The post‑open enrollment window is a critical period for benefits brokers to re‑engage employer clients and translate enrollment insights into actionable strategy for 2026. Employers are pressuring brokers to control rising healthcare costs while employees face mounting financial stress from...

Petrol prices in Northern Ireland have fallen to 124.2 pence per litre, the lowest level in five years, while diesel holds steady at 131.9 pence. The decline follows a global oil oversupply and easing geopolitical tensions after the 2022 price spike triggered...
ING Groep NV trimmed its GE Aerospace holding by 38.3%, selling 64,648 shares and leaving a 104,299‑share position worth roughly $31.4 million. The reduction came as other institutions, notably Norges Bank, Jennison Associates, Vanguard, Lazard and Geode Capital, expanded their stakes,...
TotalEnergies announced a 62% reduction in its Q1 share buyback, lowering the program to $750 million after a fourth‑quarter adjusted net income of $3.8 billion fell 13% year‑on‑year. The cut reflects weaker oil and gas prices that offset a 215% surge in...

Africa’s venture landscape is split between a regulated, capital‑efficient North and a fast‑growing but fragmented Sub‑Saharan region. In 2024, North Africa logged 89 equity deals worth $297 m, while Sub‑Saharan hubs like Nigeria and South Africa raised over $500 m each, highlighting...

Indonesia’s newly appointed deputy finance minister, Juda Agung, entered office on February 5 after serving as Bank Indonesia’s deputy governor. Within days he announced an ambitious revision to the first‑quarter 2026 GDP target, nudging it from the baseline 5.5 percent to 5.6 percent....

HCML, a leading corporate health and wellbeing provider, has appointed Kathryn Goldfinch as Commercial Director for Corporate and Insured Health. Goldfinch brings nearly three decades of experience from senior roles at Bupa, Nuffield Health and Doctor Care Anywhere, most recently...
The Nigeria Tax Act 2025 mandates that every resident file a personal income‑tax return by 31 March, consolidating earnings from salaries, freelance gigs, rentals, dividends and other streams. Taxpayers must use their State Internal Revenue Service’s portal—or visit the office where digital...

Mayor Zohran Mamdani appointed Lisa Gelobter as New York City’s Chief Technology Officer and Commissioner of the Office of Technology and Innovation. Gelobter, a veteran technologist who helped create the GIF and launch Hulu, will oversee digital infrastructure, cybersecurity, and...
On 10 February, Treasury Today hosted a panel discussion dissecting the 2025 Global Equity Study, a research effort backed by Standard Chartered. Moderator Sophie Jackson led Treasury leaders from AbbVie, the International Organization for Migration and Standard Chartered through the...
The India‑Chile free trade negotiations are moving toward a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement that explicitly includes critical minerals such as lithium, copper, and cobalt. Chile’s abundant reserves could supply India’s “Make in India” and clean‑energy ambitions, while recent moves by...
Commonwealth Bank of Australia reported a solid second‑half 2025 performance, with cash net profit climbing 6% and earnings per share increasing $0.19. The bank highlighted disciplined growth across its core retail and business segments despite cost‑of‑living pressures and global uncertainty....

Zellis’ new research shows UK organisations could unlock up to £40 billion a year in productivity and an additional £20 billion in operating‑cost savings by better aligning AI use between leaders and employees. While 94 % of executives say AI tools are deployed,...
NEOS MLP High Income ETF (MLPI) aims to deliver roughly 15% after‑tax yields by layering covered‑call premiums on a portfolio that mirrors the AMLP structure. The fund’s 100% return‑of‑capital distribution model defers taxes, boosting net income for investors. In addition...

Max Moen, Haypp’s Head of People and Culture, argues that hybrid work must be driven by culture rather than a static policy. He emphasizes that flexibility should serve employee energy cycles and wellbeing, especially during low‑energy periods. Effective hybrid models...
Barings Participation Investors (MPV) is a high‑quality, income‑focused closed‑end fund delivering a 7.8% yield and solid dividend coverage. The fund’s floating‑rate private‑credit portfolio positions it to profit from future interest‑rate cuts. However, shares currently trade at a 21% premium to...
Ladder Capital (LADR) continues to position itself as a low‑volatility, conservatively managed CRE REIT, with management holding over 10% of the equity. The Q4 2025 report showed a miss on dividend coverage, yet the portfolio remains anchored by more than...

Indian agri‑tech platform BigHaat secured $10 million in a funding round led by Bidra Innovation Ventures, the U.S. VC arm of global fertilizer giant OCP Group. Existing backers JM Financial and Ashish Kacholia also participated, bringing total funding to roughly Rs 300 crore....

The European Central Bank appointed Thomas Broeng Jorgensen as Director General for Specialised Institutions and Less Significant Institutions, effective 1 March 2026. In this role he will directly supervise specialised banks and coordinate the oversight of less‑significant banks through national supervisors. Jorgensen succeeds Patrick Amis,...

China’s central bank set the yuan’s daily fixing at 6.9438 per dollar, the strongest level in 33 months, as the currency continued to appreciate. Offshore trading pushed the yuan to 6.909 per dollar, reflecting a broader rotation out of US...

Mahindra & Mahindra reported a 33% jump in standalone profit after tax to ₹3,931 crore for Q3 FY26, while revenue rose 26% to ₹38,942 crore. Vehicle sales increased 23% to 302,238 units, and the farm‑equipment segment posted a 20.2% margin on ₹10,200 crore...

London‑based Occam Industries announced a €3 million pre‑seed round, led by Czech investor Presto Tech Horizons and backed by Antler, Freedom Fund, TYR.vc and angels. The financing follows the company’s approval for integration testing with Ukraine’s Brave1 defense tech cluster, validating...

South Korean carrier HMM posted a Q4 2025 net profit of KRW 364 billion, a 59.9% plunge from the prior period, while revenues fell 14.2% to KRW 2.71 trillion. The full‑year results showed a 50.3% profit drop to KRW 1.88 trillion as container freight rates slumped 49%...

Financial firms are moving AI from pilot projects to production by adopting application engines that provide a unified environment for data, business logic, and user interfaces. A Gartner survey shows 59% of CFOs use AI but only 10% have production‑grade...

AI-generated influencers such as Lil Miquela, Lu do Magalu, and Noonoouri have transitioned from tech curiosities to major commercial assets, with agencies mass‑producing virtual personas and brands allocating sizable budgets. Ogilvy forecasts that AI virtual influencers will command 30% of...

Airports are seeing passenger growth but aeronautical revenues are constrained by regulation and taxation, prompting a shift toward non‑aeronautical income. Justin Erbacci of ACI World warns that traditional funding will fall short for the capital‑intensive decarbonisation agenda, recommending public‑private partnerships...

Hindustan Unilever‑owned Minimalist posted a 48% jump in operating revenue, reaching Rs 514.8 crore in FY25, surpassing the Rs 500 crore mark. The brand’s expenses rose 51% to Rs 504 crore, driven by higher advertising spend and material costs, yet EBITDA remained positive at Rs 18 crore. A...

EximPe, a cross‑border payment startup, has secured the Reserve Bank of India’s final Payment Aggregator Cross‑Border (PA‑CB) licence. The authorisation lets the firm enable global merchants to collect Indian consumer payments via UPI, cards, wallets and other methods, with settlements...

The latest global ranking of the most connected cities shows no UK location among the top destinations for digital nomads, with Kuala Lumpur, Milan and Lisbon leading the list. The study evaluates mobile data affordability, internet speeds, free Wi‑Fi and...

French wine and spirit exporters recorded their steepest decline since the pandemic, with total sales falling 7.9% to €14.3 billion in 2025. Wine shipments slipped 4.1% while spirits plunged 17.4%, driven by a 23.8% collapse in cognac exports. The downturn reflects...

Hybrid working has become the norm in post‑pandemic Britain, but its benefits are unevenly distributed. While many employers tout flexibility to attract talent, lower‑paid workers and those in deprived regions still lack remote options. Politician Nigel Farage recently called for...
China Vanke, a state‑backed developer, announced a record 82 billion yuan ($11.8 billion) loss for 2025. The loss prompted the company to shrink its serviced‑apartment business, scaling back operations in Shenzhen under the Port Apartment brand. The move is part of a...

UK’s FTSE 100 slipped 0.3% after a string of negative corporate news. Energy giant BP announced a suspension of its share buyback programme and heightened cost‑cutting targets to fund oil production, while Standard Chartered saw its finance chief Diego De Giorgi...

UK managers report growing pressure over pay and promotion decisions, with 78% facing formal challenges despite 83% believing their choices are data‑driven. The HiBob study of 4,700 managers reveals pervasive data gaps: 30% say missing information led to high performers...
Shiprocket has emerged as a critical logistics and commerce platform that bridges India’s small‑town entrepreneurs, known as Bharatpreneurs, with national markets. By consolidating courier networks, payment processing, order management, and offering rapid working‑capital financing, the service enables regional MSMEs to...
India’s Q3 earnings season saw several blue‑chip stocks post strong results, lifting market sentiment. Eicher Motors led gains with a 7% share surge after reporting 22.9% revenue growth and higher EBITDA margins. Apollo Hospitals and Titan also delivered double‑digit profit...

CrowdStrike announced Jonathon Dixon as vice‑president and managing director for Japan and Asia Pacific, tasking him with leading AI‑powered cyber‑security transformation across the region. Dixon arrives with more than 25 years of experience, most recently serving as JAPAC head at Verkada and...

Jaro Education, founded in 2009 by Dr. Sanjay Salunkhe, tackles the lack of access to premium education for Indian professionals through a partner‑led, technology‑enabled model. The company has served over 350,000 learners and remained profitable from day one, financing growth...
Voya’s Strategic Income Opportunities Fund delivered outperformance in Q4 2025, surpassing its ICE BofA USD 3‑Month Deposit Index benchmark on a net asset value basis. The quarter was marked by heightened policy uncertainty due to a government shutdown, alongside market turbulence driven by a...
Seven, a Mumbai fintech startup known for its 7 Ring wearable payment device, secured a strategic pre‑Series A investment from Shivam Malhotra, founder of Malsons Ventures, acquiring a 1% equity stake. The capital will fund product innovation, market penetration, team...

Indian spacetech startup Ethereal Exploration Guild (EtherealX) announced a $20.5 million Series A round led by BIG Capital, issuing 9,763 preference shares at Rs 1,87,920 each. The financing lifts its post‑money valuation to roughly $80 million, a six‑fold jump from the $12 million seed round....

Andercore, an AI‑powered trading platform for industrial supplies, announced a $40 million Series B round. The round was led by venture firms Atomico and Project A. The capital will accelerate product development and expand the platform’s reach across global manufacturers. Andercore aims to...

DHL eCommerce announced a strategic partnership with Georgia Tech’s H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering to create a direct pipeline of engineering talent. The agreement includes on‑campus recruiting, advisory board participation, and sponsorship of a senior‑level student...

A TalentLMS survey of 1,000 employees reveals a stark gap between perceived safety and actual workplace misconduct. While 71 % feel protected, only 38 % report no incidents in the past year, with incivility, exclusion, physical violence and sexual harassment still common....