Asian Shares Surge, Echoing Rally on Wall Street as Oil Prices Sink Back to About $90
Asian equities rebounded sharply on Tuesday as oil prices retreated from a peak near $120 to around $90 a barrel, easing geopolitical risk concerns. President Donald Trump’s remarks that the Iran‑related conflict was “very complete” further calmed markets. Japan’s revised Q4 GDP showed 1.3% annual growth, lifting the Nikkei 2.9% to 54,248.39, while South Korea’s Kospi jumped 5.4%. The broader rally mirrored a Wall Street recovery driven by lower energy costs.
Newtrace Raises $6.3 Mn in Pre-Series A Round Led by HDFC Bank, MSIVC
Climate‑tech startup Newtrace secured $6.3 million (₹56.93 crore) in a pre‑Series A round. The financing was led by HDFC Bank and Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Venture Capital, with participation from Peak XV Surge, Aavishkaar, and other investors. Newtrace will use the funds to scale pilot...
Iran Strikes Push Oil Higher and Raise Inflation Risks - Weekly Roundup: 10 March
Oil prices surged past $100 a barrel after US and Israeli strikes on Iran, reviving inflation concerns and prompting analysts to warn of a dual recession‑inflation risk. Meanwhile, Swift is launching a new cross‑border retail payments framework to improve speed...
Next Steps for Rasht-Astara Line to Be Taken Next Month?
Russia and Iran will sign off the 164‑km Rasht‑Astara railway line on April 1, 2026, a cornerstone of the International North‑South Transport Corridor (INSTC). The €1.6 billion project, jointly funded by Moscow and Tehran, aims to streamline cargo flow from India...
WA Innovation Booster Grants Reopen With $50,000 Available Per Applicant
Western Australia has reopened its Innovation Booster Grants, offering up to $50,000 per applicant, as part of a broader $2 million funding push. The state also launched a $1.75 million Spaceport Establishment Support grant to lure commercial launch operators. In parallel, AI‑tax...
Biometrics: HR’s Role in a New Era of Security
Companies are accelerating biometric deployments to secure facilities and data, but the technology’s personal nature creates privacy and trust challenges. HR leaders are urged to treat biometric rollouts as major change initiatives, delivering clear communication, consent processes, and transparent data...
European Markets Head for Positive Open as Oil Prices Slide
European stock futures surged 1‑2% on Tuesday as oil prices retreated after President Trump suggested possible action to keep the Strait of Hormuz open. Brent crude slipped 6.8% to $92.25 per barrel, easing pressure on energy‑sensitive equities. The rally could...
Zalando Launches New Campaign with Brand Ambassador Lily Collins
Zalando has unveiled its spring‑summer 2026 campaign featuring Lily Collins as the company’s first global brand ambassador. The actress, known for her European lifestyle, fronts a series of hero videos and digital out‑of‑home assets that explore the everyday question “What...
Advocacy vs Advertorial: Brands on Bringing ‘Storytelling’ to Influencer Gifting
Influencer gifting remains common, yet its impact is waning as audiences detect inauthenticity. A Socially Powerful survey shows 93% of marketers send free products, but only 19% receive genuine advocacy and 35% blame creator fatigue for declining effectiveness. Brands such...
4 Ways to Automate Seamless with Zapier
Seamless.AI, an AI‑powered sales prospecting platform, now offers pre‑built Zapier workflows that move verified contact data automatically across business apps. The guide outlines four core automation paths—adding contacts to CRMs, syncing them with email‑marketing tools, notifying teams via Slack, Teams...
Why Other People Are Getting Credit For Your Good Ideas At Work
The article examines why coworkers often receive credit for ideas that originated elsewhere, highlighting that attention, timing, confidence, and perceived status outweigh intentional theft. Cognitive research shows listeners remember the most vivid, confident restatement, while seniority creates a bias toward...
Private Sector Pay Rises Climb to 3.4 Percent as Cost of Living Pressure Persists
Private‑sector median pay awards rose to 3.4% in the three months to January 2026, up from 3.0% previously. One‑fifth of private settlements now exceed 4%, indicating growing pressure to offset lingering cost‑of‑living stresses despite easing inflation. Manufacturing saw its median...
5 Ways to Automate Tactiq with Zapier
Tactiq’s AI‑powered transcription now pairs with Zapier to automate every step after a meeting. Users can automatically back up transcripts to Google Drive, Dropbox, or Notion, generate structured Google Docs and AI‑summaries, and turn key points into tasks in Asana,...
Canyon Bicycles Signs as Official Sponsor for the 2026 Hard MTB League
Canyon Bicycles has been announced as the Official Bike Partner for the 2026 season of the Hard MTB League. The collaboration aligns Canyon’s all‑terrain bike engineering with the league’s unique format that requires riders to master downhill, enduro, cross‑country and...
Cashfree Payments Celebrates Unique Business Journeys in New Campaign via Talented
Cashfree Payments, India’s leading payments gateway, has unveiled the “One of Your Kind” brand campaign, produced by Talented and At All Odds. The film showcases the distinct growth stories of partners such as BigBasket, Third Wave Coffee and Redbus, positioning...
Singapore Hiring Sentiment Rises in Q2 2026 Amid AI Adoption and Skills Demand
Employers in Singapore regained hiring confidence in Q2 2026, with the Net Employment Outlook climbing to +24% after a dip in Q1. The information sector spearheads the surge, posting a +41% outlook and 58% of firms planning workforce expansion. AI...
Petronet LNG, GAIL, Indraprastha, MGL, ATGL Gain up to 6% as Trump’s Iran War Remarks Lift Market Sentiment
Shares of Indian gas distributors surged after President Donald Trump suggested the Iran war could end soon, easing fears of prolonged Strait of Hormuz disruptions. Petronet LNG jumped nearly 5% to ₹292.30, GAIL rose 2% to ₹152.50, and Indraprastha Gas...
Startup SecureNative AI Appoints Peter Lillywhite, Inks Dicker Data Deal
SecureNative AI has appointed Peter Lillywhite as co‑founder to strengthen its Microsoft security capabilities. Lillywhite, former founder of Xello Australia and leader of its Microsoft practice, joins existing founder Sean Roberts, whose background includes multiple tech exits. The startup also...
Why Hourglass Swapped Mecca for Sephora and Embraced DTC
Hourglass Cosmetics has terminated its 16‑year exclusive partnership with Australian retailer Mecca, ending a relationship that began in 2010. Starting February 17, 2026, the brand launched its own Australian direct‑to‑consumer website and, nine days later, entered Sephora Australia’s stores without...
Royal Stag and FCB Neo Decode Rohit Sharma’s Success in ‘Code of Large’ Campaign
Royal Stag, in partnership with FCB Neo, launched the data‑driven "Royal Stag Code of Large" campaign featuring cricketer Rohit Sharma and mental‑conditioning coach Paddy Upton. The initiative uses an AI‑powered RS Code Finder that translates four success traits—Selfless, Driven, Fearless, Inspiring—into personalized video...
ZOFF Foods Raises $2 Million in Pre-Series B Round Led by JM Financial Private Equity
Raipur‑based spice brand ZOFF Foods secured $2 million in a Pre‑Series B round, led by JM Financial Private Equity’s India Growth Fund III and joined by boAt co‑founder Aman Gupta. This is the company’s second funding round, underscoring investor confidence in its growth...
Chart Alert: Hang Seng Index Recovered at 24,765, Bulls Need to Break Abo...
The Hang Seng Index rebounded to 24,765, reclaiming its 200‑day moving average after a 1.6% intraday gain. Over the past ten days, it fell only 3.3% while China’s CSI 300 slipped 1.1%, outpacing regional peers hit by oil‑driven stagflation fears. Policy...
As Bombs Fall, Gold Prices Rise — and Poland Is Taking Notice
Geopolitical strikes on Iran have pushed spot gold to a record $5,420 per ounce, sparking a surge in demand for physical bullion. In Poland, the Mazovia Mint reports private investor purchases rising 30‑50% year‑on‑year, with 21% of Poles entering the...
Walmart’s Vizio Acquisition Finally Opens Up Retail Advertising’s Growth
Walmart’s purchase of Vizio gives the retailer control of a smart‑TV operating system that blends content discovery, advertising, payments and commerce on the living‑room screen. The move transforms retail media from search‑based placements to first‑screen TV inventory, especially as 2026‑model...
Exclusive: MNTN Hires TikTok and NBCUniversal Veterans to Chase the SMB Market
MNTN announced the hiring of Garland Hill, former TikTok growth chief, as its first chief revenue officer, and Peter Blacker, former NBCUniversal streaming head, as global head of premium content. Hill previously scaled TikTok’s small‑business division to over $1 billion in revenue, while...
What Is a Customizable Automation Platform? Definition, Features, and Top Picks
Customizable automation platforms let businesses stitch together disparate SaaS tools into coherent, adaptable workflows. The article outlines six core criteria—integration breadth, configurable triggers and actions, logic branching, editable workflows, data mapping, and governance—that separate truly flexible solutions from marketing hype....
The Leaf Creates Creator-Led Film for OPPO Find X9
The Leaf, a Bengaluru‑based agency, launched a short‑form film for OPPO showcasing the Find X9 through the day of a Gen Z creator. The narrative follows the creator’s multiple roles—from yoga to directing and late‑night art—using rapid cinematic cuts that mirror modern...
Mideast Naphtha Supply Tightens as Disruptions Mount
Mideast Gulf naphtha supplies are tightening after Kuwait's KPC and Bahrain's Bapco Energies announced force majeure, removing roughly 560,000 t/month and 167,000 t/month respectively. Additional shipment delays from ADNOC and cargo cancellations by QatarEnergy, alongside drone attacks on Ras Laffan and Duqm,...
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Middle East War Set to Push Inflation Higher than Forecast, Warns RBA Deputy Governor
RBA Deputy Governor Andrew Hauser warned that inflation in Australia is likely to run above the bank’s June projection of 4.2% because of surging oil prices linked to the Middle East conflict. The central bank’s board will meet next week,...
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Authority Launches Digital Badge
The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority has launched a digital‑badge scheme to help young people showcase skills to employers. Partnering with the Region of Learning, the programme targets NEET individuals and embeds badges in the Youth Guarantee and regional internships....
Paris-Based Qevlar AI Raises €25.8 Million to Automate Security Operations Centre Investigations with Agentic AI
Paris‑based Qevlar AI announced a €25.8 million funding round, co‑led by Partech and Forgepoint Capital with participation from EQT Ventures. The capital will expand its agentic AI platform that autonomously investigates security alerts, delivering full‑depth analysis and actionable insights. Qevlar claims...
HR Manager Wins Rare Suppression Order After Sharing Sensitive Information
The Fair Work Commission granted a limited suppression order to redact portions of a published decision after an HR manager for disability‑services provider Hands On People realized she had inadvertently included sensitive personal and medical information as evidence. The manager...
EXCLUSIVE: Max Parker Fronts Mytheresa’s Spring 2026 Menswear Ad Campaign
Mytheresa has launched its "Best of Spring" menswear ad campaign for Spring 2026, featuring British actor Max Parker as the face of the collection. The visuals, shot by Zoe Joubert in Spain’s Tabernas Desert, showcase luxury labels such as Prada, Giorgio Armani, Bottega Veneta...
Behind NYT’s First Foray Into In-Game Advertising
New York Times has introduced Crossplay, its first two‑player word game that embeds ads directly within gameplay. The ad‑supported format targets non‑subscribing users, with six‑second mandatory video ads after each turn. JPMorgan Chase partnered for the launch, aiming at financially active, digitally savvy...
Behind NYT’s First Foray Into In-Game Advertising
The New York Times launched Crossplay, its first two‑player word game, as a standalone app that embeds ads directly within gameplay. The ad‑supported model applies to non‑subscribers, while a Games subscription removes the ads. JPMorgan Chase partnered on the launch, using...
2026: A Year of Uncertainty and Anxiety in Talent Development
2026 will be defined by heightened geopolitical uncertainty and an AI backlash that together fuel employee anxiety. Global teams face trust erosion as international tensions spill into digital collaboration, while AI hallucinations and unreliable large‑language‑model outputs erode confidence in corporate...
Yann LeCun Raises $1 Billion to Build AI That Understands the Physical World
Yann LeCun, former Meta chief AI scientist, launched Advanced Machine Intelligence (AMI) with a $1 billion funding round, valuing the Paris‑based startup at $3.5 billion. AMI aims to develop AI world models that understand and reason about the physical world, offering persistent...
Yann LeCun’s AMI Labs Raises $1.03B to Build World Models
Yann LeCun’s new venture AMI Labs secured $1.03 billion in funding, valuing the startup at $3.5 billion pre‑money. The company is developing "world models"—AI systems that learn from real‑world data using the Joint Embedding Predictive Architecture (JEPA). Its first commercial partner is...
Rupee Rebounds From All-Time Low, up 7 Paise to 92.14 Against US Dollar in Early Trade
The Indian rupee rebounded from its all‑time low, trading at 92.14 per U.S. dollar after a 7‑paise gain in early trade. The rally was sparked by a sharp drop in global oil prices following President Donald Trump’s comments that the...
Philippines Seeks to Retain South Korea as Leading Overseas Visitor Market
The Philippines is intensifying its tourism outreach to South Korea, its largest inbound market, by expanding joint campaigns with airlines, travel agencies, and digital advertising. The Department of Tourism is promoting flagship destinations such as Manila, Cebu, Bohol, Boracay and...
Nonprofit Aims To Modernize Manufacturing by Clearing Capital Hurdle
A nonprofit, the API Innovation Center (APIIC), is tackling the capital barrier that prevents U.S. drug makers from adopting continuous manufacturing. By pooling state, federal, philanthropic and private funds, APIIC installs equipment at manufacturers at no upfront cost, de‑risking the...
The Role of the ‘Squeezed Middle’ in Surviving Change
Gary Cookson’s upcoming book highlights the pivotal role of middle managers in navigating organisational change. Positioned between senior leaders and front‑line staff, they translate strategic visions into actionable steps while managing resistance and performance pressures. Effective change hinges on two‑way...
India Must Tap FTA Opportunities: Piyush Goyal
India’s commerce minister Piyush Goyal urged firms to capitalise on the nine free‑trade agreements covering 38 developed economies, which open roughly two‑thirds of global trade to Indian exporters. He highlighted India’s rise to 38th in the Global Innovation Index and...
India Says No to IEA’s Call to Release Strategic Oil Reserves
India has declined the International Energy Agency’s invitation to tap its strategic oil reserves as a measure to curb soaring crude prices. The country holds about 5.33 million tonnes of underground reserves, roughly 80% of capacity, and reserves them for supply‑disruption...
Apple Now Makes About 25% of iPhones in India After China Pivot
Apple boosted iPhone assembly in India by roughly 53% in 2025, reaching about 55 million units and accounting for a quarter of its global output. The shift helps the company sidestep escalating US tariffs on Chinese‑made devices and diversifies its supply...
CEO Hal Wolf Recognized on Day 1 of HIMSS26
CEO Hal Wolf received a tribal honor on the opening day of HIMSS26. The award recognized his leadership in advancing digital health solutions for federally recognized tribes. The ceremony took place during the conference’s pre‑conference forums, underscoring HIMSS’s emphasis on...
Cboe Introduces Innovative Prediction Markets Framework
Cboe Global Markets announced a patent‑pending prediction‑market framework that adds a middle‑ground payout tier to traditional binary contracts. The new structure offers three possible outcomes—a $0 payout, a partial payout within a defined "payout zone," or a full $100 payout....
Why ‘Heartthrob Marketing’ Is Rising in Beauty
Beauty brands are swapping classic influencers for male "heartthrob" ambassadors, a trend highlighted by MAC Cosmetics’ recent Sephora launch featuring reality‑TV star Rob Rausch. Rausch’s Instagram post generated nearly 8 million impressions in three days and was amplified on a Times Square...
On TikTok Shop, a Brand for the Looksmaxxers Emerges
Based Bodyworks, a digitally native men’s grooming brand founded by influencer‑barber Lance Baker, has become a TikTok Shop sensation, posting roughly $5 million in U.S. sales in February and ranking fourth among beauty brands on the platform. The brand’s product line,...
OpenAI Is B Building the Ad Tech Stack It’s Currently Borrowing
OpenAI is rapidly assembling an internal advertising infrastructure, hiring engineers, product designers, and trust‑and‑safety staff to replace its current reliance on third‑party vendors. In the short term it is partnering with Criteo and The Trade Desk to bring advertisers into...