Japan’s unemployment rate ticked up to 2.7% in January, ending a five‑month decline. The labor ministry reported a 0.4% dip in total employment and a 3.2% rise in the unemployed, driven largely by a 7.9% jump in voluntary quits. Job openings fell sharply in hospitality and retail, while education and manufacturing saw modest gains. Officials linked the shift to higher living costs and firms turning to AI for efficiency.
French Foreign Minister Jean‑Noël Barrot and Chinese counterpart Wang Yi held a call to coordinate de‑escalation of the escalating Iran conflict. Both ministers pledged to pursue a political solution that safeguards collective security while acknowledging Iranian aspirations. Barrot accused Tehran...
Jio Platforms has appointed Dan Bailey as president to head its international business. Bailey, a veteran with 35 years in consulting and investment banking, will join the executive committee and report to Akash Ambani from London. His hiring coincides with...
Casino Group announced it is negotiating with creditors to adapt and strengthen its financial structure, extending consent periods and discussing operational financing extensions. The company postponed its 2025 full‑year results to the end of March while statutory auditors engage with...
ABL Group ASA announced a share buyback program authorising the repurchase of up to 300,000 shares, roughly 0.2% of its outstanding capital, for a maximum of NOK 5 million. The programme runs from 3 March 2026 until the share limit is reached or 30 June 2026,...

Google’s Gemini model is now accessible through Zapier’s Google AI Studio integration, enabling businesses to embed generative AI across thousands of apps without custom code. The article outlines six practical use cases—from automated email drafting and labeling to multimodal analysis...

A UK study by retailer Hillarys estimates workers spend £48 billion each year on caffeine, snacks and other quick fixes to stay awake at work. Sixty‑four percent of employees report weekly spending, averaging £6.23 per day, with finance and tech staff...

The article explains the negotiator’s dilemma—the tension between creating and claiming value—and presents multiple equivalent simultaneous offers (MESOs) as a solution. MESOs involve presenting two to three equally valued packages that vary across issues, allowing negotiators to anchor discussions while...

Artificial intelligence is reshaping finance employment, pushing digital and technical skills to the forefront while diminishing the perceived value of traditional accounting tasks. Only 14% of finance leaders consider classic accounting abilities essential for new hires, and 41% prioritize AI...

Starz posted Q4 2025 revenue of $322.8 million, a 6.3% decline year‑over‑year, driven by a 12% drop in streaming‑related sales. Linear and other revenue rose 6.6% to $112.5 million, partially offsetting the shortfall. The operating loss narrowed dramatically to $4.7...
The U.S. Air Force has awarded Oracle an $88 million firm‑fixed‑price task order to expand its Cloud One modernization effort using Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI). The contract authorizes OCI use across multiple classification levels, including Top Secret SCI and DISA Impact...
Renault S.A. disclosed that it repurchased a total of 600,000 of its own shares between February 20 and February 25, 2026. The buyback was executed through an investment services provider on the Paris exchange (XPAR) at an average weighted price...

The Bank of Japan is likely to postpone its March interest‑rate hike as market volatility from the US‑Iran conflict intensifies. Yen depreciation remains the only clear trigger for a hike, but geopolitical risk and rising oil prices are prompting caution....

Mission Critical IoT announced that John Hubler, formerly Chief Revenue Officer, has been promoted to President and Chief Revenue Officer. In his expanded role, Hubler will manage company‑wide operations, steer strategic initiatives, and continue overseeing all revenue‑generating activities. The move...

Practo has hired Cijo George as vice‑president and head of artificial intelligence, after a four‑and‑a‑half‑year stint at Observe.AI. George brings a decade‑plus track record in machine learning, data science, and platform engineering from roles at NetApp, Belong.co, and Nokia Siemens...

Programmable money embeds conditional logic into cash movements, turning treasury processes from batch‑based to event‑driven. It leverages a mix of digital instruments—CBDCs, stablecoins, and tokenised deposits—to meet varied operational needs. AI‑guided payment libraries add automation while preserving governance, and quantum‑resistant...

A record 1.23 million workers are now on zero‑hour contracts, up 91 000 in the past year and 181 000 since mid‑2024. The surge is driven primarily by young workers and those outside full‑time education, with women slightly over‑represented. Employers face growing uncertainty...

Union Maritime, a UK‑based tanker operator, is linked to its first Newcastlemax bulk carrier order, potentially securing up to four 215,000‑dwt vessels from China’s Wuhu Shipyard. The deal includes two firm ships and two options at roughly $76 million each, with...
The Indian School of Business (ISB) has launched its Post‑Graduate Programme in Management for Family Business (PGP MFAB), a 15‑month modular MBA designed exclusively for next‑generation family‑business leaders. The curriculum blends global management frameworks with India‑centric case studies, focusing on succession...
BMI warns that the Israel‑Iran conflict will increase policy uncertainty and deter foreign investment in India. The firm keeps its FY2026/27 GDP growth forecast at 7 % but flags geopolitical risks that could offset gains from new US and EU trade...
SAP is moving from sponsor to core infrastructure provider for New York Fashion Week, embedding its enterprise systems into the event’s operational and commercial layers. Partnering with N4XT Experiences, SAP has built a Retail Innovation Lab that streams product, pricing,...

The Workplace Gender Equality Agency’s 2026 report shows Australia’s overall employer gender pay gap narrowing, with the private‑sector midpoint falling to 11.2% and the median to 8.0%, each down 0.9 points year‑on‑year. More than half of employers reduced their gaps,...
Secure Agility, a Sydney‑based tech services firm with roughly 100 staff and $70 million in annual revenue, is shifting from a low‑profile engineering focus to aggressive customer acquisition and national expansion. The company now offers production‑ready AI, IoT and cybersecurity platforms,...

Bubble Me, a Chandigarh‑based wellness startup, secured Rs 1.5 crore in a pre‑seed round led by AJVC. The funding will accelerate magnesium research, product testing, and supply‑chain enhancements. Bubble Me’s current lineup includes magnesium bath soaks, a topical balm, and a daily...
UK health insurer Bupa has selected the creative agency Ace of Hearts to lead its new advertising and strategic initiatives. The agency was chosen after a competitive pitch process coordinated by Ingenuity+, a specialist agency network. The partnership is expected...

Zapier has launched Lead Router, a beta tool that automates lead distribution across sales teams using customizable rules. Users create queues and routers to apply round‑robin, weighted, or territory‑based logic, with a mandatory fallback assignment to catch unmatched leads. The...
Julia Garner has been named a global brand ambassador for luxury fashion house Loewe, announced by the label’s new creative directors Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez. The Emmy‑winning actress, previously linked to Gucci, will front Loewe’s upcoming campaigns, reflecting the designers’ vision...

Artium Academy, an online music‑learning platform, is raising Rs 19.2 crore ($2.13 million) in a Series A round led by Jejurikar Longevity Trust, with Savitha Ramesh and existing backer Chiratae Ventures participating. The company will issue 60,450 CCPS at Rs 3,176 each, pushing its post‑money valuation to...

Sabco has introduced Neet!, a new cleaning brand sold exclusively at Bunnings Warehouse in Australia and New Zealand. The brand, developed with agency DPR&Co, features a youthful "Chuck the Muck" positioning aimed at first‑time, younger cleaning consumers. Its launch includes...

The article examines how anchoring bias shapes negotiation outcomes and whether a single price or a price range is more effective. Research by Ames and Mason shows that a "bolstering" range—where the high end exceeds the target price—produces larger concessions...

The One Centre Group has rebranded its 2019 investment Zephyr Social as Zephyr One, joining its constellation of specialist branding firms. The 12‑person agency now offers commercial strategy, performance media, and creative services through its proprietary System One model. Founders...
A Queensland Industrial Relations Commission ruled that a temporary teacher at Tagai State College is not entitled to workers' compensation for a psychological injury claimed after a feedback meeting. The commissioner described the employee's reaction as driven by personal perception...

By 2026 consumers are hitting a breaking point dubbed “The Great Exhaustion,” where cost‑of‑living stress, climate concerns and digital overload drive burnout and decision fatigue. This emotional economy favors calm, comfort and belonging over constant novelty, prompting brands to simplify...

Performance Shipping, the Nasdaq‑listed Greek tanker owner, has signed contracts for two 158,000 dwt suezmax vessels with Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding. Each newbuild costs $81.5 million and is scheduled for delivery in October 2028 and May 2029. The ships will be Tier III, scrubber‑fitted and meet...

OpenAI has launched a trial ad platform inside ChatGPT, enlisting The Knot Worldwide as one of its first brand partners. The wedding‑planning service is testing ad performance, brand‑safety protocols, and data insights while also debuting its own app within the...

Marketing agencies are confronting the economics of generative‑AI tokens as they embed large‑language‑model tools into campaigns. Tokens, which meter compute, can add up quickly—Coca‑Cola’s recent ad required millions of them—prompting agencies to devise new pricing structures. Some firms, like Merge...

Meta has embedded an AI agent suite called Manus into its Ads Manager, following a $2 billion acquisition of the Singapore‑based startup Butterfly Effect. The tool promises automated competitor analysis, audience research, campaign measurement and reporting across Facebook and Instagram. Early...
Sydney‑based Spacera has introduced Photon, a free cloud‑to‑cloud dashboard that gives IT and AV teams real‑time visibility into meeting rooms across Microsoft Teams, Zoom and Cisco Webex. The platform eliminates the so‑called “visibility tax” by offering unlimited rooms and users...

The FT1000 2026, compiled with Statista, ranks Europe’s fastest‑growing companies by revenue CAGR from 2021‑2024. UK‑based online wellbeing retailer Healf leads with a 621.7 % CAGR, followed by Popeyes UK at 510.9 % and Italy’s CDC Chain Drive Crane at 503.4 %. Companies from France, Germany, the UK...
Taiwan, home to 23 million people, sits at the nexus of global trade routes and the semiconductor supply chain, making its stability a linchpin for worldwide commerce. The Kuomintang (KMT) argues that the island should not be forced to align exclusively...

Real estate brokers can turn private lending into a strategic advantage by offering faster, more flexible financing than traditional banks. Private lenders specialize in distinct property types and deal sizes, allowing brokers to match investors with the right capital source....

The article reframes recruitment budgeting as a strategic investment rather than a line‑item expense. It argues that every key business outcome—revenue growth, innovation, customer experience, and employee retention—originates from hiring decisions and the support those hires receive. Instead of asking...
Talent development leaders are shifting from completion‑based metrics to AI‑driven behavioral coaching data that captures how managers apply leadership skills in real work situations. Continuous AI coaching records patterns such as delegation, feedback delivery, and style adaptation across teams, providing...

Laboratories often assume test repeatability, yet subtle shifts in equipment, operators, and environment cause measurement drift that goes unnoticed until costly failures emerge. In paint labs, consistent pass results mask growing variability, leading to rework, delayed product launches, and regulatory...

Whatnot, the livestream shopping platform, has expanded its food category from shelf‑stable snacks to fresh seafood and meat, achieving a 30% month‑over‑month growth and a 2.5× rise in transactions between July 2025 and January 2026. Sales of iconic brands like...
Greg Abel, the new CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, used his first shareholder letter to stress rising electricity demand and wildfire threats, while declaring the CEO also serves as chief risk officer. He did not address how Berkshire’s extensive fossil‑fuel holdings,...

Tech Mahindra employee Dhanraj Khandagale faced intense online criticism after a LinkedIn comment, shared under a Hindustan Times article about Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was deemed hate speech. The remark called for the “whitewashing” of an entire religious community and was...

Startup culture often begins as an extension of the founder’s temperament, delivering the speed and grit needed to launch a venture. As companies scale, the initial instinct‑driven environment clashes with the need for governance, equity and sustainable processes. HR leaders...

Australian heritage paint brand Taubmans, together with creative agency Sunday Gravy, has unveiled the “Making Painters” platform, a brand campaign that positions the company as the ally of everyday painters. The initiative embraces the messy realities of home painting—faded colours,...

Shake Shack promoted Alaric Sng to global marketing director, giving him oversight of Mainland China, Southeast Asia and new APAC markets. The role expands his previous responsibilities rather than replacing an existing director. Sng joins from a background in loyalty...