Alde Medi Impex Names Parag Bhatnagar as VP-HR
Alde Medi Impex appointed Parag Bhatnagar as vice president‑human resources to lead HR for its corporate office and the upcoming Kashipur manufacturing facility. Bhatnagar brings over 20 years of cross‑industry experience, previously serving as corporate HR head at Biodeal Pharmaceuticals and CHRO at Supertech. His mandate includes streamlining processes, strengthening employer branding, and fostering a performance‑driven culture as the company scales production capacity. The hire signals Alde Medi Impex’s focus on people‑led growth and organisational capability.
Affirm’s Move to Become a Bank Signals a Reconfiguration for the BaaS Industry and Beyond
Fintech lender Affirm announced plans to obtain a U.S. banking charter, a move that could reshape the banking‑as‑a‑service (BaaS) landscape. The filing comes as charter applications have surged, with 21 submissions in the first eight months of 2025—more than double...
China Introduces 30-Day Visa Waiver for UK and Canadian Nationals
China will allow UK and Canadian passport holders to enter visa‑free for up to 30 days. The waiver runs from 17 February to 31 December 2026 and covers business, tourism, family visits, exchanges and transit. It is expected to speed...
‘A Modern Collecting Society Needs the Pace and Resilience of a Modern Digital Service.’
PRS for Music announced a comprehensive digital‑first overhaul, redesigning its website and member tools to be mobile‑first and self‑service. The new platform reduces navigation steps, uses plain language, and treats data as a product, enabling faster royalty insights and payments....
Will AI Eat Your Revtech Stack?
The episode examines how AI is reshaping revenue technology (revtech) stacks, contrasting two dominant narratives: AI as a replacement that could shrink seat‑based pricing, and AI as an augmentor that boosts productivity without major headcount cuts. It highlights that AI’s...
Amundi Lists an ETF Dedicated to European Strategic Autonomy on Xetra
Amundi has launched a Luxembourg‑domiciled ETF that tracks the Euronext European Strategic Autonomy index, focusing on ten sectors deemed critical for Europe’s self‑sufficiency. The fund, listed on Xetra and also available in Paris, carries a 0.40% annualised total expense ratio...
USD/JPY Is Looking for Direction Around 153.00 with Key US Data in Focus
USD/JPY is hovering around the 153.00 level as traders await key US data. The pair was rejected at the 153.70 resistance, found support near 152.70, and settled back near 153.00. Weak Japanese Q4 GDP, which fell short of forecasts, kept...
MeitY, IVCA Mobilise ₹500 Cr VC Commitments For AI Startups
At the India AI Impact Summit 2026, MeitY and the Indian Venture and Alternate Capital Association (IVCA) announced a collective ₹500 crore VC commitment from 16 member funds to accelerate Indian AI startups. Sixteen investors, including Accel, Antler and Prosus, pledged...
South Africa’s Unemployment Rate Eases to 31.4%
South Africa's overall unemployment rate slipped to 31.4% in the fourth quarter of 2025, down from 31.9% in the prior quarter and marking a second consecutive decline after a peak of 33.2% a year earlier. Employment rose by 44,000, reaching...
India Seeks New Steel Export Markets in Middle East and Asia to Offset EU Carbon Tax Impact: Report
India, the world’s second‑largest crude‑steel producer, is pivoting toward the Middle East and Asian markets to cushion the impact of the European Union’s new carbon border adjustment tax. Roughly two‑thirds of its steel exports currently flow to Europe, where the...
X Partners with Real Madrid for New Original Series on Real Talks
X has struck an exclusive deal with Real Madrid to launch “Real talks,” a 10‑episode, player‑driven X Original series. The episodes will roll out throughout the 2025/26 season, aligning with the club’s key fixtures and allowing fans to submit questions...
Fund Managers Alarmed over Corporate Spending Even as Optimism at Five-Year High
Fund managers are at a five‑year high of bullishness, yet a record share warn that corporate America is overspending on capital expenditures amid uncertain returns. In Bank of America’s February survey of 162 managers, cash balances rose in February, signaling...
With the Rise of AI Generated Grievances- How Should HR Professionals Respond?
HR teams now confront an influx of AI‑crafted grievance letters, which appear polished but often lack substantive detail. These documents tend to be overly legalistic, repetitive, and sometimes embed inaccurate case references, complicating investigations and prolonging resolution. Experts advise returning...
Checkmarx Enhances IDE-Native Agentic Application Security in Kiro
Checkmarx announced that its AI‑driven Developer Assist tool is now embedded directly within the AWS Kiro integrated development environment. The integration scans source code and dependencies in real time, surfacing security findings inside the IDE and synchronizing them with the...
UP Sees Sharp Rise in Women’s Workforce Participation
Uttar Pradesh’s female labour force participation surged from 14 percent in 2017‑18 to 36 percent in 2023‑24, according to the Women Economic Empowerment Index. The increase narrows the gap with the national average of 45 percent, reflecting policy‑driven shifts such as Mission Shakti...
IT Execs Seek to Tame Application Sprawl Without Stifling Innovation Through Shared Governance
In a healthsystemCIO webinar, senior IT leaders from RWJBarnabas Health, Ardent Health Services, and the University of Maryland Medical System discussed how to manage the flood of application requests while fostering innovation. They emphasized establishing a single, standardized intake point,...
The Fall of Personalization and Rise of Anticipatory Benefits
Benefit leaders are moving beyond personalization toward anticipatory benefits, as Businessolver unveils an AI‑driven platform called Sophia that predicts employee needs before they arise. The solution mines chatbot transcripts, service calls, and activity data to deliver proactive nudges and alerts,...
From First-Mover To Full-Stack Partner
Safe Harbor Financial, led by new CEO Terry Mendez, is transitioning from a niche cannabis‑banking pioneer to a full‑stack solutions partner for the industry. The fintech has already moved tens of billions of dollars through regulated cannabis channels and now...
What “Bridge. Streamline. Flow.” Means for Knowledge and Process Management Today
APQC Connect 2026 will focus on the theme “Bridge. Streamline. Flow.” as leaders from education, health, finance, and technology share how breaking silos, embedding knowledge and process management, and achieving seamless information flow drive organizational performance. Speakers highlighted concrete actions such as linking...
EIC Ambassador on Europe’s Climate Tech Shift: Why Companies Are Building at Home
European climate‑tech firms are increasingly staying and scaling within the EU, shifting away from the traditional Silicon Valley model. Geopolitical tensions, supply‑chain resilience and stringent sustainability targets are prompting companies to locate manufacturing and R&D on the continent. Angela Ivanova,...
UK Funds Remain Unloved Despite Impressive Year for FTSE 100
The FTSE 100 delivered a strong performance this year, climbing roughly 12% despite lingering macro uncertainties. Yet UK equity funds continued to see net outflows, with investors pulling about 15% less capital compared to the previous year. The reluctance stems...
Xcede Group Appoints Adam Blaney as Chief Executive Officer
Xcede Group, a specialist recruitment firm for technology and energy sectors, has named Adam Blaney as its new Chief Executive Officer effective immediately. Blaney, who joined the leadership team in 2020, brings deep operational knowledge and a proven track record...
On the Move: Fitton Trades Porsche for Bentley
Bentley Motors announced Angus Fitton, formerly Porsche’s VP of PR, as its new chief communications officer effective March 16, overseeing global product, corporate and internal communications. At the same time, fintech firm Sunbit appointed Shachar Scott, ex‑Meta Reality Labs marketing leader,...
‘Greater Diversity Reshapes Expectations’: Women in Energy Storage Network on Strengthening and Empowering an Inclusive Industry
The Women in Energy Storage Network (WinES), founded in 2024, now serves over 1,600 members across the UK’s fast‑growing energy‑storage sector. It earned the 2025 Diversity and Inclusion Award, highlighting its role in elevating female talent. WinES will host a...
Carlyle, BlackRock Buy Cheap Software Loans to Boost CLO Profits
Carlyle Group, BlackRock, Benefit Street Partners and Oak Hill Advisors are buying pools of low‑yield, software‑focused bank loans. The acquisitions are intended to seed new collateralized loan obligations (CLOs) after a year of compressed margins in the loan market. Buyers...
LSEG Partners with Bank of America to Unlock Next Generation Data, Analytics and AI Ready Content for Clients
London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) and Bank of America have entered a multi‑year partnership to embed LSEG’s data, analytics and workflow solutions across BofA’s platforms. The deal gives BofA clients governed, rights‑cleared data and AI‑ready content, powered by LSEG Workspace,...
Thai Banks’ Bad Loans Dip Slightly
Thai banks’ non‑performing loan ratio slipped to 2.84% at December, down from 2.94% in September. Bank lending fell 1.1% in Q4 2025, marking the sixth straight quarter of contraction, driven by tighter credit to SMEs and consumers. Household debt remains...
Cloud On Demand & StorVault Announce Partnership to Strengthen Local Data Protection
Cloud On Demand and South African backup specialist StorVault have announced a partnership that combines scalable cloud delivery with locally‑grounded, immutable data protection. The joint offering targets ransomware, hardware failures and endpoint vulnerabilities that threaten hybrid workforces, while delivering point‑in‑time...
3 Threat Groups Started Targeting ICS/OT in 2025: Dragos
Dragos’ 2026 Year in Review OT/ICS report adds three new adversaries—Sylvanite, Azurite and Pyroxene—targeting industrial control systems in 2025. Sylvanite acts as a rapid‑exploitation broker, weaponising n‑day flaws within 48 hours and handing access to the Voltzite group across power, oil,...
Eterna Plc Launches Self-Service Fuel Stations in Partnership with Fuelmetrics Limited
Eterna Plc announced the rollout of self‑service fuel terminals across its retail network, powered by Fuelmetrics Limited’s smart automation platform. The new stations allow motorists to pay with cards or digital vouchers, cutting queues, cash handling and human error. Corporate...
January 2026 Rental Report: Renter Conditions Improve Across U.S. Markets, With Notable Increases in Vacancies
Realtor.com’s January 2026 Rental Report shows the 29th consecutive month of year‑over‑year rent declines for 0‑2‑bedroom units, with the median asking rent falling 1.5% to $1,672. Vacancy rates in the nation’s 50 largest metros rose to 7.6%, the highest since...
Welltower / Multiple Care Homes Merger Inquiries
The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has opened a phase‑1 merger inquiry into Welltower Inc.’s recent acquisition of more than 600 care homes from Barchester, HC‑One, Aria Care and Danforth Care. The regulator has already served initial enforcement orders...
Sanofi to Expand Hyderabad GCC; Plans Workforce Growth Beyond 4,500
French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi announced it will enlarge its Global Capability Centre (GCC) in Hyderabad, raising headcount from over 2,600 to more than 4,500 employees. The expansion will be financed by a multi‑hundred‑million‑dollar investment, building on a 2024 pledge of...
Unit 42: Nearly Two-Thirds of Breaches Now Start with Identity Abuse
Unit 42’s annual incident‑response report reveals identity abuse now initiates roughly two‑thirds of network intrusions, with social engineering responsible for one‑third of the 750 incidents examined. Compromised credentials, brute‑force attacks and permissive identity policies further fuel the trend, while identity‑related...
From Client to Cap Table: Shakudo Converts Customers Into Investors with $7-Million USD Raise
Toronto‑based AI infrastructure startup Shakudo closed a $7 million USD Series A2 round, led by Wittington Ventures, adding investors from its client base such as Loblaw and CentralReach. The round brings total funding to roughly $18 million and places Wittington managing partner...
Sporticast 528: MLS at a Crossroads
MLS franchise values have surged to an average of $767 million, driven by Inter Miami’s $1.45 billion valuation and LAFC’s $1.4 billion mark. At the lower end, clubs like CF Montréal sit at $430 million, with San Jose Earthquakes and Vancouver Whitecaps seeing year‑over‑year declines. The...
Ongoing War Stifles Ukraine’s Grain Exports
Ukraine’s grain exports have slumped dramatically as Russian shelling intensifies attacks on Black Sea ports and energy infrastructure, cutting monthly shipments from 3.6 Mt to 2.5 Mt. Year‑to‑date volumes are 28.5% lower and export value down 18%, eroding billions of foreign‑currency earnings...
Almi Marine Back in Newbuild Arena with Ultramax Pair
Greek dry‑bulk carrier Almi Marine has re‑entered the new‑building market after a four‑year hiatus, signing a contract for two next‑generation 64,000 dwt ultramax vessels with Nantong Cosco KHI Ship Engineering (NACKS). The ships, slated for delivery in the second quarter of...
London Stock Exchange Celebrated Record-Breaking Birthday Year for ETPs in 2025
The London Stock Exchange marked a milestone 2025, delivering a record‑breaking year for exchange‑traded products (ETPs). Trading volume surged to GBP 238.4 billion, a 38% year‑on‑year increase, while 398 new listings pushed the total to 2,645 ETPs. The removal of the retail...
Pay Transparency Is a Cultural Shift, Not a Reporting Exercise
Pay transparency is evolving from a policy debate to a cultural imperative worldwide, with 16 U.S. states, several countries and EU members already enforcing or drafting legislation. Early adopters reveal that defining "equal work," cleaning legacy pay data, and establishing...
Tom Keaveney Joins AMC Networks International as EVP and Managing Director of AMCNI-UK
AMC Networks International announced Tom Keaveney as executive vice president and managing director of AMCNI‑UK, effective immediately. Based in London, he will oversee programming, marketing, and the company’s fast‑growing FAST (Free‑Ad‑Supported Television) strategy. Keaveney reports to AMCNI president Eduardo Zulueta...
Reform UK Would ‘Repeal Equality Act’
Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage and fronted by former Home Secretary Suella Braverman, announced it would repeal the Equality Act on its first day in office. The party also pledged to dissolve the equalities department, scrap the equalities minister,...
Operational Discipline in Streaming Is Now Non-Negotiable
Streaming operators are moving from growth‑focused strategies to strict cost discipline as subscriber acquisition slows and infrastructure expenses rise. Igor Oreper argues that profitability now depends on tightly controlled workflows, AI‑driven automation, and smarter cloud‑native architectures. He highlights concrete levers...
Nearshore Hiring Moves Beyond Engineering as US Firms Place Revenue Teams in Latin America
U.S. companies are expanding nearshore hiring beyond software engineering to include sales, customer success, and support teams in Latin America. The customer‑success market is projected to reach $16.5 billion by 2033, while bilingual support job postings have risen 50% year‑over‑year. Talent...
Philip R Lane: Bulgaria and the Euro
Philip R. Lane praised Bulgaria’s smooth euro cash changeover, noting that euros now represent 70 percent of cash in circulation as the dual‑lev/euro period ends on 31 January 2026. The speech highlighted Bulgaria’s new seat at the ECB Governing Council, giving the country a...
Christine Lagarde: Preparing for Geoeconomic Fragmentation
European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde warned that deepening supply‑chain interdependence now poses a security risk, prompting Europe to shift toward strategic autonomy. She outlined three policy levers—diversification, indispensability and independence—to reduce reliance on distant suppliers, especially in electronics, chemicals...
Toshiba Weighs Reducing Elevator Unit Stake as Kone Circles
Toshiba Corp. is weighing a partial or full divestiture of its roughly 80% stake in Toshiba Elevator & Building Systems, as Finland’s Kone Oyj signals renewed interest. Kone, which already owns just under 20% of the unit, has begun informal...
Indian Veg Oil Buyers Await Clarity on US Trade Deal
Indian vegetable‑oil importers are waiting for concrete details on the pending U.S.–India trade pact that could lower tariffs on U.S. soybean oil. The framework hints at a 0‑15% duty cut and a tariff‑rate quota of roughly 200,000‑250,000 tonnes, but exact...
Employee Mental Health Tops the Concerns and Priorities of Employers for 5th Year Running
New research from benefits firm Everywhen shows mental health remains the top concern for employers, with 59% flagging it as a priority. Nearly half (49%) plan to focus resources on mental‑health support over the next 12 months, outpacing physical, financial...
India’s Next Big Power Move Is Set to Unfold in the Bay of Bengal
India’s National Green Tribunal has approved the Rs 90,000‑crore Great Nicobar mega‑infrastructure project, clearing the way for a new International Container Transshipment Port at Galethea Bay. The first phase, slated for 2028, will handle over 4 million TEUs annually, with full capacity...