Banc of California Makes a Payments Push
Banc of California is accelerating its payments strategy by hiring industry veteran Chris Healy to lead its merchant acquiring platform, BancEdge. The bank aims to broaden the platform across existing and new commercial clients, emphasizing real‑time, AI‑driven payment capabilities. Healy’s 25‑year background includes reshaping Comerica’s payments division, now part of Fifth Third’s $1 billion fee business. Banc’s push also seeks to generate deposit stickiness as competition for client dollars intensifies.
OpEd: Let Landlords Be Heard at City Hall
David Evans and veteran broker Jerome McAlpin founded We House LA, a landlord advocacy group representing about three dozen small property owners in South Los Angeles. Since the pandemic, members have faced soaring utility and insurance costs while rent growth...
Pablo Air Shoots Higher with AI Drone Swarms
Pablo Air, a South Korean AI‑drone startup, has demonstrated Level 4 autonomous swarm capability, coordinating up to 50 drones and planning a 300‑drone showcase this year. The company raised roughly 107.5 billion won and is gearing up for a KOSDAQ IPO after a...
Dog Haus Plots Its Next Growth Phase
Dog Haus Worldwide is launching an aggressive expansion, targeting 50 new U.S. locations—primarily in the Midwest—and three stores in Mexico within the next year. The chain has secured high‑profile influencer partnerships, notably Jake Paul’s 25‑store franchise and board role, generating...
USC Opens South L.A. Pharmacy
USC’s Alfred E. Mann School of Pharmacy will open its first community pharmacy in South Los Angeles next month, located beside the T.H.E. Health and Wellness Center in Hyde Park. The modest launch will start with three staff members and expand...
How the ‘Galápagos of West Africa’ Is Plundered by Floating Fish Factories
Guinea‑Bissau’s Bijagós archipelago, dubbed the “Galápagos of West Africa,” is being ravaged by illegal floating fish‑meal factories such as the Chinese‑owned Hua Xin 17 and Tian Yi He 6. These vessels process massive volumes of sardinella caught by Turkish purse seiners that routinely disable AIS...
10 of the Best Affordable Family Adventures in Europe
Europe offers a diverse menu of budget‑friendly family adventures, from sea kayaking in Greece to a solar‑eclipse cabin stay in Spain. Prices range from €12 for a tent in Germany’s Black Forest to €1,050 for a week‑long eclipse experience in...
Germany January Industrial Orders -11.1% vs -4.5% M/M Expected
German industrial orders plunged 11.1% in January, far worse than the -4.5% forecast, highlighting a sharp contraction in manufacturing activity. When large orders are stripped out, the overall decline eases to a modest 0.4% month‑on‑month, and a three‑month view shows...
Germany’s Telura Exits Stealth with €4 Million Pre-Seed to Unlock Geothermal Energy with Electric Impulse Drilling
Munich‑based Telura announced a €4 million pre‑seed round led by Nucleus Capital, Possible Ventures and First Momentum, coupled with a validation pact with Germany’s SPRIND agency. The startup’s electric impulse drilling technology replaces mechanical bits with high‑voltage pulses to fracture rock,...
Australia’s Iron Ore Machine Faces a Structural Test
Australia’s iron‑ore sector produced 967.8 million tonnes in 2025, a 1.4% YoY rise, maintaining a 36.8% share of global output. Prices softened to an average $100.2 per dry metric tonne, down 8.4% as Chinese steel demand cooled and supply grew. While...
Data Centres: AI, Power, and the Energy Transition
AI‑driven workloads are reshaping data centre economics, pushing global electricity consumption to more than double by 2030. Power availability and site expandability have become decisive factors as rack densities climb far above historic norms, demanding advanced electrical and cooling systems....
“Everyone’s Hiding Something” In Trailer For The BBC’s ‘Crookhaven’ Adaptation
BBC Studios is set to debut "Crookhaven", a teen‑drama adaptation of J.J. Arcanjo’s novels, on March 22. The series follows a secret school for young crooks who compete for the Crooked Cup while confronting the mysterious threat known as The Nameless....
Morningstar DBRS Posts Securitisation Insights Podcast Episode 40 on Synthetic SRTs: From Capital Relief to Key Risks
Morningstar DBRS released episode 40 of its Securitisation Insights podcast, featuring Mudasar Chaudhry, Andre Soutinho and Nicola De Caro discussing synthetic Significant Risk Transfer (SRT) transactions in Europe. The hosts explained how synthetic SRTs let banks shift credit risk to...
Exclusive: CFDs Broker GMI Relinquishes FCA License, CEO Zaid Alkhatib Departs
GMI, a retail FX and CFD broker, has relinquished the FCA licence for its UK arm Global Market Index Limited, ceasing all regulated activity as of 5 February 2026. The company’s UK CEO, Zaid Alkhatib, departed after four years. Founder Ashraf Ebid is moving...
France Eyes Greenland’s Trillion-Euro Minerals
France and Greenland have signed a technical cooperation agreement to map the island’s strategic mineral deposits, focusing on lithium, uranium and rare earth elements. The French public geological institute BRGM will use satellite technology to chart ice‑free coastal zones and...
Report: Telcos Missing Opportunity to Improve Networks Using AI
The WBBA’s State of AI in Telecoms report, based on a survey of 340+ industry professionals, shows AI adoption is accelerating but remains centred on internal efficiency and customer support. While 42% of operators use AI mainly for service and...
LXR Hotels & Resorts Debuts in Australia with New Signing in South‑East Queensland
Hilton announced that its LXR Hotels & Resorts brand will launch in Australia with the refurbishment of the former Palazzo Versace on the Gold Coast, slated for early 2027. The 200‑room property will blend neoclassical architecture with Italian‑inspired interiors and...
Engineering the Outcome-Driven, Premium Experience in 2026
In 2026 telecom premium shifts from raw speed to guaranteed business continuity, latency certainty, and trust‑by‑design. Surveys show roughly 80% of customers now rate experience on par with service quality, and half of enterprises are ready to pay extra for...
Kenya Rolls Out Automated Traffic Fines System for Road Offenders
Kenya’s National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has launched the Instant Fines Management System, a fully automated platform that detects traffic violations via cameras and sends SMS fines to motorists. The system records each offence on a digital driver profile...
Greensea IQ Launches Rapid Data Processing & Mission Analysis Toolset
Greensea IQ unveiled Bayonet Insight, a post‑processing software suite for maritime robotics. The toolset enables operators to process raw sensor, sonar and video data during or immediately after missions, generating bathymetric maps, geo‑referenced summaries and telemetry plots. It works with...
Venezuela in Flux
The January 2026 capture of President Nicolás Maduro triggered immediate Venezuelan airspace closures, forcing cargo operators to reroute around the Caribbean and add 15‑20% to fuel costs. U.S. and European carriers have not served the market since 2019, leaving only...
Engineering the Electronic Microenvironment with Bromine Functionalization for High‐Selectivity Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction
The research presents a surface bromine modification for the covalent organic framework TzPm‑COF, creating TzPm‑COF‑2Br with a tuned donor‑acceptor architecture. This brominated COF delivers a CO evolution rate of 155 µmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹ and 99.4 % selectivity under visible light, a 2.7‑fold increase over...
Zentek Launches Pilot Evaluation Program with Quality Filters Inc.
Zentek has launched an 8‑to‑12‑week pilot evaluation with U.S. HVAC manufacturer Quality Filters Inc. to test the integration of Zentek’s proprietary air‑filtration media into Quality’s commercial product lines. The program will examine product compatibility, manufacturing scalability, and real‑world performance, while...
How Boston Dynamics IPO Could Unlock Hyundai Motor Group’s Ownership Overhaul
Hyundai Motor Group plans to list its U.S. robotics unit Boston Dynamics on Nasdaq as early as 2027. Executive Chair Chung Euisun holds about a 20 percent stake, potentially yielding up to 20 trillion won ($13.6 billion) from the IPO. The proceeds would...
John Lewis Invests in TikTok Shop Launch and AI-Powered Shopping
John Lewis has launched a 90‑day TikTok Shop trial ahead of Mother’s Day, offering a curated selection of beauty and gifting items that can be bought directly on the platform. The move is part of an £800 million multi‑year transformation programme...
Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo and The Mermaid's Curse Soundtrack Releases on March 18 in Japan
Square Enix announced a two‑disc soundtrack album for its Paranormasight series, covering both The Seven Mysteries of Honjo and The Mermaid's Curse. The CD set, featuring 39 tracks, will launch in Japan on March 18, 2026, with pre‑orders now open globally....
Karnataka Hopeful of Attracting Semicon, Components Companies: KDEM CEO
Karnataka is actively courting semiconductor fabrication and OSAT investors, with KDEM CEO Sanjeev Gupta saying the state is in talks with several international firms. Despite interest, some companies have chosen other Indian states for their plants, leaving Karnataka without a...
Seoul to Expand Medical Tourism Interpreters Tenfold
Seoul’s municipal government announced plans to expand its pool of medical‑tourism interpreter‑coordinators to roughly 1,000 this year, a ten‑fold jump from the current cadre. The expansion follows a newly signed memorandum of understanding with the K‑Medical Tourism Association, which will...
Tata Power Collaborates with Salesforce to Accelerate India’s Clean Energy Transition
Tata Power announced a strategic partnership with Salesforce to embed AI‑driven CRM tools across its rooftop solar, electric‑vehicle charging and smart‑home businesses. The collaboration deploys Salesforce’s Agentforce Sales, Service and Marketing suites, creating an integrated, data‑rich platform for partner and...
Paras Defence, Mazagon Dock to BEL: HDFC Sec Begins Coverage on 8 Defence Stocks Amid US-Iran War - How Many...
HDFC Securities has begun coverage on eight Indian defence companies as US‑Iran tensions heighten expectations of a structural up‑cycle in global defence spending. The broker points to India’s status as the world’s fourth‑largest defence spender and its indigenisation drive as...
Nine Cops the Worst of It on Historically Bad Day for Unmade Index
Nine Entertainment saw its shares plunge 6.97%, wiping out over $95 million in market value as the ASX200 opened down nearly 4% on an oil‑price shock. The broader Unmade Index fell to a record low of 378.3 points, reflecting heightened cost...
OreNova Out to Accelerate Plant Engineering with AI Tools
OreNova Engineering of Perth is deploying proprietary AI tools to automate the mechanical design phase of mineral processing plants, turning weeks‑long engineering tasks into hours. The software generates material selections, datasheets and equipment lists with about 95% accuracy, saving up...
BofA Securities Gets a Slap on the Wrist for Alleged ICE Futures US Rules Violations
ICE Futures US announced a settlement with BofA Securities over an alleged violation of Rule 4.02(c). The issue stemmed from a September 2024 trade where a trader entered simultaneous buy and sell orders that executed against each other, creating a...
Average UK Office Attendance ‘Settling’ at Highest Level Since Before Covid
UK office attendance has risen to 44.2% in early February, the highest level since the pandemic began, according to Remit Consulting’s ReTurn report. Investment banks such as Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase are leading the return with five‑day office mandates, while...
Shifting the Freight Forwarder’s Role
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is expanding AI‑driven analytics, shifting freight forwarders from traditional paperwork compliance to managing data integrity across multiple trade datasets. The AI system acts as an anomaly detector, flagging shipments that deviate from expected patterns and...
Falcom Announces Dragon Slayer Project for Console
Falcom announced the "Dragon Slayer Project," a tentatively titled console effort to mark its 45th anniversary. The company provided no details on genre, platform, or release schedule, directing fans to a teaser website instead. The announcement revisits the historic Dragon...
MPs to Quiz YouTube on Children’s TV and Video Content
Senior YouTube executives will appear before the UK Culture, Media and Sport Committee on March 10 to answer questions about the platform’s role in children’s television and video consumption. Ofcom data shows YouTube is now the most‑used app or site among...
Benchtop Automated Inspection Systems Lowers Barriers to AI in Manufacturing
Sciotex has launched a benchtop automated inspection platform that bundles imaging hardware, lighting, compute, and AI‑driven software into a single, workstation‑sized unit. The system targets small and mid‑size manufacturers by eliminating the high cost and complex integration typical of traditional...
![[ EVENT ] CDO Retail Exchange 2026](https://hixhlmpcokxhartfkpyi.supabase.co/storage/v1/render/image/public/images/thumbnails/680ad8f8a2726ea08dbd5cced842c55e.webp?width=1200&resize=contain&quality=75)
[ EVENT ] CDO Retail Exchange 2026
CDO Retail Exchange 2026 convenes 70 senior retail data, analytics and AI executives from brands such as Adidas, IKEA and Shiseido. The closed‑door forum is designed to move AI projects from pilot to profit, focusing on real‑time decisioning, margin‑boosting use...
The Progressive Realist Case to Fix Our Broken Courts
Justice Secretary warns the UK Crown Court is in a constitutional crisis with roughly 80,000 cases pending, a figure that could swell to 200,000 by the mid‑2030s. He stresses the human toll, citing an average 423‑day wait for rape trials...
Data-Led Wind Energy Programme Pioneered by Natural England
The POSEIDON project, led by Natural England, is creating the UK’s most comprehensive marine dataset to support offshore wind development while protecting biodiversity. Over two years the team conducted aerial surveys of 54,000 seabirds and 5,000 marine mammals and collected...
Wood House / JAK Architecture
JAK Architecture transformed a fragmented Barwon Heads home into a cohesive, family‑focused residence while preserving the original footprint. Working with a $600,000 budget and a tight timeline, the firm added modest extensions that sit beneath the existing envelope, emphasizing restraint...
How to Lead a Team Decimated by Layoffs
Recent AI‑driven layoffs at Block, Citigroup and Morgan Stanley illustrate how market‑focused headcount cuts can boost share prices but leave surviving teams struggling. The article explains that rapid reductions erase informal networks, blur decision authority and damage the psychological contract,...
EXCLUSIVE: Loewe Just Opened Its Second ‘Casa’ Flagship in Paris
Loewe has opened its second Paris Casa flagship on Rue Saint‑Honoré, a 4,400‑square‑foot, two‑level space that blends luxury retail with art and design. The store showcases the brand’s new collection by Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, and has generated unprecedented pre‑reservations for...
Renters’ Rights Act Forces Midlands Council to Spend More Tackling Rogue Landlords
City of Wolverhampton Council will allocate an additional £714,000 to enforce the Renters’ Rights Act, which comes into force on 1 May 2026. The funding underpins expanded investigatory powers, civil penalties and court actions against rogue landlords. Council officials note...
How to Complete the Bugged Sunwalker Path Quest in WoW Midnight
World of Warcraft: Midnight’s main‑campaign quest “The Sunwalker Path” suffers a portal glitch that prevents players from accessing Hammerfall, halting progress in the Silvermoon storyline. The bug persists despite standard troubleshooting steps, forcing players to abandon the quest or seek...
Recovered Paper Prices Show Signs of Rebound
Fastmarkets reported early‑March price increases of $1‑$5 per ton for old corrugated containers (OCC) across parts of the United States, marking a reversal of the 2025 downward trend. The rebound, driven by seasonal generation slowdowns and winter‑related transportation challenges, prompted...
Taylor Wessing UK Hires Travers Smith’s Competition Head
Taylor Wessing UK has recruited Stephen Whitfield, former head of competition at Travers Smith, as a London partner. The hire comes as the firm prepares for its transatlantic merger with Winston & Strawn, expected to close in May. Whitfield brings extensive...
IndiGo Crosses 1,000 Women Pilots, Sets Industry Benchmark
IndiGo has become the first Indian carrier to employ more than 1,000 women pilots, pushing female representation in the cockpit to 17.5 percent—about three times the global average. Women now comprise nearly half of IndiGo’s total workforce, with significant presence...
Australian Retailer Cotton On Eyes 40-50 Stores Across India with Apparel Group Partnership
Australian fashion retailer Cotton On Group announced a franchise partnership with India’s Apparel Group to launch 40‑50 stores across the country over the next five to six years. The rollout will begin in Delhi NCR before expanding to other metros and select...