The world of work is still in flux as many companies continue to follow hybrid and work-from-home models. At the same time, Fortune 500 companies such as Amazon, JP Morgan Chase, and Nike moved to mandated in-office policies of at least four days a week in 2024, and more organizations, as well as much of the US federal workforce, are following suit this year. Which working model is best for…
Following previous summits at Bletchley Park (2023) and Seoul (2024), global leaders re-convened at the Paris AI Summit this month to find a shared direction for the regulation of artificial intelligence (AI). The Declaration agreed at Paris, signed by fifty-seven states and bodies such as the UN, the OECD, and the European Commission, represented a welcome shift away from the 'AI safety' rhetoric, focused on existential threats, that had marked previous…
As computing and data continue to influence nearly every facet of society, Stanford University is committing to the future of both with the opening of the new Computing and Data Science (CoDa) building."}">svg]:su-mt-3 md:[&>svg]:su--mt-2 lg:[&>svg]:su-mt-4 [&>svg]:su-w-41 [&>svg]:su-h-43 md:[&>svg]:su-w-[97px] md:[&>svg]:su-h-[102px] su-mr-8 lg:su-mr-19">sAs computing and data continue to influence nearly every facet of society, Stanford University is committing to the future of both with the opening of the new Computing and Data…
The Town v Gown Fixture will be a day of football to bring the whole community together on Tuesday 4 March at The MGroup Stadium. The Town v Gown football fixture will return this March, and for the first time in the event’s 130-year history will incorporate a women’s match.Town v Gown sporting events in the city have a rich history, but the football fixture has been missing in recent…
Denys Nevozhai, Unsplash 2025 Trade Secrets Webinar Series REGISTER HERE Thursday, February 27, 20251:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. Eastern12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. Central11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Mountain10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Pacific About the Program Restrictive covenants continue to face evolving legal challenges and heightened regulatory scrutiny. With shifting state and federal laws, businesses must carefully craft non-competes, non-solicits, and even NDAs to remain enforceable while effectively protecting…
In 2018, the first Trump Administration imposed tariffs – on purportedly national security grounds - on all imports of steel and aluminum, including from Mexico and Canada, its trading partners since 1994 in the North American Free Trade Agreement.1 In 2019, Canada and Mexico agreed to renegotiate the NAFTA. The Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) has been in force since 2020, providing for predictability and stability - and free trade - during…
When your company is investing in AI, it can be hard to gauge ROI. What use cases will generate the most value? How will you measure ROI? With these big questions looming, it’s understandable that leaders might feel uncertain about answering one of the most basic questions: how much should I spend? Adding to the complexity is the fact that we’re operating in a fast-changing AI market, as innovations constantly disrupt…
This Valentine’s Day, millions of pounds worth of chocolate will be exchanged as gifts, but climate change and biodiversity loss imperil future global supplies of this treat. A new research study led by the University of Oxford and published today (14 February) demonstrates that sustainable agricultural practices that both protect pollinator populations and mitigate climate risks could help secure - and even improve - global cocoa yields. Cocoa (Theobroma cacao…
Consumers still love to shop online, but growth in e-commerce is no longer likely to be as frenzied as it was in recent years. E-commerce sales in the United States soared to 18 percent annual growth between 2019 and 2023. Our analysis suggests that sales could now normalize at a more modest but still healthy growth rate of roughly 6 percent a year—closer to prepandemic levels. The arrival of a…
Undermining sovereignty According to certain political elites, Europe’s economy is facing a “state of emergency” due to sanctions against the Russian Federation, energy crisis, the trade war with China and the United States, Trump’s tariffs rhetoric – not to forget the ongoing debt crisis in many of the Member States. This is why they call for “a strong sign of unity” within the EU. As to these elites, the creation…
On February 13, 2025, the Valdai Club hosted an expert discussion dedicated to the future of artificial intelligence. Anton Bespalov, moderator of the discussion, invited the participants to address the prospects of a technological confrontation between China and the United States and Russia's place in it. Ruslan Yunusov, Co-Founder of the Russian Quantum Centre, called issues related to artificial intelligence very relevant. According to him, the development of this area…
To the casual observer, 2024 may have felt like yet another difficult year for private equity (PE) globally. Fundraising remained tough—down 24 percent year over year for traditional commingled vehicles, marking the third consecutive year of decline. Investment returns were muted, especially compared with buoyant public markets. Our analysis reveals a more nuanced picture. After two years of murky conditions, private equity started to emerge from the fog in 2024.…
In a decisive shift from the prior administration’s energy policies, President Trump has enacted a series of executive orders aimed at bolstering domestic fossil fuel production and overhauling the permitting process for energy projects. These actions underscore the administration’s commitment to achieving energy independence, expediting infrastructure development, and reinforcing the U.S. oil and gas sector’s competitive position. Emergency Powers in Action On January 20, 2025, President Trump declared a national…
Quick Hits New York’s General Obligations Law (GOL) § 5-336 and Civil Practice Law and Rules (“CPLR”) § 5003-B both impose strict requirements on nondisclosure clauses in matters involving discrimination claims, including that the inclusion of such clauses in a settlement agreement be at the plaintiff’s preference. The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York recently held that an unsigned GOL § 5-336 and CPLR § 5003-B…
What to know Building capacity for renewable energy projects is a key priority for the current British Columbia government and they have recently announced that they will introduce new legislation for renewable energy projects in the spring of 2025. If passed, the legislation will expand the authority of the British Columbia Energy Regulator (BCER) to oversee renewable energy projects, such as wind and solar. The legislation will aim to create…
A successful AI transformation starts with a strong security foundation. With a rapid increase in AI development and adoption, organizations need visibility into their emerging AI apps and tools. Microsoft Security provides threat protection, posture management, data security, compliance, and governance to secure AI applications that you build and use. These capabilities can also be used to help enterprises secure and govern AI apps built with the DeepSeek R1 model…
During the second half of the 1990s and the first decade of the 21stcentury, the family of ASEAN-centric institutions expanded to include the ASEAN Regional Forum on Security (ARF), the East Asia Summit (EAS), the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting with Dialogue Partners (ADMM+), the Expanded ASEAN Maritime Forum (EAMF), and several others. As a result, the Association gradually evolved into the primary platform for macro-regional dialogue, and the concept of…
Some efforts to preserve or rewild natural habitats are shifting harmful land use to other parts of the world – and this could drive an even steeper decline in the planet’s species, according to a team of conservation scientists and economists led by the University of Cambridge. Researchers from over a dozen institutions worldwide have come together to call on the global community to acknowledge the “biodiversity leak”: the displacement of…
B2B sales leaders today stand at a crossroads. The environment they face is dynamic and challenging. Economic growth is uneven across the world, competition is evolving, and B2B customers are adopting many more consumer-like behaviors, seeking more robust buying experiences, and showing a willingness to find alternative vendors. How can B2B leaders break through in such a challenging landscape? Of course, companies still need to execute on core principles of…
By: Dawn Lurie, Mia Batista, and Fanny Wong On January 20, 2025, the Trump administration issued the Securing Our Borders executive order, citing national security, crime prevention, and the protection of American interests as justification for terminating categorical parole programs for certain Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans. Then on February 1, 2025, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem announced the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuela’s 2023 designation. …
February has brought about a dynamic and evolving situation surrounding the threat of tariffs impacting several key sectors, including the automotive industry. From the 30 day “pause” of 25 percent tariffs on Canada and Mexico to the recent imposition of 25 percent tariff on steel and aluminum, with a “no exemptions” and “no exceptions ” approach,1 as well as the most recent threat of 50-100 percent tariff on the Canadian…
The researchers, from the University of Cambridge, say their solar-powered reactor could be used to make fuel to power cars and planes, or the many chemicals and pharmaceuticals products we rely on. It could also be used to generate fuel in remote or off-grid locations.Unlike most carbon capture technologies, the reactor developed by the Cambridge researchers does not require fossil-fuel-based power, or the transport and storage of carbon dioxide, but…
Does your workplace feel like a daily battle for survival? Endless conflict, backstabbing, bullying, and leadership that turns a blind eye… Sound familiar? For too many professionals, the workplace isn’t a place of productivity and growth; it’s a source of anxiety and stress. Toxic behaviors, dysfunctional cultures, and unchecked hostility push employees to their breaking point, driving disengagement and high turnover. Ignoring toxic behavior is simply too costly, and no…
The defense ecosystem today is at a critical junction, ripe with opportunity for private capital, the traditional defense industrial base (DIB), and other commercial players such as hyperscalers to take critical roles in leading disruption within the innovation pipeline. Yet the window to reorient how public and private organizations invest to meet the challenges facing Western security is limited, with the coming decade being the most critical. That’s because increasing…
President Donald Trump has made some intriguing headlines pointing towards the potential plan of the United States of America to take over the Gaza Strip, aiming to transform it into the “Riviera of the Middle East”. This plan involves relocating the Palestinian population, a move widely criticised as ethnic cleansing and a violation of international law. While the official statements and narratives speak of redevelopment and reconstruction, one can’t help…
Innovation and growth are inherently linked. Companies that build new businesses and develop new offerings, processes, or business models are better able to capture growth opportunities and hedge against disruption in a highly uncertain business environment. This conclusion was forcefully reinforced in our recent survey of 1,039 companies around the world. The largest share of respondents identified the ability to innovate as the most important strategic factor for generating growth over…
Depending how it’s done, comparing oneself to colleagues can be either motivating or demoralizing. Consider these tips on making productive comparisons. Michael Matthews, Thomas Kelemen, and Mark Bolino February 12, 2025 Reading Time: 5 min Carolyn Geason-Beissel/MIT SMR | Getty Images As social animals, we constantly compare ourselves with other people. We compare our houses, our ideas, our successes. Naturally, the workplace is no exception to this pattern, and emerging…
What happens when a party attempts to sidestep the strict guidelines of a court order? A cannabis company’s non-compliance with an injunction illuminates the consequences of playing with fire. Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company v. Terphogz, LLC U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Case: 1:21-cv-02357. In 2021, Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company (“Wrigley”) filed a lawsuit against Terphogz, LLC (“Terphogz”), alleging trademark infringement. Terphogz had been using the ZKITTLEZ…
Quick Hits Employers may need to provide religious accommodations to Muslim workers during the month of Ramadan. Ramadan will begin on the evening of February 28, 2025, or March 1, 2025, depending on the moon. Ramadan will end on the evening of March 29, 2025, or March 30, 2025, with the Eid al-Fitr holiday to begin the following day. Ramadan is expected to begin on the evening of February 28,…
AI arms races. The Stargate Project. Billions of dollars of investment. Current headlines about artificial intelligence read like science fiction. But these rapid technological developments (along with significant amounts of hype) are very real, and can be anxiety-inducing for lawyers and in-house counsel trying to understand how AI — and particularly generative AI (GenAI) — will affect their clients, employees, and bottom line. It is critical for organizations to keep…
The findings, published today in Science Advances, suggest that such individuals will need regular vaccine boosters to protect them and reduce the risk of infections that could be severe and also lead to new ‘variants of concern’ emerging.Almost 16 million people worldwide are estimated to have died from Covid-19 during 2020 and 2021, though nearly 20 million deaths are thought to have been prevented as a result of the rapid…
Core technology remains a huge challenge for the banking industry, with a majority of financial institutions still running on mainframe-based systems because switching to other options is such a monumental task. In this episode of Talking Banking Matters, McKinsey payments sector expert Roshan Varadarajan speaks with one of the entrepreneurial technologists who seek to solve this challenge, Zeta cofounder and CEO Bhavin Turakhia. Zeta offers a broad array of banking…
‘Are we alone in the universe?’ and ‘What does it mean to be human?’ were among the questions explored when another large audience of staff, students and alumni gathered at the Sheldonian Theatre to enjoy the University’s second Sheldonian Series event on Tuesday 11 February.Launched in Michaelmas and convened by the Vice-Chancellor, the Sheldonian Series continued on the topic of ‘Life’, with three guest speakers delivering presentations examining the theme from…
Developed collaboratively by representatives from across the UK’s research and innovation sector, including universities, research institutes and funding organisations, the Concordat is a commitment and shared ambition to embed environmental sustainability in research practice, culture, and approach throughout the signed organisations, and collectively as a sector. "Not only is the Concordat a very welcome initiative to bring the sector together and address the environmental impacts of research and innovation activities, which…
The purpose of Bank Overground is to share our internal analysis. Each bite-sized post summarises a piece of analysis that supported a policy or operational decision.
California Employers, Watch For Sharp Turns Ahead If you operate a business in California, you know how difficult it is to keep up with ever-changing legal trends. California employers should review and refresh their workplace postings each year to keep up with legislative changes and annual minimum wage increases. Various California state agencies, including the Department of Industrial Relations (“DIR”), Civil Rights Department, Cal/OSHA, and local municipalities require employers to…
Quick Hits Nevada OSHA has introduced a new regulation to protect employees from heat illness, with enforcement starting on April 29, 2025. The heat illness regulation requires Nevada employers with more than ten employees to create a written safety program and conduct a job hazard analysis (JHA). Employers are required to provide training on heat illness prevention, provide rest breaks, ensure access to potable water, and designate a person to…
Celebrate Safer Internet Day 2025 with Minecraft’s CyberSafe AI: Dig Deeper. Promote online safety and practice responsible AI use with your class. Each year, Safer Internet Day unites people around the world to spotlight critical topics like cyberbullying, social networking, and digital identity. The need for cyber safety education and empowerment remains as important as ever. According to a November 2023 survey by the National 4-H Council supported by Microsoft,…
Companies like WeWork have experienced this shift. During periods of rapid growth and expansion, the board likely took a more passive approach, trusting former CEO Adam Neumann’s vision and strategies. However, as the company faced challenges and scrutiny, the board became more active, intervening in decision-making and even replacing the CEO.Likewise, during the Covid-19 pandemic, we found that passive engagement mode decreased from nearly 50 percent to around 35 percent. Passive boards…
The global debate on whether and how social media content should be regulated has flared up again in recent months. Citing freedom of expression, the platform operators X and Meta have relaxed regulations intended to restrict discriminatory statements. Meanwhile, Australia has banned social media access for children under 16.There is a widespread perception that negativity is inherent in social media.Spyros Kosmidis, Associate Professor of Politics at the Department of Politics…