Improving military aircraft sustainment to strengthen Europe’s defense

In response to the changing geopolitical environment, European NATO countries have increased defense budgets, a significant share of which are expected to go to new equipment. As munition stocks grow and existing equipment ages, mission readiness—the ability to deploy military assets for their intended use—is an increasingly important priority for countries. This, in turn, is likely to boost demand for maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services. But it will be…

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How Europe Is Rewriting the WWII History

Simplification and instrumentalisation of history has devastating effects as once unifying symbols become subjects of discord. We are warned of the dangers ahead and alerted to our responsibility toward the younger and future generations to lead this struggle for History with a capital ‘H’, Jean-Pierre Page writes.   “THAT men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most important of all the lessons that history…

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Rethinking your company’s clean-power strategy

Businesses increasingly want to buy clean electricity—especially as the fast expansion of data centers powering artificial intelligence pushes technology companies’ power demands to new heights. Unchecked, these increased power demands further threaten the world’s ability to meet climate targets. Whether to meet environmental, social, and governance (ESG) targets, cut costs, or hedge volatility, more companies are seeking to fully address their energy-related emissions. Companies’ voluntary purchases of clean energy have helped…

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CCS in Southeast Asia: An opportunity or distant reality?

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is projected to play a significant role in the world’s energy transition, particularly in hard-to-abate sectors. Based on McKinsey Energy Solutions’ analysis, future CCS demand is anticipated to be driven by sectors such as power, hydrogen, iron and steel, cement, and refining. The conditions in these sectors that could increase demand for CCS include stranded coal assets, the need for a continuous flow of gas…

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NLRB Acting General Counsel Rescinds Many of Predecessor’s Memos, Sets Stage for New Labor Policy

Quick Hits NLRB Acting General Counsel William B. Cowen rescinded numerous memoranda from his predecessor, Jennifer Abruzzo. The rescinded memos included key guidance on various labor issues, such as the employee status of college athletes, remedies, and the legality of noncompete agreements and other restrictive covenants. In Memorandum GC 25-05, the newly installed acting general counsel rescinded at least eighteen prior general counsel memos and named more that are “rescinded…

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Diving deeper into the PPPA: Reynolds v Deep Water Recovery Ltd.

The Protection of Public Participation Act, S.B.C. 2019, c. 3 (the PPPA) creates a pre-trial procedure that allows a defendant to apply to the court for an order dismissing a proceeding that arises out of an expression on matters of public interest. But what happens when the proceeding deals with matters that not only involve expression on a matter of public interest but also separate, non-expressive acts and causes of…

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Faster, smarter trials: Modernizing biopharma’s R&D IT applications

Breakthroughs in scientific research and increased public and private investments have yet to negate the long timelines and rising costs of clinical trials. Such challenges continue to drag down biopharma R&D productivity and hold back innovative therapies from making it to market. Although clinical development speed increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, an increasing number of pharma candidates in the pipeline, coupled with a decreasing success rate of clinical trials, has…

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The state of demand for commercial real estate

It’s been a year and a half since McKinsey published Empty spaces and hybrid places: The pandemic’s lasting impact on real estate. The comprehensive report examined the effect the COVID-19 pandemic had on behaviors, including office attendance, residential moves from urban centers to the suburbs, and in-person versus online shopping. It then modeled what the demand for office, retail, and residential space could be by 2030 in nine major global…

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Articles On: Spies, Protesters, Media Regulator, Military, Data, Apple’s App Store, Wall Street, Economic Coercion, Universities, and Tesla

How not to get seduced by foreign spies: China’s spy agencyby Qian Langvia Radio Free Asia on February 7, 2025 Bail denied for Hong Kong woman arrested by nat. security police for allegedly helping fugitive protestersby James Leevia Hong Kong Free Press on February 8, 2025 Hong Kong police arrest man in connection with helping 4 2019 protesters hide from authoritiesby Hillary Leungvia Hong Kong Free Press on February 10,…

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NLRB Acting General Counsel Rescinds Non-compete Labor Policy

Quick Hits On February 14, 2025, NLRB Acting GC William B. Cowen rescinded memoranda that deemed as violations of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) two categories of restrictive covenant agreements with non-supervisory/non-management employees: (1) non-compete agreements in employment contracts and severance agreements and (2) stay-or-pay agreements whereby employees are required to remain employees for a certain period of time or reimburse an employer certain moneys. This action reverses the…

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A tax to-do list for Canada’s next government

The recent prorogation of Parliament is unfortunate on many levels, most notably for extending by some months the period of time that many government initiatives remain in limbo. The business community is used to managing risks, but some are more avoidable than others. In these particularly trying times, the last thing people making important economic decisions need to be dealing with is a lengthening of the period (entirely for political…

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New demographic reality poses challenges for countries and companies

New research by my colleagues at the McKinsey Global Institute shows that as the world becomes youth-scarce, the number of people of working age per senior in advanced economies and China will halve, from about four today to just two by 2050. The fact that people are living longer is good news. Economically, though, there are consequences. People 65 years and older typically consume more than they earn from their…

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The U.S. tariff effect: A multi-part analysis of the impact on Canadian employers

The Trump Administration’s decision surrounding the potential imposition of new tariffs in the near future has introduced significant uncertainty for Canadian businesses, employees and trade unions alike. While much of the focus has been on trade and economic policy, these measures also have critical implications for employment and labour law issues. For many employers, particularly in manufacturing, steel, aluminum and other export-dependent industries, it can be expected that tariffs will…

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Progress and lessons learned on the road to 2030 climate goals

2025 is a notable year in the world’s continued efforts toward a more sustainable future. It marks the five-year countdown to 2030, the end of the timeline for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 2025 will also be the 30th convening of the UN Climate Change Conference—also known as COP30—and it is taking place in Brazil, both a symbolically and strategically important nation in the world’s fight against climate change and…

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Building leaders from the ground up

CEOs are confronting double the number of critical issues today compared with ten years ago. On this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, McKinsey Senior Partners Daniel Pacthod and Kurt Strovink, along with McKinsey Senior Advisor Wyman Howard, join McKinsey Editorial Director Roberta Fusaro to discuss the characteristics today’s business leaders need to handle greater and more frequent waves of disruption and how organizations can create the infrastructure and conditions to build…

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Arnab Bose on AI’s impact on cybersecurity

In this episode of McKinsey on Building Products, McKinsey Partner Rikki Singh sits down with Arnab Bose, the chief product officer of the Okta Platform. During their conversation, Singh and Bose discuss how AI has changed the landscape of cybersecurity, how Okta innovatively protects its clients against deepfakes and phishing attempts in innovative ways, and how product management teams can work with marketing and sales teams to set ambitious goals…

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Six Essential Tips for Selling Commercial Products and Commercial Services to the Federal Government

In celebration of the release of the 6th Edition of the Government Contracts Compliance Handbook, we are sharing six essential tips for selling commercial products and commercial services to the federal government. While legislative reforms have simplified the process of selling commercial products and commercial services to government agencies, federal contracts still present unique requirements and risks. These tips are designed to help contractors effectively and efficiently navigate the regulatory…

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iGaming in Canada: 2024 deals a strong hand and a few wildcards for 2025

A review of Canadian iGaming developments in 2024 and what’s to come in 2025. What you need to know All eyes on Alberta. While optimism around the timing surrounding a potential 2025 launch of a regulated online gaming market in Alberta has been tempered, efforts remain underway to create a thoughtful regulatory structure and substantial updates regarding the market’s strategy and structure are expected in the near term. Alberta continues…

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Enhancing supply chain efficiency with agentic systems

The supply chain challenge continues  Retailers and consumer goods companies have faced constant change, particularly in supply chains. New sales and distribution models, such as online sales, omnichannel approaches, direct-to-consumer sales, and complex ecosystems, have evolved. External disruptions are frequent, with 90% of leaders reporting supply chain challenges in 20241.  Supply chain agility and resiliency rely on fast and accurate decision making. Poor decisions or slow responses lead to missed…

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Returning to the office? Focus more on practices and less on the policy

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…

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Expert Comment: Paris AI Summit misses opportunity for global AI governance

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…

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CoDa marks new era for computing and data science at Stanford

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…

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Town v Gown football fixture returns with matches for both Women’s and Men’s Blues

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…

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Webinar: Drafting Restrictive Covenants That Work – Insights from Recent Legal Battles

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…

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EU-Mexico’s new trade deal: What about a trilateral trade tango with Canada?

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…

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AI at Work: Let’s talk about AI pricing strategies

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…

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New study highlights ways to future-proof cocoa production

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…

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What do US consumers want from e-commerce deliveries?

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…

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Brussels Centralism Threatens to Cause Even Greater Economic Damage to Europe

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…

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The Future of Artificial Intelligence: A World Without Secrets?

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…

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Global Private Markets Report 2025: Private equity emerging from the fog

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.…

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Navigating the New Energy Landscape: Key Takeaways from Trump’s Recent Executive Actions

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…

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New York Federal Court Ruling Highlights a Potential Pitfall in Settlement Agreement Enforcement

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…

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Regulation of renewable energy projects in B.C.: Streamlined approval processes for project development

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…

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Securing DeepSeek and other AI systems with Microsoft Security

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…

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Why ASEAN Centrality Still Matters

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…

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Restoring wildlife habitats in wealthy nations could drive extinctions in species-rich regions, experts warn

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…

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Five ways B2B sales leaders can win with tech and AI

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…

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Venezuelan 2023 TPS and CHNV Parole Get the Axe—What Employers Need to Know

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. …

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The evolving tariff threat: The impact on the automotive industry

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…

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