Value Principles of Cooperation Between Russia and African Countries

Over the past six years, the Russian Federation has significantly intensified its cooperation with African countries and the African Union as a whole. Africa is becoming one of the top priorities in Russian foreign policy. In 2019, the first Russia-Africa summit was held in Sochi. It established a permanent Russia-Africa Partnership Forum. In 2023, a second summit was held in St. Petersburg. It adopted a detailed and comprehensive action plan…

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China: growth is a “positive surprise” but serious questions remain

While China achieving its growth target is nothing new, the slowdown in a number of sectors (e.g. real estate and consumer goods) and the deflationary trend in the economy suggest that the reported growth number may be overstated. Worries over the strength and, above all, the sustainability of China’s economic model have not faded. There is also growing doubt about the transparency and credibility of China’s statistical machinery. Lastly, 2025…

  • Post category:Credit Agricole
  • Reading time:12 mins read
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The transformation imperative: Igniting value creation in medtech

The medtech sector continues to face challenges in achieving profitable growth, causing some companies to embark on bold transformations to unlock value. Value creation and potential efficiencies are difficult to capture because they are often deeply interconnected across functions, requiring an evolved operating model and cross-functional collaboration to unlock. Executing a successful transformation in medtech can catalyze change by helping companies refocus on sustainable growth, reigniting a cycle of efficiency…

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What Leaders Get Wrong About Employee Motivation

Topics Workplace, Teams, & Culture Performance Management Dan Bejar/theispot.com Since managers started managing, they have questioned how to motivate employees to be productive and do good work — and, for most, their answers are still shaped by assumptions formed long ago. While modern leaders understand that the best performance comes from intrinsically motivated, highly engaged employees, many still use traditional management practices that assume people won’t work hard unless they…

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Does the Rasputin Curse Live Again?

This essay was originally published in Newsweek. The views expressed are the authors’ own. ‌ MAGA pillars such as Steve Bannon and Laura Loomer have been raising alarms over Elon Musk's blurring of public and personal business interests, with Bannon going so far as to call Musk "a truly evil person." They appear to be channeling deeper-rooted concerns within the Republican base: according to a new poll out from The…

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The Consequences of Slashing Medicaid Spending‌‌

This commentary was adapted from episode 161 of the Health & Veritas podcast. The views expressed are the author’s own. Subscribe to Health & Veritas for weekly doses of expert insight on health and the healthcare industry.‌ Congress is in the midst of considering massive tax and spending changes, and many of these may codify some of the changes recently made by executive order, including those related to USAID, the…

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New study shows how AI can help prepare the world for the next pandemic

A new study published in Nature outlines for the first time how advances in AI can accelerate breakthroughs in infectious disease research and outbreak response.The study,  which is published following last week’s AI Action Summit and amidst increasing global debate on AI investment and regulation, puts particular emphasis on safety, accountability and ethics in the deployment and use of AI in infectious disease research.Calling for a collaborative and transparent environment…

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Scientists develop ‘smart pyjamas’ to monitor sleep disorders

The team, led by the University of Cambridge, developed printed fabric sensors that can monitor breathing by detecting tiny movements in the skin, even when the pyjamas are worn loosely around the neck and chest.The sensors embedded in the smart pyjamas were trained using a ‘lightweight’ AI algorithm and can identify six different sleep states with 98.6% accuracy, while ignoring regular sleep movements such as tossing and turning. The energy-efficient…

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Expert Comment: Can the UK deliver the carbon storage needed to meet climate goals without taxpayer billions?

Meeting our climate targets requires rapidly reducing fossil fuel use. But we're far off track, and the science is clear: to reach net zero by 2050, we will also need to permanently store vast amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) underground. This is especially crucial for some industries, such as cement manufacturing, where there is currently no scalable way to eliminate emissions entirely without carbon capture and storage (CCS) - a…

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Europe in the Eyes of Asia: Pakistan’s Evolving Perspective Amid Europe’s Internal Changes

The evolving global order has placed Europe and Asia at a crossroads, where mutual perceptions significantly influence bilateral and multilateral relations. Europe, as one of Asia's largest trading partners and a key player in global diplomacy, plays a crucial role in shaping the region’s geopolitical and economic dynamics. Historically seen as a bastion of progress, human rights, and multilateralism, Europe is undergoing profound internal changes. For Pakistan, a key Asian…

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Digitale zorg in Nederland: Van evolutie naar revolutie

Zolang we niets doen aan verdere digitalisering van de zorg, stevent de Nederlandse samenleving af op een mogelijk onwerkbare situatie: De zorgkosten stijgen ieder jaar sneller en de personeelstekorten lopen in snel tempo op. Digitale zorg kan niet alleen de zorgkosten omlaag brengen en de personeelstekorten verminderen, maar ook de kwaliteit en toegankelijkheid van de zorg verhogen. Daarbij gaat het niet om “nieuwe” innovatie: er is internationaal reeds een brede…

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  • Reading time:18 mins read
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How to Manage Tech Debt in the AI Era

Carolyn Geason-Beissel/MIT SMR | Getty Images Technical debt is an anchor, dragging down business leaders’ efforts to run a tight ship. The accumulated costs and effort from IT development shortcuts, outdated applications, and aging infrastructure sap a company’s ability to innovate, compete, and grow. A degree of technical debt is inevitable. To remain agile, businesses often choose to deploy new technologies as quickly as possible, knowing that they may have…

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Changes to U.S. Mission India’s Nonimmigrant Visa Processing

Quick Hits The U.S. State Department has revised drop box eligibility criteria, limiting it to applicants renewing a visa in the same class that is either still valid or expired within the last twelve months (a departure from the previous forty-eight-month policy for any visa class). Despite efforts to streamline processing, visa appointments for certain nonimmigrant categories remain backlogged by more than a year. U.S. Mission India broke records in…

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  • Reading time:6 mins read
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New findings on the power of enzymes could reshape biochemistry

Using a series of more than 1,000 X-ray snapshots of the shapeshifting of enzymes in action, researchers at Stanford University have illuminated one of the great mysteries of life – how enzymes are able speed up life-sustaining biochemical reactions so dramatically. Their findings could impact fields ranging from basic science to drug discovery, and provoke a rethinking of how science is taught in the classroom.“When I say enzymes speed up…

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The Hidden Game: Uncovering The Business of Sports

A nail-biting penalty shootout. A sprint title decided by mere milliseconds. A championship that comes down to the wire. From baseball to badminton, sport has a remarkable ability to unite millions of people around the world and leave them on the edge of their seats, whether they’re watching the action unfold in person or tuning in from afar.Behind the scenes, the business of sports is much more intricate than many…

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  • Reading time:10 mins read
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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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  • Reading time:13 mins read
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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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  • Reading time:12 mins read
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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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  • Reading time:14 mins read
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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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  • Reading time:9 mins read
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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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  • Reading time:14 mins read
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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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  • Reading time:9 mins read
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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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  • Reading time:5 mins read
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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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  • Reading time:10 mins read
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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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  • Reading time:7 mins read
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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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  • Reading time:9 mins read
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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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  • Reading time:21 mins read
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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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  • Reading time:14 mins read
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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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  • Reading time:14 mins read
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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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  • Reading time:13 mins read
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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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  • Reading time:21 mins read
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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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  • Reading time:4 mins read
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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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  • Reading time:10 mins read
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