Government’s anti-slavery commissioner says traffickers are exploiting a growing pipeline of vulnerability Slavery in the UK is at record levels and is expected to worsen over the next decade, the government’s independent anti-slavery commissioner has warned. According to the number of referrals to the national referral mechanism , which assesses potential victims of slavery and provides support t...
Government’s anti-slavery commissioner says traffickers are exploiting a growing pipeline of vulnerability Slavery in the UK is at record levels and is expected to worsen over the next decade, the government’s independent anti-slavery commissioner has warned. According to the number of referrals to the national referral mechanism , which assesses potential victims of slavery and provides support to victims, numbers have almost doubled in the last five years from 12,691 referrals in 2021 to 23,411 in 2025, the highest ever number. Continue reading...
Alvarez & Marsal wants to generate 50% of its revenue from artificial intelligence work by 2028, which would represent as much as $3.5 billion in earnings. The consulting firm, which focuses on restructurings and turnarounds, is launching an effort to add as many as 200 staff with AI skills, as part of an effort to grow its capabilities in the sector, its head of Europe, Middle East and Africa, An...
Alvarez & Marsal wants to generate 50% of its revenue from artificial intelligence work by 2028, which would represent as much as $3.5 billion in earnings. The consulting firm, which focuses on restructurings and turnarounds, is launching an effort to add as many as 200 staff with AI skills, as part of an effort to grow its capabilities in the sector, its head of Europe, Middle East and Africa, Antonio Alvarez III , said in an interview. That includes technologists, data scientists and agentic experts. “We are getting much more impact from our own work with the use of AI,” Alvarez said. “We can be a player here.” Consulting firms are betting heavily on AI to drive future growth as clients look to use such technology to improve efficiency. Boston Consulting Group Inc. said AI work accounted for 25% of its $14.4 billion revenue in 2025, with its Chief Executive Officer Christoph Schweizer saying the new technology has been “highly value accretive” for the firm. Alvarez & Marsal was founded in New York in 1983 by Tony Alvarez II and Bryan Marsal. Originally the firm focused on restructuring advisory work, but it has expanded to areas such as private equity, tax and corporate finance. About 20% of the firm’s revenue already comes from AI, Alvarez said, and the firm was pushing to expand that to 50% by 2028. The firm is forecasting revenue of over $5 billion for 2026, according to a spokesperson. It’s also working on ways to integrate AI into its business: Alvarez will lead a new AI board focused on that effort. Alvarez, who will continue in his role as EMEA chief alongside his new role, said the firm was well-placed to adapt to AI thanks to its lean, senior-led approach. “AI is breaking the traditional consulting model and A&M was already wired for this,” he said. “We don’t have big, junior teams doing analytical work. Our model was always set up for senior hands.” Malka Katzin, a former BCG executive who was hired by Alvarez & Marsal in March as its chief AI and knowle...
(RTTNews) - The Malaysia stock market has finished higher in two straight sessions, advancing almost 20 points or 1.1 percent along the way. The Kuala Lumpur Composite Index now sits just beneath the 1,740-point plateau although it may run out of steam on Tuesday.
(RTTNews) - The Malaysia stock market has finished higher in two straight sessions, advancing almost 20 points or 1.1 percent along the way. The Kuala Lumpur Composite Index now sits just beneath the 1,740-point plateau although it may run out of steam on Tuesday.
Good morning. The fragile ceasefire in the Middle East began to crumble after the US and Iran exchanged fire in the Persian Gulf. The UAE was also targeted by Iranian drones and missiles. Back home, a growing fear around retirement is pushing people toward DIY investing, leading them to pile into crypto and other high-risk assets. Also, Japan’s prime minister dropped by to talk about defense and c...
Good morning. The fragile ceasefire in the Middle East began to crumble after the US and Iran exchanged fire in the Persian Gulf. The UAE was also targeted by Iranian drones and missiles. Back home, a growing fear around retirement is pushing people toward DIY investing, leading them to pile into crypto and other high-risk assets. Also, Japan’s prime minister dropped by to talk about defense and critical minerals. - Paul-Alain Hunt , Metals and Mining Reporter. What’s happening now About 1.2 million Australians are managing a roughly A$1 trillion pool of retirement savings entirely by themselves. The rise in self managed super is being driven by an anxiety over their nest eggs, and its leading to some risky investments - including crypto. Westpac’s first-half profit missed expectations as Chief Executive Officer Anthony Miller flagged worries about the impact of the Middle East war on customers. Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi visited Australia for a three-day visit , focused on defense, critical minerals and broader economic security . It comes as both countries wrangle with increasing volatility across the Asia-Pacific, with China a continuing concern. The government will limit the popular EV tax discount as it seeks to cut spending ahead of next week’s budget. From April next year, only EV’s costing A$75,000 or less will receive the full fringe benefits discount . More expensive vehicles will only receive 25% discounts. The local bourse is warning the hype around AI could lead some less scrupulous executives to pump the tires of their stocks. The ASX head of compliance Lucinda McCann said companies may “make claims about their exposure to the upside from AI that actually aren’t based in fact , in the hope of ramping up the price of their securities.” Coles CEO Leah Weckert warned investors the supermarket giant’s suppliers are pushing for higher prices as the Iran War adds to fuel expenses and freight costs. It’s just another hit for families when the cost ...
Chinese self-driving technology firm ZYT is edging closer to mass production of semi-autonomous trucks that can improve fuel efficiency and save logistics costs, likely to benefit the country’s manufacturing businesses amid a global energy crisis. The Shenzhen-based start-up, a spin-off from drone maker DJI, has formed partnerships with mainland China’s top six heavy-truck makers to produce models...
Chinese self-driving technology firm ZYT is edging closer to mass production of semi-autonomous trucks that can improve fuel efficiency and save logistics costs, likely to benefit the country’s manufacturing businesses amid a global energy crisis. The Shenzhen-based start-up, a spin-off from drone maker DJI, has formed partnerships with mainland China’s top six heavy-truck makers to produce models fitted with its navigation on autopilot (NOA) systems, with the first deliveries expected as early...
Hi, this is Evelyn, writing to you from Beijing. Welcome to the latest edition of The China Connection — a succinct snapshot of what I'm seeing and hearing from local businesses. My latest conversations with investors reveal a notable shift: China has taken note of how finance powered Silicon Valley's rise and is following suit. Growing pains and risks aside, this could mean serious competition fo...
Hi, this is Evelyn, writing to you from Beijing. Welcome to the latest edition of The China Connection — a succinct snapshot of what I'm seeing and hearing from local businesses. My latest conversations with investors reveal a notable shift: China has taken note of how finance powered Silicon Valley's rise and is following suit. Growing pains and risks aside, this could mean serious competition for the U.S. The big story Follow the money behind China's latest tech boom and it leads to Hong Kong — the most globally accessible of China's stock exchanges — which roared back to life last year. Companies raised more funds in public listings on the Hong Kong market than on any other exchange. Now, more than 400 companies are lining up to list — and I've heard estimates that are way higher thanks to the exchange's relatively new confidential listing rules . "This [surge in Hong Kong listings] will last longer than one or two years," Gary Lock, Hong Kong-based partner at IPO advisory King and Wood, told me on the sidelines of a venture capital forum in Hangzhou last month. The current capital markets activity is "much, much bigger" than anything seen in the last 35 years, Lock said. Since the Iran war began two months ago, he said foreign money has flowed into Hong Kong banks, getting ready to invest in China. More than 40 companies have listed in Hong Kong so far this year, as regulations ease — and U.S. scrutiny of investment into sensitive Chinese sectors (like defense tech) grows. Critically, the resurgence of capital activity in Hong Kong has helped shake perceptions that it didn't offer the same scale of trading volume and stock valuations as the U.S., said Jin Yang, chief partner at KPMG China's Hangzhou office. And despite reports that Beijing is making it harder for overseas-structured Chinese companies to list in Hong Kong, none of the five investors and advisors I spoke to for this piece were worried it would stop the IPO flow. Only about 15% of the Hong Kong pip...
Asking for a Trend Host Josh Lipton previews several of the biggest stories to come tomorrow, Tuesday, May 5, including earnings results from Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), Pfizer (PFE), and Anheuser-Busch Inbev (BUD); fresh labor data in the form of the latest Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) report; and commentary from Federal Reserve Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman and G...
Asking for a Trend Host Josh Lipton previews several of the biggest stories to come tomorrow, Tuesday, May 5, including earnings results from Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), Pfizer (PFE), and Anheuser-Busch Inbev (BUD); fresh labor data in the form of the latest Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) report; and commentary from Federal Reserve Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman and Governor Michael Barr.
ServiceNow Inc. projected it would generate $30 billion of subscription revenue in 2030, attributing the strong outlook to traction from its AI products. By then, about 30% of the software company’s annual contract value will come from Now Assist, its flagship artificial intelligence offering, Chief Financial Officer Gina Mastantuono said Monday in a statement timed to an investor event. Wall Stre...
ServiceNow Inc. projected it would generate $30 billion of subscription revenue in 2030, attributing the strong outlook to traction from its AI products. By then, about 30% of the software company’s annual contract value will come from Now Assist, its flagship artificial intelligence offering, Chief Financial Officer Gina Mastantuono said Monday in a statement timed to an investor event. Wall Street analysts had estimated about $26.3 billion of subscription revenue by 2030, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Subscription revenue may go as high as $32 billion by 2030, Mastantuono said. That metric makes up the majority of ServiceNow’s business and is closely watched by investors. Investors are skeptical that ServiceNow and other major enterprise software providers can ward off new competition and thrive in the AI era. The Santa Clara, California-based company has launched a number of AI features and been vocal in its attempts to change the narrative, but the shares have declined nearly 40% this year, mirroring a slide from peers such as Salesforce Inc. and Workday Inc. The company’s stock had its worst day ever in April after reporting disappointing quarterly results, but has pared some of the losses since. Even as AI use on the platform increases, ServiceNow said it would be able to keep its gross margins above 80%, about in line with analysts’ expectations. The company is also using AI to keep its own costs down — it expects to save about $200 million per year from reduced hiring, Mastantuono said.
A chaotic 13-minute spell from Man City in the second half of a six-goal thriller at Everton could prove to be the visitors' undoing in the Premier League title race.
A chaotic 13-minute spell from Man City in the second half of a six-goal thriller at Everton could prove to be the visitors' undoing in the Premier League title race.