The 2026 Hospitality Trends Report developed by agencies af&co. and Carbonate. is the 18th annual report which forecasts major shifts in the hospitality industry, covering everything from food and beverage to travel, and includes specific examples of emerging trends. Key predictions highlighted include a focus on value-driven experiences, a swing back towards meat dishes like bone marrow, the rise of Korean Italian cuisine and Modern Mexican mixology, and the growing popularity of solo and mystery travel. The source also notes that chewy textures and the “prix-fixe” dining model are trending, identifying Minneapolis as the U.S. Food City of the Year. Continue reading
November FinTech Portfolio Launch Insights
BizClik, a global B2B media and events company, announced the launch of the November 2025 editions of their FinTech portfolio, which includes FinTech Magazine and InsurTech Digital. The magazines feature exclusive insights from major industry leaders such as Coinbase, Block CEO Jack Dorsey, and Noto, with content focusing on global leaders, payments, open banking, and financial inclusion. Key articles examine topics like Neobanks, stablecoins, managing AWS costs in the Gen AI era, and fraud prevention. The announcement also promotes an upcoming event, FinTech LIVE: The US Summit, scheduled for February 2026, which will focus on themes driving transformation in the financial sector. The purpose of the magazines is to provide thought leadership and market insights for senior financial technology and insurance technology executives. Continue reading
Rathbones’ Call for UK Regional Investment and Growth
Rathbones, a major UK wealth management firm produced their report, “Building Prosperity: Five Recommendations for Growth and Investment in the UK.” This analysis highlights that the UK is the most geographically unequal economy in the developed world, with critical under-investment occurring outside of the South-East region. Rathbones urgently calls on the Chancellor to take decisive action in the Autumn Budget to reverse this neglect, citing poor infrastructure, high energy costs, and planning system delays as major hindrances to national economic potential. The firm specifically recommends policy changes across five areas: pensions, business taxation, regional investment, wealth taxation, and property market reform. Continue reading
Selfridges and Disney’s Most Magical Christmas Collaboration
An extensive holiday collaboration between Selfridges and Disney, titled “A Most Magical Christmas,” launched in November 2025. This large-scale partnership features interactive experiences, exclusive merchandise, and festive displays across Selfridges stores in London, Birmingham, and Manchester, as well as online. Key attractions include a massive Disney Castle façade and light show on the Oxford Street store, elaborately themed window displays, and Disney-inspired afternoon teas and movie screenings. Furthermore, the collaboration involves over 70 brands creating exclusive Disney-themed products, encompassing fashion, beauty, and homeware, available throughout the holiday season. Continue reading
VIPRE Q3 2025 Email Threat Landscape Report
The report provided by VIPRE Security Group concerning their Q3 2025 Email Threat Landscape Report, which details how cybercriminals are using increasingly sophisticated methods to bypass traditional email defences. The report reveals that commercial clutter makes up the largest proportion of email volume and is intentionally used to desensitise users, enabling malicious emails like phishing attempts to blend in. Key findings highlight that attackers frequently exploit compromised URLs or open redirects and are strategically targeting Outlook and Google mailboxes, which together constitute ninety per cent of observed phishing attacks. Furthermore, the report notes emerging technical trends such as the use of Fetch API for credential exfiltration and the abuse of Apple’s TestFlight platform to distribute malicious iOS applications, while acknowledging that geographic dispersion across spam-sending markets is making traditional IP blocking ineffective. Overall, the source stresses that organisations must adopt equally adaptive and layered defences to counter the evolving threat landscape. Continue reading
Performativ Unveils Compliant AI Agents for Financial Institutions
Performativ, a technology company, announced the launch of two new offerings: Custom Agents and the AgentKit Builder. These new capabilities are specifically designed to help financial institutions (such as banks and asset managers) safely and compliantly integrate artificial intelligence (AI) agents into their core operations and existing enterprise infrastructure. The solution is built to meet stringent regulatory oversight requirements, including those similar to the European AI Act, by ensuring all agent actions are logged, auditable, permissioned, and have traceability for regulatory review, thus transitioning enterprises from AI experimentation to secure, governed deployment. Continue reading
The White House That Wasn’t: Unrealized History
The new issue of the White House History Quarterly magazine, titled “The White House That Wasn’t,” this seventy-ninth issue, explores alternative histories and unrealised plans related to the White House, beginning with the much larger design proposed by city planner Pierre Charles L’Enfant in 1791. The release outlines several articles, which discuss topics ranging from an artist’s vision of L’Enfant’s original plan and the President’s temporary house in Germantown, Pennsylvania, during the 1793 yellow fever epidemic, to objects like a Steinway piano that was declined and presidential myths that were proven false. The publication is produced by the White House Historical Association, a non-profit organisation founded in 1961 by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy to preserve and educate the public on the history of the Executive Mansion. Continue reading
Houlte: Redefining Furniture and Lighting Design
Houlte, a brand specialising in high-end furniture and lighting, announced its design philosophy and product offerings. The release emphasises that Houlte focuses on achieving balance between aesthetics, functionality, and emotional experience in the home, often integrating furniture and lighting elements to create cohesive spaces. Key aspects of the brand include using sustainable materials, an international design team, extensive market research, and offering free customisation and design consultation services to customers across North America, Europe, and Asia. Ultimately, Houlte aims to create “timeless furniture and lighting that elevate the art of living” by making every home feel profoundly human. Continue reading
DPI Unlocks African Entrepreneurship and Trade
This report is detailing findings from a Co-Develop survey conducted across six African nations concerning Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI). The report, released ahead of the Global DPI Summit 2025, suggests that adopting secure digital payment and identification systems (DPI) holds significant potential for fostering entrepreneurship and expanding market connectivity across Africa. Key findings indicate that a substantial percentage of respondents believe that the ability to accept secure digital payments and utilise digital identity verification would encourage them to start or grow a business. The document also emphasises that trust is foundational to this digital transformation, noting that most people are willing to share data provided there are transparent rules and fraud protections in place. Continue reading
NotebookLM: AI-Driven Knowledge Management and Learning Tool
Nov. 3, 2025 /Mpelembe Media/ — NotebookLM is an AI-powered tool designed to accelerate learning and knowledge sharing by generating insights based on a user’s uploaded sources. This tool allows users to upload documents like lecture notes or strategy plans, after which NotebookLM can answer questions, generate summaries, and create study materials such as quizzes, with all responses including in-line citations linking back to the original source material for accuracy. Continue reading
