A new study presented at the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology in London reveals that men's total testosterone levels have declined by 54% between 1972 and 2019. Scientists attribute this to factors including obesity, diabetes, environmental chemicals, and global heating, warning of a male fertility crisis.
Marks & Spencer is investing in refrigeration equipment capable of handling temperatures up to 45C due to the climate crisis. CEO Stuart Machin cited recent extreme heat challenges and the need to adapt to a hotter UK, alongside investments in security and fashion ranges.
Sanam Vakil of Chatham House states Gulf states remain reliant on the US for security but are uneasy with Washington's 'regime change-light strategy,' urging them to diversify defense relationships and manage diplomatic tracks amid an 'uncomfortable moment' with uncertain US policy and unpredictable Iran.
Despite a recent meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, an expert from CASS’ National Institute for Global Strategy, Zhao, expresses pessimism about the future of US-China relations, citing unresolved structural forces.
Thousands of protesters gathered in Geneva on Sunday, organized by the "No-G7" coalition, to demonstrate against the upcoming G7 summit in France. They expressed fears about G7 policies, particularly those of President Trump, citing concerns about war, climate change, inequality, and poverty.
Australian billionaire Brett Blundy's investment firm, BBRC International, is campaigning to remove Victoria's Secret chair Donna James, citing value destruction and poor governance. The company's board has rejected Blundy's requests, citing reputational risks and recent strong performance.
Airline leaders met in Rio de Janeiro to discuss high fuel costs, declining profits, and engine issues. Global fuel costs have surged, halving airline profits, with net profits expected to drop significantly. Despite resilient travel demand, future winter travel and sustained high costs remain concerns.
Cancer claims 10 million lives annually, with varying deadliness. New drugs show promise for pancreatic and head/neck cancers, and precision medicine is advancing. However, a global shortfall of 100 million healthcare workers by 2050 and treatment delays are critical issues. Worryingly, cancer rates are rising in those under 50, linked to environmental factors.
African leaders and financiers convened for the African Development Bank's annual meeting in Congo Republic, facing reduced aid flows and the shadow of an Ebola outbreak. The bank is urging a shift towards leveraging Africa's own financial resources to address a significant development financing gap.
Shareholder advisers ISS are urging investors to vote against Metro Bank's pay report, citing a complex bonus scheme and high executive salaries that are "significantly out of line" with market standards, despite record revenues.
The China-Indonesia Vocational Education Development Research Center held its 2026 annual meeting in Yangzhou, focusing on industry-education synergy and intelligent future creation. A China-Indonesia Youth Innovation Internship Practice Center was also unveiled.
Lululemon is publicly confronting activist founder Chip Wilson, calling his perspectives "outdated" and citing "troubling conflicts of interest" in a letter to shareholders. The company urges shareholders to vote for its nominees at the upcoming annual meeting, warning Wilson's nominees would derail its turnaround plan.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated at a BRICS meeting in New Delhi that the bloc must increase joint efforts to prevent a global debt crisis, citing aggregate global debt at 93% of GDP and projected to exceed 100% by 2029.
Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet with New Development Bank President Dilma Rousseff in the Kremlin to discuss BRICS cooperation, including a digital payment platform, during her visit for the NDB Board of Governors' annual meeting.
Greg Abel led Berkshire Hathaway's annual meeting for the first time, delivering detailed operational insights across the conglomerate's businesses. Shareholders and analysts gave broadly positive reviews, praising his grasp of the company's subsidiaries and confidence in leadership continuity. However, many noted the absence of Warren Buffett's characteristic humor and storytelling. AI emerged as a key theme, with Abel discussing technology applications at BNSF Railway and data center growth opportunities for Berkshire's utility operations. Some investors expressed disappointment with the pace of share repurchases, which totaled $235 million in Q1.
Berkshire Hathaway's annual meeting enters a new era as Greg Abel, 63, takes over as CEO in 2026 while Warren Buffett, 95, steps back from his central role. The leadership shift coincides with Berkshire's underperformance, with shares falling over 5% year-to-date and trailing the S&P 500 by 30 percentage points since Buffett announced his departure last May. Operating earnings fell nearly 30% in Q4 2025 due to a 54% drop in insurance underwriting profits. Abel has committed to using his $15 million annual salary to purchase Berkshire shares and is consolidating control over the $300 billion equity portfolio.
Bai Chongen is a prominent Chinese economist and government adviser. He is the dean of Tsinghua University’s School of Economics and Management and serves concurrently as vice-chairman of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce. From 2015 to 2018, he was a member of the Chinese central bank’s monetary policy committee. This interview took place during the “two sessions” – the annual meetings of China’s top legislature and advisory body – which Bai was attending as a member of the...
Ryoo Sang-dai, senior deputy governor of the Bank of Korea, will attend the ADB's 59th annual meeting in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, along with ASEAN+3 finance ministers and central bank governors. The officials will discuss regional economic conditions, financial cooperation, and ways to enhance the Chiang Mai Initiative Multilateralization, a US$240 billion regional liquidity pool.
James Sherwin-Smith has secured the 250 nominations needed to stand as a candidate for Nationwide's board at July's annual meeting, potentially becoming the first customer voted onto the board in nearly 25 years. His candidacy highlights a democracy deficit at the mutual, which faced criticism for not polling members on the £2.9bn Virgin Money acquisition in 2024 and for only offering advisory votes on executive pay up to £7m. The article argues Nationwide should suspend its 'quick vote' system that favours board recommendations and allow Sherwin-Smith a fair run, despite likely prevailing either way.
NatWest faces a potential shareholder revolt at its upcoming AGM as investors and climate scientists protest the bank's decision to weaken its oil and gas lending restrictions and drop key decarbonization targets.
NatWest faces investor revolt at Tuesday's AGM in Edinburgh as campaigners demand protest votes against chair Rick Haythornthwaite. Investors controlling $1.4tn in assets and 70 climate scientists oppose the bank's recent rollback of fossil fuel lending restrictions, including dropping commitments to avoid lending to oil and gas companies lacking credible transition plans.
BP chair Albert Manifold excluded a shareholder resolution from Dutch investor group Follow This from Thursday's annual meeting, prompting significant shareholder rebellion. The resolution would have required BP to describe how it would protect shareholder value if oil and gas demand falls. BP received only 47% support for a climate reporting resolution and 18% voted against Manifold's re-election. Legal & General Investment Management cited the resolution exclusion as a reason for voting no. Shell took a different approach, allowing a similar resolution.
Reed Hastings, Netflix co-founder and chair, will not stand for re-election at the June annual meeting to focus on philanthropy. The announcement coincides with Q1 revenue of $12.25bn, up 16%, but shares fell 8% after the news and failed Warner Bros bid.
At Berkshire Hathaway's 2013 annual meeting, Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger explicitly rejected corporate tax inversion strategies after Andrew Sorkin asked about Pfizer's potential overseas move. Buffett stated Berkshire would not consider moving overseas to avoid taxes, with Munger calling it 'crazy' to become as prosperous as Berkshire while eliminating tax obligations. Buffett emphasized America's role in Berkshire's success and stated the company does not begrudge paying US taxes, though it legitimately uses tax credits for low-income housing and renewable energy.
