The adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803 (2025) marked a significant development in international engagement with the Gaza conflict.
Central to the resolution is the endorsement of a Comprehensive plan to end the Gaza Conflict and the establishment of the ‘Board of Peace’, entrusted with transitional governance and security responsibilities in Gaza.
The initiative has sparked intense debate among diplomats, legal scholars, and policy practitioners. While some view the Board of Peace as a pragmatic response to a prolonged failure of existing approaches, others raise concerns about mandate overreach, accountability, respect for self-determination, and potential erosion of the United Nations’ institutional role.
Webinar objectives:
Clarify the legal boundaries of international transitional governance under UN auspices;
Assess institutional and accountability risks arising from delegated governance mechanisms; and,
Examine longer-term implications for the UN Security Council and the future of (effective) multilateralism.
CryptoQuant data shows Bitcoin mining profitability has fallen to its weakest level in 14 months, as declining prices and rising operational pressure weigh on the sector. The miner profit and loss sustainability index dropped to 21, its lowest reading since November 2024.
Lower Bitcoin prices and elevated mining difficulty have left operators ‘extremely underpaid’, according to the report. Network hash rate has also declined across five consecutive epochs, reaching its lowest level since September 2025 and signalling reduced computing power securing the network.
Severe winter weather across parts of the eastern United States added further strain, disrupting mining activity and pushing daily revenues down to around $28 million, a yearly low. Weaker risk appetite across equities and digital assets has compounded the impact.
Shares in listed miners such as MARA Holdings, CleanSpark, and Riot Holdings have fallen by double-digit percentages over the past week. Data from the Cambridge Bitcoin Electricity Consumption Index shows mining BTC now costs more than buying it on the open market, increasing pressure on weaker operators.
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Financial Conduct Authority research shows UK crypto ownership has declined even as Bitcoin prices surged. Adult participation fell from 12% in 2024 to 8% in the latest survey, equal to about 4.6 million people, although levels remain double those recorded in 2021.
A closer look suggests consolidation rather than collapse. Investors who stayed in the market are committing more capital, with higher-value portfolios becoming more common as retail activity gives way to institutional demand and Bitcoin ETF inflows.
Participants’ knowledge levels are improving. The regulator notes that active investors are more risk-aware and better informed, with ownership skewed towards men aged 18–34 from higher-income demographics and ethnic minority backgrounds.
Bitcoin retains the strongest recognition at 79%, while 57% of current investors hold BTC, a gradual year-on-year increase. Ether ownership stands at 43%, Dogecoin appears in 20% of portfolios, and awareness of newer altcoins remains limited, according to CoinMarketCap.
Stablecoin recognition has risen to 53%, reflecting broader discussion around payments and regulation.
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French streaming platform Deezer has opened access to its AI music detection tool for rival services, including Spotify. The move follows mounting concern in France and across the industry over the rapid rise of synthetic music uploads.
Deezer said around 60,000 AI-generated tracks are uploaded daily, with 13.4 million detected in 2025. In France, the company has already demonetised 85% of AI-generated streams to redirect royalties to human artists.
The tool automatically tags fully AI-generated tracks, removes them from recommendations and flags fraudulent streaming activity. Spotify, which also operates widely in France, has introduced its own measures but relies more heavily on creator disclosure.
Challenges remain for Deezer in France and beyond, as the system struggles to identify hybrid tracks mixing human and AI elements. Industry pressure continues to grow for shared standards that balance innovation, transparency and fair payment.
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Jason Stockwood, the UK investment minister, has suggested that a universal basic income could help protect workers as AI reshapes the labour market.
He argued that rapid advances in automation will cause disruptive shifts across several sectors, meaning the country must explore safety mechanisms rather than allowing sudden job losses to deepen inequality. He added that workers will need long-term retraining pathways as roles disappear.
Concern about the economic impact of AI continues to intensify.
Research by Morgan Stanley indicates that the UK is losing more jobs than it is creating because of automation and is being affected more severely than other major economies.
Warnings from London’s mayor, Sadiq Khan and senior global business figures, including JP Morgan’s chief executive Jamie Dimon, point to the risk of mass unemployment unless governments and companies step in with support.
Stockwood confirmed that a universal basic income is not part of formal government policy, although he said people inside government are discussing the idea.
He took up his post in September after a long career in the technology sector, including senior roles at Match.com, Lastminute.com and Travelocity, as well as leading a significant sale of Simply Business.
Additionally, Stockwood said he no longer pushes for stronger wealth-tax measures, but he criticised wealthy individuals who seek to minimise their contributions to public finances. He suggested that those who prioritise tax avoidance lack commitment to their communities and the country’s long-term success.
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The legislation would grant the Commodity Futures Trading Commission new regulatory authority over digital commodities and establish consumer protections, including safeguards against conflicts of interest.
Chairman John Boozman proceeded with the bill after losing bipartisan support when Senator Cory Booker withdrew backing for the version presented. The Senate Banking Committee must approve the measure before the two versions can be combined and advanced to the Senate floor.
Democrats raised concerns about the legislation, particularly regarding President Donald Trump’s cryptocurrency ventures. Senator Booker stated the bill departed from bipartisan principles established in November, noting Republicans ‘walked away’ from previous agreements.
Democrats offered amendments to ban public officials from engaging in the crypto industry and to address foreign-adversary involvement in digital commodities. Still, all were rejected as outside the committee’s jurisdiction.
Senator Gillibrand expressed optimism about the bill’s advancement, whilst Boozman called the vote ‘a critical step towards creating clear rules’. The Senate Banking Committee’s consideration was postponed following opposition from the crypto industry, with no new hearing date set.
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Worldcoin jumped 40% after reports that OpenAI is developing a biometric social platform to verify users and eliminate bots. The proposed network would reportedly integrate AI tools while relying on biometric identification to ensure proof of personhood.
Sources cited by Forbes claim the project aims to create a humans-only platform, differentiating itself from existing social networks, including X. Development is said to be led by a small internal team, with work reportedly underway since early 2025.
Biometric verification could involve Apple’s Face ID or the World Orb scanner, a device linked to the World project co-founded by OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman.
The report sparked a sharp rally in Worldcoin, though part of the gains later reversed amid wider market weakness. Despite the brief surge, Worldcoin has remained sharply lower over the past year amid weak market sentiment and ongoing privacy concerns.
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Amazon has announced a new round of corporate job reductions affecting around 16,000 roles worldwide; however, the company insists the move is aimed at streamlining operations rather than replacing workers with AI. Instead, the layoffs are intended to reduce management layers and bureaucracy following years of rapid expansion.
Moreover, experts broadly support Amazon’s explanation, noting that the cuts do not signal widespread AI-driven job displacement. Although Amazon’s chief executive has acknowledged that generative AI could reduce corporate workforce needs in the future, analysts emphasise that current AI systems are not yet capable of replacing complex corporate roles at scale.
Meanwhile, the decision comes as Amazon continues to adjust after significant pandemic-era workforce growth, when online shopping surged, and the company expanded rapidly. As consumer behaviour has shifted back towards physical retail, the company has therefore focused on cost-cutting and workforce resizing.
Finally, specialists caution against overstating AI’s immediate impact on employment. While AI may affect some entry-level or routine tasks, experts argue that its capabilities have levelled off, meaning human expertise remains essential across most corporate functions.
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The pace of the AI infrastructure boom continues to accelerate, with semiconductor supply chains signalling sustained long-term demand.
NVIDIA remains the most visible beneficiary as data centre investment drives record GPU purchases, yet supplier activity further upstream suggests confidence extends well beyond a single company.
ASML, the Dutch firm that exclusively supplies extreme ultraviolet lithography equipment, has emerged as a critical indicator of future chip production.
Its machines are essential for advanced semiconductor manufacturing, meaning strong performance reflects expectations of high chip volumes across the industry rather than short-term speculation. Quarterly earnings underline that momentum.
ASML reported €32.7 billion in net sales, while new bookings reached a record €13 billion, more than double the previous quarter.
New orders reflect how much capacity manufacturers expect to need, pointing to sustained expansion driven by anticipated AI workloads.
Company leadership attributed the surge directly to AI-related demand, with customers expressing growing confidence in the durability of data centre investment.
While order fulfilment will take years and some plans may change, industry signals suggest a slowdown in AI infrastructure spending is not imminent.
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Yahoo has introduced Scout, a new AI-powered search engine designed to compete with Google AI Mode and Perplexity. The tool transforms traditional search results into direct answers, interpreting natural language queries with the help of Yahoo’s extensive user data and content.
Scout combines the Claude AI model from Anthropic with Bing’s grounding API to ensure information is accurate and drawn from authoritative sources. Users can access personalised insights, whether checking the weather, tracking stock prices, or verifying news stories.
The platform also includes shopping and finance features, offering quick comparisons between products and synthesised financial information refreshed every ten minutes. Currently in beta, Yahoo Scout is available to US users via the Yahoo Search app and website, with plans to expand its personalisation features.
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