Human Times
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North American Edition
26th January 2026
 
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THE HOT STORY

Judges uphold New York City's tipping laws against delivery apps

Federal judges have declined to grant injunctions sought by DoorDash, Uber, and Instacart to block new New York City laws that require food delivery apps to offer customers the option to tip workers. U.S. District Judge George Daniels said the laws "advance the city's goals of enhancing cost transparency" and protecting delivery workers, while also rejecting Instacart's claim regarding state legislation prohibiting such mandates. The companies, which contend that the tipping requirements may harm their business, plan to appeal the decisions. DoorDash has voiced concerns about "tipping fatigue" among customers.
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LEGAL

Trump to expand abortion rule to include D.E.I. and gender

The Trump administration is poised to broaden the Mexico City Policy, which restricts U.S. funding to organizations that provide or promote abortions, to include groups associated with "gender ideology" and diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. An administration official said: "The State Department will release three final rules on Friday expanding the Mexico City Policy to protect foreign assistance from subsidizing not only abortion as a method of family planning, but also gender ideology (and) discriminatory equity ideology/DEI." The ‍Mexico City ⁠Policy, which was established by former President ​Ronald ‌Reagan in 1984, and which previously only applied to foreign NGOs, has been rescinded by each Democratic president since and reinstated when a Republican returns to the White House.

Under Armour faces data breach crisis

Under Armour is investigating a data breach that compromised 72m email addresses and personal information, including names and birthdates. The breach reportedly occurred late last year. The company said: "We have no evidence to suggest this issue has affected UA.com or systems used to process payments or store customer passwords." Under Armour has reassured customers that sensitive information has not been compromised.
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STRATEGY

Toys "R" Us continues to shut Canadian stores

Toys "R" Us is continuing its retreat from Alberta and the wider Canadian market, with "going out of business" signs appearing this week at its Lethbridge store, one of the province's last remaining locations. The property, near Park Place Mall, was listed for sale last year at $15m, though the retailer has yet to confirm a final trading date or the number of jobs at risk. The closure follows the shuttering of the final Calgary-area store in mid-January, leaving only two outlets still operating in Edmonton. Elsewhere in Canada, further closures have been confirmed, with mall owner Primaris stating that all Toys "R" Us locations in its portfolio are now closed, underscoring the retailer’s accelerating withdrawal from bricks-and-mortar retail.
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ECONOMY

U.S. business activity holds steady in January, but tariff-driven price pressures persist

U.S. business activity was stable in January, with S&P Global’s Composite PMI edging slightly down to 52.8 from 52.7 in December, indicating modest growth across manufacturing and services. While new orders improved, the labour market stagnated, and business confidence dipped, amid concerns over rising costs and weak exports. Tariffs were widely cited as a major source of inflationary pressure, with firms continuing to face elevated input and output costs. Despite resilient consumer spending and solid GDP growth forecasts, ongoing price concerns and policy uncertainty are weighing on business sentiment.
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LEADERSHIP

EY names Dr. Velislava Ivanova Americas Chief Sustainability Officer

EY has appointed Dr. Velislava Ivanova as Americas Chief Sustainability Officer and Global Strategy and Markets Leader for Climate Change and Sustainability Services, reinforcing the firm's ESG advisory capabilities. A PhD-trained environmental biologist with global experience, Ivanova will lead over 500 professionals focused on ESG reporting, assurance, and transition strategy, as regulatory and investor demands escalate. Her appointment highlights EY’s continued investment in science-based sustainability leadership to support clients navigating disclosure, decarbonisation, and climate risk integration. 
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INTERNATIONAL

South Korea launches landmark laws to regulate AI

South Korea has introduced what it says is the world's first comprehensive set of laws regulating artificial intelligence. Under the terms of the AI Basic Act, companies must ensure there is human oversight in so-called "high-impact" AI such as that involving nuclear safety, the production of drinking water, transport, healthcare and some financial uses. Meanwhile, companies must give users prior notice about products or services that use high-impact or generative AI, and provide clear labeling when AI-generated output is difficult to distinguish from reality. Startups, however, complain that the laws' language is vague, and compliance will be burdensome.

BNP Paribas plans ‌to cut around 1,200 asset management jobs

French lender BNP Paribas plans ‌to cut around 1,200 jobs at its asset management ​unit by the end of 2027. About ‌600 positions in France will be affected, said a union source, who added that about ​230 ‌new local jobs would also ‍be ⁠created as part of the plan to cut costs following the bank's €5.1bn acquisition of AXA Investment Managers. The merger created Europe’s third-largest asset manager.

Tesla reaffirms job security at Berlin gigafactory amid reports of staff reductions

Tesla has said it has no intention of cutting jobs or production at its gigafactory near Berlin, countering a report suggesting a significant workforce reduction. The company maintained that "there has been no significant reduction in the number of permanent staff" and that the situation at the Gruenheide plant remains stable. Tesla described any fluctuations in staff numbers as "completely normal" during the factory's ramp-up phase.

Thailand's aviation sector struggles to fill key roles

Thailand's aviation sector is grappling with a significant personnel shortage following Covid-19. A report indicates that before the pandemic, the industry employed over 4.3m people, but now faces recruitment challenges and high turnover rates. Pukkanut Makchouy, President of the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand, said that a newly-signed collaboration with the International Air Transport Association aims to modernize training and improve workforce competencies to meet industry demands.
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OTHER

New initiative aims to combat book bans in schools

We Need Diverse Books (WNDB) has launched the Unbanned Book Network to address the increasing number of book bans in U.S. schools and libraries. The initiative aims to donate books by banned authors and appoint Author Ambassadors to support school districts facing censorship. WNDB chief executive Dhonielle Clayton said: "We're not only facing an ongoing literacy crisis in the U.S., we're also battling increased rates of censorship, which is infringing on our students' right to read." The program will initially target twenty under-resourced schools in states including Florida and Texas, where bans are most prevalent. The effort is part of a broader response to the surge in book bans, which has been documented by organizations such as PEN America and the American Library Association.
 
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