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Four 'finfluencers' suspected of giving unlawful advice have been hit with warning notices amid a regulator crackdown.
Pick & Scroll News
April 29, 2026
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Good morning. In case you missed it, the marathon world record was shattered over the weekend.
Sabastian Sawe clocked a 1:59:30 in London, beating the old record by over a minute.
It was a huge day for Adidas, with both first and second place wearing their new carbon plates.
I think it’s time we go shopping - it’s clearly all in the shoes.
All the headlines and more below...
BUSINESS TRAVELLERS NOW RANK FREE BREAKFAST ABOVE A FIVE-STAR HOTEL
Flight Centre's corporate arm found location still matters most when booking work accommodation, but complimentary breakfast now ranks second. More than half want free cancellations up to 24 hours out. Half say good Wi-Fi is non-negotiable.
44% of business travellers now prefer serviced apartments with kitchenettes over traditional hotel rooms.
A mid-tier hotel 3 blocks from the meeting with workspace and breakfast beats a luxury property across town. Single-night business stays are down. Travellers want to replicate home life on extended work trips meaning microwaves, mini-kitchens, laundry facilities. Hotels are responding as minibars stocked with overpriced bourbon are disappearing with many properties now offering minibars on demand to cut waste and energy costs. Parking and EV charging stations are replacing spas.
Business travel still provides the backbone of midweek occupancy, so properties are optimising for what corporate guests actually use - a decent bed, easy check-in or breakfast that sets them up for the day.
AUSTRALIAN NEWS
Corporate Traveller has found business travellers are prioritising hotel location, free breakfasts, flexible cancellations and good Wi-Fi as budgets tighten but work trips remain essential. LINK
Tourism operators on the Great Barrier Reef are introducing passenger fuel surcharges and cutting services, with AMPTO reporting 20% to 30% service reductions as soaring petrol costs bite. LINK
Four 'finfluencers' suspected of giving unlawful advice have been hit with warning notices amid a regulator crackdown. LINK
Australian car dealers are facing a risky choice over which Chinese EV brands to distribute as dozens of manufacturers battle for survival amid a looming industry shakeout. LINK
APRA has begun a dynamic stress test of major Australian banks as they lift provisions for likely loan losses amid rising interest rates, inflation and unemployment risks. LINK
OPENAI CAN NOW SELL TO AMAZON AND GOOGLE. MICROSOFT'S EXCLUSIVE LOCK ON THE AI LEADER JUST ENDED.
OpenAI and Microsoft reset their partnership on Monday. OpenAI can now serve customers across any cloud provider, not just Azure. Microsoft keeps its licence to OpenAI's models until 2032, but it's no longer exclusive.
OpenAI was so desperate to escape the deal in 2025 it considered going to antitrust regulators.
Microsoft stays OpenAI's primary partner and gets first access to new products. But OpenAI is now free to chase deals with Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud. Revenue share payments from OpenAI to Microsoft continue through 2030, but they're capped. Microsoft stops paying OpenAI entirely.
The partnership that turbocharged OpenAI's rise became a constraint. Microsoft poured billions and got exclusive cloud distribution. That worked when OpenAI needed compute and cash. Now it needs reach.
COMPANY NEWS
BP reported better than expected Q1 profits of $3.2B, more than double last year’s $1.38B, as exceptional oil trading during the Iran war fuels backlash and windfall tax calls. LINK
OpenAI reset its partnership with Microsoft so it can work across all cloud providers while keeping a capped revenue share to Microsoft through 2030 and a non-exclusive IP licence to 2032. LINK
Atlassian has shifted from simply counting AI tool users to tracking 4 types of employee AI engagement to measure genuine innovation impact, says AI chief Avani Prabhakar. LINK
Bupa has been accused of anti-competitive behaviour in secretive hospital contracts that critics say bully smaller private hospitals, reduce their sustainability and ultimately limit patient choice. LINK
David Jones reported a deeper pre-tax loss of $95.5M as FY24 sales fell 8.7% to $2B, while owner Anchorage backs its turnaround amid structural retail pressures. LINK
Amazon launched an AI-powered video ad tool for Australian retailers that turns product images into up to 6 photorealistic videos, adding guardrails to prevent misleading depictions. LINK
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ONE MORE SCROLL
Editor’s Pick: Best workplaces in Australia revealed in new report.
Draft Pick: Netball's powerful statement on Anzac Day.
Odd Pick: A Sydney expat was slapped with drink driving charge on a Lime Bike. So what are the rules?
TRIVIA
Today we give you five true or false questions. Good luck!
Gold was created in the cores of stars like our Sun.
Sharks are mammals because they give birth to live young.
The Great Wall of China is visible from the Moon with the naked eye.
Cleopatra lived closer to the invention of the iPhone than to the building of the Great Pyramid of Giza.
Australia is wider than the Moon.
Answers below
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