🗞️ Smart snack

Good morning. If you need a reason not to exercise this long weekend then you can quote this headline:

Your Brain Might Start 'Eating Itself' During Strenuous Endurance Exercise

It should be noted that this study was during a marathon and the brain did grow back, but don't let details get in the way of a good excuse!

All the headlines and more below...

AUSTRALIAN NEWS

Housing prices break records as demand surges

• House prices in Sydney and Melbourne's outer suburbs are rising due to first-home buyer policies whilst supply efforts lag behind demand. LINK

• The RBA is considering an interest rate cut in May as inflation trends below 3% whilst household debt servicing reaches decade highs. LINK

• Australian small and medium businesses face increasing cybercrime costs of $50,000, up from $9,000 over 5 years. LINK 

• Webjet data shows 32% of Australian Easter travellers are flying internationally with Bali, Auckland and Tokyo as top destinations. LINK

• Agentic AI will make 15% of business decisions by 2028. LINK

• Only 25% of AI projects advance beyond pilot stage without strong CEO leadership alignment. LINK

GLOBAL NEWS

K-beauty industry reeling as Trump's tariffs restrict global marketplace

• The global beauty industry faces price pressures from new US tariffs affecting South Korean K-beauty products. LINK

• Chinese TikTok influencers are promoting direct factory purchases to avoid US tariffs amid growing trade tensions. LINK 

• Global generative AI spending is projected to increase by 76% to US$644B this year despite cybersecurity concerns. LINK

• Social media platforms are increasingly utilising AI to generate personalised content without relying on external creators. LINK

COMPANY NEWS

Australia's Collins Foods plans to exit Taco Bell partnership amid struggles

• Collins Foods will exit its struggling Taco Bell operations in Australia after failing to compete against Guzman y Gomez, whilst focusing on expanding its KFC business with plans to open 40-70 new outlets in Germany over 5 years and up to 10 stores annually in Australia. LINK

• Qantas reached 16th place globally in airline brand rankings with a 46% increase in brand value to $4.1B. LINK 

• Near Space Labs is helping Australian councils predict flood risks through new high-altitude imaging technology. LINK

• Sony raised the price of its PlayStation 5 Digital Edition by 25% in the UK and Europe due to inflation and new Trump tariffs whilst maintaining Standard Edition pricing. LINK

• Hertz disclosed a data breach through vendor Cleo Communications that compromised customer personal and financial information. LINK

• LVMH reported a 3% drop in first-quarter sales due to weak US demand and Chinese market conditions. LINK

• Binance resumed services after an Amazon Web Services data centre issue temporarily disrupted trading operations. LINK

• Hub24 increased its funds under administration by 24% to $124.1B, driven by $4.9B in platform net inflows. LINK

• Perpetual reported a 4% quarterly decline in total assets to $221.2B as net outflows reached $8.9B. LINK

• Star Entertainment recorded a half-year loss of $302M due to regulatory costs and reduced consumer spending. LINK

CHART OF THE DAY

If offered, both men and women would take a flexible arrangement in the next 3 years

ONE MORE SCROLL

Editor’s Pick: Live lightning strikes from around the world.

Odd Pick: Gemini can now turn your Google Docs into podcasts.

TOGETHER WITH

Doga Sydney - Corporate Cuddles & Puppy Yoga

Take what you’re doing offline and circle back on team wellness because real team bonding happens with puppies, not PowerPoint. Give your team an event they’ll actually look forward to with Puppy Yoga!

We’ve got you covered with Corporate Cuddles and Puppy Yoga 🐶

TRIVIA

We’re having a Family Feud-style trivia today.

Can you name the top 5 answers for 'something people often forget to pack for a holiday’?

Answers below

OUR SOCIALS

ANSWERS

1. Toothbrush
2. Charger
3. Underwear
4. Passport/ID
5. Sunscreen

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