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Sydney Zoo, Shopping on YouTube, and Puma
Everyone in Japan could have the same surname by 2531.
Pick & Scroll News
April 11, 2024
One Read, All Perspectives
Australian News
Construction for Australia's new housing starts have dropped to their lowest in 11 years, falling short of the national target by 90,000 homes. LINK
Only 56% of Australia's music festivals were profitable in 2022-23, with a shift in the market demographic away from young audiences. LINK
Property investors are returning to major city suburbs in Sydney and Melbourne despite low rental yields, reversing the trend of investing in regional areas. LINK
New South Wales commits up to $100 million to kickstart local production of sustainable aviation fuel. LINK
Retail insolvencies have more than doubled in 2 years due to high interest rates and living costs. LINK
Australia's buyout rules are set for an overhaul, requiring companies to seek ACCC clearance for takeovers to prevent market power consolidation and enhance pre-emptive regulatory scrutiny. LINK
Data centre development faces delays due to extended construction times and a scarcity of suitable land, amidst soaring demand fuelled by Australia's AI boom. LINK
Global News
Japan's surname diversity is at risk, with a study predicting that everyone could have the surname "Sato" by 2531 if current marriage name laws remain unchanged. LINK
Vietnam plans to start building 2 high-speed railway lines to China by 2030. LINK
US small business confidence has dropped to its lowest in over 11 years due to rising inflation fears. LINK
Domestic shocks in G20 emerging economies are now significantly influencing the growth of developed nations. LINK
The World Bank Group introduces a new accountability scorecard with 22 indicators to enhance transparency and track the impact of its development projects globally. LINK
Company News
Sydney Zoo is seeking new investors to expand its operations and capitalise on growth opportunities, including a new function centre. LINK
Canva settles an unfair dismissal case with a senior engineer. LINK
Macquarie Bank's former investment, Thames Water, faces financial turmoil and environmental backlash over increased sewage spills. LINK
eBay introduces a new AI-powered "shop the look" feature in its iOS app, aiming to personalise fashion shopping experiences by suggesting complementary items. LINK
YouTube introduces new Shopping features, enabling creators to curate shoppable collections and monetise content more efficiently, as competition with TikTok Shop intensifies. LINK
Google develops its own semiconductor, the Axion chip, to manage tasks from YouTube advertising to data analysis, reducing AI operational costs and countering competitors in the AI race. LINK
ByteDance's profit surged by 60% in 2023, reaching over $40 billion, as the TikTok owner continues its rapid financial growth amidst increasing global user engagement. LINK
Mercedes Benz reports a 6% drop in Q1 sales, affected by supply constraints in Asia and a transition in its luxury model range, with electric vehicle sales also declining. LINK
Puma emphasises speed in its marketing strategy, leveraging its partnership with Jamaica's sprint team for the Olympic Games, to compete against Adidas and Nike in the running and lifestyle market. LINK
EY plans to cut over 100 roles next week, more than 1% of its workforce, in response to a sustained downturn in the advisory market, with reductions primarily in consulting and financial advisory divisions. LINK
Betr and BlueBet are close to an all-scrip merger, a significant move in the wagering market, with Betr looking to overcome technological challenges through this strategic partnership. LINK
Intel announces a new AI chip at its Vision event, targeting Nvidia's dominance in AI semiconductors and marking a significant step in the tech giant's competitive strategy. LINK
This Week’s Top Picks
A Federal Finance department spreadsheet error exposed confidential pricing data for 410 consulting vendors, leading to calls for reform of Australia's $70 billion tender system. LINK
The average retirement age in Australia has peaked at 66.2 for men and 64.8 for women, with a shift away from physically demanding jobs and more people working from home as contributing factors. LINK
More than half of Australians expect the economy to enter a recession in the coming year, though households are becoming slightly more optimistic. LINK
Mortgages for new home construction in Australia dropped to a 5-month low in February, even as investor and first home buyer loan commitments increased. LINK
OpenAI transcribed over 1 million hours of YouTube videos to train GPT-4, despite concerns this may violate YouTube's rules against using its videos for independent applications. LINK
Amazon continues to expand checkout-free shopping in Australia with the "Just Walk Out" technology, despite scaling back in the US. LINK
Qantas revamps its frequent flyer program with the introduction of Classic Plus, offering over 20 million reward seats but at a potentially worse value compared to current offerings. LINK
Australian insurers have incurred over $650 million in losses from home insurance over the past four years, with premiums set to rise further. LINK
Approximately 70,000 people aged 30 to 40 left Sydney between 2016 and 2021. LINK
Australia's cruise industry experiences a record-breaking summer with an influx of young travellers. LINK
Charter flights now carry 13% of all domestic air travellers in Australia, outpacing traditional airlines like Rex and Bonza. LINK
The number of independent brewers in Australia have increased significantly, but recent months have seen many small brewers facing financial difficulties or entering administration. LINK
Specialty and artisanal cheese varieties gain popularity as supermarket cheese prices reach $16/kg. LINK
Just 57 companies are identified as being responsible for 80% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions. LINK