Rival

• South Korea achieved a historic milestone in 2026 by surpassing ten million foreign arrivals earlier than ever before. • The surge is primarily driven by strong demand from China, Japan, and Taiwan, as well as growing middle-class travel from the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia. • This growth is attributed to improved air connectivity, the global popularity of Korean entertainment, and a significant increase in visitor spending.

FTSE 100 firm says Prologis all-share proposal turned down as it falls long way short of its own views on valueThe UK warehouse landlord Segro is at the centre of the latest transatlantic takeover battle after rejecting a £12.6bn takeover approach from the US rival Prologis.Prologis has gone public with its offer for the FTSE 100 company after it was “unequivocally rejected” by Segro’s board on Tuesday despite valuing the company at almost 25% more than its market value at that day’s close. Continue reading...

Follow live updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastTram passengers in Melbourne will be able to pay for their trip using a bank card, smartphone or smartwatch from today.The long awaited expansion of tap-and-go payments follows a staged roll out to the city’s train network and main regional routes. Buses are expected to follow.From today, you can step off a train and straight on to a tram using the same phone, watch or bank card.Four in five tap and go trips are already being made with a phone or smartwatch – showing more Victorians are leaving the wallet at home.The potential for this virus to kill wildlife in significant numbers means it could be particularly catastrophic for threatened species.We are talking about possible extinctions, alongside severe impacts to common birds like our beloved pelicans and black swans.This is a genuine wildlife emergency and it must be treated as such with emergency funding to increase efforts to protect wildlife populations. Continue reading...

• OpenAI reported a $3.7 billion loss in Q1 despite generating $5.7 billion in revenue and has confidentially filed for a U.S. IPO. • SoftBank Corp and OpenAI have launched a joint venture in Japan to deploy a cybersecurity product designed to protect critical national infrastructure. • The U.S. government invested $500 million into Nvidia-backed SandboxAQ to strengthen domestic semiconductor supply chains and reduce reliance on foreign tech.

Speaking at the G7 summit, prime minister says he stands by Labour’s manifesto pledge not to rejoin blocEurope live – latest updatesUK politics live – latest updatesThe UK and the European Union should not waste time “looking backwards” to Brexit, Keir Starmer said on Wednesday, as he comes under pressure to reconsider rejoining the EU.The prime minister reaffirmed his government’s manifesto commitment to not re-enter the bloc, but said there had been “real progress” with the relationship, which was “slowly but surely building”. Continue reading...

Brian Gu says he sees Chinese car firms competing on quality rather than launching price war as at homeMotorists in the UK and EU should not expect a sharp drop in the cost of electric vehicles despite increased competition among Chinese manufacturers, one of the country’s biggest electric carmakers has said.Brian Gu, the vice-chair of the manufacturer Xpeng, said that Chinese carmakers could compete on quality to win customers in the EU and UK, rather than unleashing a brutal price war as they have in China. Continue reading...

About 1,000 people demonstrated for and against show in north London synagogue promoting sale of property in IsraelAbout 1,000 people protested for and against a show promoting the sale of property in Israel on Sunday, with police making 14 arrests.Those opposed to the event, which was held in a north London synagogue, claimed it was also selling property in land illegally occupied by Israel and is part of an expansionist plan to drive out Palestinians. Organisers denied this was the case. Continue reading...

Attorney Dan Cogdell backs Paxton’s Democratic opponent and says the Republican is too focused on appeasing TrumpA lawyer who represented Ken Paxton, Texas’s attorney general, for nearly a decade over accusations of corruption and securities fraud is supporting Democrat James Talarico – and not his former client – in one of the biggest US Senate races.Talarico on Monday drew attention to his campaign winning the endorsement of Houston attorney Dan Cogdell, who was part of Paxton’s defense team during the Republican’s historic impeachment trial in 2023 that ended in acquittal. Continue reading...

Statistics show fewer than 1% of homes are bought by foreigners, as race discrimination commissioner warns against blaming migrants during debateFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastOne Nation’s Barnaby Joyce has claimed that “people who look like they’ve recently arrived” are knocking Australian buyers out of home auctions, despite tax office data showing fewer than 1% of dwellings are bought by foreigners.The federal race discrimination commissioner subsequently warned against “demonising migrants” in the debate about housing affordability. Continue reading...

Venerable but struggling UK firm backs deal with Chicago-based Ingredion which puts nearly 500 jobs worldwide at riskTate & Lyle has agreed to a £2.7bn takeover by its US rival Ingredion, in a deal that could put hundreds of jobs at risk and represents yet another loss for London’s struggling stock market.The FTSE 250 business, which makes artificial sweeteners such as Splenda, has agreed to a deal that values it at 615p per share, about 60% above its price before news of a possible takeover emerged. Continue reading...

Peter Kyle says British politics fails to reward political accomplishment and Labour risks aping Tory instabilityThe Labour party has not learned the right lessons from the Conservatives about changing leader, a senior cabinet minister has warned, saying in a swipe at potential challengers that “entitlement is not a qualification”.Peter Kyle, the business secretary, said he was worried that British politics “rewards the wrong behaviour” and there was little credit for the work of his own department, including negotiating trade deals, rescue packages for companies and preserving British industry. Continue reading...

• The European Union's initiative to mobilize EUR20 billion (US$23.3 billion) to build a network of large-scale AI "gigafactories" is currently facing significant delays. • Funding uncertainty is hindering the project's progress, threatening the EU's ability to establish the necessary infrastructure for advanced artificial intelligence. • These setbacks are critical as global rivals continue to surge ahead, widening the gap in AI capabilities and technological sovereignty.

• European financial ETFs are currently outperforming their U.S. counterparts, driven by contrasting risk and return profiles over a five-year period. • The rally is characterized by a divergence in expense ratios and dividend yields, suggesting different value propositions for investors in each region. • This trend matters as it challenges the historical dominance of U.S. financial markets and presents a potential diversification opportunity for portfolio managers.

Region adapting to diminished US power after Washington fails to land knockout blow on Tehran or safeguard alliesMiddle East crisis – live updatesThe shock of the Iran war and its fallout has driven rivals in the Middle East to get behind a peace deal, pushing the Trump administration to accept a tentative agreement in the face of furious opposition from Israel and its supporters in Washington.The diplomatic efforts come as the region is reshaping to adapt to diminished US power after Washington’s inability to land a knockout blow on Iran, force the opening of the Strait of Hormuz or safeguard its Gulf allies. Tehran has few friends in the region, but the regime’s survival has meant that its neighbours have had to find an accommodation. Continue reading...

Burnham and Streeting’s latest stances confound caricatures of left and right as party faces electoral bindThe Labour party has seemed to inhabit three parallel worlds over the past fortnight.There is a prime minister celebrating good news on the economy and lower migration figures and breezily insisting he will fight the next election, but with his party intent on deposing him. Continue reading...

Bafta winner tells preview screening in Bristol there is not enough on television about the female perspectiveThe Bafta-winning actor Katherine Parkinson has lauded the television series Rivals for its “radical” depiction of sex from a woman’s perspective.Speaking at a preview screening in Bristol, where much of the series was filmed, Parkinson, who plays the romance author Lizzie Vereker in the show, said there were not enough examples on television of a woman’s view of sex. Continue reading...

CEO admits talks with Chery as other European carmakers discuss plans with Chinese firms to share factory spaceNissan’s chief executive has confirmed he would consider building cars for other manufacturers at the UK’s largest car factory in Sunderland, amid talks with China’s Chery.Ivan Espinosa said Nissan was “looking at options” for Sunderland and its 6,000 workers as the struggling Japanese carmaker on Wednesday reported steep losses for the year to March. Continue reading...

‘Unprecedented operation’ under way to receive MV Hondius off Tenerife to assess and repatriate those onboardThe Spanish authorities are finalising preparations for the arrival of the MV Hondius this weekend, saying an “unprecedented operation” is under way to receive, assess and repatriate the 149 passengers and crew members onboard the hantavirus-stricken cruise ship.The Dutch-flagged vessel, which was sailing from Argentina to Cape Verde, is due to arrive off the Canary island of Tenerife at around midday on Sunday. Continue reading...

Rightwing Naftali Bennett and centrist Yair Lapid announce new party before Knesset vote expected later this yearTwo of Benjamin Netanyahu’s most formidable political rivals say they are joining forces in an attempt to oust the Israeli prime minister’s coalition government in the election expected later this year.The former prime ministers – rightwing Naftali Bennett and centrist Yair Lapid – issued statements announcing the merger of their parties, Bennett 2026 and Yesh Atid (There is a Future). Continue reading...

Landmark ruling finds Wright Prospecting successfully made out its contractual claim to 50% of past and future royalties from Hope Downs iron ore projectGina Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting has lost its bid to retain royalties from the mammoth Hope Downs iron ore project and will be forced to pay Wright Prospecting half of its earnings from the project, worth hundreds of millions of dollars.In a landmark ruling in the Western Auestralia supreme court on Wednesday, justice Jennifer Smith said that Wright Prospecting had successfully made out its contractual claim to 50% of past and future royalties paid from the project. Continue reading...

Judgment will rule on whether spoils of some of Hancock Prospecting’s iron ore projects must be shared with family of her father’s business partnerGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastGina Rinehart faces the possibility of losing billions of dollars in riches from her Pilbara iron ore empire and her mantle as Australia’s wealthiest person when a long-awaited court verdict is delivered in Perth on Wednesday.The Western Australian supreme court judgment will rule on whether Rinehart must share the spoils of some of Hancock Prospecting’s most lucrative iron ore projects with the family of her late father’s business partner. Continue reading...

Tribunal dismisses claim that the Welsh government’s financial package breached competition rulesCardiff airport has won a legal challenge brought by its rival in Bristol over the fairness of a £205m Welsh government subsidy package.A judgment by the competition appeal tribunal on Tuesday unanimously dismissed Bristol airport’s case against the Welsh government, which the south-west England hub had argued distorted the market and breached the Subsidy Control Act. Continue reading...

PM also criticises business figures and opponents of changes, many of which come into force on MondayWorkers, pensioners and children: all better off. Ignore the critics – we really are standing up for working peopleKeir Starmer has used a series of new workers rights that come into force on Monday to attack the Green party, saying a vote for Labour’s rivals puts such progress on sick pay, parental leave and zero-hours contracts at risk.The prime minister also took a swipe at business figures and opponents of what he described as the biggest strengthening of workers’ rights in a generation, dismissing “vested interests” who had warned against them. Continue reading...

Residents of Coen and surrounding towns in far north Queensland spent Thursday sandbagging, stockpiling food and preparing for power outages ahead of possible category 5 stormCyclone Narelle path tracker mapGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastIn some ways, it seemed a pleasant, wet season morning in the remote Aboriginal community of Coen in tropical far north Queensland on Thursday – and Sara Watkins was preparing for a sausage sizzle.“It’s a day that you’d spend going fishing,” she said. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Robin Birley closes in on Sunshine State venue as wealthy Britons flock to area around Donald TrumpA London private members’ club owner is closing in on a deal for a venue in Palm Beach, in the hopes of creating a rival to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago and to take advantage of an influx of wealthy British people to the Florida region.Robin Birley is understood to be close to securing a property for his latest club, part financed by the billionaire Reuben brothers, who in 2024 were named the third-richest family in the UK by the Sunday Times Rich List. Continue reading...

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Accusations were false and primary cause of major meat supplier ‘panicking’ and cancelling contract, Victorian judge finds on balance of probabilitiesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA halal certifier wrongly accused a rival of being connected to Islamic extremism to secure the business of a major meat supplier, a Victorian court has found.The Victorian county court ruled that the Islamic Co-ordinating Council of Victoria (ICCV) suffered from malicious or injurious falsehood when Midfield Meats cancelled a lucrative halal certification contract primarily because its managing director was told the Australian federal police were investigating the certifier for financing terrorism. Continue reading...