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Coles full-year results show that despite gaining market share over past 12 months, sales fell over four weeks of ‘competitor’s collectables campaign’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastWoolworths’ latest Disney “Ooshie” collectables have not only captivated Australian children, they have led to a short-term slump in competitor Coles’ sales.The latest rubber figurine promotion was scheduled to end on Tuesday, but strong customer interest meant Woolworths prematurely ran out of Ooshies a week ago. Continue reading...

Kaja Kallas, the EU’s top diplomat, threatens harshest sanctions yet on Russia after strike on Kryvyi Rih, the home town of Volodymyr Zelenskyy Russian drones have slammed into a busy shopping centre in central Ukraine, killing 16 people in an attack that Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned as “cynical and despicable”.The EU’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, condemned Friday’s attack on Kryvyi Rih – the president’s home town – as “terror by design” and said she was “putting forward the most far-reaching Russia sanctions listings since the start of the war” when ministers meet in Ireland next month. Continue reading...

Sadiq Khan has indicated the technology will be deployed on London’s Oxford Street despite human rights concernsThe Metropolitan police are understood to be planning to use live facial recognition (LFR) technology on Britain’s busiest shopping street.In June the Met said it would introduce the technology in London’s West End by Christmas and into a further six areas next year. Sadiq Khan, the London mayor, has indicated that the newly pedestrianised Oxford Street will be included. Continue reading...

• AI startups Midjourney, World Labs, and Cognition have all announced new acquisitions this week as early industry winners seek expansion. • In a separate development, the company Corgi completed a fundraise that values the firm at $4 billion. • This valuation represents a significant surge for Corgi, more than doubling its market value since late May.

Deaths expected as Kumamoto shook by 6.8-magnitude quake, knocking out power and damaging buildingsA 6.8-magnitude earthquake has shaken south Japan, leaving at least 50 people injured, with some trapped and presumed dead inside a partly collapsed shopping mall.The earthquake hit the Kumamoto prefecture on the southern Kyushu island late on Tuesday afternoon, knocking out power to thousands of homes and damaging roads, bridges and buildings. Continue reading...

An ⁠earthquake ​with ⁠a ⁠preliminary magnitude ​of ‌7.1 ‌struck ‌the country’s Kumamoto prefectureJapan’s prime minister, Takaichi Sanae, has confirmed that a tsunami advisory was issue for Ariake Bay and Yatsushiro Sea after the earthquake hit the Kumamoto prefecture.She wrote on social media:At around 4:27 p.m. today, an earthquake with its epicenter in the Kumamoto region of Kumamoto Prefecture occurred, and strong shaking with a maximum seismic intensity of 7 was observed in Uki City and Makigawa Town in Kumamoto Prefecture.In connection with this earthquake, a tsunami advisory has been issued for Ariake Bay and Yatsushiro Sea, and tsunamis of about 1 meter are expected. Please refrain from approaching the coast.From me, to the relevant ministries and agencies - Urgently grasp the damage situation - Closely coordinate with local governments, and under the policy of prioritizing human life, the entire government will fully engage in emergency disaster response measures such as lifesaving and rescue for the affected people - Timely and accurate provision of information to the public regarding tsunamis and damage, etc. I have instructed these three points.To those in the areas where the shaking was strong, I would like to ask you to continue to be vigilant against the occurrence of earthquakes of the same magnitude. Continue reading...

Hot weather and World Cup fever help defy analyst expectations of decline, with sales volumes up 1% in JuneOnline sales accounted for the highest level of retail sales in five years last month as record hot weather spurred a rush for air conditioning, outdoor products and clothing.The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the volume of retail sales in Great Britain grew 1% month on month in June, as the hot weather and a World Cup retail rush defied analyst expectations of a 0.3% decline. Continue reading...

Despite spending increase in June, Barclays says most people still pessimistic about economyRelentless sunshine and the World Cup coaxed consumers to spend more on beer and online shopping last month, with purse strings expected to remain loose as England fans gear up for Wednesday’s semi-final.Most people remain pessimistic about the UK economy, according to data from Barclays Bank based on debit and credit card transactions. Continue reading...

• A growing financial link has emerged between "Buy Now, Pay Later" (BNPL) fintech companies and the private credit market, connecting everyday consumer purchases to global capital markets. • In this system, fintech firms extend credit to American consumers and immediately sell those loans to investment funds rather than holding them on their own balance sheets. • This mechanism creates hidden systemic risks because the stability of this private credit-funded model has not yet been tested during a significant economic slowdown.

A fight between two groups of young people who knew each other escalated into gunfire, police saidA shooting altercation between two groups of young people at a shopping mall in Dearborn, Michigan, left two people dead and a third injured over what is typically the most violent weekend of the year in the US, police said.The shooting occurred as the US began celebrating the Fourth of July, historically a holiday weekend that sees higher rates of gun violence across the country. In 2024, the Gun Violence Archive reported more than 500 shootings over Independence Day weekend. Continue reading...

• Major Chinese tech giants Alibaba, JD.com, and ByteDance have integrated advanced AI tools into the 618 shopping festival to optimize the e-commerce experience. • The deployment includes AI-powered shopping assistants, digital hosts for live-streaming, and smart logistics systems to improve efficiency and customer engagement. • This shift matters as it signals a transition toward "AI-first" retail, leveraging automation to personalize consumer journeys and reduce operational costs.

Buyers are ripped off after assuming online stores were genuine because they are recommended by an AI toolYou want to buy a new bag and so you ask ChatGPT for help. You have always liked Russell & Bromley so you ask ChatGPT what is popular there at the moment.The artificial intelligence (AI) assistant gives you cross body, shoulder, casual and formal options with the prices listed beside them. You click through from the sources to what looks like the official Russell & Bromley site and buy your new bag, which is conveniently on sale. Continue reading...

• Google announced a new family of AI advances led by Gemini 3.5, which it said is rolling out first through Gemini 3.5 Flash to billions of users. • The company said Flash is its strongest agentic and coding model yet and that it is now the default model in the Gemini app and Google Search AI mode. • Google also introduced Gemini Omni for video generation from text, images, video, and audio, plus Gemini Spark, a cloud-based agent that can organize notes, emails, and chats.

Walkouts, marches and other gatherings planned for ‘May Day Strong’ demonstrations across the countryThousands are set to join an economic blackout for International Workers’ Day on Friday, as part of 3,500 “May Day Strong” events across the country. Organizers are calling for “no school, no work, no shopping” with walkouts, marches, block parties and other gatherings planned into the evening.May Day has long been an annual day of protest for the labor movement, and this year, many active movements are converging to fight for “a nation that puts workers over billionaires”. Demanding no ICE, no war, and taxing the rich, the May Day Strong coalition includes labor unions, immigrants rights groups, political organizations such as the Democratic Socialists of America, and the organizers behind the No Kings protests. Friday’s economic disruption builds on a similar coordinated effort out of Minnesota in January, when tens of thousands of Twin Cities residents took off from school and work to flood the streets in protest of federal immigration agents storming the city. Continue reading...

Actions expected to exceed 3,000 as unions and groups expand protests inspired by Minnesota ICE crackdownLabor unions, democratic organizations and community groups are organizing an economic blackout this year to commemorate May Day, International Workers Day, inspired by the economic blackout in Minnesota during the massive ICE operation in the state.May Day Strong events are being planned across the US, with organizers calling for “no school, no work, no shopping”, in protest of government policies they say put billionaires’ needs above those of workers. Continue reading...

Transfer of medical services from hospital to former Wilko store is improving healthcare access and boosting footfallIt is a revolution that might just save the NHS – and the high street. Imagine being able to have your eyes tested, mole examined or get an appointment with a consultant without going to your local hospital – and maybe fit in some shopping or a cinema visit afterwards.That, increasingly, is what people in Barnsley are doing after an unprecedented relocation of medical services from the district general hospital into a purpose-built outpatients centre in the Alhambra shopping centre, which is getting a new lease of life thanks to the experiment. Continue reading...