ABC FeedsHow Pokémon cards are fuelling crime in Melbourne
By Erielle Sudario
Rare Pokémon cards can sell for hundreds or even thousands of dollars, with a record sale of one Pikachu card going for over $22 million earlier this year.
Tourism operators priced out of own industry conference
By Rachel Hagan
Struggling businesses in Carnarvon, reliant on tourism, say they want more support to be involved with the 2026 WA Tourism Conference that the region is hosting.
#TourismandLeisureIndustry #SmallBusinesses #RegionalCommunities #TravelandTourism #RachelHagan
Trust tax could hurt young, not just ultra-wealthy, tax advisors warn
By Nassim Khadem
The federal budget includes a new 30 per cent minimum tax on discretionary trusts. Experts say it is not just the ultra-wealthy that will be hit.
#Tax #Budget #TaxEvasion #FinancialPlanning #PersonalFinance #FinancialAdvisers #SmallBusinesses #NassimKhadem
Zorz Studios📰 Today's top stories, personally curated for you by Zorz Studios: http://zorz.it/newspaper
- #CaboWedding weekend with pink, orange, and #SeaOfCortez blue details;
- #SonyA7V topped a major sales chart for a fifth straight month;
- 5 essential #AccountingTasks for #SmallBusinesses to master;
- #StreetStyle look of the week: mom’s #jacket for a night on the town;
- 11 must-see shows during #NewYorkArtWeek 2026, and more
Ken Everett (Ken's Blogspot)#Tehran slams #US push for Hormuz Strait security resolution -
https://kensbookinfo.blogspot.com/p/world-capitals.html#Amsterdam
'Explosion' damages four homes in #Ballymun as gardai -
https://kensbookinfo.blogspot.com/p/etc.html#Ireland
#Iran threatens weapons-grade uranium enrichment as -
https://kensbookinfo.blogspot.com/p/etc-continents.html#Arab
#Police Officers Honoured At BOT Awards -
https://kensbookinfo.blogspot.com/p/uk.html#walesonline
Sarah Fowlkes Calls for Stronger Support of #SmallBusinesses -
https://kensbookinfo.blogspot.com/p/infotech.html#94
View all news from the UK https://kensbookinfo.blogspot.com/2026/03/latest-kingdom.html
CGT changes could see investment shift to shares, budget suggests
By Stephanie Chalmers, Jasper Wells, and David Taylor
Investors in stocks will be affected by changes to capital gains tax, but experts say the budget is still likely to see some investment move away from property and into shares.
#StockMarket #Budget #SmallBusinesses #Tax #StartUpsandEntrepreneurs #FederalGovernment #StephanieChalmers #JasperWells # #DavidTaylor
NonilexThe #US #trade court on Thurs ruled against #Trump's latest 10% global #tariffs, finding across-the-board tariffs were not justified under a 1970s trade #law.
The US Court of International Trade [#CIT] ruled in favor of #SmallBusinesses that challenged the tariffs, which took effect on February 24. The ruling was 2-1, with one judge saying it was premature to grant victory to the small business plaintiffs.
#economy #inflation #tax #consumers #business #recession
https://www.reuters.com/world/us-trade-court-rules-against-trumps-10-global-tariff-2026-05-07/?utm_source=braze&utm_medium=notifications&utm_campaign=2025_engagement
WPS NewsAnti-Competition by Design
By Cliff Potts, CSO, and Editor-in-Chief of WPS News
Baybay City, Leyte, Philippines — May 6, 2026
Competition is what keeps markets honest. When users can move freely, platforms must earn loyalty through better service. On X, that freedom has narrowed. The system increasingly rewards staying inside one ecosystem and quietly punishes anyone who tries to operate outside it.
This essay explains how that design works and why it harms Filipino creators, journalists, and small businesses.
How Lock-In Replaces Competition
Healthy platforms compete for users by improving tools, reliability, and trust. Unhealthy ones compete by making exit costly.
On X, creators who post links to outside sites often see reduced reach. Accounts that encourage audiences to follow them elsewhere grow more slowly. Over time, users learn an unspoken rule: keep everything inside the platform or accept penalties.
This is not open competition. It is enforced dependence.
Why This Matters More in the Philippines
Filipino creators rarely rely on a single income source. Many combine writing, freelancing, donations, and small online sales. That requires moving audiences between platforms.
When one platform blocks that movement, it blocks income. A creator may have followers, but no way to convert that attention into support elsewhere. The platform keeps the audience. The creator carries the risk.
This imbalance is especially damaging in lower-income markets.
Small Businesses Face the Same Wall
Local businesses use social media to reach customers, then send them to websites, booking pages, or messaging apps. When those links are suppressed, business slows.
Owners often do not know why traffic drops. They blame themselves, not the platform. Meanwhile, the platform keeps users scrolling instead of buying.
Anti-competitive design is most effective when it is quiet.
Choice Without Real Freedom
Supporters often argue that users can leave at any time. In theory, that is true. In practice, audiences are locked in.
Years of work, followers, and reputation are tied to one system. Leaving means starting over. Staying means accepting rules that favor the platform over the user.
That is not free choice. It is constrained choice.
Why This Is a Business Failure
Markets grow when value flows in many directions. Platforms that block movement limit growth for everyone except themselves.
For Filipino users, this means fewer options, lower income, and higher risk. For the platform, it means declining trust and long-term instability.
Anti-competition may protect control in the short term, but it weakens the ecosystem over time.
Looking Ahead
The next essay will examine how these same design choices affect advertisers and why many brands avoid platforms with unpredictable and restrictive behavior.
When competition is designed out of the system, users always pay the price.
For more social commentary, please see Occupy 2.5 at https://Occupy25.com
This essay will be archived in the WPS News Archives at Amazon.
References (APA)
European Commission. (2023). Digital Markets Act and platform competition. https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu
Electronic Frontier Foundation. (2023). Competition and platform lock-in. https://www.eff.org
Reuters. (2024). Brands rethink spending on X amid policy changes. https://www.reuters.com
#anticompetition #creatorEconomy #digitalMarkets #internetPlatforms #marketPower #onlineIncome #Philippines #platformEconomics #smallBusinesses #socialMediaPlatforms #Twitter #XPlatform
The Mirror: News, Sport, Celebrity & Entertainment [Unofficial]Major UK kitchens firm closes 'immediately' as it sends message to all customers
https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/major-uk-kitchens-firm-closes-37102567
UK bakery chain shuts every branch after 109 years in business as company plunges into liquidation
