RYANAIR is launching a new route between Teesside and Malaga, with flights to start operating in March.

Earlier this year, Tees Valley Mayor, Ben Houchen, vowed to bring new Costa del Sol flights to the tiny UK airport.

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Direct services will start operating between Teesside and Malaga on March 31, 2025.

The twice-weekly service will operate every Monday and Thursday until October 23, 2025.

Monday flights will depart Malaga at 5.50am, touching down in the UK at Teesside at 8am.

Return journeys will then leave the UK airport at 8.25am, arriving in Malaga at 12.35pm local time.

Thursday flights will operate slightly later, with services leaving Malaga at 7am and arriving in the UK at 9.10am.

The return service will then depart from Teesside at 9.35am, landing in Malaga at 1.45pm.

Sun Online Travel have found one-way fares from £68.99 per person, with tickets already on sale.

When the new flights were announced, Tees Valley Mayor, Ben Houchen, said: “The people of Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool have been asking for more sunshine destinations, and we’ve delivered exactly that with Ryanair’s fantastic support.

“This is a huge win for our airport and our region, but we’re not stopping here. Our goal is to keep growing, breaking records and getting more holiday flights for local people.”

A statement from the airport reads: “The announcement follows another successful summer for Ryanair at Teesside, where routes to holiday hotspots including Majorca, Faro and Corfu have seen booming demand.”

The news comes after Teesside Airport announced its pre-tax and interest profit in 12 years.

Teesside is mainly served by airlines like Ryanair and TUI with passengers already able to fly to destinations like Dalaman in Turkey, Corfu in Greece and Majorca in Spain.

It is hoped that more flights will be introduced at the regional airport.

Teesside International Airport was named the favourite small UK airport for leisure travel by passengers at the British Travel Awards in 2023.

Last year, Teesside International Airport saw the highest number of passengers pass through its terminal for 11 years.

Meanwhile, Mayor Ben Houchen has promised to pump £20million into renovating the airport’s train station.

Teesside Airport Station closed in May 2022, and it has yet to reopen.

Houchen told the Northern Echo: “As a serious airport we need a working rail link that passengers can use to get to the airport, and with the current state of the train station this is simply not possible.

“We are ahead of schedule on our plan to turn things around, and the next phase of development following the opening of our business park and cargo facility, will see us build a new station at the airport.”

The other small UK airport set for new flights

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RYANAIR looks set to launch three brand new flights at a small UK airport, as it already begins to cast its eyes on next summer.

In April, the budget carrier started new routes from Norwich Airport for the first time.

Passengers in Norfolk were able to book flights to Alicante in Spain, Faro in Portugal and Malta, with some routes starting from as little as £17.

Now the airline could be set to launch more new routes from the regional travel hub, according to its managing director.

Richard Pace has said that he is hoping to see at least two or three more flights added to the airport’s route map in time for summer 2025.

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In an interview with BBC Radio Norfolk, he spoke of the success of the first few months of flights from Norwich Airport and said he would know more about the future routes from next month.

At the moment, there is no indication of where the new routes will travel to, or when they will begin.

Meanwhile, Jet2 is set to open a brand-new airport base at London Luton Airport next year.

From the London-based airport, Jet2 will fly to 17 destinations, with 36 flights operating every week next summer.

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Two-wheeler sales soared to 21.6 lakh units in October 2024, up 14 per cent from October 2023, according to official data released by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM). Total domestic passenger vehicles dispatched to dealers by companies improved to 3.93 lakh units—its highest ever for the month—from last year’s October number of about 3.89 lakh units.

Bipeds ruled the sales in the festive month that saw Navratri, Dussehra, Diwali, and Dhanteras fervour across the country, despite massive dips in major stock-market indices due to FII selloff. “October 2024 saw two major festivals, Dussehra and Diwali, both occurring in the same month, which traditionally drive higher consumer demand, providing a significant boost to the auto industry’s performance,” said SIAM Director General Rajesh Menon.

ALSO READ | GST Collection: Which Indian states collected the most tax in the festival month of October?

Around 13.9 lakh motorcycles were dispatched to dealers in October, up 11 per cent. Scooter demand was higher, with a 22 per cent growth to 7.2 lakh units.

According to the industry body SIAM, the sales jump was also reflected in the centralised government portal Vahan, which recorded more than 30 per cent year-on-year growth in registrations for passenger vehicles.

Earlier this week, Maruti Suzuki launched its compact sedan DZire, starting at Rs 6.79 lakh (ex-showroom) in India. It is also the first Maruti Suzuki car to ever get a 5-star Global NCAP rating.

In the first week of November, at EICMA 2024, two-wheeler brands Hero MotoCorp and Royal Enfield announced their new motorcycles. While the Bajaj-rival Hero launched the Karizma XMR 250, the Xpulse 210 and the Xtreme 250R, they were joined in Milan by Royal Enfield, who announced their foray into electric bikes.

Oasis Fans Hit by Costly Ticket Scams Amid Tour Frenzy, Bank Warns

Loyal Oasis fans, eager to secure tickets for the band’s highly anticipated reunion tour, have become prime targets for scammers, with victims losing an average of £346, according to new findings from Lloyds Bank. The bank’s analysis reveals that people aged 35 to 44 are most at risk, making up nearly a third (31%) of reported cases. In some cases, fans lost as much as £1,000 as scammers exploited the surge in ticket demand.

Lloyds’ data, gathered from reports made by customers across Lloyds Bank, Halifax, and Bank of Scotland between August 27 and September 25, paints a clear picture: fake advertisements and posts on social media accounted for over 90% of the ticket scam cases, with around 70% involving Oasis fans. Scammers typically use social media to post fake listings, offering discounted or “exclusive” tickets to sold-out events. After victims make an upfront payment, the scammers disappear, leaving fans with no tickets and a financial loss.

“Fraudsters Wasting No Time Targeting Oasis Fans”

Liz Ziegler, fraud prevention director at Lloyds, said, “Predictably, fraudsters wasted no time in targeting loyal Oasis fans as they scrambled to pick up tickets for next year’s must-see reunion tour.” She emphasized the importance of purchasing tickets directly from reliable sources: “Buying directly from reputable, authorised retailers is the only way to guarantee you’re paying for a genuine ticket.”

Ziegler also warned against using bank transfers to pay unknown sellers, especially on social media platforms, saying, “If you’re asked to pay via bank transfer, particularly by a seller you’ve found on social media, that should immediately set alarm bells ringing.”

New Fraud Reimbursement Rules Aim to Protect Consumers

The rise in scams comes as new mandatory reimbursement rules for authorised push payment (APP) fraud took effect last month. Overseen by the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR), the rules require banks to reimburse victims of fraud unless there is evidence of gross negligence by the customer. A reimbursement cap of £85,000 has been set, although banks may choose to refund higher amounts. The new protections apply to transactions made from October 7 onwards, offering an extra layer of security for victims.

Previously, a voluntary reimbursement code provided some relief for fraud victims, along with bank-specific refund guarantees. However, these new, more stringent rules mark a step forward in protecting consumers against payment fraud, helping to ensure that those tricked into transferring money to fraudsters have a better chance of recovery.

Tips for Avoiding Ticket Scams

With ticket scams spiking during high-demand events, Lloyds offers practical advice to help fans avoid falling victim:

1. Purchase from Trusted Sources: Only buy tickets from official retailers or authorized resellers, avoiding unknown sellers on social media.
2. Avoid Bank Transfers to Unknown Sellers: If a seller insists on a bank transfer, it’s a major red flag. Scammers prefer bank transfers because they’re hard to trace.
3. Stay Alert as Event Dates Approach: Scammers often strike twice—first when tickets go on sale, and again as the event nears. Increased vigilance during these times can prevent potential losses.

The Oasis ticket scam surge is a reminder of the importance of secure purchasing and highlights the ongoing threat of fraud in high-demand markets. With new rules in place, fans who fall victim may now have better protection, but the best safeguard remains buying from trusted sources and staying alert to red flags in the digital marketplace.

Hello everyone. This is Cissy from Hong Kong. It’s been a hectic week for the tech industry. Asian tech giants have started to report their July-September quarterly earnings even as they absorb the shock re-election of Donald Trump as US president.

It’s also been a busy time for Asian media outlets, including us, covering what Trump’s second term will mean for trade, defence, markets and more. It appears the consensus is that first and foremost his return to the White House will bring uncertainty for the region, although there are a few voices arguing that Trump won’t take the world by surprise this time.

One of his biggest impacts will likely be on immigration. Chinese citizens, many of them middle class, who made the risky Darién Gap crossing to reach the US during the pandemic years are now worried about being deported under Trump. Parents in China, meanwhile, some of whom have even sold their property in order to send their sons and daughters to study in the US, are increasingly worried their children will not be allowed into the country.

With the Republicans clinching control of the House as well as the Senate, Trump is set to become one of the most powerful US presidents in the modern era. Let’s embrace the changes that the next four years will surely bring, whatever they might be.

I am sure many of you are particularly interested in how Trump’s return as US president will affect the global chip industry and the tech supply chain. Please join us on November 28 for a webinar with Chris Miller, author of Chip War, Yeo Han-koo, former trade minister of South Korea, and our own chief tech correspondent Cheng Ting-Fang as we delve into this ever-changing industry. Register here and be sure to submit your questions for the panel ahead of time.

Closing the door

Trump will not be sworn in as president until January, but the world’s biggest contract chipmaker is making sure it stays on the right side of US export control rules no matter who is in the White House. Sources told Nikkei Asia’s Cheng Ting-Fang and Lauly Li that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co is suspending production of AI and high-performance computing chips for several Chinese customers.

The Chinese chip design clients that will be affected are those working on high-performance computing, GPUs and AI computing applications that use 7nm or more advanced chip production technologies. These chip developers need to obtain a licence from the US government to continue working with top chipmakers such as TSMC.

Companies making mobile, communication, and connectivity chips with the same technology won’t be impacted, and sources say the effect on TSMC’s revenue will be minimal. But the move highlights the Taiwanese chipmaker’s push to have clients shoulder more of the burden for ensuring compliance with US regulations.

Wearable AI

A race is heating up between the major Chinese tech giants to be the leading provider of AI-integrated hardware, writes the Financial Times’ Eleanor Olcott.

Baidu, which operates China’s largest search engine, unveiled smart glasses on Tuesday, which run on its large language model (LLM) Ernie. The glasses, which will hit stores next year, have been developed by the internet company’s hardware brand Xiaodu, which has pitched them as a “private assistant” for users. It enables wearers to track calorie consumption, ask questions about their environment, play music and shoot videos.

While Washington’s chip restrictions mean Chinese companies lag behind US rivals in developing the most powerful LLMs, experts say they can still leverage the country’s world-class electronics sector to develop competitive AI consumer hardware.

Baidu’s glasses will initially only retail in China, while US tech groups Meta and Snap are competing to dominate the market outside of the country.

A new target

China’s biggest annual shopping festival is getting longer and longer and, for many shoppers, more tedious. As domestic consumption continues to be weak, ecommerce platforms this year are ramping up efforts to tap a potentially lucrative group: the 100mn or so Chinese living overseas, writes Nikkei Asia’s Cissy Zhou.

Alibaba, which pioneered the sales campaign back in 2009, spent around $200mn filling subway stations in Hong Kong and Taiwan with ads for free shipping on orders over Rmb99 among other offers. Rivals JD.com and Pinduoduo were less aggressive in their marketing campaigns but invested big to give Hong Kong shoppers reduced prices on items and cheaper shipping.

Alibaba said the company achieved “robust” GMV (gross merchandise value) growth and a “record number” of active buyers during this year’s Singles Day. The company, along with JD, may reveal more meaningful data in their upcoming third-quarter earnings calls.

Battle of the batteries

CATL, the world’s largest supplier of electric vehicle batteries, is seeking to capture growing demand for plug-in hybrids with a new compound battery pack that promises a range of 400km, writes Nikkei’s Shizuka Tanabe.

The move comes as the battery maker faces intense competition from rival BYD, China’s leading seller of midmarket plug-in hybrids.

BYD in May overhauled its proprietary plug-in hybrid platform to improve its range. The updated DM-i boasts a combined fuel and electric range of 2,100km. However, the automaker has focused more on improving the efficiency of its engine, and the platform’s electric range is between 80km and 120km.

Sales of plug-in hybrids are surging in China, hitting 3.33mn units between January and September, up 84 per cent from the same period last year. CATL is betting that a longer electric range will appeal to buyers looking for “the EV experience”.

Suggested reads

1. Vietnam weighs new tech law that risks irking US under Trump (Nikkei Asia)

2. SoftBank returns to profit as Indian IPOs boost Vision Fund gains (FT)

3. Kakao: Can South Korea’s symbol of innovation regain its shine? (Nikkei Asia)

4. Nintendo and Sony head into ‘grim’ holiday season with old consoles and no big releases (FT)

5. SoftBank taps Nvidia for Japanese ‘AI grid’ project (Nikkei Asia)

6. Indian investors lukewarm over Swiggy’s $1.3bn listing (FT)

7. Tencent’s quarterly results fall short on weak China consumption (Nikkei Asia)

8. Singapore’s Sea stock jumps 21% as online retail arm returns to black (Nikkei Asia)

9. SoftBank performance strengthens credibility of its AI vision (FT)

10. FTX sues Binance and former chief Changpeng Zhao for $1.8bn (FT)

#techAsia is co-ordinated by Nikkei Asia’s Katherine Creel in Tokyo, with assistance from the FT tech desk in London.

Sign up here at Nikkei Asia to receive #techAsia each week. The editorial team can be reached at techasia@nex.nikkei.co.jp.

The government is urging 18 to 22-year-olds to come forward and claim an account with an average £2,212 waiting for them.

Right now, £1.4bn is sitting in Child Trust Funds that have matured but haven’t been accessed – forgotten cash that could make a huge difference to your finances. 

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“Many parents and children aren’t aware they even have the account, or don’t know who the money is with or how to track it down,” said Charlene Young, pensions and savings expert at AJ Bell.

If you were born between 1 September 2002 and 2 January 2011 and your parents received Child Benefit, chances are you have a Child Trust Fund Account (CTF) waiting for you. 

CTFs were launched in 2005 to encourage parents to save for their kids’ future.

Most parents or guardians got a £250 voucher from the government to set up an account a CTF, or £500 if the family had a low income.

For those born after August 2010, your voucher may only have been £50.

Parents or guardians could add money over the years, enjoying tax-free growth. Even if they didn’t do anything with the voucher, the taxman may have opened an account on your behalf.

The cash has been growing all this time, and now, as those kids turn 18, they have a right to claim that CTF cash – averaging over £2,200 each.

The problem is, around a million people have no idea they have a CTF waiting for them.

“More than a quarter of CTF accounts were set up by the government because parents failed to do so within the 12-month window,” Ms Young said.

“This highlights why so many are unclaimed- as the parents either weren’t aware or won’t remember that an account was even set up for their child, let alone where the money is now.”  

Last year, the government estimated that’s a whopping 42% of 18–20-year-olds haven’t claimed theirs.

How track down your CTF

Tracking down your Child Trust Fund is easy. The government has an online tool that will tell you which provider holds your account. Just go to www.gov.uk/child-trust-fund/find-a-chid-trust-fund. 

If you’re 16 or over, you can look for your own CTF. Otherwise, a parent or guardian can track it down for you. All you need is your full name, address and date of birth.

Once you know which bank or investment firm holds your CTF, contact them for your account details.

Finding your own CTF is simple, so don’t be tempted by companies offering to do it for you.

Many will take up to 25% of your cash for just a few minutes’ work you could easily do yourself.

What to do with the money once you have it

After you’ve tracked down your account, think carefully about what you are going to do with your money.

If you’re lucky, you’ve just got a four-figure sum, and how you use it could help shape your future.

One option is to move the money into a Lifetime ISA. These tax-free accounts can be used to save for your first home or retirement, with the government throwing in a 25% bonus on anything you deposit.

So, the average CTF balance of £2,200 would jump to £2,750 if placed into a Lifetime ISA.

“If you then invested it to age 30, and it grew at 5% a year, even if you put nothing else in, it could be worth £5,005,” said Sarah Coles, head of personal finance at Hargreaves Lansdown.

If you added the full £4,000 Lifetime ISA allowance each year as well, by the time you were 30 you could have £75,000 towards your first home.

Another option is to boost your retirement by putting your CTF money straight into a pension.

“If you put £2,200 into a pension at 18 (and got basic rate tax relief on it) and it grow at 5% to the age of 70, it might be worth £35,353,” Ms Coles explained.

Or, use it to cut the cost of university.

Borrowing £2,200 on a student loan and leaving it unpaid for 39 years, with long-running RPI at 5.3%, compounding daily, would add up to £15,180 in interest alone, according to Ms Coles’ figures. 

So, putting that £2,200 toward your student loan now could save you over £15,000 in interest in the long run.

“At this age £2,200 can make an enormous different,” Ms Coles said.

“Many people are at the stage in life when they are earning less – or nothing at all – and yet are still wrestling with horrible outgoings.

“It can transform everyday life, possibly by providing a rental deposit so you can afford to move out or repaying debts to get you back on track.

“It can help fund your studies, or it can be saved or invested for life’s milestones, from buying a house to retirement.

“It’s why it’s so essential people are reunited with this money, to give it a chance to make the difference at a time when it counts for so much.”

Avoid large fees

Even if your child isn’t 18 yet, it is worth finding their CTF now. If you don’t, you could find they have less cash when it matures due to the massive fees your CTF provider may be charging.

A report last year from the Public Accounts Committee found that many CTF providers charge huge management fees, with some taking 1.5% a year or charging high fixed fees. In contrast, many Junior ISAs charge just 0.25% in fees. 

“If you have a Child Trust Fund worth £1,000 a £25 fee is equivalent to 5% a year, likely eating up most or all of your investment gains,” said Laura Suter, director of personal finance at AJ Bell.

“On smaller accounts the charges could even be worth more than the investment growth.

“One recently reported case saw an unfortunate saver left with just £12.39 in their account after charges.

“That’s about enough to drown your sorrows in a pint and pick up a kebab on the way home – you’ll need to walk though as there isn’t enough to cover the taxi too.”

Find your CTF and move it into a Junior ISA to cut fees and protect your cash.

“Coming soon…” reads the new website “jiostar.com”, the latest entrant into the Disney Star–Reliance Jio Cinema merger drama. For the past few weeks, social media and news channels alike have been following the amusing sequence of events triggered by a techie who approached Reliance to sell “jiohotstar.com” in a bid to fund his studies.

Dubai-based YouTubers and siblings Jivika and Jainam Jain purchased the domain from the unnamed software developer for a much smaller price after Reliance allegedly threatened legal action back in October. However, on Sunday, the Jain siblings offered Reliance the domain free of cost, in a twist that very few saw coming.

ALSO READ | Jiohotstar domain row: ‘If Reliance is NOT interested…,’ say siblings Jainam and Jivika in new offer to media-tech giant

When THE WEEK reached out to the Jain siblings in October, they confirmed the purchase and said that the deal happened over the ICANN-accredited domain registrar, Namecheap Inc.

“If Reliance doesn’t want it, that’s fine too. We’ll continue sharing our updates..” said the siblings in the video posted earlier this week. And it looks like Viacom 18 has taken them seriously.

On Tuesday, several outlets reported the arrival of the new domain “jiostar.com”. With barely any details on the website, and no public statements from Viacom 18 or any other Reliance company for that matter, users on social media are guessing that the new merged OTT streaming platform would possibly be named “JioStar”.

ALSO READ | Jiohotstar domain row: UAE-based kids take over ownership from Delhi app developer

The USD 8.5 billion merger of Reliance Industries and Disney Star received the nod from the regulators, the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) and the Competition Commission of India (CCI), back in August. When Reliance reported its second-quarter results, it announced that the merger would be expected to be completed in the third quarter of the current financial year, FY 2024-25.