SYDNEY, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Google agreed on Monday to pay a A$55 million ($35.8 million) fine in Australia after the consumer watchdog found it had hurt competition by paying the country's two largest telcos to pre-install its search application on Android phones, excluding rival search engines. The fine extends a bumpy period for the Alphabet-owned internet giant in Australia,...

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Costco has had productive discussions with Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird over the retailer's diversity policies amid a legal onslaught against those programs launched by President Donald Trump, according to Bird's office and another person familiar with the talks.     Bird and 18 other GOP state attorneys general urged Costco Chief Executive Ron Vachris in a...

LONDON (Reuters) -U.S. media giant Comcast Corp ( CMCSA ) will build its first Universal theme park and resort in Europe in Bedford, north of London, opening in 2031, the British government said on Wednesday. The park will create 20,000 jobs during construction and a further 8,000 jobs across the hospitality and creative industries when it opens, it said.  It...

* Iowa AG Brenna Bird and Costco have recently met over the company's DEI policies, AG and another person familiar say * Bird and 18 other AGs urged the retailer to drop its DEI hiring practices * The Republican-led state attorneys said the policies were 'unlawful discrimination' By Isla Binnie NEW YORK, April 8 (Reuters) - Costco has had productive...