Demand

• Der Anstieg des Strombedarfs im ersten Quartal 2026 wurde durch eine Rekordproduktion von Photovoltaik-Dachanlagen gemildert. • Mehr Rechenzentren und wärmere Bedingungen trugen dazu bei, den Strombedarf in den ersten drei Monaten des Jahres auf Rekordhöhen zu treiben, so der Energy Market Operator Australiens, während das Wachstum bei Batterien die durchschnittlichen Großhandelspreise niedrig hielt. • Der Strombedarf von Haushalten, Unternehmen und der Industrie erreichte im ersten Quartal 2026 Rekordwerte von 25 GW, einem Anstieg von 1,2 % gegenüber dem gleichen Quartal des Vorjahres. Im gesamten Netz wurde dieses Wachstum durch die Rekordproduktion von Photovoltaik-Dachanlagen ausgeglichen.

Buffalo’s Rohingya community pushes for NY state law to protect immigrants after Nurul Amin Shah Alam’s deathSince Nurul Amin Shah Alam’s death in February, the fear across Buffalo’s East Side has been palpable.Alam, a 56-year-old Rohingya refugee from Myanmar, who spoke no English and had mental health issues, was dropped by federal immigration officers outside a closed coffee shop in the middle of a brutal winter. He had spent months in custody following a confusing encounter with local law enforcement, then was released – alone, in the cold – far from the Rohingya community hub where he might have found help. Days later, he died. Continue reading...

• Broadcom provided second-quarter guidance of $9.2 billion in revenues, exceeding analyst estimates by 6%, driven by surging demand for data center semiconductors and artificial intelligence accelerators from cloud computing providers. • CEO Hock Tan stated that AI-related semiconductor orders are tracking 40% above historical averages, with major customers committing to long-term capacity agreements through 2028, signaling sustained strong demand. • The robust guidance helped lift semiconductor index ETFs 2.1% during extended trading and sparked upgrades from multiple analysts who raised price targets on Broadcom by 8–12% based on improved visibility into AI infrastructure spending cycles.

• Delta Air Lines reported first-quarter net income of $1.8 billion, up 22% year-over-year, benefiting from strong leisure and business travel demand with average fares rising 8% despite lower capacity growth across the industry. • CEO Ed Bastian stated that forward bookings through summer 2026 indicate "resilient demand," with premium cabin bookings up 15%, offsetting concerns about potential economic slowdown and suggesting corporate travel spending remains solid. • The strong results bolstered airline sector sentiment, lifting Southwest Airlines and United Airlines stocks by 2.4% and 1.9% respectively on optimism about sustained pricing power and margin expansion through peak summer travel season.

Discrepancy in forecasts raises questions over government planning for net zeroOne vision of the UK’s future involves a decarbonised economy powered by clean, renewable energy. Another involves making the UK an AI superpower.The government departments responsible for these two visions do not appear to have agreed on their numbers. Continue reading...

Amid growing congressional scrutiny of his conduct, Patel has claimed he has ‘never been intoxicated on the job’US politics live – latest updatesHouse judiciary Democrats have launched a formal inquiry into FBI director, Kash Patel’s alleged drinking habits, demanding he complete a standardized alcohol abuse assessment and submit the results to Congress.In a letter sent on Tuesday, led by Jamie Raskin, a Maryland representative, Democrats on the committee called on Patel to take the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (Audit) – a 10-question World Health Organization screening tool used to identify harmful patterns of drinking – along with a sworn statement attesting to his answers. Lawmakers also requested all security clearance questionnaires Patel has completed since taking the role. Continue reading...

• Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum demanded an explanation from the U.S. after American officials died during an operation in Chihuahua state. • The incident involves cross-border security efforts, straining bilateral relations. • Details remain limited, but it highlights risks in joint anti-cartel actions and potential policy shifts.

Ministers also asked to alter compensation rights and suspend emissions trading scheme amid Middle East warAirlines are lobbying the UK government to relax environmental and noise rules, modify passenger rights and cut taxes on flying, as they prepare for higher costs and a possible shortage of jet fuel because of the war in the Middle East.A list of policy requests submitted to ministers and the aviation regulator includes suspending the emissions trading scheme and relaxing limits on night flights, it has emerged. Continue reading...

• PepsiCo reported better-than-expected quarterly results on April 16, 2026, with shares rising 2.3% as customers bought more snacks. • Price cuts on Lay’s, Doritos, Cheetos, and Tostitos chips announced in February helped regain demand from price-sensitive consumers. • The earnings contribute to broader corporate profit growth exceeding analyst forecasts amid market optimism.

The spytech company and founder Peter Thiel should ‘have their hands ripped off our NHS’, say MPs during impassioned Westminster debateMPs have queued up to demand the government scraps its £330m NHS contract with the spytech company Palantir, calling it “dreadful” and “shameful” in a debate on Thursday, after which the government said it was “no fan” of the US company’s politics.Labour and Liberal Democrat MPs led the calls for Palantir, which also works for Donald Trump’s ICE immigration crackdown and the Israeli military, to be removed as a supplier to the NHS federated data platform (FDP), with one Labour backbencher, Samantha Niblett, questioning whether it could be “trusted as a custodian of the intimate health records of tens of millions of British citizens”. Continue reading...

The new strategy to be unveiled by Richard Marles will see defence spending rise to about 2.4% of GDP – but US president has urged allies to spend 3.5%Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastLabor will spend an extra $53bn on defence over the next decade, using the nation’s latest military blueprint to create new special investment programs to fund increases in capability using private capital.The defence minister, Richard Marles, will unveil the new national defence strategy on Thursday, as well as detailing a new integrated investment program for military capability, boosting the current budget by $14bn over the next four years, forward estimates period. Continue reading...

• A survey by AirMDR released on April 14, 2026, in Palo Alto, CA, reveals 80% of US-based cybersecurity investors intend to increase AI cybersecurity funding next year. • 71% expect decisive ROI from AI tools, with capital shifting toward companies proving operational impact and cost reductions over mere product enhancements. • Investors prioritize defensible AI technologies delivering real outcomes, signaling strong market confidence but heightened selectivity for enterprise-ready solutions.

Exclusive: Victoria and Albert Museum has deleted maps and images deemed sensitive by Beijing censors from exhibition publicationsOne of the UK’s leading museums has accepted demands by a Chinese firm that publishes its catalogues to remove images that fall foul of the country’s censorship laws.The Victoria and Albert Museum has agreed to requests by the Chinese printing company it uses to delete maps and images from at least two recent exhibition catalogues, according to documents released to the Guardian under freedom of information. Continue reading...

Experts say any short-term financial benefit will be outweighed by long-term health costs related to obesityFaced with high demand for GLP-1 drugs, some American cities and states that previously covered the cost of the weight-loss medication for low-income residents and public employees have now started to restrict or eliminate coverage.The pullback stems from the dramatic increase in public spending on drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy in recent years. Continue reading...

Ministers admit carer’s allowance penalties will continue while review of more than 200,000 cases is carried outThousands of unpaid carers will continue to be hit with hefty and potentially unfair benefit repayment demands, it has emerged, as a government initiative gets under way to fix welfare injustices that have drawn comparison to the Post Office scandal.Ministers will on Monday launch an audit of more than 200,000 historical carer’s allowance benefit cases, with an estimated 25,000 carers issued with unlawful overpayments since 2015 likely to see their repayment debts cancelled or reduced as a result. Continue reading...

• Iran has laid out preconditions for ceasefire negotiations with the United States, including a truce in Lebanon and the release of frozen Iranian assets before substantive talks can proceed. • The Iranian position reflects the broader regional conflict dynamics, with fighting extending beyond US-Iran direct confrontation to proxy conflicts in Lebanon and other Middle Eastern locations. • These conditions complicate already delicate negotiations in Pakistan, as the US and its allies assess whether such demands can be accommodated within broader regional security frameworks.

• The U.S. Dollar Index climbed to 106.85 Thursday, marking a three-month high, bolstered by expectations for sustained higher interest rates and Federal Reserve officials' reluctance to signal imminent policy pivots. • The euro weakened to $1.087, declining 1.3% on the week, as diverging monetary policy expectations between the Federal Reserve and European Central Bank broadened rate differentials favoring dollar-denominated assets. • Currency strategists noted that strong dollar performance reduces competitiveness for U.S. export-oriented companies but supports purchasing power for multinational corporations with foreign earnings, creating mixed market impacts.

Mayor says disinformation, including about London crime rates, is ‘eating away at basic bonds of trust’Sadiq Khan has called on ministers to take significantly stronger action against social media companies that spread disinformation after a study showed a surge in hostile accounts posting falsehoods about London’s crime rates and integration.In an intervention on what he called “the outrage economy”, the London mayor, who has also written to social media firms demanding change, said a lack of action could prompt more domestic terrorism by people who believe conspiracy theories they find online. Continue reading...

Use of glyphosate has risen 10-fold in 30 years, raising fears for public healthIt was Scottish farmers in the 1980s who pioneered the practice of spraying glyphosate on their wheat just before harvest. Struggling in the damp glens to get their crop to dry evenly, they came up with the idea of accelerating the process by killing it a week or two before harvesting.Glyphosate, then a revolutionary herbicide that killed everything plant-based but spared animal life, seemed perfect for the job. Soon the practice spread to wetter, colder agricultural regions around the world. Continue reading...

• Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang announced at GTC 2026 that demand for the company's products will reach $1 trillion through 2027, with fulfillment only possible by 2028. • The revelation underscores explosive growth in AI hardware needs, driven by data center expansions and model training. • Nvidia also released NemoClaw, an open-source stack enhancing privacy and security for the popular OpenClaw AI agent.

Lawmakers call for use of 25th amendment after president brazenly threatens to commit war crimes in IranAs Donald Trump unleashes curse-filled threats against Iran, Democrats are raising alarm over his mental stability and calling for his removal from office – while Republicans remain conspicuously silent.Democrats are escalating their rebukes as the 79-year-old president delivers rambling, incoherent speeches, hurls puerile insults at US allies and brazenly threatens to commit war crimes. He used an Easter Sunday social media post to warn Iran to “Open the Fuckin’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell”. Continue reading...

• AI's growing appetite for compute power is forecasted to hit $100 billion, creating new industrial layers like AI factories and energy-to-intelligence conversion. • This shift is rewriting rules for tech supply chains, with Nvidia at the forefront of the transformation. • The development signals a pivotal moment for US AI infrastructure investment and energy demands.

Reduced public holiday services and school holidays heighten pressure on network, leading to overcrowdingFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastPassengers have been forced to stand for hours and many were unable to board services over Easter as Victoria’s regional train system strained under the combined weight of a long weekend, school holidays and fare-free services.Reports of overcrowding on V/Line services escalated on Friday and Saturday as public holiday timetables reduced services, amid increased demand after the state government introducing free travel during April. Continue reading...

• Anthropic has discontinued third-party tools like OpenClaw for Claude subscribers, citing unsustainable demand straining its infrastructure. • The move prioritizes core model stability as user growth surges, impacting developers relying on extensions for customized workflows. • It highlights operational challenges for leading AI providers balancing openness with capacity limits in a rapidly scaling market.

Nurul Shah Alam, a nearly blind Rohingya refugee, was left alone in a Buffalo parking lot. His death has been ruled a homicide – what now?On 19 February, the second day of Ramadan, Mohamad Faisal Nurul Amin and his family gathered to pray before sunrise in their apartment on the outskirts of Buffalo, New York. After nearly a year of waiting, they believed their family would be together again. Amin’s father, Nurul Shah Alam, 56, was coming home.“For the first time since we arrived in America, I felt happy,” said Fatima Abdul Roshid, Shah Alam’s wife, speaking through an interpreter. “I thought my husband would be with our two sons and me for Ramadan.” Continue reading...

Senior figures express concerns over medical union’s refusal of pay rise that is higher than offer to other NHS staffTrade unions have privately expressed qualms about the forthcoming doctors’ strikes, expressing frustration at the conduct of the talks and the demands of the British Medical Association.The BMA is pushing for a pay rise higher than the 3.5% offered to doctors by the government, with strikes planned for next week. Continue reading...

Pentagon announces Randy George retiring from role as US army chief of staff, ‘effective immediately’Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxRandy George, the US army’s top officer, is stepping down from his role after defense secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly requested that he retire immediately. The Pentagon confirmed on Thursday that George, who had been serving as the army’s 41st chief of staff, is retiring.“General Randy A. George will be retiring from his position as the 41st Chief of Staff of the Army effective immediately. The Department of War is grateful for General George’s decades of service to our nation. We wish him well in his retirement,” Pentagon chief spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement shared on social media. Continue reading...

• NASA's most powerful rocket, Artemis II, faces its critical pre-launch test essential for future crewed missions. • The test evaluates structural integrity and systems for the high-stakes lunar program. • Success is vital for U.S. leadership in space exploration and timeline adherence.