Capacity

• Southeast Asia's data center investment is projected to more than double to $35.08 billion by 2031, according to research from Arizton. • Malaysia is emerging as a regional leader with a 6GW pipeline, supported by construction costs of $8m to $10m per megawatt and aggressive tax incentives. • The Philippines offers the region's lowest costs, with construction ranging from $6m to $7m per megawatt and land prices between $120 and $200 per square metre.

• The United States is considering the imposition of 7.5% tariffs on Chinese imports to combat industrial overcapacity. • This move serves as a strategic step to revive the protectionist trade agenda of the US president ahead of upcoming talks between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping. • The proposed tariffs highlight escalating trade tensions and the US effort to protect domestic industries from an influx of low-cost Chinese goods.

There has been a 76% increase in under-construction gas-fired projects amid ‘frenzy’ to build more datacentersThe US has surged ahead of China in the building of new gas-fired power generation, largely to feed a boom in artificial intelligence (AI) that is adding vast amounts of planet-heating emissions, a new analysis has found.For decades, China’s rapid economic growth has seen it outpace the US in the addition of new gas power generation but a recent “frenzy” in datacenter construction for AI has reversed this, said Global Energy Monitor (Gem) in its new report. Continue reading...

• ABI Research forecasts that the number of global data center facilities will grow from 8,821 in 2026 to over 12,000 by 2035. • The Asia-Pacific region is expected to lead growth with a 2.9% CAGR, fueled by hyperscaler investments and digitalization in India, China, Japan, South Korea, and Southeast Asia. • Latin America and the Middle East and Africa are projected to develop more gradually, with each region reaching approximately 700 facilities by 2035.

• The European Union has launched a tender to establish up to seven "AI Gigafactories" to significantly expand the region's advanced computing capacity. • This initiative is designed to attract private investment and provide critical infrastructure for researchers, governments, and private companies. • The project matters as it seeks to reduce dependence on external providers and establish European standards for the development of frontier AI systems.

• The European Union has launched a call for tenders to establish up to seven "AI Gigafactories" to significantly increase the continent's computing capacity. • Backed by a €30 billion investment, these facilities can be located within a single Member State or developed as cross-border distributed computing networks. • This initiative aims to transform Europe into the "AI Continent," reducing reliance on external technology and strengthening its strategic autonomy in artificial intelligence.

• Republican lawmakers are considering new legislation to establish term limits or rules regarding prolonged incapacity for congressional leaders following health concerns over Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. • The proposed "Three strokes and you’re out" concept suggests a mechanism to remove leaders who are medically unable to perform their duties. • This movement highlights growing party anxiety over leadership stability and the lack of a formal succession process for incapacitated officials.

• China's new AI model, Kimi K3, has suspended new subscriptions shortly after launch due to a surge in demand that overwhelmed its system capacity. • The outage follows significant interest from the US tech industry and highlights the operational challenges Chinese AI firms face when scaling for global users. • This development occurs amidst an intensifying US-China tech race, with other models like DeepSeek also gaining international attention.

• China has suspended new subscriptions for its powerful new AI model, Kimi K3, after a surge in demand overwhelmed system capacity within days of its launch. • The model's release has drawn significant attention from the U.S. tech industry, signaling China's growing competitiveness in the global AI landscape. • This outage underscores the critical infrastructure and scaling challenges Chinese AI developers face while attempting to serve a rapidly expanding domestic and international user base.

• China's new AI model, Kimi K3, has suspended new subscriptions after a surge in demand overwhelmed its system capacity within days of launch. • The model's rapid popularity has drawn significant attention from the U.S. tech industry, signaling strong competitive potential. • This capacity crisis underscores the infrastructure challenges Chinese AI firms face while attempting to scale services for domestic and international users.

• Intesa Sanpaolo's stock is trading steadily as investors focus on the Italian banking group's strong capital position and earnings power. • Market attention is centered on the bank's capital ratios, profit trends, and dividend capacity rather than short-term price fluctuations. • The group's financial performance is driven by corporate and investment banking, including corporate lending, M&A pipelines, and debt and equity market activities.

• Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced plans to increase India's AI compute capacity to keep pace with rapid global technological advancements. • The initiative focuses on fostering strategic collaborations between the IT industry and educational institutions to drive innovation and continuous learning. • Vaishnaw urged the tech sector to develop next-generation solutions to strengthen India's competitive position as a global technology leader.

Exclusive: Deputy PM says opponents have ‘no solutions’ to possible collapse of justice system in England and WalesDrugs, drones and heat: Amber Rudd and David Lammy begin search for answers to prisons crisisOpponents of plans to release rapists and sex offenders early from prison have “no solutions” to halt the criminal justice system’s possible collapse, David Lammy has said.Under pressure from Labour MPs – including the former safeguarding minister Jess Phillips – to curb the early release scheme, the deputy prime minister said failing to implement it could leave no capacity across jails in England and Wales in November. Continue reading...

• Meta's stock price rose 9% following the announcement of a new business venture to sell its excess AI compute power capacity. • The move allows Meta to monetize its massive infrastructure investments, addressing investor concerns regarding the company's high spending on AI hardware. • This strategy leverages the current global shortage of computing power, which has seen demand surge since the 2022 launch of OpenAI's ChatGPT.

• The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), representing over 3,300 local health departments, released new research on public health preparedness and response capacities. • Findings indicate that over half of local health departments feel completely prepared to handle small-scale infectious disease outbreaks (59%), pandemics (57%), and vaccine-preventable diseases (53%). • This data is critical for identifying systemic strengths and gaps in the U.S. public health infrastructure to ensure more effective responses to future health crises.

• DeepSeek has secured $7.4 billion in its first funding round, propelling the startup's valuation to over $50 billion. • The investment round saw significant participation from major Chinese entities, including Tencent and CATL. • The company has gained international prominence by developing advanced AI capabilities that rival OpenAI’s ChatGPT while maintaining notably low operating costs.

• The Center for Social Development Studies (CSDS) analyzes Europe's current competitiveness crisis, arguing that the EU's historical reliance on unrestricted free trade is no longer sufficient. • The report suggests that while liberal trade policies worked when Europe held a technological and industrial lead, they now perpetuate existing global network effects that disadvantage the region. • This shift matters because the EU must now transition from a passive liberal orientation toward actively constructing comparative advantages to remain globally competitive.

• SoftBank Group has announced plans to invest up to €75 billion to develop 5 gigawatts of AI data center capacity in France. • This initiative represents SoftBank's largest commitment to AI infrastructure in Europe and stands as one of the continent's most significant projects of its kind. • The investment underscores the growing demand for massive computing power to support the scaling of artificial intelligence models and services.

• SoftBank announced plans to invest up to €75 billion ($87 billion) in France to develop 5 GW of AI data center capacity. • The initial phase involves an investment of €45 billion ($52.2 billion) to establish 3.1 GW of capacity in the Hauts-de-France region by 2031. • This strategic move was unveiled during the 2026 Choose France summit hosted by President Emmanuel Macron, signaling a major push for AI infrastructure in Europe.

• SoftBank Group Corp. announced on May 29, 2026, its plan to develop and operate 5 GW of AI data center capacity in France. • The initiative involves a massive capital commitment with an investment totaling up to €75 billion. • This move leverages SoftBank's strategic holdings in AI and its majority stake in Arm to advance the future of computing and infrastructure.

Research on weight limits of elevators made in UK and Europe 1972-2004 raises concerns over safety and equityLifts are no longer big enough to fit the UK’s larger citizens, according to researchers.A study of maximum capacity in elevators in the UK and mainland Europe found lifts have not kept up with increasing obesity levels, raising concerns about safety and equity. Continue reading...

Move comes as airline industry reacts to uncertainty over Iran war and increase in price of Brent crudeBusiness live – latest updatesAir France-KLM has cut its capacity growth forecasts for this year as the Iran war drives up its fuel costs by billions of dollars.The French-Dutch airline expects its fuel bill to increase by $2.4bn (£1.8bn) this year as a result of the surge in costs since the Middle East conflict began. In response, it has trimmed its expectations for capacity growth to between 2% and 4% this year, down from 3% to 5% previously. Continue reading...

• OpenAI has agreed to spend more than $20 billion over the next three years on Cerebras-powered server capacity, marking a significant infrastructure investment for the AI company. • The arrangement could also grant OpenAI warrants for a minority stake in Cerebras, with the commitment roughly double the size of OpenAI's previously reported chipmaker agreement. • This massive compute deal reflects intensifying competition in AI infrastructure as companies race to secure specialized chip capacity for training and deploying large language models.

Review of original train order is meant to prevent service problems north of Birmingham, but it may do the oppositePlans to change the size of HS2 trains to maximise capacity are likely to inflate costs and mean fewer seats and slower services north of Birmingham, a senior government and rail industry figure has warned.The £2bn order for 54 high-speed trains, to be built in Britain by a joint venture of Alstom and Hitachi, is under review as HS2 Ltd seeks to cut costs and renegotiate contracts. Continue reading...

• Truckload markets are tightening faster than anticipated, with freight costs now projected to increase 16–17% year over year in 2026, according to C.H. Robinson's April freight market update. • Capacity constraints and carrier attrition are driving the acceleration in transportation costs across North America. • The tighter capacity environment signals sustained pressure on logistics expenses for shippers as supply chain challenges persist into the second quarter.

• Congresswoman Dina Titus (D-NV) introduced HR 8167, the Diplomatic Reserve Corps Act of 2026, on March 31, authorizing a 1,000-member ready reserve for U.S. diplomatic efforts. • Co-led by Rep. Michael Baumgartner (R-WA) and endorsed by the American Academy of Diplomacy, the bill addresses heightened demand periods for diplomacy. • The reserve would enable rapid deployment of experienced personnel to support State Department operations globally.

• United Airlines Holdings (UAL) announced plans to reduce scheduled capacity by approximately 5% in the second and third quarters of 2026, citing economic pressures. • The airline's stock fell 1.95% in pre-market trading on Monday following the capacity reduction announcement. • The move reflects broader market concerns about supply chain disruptions and financial contagion stemming from escalating geopolitical tensions and rising energy costs impacting corporate profitability.

• The United States saw a record amount of new clean power capacity come online in 2025, according to a report released today by the Environmental Defense Fund. • Despite the record deployment, the renewable energy sector faced significant headwinds including project delays and cancellations that threatened to slow progress. • The achievement underscores continued momentum in U.S. transition toward clean electricity despite policy uncertainties and regulatory challenges.