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• Dow Jones’ business-news feed surfaced multiple fresh U.S.-relevant market stories within the past hour, including a piece on “The Most Brutal Car Market Is Spreading to the Rest of the World” and a report that Elon Musk lost his case against OpenAI after jury deliberation. • Other prominently listed items include coverage of home prices and rates, with Kathie Lee Gifford seeking $100 million for her Connecticut waterfront home and Home Depot earnings due as mortgage rates hit a year-plus high. • The feed also flagged a bond-market warning for the Federal Reserve to act on inflation and potential rate hikes, underscoring how investors are still focused on policy direction and borrowing costs.

Bank founded 174 years ago could be phased out as early as 1 July as part of group’s reviewBosses at Lloyds Banking Group are considering axing the Halifax as a standalone brand, as part of a sweeping review that could result in the historic 174-year-old lender disappearing from Britain’s high streets.Lloyds has been assessing the future of its branding strategy and whether it will continue to operate everyday banking under three different brands – Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland – after government-backed rescue efforts at the height of the 2008 financial crisis. Continue reading...

Households ‘increasingly gloomy’ about finances amid fears of interest rate rises due to higher fuel pricesBusiness live – latest updatesRising prices have become the top financial concern for UK households, according to a monthly consumer confidence survey, before Wednesday’s official figures, which are likely to show inflation remaining stubbornly high.Amid fears of higher interest rates owing to increased fuel prices after the closure of the strait of Hormuz amid the conflict in the Middle East, households have become “increasingly gloomy about their financial situation”, the report said. Continue reading...

• KFF Health News’ May 14, 2026 morning roundup flags multiple U.S. health-policy stories, including reporting that the Trump administration is demanding Medicaid data for deportation-related use. • The roundup also points readers to coverage of “License To Deliver,” which examines how some midwives are assisting home births while operating outside state law. • The digest matters because it aggregates fast-moving issues at the intersection of public health, immigration enforcement and maternal care, all of which could affect patients and providers nationwide.

Jury set to deliberate and return a verdict on whether they believe AI firm and Altman are liable in caseClosing arguments began on Thursday in Elon Musk’s lawsuit against Sam Altman and OpenAI, bringing the weeks-long courtroom battle between the two tech moguls nearer to a decision. A nine person jury is set to deliberate and return a verdict on whether they believe the AI firm and Altman are liable in the case.The trial, which began last month in an Oakland, California federal courthouse, has gripped Silicon Valley and featured some of the tech industry’s biggest names as witnesses. Attorneys for both sides have presented testimony and documents that have exposed Musk and Altman’s private dealings, as well as provided a window into the contentious history of OpenAI. Continue reading...

Project organisers say high costs and the energy crisis have scuppered planned green route from Camden to King’s CrossThe Camden Highline, a multimillion-pound effort to transform a disused rail line into a greenery-filled walking and cycling paradise, has been all but scrapped.Nearly a decade since it was conceived as London’s answer to New York’s fabled High Line, the project has fallen victim to high costs and the energy crisis. Continue reading...

• The ongoing conflict in the Middle East has driven up oil prices, expected to slow US economic growth compared to a no-conflict baseline scenario, according to Deloitte analysis. • Despite pressures from elevated energy costs, US firms are unlikely to materially reduce investment plans due to resilient growth in AI and technology sectors. • Higher oil prices will affect US consumers through increased costs, though broader economic resilience from AI investments may mitigate some impacts.

• South Korea's Kospi index plummeted as much as 3.2% early on May 13 due to Samsung Electronics failing to reach a pay deal with its union, but rebounded sharply 2.6% to close at a record 7,708-7,844. • The recovery was aided by government efforts to manage the labor situation and broader AI optimism reviving market sentiment despite US inflation data and Iran tensions. • This standout performance contrasted with mixed regional moves, highlighting Korea's volatility amid corporate labor issues and tech sector strength.

The Iran war will cast a long shadow over the talks. Plus, the 100 best novels of all timeGood morning.Donald Trump is due to arrive in Beijing on Wednesday evening, the first visit to China by a US president since he was last there nearly a decade ago, as he seeks to mend power and prestige weakened by the war in Iran.What is the state of US-China relations? The two countries remain locked in a fragile tariff truce, reached last autumn after tensions threatened to erupt into a full-scale trade war. Trump has long complained about China’s trade surplus with the US, while Beijing has opposed American export controls and sanctions.What is the latest with the US-Iran ceasefire? The war has entered its third month, with Tehran tightening its grip over the strait of Hormuz and Washington struggling to turn a fragile ceasefire into a lasting settlement. Behind the scenes, US officials have spent weeks urging China to put pressure on Iran to reopen the strait and accept US terms for peace.What did the Atlantic allege? It reported that Patel’s alcohol consumption had become “a recurring source of concern across the government” which made him a “national-security vulnerability”, citing interviews with more than two dozen people including current and former FBI officials. Patel denies all the allegations, calling them “outrageous” and “malicious”. Continue reading...

• Global hedge funds ramped up investments in Asia, with weekly buying of South Korean, Japanese, and Taiwanese stocks reaching a 10-year high for the week ending May 7, according to a Morgan Stanley report. • The surge, the heaviest in over a decade in notional terms, was driven by clients across all regions and strategies targeting Asia's technology sector amid the AI boom. • Hedge funds' net exposure to Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan has risen to its highest since 2010, now at about 19% of global positioning, focusing on semiconductors and hardware in the AI supply chain.

• Global equity markets including Nasdaq 100, S&P 500, Nikkei 225, and KOSPI reached fresh record highs driven by AI optimism overpowering US-Iran ceasefire tensions. • Rising oil prices, stronger inflation expectations, and hawkish Fed rhetoric pushed US Treasury yields higher while reinforcing higher-for-longer interest rates and USD strength. • President Trump is heading to China for a summit with Xi Jinping on Iran, nuclear issues, trade, and AI, joined by executives from Tesla, Apple, and BlackRock.

• U.S. stocks surged last week with the S&P 500 and NASDAQ reaching new record highs, supported by stronger-than-expected April jobs data and solid tech earnings. • The S&P 500 climbed 10.42% in April to close at a record 7,209.01, while the Nasdaq 100 rallied 15.64% and Dow gained 7.14%, led by mega-cap tech and AI enthusiasm. • Employment growth exceeded forecasts in April with unemployment steady at 4.3%, while Q1 earnings for the Magnificent Seven are projected to grow 45.7% year-over-year.

Meeting comes amid tentative trade truce but Iran, Taiwan and tensions over global supply chains will be complicating factorsSign up for the Breaking News US emailHello and welcome to our live coverage of US politics.Donald Trump is heading to Beijing for high-stakes talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, as they seek to maintain a tentative trade truce while navigating Iran, Taiwan and dominance over global supply chains. Continue reading...

Bond yields soar and pound falls against dollar as investors brace for potential Labour leadership changeBusiness live – latest updatesUK politics live – latest updatesLong-term UK borrowing costs have soared to the highest level in nearly three decades while the pound and stocks fell, as investors braced for a potential change of leadership, with cabinet ministers urging Keir Starmer to quit.Starmer is consulting colleagues before a crunch cabinet meeting on Tuesday morning that comes after ministerial aides quit and more than 70 MPs publicly called for him to go. Continue reading...

The 32.3m surpasses those caused by disasters for the first time, as 82.2m people displaced in total around worldThe number of internal displacements triggered by conflict or violence around the world reached a record high in 2025, surpassing the number of disaster-driven internal displacements for the first time.A report published by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) shows that by the end of 2025 there were 32.3m conflict-driven internal displacements. That is 60% higher than those recorded the previous year, and – for the first time since data collection began in 2008 – above displacements driven by natural disasters, which reached 29.9m in 2025. Continue reading...

Recent consumer alert on ebike safety laws says some vehicles should be classified as mopeds or motorcyclesAmazon said it plans to stop selling certain high-speed electric bicycles in California after a string of high-profile incidents and a consumer alert that the state attorney general issued last month.In April an 81-year-old man in Orange county died after a teenager illegally riding an e-motorcycle struck him. The teen’s mother, Tommi Jo Mejer, has since been charged with involuntary manslaughter in Ed Ashman’s death as officials say she was warned it was illegal for her son to operate the vehicle. Continue reading...

National average for gas prices has risen by well over a dollar per gallon since late FebruarySign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailDonald Trump pledged to suspend the US federal gas tax in a bid to reduce pressure on Americans after the US-Israel war on Iran sparked a sharp rise in fuel prices.The US president told reporters on Monday that his administration would look to pause the tax “till it’s appropriate”, as drivers count the cost of the surge in oil prices in the two months since US and Israel forces attacked Iran. Continue reading...

• Charles Schwab's May 2026 Market Snapshot warns of concentration risk clashing with diversification strategies amid narrow market leadership. • First Quarter 2026 earnings reports show steady performance, encapsulated by the outlook 'Feelin' Alright' despite macro headwinds. • Macro forces continue shaping credit markets, influencing investment portfolios and sector allocations.

• Asia-focused ETFs representing Japan, China, South Korea, and Taiwan are outperforming in 2026, driven by a structural re-rating of Asian growth prospects as global investors seek alternatives to high-valuation U.S. mega-cap technology stocks. • Semiconductor and hardware infrastructure sectors are the primary beneficiaries of ongoing global AI expansion, with integrated supply chains across Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea attracting significant catch-up trades from international investors. • A broader stabilization in the U.S. dollar is acting as a tailwind for developed and emerging Asian equities, reducing the cost of dollar-denominated debt for regional corporations and improving competitive positioning.

New York’s Democratic representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez brushed off question about run for presidencyThe New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez answered a question about potentially running for higher office in 2028 by declaring: “My ambition is to change the country.”The Democrat delivered that remark at a political forum in Chicago on Friday amid widespread belief that she is positioning herself to run for the White House in 2028 or challenge her party’s leader in the US Senate, fellow New Yorker Chuck Schumer. Continue reading...

• Anthropic announced a new partnership called Mythos on May 8, 2026, aimed at advancing AI-driven cybersecurity defenses amid rising threats. • OpenAI revealed details on its upcoming GPT-5.5 model, featuring enhanced capabilities for threat detection, while ASIC refers to specialized hardware accelerating AI security processing. • The ShinyHunters hacking group claimed responsibility for recent data breaches targeting US tech firms, underscoring persistent risks to enterprise networks.

• Chinese firms completed offshore mergers and acquisitions worth nearly $10 billion in the first quarter of 2026, marking a five-year high despite ongoing regulatory barriers. • Transactions targeted key sectors including resources, consumer goods, and manufacturing, as companies seek growth opportunities abroad. • The surge underscores China's push for global expansion amid domestic economic pressures and trade tensions.

• The US economy showed strength with private sector payrolls rising 123,000 in the latest month after 190,000 previously, beating expectations by double, while unemployment holds at 4.3% near full employment. • Atlanta Fed GDPNow forecasts 3.7% annual growth for Q2, with weekly unemployment claims at rock bottom and no recession in sight despite left-wing critiques. • Blue-collar nonsupervisory workers saw 3.7% hourly earnings growth and 1% hours increase, yielding 4.7% wage-income proxy rise outperforming white-collar gains.

Tumbler Ridge secondary school was site of February mass shooting in which nine were killed and dozens were injuredThe school which was the site of one of Canada’s deadliest mass shootings will be torn down, officials have announced.The decision to demolish the Tumbler Ridge secondary school came after meetings between the school board and survivors, family and community members, said British Columbia premier David Eby. Continue reading...

• Over the last 7 days, the US market rose 3.2% and is up 31% over the past year, with earnings forecast to grow 16% annually, spotlighting undiscovered gems based on debt-to-equity, revenue growth, earnings growth, and health ratings. • Top picks include First Bancorp (68.27% debt/equity, 1.25% revenue growth, -3.09% earnings growth, ★★★★★★), Southern Michigan Bancorp (108.80% debt/equity, 7.38% revenue growth, 0.84% earnings growth, ★★★★★★), and Cashmere Valley Bank (31.63% debt/equity, 5.07% revenue growth, 1.43% earnings growth, ★★★★★★). • Other notables are ASA Gold and Precious Metals (12.65% revenue growth, 41.20% earnings growth, ★★★★★★), Anbio Biotechnology (-30.09% revenue growth, -3.45% earnings growth, ★★★★★★), and Affinity Bancshares (41.71% debt/equity, 1.36% revenue growth, -0.22% earnings growth, ★★★★★★).

• Japan's Nikkei 225 Index jumped nearly 6% after returning from holiday, joining South Korean and Taiwanese equities at record peaks on strong AI-driven tech earnings momentum. • South Korea's KOSPI surged 75% year-to-date, the world's best-performing major stock market, while Samsung joined the $1 trillion company club amid the regional rally. • The AI boom is showing disproportionately in Asia compared to U.S. markets, with Taiwan stocks up 45% and Nikkei up 25% for 2026, outpacing the Nasdaq's 11% gain.

• Asian stock markets retreated from recent record peaks as escalating Middle East tensions revived concerns over crude oil supply disruptions and energy price stability. • The geopolitical escalation triggered steep losses in oil markets, reversing earlier gains and creating volatility across regional equity indices. • Rising energy supply concerns underscore the fragility of the recent market rally despite strong AI sector performance, with investors reassessing risk exposure to conflict-affected regions.

• The S&P 500 rose 0.29% to a record 7,230.12, Nasdaq Composite climbed 0.89% to 25,114.44, while DJIA fell 0.31% to 49,499.27 in the final trading hour on May 1, 2026. • Information technology sector gained 1.4%, driving index growth with only two S&P 500 sectors positive; Apple (AAPL) surged 3.24% to 280.14 after beating earnings and issuing upside guidance, Microsoft (MSFT) rose 1.57% to 414.20 recovering post-earnings. • Year-to-date, Russell 2000 leads at +13.3%, S&P Mid Cap 400 +10.1%, Nasdaq +8.1%, S&P 500 +5.6%, DJIA +3.0%, highlighting small-cap outperformance amid mega-cap momentum.