Cost

• In zijn excuses zei William Paul dat hij 'te veel had gedronken' en dat de dingen die hij zei 'niet vertegenwoordigen wie ik werkelijk ben'. • William, de zoon van Republikeinse senator Rand Paul, bood woensdag zijn excuses aan voor een dronken tirade in een bar in Washington DC, waarbij hij naar verluidt tegen een Republikeins congreslid zei dat hij 'Joden haat en homo's haat'. • "Gisteravond heb ik te veel gedronken en dingen gezegd die niet vertegenwoordigen wie ik werkelijk ben. Het spijt me en vandaag zoek ik hulp voor mijn drinkprobleem," postte William Paul op sociale media onder het account TastyBrew1776. Lees verder...

• De inzet van Uber op datacenters in India wordt gepresenteerd als onderdeel van een bredere technologie- en kostenstrategie, waarbij het bedrijf infrastructuurkeuzes afweegt nu AI-gestuurde risico's toenemen. • Uit de berichtgeving blijkt dat ongeveer 90% van de gevorderde AI-gebruikers bepaalde uitgaven aan business process outsourcing vermindert, wat onderstreept hoe automatisering bedrijfsbudgettenten hervormt. • Deze ontwikkeling is van belang voor het enterprise-tech-ecosysteem van India, omdat het de vraag naar cloudinfrastructuur koppelt aan de snelle adoptie van AI-tools en veranderende outsourcingpatronen.

Labor heeft aangekondigd dat de financiering voor de Australian Submarine Agency in het volgende fiscale jaar zal stijgen naar 512 miljoen dollar, te midden van zorgen dat de eigen onderzeeërvloot mogelijk nooit zal arriveren. Federal budget 2026 LIVE updates: Aankondiging en toespraak over de begroting van de Australische regering – laatste nieuws Bekijk alle verslaggeving over de federale begroting van Australië voor 2026 Ontvang onze breaking news e-mail, gratis app of dagelijkse nieuwspodcast Het budget voor de controversiële Aukus-deal van Australië is in vier jaar tijd met meer dan 430 miljoen dollar gestegen, waarbij het agentschap dat verantwoordelijk is voor het veiligstellen van de kernenergie-onderzeeërs van het land een enorme injectie van financiering en personeel nodig heeft. De middelen voor de Australian Submarine Agency voor het volgende fiscale jaar zullen met een derde stijgen – van 385 miljoen naar 512 miljoen dollar. Lees verder...

Terwijl de druk op Starmer om af te treden toeneemt, leggen de Growth- en Tribune-groepen ideeën voor voor beleidsherzieningen UK politics live – laatste updates Groepen verbonden aan de minister van Volksgezondheid, Wes Streeting, en de burgemeester van Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, hebben ingrijpende wijzigingen in het regeringsbeleid voorgesteld. Dit geeft een beeld van hoe het land zou kunnen veranderen als een van hen Keir Starmer opvolgt. De Growth Group, verbonden aan Streeting, en de Tribune-groep van Labour-parlementsleden, verbonden aan Burnham, hebben concurrerende visies gepubliceerd over hoe Groot-Brittannië bestuurd moet worden, inclusief grootschalige belastingverlagingen, hulp bij de kosten van levensonderhoud en grote hervormingen van het overheidsapparaat. Lees verder...

• Rendementen op staatsobligaties stijgen en het pond daalt ten opzichte van de dollar terwijl beleggers zich voorbereiden op een mogelijke wisseling van de Labour-top. • Business live – laatste updates • Britse politiek live – laatste updates

• Republikeinen streven agressief naar extra zetels in het Huis van Afgevaardigden via herindelingsinspanningen, maar de strategie zou flink kunnen averechts werken. • De push riskeert Democraten te mobiliseren en belangrijke nieuwe kiezers te vervreemden, wat potentieel kan leiden tot nettoverliezen in plaats van winst. • Dit is van belang te midden van de tussentijdse verkiezingen, aangezien het de controle van de GOP over het Huis kan ondermijnen, ondanks gunstige kaarten in sommige staten.

• Rendementen op obligaties stijgen door zorgen over potentiële politieke instabiliteit en stijgende inflatie • Business live – laatste updates • Britse politiek live – laatste updates

• Invloedrijke IPPR stelt voor om huren te plafonneren op basis van wat het laagst is: de consumentenprijsinflatie of de loongroei. • Een van de thinktanks die het dichtst bij de Labour-regering staat, dringt er bij ministers op aan om huurcontroles in de particuliere sector in Engeland in te voeren, terwijl de kanselier onderzoekt hoe de stijgende kosten van levensonderhoud, veroorzaakt door de oorlog in Iran, kunnen worden verlicht. • Het Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) heeft een rapport gepubliceerd waarin wordt gepleit voor een ‘dubbel slot’ op de huur, waarbij huurverhogingen worden gekoppeld aan ofwel de lonen of de inflatie, afhankelijk van welke van de twee het laagst is.

• Onderzoek van PwC meldt een snelle daling van het consumentenvertrouwen, waarbij mensen zich zorgen maken over de impact van de oorlog in Iran op de economie en persoonlijke financiën • Britse huishoudens bereiden zich voor op een nieuwe kosten-de-leven-crisis, aangezien de impact van het conflict in het Midden-Oosten het vertrouwen in de economie en persoonlijke financiën dempt, suggereert een enquête. • Het consumentenvertrouwen in het VK is in de afgelopen drie maanden in het snelste tempo gedaald sinds juni 2022, toen de inflatie in het VK sterk steeg als gevolg van de Russische invasie van Oekraïne en de piek in de grondstofprijzen. Lees verder...

• President Trump besprak de financiële last van het conflict met Iran, potentiële afzettingspogingen door Democraten en plannen voor de tussentijdse verkiezingen in een exclusief interview met Sharyl Attkisson in Full Measure. • Hij ging in op de toekomstige politieke ambities van zijn zoon Barron Trump, zorgen over de veiligheid van vaccins en plannen voor een goudaudit bij Fort Knox. • Trump becommentarieerde daarnaast het verschuiven van NFL-wedstrijden van gratis televisie en bredere beleidsonderwerpen te midden van aanhoudende geopolitieke spanningen.

Bond yields drop as market fears ease that Labour leader will be replaced by a more leftwing rival Elections 2026 – live updatesBusiness live – latest updatesUK government borrowing costs fell and the pound rose on Friday as Keir Starmer vowed to remain as prime minister despite the Labour party losing hundreds of council seats across England.Investors calculated that some of the intense pressure on Starmer’s leadership had eased, as Labour appeared on track for a smaller losses than election experts had predicted. Continue reading...

Carmaker gives one of biggest warnings yet of conflict’s impact on businesses while Trump tariffs also take tollToyota has reported a £3bn hit from costs from the war in Iran, as prices of parts and materials soared and sales dropped.The world’s biggest carmaker said profits declined in its financial year to March as it was “likely unable to absorb newly added impact from the Middle East”, in one of the largest warnings yet of the war’s impact on businesses. Continue reading...

International Airlines Group expects to spend £1.7bn more on fuel than planned since US-Israeli attack on IranBusiness news – live updatesThe parent company of British Airways has issued a profit warning and said it expects to spend about €2bn (£1.72bn) more on fuel than planned this year due to the Iran war.International Airlines Group (IAG), which also owns Aer Lingus, Iberia and Vueling, said it has hedged 70% of its expected fuel use for this year with costs expected to be about €9bn, up from previous forecasts of €7.1bn. Continue reading...

Iran war is driving up prices for fuel and raw materials, says survey Business live – latest updatesConstruction companies in the UK are experiencing some of the sharpest cost rises in nearly 30 years as the war in Iran drives up prices for fuel and raw materials, according to a closely watched survey.The poll of UK construction companies found that input cost inflation – which accounts for expenses such as raw materials, energy and labour – rose last month to the highest level since June 2022 when there was a spike in commodity prices caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Continue reading...

Firms raising prices at fastest rate in three years, driven by soaring energy and wage bills but also extra cost of metals and plasticsBusiness live – latest updatesOil prices fall as Trump hails ‘progress’ on Iran dealAirlines and other companies are increasingly using fuel surcharges to cover soaring costs, a survey has found, in a further sign of Iran war-linked inflation hitting the economy.A poll of companies in the services sector, which includes airlines, found rising fuel prices had contributed to businesses raising prices at the fastest pace in more than three years in April. Continue reading...

La Nación has been critical of Costa Rica president and Donald Trump ally, Rodrigo ChavezThe US state department has canceled tourist visas for more than half the board members of Costa Rica’s leading national newspaper, La Nación, which has been a critical voice against the country’s president and Donald Trump ally, Rodrigo Chaves.During Chaves’s 2022 presidential campaign, La Nación published several articles documenting allegations of sexual harassment against him that had forced him out of his job at the World Bank. The paper also reported on allegations of illegal campaign financing, which Chaves denied. Continue reading...

Chair Tim Martin says pub chain could miss expectations, in latest sign UK hospitality sector buckling under higher billsBusiness live – latest updatesThe boss of JD Wetherspoon has said the pub chain could miss profit expectations because of rising costs, in the latest sign the UK hospitality industry is buckling under the pressure of higher energy, food, labour and tax bills.The company’s chair, Tim Martin, told investors on Wednesday: “As many hospitality operators, including Wetherspoon, have reported, there have been substantial increases in costs.” Continue reading...

• The World Economic Forum and KPMG released "Empowering Defenders: AI for Cybersecurity," a white paper showing organizations using AI extensively in security operations have reduced average breach costs by $1.9 million. • The study found AI deployment shortened breach lifecycles by approximately 80 days, with data from 20 partner case studies including IBM, Accenture, Check Point Software, ING, KPMG, and Saudi energy giant Aramco. • Ninety-four percent of cyber leaders surveyed called AI the defining force in cybersecurity, marking a shift from theoretical promise to quantified operational proof.

Rise in bond yields due to fuel prices and stability concerns will eat away at Rachel Reeves’s fiscal headroomBusiness live – latest updatesThe UK government’s long-term borrowing costs have hit their highest level since 1998, amid rising fuel prices and concerns about political stability.The yield – effectively the interest rate – on 30-year UK government bonds (gilts) hit 5.76% at lunchtime on Tuesday, up 0.11 percentage points – exceeding the 27-year high reached last autumn. Continue reading...

Costume Art pairs couture pieces with items from its collection in exploration of many kinds of human bodiesSpeaking at the opening of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute spring exhibition in New York, Anna Wintour described the first Monday in May as her “favourite day of the year, and also my most terrifying one”.This particular Monday may be more high-stakes than previous years, with Monday night’s Met Gala for the exhibition’s launch mired in controversy, owing to Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos’s sponsorship of the event. It is also the inaugural exhibition for the Costume Institute’s new home: a 12,000 sq ft space, named the Condé M Nast Galleries, that puts the museum’s fashion exhibitions in a considerably more high-profile spot, right off its Great Hall. Continue reading...

Beef and olive oil costs increase the most as climate and energy shocks drive inflation, research suggestsFood prices are on track to be 50% higher in November than at the start of the cost of living crisis in 2021, new research suggests.Climate and energy shocks have driven an almost quadrupling of the pace of food price growth, according to new research from the thinktank Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU), with costs rising in five years at about the same rate as they had over the previous two decades. Continue reading...

Exclusive: amid unrest, President William Ruto promised to give all Kenyans access to healthcare. But the algorithm favours the rich, an investigation has found An AI system used to predict how much Kenyans can afford to pay for access to healthcare, has systemically driven up costs for the poor, an investigation has found.The healthcare system being rolled out across the country, a key electoral promise of President William Ruto, was launched in October 2024 and intended to replace Kenya’s decades-old national insurance system. Continue reading...

• Spirit Airlines collapsed on May 3, 2026, stranding passengers at airports like Newark who must pay higher fares on other carriers to return home. • White House economic advisor Kevin Hassett stated energy shocks from surging gas prices contributed to Spirit's demise but will impact airline profits only for the next quarter. • The shutdown raises concerns for other U.S. carriers' financial stability ahead of the summer travel season amid record fuel costs.

The little-known publicly funded scheme is used by about 800 families with children who cannot access mainstream careGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastRebecca Mohr Bell, a cattle farmer and business owner, lives 100km south-west of Katherine in the Northern Territory, and with three young children, has relied on in-home childcare since 2018.The little-known taxpayer supported program is used by about 800 families with children who cannot access mainstream care, including because they live in remote locations, have serious illness or a disability, or because their parents work unusual hours. Continue reading...

Billionaire’s role as honorary chair and main source of funding has led to boycotts and criticism event has lost its cacheThe Met Gala in New York is the grandest and ritziest event in the fashion calendar, and an indicator of the growing ties between designers, celebrity and power. But with tech billionaires now joining the cohort, this year’s party may be its most controversial yet.All eyes are on the guest list – and their outfits – to launch the fashion exhibition Costume Art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute. Beyoncé, Venus Williams and Nicole Kidman are chairing the event with Vogue’s Anna Wintour, and tickets cost about $100,000 (£73,500). But in a plot twist worthy of the new Devil Wears Prada film, Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos, the Met Gala’s new honorary chairs, will be joining the 450 guests on the museum steps on Monday. Continue reading...

• During a heated Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand directly challenged Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over rising Iran war costs, specifically questioning reports of a potential $200 billion additional spending request. • Gillibrand pressed Hegseth on the lack of evidence that military operations have made Americans safer, arguing the massive spending burden conflicts with domestic economic pressures and inflation affecting citizens. • Hegseth defended the campaign as a necessary and "defined mission" with strategic objectives, comparing it to long-term conflicts like Iraq and Afghanistan, highlighting growing Washington tension over war costs and direction.

• The American Heart Association released a Presidential Advisory on April 30, 2026, declaring U.S. health care affordability at a crisis point due to rising costs driven by chronic diseases. • Costs are forcing Americans to delay or avoid care, worsening health outcomes and increasing medical debt; a Gallup survey shows widespread worry about accessing affordable care. • A McLaughlin & Associates poll found 51% of voters cite health insurance as their top concern, followed by hospital bills (11%) and medicine costs (10%).

Shares in Domino’s Pizza, KFC operator Collins Foods and multi-brand food franchise owner Retail Food Group have all suffered double-digit fallsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastOnce a symbol of cheap eating, fast food is transforming into a luxury many can no longer afford due to resurgent living costs.This shift is reflected on the ASX, where major pizza, fried chicken and doughnut outlets are seeing significant price drops, raising the question: are consumers so downbeat that they are even giving up on fast food? Continue reading...