Demand

Republikeinse leider erkent 'waarschijnlijke gevolgen' voor het weerstaan van de eisen van de Amerikaanse president om de kaart opnieuw te tekenen. Meld u aan voor de Breaking News US-nieuwsbrief via e-mail. Senatoren van de staat South Carolina hebben dinsdag druk van Donald Trump genegeerd om plannen goed te keuren voor het hertekenen van de congreskaart van de staat, nadat het Amerikaanse Hooggerechtshof de Voting Rights Act feitelijk heeft uitgehold. Terwijl Republikeinen koortsachtig proberen belangrijke districten te herindelen nadat het Amerikaanse Hooggerechtshof een belangrijk onderdeel van de burgerrechtenwet, die raciale discriminatie voorkwam, ineffectief maakte, betoogde Shane Massey, de Republikeinse meerderheidsleider in de senaat van South Carolina, in een buitengewone toespraak dat dit in strijd zou zijn met het belang van zijn staat. Lees verder...

• Luchthaven rapporteert daling van 5%, maar transitpassagiers stijgen omdat reizigers hub gebruiken om luchthavens in het Midden-Oosten te vermijden • Business live – nieuwsupdates • Het aantal passagiers dat vorige maand vanaf London Heathrow vloog, is gedaald doordat de oorlog in het Midden-Oosten de vraag naar internationale reizen beïnvloedde.

• Ocean Network Express (ONE) posted a US$55 million profit in the fourth quarter of FY2025 as freight rates recovered, though overall cargo movements remained sluggish throughout the year. • The container shipping company faced persistent headwinds from weak cargo demand in 2025, signaling continued challenges in the global freight market. • Industry observers view ONE's modest profitability as reflective of broader shipping sector weakness, with market recovery dependent on improved global trade volumes.

• APAC recorded the fastest regional growth in semiconductor sales at 45.4% year-over-year in 2025, propelled by demand for AI systems and advanced logic chips. • The boom ties directly to expanding AI infrastructure needs and power electronics in the region. • Singapore and Southeast Asia hubs benefit as key players in global supply chains amid rising tech demands.

• Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian declared on May 6, 2026, that 'no one can make us surrender' to US pressure during talks with Iraq's Prime Minister. • He urged Washington to remove military threats from the Middle East, reinforcing Iran's resolve amid ongoing conflict. • The IRGC introduced a new 'Hormuz security plan' to block weapons and supplies to US bases in the Strait of Hormuz, escalating strategic tensions.

• Singaporean semiconductor and electronics firms are accelerating plans to open or expand manufacturing and R&D facilities in the United States, driven by surging global demand for AI chips and US incentives to onshore critical supply chains. • Reports indicate that several Singapore‑listed chip‑assembly and test companies are evaluating sites in Arizona, Texas, and New Mexico, where state and federal subsidies could cover up to 40% of capital expenditure under the US CHIPS Act framework. • Industry executives told local media that geopolitical pressure on Taiwan and China is prompting customers to diversify production away from high‑risk hubs, turning Singapore‑based firms into key intermediaries in global AI hardware networks.

• Amazon Web Services achieved its fastest growth in nearly four years, fueled by AI solutions and enterprise adoption. • Key drivers include innovations like Bedrock and Kiro amid surging cloud spending. • AI is sparking a new wave of infrastructure investments in the US market.

• A politically ambitious Connecticut Democrat abandoned bipartisan negotiations on government funding amid party pressure for inclusion. • The walkout escalates tensions over federal budget priorities and spending cuts. • This could delay funding bills critical for upcoming fiscal deadlines.

Rise in electricity demand in first quarter of 2026 was moderated by record output from rooftop solarGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastMore datacentres and warmer conditions helped push electricity demand to record highs in the first three months of the year, according to Australia’s Energy Market Operator, while growth in batteries kept average wholesale prices down.Electricity demand – from households, business and industry – reached record levels of 25GW in Q1 2026, an increase of 1.2% compared with the same quarter last year. Across the grid, this growth was offset by record output from rooftop solar. Continue reading...

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...

• 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.

• 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.

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.