Fuel

• Het nationale gemiddelde van de benzineprijzen is sinds eind februari met ruim een dollar per gallon gestegen • Donald Trump beloofde de federale benzinebelasting van de VS op te schorten in een poging de druk op Amerikanen te verminderen, nadat de VS-Israël oorlog tegen Iran leidde tot een scherpe stijging van de brandstofprijzen. • De Amerikaanse president vertelde verslaggevers op maandag dat zijn regering zou streven naar het pauzeren van de belasting "totdat het passend is", terwijl automobilisten de kosten tellen van de stijging van de olieprijzen in de twee maanden sinds de Amerikaanse en Israëlische troepen Iran aanvielen.

• De 48ste ASEAN-top werd afgesloten op vrijdag 8 mei, waarbij leiders een regionale brandstofvoorraad en een standby-mechanisme voor voedselzekerheid voorstelden om leveringsverstoringen als gevolg van conflicten in het Midden-Oosten tegen te gaan. • De maatregelen zijn gericht op de effecten van een sluiting van de Straat van Hormuz, die de leveringen van brandstof en kunstmest die cruciaal zijn voor Zuidoost-Azië bedreigt. • Leiders zijn overeengekomen aan een crisiscommunicatieprotocol voor ministers van Buitenlandse Zaken om coherente en tijdige regionale reacties over meerdere sectoren mogelijk te maken.

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...

• In April 2025, China-aligned attackers exploited a Taiwanese software company's server as a malware distribution point, highlighting aggressive regional tactics. • Earth Kasha, linked to APT10, expanded spear-phishing from Japanese think tanks in 2024 to Taiwanese government agencies in March 2025 using ANEL malware. • Groups like Earth Preta, Baxia, and Kurma targeted APAC governments and telecoms with backdoors, rootkits, and cloud exfiltration, shifting the global cyber balance.

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...

Heidi Alexander says part of answer to strait of Hormuz crisis is importing more fuel from US and west AfricaA refinery in Nigeria accused of dismissing workers for joining a union has emerged as key to the UK government’s hopes of saving the summer holiday amid a jet fuel shortage.Heidi Alexander, the transport secretary, said at the weekend that part of the answer to the strait of Hormuz crisis was to import more fuel from the US and west Africa. Continue reading...

As the cost of the scheme blows out, the government has announced the full discount will be retained for another year, after which it will only apply to EVs costing less than $75,000Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastLabor has opted to retain its electric vehicle discount in full for another year, as Australians rush to buy EVs amid soaring fuel costs linked to the Iran war.But the budget next Tuesday will include a number of “sensible changes” that wind back the scale of support over the next three years, as the government acknowledges the need to deliver a “more financially sustainable” tax incentive for EVs amid ballooning costs of the scheme. Continue reading...