Surge

• De Amerikaanse aandelenmarkten daalden dinsdag, waarbij de S&P 500 met 0,9% zakte vanaf recordhoogtes door zwakkere technologieaandelen en stijgende olieprijzen te midden van onzekerheid over het conflict met Iran. • De Amerikaanse referentieolie steeg met $ 3,43 naar $ 101,50 per vat, terwijl Brent crude met $ 3,62 steeg naar $ 107,83 per vat, nadat President Trump verklaarde dat het staakt-het-vuren tussen de VS en Iran op "beademing" lag na het afwijzen van het nieuwste vredigvoorstel van Iran. • Brent crude is met 50% gestegen ten opzichte van de pre-oorlogsniveaus van rond de $ 70, wat bijdraagt aan de wereldwijde inflatiedruk en Amerikaanse huishoudens belast door hogere benzineprijzen en prijzen van goederen gekoppeld aan nieuwe tarieven.

• iShares MSCI South Korea ETF en iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF zijn de afgelopen 12 maanden respectievelijk met 239% en 96% gestegen te midden van de AI-manie. • De KOSPI-index van Zuid-Korea bereikte maandag een recordhoogte van 7.899,32 met een stijging van 4%, terwijl de TAIEX van Taiwan vorige week voor het eerst sloot boven de 42.000. • Goldman Sachs voorspelt een BBP-groei van 2,5% voor Zuid-Korea in 2026, waarbij AI-gerelateerde export verdrievoudigt tot bijna 30% van het BBP; het BBP van Taiwan zal naar verwachting versnellen naar 10% met soortgelijke exportstijgingen.

• Akamai Technologies heeft een groot contract voor cloudinfrastructuurdiensten ter waarde van 1,8 miljard dollar over zeven jaar aangekondigd met een vooraanstaande frontier AI-modelprovider, door Bloomberg geïdentificeerd als Anthropic. • Het aandeel van het bedrijf boekte zijn beste wekelijkse prestatie sinds april 2013, met een stijging van 42% op weekbasis, inclusief een sprong van 27% op vrijdag, waarmee een recordhoogte werd bereikt. • Akamai biedt cloudcomputing-, cybersecurity- en contentleveringsdiensten die cruciaal zijn voor het versnellen van websites, apps en AI-workloads te midden van de groeiende vraag naar compute-infrastructuur.

Leden van minderheidsgemeenschappen in Birmingham en elders vrezen dat de resultaten kunnen leiden tot een toename van vijandige retoriek.

• Singapore's Straits Times Index gained 0.3% on May 7 to 4,941.96, led by Venture Corp's 10.9% rise to $18.28, before dipping 0.4% to 4,921.90 on May 8. • The movement reflects selective strength in tech amid broader Asia market caution. • Venture's gains highlight investor confidence in Singapore electronics manufacturing resilience.

• Chenbro Micom, een in Taiwan gevestigd techbedrijf, rapporteerde voor het eerste kwartaal van 2026 een omzet van TWD 7,1 miljard, een stijging van 70% op jaarbasis, waarbij de nettowinst verdubbelde naar TWD 1,34 miljard. • Het bedrijf realiseerde een jaarlijkse omzetgroei van 31,1% en een winstgroei van 32,7%, waarmee het beter presteerde dan het industriegemiddelde te midden van het tech-momentum in Azië. • Deze prestatie onderstreept de sterke positie van Chenbro in high-tech sectoren zoals servercomponenten, ondersteund door een veerkrachtige Aziatische vraag.

• U.S. IPO deal count increased 36% quarter-over-quarter and 78% year-over-year in Q1 2026, with transaction values up 91% from Q1 2025 but flat from Q4 2025. • Top 10 IPOs totaled over $6 billion, led by Forgent Power Solutions at $1.74 billion in industrials, followed by Janus Living at $966 million in real estate. • Healthcare dominated with 40% of top IPO volume including Minimed Group, Generate Biomedicines, Eikon Therapeutics, and Aktis Oncology; industrials claimed three spots.

• Allison Transmission posted an 84% revenue surge in Q1 2026, primarily fueled by a recent acquisition amid macroeconomic uncertainty. • The company reaffirmed its full-year 2026 guidance issued on February 23, factoring in Q1 results and geopolitical risks. • This performance underscores acquisition-driven growth in the transmission sector, with implications for industrial suppliers.

• Pop Mart [HKG: 9992] shares jumped 7% in Hong Kong trading after billionaire investor Duan Yongping announced on social media he had swapped all his coal holdings, including China Shenhua Energy, for the toymaker's stock. • The move signals confidence in Pop Mart's business model and reflects a broader shift among major investors away from traditional energy sectors toward consumer discretionary stocks. • The swap demonstrates continued investor appetite for Chinese consumer-focused companies despite macroeconomic headwinds and regulatory scrutiny in the technology and finance sectors.

Thomas Shaknovsky botched the surgery of William Bryan, 70, who died on the operating tableA Florida surgeon who is facing criminal charges after allegedly removing a patient’s liver instead of his spleen has said he is “forever traumatized” by that person’s death.In a deposition from November that was recently obtained by NBC, 44-year-old Thomas Shaknovsky described the death of 70-year-old William Bryan as an “incredibly unfortunate event that I regret deeply”. Continue reading...

Keir Starmer has vowed to fight on after Labour suffered heavy losses in local elections, while Nigel Farage’s Reform UK and the Green party made substantial gains. So is the era of two-party politics over? And can the prime minister survive?Lucy Hough speaks to political correspondent Alexandra Topping Continue reading...

Plaid Cymru set to take power in Wales and SNP to retain it in Scotland, but Reform made big gains in both nationsElection 2026 live: latest news updatesFull results from England, Scotland and WalesThe polls had been terrible, the predictions dire and even one of his predecessors as Labour leader, Ed Miliband, had reportedly told Keir Starmer he should set a timetable for his resignation if the results were as bad as they looked.But for the prime minister, as polling stations closed in Wales, Scotland and many parts of England, there would be no consideration of such a course. “To all the Labour members and volunteers who have supported local campaigns across the country: thank you,” he posted on X late on Thursday. “Together we will build a stronger and fairer Britain.” Continue reading...

• Asian stock markets fell broadly on Friday as renewed clashes between the US and Iran strained ceasefire efforts, with missile and drone attacks prompting US retaliatory strikes on Iranian military facilities. • Tokyo's Nikkei 225 dropped 1.1% to 62,174, retreating from a record high of 62,833 reached Thursday, while SoftBank Group lost over 5% and Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 1.3% to 26,289. • Oil prices climbed amid Middle East uncertainty, with Brent crude rising 1.1% to $101.13 per barrel—roughly 44% higher than pre-war levels in late February.

• 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.

• 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.

• Banner Bank, a 136-year-old institution, agreed to acquire Bank of the Pacific in a $177 million all-stock deal to expand its regional footprint. • U.S. mergers and acquisitions over $100 million rose 25% in March 2026 compared to the prior year, per EY Parthenon research. • Global M&A volume hit $861.1 billion in Q1 2026, up 9.7% from Q1 2025 according to S&P Global, driven by bank investments in AI and shifting consumer habits.

• Fortinet highlighted a 389% increase in ransomware victims, driven by AI-enhanced cybercrime tactics disrupting global operations including in India. • The company's threat intelligence efforts are transforming awareness into actionable insights to counter sophisticated AI-powered attacks. • This surge underscores rising cybersecurity risks for Indian enterprises as AI tools enable more convincing phishing, deepfakes, and automated assaults.

• Researchers at UCL and UCLH conducted a trial where patients with stage 2 or 3 colorectal cancer received just nine weeks of pembrolizumab immunotherapy before surgery, challenging the standard approach of surgery followed by months of chemotherapy. • Early results showed 59% of patients had no detectable cancer after completing immunotherapy and undergoing surgery, and after 33 months of follow-up, none of the patients have experienced a relapse. • This outcome represents a significant shift in colorectal cancer treatment protocols, suggesting that short bursts of targeted immunotherapy prior to surgery may deliver more durable results than conventional post-operative chemotherapy regimens.

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...

• Spyware detections against Singapore organisations more than doubled in 2025, marking the sharpest increase in the region amid escalating cyber threats. • Southeast Asia recorded an 18% rise in spyware attacks during the same period, indicating a broader regional vulnerability trend. • The surge underscores growing cybersecurity risks for businesses across the region and highlights the need for enhanced defensive measures and threat intelligence.

Cassian Joubert was partially delivered at 25 weeks for procedure and placed back in mother’s womb before birthA Florida infant is said to have been born twice after undergoing what was an innovative, likely life-saving surgery that involved a partial delivery weeks before his mother then gave birth to him.Cassian Joubert’s remarkable story was recently first told publicly by his mother and father – Keishera and Greg Joubert – in a 1 May video published on social media by the Orlando Health Women’s Institute, which employs the surgeon that led the baby boy’s prenatal operation. Continue reading...

Janine Roebuck, from London, says she no longer considers herself deaf after double cochlear implants restored hearingAn opera singer who hid her deafness for more than 30 years has described “life-changing” surgery that has the potential to become the norm for thousands of NHS patients.Janine Roebuck, 72, from London, had double cochlear implants fitted to restore her hearing, a method now being trialled nationwide to see whether it can transform the lives of thousands more people. Continue reading...

Scores of women have told how they were affected by placenta accreta spectrum for an awareness campaignWomen have had to undergo major emergency surgery, including a hysterectomy, when medical staff failed to detect they had a rare but potentially fatal complication of pregnancy.Scores of women have come forward to tell their stories of how they were affected by placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) since the launch in February of a campaign to raise awareness among NHS staff and mothers-to-be of the dangers it poses. Continue reading...

Unions group wants rate returned from 3% to 8% after big four UK lenders reveal £14bn total profit in first quarter An increased windfall tax should be imposed on the UK’s largest banks according to trade union leaders, after the big four lenders reported almost £14bn in first-quarter profits, partly fuelled by market turbulence caused by the Iran war.The Trades Union Congress (TUC) renewed its call for an increase in the current bank surcharge, which was reduced from 8% to 3% of profits above £100m by the Conservative government in 2023, as banks benefit from the high interest rate environment. Continue reading...

• Oil prices jumped above $100 per barrel and broke through $115 as Iran controls the Strait of Hormuz, with Brent crude rising 6% amid U.S. efforts to free up shipping lanes. • The S&P 500 fell with all 11 sectors declining except energy (+0.9%); Dow Jones dropped approximately 1%, while Asia ex-Japan surged 2.8% led by KOSPI's 5% gain to new highs. • U.S. Treasury yields climbed across the curve by 7-10 basis points, with the 30-year Treasury clearing 5.0% as inflation pressures mount and the USD index moved higher above 98.

• Foreign Direct Investment into the U.S. reached $237 billion in new greenfield projects during H1 2025, with over half coming from AI-related sectors, including $103 billion in semiconductors and $27 billion in data centers. • The U.S. One Big Beautiful Act (OBBBA) extends tax cuts by approximately $129 billion through 2026-2027 and implements 100% bonus depreciation, triggering rapid capital expensing and supply chain reshoring. • Strong private equity deal activity surged with approximately 150 of the largest deals totaling over $567 billion in 2025, continuing into 2026 under the "year of execution" theme.

• U.S. startups in applied enterprise AI secured over $500 million in funding rounds announced May 4, 2026, focusing on workflow automation and analytics. • Key deals include a $120M Series B for an AI platform optimizing supply chains and $80M for defense-oriented machine learning tools. • Surge underscores investor shift toward practical AI deployments, with returns projected at 5x in three years amid 25% market growth.

• Singapore's real estate investment volume jumped 364% in the first quarter of 2026 compared to the same period last year, according to CBRE data released today. • The surge reflects strong investor confidence amid regional economic recovery, with total transactions reaching S$4.2 billion across office, retail, and industrial sectors. • This growth underscores Singapore's role as a safe-haven market in Southeast Asia, potentially attracting more foreign capital amid global uncertainties.