Prime Minister Narendra Modi faces a key electoral test as voters in key Indian states head to the polls, with his handling of cooking gas shortages and industrial disruptions triggered by the Middle East crisis emerging as a central issue. The month-long regional polls kick off Thursday, with millions of voters across four states and a federally administered territory. Voting begins in Assam, Ker...
Prime Minister Narendra Modi faces a key electoral test as voters in key Indian states head to the polls, with his handling of cooking gas shortages and industrial disruptions triggered by the Middle East crisis emerging as a central issue. The month-long regional polls kick off Thursday, with millions of voters across four states and a federally administered territory. Voting begins in Assam, Kerala and the coastal Puducherry, followed by Tamil Nadu and West Bengal later in April. Results for all regions will be announced on May 4. While Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party seeks to expand its foothold in states dominated by regional parties, the elections come as India faces an uncertain growth outlook after a surge in oil prices following US and Israeli strikes on Iran. A tentative ceasefire was announced this week, but the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for India’s oil imports, for over a month left Indian households and industries grappling with acute shortages of cooking gas. “There is a great deal of anxiety among people regarding shortage of fuel and we will have to see how it plays out when they are casting their votes,” said Rasheed Kidwai, a visiting fellow at the New Delhi-based Observer Research Foundation. “The Middle East crisis is worrying the government more than the opposition.” The BJP is also seeking to make significant gains in the eastern state of West Bengal, and in Tamil Nadu, one of India’s wealthiest states. It has never won power in either state. The elections will also test whether Modi’s development-led agenda can gain traction in southern India, where voters have been less receptive to the BJP’s messaging. The party’s mix of welfare delivery, Hindu nationalism and economic promises has worked well in more populous northern states. In the south, stronger social indicators, regional identities and dominant local parties have limited its appeal. Assam Assam has backed the BJP-led alliance in the past two elections, with ca...
S&P Slashes New Orleans' Credit Rating On "Structurally Imbalanced Operations" New Orleans, home to Mardi Gras and muffulettas, has been governed by Democrats for decades, so it should come as little surprise that S&P Global Ratings has slashed the city's obligation rating to the third-lowest level of investment grade and placed it on a negative outlook. S&P Global Ratings cut New Orleans' general...
S&P Slashes New Orleans' Credit Rating On "Structurally Imbalanced Operations" New Orleans, home to Mardi Gras and muffulettas, has been governed by Democrats for decades, so it should come as little surprise that S&P Global Ratings has slashed the city's obligation rating to the third-lowest level of investment grade and placed it on a negative outlook. S&P Global Ratings cut New Orleans' general obligation rating by one notch to BBB+ with a negative outlook, citing structurally imbalanced finances, shrinking reserves, and growing reliance on one-time desperate measures to meet cash needs. "The downgrade and negative outlook reflect the city's structurally imbalanced operations , declining reserves and liquidity , and need to rely on multiple one-time measures to meet short-term cash needs, including additional borrowing for operating liquidity," S&P Global Ratings analysts Alex Louie and Sarah Sullivant wrote in the report . The downgrade serves as a warning of worsening fiscal strain, with the city projecting a $160 million deficit in fiscal 2025 and continuing to rely on stopgap measures, including borrowing to maintain operating liquidity, tapping external funds, and maintaining hiring freezes and furloughs. The analysts continued, "Despite these measures, we believe the city still faces substantial challenges in achieving those goals and has a history of management projections not meeting actual audited results." In February, Moody's downgraded the city's credit rating by two notches to the bottom of investment grade and warned investors about risks to future bond sales amid a budget crisis. New Orleans' rapidly deteriorating credit profile comes as no surprise, given that Democrats have governed the metro area for a generation . Here is the list of the mayors: Helena Moreno, 2026 to present, Democrat LaToya Cantrell, 2018 to 2026, Democrat Mitch Landrieu, 2010 to 2018, Democrat Ray Nagin, 2002 to 2010, Democrat, after previously switching from the Republican ...
As the driver of an electric vehicle, one clear thing dampens my enjoyment of my BMW i3. It's not the lack of loud engine noises, or the fact that my car essentially operates in silence. It's always feeling insecure about finding a place to charge. Florida, where I live, has charging stations owned ...
As the driver of an electric vehicle, one clear thing dampens my enjoyment of my BMW i3. It's not the lack of loud engine noises, or the fact that my car essentially operates in silence. It's always feeling insecure about finding a place to charge. Florida, where I live, has charging stations owned ...
The average one-year price target for FibroBiologics (NasdaqCM:FBLG) has been revised to $81.60 / share. This is an increase of 1,584.21% from the prior estimate of $4.84 dated March 25, 2026. The price target is an average of many targets provided by analysts
The average one-year price target for FibroBiologics (NasdaqCM:FBLG) has been revised to $81.60 / share. This is an increase of 1,584.21% from the prior estimate of $4.84 dated March 25, 2026. The price target is an average of many targets provided by analysts
Alibaba Group Holding (NYSE:BABA) and China Telecom have launched a major AI data center in China. The facility is powered by Alibaba's self-developed Zhenwu AI semiconductors. This is the first large scale data center deployment of Alibaba's Zhenwu chips. The project is part of China's push to build a domestic AI technology supply chain amid US export restrictions. For Alibaba, known globally for...
Alibaba Group Holding (NYSE:BABA) and China Telecom have launched a major AI data center in China. The facility is powered by Alibaba's self-developed Zhenwu AI semiconductors. This is the first large scale data center deployment of Alibaba's Zhenwu chips. The project is part of China's push to build a domestic AI technology supply chain amid US export restrictions. For Alibaba, known globally for its e commerce platforms, cloud services and digital infrastructure, this move brings its chip...
SlavkoSereda/iStock via Getty Images Crude oil futures fell Wednesday by the most in six years as the U.S. and Iran reached a two-week ceasefire agreement that was supposed to include the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, but oil's retreat was contained somewhat by concerns about the truce holding and the outcome of negotiations to be led on the U.S. side by Vice President Vance. Only four ships ...
SlavkoSereda/iStock via Getty Images Crude oil futures fell Wednesday by the most in six years as the U.S. and Iran reached a two-week ceasefire agreement that was supposed to include the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, but oil's retreat was contained somewhat by concerns about the truce holding and the outcome of negotiations to be led on the U.S. side by Vice President Vance. Only four ships were allowed to pass through the strait on Wednesday, the fewest so far in April, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence; Iran reportedly is requiring ships to work out toll arrangements ahead of time and then pay the fees in cryptocurrency or Chinese yuan. In any case, near-term oil supply will remain tight, Saxo Bank analysts said, as "delivery timelines—from loading to final discharge—mean prompt availability is likely to remain constrained for several weeks." Noting that more than 800 vessels remain stranded in the Persian Gulf, "shipowners are likely to seek firm security assurances before both exiting and, importantly, re-entering with empty vessels for loading," Saxo said, adding that even if the ceasefire holds, a return to normal could still take months given the time it takes to reopen shuttered wells and fully repair and restock refineries. It is still unclear whether the negotiations set to start Saturday will be based on the U.S. 15-point plan or Iran's diametrically opposed 10-point plan, which would include Iran's control of Hormuz and the nearly 1,000 lbs of highly enriched uranium reportedly buried under rubble inside the country. Vance said that neither the U.S. nor Israel had ever said Lebanon would be part of the ceasefire, while Iran said the deal with the U.S. must include a pause in Israel's conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon; Iran cited Israel's continued strikes on Lebanon as its justification for bottling up shipping on the strait. "Oil is set to remain meaningfully above pre-war levels until there is clear evidence of shipping normalization,...