Confidence among the lowest-earning Britons plunged in May and even those on average pay are digging into savings to meet everyday expenses as the Iran energy shock hits household budgets, a key survey found. GfK said a modest improvement in its overall consumer confidence gauge masked disparities between income groups as the conflict entered its third month, with only the better off taking the di...
Confidence among the lowest-earning Britons plunged in May and even those on average pay are digging into savings to meet everyday expenses as the Iran energy shock hits household budgets, a key survey found. GfK said a modest improvement in its overall consumer confidence gauge masked disparities between income groups as the conflict entered its third month, with only the better off taking the disruption in stride. An index tracking consumers’ willingness to make big-ticket purchases declined 2 percentage points to minus 20. However, households making between £14,500 ($19,400) and £24,999 a year recorded a much bigger drop of 19 points to minus 33. Average earners also saw a large decline. By contrast, those earnings £50,000 and more reported an uptick. The report highlights how the fallout from the Middle East conflict is being felt unevenly, with many consumers being forced to pull back even before the worst effects start to materialize. It also underlines the challenge facing the Labour government as it tries to cushion the cost-of-living impact for voters and stimulate spending. On Thursday, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves announced a package of support, including cuts to value-added tax on British summer attractions. While the war impact has so far been limited to higher petrol prices, Britons are taking that as a “warning sign” of inflation to come, according to Neil Bellamy, consumer insights director at GfK. Lower-income families, who spend a larger share of their budgets on essentials, are particularly sensitive to higher fuel costs. “We know energy prices will go up again and there is going to be an impact on food further down the line,” Bellamy said. “I just worry about what’s going to happen next, it’s going to be about prioritizing day-to-day living.” Consumers received a boost from cheaper gas and electricity bills in April, part of a package of help that pre-dated the Iran war. But the reprieve will prove short-lived, with the energy price ...
Arsenal’s party heading south, fights for Europe – and survival – and Londoners cheering on West Ham Premier League top scorers: the latest standings Last week’s costly defeat to Leeds means Brighton must overcome Manchester United on the final day to ensure they secure a place in Europe for the second time in their history. The good news is that Michael Carrick’s side have nothing to play for and...
Arsenal’s party heading south, fights for Europe – and survival – and Londoners cheering on West Ham Premier League top scorers: the latest standings Last week’s costly defeat to Leeds means Brighton must overcome Manchester United on the final day to ensure they secure a place in Europe for the second time in their history. The good news is that Michael Carrick’s side have nothing to play for and United have a wretched record at the Amex, losing in three of their past four visits in the Premier League including a 4-0 drubbing back in 2022. Danny Welbeck could be key against his former club having enjoyed his most prolific season with 13 league goals . The veteran striker still has a chance of finishing as the highest scoring English player in the division if he can find the net on Sunday, with World Cup rival Ollie Watkins leading the way on 14 as it stands. Ed Aarons Brighton v Manchester United (all games Sunday 4pm BST) Burnley v Wolves Crystal Palace v Arsenal Fulham v Newcastle Liverpool v Brentford Continue reading...
He said: "Alliance has been pressing for this measure for a decade and it can become a reality within a few weeks if other political parties are willing to listen to the views of residents, tourists, businesses and many shop workers.
He said: "Alliance has been pressing for this measure for a decade and it can become a reality within a few weeks if other political parties are willing to listen to the views of residents, tourists, businesses and many shop workers.
The artificial intelligence boom is partially spurring investment in Asia-Pacific’s data centre properties with a record US$11.6 billion worth of capital poured into the segment in 2025, according to CBRE. In Hong Kong, while AI-related demand is unlikely to be met because of technical limitations, leasing of data centre space was supported by “hyperscale CSPs (cloud service providers), mainland C...
The artificial intelligence boom is partially spurring investment in Asia-Pacific’s data centre properties with a record US$11.6 billion worth of capital poured into the segment in 2025, according to CBRE. In Hong Kong, while AI-related demand is unlikely to be met because of technical limitations, leasing of data centre space was supported by “hyperscale CSPs (cloud service providers), mainland Chinese technology and e-commerce companies and financial institutions”, the property consultancy said. Across the region, markets such as Malaysia, Australia and India were leading the growth in live capacity – a measure of usable resources including power and space available for deployment. Johor in southern Malaysia has boosted its live capacity by 53 per cent on an annual basis, while the Australian city of Melbourne has added 37 per cent, the report released on Thursday said. Advertisement Meanwhile, in mature markets such as Hong Kong and Singapore, live capacity growth was around 6 per cent to 8 per cent, CBRE said. “AI is reshaping how infrastructure is selected and deployed across Asia-Pacific,” said Matt Madden, senior managing director for data centre solutions in Asia-Pacific for CBRE. A new class of AI-focused cloud provider, neoclouds, is also emerging as an additional source of demand. Photo: Shutterstock Images A new class of AI-focused cloud providers is also emerging as an additional source of demand. Neoclouds are those providers that specialise in high-performance computing infrastructure for AI workloads.
For two months, Thai fisherman Bunyut Chaosamut kept his boat at anchor at a port an hour’s drive south of Bangkok. The war in the Middle East had driven up fuel costs, making it too expensive to go out. Now, it’s become too expensive not to. With a crew of 10 — six from Myanmar and four Thais — to feed, house and pay, plus maintenance and utility fees to dock at a commercial jetty, Bunyut is head...
For two months, Thai fisherman Bunyut Chaosamut kept his boat at anchor at a port an hour’s drive south of Bangkok. The war in the Middle East had driven up fuel costs, making it too expensive to go out. Now, it’s become too expensive not to. With a crew of 10 — six from Myanmar and four Thais — to feed, house and pay, plus maintenance and utility fees to dock at a commercial jetty, Bunyut is headed back to sea. His boat leaves just as the sun is setting and returns at dawn laden with herring, sardines and mackerel from the Gulf of Thailand. His fuel bill is well over half the cost of each trip, yet Bunyut says he’s unable to raise the price of his catch. “I couldn’t keep my boat docked any longer, my hands are tied,” Bunyut said. He stands on the pier in Samut Sakhon in the late morning sun, watching as his crew untangle and stow nets. “I’ve been doing this for 40 years and it just keeps getting worse,” he said. “We are sea people; we can’t just quit and start growing rice or planting rubber trees.” Bunyut is not alone. Across Southeast Asia, fishermen are struggling as a protracted blockade in the Strait of Hormuz leaves the region desperately short of fuel and pushes up costs for everything from transport to refrigeration. One wholesaler in Thailand said it’s the worst he’s seen since Covid. Spiraling feed costs for farmed seafood are rippling through the supply chain, raising prices for supermarkets and restaurants worldwide. “The war is affecting seafood through higher energy, freight and supply chain costs,” Novel Sharma, a seafood analyst at Rabobank in Utrecht in the Netherlands, said . Wild capture fisheries are particularly vulnerable because even in normal times fuel makes up around 15% to 30% of fishing costs, he said. “Aquaculture is also at risk, particularly Southeast Asia’s shrimp sector, where intensive farming depends on diesel-powered aeration systems,” he added. Fishermen in Southeast Asia were already under pressure from US President Donald Trum...
is a senior reporter who’s been covering and reviewing the latest gadgets and tech since 2006, but has loved all things electronic since he was a kid. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. Anker has announced a new version of its Soundcore Liberty Pro earbuds: the new Liberty 5 Pro. These are the company’s first earbuds featuring the Thus AI audio ...
is a senior reporter who’s been covering and reviewing the latest gadgets and tech since 2006, but has loved all things electronic since he was a kid. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. Anker has announced a new version of its Soundcore Liberty Pro earbuds: the new Liberty 5 Pro. These are the company’s first earbuds featuring the Thus AI audio chip Anker announced last month, here being used to bolster noise reduction capabilities and help ensure the user’s voice can be clearly heard during calls, even in noisy environments. They’re the first new Soundcore Liberty Pro earbuds since the 2024 version that launched with a charging case screen. Joining the Liberty 5 Pro are a new Max version that add AI-powered note-taking capabilities through their charging case. The Liberty 5 Pro are available starting today for $169.99 in blue, white, black, and pink color options. They carry forward the charging case LCD touchscreen functionality of their predecessor, but it’s now located on the outside for easier access and is a bit larger at 0.96 inches. The touchscreen can be used to adjust ANC levels or turn on transparency mode. The Liberty 5 Pro are available in black, blue, pink, and white color options. Image: Anker The addition of the Thus chip does result in a small hit to battery life with up to 6.5 hours of listening with ANC turned on that can be boosted to up to 28 hours in total when paired with the charging case. However, the AI chip delivers improvements elsewhere including, Anker claims, with ANC that’s 100 percent more effective than the Liberty 4 Pro, improved voice clarity during calls by reducing background noise around you, and faster responses to 20 built-in voice commands. You can adjust volume, control playback, and change ANC modes by just asking. The Liberty 5 Pro Max are available in black and titanium-gold color options. Image: Anker The Liberty 5 Pro Max are also now available, but for $229.99 in bl...
is a senior reviewer covering TVs and audio. He has over 20 years experience in AV, and has previously been on staff at Digital Trends and Reviewed. Soundcore, Anker’s audio brand, has mostly lived in the budget-to-midrange world, but with its new Liberty 5 Pro earbuds, it’s aiming at the big guys. The two new earbuds — the Liberty 5 Pro and Liberty 5 Pro Max — use Anker’s new Thus chip, which has...
is a senior reviewer covering TVs and audio. He has over 20 years experience in AV, and has previously been on staff at Digital Trends and Reviewed. Soundcore, Anker’s audio brand, has mostly lived in the budget-to-midrange world, but with its new Liberty 5 Pro earbuds, it’s aiming at the big guys. The two new earbuds — the Liberty 5 Pro and Liberty 5 Pro Max — use Anker’s new Thus chip, which has more processing power than previous Soundcore earbuds to try and compete with the chips found in Apple, Sony, and Bose products. And that extra processing power gives the Liberty 5 Pro the best in-call noise canceling I’ve heard in any earbuds. Previously, the highest-priced Soundcore earbuds (not counting the sleep buds) were the Liberty 4 Pro at $150, but the Liberty 5 Pro are $170 and the Liberty 5 Pro Max are $230. That’s reaching into AirPods Pro 3 territory. Price differences within a product line usually mean different earbud designs, like the open-ear AirPods 4 with ANC versus the sealed AirPods Pro 3. But the Liberty 5 Pro and 5 Pro Max earbuds are exactly the same. They have the same chip, 9.2mm drivers, microphone array, ANC performance, sound profile, battery life, IP55 rating, and overall features. The only difference is the case. The 5 Pro case has an angled 0.96-inch TFT screen on the front that can be used to change settings like ANC, sound profiles, speak-to-chat, and Dolby head tracking. Everything that can be done on the screen can be done in the Soundcore app too, so it’s just preference if you want to take out the case or your phone. The 1.78-inch AMOLED screen for the 5 Pro Max case is on its sliding top. In addition to the capabilities of the 5 Pro case, you can adjust the screen brightness or change the wallpaper, as well as access a feature that sets the 5 Pro Max apart from its less-expensive sibling: a microphone and an AI note-taking app. You can record audio directly to the case, which has 357MB of storage, then transfer it to your phone where ...
China’s hottest AI stocks may be among candidates for inclusion in Hong Kong stock gauges, opening access to trading links that may trigger billions of dollars in inflows. Knowledge Atlas Technology Joint Stock Co. , known as Zhipu, and MiniMax Group Inc. are viewed as leading contenders for inclusion into the Hang Seng Tech and composite gauges when Hang Seng Indexes Co. conducts its quarterly re...
China’s hottest AI stocks may be among candidates for inclusion in Hong Kong stock gauges, opening access to trading links that may trigger billions of dollars in inflows. Knowledge Atlas Technology Joint Stock Co. , known as Zhipu, and MiniMax Group Inc. are viewed as leading contenders for inclusion into the Hang Seng Tech and composite gauges when Hang Seng Indexes Co. conducts its quarterly review on Friday, after large gains in their market capitalizations, analysts said. Both stocks have rallied at least 300% each since listing in January. An entry into the indexes would make Zhipu eligible for the stock connect program as early as June 8 under fast-entry rules. MiniMax may qualify in August given stricter requirements on firms with weighted voting rights. Bloomberg Intelligence estimated that Zhipu may attract southbound buying of HK$51 billion ($6.5 billion) to HK$92 billion, while MiniMax could see flows of up to HK$47 billion. “Southbound demand could become a key support over time, as A-shares have few pure AI-model stocks,” said Jason Liao , an analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence. Mainland investors typically build stakes of 11% to 20% in major Hong Kong tech firms through trading links, and both stocks may attract similar levels of capital, he said. If added, their combined weighting in the tech measure could be around 9%, according to Bloomberg Intelligence. Inflows from mainland investors, along with potential exchange-traded fund buying of about $4 billion, could help offset selling pressure ahead of share lockup expiries in July. Only 5% of MiniMax’s total stock is freely tradable , with 65% of total shares to be available to the market in July, according to HSBC Holdings Plc estimates. For Zhipu, about 6% of total shares will be released from lock-up in July, and another 40% at the end of January. For the broader Hang Seng Index, BeiGene Ltd. , KE Holdings Inc. , Zhaojin Mining Industry Co. and Yum China Holdings Inc. may be considered for addition, ...
Anand Chokkavelu has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Lou Whiteman has positions in Upstart. Matt Frankel, CFP has positions in Upstart and has the following options: long January 2027 $35 calls on Upstart and short January 2027 $50 calls on Upstart. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Upstart. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Anand Chokkavelu has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Lou Whiteman has positions in Upstart. Matt Frankel, CFP has positions in Upstart and has the following options: long January 2027 $35 calls on Upstart and short January 2027 $50 calls on Upstart. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Upstart. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Key Points Sold 47,996 shares of Thor Industries; estimated transaction value $4.89 million based on quarterly average price. Quarter-end position value fell by $63.05 million, reflecting both trading and stock price moves. The transaction represents 0.18% of the fund's $2.72 billion reportable AUM. Fund now holds 2,551,474 shares, valued at $203.84 million as of March 31, 2026. Thor Industries re...
Key Points Sold 47,996 shares of Thor Industries; estimated transaction value $4.89 million based on quarterly average price. Quarter-end position value fell by $63.05 million, reflecting both trading and stock price moves. The transaction represents 0.18% of the fund's $2.72 billion reportable AUM. Fund now holds 2,551,474 shares, valued at $203.84 million as of March 31, 2026. Thor Industries remains a significant position at 7.5% of AUM, making it the fund's fifth-largest holding. 10 stocks we like better than Thor Industries › What happened An SEC filing dated May 14, 2026, shows Timucuan Asset Management sold 47,996 shares of Thor Industries (NYSE:THO) during the first quarter. The estimated transaction value is $4.89 million based on the average closing price from January through March. The quarter-end value of the position decreased by $63.05 million, reflecting both trading activity and price movements. What else to know This sale left Thor Industries at 7.5% of the fund's reportable AUM at the end of the quarter. Top holdings after the filing: Charles Schwab : $277.15 million (10.2% of AUM) Installed Building Products : $219.24 million (8.1% of AUM) Somnigroup International : $217.45 million (8.0% of AUM) Analog Devices : $216.29 million (8.0% of AUM) Thor Industries: $203.84 million (7.5% of AUM) As of May 20, 2026, Thor Industries shares were trading at $74.76, down 9.7% over the past year and underperforming the S&P 500 by 34 percentage points. Company overview Metric Value Revenue (TTM) $9.93 billion Net income (TTM) $300.41 million Dividend yield 2.78% Price (as of market close May 20, 2026) $74.76 Company snapshot Thor Industries: Offers a broad portfolio of recreational vehicles (RVs), including travel trailers, motorhomes, fifth wheels, and related parts and accessories across North America and Europe. Generates revenue primarily through the design, manufacture, and sale of RVs and components, and distributes products through independent and non-fra...
US President Donald Trump said on Thursday he was sending 5,000 troops to Poland, after Washington said an earlier planned deployment had been called off amid pressure on Europe to fend for itself. Trump said the move was based on his relationship with Poland’s president Karol Nawrocki, a nationalist ally whom he said he was “proud to endorse” in elections that Nawrocki won last year. “I am please...
US President Donald Trump said on Thursday he was sending 5,000 troops to Poland, after Washington said an earlier planned deployment had been called off amid pressure on Europe to fend for itself. Trump said the move was based on his relationship with Poland’s president Karol Nawrocki, a nationalist ally whom he said he was “proud to endorse” in elections that Nawrocki won last year. “I am pleased to announce that the United States will be sending an additional 5,000 Troops to Poland,” Trump said on his Truth Social network. Advertisement Trump did not give further details, but his comments appeared to refer to a deployment of several thousand US troops to Poland whose fate has been unclear for several days. Last week US officials said the deployment of 4,000 US forces to Poland had been scrapped, the latest move by Trump’s administration to slash troop numbers and punish Nato allies for not helping with the US-Israel war on Iran. Advertisement Then Vice-President J.D. Vance said on Tuesday that the deployment of the 4,000 troops had been delayed, not cancelled, adding that Trump had not made a “final determination”.
The Guardian’s political editor, a prominent features writer and a brave young Palestinian reporter are among those to have been honoured at the Press Awards in London. The awards celebrate the best journalism across all news media publishers distributing in the UK. Pippa Crerar, the Guardian’s political editor, won Political Journalist of the Year, for work including an exclusive in 2025 on Downi...
The Guardian’s political editor, a prominent features writer and a brave young Palestinian reporter are among those to have been honoured at the Press Awards in London. The awards celebrate the best journalism across all news media publishers distributing in the UK. Pippa Crerar, the Guardian’s political editor, won Political Journalist of the Year, for work including an exclusive in 2025 on Downing Street rethinking winter fuel payment cuts after Labour’s losses in local elections. Simon Hattenstone, a prominent features writer for the Guardian, scooped Broadsheet Feature Writer of the Year. His moving account of the demise of gifted musician Joe Black, who was badly let down by his homeless hostel, was highlighted at the awards. Malak A Tantesh’s harrowing report of her two years in besieged Gaza, where she shared her experience of living with perpetual fear and uncertainty in what she described as a “war that became a gateway to hell”, won her the Young Journalist of the Year. Tantesh regularly reported from Gaza for the Guardian in the aftermath of the 7 October attack, providing a vital and rare insight at a time when international journalists were mostly banned from Gaza. Other Guardian winners included data projects editor Pamela Duncan, who won Data Journalist of the Year for her investigation into how everyday Facebook networks fuel right-wing ideas, and Saturday magazine’s Charlotte Edwardes, who went home with the Broadsheet Interviewer of the Year award. The Guardian’s podcast team won News Podcast of the Year for Missing in the Amazon, which investigated the disappearance and murder of British journalist Dom Phillips and Brazilian indigenous expert Bruno Pereira in the remote Javari Valley in 2022. Phillips reported for the Guardian from Brazil. The Guardian also won Broadsheet Front Page of the Year for American Dread. Daily Newspaper of the Year was won by The Times.
Key Points Archon Capital Management bought 519,002 TENB shares last quarter, with the estimated transaction value at $10.89 million. The quarter-end position value was $8.78 million, reflecting the newly established stake. The new stake accounts for roughly 5% of 13F assets. 10 stocks we like better than Tenable › Archon Capital Management initiated a new position in Tenable (NASDAQ:TENB), acquir...
Key Points Archon Capital Management bought 519,002 TENB shares last quarter, with the estimated transaction value at $10.89 million. The quarter-end position value was $8.78 million, reflecting the newly established stake. The new stake accounts for roughly 5% of 13F assets. 10 stocks we like better than Tenable › Archon Capital Management initiated a new position in Tenable (NASDAQ:TENB), acquiring 519,002 shares in the first quarter for an estimated $10.89 million based on quarterly average pricing, according to a May 14, 2026, SEC filing. What happened According to its SEC filing dated May 14, 2026, Archon Capital Management LLC initiated a new position in Tenable (NASDAQ:TENB), acquiring 519,002 shares during the first quarter. The estimated transaction value, based on the quarter's average share price, was $10.89 million. At quarter-end, the stake was valued at $8.78 million, reflecting the position's market value after accounting for price changes during the period. What else to know This was a new position for Archon, representing 4.95% of its 13F reportable assets under management as of March 31, 2026. Top five holdings after the filing: NASDAQ:BAND: $10.39 million (5.9% of AUM) NASDAQ:APYX: $10.30 million (5.8% of AUM) NYSE:SVV: $9.65 million (5.5% of AUM) NASDAQ:BRZE: $9.51 million (5.4% of AUM) NASDAQ:OMDA: $9.11 million (5.1% of AUM) As of Thursday, TENB shares were priced at $25.17, down about 21% over the past year and well underperforming the S&P 500, which is instead up about 27% in the same period. Company overview Metric Value Price (as of Thursday) $25.17 Market capitalization $2.8 billion Revenue (TTM) $1.02 billion Net income (TTM) ($11.8 million) Company snapshot Tenable offers cyber exposure solutions including Tenable.io, Tenable.cs, Tenable.ep, Tenable.ad, Tenable.ot, Tenable.sc, and Nessus for vulnerability management and risk assessment across IT, cloud, web applications, and operational technology environments. The firm operates a subscr...