Shares of data analytics company Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ:PLTR) jumped 3% in the morning session after strong earnings and upbeat forecasts from several peers boosted the broader software sector.
Shares of data analytics company Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ:PLTR) jumped 3% in the morning session after strong earnings and upbeat forecasts from several peers boosted the broader software sector.
More than 300 families have been evacuated after massive amounts of ash billowed from the Mayon volcano over the weekend due to the collapse of lava deposits from its slopes, Philippine officials said on Monday. There was no explosive eruption from Mayon, which has been erupting mildly on and off since January, but huge deposits of lava on its southwestern slope suddenly cascaded down in a pyrocla...
More than 300 families have been evacuated after massive amounts of ash billowed from the Mayon volcano over the weekend due to the collapse of lava deposits from its slopes, Philippine officials said on Monday. There was no explosive eruption from Mayon, which has been erupting mildly on and off since January, but huge deposits of lava on its southwestern slope suddenly cascaded down in a pyroclastic flow – an avalanche of hot rocks, ash and gas – before nightfall on Saturday, said Teresito...
Study warns women face job losses and increased unpaid care duties as debt and conflict-driven turbulence force spending cuts Women are hit hardest when the debt burden in developing countries rises, a trend expected to worsen as the war in the Middle East continues, UN research shows. A report by experts from the UN Development Programme (UNDP), based on data from 85 countries gathered across thr...
Study warns women face job losses and increased unpaid care duties as debt and conflict-driven turbulence force spending cuts Women are hit hardest when the debt burden in developing countries rises, a trend expected to worsen as the war in the Middle East continues, UN research shows. A report by experts from the UN Development Programme (UNDP), based on data from 85 countries gathered across three decades, shows women are disproportionately affected when debt repayments increase significantly. Continue reading...
José Luis Rey Vila’s powerful sketches of street battles and wearied soldiers brought the conflict to the world. A new show in Barcelona celebrates his overlooked legacy Pablo Picasso may be the artist most famously associated with the Spanish civil war, but as the rifles fired in revolutionary Catalonia, it was those on the frontlines who first captured the conflict. One of the most important was...
José Luis Rey Vila’s powerful sketches of street battles and wearied soldiers brought the conflict to the world. A new show in Barcelona celebrates his overlooked legacy Pablo Picasso may be the artist most famously associated with the Spanish civil war, but as the rifles fired in revolutionary Catalonia, it was those on the frontlines who first captured the conflict. One of the most important was José Luis Rey Vila, whose sketches brought the rhythms of war to life in bold, blocky lines with splashes of intense colour. Full of urgency and movement, many of his sketches document anarchist militias engaged in street battles; others depict more sanguine scenes after the fighting stopped. In charcoal and watercolours, Rey Vila produced arresting portraits of red-capped volunteers, nurses tending the wounded, and the women of the milicianas raising their fists on the move. His work travelled far at exhibits and in widely reproduced booklets, raising international awareness before Picasso’s cubist horrors relayed the destruction of Guernica to the world. Continue reading...
War has combined with battered economy to leave Tehran wondering how hardline it can afford to be Iran may not be choking like a stuffed pig as Donald Trump predicted, but its economy is in serious difficulty as a combination of a massive war-damages bill, inflation, currency devaluation, unemployment and a contraction in oil revenues combine to leave the political elite worrying how hardline they...
War has combined with battered economy to leave Tehran wondering how hardline it can afford to be Iran may not be choking like a stuffed pig as Donald Trump predicted, but its economy is in serious difficulty as a combination of a massive war-damages bill, inflation, currency devaluation, unemployment and a contraction in oil revenues combine to leave the political elite worrying how hardline they can afford to be with their US negotiators. One estimate circulating in Iran’s media suggests the damage to the economy from the US-Israeli attacks is nine times the value of the Iranian budget last year. The UN Development Programme has estimated that 4.1 million more Iranians could fall into poverty. Continue reading...
The rise of multisensory installations like Frameless are an inspiring way for children to interact with art – but do they risk making the real thing seem less exciting? You know Hieronymus Bosch’s The Garden of Earthly Delights? That psychedelic triptych chock-a-block with creatures real and imagined and the monstrosities of hell? Well, my toddler and I are in it. To be precise, we’re slap-bang i...
The rise of multisensory installations like Frameless are an inspiring way for children to interact with art – but do they risk making the real thing seem less exciting? You know Hieronymus Bosch’s The Garden of Earthly Delights? That psychedelic triptych chock-a-block with creatures real and imagined and the monstrosities of hell? Well, my toddler and I are in it. To be precise, we’re slap-bang in the middle of the cosmic central panel, which is projected on to the wide walls around us, as well as the ceiling and the floor. There are naked men and women riding bareback on ducks and deer and horses. Camels and cattle. Butterflies and birds. Pale legs lolling from a shell. This is our first trip to Frameless , an immersive art experience near Marble Arch in London that bills itself as a place “where art breaks free”. Call me a traditionalist, but digital art isn’t usually my thing. I enjoyed David Hockney at the Lightroom , where I also took my son to see the dinosaurs – the day we went, the audience was almost exclusively made up of tots and their adults. But I prefer paintings to be still rather than animated. I like to concentrate on a canvas rather than watch it deconstruct and dissolve. I want art to be meaningful and long-lasting. Tangible. Real. Continue reading...
Both nations are tarred by irreconcilable crises that could unravel democracy itself – sanity and stability have never felt further from reach A feature of living at the end of an era is that some events in the present already feel like future artefacts – things you expect to see in a school history book, or a documentary many years from now. Here is King Charles’s 2026 state visit to the United S...
Both nations are tarred by irreconcilable crises that could unravel democracy itself – sanity and stability have never felt further from reach A feature of living at the end of an era is that some events in the present already feel like future artefacts – things you expect to see in a school history book, or a documentary many years from now. Here is King Charles’s 2026 state visit to the United States, right between the chapters on the war on Iran and the global energy crisis. Here is an image of the entire constellation of Trumpland, dining on spring-herbed ravioli and dover sole. Look at this interesting antiquity of the time: the gold plates, the universal sign of a regime at the peak of excess. And there you see the foreign dignitary, making a speech that at the time felt like bold truth-telling, but as we all now know was little more than naive theatre while the whole world teetered on the precipice. The cast of characters behind the era-ending crisis were present , helpfully concentrated in one place to illustrate to those in the future how it came to this, and by whose hands. The money men, the Lord Haw-Haws, the nepo babies, the quislings. Seven guests from Fox News, seven members of the Trump family, Jeff Bezos, Tim Cook and – a little treat for golf-loving Trump – the Masters champion, Rory McIlroy, who the president made stand up to show off, breaking away from his state address to say: “Congratulations! Very proud of you.” If you wanted a snapshot of the forces that underpin the Trump administration, indifferent to its colossal violations, here it was – billionaire-funded corporate media, big tech, private equity and stars just happy to be so close to so much power. Nesrine Malik is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...
Mexican spring soup followed by black bean and three-cheese quesadilla I have always loved the evident (though not proven) link between how foodie a country is and its love of soups. In Mexico, where nose-to-tail eating is a given, broths maintain a steadying presence in any self-respecting cantina, and soups are commonplace on most menus. We don’t eat a crazy amount of meat at home, but having ho...
Mexican spring soup followed by black bean and three-cheese quesadilla I have always loved the evident (though not proven) link between how foodie a country is and its love of soups. In Mexico, where nose-to-tail eating is a given, broths maintain a steadying presence in any self-respecting cantina, and soups are commonplace on most menus. We don’t eat a crazy amount of meat at home, but having homemade stock in the freezer is an ingenious fast track to flavour and goodness. Here, whether your stock is chicken or vegetable, homemade or shop-bought, the joy is in the gentle spicing, a scattering of herbs, zingy tomatillos and some lovely spring leaves. Continue reading...
The European Union is working on resolving the thorny issue of Montenegro ’s unilateral use of the euro, an obstacle for the Adriatic nation’s plans to join the bloc, Finance Minister Novica Vukovic said. “The European Commission has shown readiness to solve the question in a pragmatic way,” Vukovic told Bloomberg News. The EU’s proposal to fix the issue is expected by the end of May, he said. Whi...
The European Union is working on resolving the thorny issue of Montenegro ’s unilateral use of the euro, an obstacle for the Adriatic nation’s plans to join the bloc, Finance Minister Novica Vukovic said. “The European Commission has shown readiness to solve the question in a pragmatic way,” Vukovic told Bloomberg News. The EU’s proposal to fix the issue is expected by the end of May, he said. While prospective EU members have to meet democratic and economic requirements before they’re allowed in, the bloc’s executive hasn’t yet had to deal with a country that has used the euro for decades, treating the single currency as a means to stabilize its $10 billion economy. Montenegro hopes to join the 27-nation bloc in 2028. Vukovic, who didn’t reveal any details of the potential euro-fix proposal, said Montenegro will raise financing for debt servicing and infrastructure projects this year, in part from international organizations. The country has financing needs amounting to €2.1 billion ($2.4 billion) this year and next combined, he said. The government seeks to gain €500 million from commercial lenders with support from the World Bank’s policy-based guarantee. Another €100 million may come from France’s development agency and €50 million from the OPEC Fund for International Development . The aim is to reduce the need for borrowing in 2027 and create a fiscal reserve for the following years, he said. Selling international bonds remains an option but isn’t likely as “the global financial environment is still challenging, with elevated interest rates,” Vukovic said. The country last tapped foreign markets in March 2025, when it sold €850 million in bonds due in 2032. The yield on the securities stood at 4.86% last week, up about 50 basis points since the start of the Iran war. Currency Stability The smallest of six former Yugoslav republics, Montenegro has used the single currency since 2002 in a bid to instill some stability after a volatile period following the collaps...
Hefty upfront costs, issues disposing of radiation and waste, and memories of terrible accidents have all contributed to Europe's reluctance to embrace nuclear energy in recent decades. But the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz amid the U.S.-Iran war has exposed the continent's vulnerability to disrupted energy imports – and nuclear may offer Europe a lifeline. IEA chief Fatih Birol previo...
Hefty upfront costs, issues disposing of radiation and waste, and memories of terrible accidents have all contributed to Europe's reluctance to embrace nuclear energy in recent decades. But the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz amid the U.S.-Iran war has exposed the continent's vulnerability to disrupted energy imports – and nuclear may offer Europe a lifeline. IEA chief Fatih Birol previously told CNBC that nuclear power would get a "boost" from the supply crisis and urged governments to bolster their resilience with alternative energy sources. Nuclear energy produces significantly fewer emissions than fossil fuels, plants take up minimal space on the landscape, and reactors are extremely reliable in all weather conditions. "I think nuclear has to play a big role in solving this problem for Europe," Chris Seiple, vice chairman of Wood Mackenzie's power and renewables division, told CNBC. The U.S., China and France are all better placed to deal with the supply shock caused by the war, in part because they are the three largest producers of nuclear energy worldwide. "If you don't have a natural energy supply, then your energy costs are going to be higher to import it from somewhere, or you're going to have to build some degree of nuclear," Michael Browne, global investment strategist at Franklin Templeton, told CNBC. "It's expensive but very efficient, as France has shown. French energy prices are significantly lower than German prices." EDF nuclear plants in France. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images France is Europe's poster child in the space, with over 60% of its energy needs met by nuclear power. More nations are taking action, too. The Iran war is "serving as a significant turning point" for South Korea to shift away from oil and into alternatives, according to its climate minister Kim Sung-hwan. In an interview with CNBC's Lisa Kim , Sung-hwan said nuclear and renewables will form the "two central pillars" of future energy supply. It raises the quest...
In this article GOOGL MSFT Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT COPENHAGEN, Denmark — The Nordics, long seen as a magnet for data center investment thanks to their stable climate and abundance of renewable energy, are now weighing limits on the growth of the power-hungry facilities as surging energy demand forces a rethink. At the center of the debate is Denmark, the first of the Nordic...
In this article GOOGL MSFT Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT COPENHAGEN, Denmark — The Nordics, long seen as a magnet for data center investment thanks to their stable climate and abundance of renewable energy, are now weighing limits on the growth of the power-hungry facilities as surging energy demand forces a rethink. At the center of the debate is Denmark, the first of the Nordics to confront the question head-on, as the formation of a new government and a spike in grid access requests have meant a pause on new projects. Data centers around the world are increasingly facing pushback due to concerns about their energy use. In the U.S, Maine recently came close to a data center construction ban and in Pennsylvania, the backlash could harm incumbents ahead of elections. Other states, including Virginia and Oklahoma are considering moratoriums . Only two European countries have enforced full moratoriums on data centers, namely the Netherlands and Ireland. Both member states have since eased restrictions under certain conditions. But grid pressures are spreading across the continent, as the AI boom adds to an acceleration in electrification that was already being boosted by the energy transition and digitalization. The 'hunger games' of energy policy In March, Denmark's state-owned grid operator Energinet introduced a temporary pause on new grid connection agreements due to an "explosion" in capacity requests, a spokesperson told CNBC. Around 60 GW of projects are waiting for connections. That far exceeds Denmark's peak electricity demand of around 7 GW. Data centers account for nearly a quarter (14 GW) of the 60 GW potential new grid connection projects, the spokesperson said. "If you cannot get your AI workloads located in Denmark, you'll just move them somewhere else, and that is what we will see. Pernille Hoffmann Managing director of the Nordics at Digital Realty An extension of the moratorium can't be ruled out, Data Center Industry Association (D...
Prime Minister Viktor Orban ’s defeat at the ballot box unleashed a wave of enthusiasm over potential opportunities in Hungary’s financial sector. A small quant shop with plans to expand in Budapest is adding to the chorus of voices expecting a revival. EverestQuant, a boutique quantitative hedge fund, has detailed plans to add as many as four workers to its staff of 12 in Budapest, the latest ind...
Prime Minister Viktor Orban ’s defeat at the ballot box unleashed a wave of enthusiasm over potential opportunities in Hungary’s financial sector. A small quant shop with plans to expand in Budapest is adding to the chorus of voices expecting a revival. EverestQuant, a boutique quantitative hedge fund, has detailed plans to add as many as four workers to its staff of 12 in Budapest, the latest indication that finance firms are warming to pledges by incoming premier Peter Magyar to repair ties with the industry. Magyar’s planned break from Orban’s policies has lifted Hungarian bonds and the country’s currency, and improved business confidence is expected to produce broader economic benefits down the line. Bloomberg Intelligence has described the political reset as a chance to reshape the banking sector via greater regulatory clarity and an infusion of European Union funds. “It’s a much more positive and much more conducive environment for business in general, but the finance industry in particular,” said EverestQuant founder Marton Peter Price . “Investors need stability and predictability in legislation, in rule-making, and I think in Hungary it’ll be a great period for that.” Read more: Hungary’s Incoming Cabinet Seeks to Cut Taxes and Fix Bank Ties EverestQuant is a relatively new player on the quant scene in Budapest, which already hosts research or innovation bases from the likes of WorldQuant, Morgan Stanley and BlackRock Inc. But its planned expansion reflects enthusiasm within the industry after Magyar’s April 12 election victory. In his election campaigns, Orban often singled out investors such as George Soros as his main foes, targeting Erste Group Bank AG this year, along with Shell Plc. Orban also hit the banking industry with extra taxes and nationalized more than $10 billion in private pension assets. Read more: Erste Bank Becomes Target in Orban’s Reelection Campaign Poland’s largest lender PKO Bank Polski SA said after the vote that it was evaluating ...