News 23 March 2026

Etihad Orders 10 Boeing Jets, Raising Talk of Hard-to-Get 787 Slots
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Stock Market Today: Live Updates 16.07.2026

LIVEMarkets rolling coverageStarted: July 16, 2026, 4:00 AM EDTUpdated: July 16, 2026, 4:53 AM EDT London Stock Exchange Lists New AIM Securities, Including Europa Oil & Gas Holdings July 16, 2026, 4:48 AM EDT. New securities joined AIM trading on the London Stock Exchange today, with Europa Oil & Gas Holdings Plc putting 96.2 million ordinary shares on the board. The list also included Frontier IP Group Plc, Galantas Gold Corporation, Great Western Mining Corporation Plc, NEXT 15 Group Plc, and Quadrise PLC. All shares are fully paid, with different nominal values and classes. The new admissions expand the AIM
July 16, 2026
Shell and BP Looked Like the FTSE 100’s Only Clear Oil Bets. Then Brent Fell Below $100
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Shell and BP Looked Like the FTSE 100’s Only Clear Oil Bets. Then Brent Fell Below $100

Shell and BP slipped on Monday, tracking Brent crude, which settled just below $100 at $99.94 a barrel after U.S. President Donald Trump hit pause on planned strikes targeting Iranian power plants for five days. The FTSE 100 managed to claw back from heavier losses earlier in the session but still ended 0.2% lower. Shell shares shed 4.2%; BP dropped 2.2%. The reversal is notable. Just last week, UK oil majors stood out as the market’s go-to safe haven against a war-fueled energy jolt, while traders started to worry that oil above $100 might puncture the prevailing optimism. Monday wiped that away fast—the selling wasn’t sparked by headlines from the companies themselves but by crude’s own swings.
March 23, 2026
ASX Falls, Fuel Security Fears Grip Australia as Iran Threats Whipsaw Oil and Stocks
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ASX Falls, Fuel Security Fears Grip Australia as Iran Threats Whipsaw Oil and Stocks

Monday brought a jolt to both Australian markets and the government’s fuel-supply narrative as the Iran conflict unsettled energy prices, only for a late shift in U.S. military plans to briefly ease the tension. President Donald Trump announced a halt to planned strikes on Iranian power plants, a reversal after stocks in Sydney had already lost ground and ministers faced renewed scrutiny on fuel security. This is a bigger deal for Australia than for many peers, since roughly 90% of its fuel is shipped in — and domestic shortages have already been flagged. Energy Minister Chris Bowen pointed out that six shipments slated for delivery between mid-April and mid-May were either cancelled or pushed back, though replacements have filled some
March 23, 2026
AI Simulations Are Reshaping Renewable Power Output — and Energy Stocks Are Taking Notice
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AI Simulations Are Reshaping Renewable Power Output — and Energy Stocks Are Taking Notice

HOUSTON, March 23, 2026, 12:51 PM CDT AI simulation made another leap into the energy sector Monday, as Hitachi Energy rolled out its HMAX Energy software-and-services platform targeting utilities, renewables, and data centers. Nvidia and Emerald AI, meanwhile, announced collaboration with AES, Constellation, Invenergy, NextEra Energy, Nscale Energy & Power, and Vistra on building out large-scale AI data centers intended to plug in more quickly and adapt to the grid in real time. Emerald AI CEO Varun Sivaram argued the new facilities shouldn’t act as “passive loads or permanent islands.”
March 23, 2026
Fusion Energy Startups Go Public as AI Boom Accelerates Investment in Clean Power Stocks
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Fusion Energy Startups Go Public as AI Boom Accelerates Investment in Clean Power Stocks

Fusion energy startups are heading to public markets, lured by surging AI-driven power needs and new funding flows for always-on clean energy. General Fusion struck a blank-check merger deal to go public, while TAE Technologies is eyeing a tie-up valued at over $6 billion with Trump Media & Technology Group. Fusion’s pitch: generate electricity by fusing light atoms, replicating the sun’s energy source. Why does the shift matter? Data centers are redrawing America’s power landscape. By 2030, these facilities could consume as much as 9% of all U.S. electricity. Both North American solar and wind contract prices climbed 9% in the fourth quarter of 2025—hyperscale companies scrambled to secure supply. “Hyperscalers are increasingly partnering with developers,” said Caroline Mead, a
March 23, 2026
Next-Gen Smartphones Push Toward 256GB as On-Device AI Demands More Space
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Next-Gen Smartphones Push Toward 256GB as On-Device AI Demands More Space

Taipei, March 24, 2026, 02:42 Despite higher flash-memory prices, smartphone manufacturers are increasing built-in storage this year. TrendForce points to a 4.8% jump in average phone capacity for 2026, with the push coming from on-device AI features that need anywhere from 40 GB to 60 GB just for local cache. Premium brands, the firm notes, are ditching lower storage options rather than cutting features.
March 23, 2026
AI Data Center Power Crisis Deepens After Google Warns U.S. Grid Can’t Keep Up
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AI Data Center Power Crisis Deepens After Google Warns U.S. Grid Can’t Keep Up

Google sounded the alarm Monday over what it sees as lagging U.S. electricity development, flagging power as an obstacle on par with semiconductors for the next generation of AI data centers. “We are concerned that we are not full throttle on energy,” said Alphabet and Google President Ruth Porat, speaking at CERAWeek in Houston. The squeeze is real now: big cloud players are scaling up computing muscle much faster than utilities can put up new grids and substations. U.S. Energy Information Administration data shows power demand has climbed 1.7% annually since 2020, after a long stretch of barely any change, thanks mostly to sprawling computing hubs. Looking ahead, the agency sees load picking up 1.9% in 2026, then 2.5% in
March 23, 2026
AI Could Lift Europe’s Productivity by More Than 4% in 10 Years, ECB Says
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AI Could Lift Europe’s Productivity by More Than 4% in 10 Years, ECB Says

Artificial intelligence has the potential to push euro-zone productivity up by over 4 percentage points within the next ten years, assuming adoption continues at a rapid pace, according to ECB chief economist Philip Lane on Monday. Lane also cautioned that a drawn-out energy shock might dampen those benefits. The near-term picture in Europe just got gloomier. Last week, ECB staff slashed their 2026 growth projection to 0.9% and bumped up their inflation forecast, citing higher energy costs from the Middle East conflict. Euro-zone consumer confidence? Down again this month, now at its weakest since late 2023.
March 23, 2026
Clean Energy Incentives Return as EU Clears Denmark Wind Aid, France Hydrogen Support Amid Energy Price Shock
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Clean Energy Incentives Return as EU Clears Denmark Wind Aid, France Hydrogen Support Amid Energy Price Shock

The European Commission cleared a €5 billion Danish offshore wind aid package and signed off on French backing for renewable and low-carbon hydrogen this Monday, putting new clean-energy incentives in focus as Europe looks to limit its exposure to imported fuel shocks. The calendar is a factor, with the energy crunch now spilling over into the broader economy. Euro zone consumer confidence slumped this March to lows not seen since late 2023. “One of the largest falls on record,” said Andrew Kenningham at Capital Economics, outside of the pandemic and Ukraine war periods.
March 23, 2026
AI Boom Forces Urgent Energy Expansion as Google Warns of U.S. Power Crunch, Power Stocks Gain
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AI Boom Forces Urgent Energy Expansion as Google Warns of U.S. Power Crunch, Power Stocks Gain

Google on Monday sounded the alarm: the U.S. isn’t adding electricity supply fast enough to keep up with artificial intelligence’s rapid growth, a constraint that’s already limiting where new data centers go. “We are not moving full throttle on energy,” said Ruth Porat, who serves as president and chief investment officer at both Alphabet and Google, speaking at the CERAWeek conference in Houston. Power is fast turning into a bottleneck. The U.S. Energy Information Administration projects electricity load growth of 1.9% in 2026, then 2.5% for 2027—coming off a new national demand record set in 2025. Texas’s ERCOT market leads the pack, along with the PJM grid spanning the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest. Some of the largest AI campuses now gulp
March 23, 2026
AI-Driven Platforms Enable Telecoms to Launch New ‘As-a-Service’ Digital Experiences, Putting Software Shares in Focus

AI-Driven Platforms Enable Telecoms to Launch New ‘As-a-Service’ Digital Experiences, Putting Software Shares in Focus

Circles on March 23 announced it struck a strategic deal with Huawei aiming to roll out AI-native telecom software for operators around the world. That update hit as Telkomsel executives pointed to a live migration—2.5 million by.U users moved onto Circles’ cloud stack, zero downtime. For the sector, it’s another sign: carriers want AI platforms to speed up launching new services, not just trim costs on network ops. Timing is critical here. With spending on networks slowing, operators are hunting for fresh revenue sources beyond just providing connections. IDC figures out last week show global telecom capex is set to slip 1.5% in 2026, dropping to $320 billion. That backdrop gives more weight to software-as-a-service — the subscription-based cloud tools
March 23, 2026
Amazon’s Secret ‘Transformer’ Smartphone Aims to Reinvent Mobile With AI as AMZN Stock Climbs
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Amazon’s Secret ‘Transformer’ Smartphone Aims to Reinvent Mobile With AI as AMZN Stock Climbs

Amazon.com jumped 3.2% to $211.85 on Monday, after reports surfaced that the company is working on a new AI-focused smartphone—internally dubbed “Transformer”—marking a return to a segment it left over ten years ago. Shares climbed as Wall Street staged a broader rebound. Amazon’s push here is significant. After years spent pushing Alexa far beyond its smart-speaker roots, the company hopes to embed its AI assistant into daily life. A phone—or even a slimmer, secondary device—could plug Alexa straight into shopping, streaming, and food ordering, every hour of the day.
March 23, 2026
CERAWeek 2026: Google, Nvidia and Energy CEOs Tackle AI Power Demand as Constellation, Vistra, NextEra Stocks Rise
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CERAWeek 2026: Google, Nvidia and Energy CEOs Tackle AI Power Demand as Constellation, Vistra, NextEra Stocks Rise

AI’s hunger for electricity grabbed center stage at CERAWeek on Monday, as global energy and tech leaders zeroed in on surging power needs. Google’s Ruth Porat said the U.S. wasn’t “full throttle on energy,” setting a blunt tone. Nvidia, meanwhile, announced new partnerships with AES, Constellation, Invenergy, NextEra Energy, Nscale Energy & Power, and Vistra, targeting AI data centers that can adjust to the grid’s swings. The clock’s ticking on this one. S&P Global is billing this year’s conference as a magnet for tech heavyweights in Houston, zeroing in on how data-center expansion is shaking up energy markets. Among the highlights: a main session dubbed “Powering the AI Revolution,” plus a panel on reliability and affordability with Porat, John Ketchum,
March 23, 2026
Global Push to Revive Clean Energy Incentives Gains Momentum as EU Backs Wind, Hydrogen Amid Oil Shock
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Global Push to Revive Clean Energy Incentives Gains Momentum as EU Backs Wind, Hydrogen Amid Oil Shock

The European Commission signed off Monday on new state support for Danish offshore wind and French hydrogen projects, channeling more money into the EU’s renewables push. Brussels is also considering wider tax relief and looser rules on public aid in a bid to protect both consumers and manufacturers from another surge in energy prices. It’s hard to miss the timing. The U.N. weather agency confirmed this was the planet’s hottest 11-year period—2015 through 2025—on record. After tumbling 10% Monday, Brent crude still hovered near $101 a barrel. IEA chief Fatih Birol didn’t mince words, saying the Middle East crisis is “worse than the two oil shocks of the 1970s put together.” The EU, which relies on imports for over 90%
March 23, 2026
New Ai+ Nova Series Signals Shift Toward Personalized, AI-Driven Smartphone Experiences in India

New Ai+ Nova Series Signals Shift Toward Personalized, AI-Driven Smartphone Experiences in India

Ai+ Smartphone plans to roll out its Nova 2 and Nova 2 Ultra 5G models in India on April 9, kicking off a lineup of five devices. The focus? Not just hardware, but personalization. The Nova 2 Ultra stands out with customizable rear lights that respond to calls, messages, music, and other notifications. The Nova 2, meanwhile, is positioned as the more performance-driven pick. It's a problem for smartphone manufacturers, who have fewer straightforward ways to entice buyers. Reuters last month flagged that higher memory prices are expected to drag global shipments down 12.9% in 2026. Yet in India, Omdia numbers quoted by the Economic Times pointed to AI-capable smartphone shipments more than doubling year-on-year in the third quarter of
March 23, 2026
Nvidia, Utility Stocks Gain as AI Power Demand Puts Data-Center Electricity Use on Track for 2030 Highs

Nvidia, Utility Stocks Gain as AI Power Demand Puts Data-Center Electricity Use on Track for 2030 Highs

Nvidia and Emerald AI said Monday they’re teaming up with U.S. utilities—including Constellation, NextEra Energy, and Vistra—to develop “power-flexible” AI data centers. On the same day, EPRI introduced a voluntary framework aimed at trimming the time it takes these centers to lock in electricity. The announcements landed as CERAWeek kicked off in Houston, highlighting a challenge that’s suddenly front and center for the AI sector: power. The load isn’t small anymore, and that’s significant. According to EPRI last month, U.S. data centers could soak up as much as 9% to 17% of nationwide electricity generation by 2030—up sharply from the current 4% to 5%. The Energy Information Administration is also projecting that U.S. power demand will hit new highs in
March 23, 2026
AI Agents Begin Replacing Traditional Mobile Apps as Tencent and Alibaba Shake the Smartphone Economy
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AI Agents Begin Replacing Traditional Mobile Apps as Tencent and Alibaba Shake the Smartphone Economy

Tencent’s decision to tuck OpenClaw directly into WeChat—it now shows up as a contact, right alongside friends and colleagues—has yanked the app-to-agent transition out of the lab and straight onto the phones of WeChat’s billion-plus monthly users. Then, on Monday, Alibaba raised the stakes again, bringing out Accio Work, its latest agent platform. The timing is crucial: China's tech giants have stopped treating agents as just extras. Now, they're weaving these tools deep into messaging, payments, shopping, and workplace apps, shifting the experience from a series of app taps to a single command. On Monday, a U.S. congressional advisory panel said the next leap isn't just bigger language models—it's agentic AI, where systems carry out actions, not just respond to
March 23, 2026
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