Journalist
Han Young-hoon
han@ajunews.com
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Trump Says Administration Will Release More UFO Records Soon President Donald Trump said the U.S. government will again move to release as much information as possible on UFOs, also known as UAPs, or unidentified anomalous phenomena. Reuters reported that Trump said on April 29 (local time) that his administration would soon make public “as much information as possible” about UFOs. He had made similar remarks at an April 17 event in Phoenix, Arizona, saying he had found “many very interesting documents” during a review and that an initial release would begin soon. The comments reaffirm a disclosure plan he previewed in February. On Feb. 19, he said he would direct the Defense Department and related agencies to identify government documents on UFOs, UAPs and extraterrestrial life and begin the process for releasing them. The AP reported that he cited strong public interest at the time. Trump did not claim to have confirmed the existence of extraterrestrial life. He told the AP, “I don’t know if they’re real,” and said he had no opinion on the matter. The Pentagon’s past assessments have leaned against evidence of alien technology. Reuters said a 2024 Defense Department report found no proof of extraterrestrial technology in government investigations dating back to World War II, and concluded many sightings were misidentifications of ordinary objects or natural phenomena. In 2022, senior U.S. military leaders also said they had found no evidence that aliens had visited Earth or crashed here.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-30 10:46:21 -
Big Tech Stocks Diverge as AI Spending Lifts Alphabet, Amazon and Weighs on Meta Global Big Tech companies broadly posted higher results, but investors reacted differently. Alphabet and Amazon gained on signs of continued cloud and advertising momentum, while Meta’s heavier investment plans drew more attention. According to company announcements on April 29 (local time), Google parent Alphabet reported first-quarter revenue of $109.9 billion, up 22% from a year earlier. Google Cloud revenue rose 63% to $20.0 billion. Shares climbed more than 6% in after-hours trading following the report. Alphabet projected annual capital expenditures of up to $190 billion. Alphabet’s results most clearly highlighted the payoff from AI spending. CEO Sundar Pichai said, “Sales of enterprise AI products became a key driver of cloud growth.” Amazon also reported solid results. First-quarter revenue totaled $181.5 billion. Amazon Web Services revenue increased 28% to $37.6 billion, and advertising revenue rose 24% to $17.2 billion. First-quarter capital expenditures jumped 76% from a year earlier to $44.2 billion. After the company confirmed it would keep its annual investment plan at about $200 billion, the stock rose nearly 4% in after-hours trading. Microsoft extended its growth streak. Quarterly revenue rose 18% from a year earlier to $82.9 billion. Microsoft cloud revenue increased 29% to $54.5 billion, and cloud services revenue including Azure rose 40%. But with Azure growth not far above market expectations and a $190 billion capital spending plan also in focus, the stock weakened in after-hours trading before recovering to around flat. Meta also beat market expectations. First-quarter revenue rose 33% to $56.31 billion, and net profit jumped 61% to $26.77 billion. It forecast second-quarter revenue of $58.0 billion to $61.0 billion. However, after raising its full-year capital expenditure outlook to $125 billion to $145 billion, Meta shares fell more than 6% in after-hours trading.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-30 09:42:03 -
Wall Street Ends Mixed as Oil Jumps and Fed Split Widens; Dow Falls, Nasdaq Flat U.S. stocks finished mixed on Tuesday, pressured by a sharp rise in oil prices and higher Treasury yields, while the Federal Reserve held interest rates but revealed unusually deep internal divisions. The Dow fell, and the Nasdaq ended little changed. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed down 280.12 points, or 0.57%, at 48,861.81. The S&P 500 slipped 2.82 points, or 0.04%, to 7,135.98. The Nasdaq composite added 9.44 points, or 0.04%, to 24,673.24. The Russell 2000, which tracks smaller companies, fell 0.6%. Oil surged as U.S. pressure on Iran and tensions in the Middle East persisted. Brent crude rose as high as $111.84 a barrel intraday and settled at $110.44, up 5.8%. The jump revived inflation worries and pushed yields higher, dampening sentiment. The 10-year Treasury yield rose to 4.41%, and the 2-year yield climbed to 3.92%. The Fed added to investor caution by holding its benchmark rate at 3.5% to 3.75% on an 8-4 vote, its widest split since 1992. Three officials opposed leaving room in the statement for possible rate cuts, while one argued for a 0.25 percentage point cut. Markets read the outcome as a signal that expectations for rate cuts this year may be pushed back. By sector, energy stocks led on the oil rally, while utilities and materials fell. Starbucks rose 8.5% and Visa gained 8.3% after strong results. NXP Semiconductors jumped 25.5% on a robust earnings outlook. Robinhood slid 13.2% after disappointing results. After the close, big tech traded in different directions. Alphabet rose more than 3% in after-hours trading, while Meta Platforms, Microsoft and Amazon were lower. Investors are watching oil, interest rates and major tech earnings as key drivers for near-term market moves. 2026-04-30 08:23:51 -
Fed Holds Rates Again; Statement Fuels Doubts About Cuts This Year The Federal Reserve held its benchmark interest rate steady again, but investors did not treat the move as a simple pause. With the Fed sharpening its language on inflation and flagging overseas risks, markets read the decision as pushing expectations for rate cuts later this year further out. The Fed said on April 29 (local time) that the Federal Open Market Committee kept its target range at 3.5% to 3.75%. The statement said economic activity is expanding at a solid pace, but noted that inflation remains high and that recent global energy price increases have been partly reflected. It also cited the Middle East situation as a factor adding to elevated uncertainty in the economic outlook, signaling greater caution than in March. The bigger story was the split among policymakers. Governor Steven Miran dissented in favor of a 0.25 percentage-point cut. Beth Hammack, Neel Kashkari and Lorie Logan supported holding rates but opposed the statement’s wording, saying it still left the impression that cuts remained possible. The 8-4 vote marked the widest disagreement since October 1992, underscoring that the Fed is less inclined to treat rate cuts as the next automatic step. Chair Jerome Powell said the U.S. economy remains resilient despite the energy price shock. He said consumer spending and business investment are holding up, while housing is weak. On the labor market, Powell said the unemployment rate has held around 4.3% with little change and that job growth has slowed from earlier levels. Powell was more cautious on inflation. He put March’s personal consumption expenditures inflation at 3.5% and core PCE inflation, excluding food and energy, at about 3.2%. With higher oil prices stirring inflation expectations, energy costs — more than tariffs — emerged as a key factor making rate cuts harder, he said. Markets reacted quickly. U.S. Treasury yields rose and expectations for rate cuts this year weakened. In New York trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.57% and the S&P 500 slipped 0.04%. The Nasdaq edged up 0.04%. The two-year Treasury yield rose 10.7 basis points to 3.951%, and the 10-year yield climbed 7.6 basis points to 4.43%. Overall, the statement, the voting pattern and Powell’s remarks were seen as a signal the Fed will keep watching inflation trends for now. The meeting also drew attention as a transition point for the Fed. It was the last FOMC news conference under Powell’s chairmanship. On the same day, the Senate Banking Committee approved Kevin Warsh’s nomination as Fed chair and sent it to the full Senate. Powell said he would remain on the Fed’s board for some time after his term as chair ends.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-30 08:04:51 -
Samsung Family Wealth Doubles on AI Chip Rally, Easing Inheritance Tax Pressure Samsung’s founding family has more than doubled its wealth over the past year, helped by a boom in artificial intelligence-related semiconductors, according to a Bloomberg tally. The surge has eased pressure on the family after the late Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee’s death brought an inheritance tax bill of about 12 trillion won and as legal risks involving Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong weighed on the group. As of March, the combined wealth of Lee Jae-yong’s family stood at $45.5 billion, up from $20.1 billion a year earlier, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. The family rose to No. 3 among Asia’s richest clans from No. 10 last year. The family is set to complete the final installment payment this month on the 12 trillion won inheritance tax. The jump was driven largely by a sharp rise in Samsung Electronics shares. The stock gained 126% last year, its best annual increase in more than 20 years. Expectations for a semiconductor upturn lifted the shares as investment in AI infrastructure expanded and demand grew for memory chips used in AI. The rally has reduced the need for additional stake sales to raise funds for the inheritance tax. Lee Jae-yong’s personal wealth rose to $26.9 billion, reclaiming his position as South Korea’s richest person, Bloomberg said. Samsung’s weight in the domestic economy has also increased. Bloomberg calculations showed revenue at seven major Samsung affiliates, including Samsung Electronics, amounted to 19.3% of South Korea’s gross domestic product last year, up from 15.1% a decade earlier. Separately from the wealth gains, analysts said Samsung still faces pressure to improve corporate governance. While South Korean stocks have remained strong on expectations of narrowing the so-called Korea discount, Samsung has been viewed as lagging other large conglomerates in governance changes and measures to expand shareholder benefits. In a March report, Morgan Stanley said the Samsung Group was behind other major groups in plans aimed at boosting corporate value for investors. Park Sang-in, a professor at Seoul National University’s Graduate School of Public Administration, said the sharp rise in the stock price reduces the controlling family’s incentive to pursue additional governance improvements.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-29 17:41:56 -
China Halts New Level 4 Self-Driving Permits After Baidu Robotaxi Disruption China has reportedly suspended new permits for Level 4 (highly automated) self-driving vehicles, including robotaxis, after a major service disruption involving Baidu’s Apollo Go in Wuhan. The move is expected to slow the rollout of new vehicles, new pilot programs and expansion into additional cities. Bloomberg reported on the 29th that three government agencies, including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, held a meeting earlier this month with local officials running robotaxi or autonomous-driving pilot programs. The agencies called for comprehensive self-inspections and stronger safety monitoring, the report said, in an effort to prevent similar incidents after the Wuhan disruption. Reuters previously reported on the 14th that Chinese authorities ordered self-inspections and tighter supervision of road tests and pilot operations for intelligent connected vehicles. The measures restrict autonomous-driving companies from adding new robotaxis to their fleets, launching new pilot programs or expanding services to other cities. It is not yet clear how long the suspension will last. The immediate trigger was a disruption on March 31 in Wuhan involving Apollo Go. Citing Chinese media, Bloomberg said more than 100 Apollo Go robotaxis stopped on city roads. Reuters reported that local police attributed the incident to a system malfunction. Baidu has not publicly disclosed the exact cause. Apollo Go is China’s largest robotaxi operator, running hundreds of vehicles in more than 12 cities. Bloomberg said this is at least the second time Chinese authorities have paused new permits tied to a Baidu-related issue. In late 2024, approvals were frozen for several months after Wuhan residents pushed back against the spread of robotaxis, and the process resumed only in early 2025, the report said. Concerns about taxi-driver job losses were cited as a factor behind the opposition. Bloomberg also reported that Baidu’s robotaxi operations in Wuhan were halted during the authorities’ investigation. MIIT, the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Transport did not respond to requests for comment, and Baidu did not immediately respond, Bloomberg said. Separately from the permit suspension, existing services are continuing. Pony.ai said its services in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen are operating normally, and preparations to enter Changsha and Hangzhou are proceeding as planned. WeRide said it supports efforts to strengthen safety standards and that its services in China are operating normally.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-29 16:21:20 -
UAE’s OPEC Exit May Not Break Supply Coordination, but Could Shift Oil Market After War The United Arab Emirates’ decision to leave OPEC has exposed new strains inside the group, but it is too soon to read it as a sign of collapse or a wave of departures. The main force shaking the oil market is not output levels but war-related shipping disruptions and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz. In that sense, the UAE move points less to an immediate supply shock than to the risk that OPEC’s ability to steer the market could weaken after the war. According to Reuters, CNBC and The Edge Malaysia, even if the UAE exits OPEC on May 1, other members are likely to keep coordinating supply for now. Reuters, citing OPEC+ sources, said producers are expected to continue aligning supply policy. Iraq, for its part, said it wants “stable and acceptable oil prices” and has no plan to leave. The UAE’s departure is drawing attention because it was one of the few countries, along with Saudi Arabia, with significant spare capacity at the core of OPEC. CNBC reported that the UAE and Saudi Arabia together held more than half of the world’s over 4 million barrels of spare production capacity. Jorge Leon of Rystad Energy said the UAE exit would make OPEC “structurally weaker.” Reuters also reported that, by International Energy Agency estimates, OPEC+ control of global production would fall to about 45% from about 50% after the UAE leaves. Still, analysts do not expect the OPEC framework to be shaken sharply in the near term. Even without the UAE, a Saudi-led system of supply management could hold for the time being, with Saudi Arabia still seen as the key holder of spare capacity. Market analyst Gary Ross said, “In the end, Saudi Arabia was effectively OPEC.” A quick drop in oil prices also appears unlikely. Even if the UAE produces more, current conditions make it difficult to export additional barrels smoothly. Reuters said the UAE would struggle to sharply raise production and exports immediately with the Strait of Hormuz effectively blocked. CNBC also reported that oil futures showed little reaction to the UAE exit news. The bigger question is what happens after the war. The UAE has shown tensions with Saudi Arabia over production quotas and has sought quotas that better reflect its expanded capacity. CNBC reported the UAE has wanted freedom to set output without OPEC constraints and is targeting production capacity of 5 million barrels a day in 2027. If the war ends and Hormuz reopens, the UAE could be more likely to boost output. That could change the direction of prices. Ole Hansen of Saxo Bank said the market could absorb additional UAE barrels in the short term. But he warned that if other producers also prioritize market share over sticking to quotas, OPEC’s ability to coordinate supply could weaken. If supply rises and OPEC’s ability to defend prices erodes, the risk of lower prices would increase. Robin Mills, CEO of Dubai-based consultancy Qamar Energy, told CNN that the UAE exit could encourage other producers to leave. Nordea’s Jan von Gerich also said the UAE’s push to raise output is negative for oil prices.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-29 14:57:19 -
UAE’s ADNOC Plans Multibillion-Dollar Push Into U.S. Natural Gas The United Arab Emirates’ state oil company ADNOC plans to invest tens of billions of dollars to expand its U.S. natural gas business, seeking to diversify its commodities portfolio and build a global gas operation centered on liquefied natural gas (LNG) as energy-market volatility rises amid the Iran war. According to the Financial Times, ADNOC’s overseas investment platform, XRG, is reviewing 29 potential deals. The aim is to build a vertically integrated gas business spanning production, pipelines, processing plants, liquefaction facilities, regasification terminals and networks linking to end users. XRG Chief Investment Officer Namir Siddiqui, who took office in January, told the FT that “diversifying the commodities portfolio is the goal,” adding that XRG’s business “will be built across the entire gas value chain.” He said the plan to invest tens of billions of dollars across the U.S. gas sector “remains unchanged.” XRG is targeting two sources of demand in the U.S. market: rising global LNG demand and growing domestic gas demand driven by electricity needs from data centers. It is considering a range of approaches, including control acquisitions, drilling joint ventures and minority-stake investments. ADNOC has already taken a stake in the Rio Grande LNG project in Texas and increased its holding in a follow-on phase, positioning that investment as a base for broader expansion. But entry will not be easy. Major players are already established in the U.S. LNG market, and lenders have been cautious about new investments amid concerns about oversupply. Martin Houston, chairman of Omega Oil and Gas, told the FT that XRG has the financial capacity and determination to pursue big goals, but said a fully integrated gas business is highly complex and would take years.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-29 13:46:17 -
U.S. Embassy in Ukraine Faces Leadership Gap as Acting Envoy Plans Departure, FT Reports Julie Davis, the acting U.S. ambassador who has led the American Embassy in Ukraine, is expected to leave Kyiv soon, the Financial Times reported April 28 (local time). Citing multiple sources, the FT said Davis recently told the State Department she intends to step down and plans to leave Kyiv in June, ending a 30-year diplomatic career. Davis has served as chargé d’affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine since May last year. According to the FT, Davis has grown increasingly dissatisfied with the Trump administration’s reduced support for Ukraine and with circumstances surrounding her role. The State Department rejected that interpretation, saying Davis will continue to carry out Trump administration policy until her official departure. Before Davis, Bridget Brink, the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, resigned in April last year. The FT reported Brink solidified her decision after a clash between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the White House Oval Office in February 2025. The timing is a concern. The FT said the U.S. administration has pushed to end the war in Ukraine, but talks have stalled amid Russia’s lack of cooperation and the fallout from the U.S. war with Iran. Ukrainian intelligence officials told the FT that Russia is preparing a new offensive this summer. If a prolonged diplomatic gap emerges in Kyiv, concerns are growing that pressure on Ukraine could intensify during a Russian summer offensive. In Washington, some diplomats argue that key conflict posts such as Ukraine require a Senate-confirmed ambassador rather than an acting envoy. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told the FT, “We need a Senate-confirmed ambassador.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-29 10:45:18 -
Japan-Linked Tanker Crosses Strait of Hormuz After Iran Approval, Reports Say Reports said a Japan-linked oil tanker has transited the Strait of Hormuz after receiving approval from Iran. Reuters reported Monday, citing shipping data, that the Panama-flagged very large crude carrier Idemitsu Maru, managed by a unit of Japanese refiner Idemitsu Kosan, passed through the strait carrying 2 million barrels of Saudi crude. Reuters said it was the first passage by a Japan-linked crude carrier since U.S.-Iran clashes began on Feb. 28. The vessel was seen moving east near Iran’s Larak Island, the report said. The Wall Street Journal reported that the Idemitsu Maru crossed with explicit Iranian permission, citing Iran’s state-run Press TV and data from ship-tracking platform MarineTraffic. Nikkei and the Asahi Shimbun, citing a senior Japanese government official, reported the ship did not pay a separate transit fee. The official called the passage “the result of negotiations by the Japanese government.” The transit, however, does not signal a full return to normal traffic. Reuters said only seven ships passed through the strait over the past day, far below the prewar level of 125 to 140 a day. Markets have viewed the move as a sign of limited, selective passages rather than a full reopening. Tensions in the oil market also persisted. Reuters reported international crude prices rose nearly 3% on concerns about supply disruptions through Hormuz, underscoring that broader shipping flows have yet to return to normal levels.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-29 10:13:28