• Early trends from West Bengal assembly elections show BJP ahead of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), signaling a potential historic shift in the state's political landscape.
• The early leads suggest competitive dynamics across constituencies, though final results remain uncertain as vote counting progresses and trends can shift significantly.
• The election results could have implications for Indian politics at the national level and investor sentiment regarding governance and policy continuity in West Bengal's economy.
• India's government is changing airport privatisation rules to restrict any single entity from controlling more than 4 airports, down from Adani's current portfolio of 6, as 11 new airports are put up for bidding.
• The policy shift aims to increase competition in the airport sector and prevent monopolistic control, marking a significant change from the 2018 bidding process where Adani won all 6 airports with no bid caps.
• The move balances investment attractiveness with competition concerns, as industry stakeholders debate whether the new rules will deter or encourage participation from multiple operators.
Louisiana’s cultural hotspot could be surrounded by Gulf of Mexico before end of this century, authors sayThe process of relocating people from New Orleans should start immediately as the city has reached a “point of no return” that will see it surrounded by the ocean within decades due to the climate crisis, a stark new study has concluded.Ongoing sea level rise and the rampant erosion of wetlands in southern Louisiana will swallow up the New Orleans area within a few generations, with the new paper estimating the city “may well be surrounded by the Gulf of Mexico before the end of this century”. Continue reading...
• Assam election results are being counted with the BJP-led NDA aiming for a historic third consecutive victory under Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sharma's leadership.
• The election is being closely watched as a key indicator of NDA strength in Northeast India and has political significance for India's broader national political trajectory.
• The outcome could influence investor perception of political stability and policy direction in Northeast India's emerging markets and development initiatives.
• Attorney General James Uthmeier announced a criminal investigation into OpenAI after reviewing ChatGPT logs with a Florida State University student accused of killing two people last year.
• The probe examines OpenAI's role and response protocols in the deadly incident involving the AI chatbot.
• This action signals escalating legal accountability for AI companies in user harm cases.
• Indian innovators unveiled a breakthrough drone imaging technology on May 3, 2026, that completely eliminates the need for germanium, a critical mineral prone to supply chain disruptions from China.
• The new system uses alternative materials to maintain high-resolution infrared imaging capabilities, enabling drones for defense, agriculture, and surveillance without vulnerabilities.
• This development enhances India's strategic autonomy in drone tech amid global chip shortages and export restrictions, reducing dependency on imported rare earths.
• A comprehensive mapping identifies every major startup credit program available in 2026, targeting AI and cybersecurity innovators.
• Analysis shows most founders are leaving around $500K on the table by overlooking these non-dilutive funding sources.
• The resource aids US-based scaling startups in accessing credits essential for growth amid competitive venture landscapes.
• The U.S. Defense Department announced AI procurement contracts with seven companies: Amazon Web Services, Google, Microsoft, Nvidia, OpenAI, SpaceX, and Reflection AI, which raised $2 billion in funding last year.
• The AI products will be deployed in Impact Level 6 and 7 Defense Department systems capable of storing classified information, with access provided through an internal portal called GenAI.mil.
• Anthropic notably was excluded from the contracts after the Trump administration designated it as a supply chain risk in February, though the Pentagon reportedly continues using Anthropic's Claude Mythos Preview model.
• TechCrunch correspondent Anna Heim identified 21 emerging European AI and tech startups positioned to capture venture investor attention beyond market leaders Mistral AI and Lovable.
• The curated list of companies represents underreported opportunities in artificial intelligence and emerging technologies that venture insiders are quietly tracking.
• These startups compete in a market where established European firms continue securing massive funding rounds and launching competitive products.
• Moreh, an AI infrastructure software company led by CEO Gangwon Jo, announced successful validation of large language model inference performance, advancing the company's platform for optimizing AI workloads.
• The validation marks progress in Moreh's mission to simplify LLM deployment and reduce computational overhead, addressing a critical bottleneck for enterprises scaling AI applications.
• This development reflects the broader industry focus on AI infrastructure optimization as companies seek cost-effective solutions for running sophisticated language models at scale.
Exclusive: A Senate committee considering the illegal tobacco trade in Australia hears closed-session evidence from cigarette manufacturersGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAnti-smoking campaigners have accused the Coalition of secretly giving tobacco giants access to a parliamentary inquiry, a move they say undermines more than 15 years of precedent to protect public health.On Monday, representatives from tobacco company Philip Morris appeared before a Senate committee considering the illegal tobacco trade in Australia. Continue reading...
The Olympic Games minister, Tim Mander, and the child safety minister, Amanda Camm say they were not in a relationship when they were sworn inFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastQueensland’s opposition has accused the LNP government of being in an “integrity crisis” over an allegedly undisclosed affair between two ministers and has urged the government to show how the pair are avoiding conflicts of interest.But one prominent political commentator has warned Labor’s attack strategy may backfire – saying the issue “would not even make the list of things to be tested in the pub”. Continue reading...
Phase Space pilot programme with NHS mental health trust used to calm anxiety around exams, ADHD and home troublesSchools have begun deploying virtual reality to help pupils cope with stress caused by impending exams, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or difficult home lives.All 15 secondary schools in the London borough of Sutton are using VR headsets made by tech firm Phase Space in a pilot in conjunction with the local NHS mental health trust. Continue reading...
The prime minister is backing the deal as it would allow British firms to access the contracts funded by the loanGood morning. In the UK many MPs will be spending the bank holiday campaigning for the elections on Thursday, but Keir Starmer is in Armenia, where he has announced that he wants the UK to join the EU’s €90bn (£78bn) loan for Ukraine.Starmer is attending a European Political Community summit in Yerevan. The EPC is the group set up four years ago comprising all the EU countries, plus almost all the other European countries that are not EU members. Mark Carney, the Canadian PM, is also attending (on the grounds, presumably, that in the light of the geopolitical upheavel caused by Donald Trump, the Canadians now count as honorary Europeans.)In relation to the EU loan that we are discussing participating in, that is very good for Ukraine, because it will give Ukraine capability that is desperately needs in year five of this conflict.It’s very good for the UK, because of the capability that leads to jobs in the United Kingdom.The extra funding to Ukraine could unlock opportunity for British businesses to fill urgent capability needs for Ukraine as part of the initiative and give British defence industry access to major contracts.The move is a significant step towards a new ambitious relationship between the UK and EU – building on the prime minister’s calls at the Munich Security Conference in February to deepen defence and security cooperation to match the rapidly evolving threats faced by both sides. It also comes ahead of the UK – EU summit, expected to be held this summer, where both sides will discuss further economic and security cooperation. Continue reading...
Jimmy Wales remembers a toxic internet even before social media and says AI is ‘not a disaster’ for the free – and freely edited - online encyclopaediaFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastWikipedia’s founder, Jimmy Wales, has branded the Australian social media ban an “unmitigated disaster” and an “embarrassment” that is teaching kids to accept surveillance from tech companies when they go online.The online encyclopaedia that anyone can edit was born in a world before social media, in 2001. But Wales told Guardian Australia that many of the ills of social media existed even in the earlier stages of the internet. Continue reading...
• India has rejected Nepal's claim and objection to the upcoming Kailash Mansarovar Yatra (pilgrimage) scheduled to proceed via the Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand.
• The dispute underscores ongoing border demarcation issues between India and Nepal, specifically regarding the Lipulekh region in the western Himalayas.
• The disagreement could impact bilateral relations and regional stability, with implications for trade and cross-border cooperation between the two nations.
• Hangeng Trade Company has ceased operations at Pakistan's Gwadar port, citing an 'unfit business environment,' operational hurdles, financial losses, and stuck shipments despite government contact.
• The closure reflects escalating security challenges in Balochistan, where the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) has launched multiple attacks on Chinese nationals and China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects since 2021.
• The development raises concerns for China's $62 billion CPEC investment in Pakistan and threatens the viability of Gwadar as a strategic hub for Beijing's Arabian Sea access, potentially impacting regional connectivity and investment flows.
