Pauses

• Chinese AI pioneer DeepSeek has verbally informed prospective investors that it is suspending its second fundraising round. • The decision follows the leak of transcripts attributed to founder Liang Wenfeng, which triggered intense online debate regarding China's technological gap with the U.S. • This pause highlights growing concerns over China's heavy reliance on American hardware to power its domestic artificial intelligence development.

• DeepSeek has suspended its second funding round following the viral leak of comments made by founder Liang Wenfeng. • The leaked discussions centered on the company's heavy reliance on Nvidia chips and the existing gap in AI capabilities between China and the West. • The pause comes as DeepSeek, owned by Zhejiang High-Flyer Asset Management, prioritizes open-source development and aggressive pricing over immediate revenue.

Top military officials say campaign has reached its limit of effectiveness and warn of dwindling stocks of munitionsThe US has paused strikes on Iran for a second night as top military officials advised Donald Trump to halt his bombing campaign, and diplomatic negotiations have continued to avoid a return to all-out war.Trump is said to be weighing up diplomatic and military options in the nearly five-month-old conflict, with Benjamin Netanyahu expected to visit the White House on Tuesday. The Israeli prime minister is a vocal critic of Washington’s negotiations with Iranian leaders and has pressed for the US to continue its strikes against Iran. Continue reading...

• DeepSeek has paused its second round of financing, which was targeted at raising $1.5 billion. • This delay follows a record-breaking first round of $7 billion led by Tencent, CATL, and a state-backed AI investment fund. • The pause comes amid viral posts by founder Liang Wenfeng, highlighting the volatility surrounding the company's rapid growth.

• DeepSeek, a leading Chinese AI firm, has suspended its second fundraising round and delayed the signing of investment agreements. • The pause follows the viral spread of comments attributed to founder Liang Wenfeng concerning the ongoing AI competition between the U.S. and China. • This move highlights the volatility of AI investment in China, where geopolitical tensions and public statements can abruptly impact financial stability.

• Chinese AI startup DeepSeek has paused its second fundraising round shortly after securing a record $7 billion in previous funding. • The decision follows the viral spread of comments attributed to founder Liang Wenfeng regarding China's AI industry and its competition with the United States. • This pause highlights the volatility of the AI investment landscape and the potential impact of public statements on corporate financing.

The deaths of Joan Sebastian Guerrero and Lorenzo Salgado Araujo have prompted calls for independent investigationsFederal immigration officials have been instructed to stop pulling over vehicles until further notice, according to a homeland security source, following two recent deadly shootings in Texas and Maine during which officials shot and killed immigrants in vehicles.Other news outlets, including Fox News and CNN, confirmed that officials nationwide received the instructions, with the former reporting some vehicle stops would be allowed to target “the most egregious criminal aliens”. Continue reading...

• A UN agency has paused its initiative to evacuate ships from the Strait of Hormuz following a recent attack on a vessel in the region. • Tensions remain high as the U.S. and Iran issue conflicting statements while negotiators continue to push for a final, comprehensive peace deal. • A senior Lebanese military official disputed claims of an Israeli pullback, stating that Israeli forces continue to strictly enforce a buffer zone.

International Maritime Organization says plan on hold until safety guarantees confirmed after projectile hits vesselA United Nations agency paused the evacuation of ships through the strait of Hormuz on Thursday after the British military said a vessel was hit by a projectile off the coast of Oman following the passage of several tankers that used a route backed by the UN.The head of the UN’s International Maritime Organization said the plan to move stranded ships out of the Persian Gulf through the strait will be on hold until the agency can confirm safety guarantees for the ships on the evacuation list and in the region. Continue reading...

Workers signed petition against tool that tracked staff keystrokes, mouse clicks and computer screen contentMark Zuckerberg’s Meta has paused a program that tracked employees’ computer activity amid data privacy concerns and a staff backlash.The owner of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp had introduced a tool that tracked staff keystrokes, mouse clicks and content displayed on computer screens in order to collect data for training its AI models. Continue reading...

But Trump administration will not return detainees deported to third countries in disease-struck regionThe Trump administration will temporarily pause the removal of refugees to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) during a spiraling Ebola outbreak, according to reporting by Politico, but experts say the move won’t help prevent the spread of the disease.At least one woman is now in limbo after officials moved her to Kinshasa, the capital of the DRC, and now say they won’t bring her back because of the Ebola travel ban – despite a judge’s order for her return. Continue reading...

• President Trump announced on May 5 that military operations against Iran would be paused as negotiations advance toward a broader agreement, marking a significant shift in the months-long conflict initiated on February 28, 2026. • The pause follows diplomatic engagement including a high-level Israel-Lebanon meeting on April 14 and a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah announced on April 16, signaling momentum in regional peace talks. • The operational pause suggests the Trump administration believes negotiated settlement is achievable despite initial military intervention, though specific terms of the proposed Iran deal remain undisclosed.

• US President Donald Trump announced a pause on 'Project Freedom,' his plan to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz, following 'great progress' in talks with Iran announced on May 6, 2026. • Trump cited 'very good talks' with Iran in the last 24 hours and hopes for a permanent peace deal, with Iran reviewing a US proposal via Pakistani intermediaries. • The decision came after backlash from Gulf allies notified in advance, amid Trump's prediction that the war in Iran 'will be over quickly' while insisting Tehran cannot have nuclear weapons.

• President Trump announced Tuesday evening that he is pausing 'Project Freedom,' the operation to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz, citing 'great progress' toward a complete agreement with Iran and requests from Pakistan and other countries. • Trump stated the pause would last 'for a short period of time to see whether or not the Agreement can be finalized and signed,' while maintaining the US naval blockade of Iranian ports remains in effect. • The move represents a significant shift in Trump's confrontational posture toward Iran after months of military escalation, though Secretary of State Marco Rubio continued criticizing Iran for effectively closing the strategic oil passageway.

Bills are response to election petitions challenging Godwin Friday and fellow politician’s eligibility to be MPs because of dual citizenshipThe St Vincent and the Grenadines government has delayed a controversial effort to amend a section of the country’s constitution that the opposition says renders the prime minister ineligible for his position in parliament.Two bills, among six listed for the parliament session on Tuesday this week, were aimed at clarifying a section of the 1979 constitution governing the citizenship eligibility of members of parliament. Continue reading...

• The CDC temporarily halted testing for rabies and pox viruses—including those for smallpox and mpox—to assist state labs, as part of an agency-wide review started in late 2024. • By July, the rabies team will have only one advisor left for states, while the pox virus team will have none due to dwindling staff from resignations and layoffs. • Experts express concern over reduced clinical expertise, potentially weakening national responses to outbreaks.

• Amazon MGM Studios halted production on the new 'Tomb Raider' streaming series after Sophie Turner sustained an injury. • The studio stated, 'As a precaution, production has briefly paused to allow her time to recover. We look forward to resuming production as soon as possible.' • ABC News sought comment from Turner's representative amid the production stoppage.

• President Trump announced a 10-day pause in strikes on Iran's energy infrastructure through April 6, 2026, at 8:00 p.m. Eastern time, citing ongoing negotiations mediated by Pakistan under a 15-point framework. • Trump disclosed that Iran sent ten oil tankers as a goodwill gesture, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio characterized Iran's clerical leadership as "religious fanatics" posing a global nuclear threat. • Israel confirmed the killing of Iran's navy head responsible for Strait of Hormuz disruptions, while Iran launched emergency recruitment and lowered its draft age to 12, according to CBN News reporting.

Israeli military says it will continue operations in line with Israeli government directives until told otherwiseMiddle East crisis – live updatesThe Israeli military said it had launched a new wave of strikes on Tehran, after Donald Trump signalled a pause in US attacks against energy infrastructure after what he said were talks with Iran.The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said it would continue operations in line with Israeli government directives until told otherwise. Continue reading...

Meta halted construction on a key segment of its 2Africa subsea cable project on March 13, 2026, citing security threats from the escalating US-Iran conflict disrupting Middle East routes. The $1.2 billion initiative, spanning 37,000 km to connect Africa and Europe, faces delays costing millions in potential bandwidth losses. This pause underscores geopolitical risks to global tech infrastructure investments, as Iran tensions threaten undersea cables vital for AI data flows. Meta plans rerouting assessments, with resumption eyed post-ceasefire.