Personal

• Chandranath Rath, personal assistant to West Bengal BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, was assassinated in Madhyamgram, North 24 Parganas, hit by three of four bullets while in a moving car. • The killing occurred two days after BJP's historic assembly election win over TMC on May 6, 2026, heightening post-poll tensions. • TMC condemned the murder on Thursday, demanding a CBI probe, while Chandra's mother broke down publicly, calling for life imprisonment for the killers.

• Bollywood actor Arjun Kapoor secured an ex parte ad interim injunction from the Delhi High Court on April 29 against social media accounts and websites misusing his name, image, and identity. • Justice Tushar Rao Gedela restrained defendants from unauthorized commercial use, including sales of T-shirts, posters, and event promotions exploiting Kapoor's personality rights. • The court observed multiple instances of commercial gain without permission, providing interim protection to the actor amid rising online misuse concerns.

In theory, Musk and Altman’s court fight could pose key questions about AI safety – in reality, it’s motivated by money and personal grievanceSign up for the TechScape newsletter: our free technology emailHello, and welcome to TechScape. I’m your host, Blake Montgomery, US tech editor at the Guardian, writing to you from beneath a cherry blossom tree in Prospect Park in New York City. Spring has arrived!Facing AI and a tough job market, gen Z turns to entrepreneurship: ‘I have to prove myself’ Continue reading...

Tom Kean, who has not voted since 5 March and whose seat is top Democratic target, due back ‘very soon’, speaker saysA vulnerable Republican congressman who has not voted in weeks “is attending to a personal health matter,” the speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, said on Friday as he struggles to maintain his historically small majority in Congress’s lower chamber.Tom Kean Jr’s New Jersey district is a top pickup target for Democrats in the November midterms, but the congressman has not cast a vote in the House since 5 March. Continue reading...

Lawsuit follows exchange on X in which airline suggested customer should clear their cache or book with incognito windowSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxJetBlue has been sued in a proposed class action claiming it uses customers’ personal data to set ticket prices, after its response to a social media post raised concern that the carrier employed “surveillance pricing” to make flying more expensive.According to a complaint filed late Wednesday in Brooklyn federal court, JetBlue conceals its use of “trackers” to set prices dynamically, and shares data with third parties whose programs help it decide when to raise fares. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Australian Recreation Union says it plans to support candidates and parties that oppose gun control laws brought in after terror attackGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA gun users’ group targeting marginal Labor seats in next year’s New South Wales election plans to campaign for candidates who oppose the government’s firearm laws enacted after the Bondi terror attack.In an email sent to the electorate offices of 15 Labor backbenchers last week, the Australian Recreation Union (ARU) said it had recruited campaign managers across 17 “vulnerable” electorates, including Kogarah, the seat of the premier, Chris Minns, and Swansea, held by the police minister, Yasmin Catley. Continue reading...

Defense secretary signs memo letting members request permission to carry firearms on military installationsDefense secretary Pete Hegseth signed a memo on Thursday that would allow military service members to request permission to carry their personal firearms on military installations such as bases, naval yards and recruitment centers, claiming the new policy will allow soldiers and other military personnel to defend themselves in case of an attack.While the full text of the memo has yet to be made public, it appears to loosen the current policy that allows for personnel to get permission to have their weapons on base on a case-by-case basis, and requires that they are registered with the base’s authorities and stored in a secure device. Continue reading...