Independent News & People Network Desk of News

Maharashtra Governor inaugurates AIU 100th annual conference in Pune

Source: The Hindu Business Line – Markets · Published: 2026-04-30T15:09:00+00:00

The event brings together key academic leaders and policymakers to discuss critical issues such as internationalisation, sustainability, entrepreneurship, and the role of emerging technologies like AI and quantum computing in higher education

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Louisiana claims supreme court voting rights decision means it cannot carry out primaries with current electoral maps – live

Source: The Guardian - World · Published: 2026-04-30T15:04:41+00:00

State’s governor and attorney general move to postpone midterm 2026 primaries just a day after supreme court ruling guts Voting Rights ActLouisiana postpones primaries as states rush to redraw districts after supreme court rulingHere’s more of that statement from Louisiana attorney general Liz Murrill and Republican governor Jeff Landry:Yesterday’s historic Supreme Court victory for Louisiana has an immediate consequence for the State. The Supreme Court previously stayed an injunction against the State’s enforcement of the current Congressional map. By the Court’s order, however, that stay aut

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Journalist Detained in Kuwait Says He Was Stripped of Citizenship

Source: New York Times - World · Published: 2026-04-30T15:03:16+00:00

Ahmed Shihab-Eldin, a Kuwaiti-American, was held for several weeks after posting about the Iran war. Kuwait does not appear to have commented publicly on his case.

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Two Green Party candidates arrested over alleged antisemitic online posts – UK politics live

Source: The Guardian - World · Published: 2026-04-30T15:01:24+00:00

The candidates standing in the upcoming local elections have been arrested on suspicion of stirring up racial hatredOn BBC Radio Merseyside the presenter, Tony Snell, put it to Kemi Badenoch that Merseyside was a lost cause for the Tories. He said that Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, had been on the programme yesterday. He said that Farage argued that Scousers were down to earth and the Tories they were seen as “aloof and remote”.Badenoch said no one had ever described her as aloof and remote. When it was put to her that Farage was talking about the party, she said the Tories were the part

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Trump launches fresh attack on Merz after threatening US troop reduction in Germany – as it happened

Source: The Guardian - World · Published: 2026-04-30T15:01:04+00:00

US president uses social media post to criticise chancellor over Ukraine, immigration and ‘interfering’ in Iran conflictThe Commission was also asked about yesterday’s meeting of Hungary’s incoming prime minister, Péter Magyar.But we didn’t get much more than what we saw in yesterday’s social media posts from Magyar and the EU’s Ursula von der Leyen. Continue reading...

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Calls grow to ban Palantir in Australia after manifesto described by UK MP as ‘ramblings of a supervillain’

Source: The Guardian - World · Published: 2026-04-30T15:00:23+00:00

Spy tech firm says it’s just ‘a software company’ amid pressure for a ban on new contracts with government agenciesFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastJust weeks after it implied some cultures are inferior to others in a manifesto described by one UK MP as the “ramblings of a supervillain”, the US spy tech company Palantir says it is just “a software company” amid calls for Australian government agencies to ban any new contracts with the controversial company.In Australia, state and federal contracts with Palantir hav

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Queensland rejects key Bondi report recommendation as Albanese’s gun buyback flounders

Source: The Guardian - World · Published: 2026-04-30T15:00:22+00:00

State’s police minister says buyback ‘doesn’t focus on keeping guns out of the hands of terrorists and criminals’, leaving NSW only clear supporter of planGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastQueensland has rejected key recommendations from the Bondi royal commission’s interim report, insisting plans for a national gun buyback will not keep weapons “out of the hands of terrorists and criminals”.The report, handed down by commissioner Virginia Bell on Thursday, raised doubts about whether efforts to establish a national gun register after the 2022 police killings at Wieamb

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Active-duty US soldiers to receive psychedelic drugs for PTSD next year

Source: The Guardian - World · Published: 2026-04-30T15:00:22+00:00

Hope that sessions of MDMA-assisted therapy could help soldiers fight longer by helping them process traumaAs the war on drugs approaches its end, a new doctrine could soon take hold: psychedelic drugs for active-duty soldiers suffering from PTSD.In two studies funded by the Department of Defense (DoD), 186 service personnel with PTSD will likely next year undergo multiple sessions of MDMA-assisted therapy. Continue reading...

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Australians will pay more if Albanese fast-tracks fossil fuel projects, former oil and gas leaders warn

Source: The Guardian - World · Published: 2026-04-30T15:00:21+00:00

Exclusive: Government should back projects that prioritise renewables to protect consumers from ongoing price shocks, they sayGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastFormer oil and gas industry leaders, including senior executives from BP and Shell, are warning the Albanese government that Australians risk ongoing price shocks and higher costs if it prioritises fossil fuel development in response to the global energy crisis.Sixteen ex-executives and professionals – who had worked for companies including Woodside, Inpex, Exxon Mobil and Esso – have urged the government to rej

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The chips are down: pizza, fried chicken and doughnut shares plunge on ASX as living costs bite budgets

Source: The Guardian - World · Published: 2026-04-30T15:00:21+00:00

Shares in Domino’s Pizza, KFC operator Collins Foods and multi-brand food franchise owner Retail Food Group have all suffered double-digit fallsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastOnce a symbol of cheap eating, fast food is transforming into a luxury many can no longer afford due to resurgent living costs.This shift is reflected on the ASX, where major pizza, fried chicken and doughnut outlets are seeing significant price drops, raising the question: are consumers so downbeat that they are even giving up on fast food? Continue reading...

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Australians will pay more if Albanese prioritises fossil fuel projects, former oil and gas leaders warn

Source: The Guardian - World · Published: 2026-04-30T15:00:21+00:00

Exclusive: Government should back projects that prioritise renewables to protect consumers from ongoing price shocks, they sayFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastFormer oil and gas industry leaders, including senior executives from BP and Shell, are warning the Albanese government that Australians risk ongoing price shocks and higher costs if it prioritises fossil fuel development in response to the global energy crisis.Sixteen ex-executives and professionals – who had worked for companies including Woodside, Inpex, E

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Banksy confirms statue of man blinded by flag that appeared in London is by him

Source: The Guardian - World · Published: 2026-04-30T14:55:02+00:00

Artist posted social media video showing large sculpture being towed into Waterloo Place in middle of nightA new Banksy statue, featuring a man with his face covered by a flag, was this week erected in the dead of night in central London.His new work of art was first spotted on Wednesday, and the artist’s signature was scrawled at the base of the statue’s plinth. Continue reading...

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Banksy confirms statue of man blinded by flag in London is his work

Source: The Guardian - World · Published: 2026-04-30T14:55:02+00:00

Artist posted social media video showing large sculpture being towed into Waterloo Place in middle of nightA new Banksy statue, featuring a man with his face covered by a flag, was this week erected in the dead of night in central London.His new work of art was first spotted on Wednesday, and the artist’s signature was scrawled at the base of the statue’s plinth. Continue reading...

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Trainee driver crashes bus into River Seine

Source: BBC News - World · Published: 2026-04-30T14:54:47+00:00

The driver hit a parked car and veered off the road into the river - about 12 miles south of Paris - early on Thursday.

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DoT reduces Vodafone Idea’s AGR dues to ₹64,046 crore, a 27 per cent reduction

Source: The Hindu Business Line – Markets · Published: 2026-04-30T14:44:56+00:00

The revised figure comes after a government-appointed committee reviewed the dues, in line with directions from the Supreme Court of India, which had earlier allowed the Centre to consider the company’s grievances regarding AGR calculations.

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Drones not always cheaper, aircraft offer better long-term value: Air Marshal Dixit

Source: The Hindu Business Line – Markets · Published: 2026-04-30T14:43:32+00:00

Speaking at the ANI National Security Summit 2.0, he highlighted that while drones and missiles may appear cheaper, their repeated use and limited impact can raise overall costs compared to aircraft capable of multiple sorties.

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Airlines brace for ATF price revision amid global oil volatility

Source: The Hindu Business Line – Markets · Published: 2026-04-30T14:38:57+00:00

The government had earlier capped the April price hike at 25% to shield airlines from a sharp surge triggered by geopolitical tensions, including disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.

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Union MF launches first long-short equity SIF under Arthaya

Source: The Hindu Business Line – Markets · Published: 2026-04-30T14:38:53+00:00

The fund is designed to provide investors with a more dynamic equity approach, aiming to generate returns across market cycles

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Germany was largest exporter of plastic waste in 2025, sending 810,000 tonnes overseas, analysis finds

Source: The Guardian - World · Published: 2026-04-30T14:38:13+00:00

UK was close behind, exporting 675,000 tonnes, with much of the waste sent to Turkey, Malaysia and Indonesia Germany was the world’s largest exporter of plastic waste in 2025 and sent more than 810,000 tonnes abroad, according to analysis of trade data carried out for the Guardian.The UK followed close behind, according to the analysis by Watershed Investigations and the Basel Action Network. It exported more 675,000 tonnes, its highest level in eight years and enough to fill about 127,000 shipping containers. Continue reading...

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Governor Janet Mills suspends Maine Senate bid weeks before primary clash

Source: The Guardian - World · Published: 2026-04-30T14:36:48+00:00

Mills cites lack of funds as rival to unseat Susan Collins fuels Democratic rift under Donald TrumpSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxJanet Mills, the Maine governor, on Thursday suspended her bid for the US Senate just weeks before the Democratic primary.Mills, who received backing from the Democratic establishment in Washington DC, said she no longer had the “financial resources” to face-off against first-time candidate Graham Platner, an oyster farmer and former marine, in a 9 June primary. Both were running to unseat Susan Collins, the five-term Re

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