Independent News & People Network Desk of News

A flap of wings in Beijing

Source: The Hindu Business Line – Markets · Published: 2026-04-29T15:27:16+00:00

AI anxiety. China’s move to stop the Manus-Meta deal mirrors the US’ recent moves on curbing American investments in Chinese AI

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Coast Guard Calls Off Search for Crew of Capsized Cargo Ship

Source: New York Times - World · Published: 2026-04-29T15:14:13+00:00

The Mariana, a 145-foot vessel with six crew members, was found overturned after a typhoon, prompting an 11-day search which found no survivors.

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Pete Hegseth defends war on Iran as he appears before House armed services committee – US politics live

Source: The Guardian - World · Published: 2026-04-29T15:12:57+00:00

Defense secretary faces questions from lawmakers over Pentagon budget request for first time in public since US-Israeli war on Iran beganSign up for the Breaking News US emailThe US Federal Reserve is widely expected to hold interest rates steady on Wednesday after a key policy meeting, likely the last chaired by central bank chief Jerome Powell, a frequent target of president Donald Trump’s ire.Policymakers will weigh the risks of surging energy prices and snarled supply chains due to the US-Israel war on Iran, with analysts widely expecting a third pause in a row as the effects of the confli

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Maryland becomes first state to ban surveillance pricing in grocery stores

Source: The Guardian - World · Published: 2026-04-29T15:05:33+00:00

Critics say Maryland’s new law banning rapidly change product costs based on consumer data is full of carveoutsMaryland has become the first state in the US to ban surveillance pricing in grocery stores.Maryland’s law bans grocers and third-party delivery services from using a person’s personal data to set higher prices. Wes Moore, the governor, signed the measure into law on Tuesday. “At a time when technology can predict what we need, when we need it, when we’ll pay for it and also – when we’ll pay more for it, and at a time when we’re watching how big companies are then using these analytic

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Guardian Essential poll: Australians want higher tax on gas exports and extension of petrol excise cut

Source: The Guardian - World · Published: 2026-04-29T15:00:53+00:00

The fuel crisis is seeing more voters keen to shift to renewable energy rather than stick with fossil fuelsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA majority of Australians support taxing profits from gas exports and extending the cut to the fuel excise, according to the latest Guardian Essential poll, despite Anthony Albanese on Wednesday ruling out a new tax on existing gas export contracts.The poll also found the fuel crisis is seeing more voters keen to shift to renewable energy rather than stick with fossil fuels. Australians also say they’re already cutting back on tra

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Corporate boardrooms now have more than 10 lakh women, less than half of men

Source: The Hindu Business Line – Markets · Published: 2026-04-29T14:57:31+00:00

The 27th edition of annual publication ‘Women and Men in India,’ by Statistics Ministry termed the decision-making as fundamental to the exercise of agency and the ability of individuals to shape social, economic, and political outcomes.

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India to gain from UAE’s OPEC exit in long term

Source: The Hindu Business Line – Markets · Published: 2026-04-29T14:57:03+00:00

New Delhi may gain through increased crude and LPG flows and expanded energy cooperation

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Navigating the India-EU trade deal

Source: The Hindu Business Line – Markets · Published: 2026-04-29T14:57:01+00:00

Indian exporters must improve on regulatory compliance

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US supreme court weighs whether protected status of Haitians and Syrians can be revoked

Source: The Guardian - World · Published: 2026-04-29T14:52:51+00:00

Case looks at whether Trump administration has authority to strip hundreds of thousands of immigrants of TPSThe US supreme court was hearing oral arguments on Wednesday over whether the Trump administration can strip the temporary protected status (TPS) of hundreds of thousands of Syrians and Haitians, under a program that has shielded them from deportation owing to safety concerns in their countries of origin.People with TPS are given the permission to live and work in the US because the government has deemed their home countries to be unsafe because of war, political instability or natural d

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Pam Bondi to appear before House oversight panel over Epstein files

Source: The Guardian - World · Published: 2026-04-29T14:46:55+00:00

Democrats had filed civil contempt resolution against former attorney general for not appearing for depositionUS politics live – latest updatesThe House oversight and government reform committee has said that former attorney general Pam Bondi will now appear before the panel on 29 May to answer questions about the Department of Justice’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein investigation and its release of the Epstein files.The announcement of the date came shortly after the Democrats on the committee announced that they had filed a civil contempt resolution against Bondi after she did not appear f

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Consequences of Iran war ‘may echo for months or years to come,’ EU chief warns – as it happened

Source: The Guardian - World · Published: 2026-04-29T14:42:26+00:00

Ursula von der Leyen later due to meet new Hungarian leader who is seeking to unlock EU funds in return for reformsAFP is reporting that so far, officials in Brussels are hopeful that Péter Magyar – who once served under Viktor Orbán, before turning on his former boss – will genuinely launch a new chapter in ties.But wary of celebrating too soon, they insist they need to see concrete moves and not just kind words.“A huge mandate, a strong mandate, a great responsibility!We know our task: we will bring home the EU funds that Hungarians are entitled to. More soon.” Continue reading...

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Mystery ‘El Money’ figure paid men to set fire to property linked to Starmer, court hears

Source: The Guardian - World · Published: 2026-04-29T14:38:42+00:00

Three defendants deny plotting arson attack on two homes and a car connected to prime minister in London last yearA series of arson attacks on property linked to Keir Starmer was masterminded by a Russian-speaking contact using the pseudonym “El Money”, a court has heard.Roman Lavrynovych, 22, and Petro Pochynok, 35, both from Ukraine, and Stanislav Carpiuc, 27, a Romanian national, sat with their heads bent towards interpreters as Duncan Atkinson KC, prosecuting, opened the trial over the arson attacks in May last year. Continue reading...

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Mystery ‘El Money’ figure offered to pay men to set fire to property linked to Starmer, court hears

Source: The Guardian - World · Published: 2026-04-29T14:38:42+00:00

Three defendants deny plotting arson attack on two homes and a car connected to prime minister in London last yearA series of arson attacks on property linked to Keir Starmer was masterminded by a Russian-speaking contact using the pseudonym “El Money”, a court has heard.Roman Lavrynovych, 22, and Petro Pochynok, 35, both from Ukraine, and Stanislav Carpiuc, 27, a Romanian national, sat with their heads bent towards interpreters as Duncan Atkinson KC, prosecuting, opened the trial over the arson attacks in May last year. Continue reading...

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Kevin Warsh clears key Senate hurdle to replace Fed chair Powell

Source: The Guardian - World · Published: 2026-04-29T14:36:44+00:00

A Senate committee advances Trump’s pick as doubts linger over the Fed’s independence and Powell’s futureUS politics live – latest updatesSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailKevin Warsh, ​Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Federal Reserve, clears a key procedural hurdle on Wednesday, opening ‌the way for him to succeed Jerome Powell in coming weeks amid the White House’s unprecedented efforts to exert control over the world’s most powerful central bank.Warsh’s nomination was approved in a 13 to 11 vote, strictly along party lines with Republicans supporting the nomination, setting up

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US supreme court ‘demolishes’ key Voting Rights Act provision that prevented racial discrimination

Source: The Guardian - World · Published: 2026-04-29T14:35:10+00:00

Justices rule in landmark 6-3 decision that Louisiana will have to redraw its congressional mapSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxThe US supreme court has ruled that Louisiana will have to redraw its congressional map, in a landmark decision that effectively guts a major section of the Voting Rights Act.In a 6-3 decision along partisan lines, the court rendered ineffective section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, the last remaining powerful provision of the 1965 civil rights law that prevents racial discrimination in voting. Section 2 specifically has long

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