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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party was on course to win two of four crucial state elections on Monday (May 4), expanding its influence and weakening its key rival half-way into his third term in office.

Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was set to return to power in the eastern state of Assam for the third straight term, and was sweeping West Bengal, counting trends on the Election Commission website showed. 

Both states border Bangladesh and infiltration into India was a key poll issue.

The BJP has never ruled West Bengal, a state where it had only three local lawmakers until 2021.

Modi, his closest aide and Home Minister Amit Shah and several senior BJP leaders have campaigned extensively in West Bengal for weeks, focusing on what they called illegal immigration from Bangladesh and the weak local economy under incumbent Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Banerjee is a fierce critic of Modi and a key member of India’s opposition alliance. She has been in power in the state since 2011.

The positive trend for the BJP in West Bengal also boosted market sentiment, with the 10-year bond yield down 2 basis points at 6.9954 per cent, bond traders said.

BLOW TO OPPOSITION ALLIANCE

In the southern state of Tamil Nadu, a major hub for electronics and automobiles, popular movie star Joseph Vijay, a first-time entrant into politics who launched his party only two years ago, looked on course to oust the ruling DMK party.

The actor, who goes by the single name Vijay, has a frenzied fan following in the state, which has a history of electing film stars to the top office.

In the other southern state of Kerala, an alliance led by the Congress party looked set to defeat the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist).

The DMK is also a vocal rival of Modi, and DMK and Banerjee’s ruling TMC party were the main pillars of the Congress-led opposition INDIA alliance.

The alliance jointly fought the 2024 general election and deprived Modi of an outright majority, forcing him to rely on the support of regional parties to form a coalition government.

Their losses are expected to significantly weaken opposition to Modi in 2029, when he will contest for a record fourth term in office.

Final results are expected to be clear by Monday evening but the outcome is not expected to have an immediate impact on politics or policy at the federal level.

Source: Reuters

Spirit Airlines is reportedly preparing to shut down indefinitely after filing for bankruptcy last summer, as recent government bailout negotiations appear to have failed.

On Friday, President Donald Trump addressed the potential government bailout for the low-budget airline, signaling that a deal could be reached.

“Well, we’re looking at it, but if we can’t make a good deal, no institution has been able to do it,” Trump said. “I said I’d like to save the jobs, but we’ll have an announcement sometime today. We gave them, we gave them a final proposal.”

Despite the president’s willingness to negotiate, Republican lawmakers largely oppose the $500 million bailout, and doubts are growing. On Friday, the airline’s stock plunged 65 percent.

Fox5 News reached out to Spirit directly. The company declined to comment on negotiations, but said Spirit is operating as usual.

Passengers express concerns

At Harry Reid International Airport, passengers shared their concerns about a possible shutdown.

“It’s really going to hurt the travel industry a lot. And we’re already seeing the decline of travel here in Las Vegas, not just internationally, but domestically as well. Because inflation has really hurt everybody and everything,” said Brittany Thibault, a passenger.

In August, when Spirit filed for bankruptcy for the second time, the company had 25,000 direct employees and independent contractors, including more than 3,000 pilots, 5,000 flight attendants and 600 aircraft maintenance technicians.

The president for the AFA-CWA, the union that represents Spirit Airlines’ flight attendants, provided a social media post directed at President Donald Trump.

“If @realDonaldTrump wants to help @SpiritAirlines he can do it. It’s in his hands. Everyday Americans will hurt - beyond the nearly 20k employees who will lose their livelihoods - it will cost consumers $1B annually. If you’re in charge @POTUS then make it happen now,” the post said.

Thibault said she plans to go to Thailand in December and is uncertain what that will look like if Spirit goes out of business.

For now, passengers should check their bookings and stay alert as this story develops.

Source: Fox5

A sharp rise in cybercrime has shaken India, where nearly 2.5 million people lost an estimated $25 billion to digital fraud in 2025, highlighting growing risks in the country’s fast-expanding online payment ecosystem.

One common tactic involves fraudsters posing as authorities and sending fake payment links. In one such case, a man in Pune was tricked into paying a small traffic fine, only to unknowingly authorise a much larger transaction after sharing a one-time password. Experts describe such scams as ‘‘social engineering,’‘ where urgency and fear are used to manipulate victims.

The surge in fraud coincides with the rapid adoption of digital payments across India, which has outpaced user awareness and security safeguards—especially among elderly and less tech-savvy populations.

In response, the Reserve Bank of India is considering new measures to curb cybercrime. Proposed steps include introducing a one-hour delay for certain bank transfers, adding extra verification for high-value transactions, and tightening checks on suspicious accounts often used to move illicit funds.

However, experts warn that these measures may have limited impact. Many scams have evolved beyond basic OTP fraud into more sophisticated schemes, and adding delays could undermine the real-time nature of digital payments without fully stopping criminals. 

There are also concerns about implementation challenges. Changes to payment infrastructure could be costly and complex, and added friction may inconvenience genuine users. Critics argue that fraudsters may quickly adapt to any new system restrictions.

Specialists say stronger enforcement, better coordination between agencies, and wider digital literacy campaigns are essential to tackling the issue. While the central bank has already launched awareness drives, including partnerships with major public figures and sporting events, analysts believe education remains the most effective long-term defence.

Source: Minute Mirror 

The Department of Meteorology has forecast showers or thundershowers across most parts of the island after 1.00 p.m. today (30), with several provinces expected to experience significant rainfall and unsettled weather conditions.

According to the Met. Department, fairly heavy rainfall exceeding 50 mm is likely in some areas of the Sabaragamuwa, Central and North Central provinces, as well as in the Trincomalee district.

Morning showers are also expected in parts of the Southern Province and the Kalutara district, bringing wet conditions to those areas earlier in the day.

In addition, misty conditions are anticipated in several parts of the Central, Sabaragamuwa, North Central and Uva provinces, which may affect visibility, particularly in elevated and inland regions.

The general public has been advised to take adequate precautions to minimize damage caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President of Vietnam To Lam, together with a high-ranking delegation of the country, is going to pay a state visit to Sri Lanka from May 7 to 8.

The visit will be made at the invitation of President of Sri Lanka Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced.

Source: VNA/VNP

Oil prices have soared following reports that the US is preparing for an ‘‘extended’’ blockade of Iran.

The global benchmark oil price, Brent crude, rose above $120 (£89) a barrel on Wednesday, briefly hitting $122, its highest price since 2022.

The BBC understands that energy executives including Chevron chief executive Mike Wirth met US President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday to discuss how to limit the fallout from the conflict on American consumers.

Oil traders appear to have taken the meeting as a sign the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz will continue for a long time.

The executives discussed topics including domestic energy production, progress in Venezuela, oil futures, natural gas, and shipping, according to a White House official.

They described the meeting as being part of the President’s regular meetings with energy executives to discuss their industry.

The meeting follows separate reports from the Wall Street Journal that US President Donald Trump has instructed aides to prepare to extend the ongoing blockade of Iran’s ports, in an effort to squeeze the country’s economy.

Iran has said it will continue to disrupt traffic travelling through the Strait of Hormuz in response to the US blockade.

The price of oil has seen sharp swings since the start of the war, as the key Strait of Hormuz has been effectively closed for weeks due to the conflict.

Iran has severely restricted shipping through the strait — which usually carries about a fifth of the world’s supply of oil and liquid natural gas — in response to US and Israeli strikes that began on 28 February.

Earlier this month, Tehran warned that any vessel that approaches the strait would be targeted.

The US then announced that its forces would intercept or turn back vessels travelling to or from Iran’s ports.

Analysis by BBC Verify shows that at least four vessels tracked from Iranian ports appear to have crossed the US blockade line.

Despite the fluctuations of recent weeks, the price of oil remains much higher than the pre-conflict price of a barrel.

The price of Brent crude dropped to $90 a barrel on 17 April, after a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon was announced. The US said it would pause attacks on Iran on 8 April. It remains much higher than the pre-conflict price of a barrel.

However, the oil benchmark has been rising steadily over the last 12 days, as the US continued its blockade.

Lindsay James, investment strategist at Quilter, said that the impact of the war so far in the UK has been largely limited to higher petrol and diesel prices, but ‘‘every day that passes without a resumption of supply sees the risk of physical shortages and steeper price rises on a range of goods increasing’’.

The Iranian economy is facing a deepening crisis, with rapidly rising prices, falling currency value, and prospects of the oil exports grinding to a halt.

According to the Statistical Center of Iran, the annual inflation rate has risen to 53.7%.

The country’s currency, the rial, has fallen to a record low.

Around two million Iranians have lost their jobs, directly or indirectly, as a result of the war, the Iranian government had said last week.

On Wednesday, Trump urged Iran to ‘‘get smart soon’’ and sign a deal, following days of deadlock in efforts to end the conflict.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the country ‘‘couldn’t get its act together’’.
The Wall Street Journal cited US officials as saying the president had instructed aides to prepare for an ‘‘extended’’ blockade of Iran’s ports in a bid to force Tehran’s hand.

Officials said Trump had opted to continue squeezing Iran’s economy and oil exports with the blockade as his other options - resuming bombing or walking away from the conflict - carried more risk, according to the report.

Iranian officials said on Tuesday the country could withstand the blockade as it was using alternative trade routes.

The World Bank on Tuesday forecast energy prices would surge by 24% in 2026 to their highest level since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine four years ago, if the most acute disruptions caused by the Iran war end in May.

European stocks fell on Wednesday, as investors digested a wave of corporate earnings and awaited the US Federal Reserve’s latest interest rate decision.

The FTSE 100 index of the largest firms listed in the UK was down 1.2% at closing, while France’s Cac was down 0.39% at close and Germany’s Dax was down 0.27%.

In the US, the S&P 500 closed flat.

Asian stock markets mostly rose Wednesday, continuing their recovery after being particularly hard hit by the initial shock from the war.
Kathleen Brooks, research director at XTB, said: ‘‘Financial markets will now need to price in the prospect of a prolonged blockade.’’

Source: BBC

Three people have died after a suspected hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean, the World Health Organization (WHO) has told the BBC.

It reported one confirmed and five suspected cases. One UK national aged 69 is now in intensive care in Johannesburg, South Africa. Local officials later told the BBC he had the virus.

Hantavirus is usually passed to humans from rodents via their urine or faeces. It can cause severe respiratory illness. Rarely, it can be transmitted between people.

The UK Foreign Office told the BBC it was monitoring reports, and ready to support British nationals.

The outbreak was reported aboard the MV Hondius ship travelling from Argentina to Cape Verde.

The MV Hondius is run by tour company Oceanwide Expeditions.

According to an itinerary on its website, MV Hondius departed from Ushuaia in southern Argentina on 20 March and was expected to complete its journey on 4 May in Cape Verde.

It is described as a 107.6m (353ft) polar cruise ship, with space for 170 passengers in 80 cabins, along with 57 crew members, 13 guides and one doctor.

Foster Mohale, a spokesperson for South Africa’s health ministry, told the BBC there were about 150 tourists from various countries aboard the vessel.

Before the WHO confirmation of three deaths, Mohale told the BBC that at least two people had died.

He said the man, aged 70, and the woman, aged 69, were a Dutch couple.

The health official said the man suddenly became ill, developing fever, headache, abdominal pain and diarrhoea. He died on arrival on the island of St Helena, a British territory in the South Atlantic.

The woman also became ill on board and was evacuated to South Africa, where she died in a Johannesburg hospital.

The AFP news agency cited a source saying that the third fatality was still on board the ship.

Speaking anonymously, the source said and discussions were under way to decide whether two other sick passengers should be placed in isolation in hospital in Cape Verde.

The ship would then reportedly continue to Spain’s Canary Islands.

The WHO said it was helping co-ordinate between member states and the ship’s operators for the medical evacuation of two symptomatic passengers, as well as a full public health risk assessment and support for those still on board.

Source: BBC

The Meta-owned popular instant messaging app will drop support for versions older than Android 6 starting September 8, 2026. This means if you have a smartphone running an older Android OS, WhatsApp will stop working on that device.

Android users will be able to access WhatsApp as long as they are on the latest supported version of the app and running Android 6 or newer.

While WhatsApp continues to work on introducing new features for the future, the Meta app also knows that maintaining appropriate minimum requirements is important. New features usually need better system capabilities and higher performance.

This means older devices and operating systems may not be able to handle them well. It can also stop WhatsApp from adding some new features if they don’t work properly on older Android versions. As a result, WhatsApp is now announcing that it will drop support for certain versions of Android.

WhatsApp Is Reportedly Taking This Feature From Facebook Messenger

“The current supported version of WhatsApp for Android requires Android OS 5.0 or newer. This means that the app can run with the necessary stability and performance on a large number of devices. However, even as the Android ecosystem is moving toward Android 17, a certain number of users still rely on outdated devices,” WABetaInfo, a website that tracks WhatsApp, reported.

According to the report, this is especially common in countries such as India, Brazil, Pakistan, and across parts of Southeast Asia and Africa, where older smartphones are widely used. Many of these devices run versions much older than Android 10, which are no longer updated by manufacturers.

“This creates a growing gap between modern software requirements and older hardware still in active use,” the report said.

WhatsApp is notifying affected users by displaying an alert as soon as they open the app. The message notes that starting on September 8, 2026, WhatsApp will no longer be available on specific versions of Android.

Specifically, WhatsApp will drop support for all Android versions older than Android 6.0.

How To Read All Unread WhatsApp Messages At Once: A Simple Guide

This means phones running Android 5.0 and 5.1 won’t be able to use WhatsApp after this date. Even though only a small number of users are on these versions, WhatsApp still goes ahead with such updates. It is best to back up your chats before it’s too late.

WhatsApp is advising users to back up their chats to avoid losing data. You can easily do this using Google Drive from the app settings. If you don’t want to use cloud storage or don’t have space, you can also use a local backup.

WhatsApp automatically saves chats on your phone’s internal storage, which you can transfer manually later if needed.

No impact on iPhone users

This change only affects Android users. iPhones and iPads are not impacted. WhatsApp will continue to work on devices running iOS 15.1 and above.

The change currently applies only to Android devices and their minimum operating system requirements. For now, iOS users can continue using WhatsApp as usual without updating their devices due to this update.

What should you do?

If your phone runs Android 5.0 or 5.1, you’ll need to either update your software (if possible) or switch to a newer device to keep using WhatsApp. This applies to both WhatsApp Messenger and WhatsApp Business.

Source: Times Now