MMO Space Shooter Star Conflict Is Shutting Down
Star Conflict, the MMO space shooter from Star Gem Inc. and Gaijin Network, announced it will permanently shut down on October 10, 2026. The decision follows a steep decline in active players, with recent peaks under 400, and mounting technical and infrastructure costs. Key milestones include disabling new account registrations on May 14, 2026, and ending all monetization on June 1, 2026. The closure marks the end of a 13‑year run for the niche Linux‑friendly title.
PRAGMATA Reaches 1 Million Sold in 2 Days
Capcom announced that its new sci‑fi action‑adventure PRAGMATA sold over one million units within two days of its April 17, 2026 launch. The title, built by a younger development team, blends fast‑paced combat with puzzle mechanics and follows Hugh Williams and an android...
Meet Jere Calmes: The Iconic CEO Who Turned Reset Into Momentum
Jere Calmes, CEO of The Iconic since 2023, was named #8 in Inside Retail’s Top 50 People in E‑Commerce. He led a strategic reset that trimmed an unsustainable cost base built during the pandemic and refocused the business on technology, logistics...
NIH-Supported Study Develops AI Algorithm Trained on EHR Data to Predict Rare Disease
A NIH‑supported study unveiled the WEakly Supervised Transformer (WEST), an AI model that can predict rare diseases using noisy, incomplete electronic health record data. Tested on pulmonary hypertension and severe asthma, WEST outperformed all baseline models in identifying clinician‑confirmed cases....
Zydus Wellness Extends RiteBite Max Protein Into RTD Shakes, Ghee-Jaggery Bars and Korean Chips
Zydus Wellness is expanding its RiteBite Max Protein portfolio with ready‑to‑drink shakes, ghee‑jaggery protein bars and Korean‑flavoured protein chips. The new RTD shakes deliver 26 g of protein per 250 ml, while the bars offer 10 g protein and 4 g fibre, and the...
Ann Chin Popiah Brings Heritage Flavours to the Heartlands with Toa Payoh Hub Pop-Up Experience
Ann Chin Popiah will open a limited‑time pop‑up at Toa Payoh Hub in mid‑May 2026, taking over a long‑standing muah chee stall while keeping its original offering. The pop‑up will showcase the brand’s handmade popiah skins and kueh pie tee,...
China’s Silver Imports Jump to Record on Retail and Solar Demand
China set a new record by importing 836 tons of silver in March, far exceeding the 10‑year seasonal average of about 306 tons. The surge was driven primarily by heightened demand from retail investors buying physical silver and the country’s expansive solar‑panel...
Makko Launches AI-Powered 2D Game Studio with over 40,000 Game Assets Created in Beta
Makko AI has officially launched its AI‑powered 2D game studio at makko.ai after a beta focused on quality and creator feedback. The platform lets users generate cohesive 2D art assets and playable prototypes through conversational prompts, eliminating traditional drawing, animation,...
UK’s Aircraft Carrier Returns to Sea After Major Refit
The Royal Navy’s flagship aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth has left Rosyth Dockyard after completing a major planned maintenance program. Babcock’s engineers performed extensive inspections, repairs and targeted upgrades to the ship’s critical systems during the dry‑dock period. The refit...
Tennessee Becomes Another State To Enact New Law That Restricts AI Acting As A Mental Health Advisor
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed Senate Bill 1580 on April 6, 2026, adding Section 33‑1‑205 to the state code. The one‑page law, effective July 1, 2026, prohibits developers and deployers from advertising AI as a qualified mental‑health professional. Violations are treated as breaches of the...
AlUla Development Company Commences Construction on NUMAJ, Marking a New Phase of AlUla's Development
AlUla Development Company (UDC), a Public Investment Fund entity, has broken ground on NUMAJ, a 250‑room Marriott Autograph Collection hotel slated to open in 2027. Designed by GioForma and named after the ancient star system Nu Ursae Majoris, the resort...
AlphaGen Therapeutics to Present Preclinical Studies of Two Next-Generation Alpha Therapies at AACR 2026
AlphaGen Therapeutics announced it will present preclinical data on two next‑generation alpha radiopharmaceuticals, AG1002 and AG1206, at the AAC 2026 meeting in San Diego. AG1002 is a non‑agonist SSTR2‑targeting agent that achieved a superior tumor‑to‑kidney ratio and robust tumor inhibition in multiple...
XTransfer Export PMI: Emerging Markets Drive Growth, High-End Upgrading Opportunities Stand Out
XTransfer reported that emerging markets generated 73 % of its inbound cross‑border payment collections in Q1, rising 45 % year‑on‑year and outpacing China’s export growth to those regions. Collections from Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia surged 115 %, 97 % and 18 % respectively....
Treon Launches AI-Native Maintenance to Automate Industrial Uptime at Scale
Treon unveiled its AI‑native Maintenance Orchestration Layer at Hannover Messe, promising to automate maintenance workflows across factories, logistics hubs, and warehouses. The platform combines asset‑embedded intelligence, contextual AI, and agent‑driven execution to detect issues early, diagnose root causes, and trigger...
Supreme Court Dismisses PIL Seeking ‘National Son’ Status for Netaji Bose
The Supreme Court dismissed a public interest litigation that sought to declare Subhas Chandra Bose India’s “National Son” and credit the Indian National Army for the country’s independence. Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi called the petition frivolous, rebuked petitioner...
William Hill Owner Evoke in Takeover Talks With Bally’s Intralot
Bally’s Intralot SA has entered exclusive talks to acquire Evoke Plc, the parent of UK bookmaker William Hill. The proposal values Evoke at roughly £225 million (about $304 million) and translates to a 50‑pence‑per‑share offer. Evoke confirmed it is reviewing the bid,...
One in Three Large Companies Hit by VAT Investigation
HMRC has intensified its VAT enforcement, reporting a 31% jump to 11,894 investigations of large and medium‑size firms in the year to March 2025 – the highest level since 2021. The agency is targeting high‑value cases, averaging £8.6 million (≈$10.8 million) per closed...
HDRE, Tokyo Gas Sign 150MW BESS Deal in Japan as Trading, Curtailment and Disaster Relief Drive Use Cases in Growing...
HD Renewable Energy (HDRE) and Tokyo Gas have signed two new battery energy storage system (BESS) projects—a 99 MW plant and a 50 MW asset in Aomori—bringing their joint contracted capacity to 340 MW. The projects are covered by 20‑year Long‑Term Decarbonization Auction...
Prehistoric Life and Farming Sim Roots of Pacha Gets a Surprise Anniversary Update
Roots of Pacha, the prehistoric farming simulation from Soda Den, received a surprise Anniversary Update shortly after its 2023 launch. The free patch adds five pet hats, new cutscenes, expanded world interactions called Prosperity Spots, and several quality‑of‑life tweaks such as...
Es’hailSat and Media City Qatar Partner to Advance Satellite Capabilities
Es’hailSat has signed a strategic memorandum of understanding with Media City Qatar to broaden satellite broadcasting and digital media services for more than 500 licensed companies in the Qatari media hub. The partnership leverages Es’hailSat’s satellite capacity, playout solutions, and...
Monday Morning Round-Up
The legal sector saw several headline moves this week, most notably Sunny Mann’s rise from warehouse work to become global chair of Baker McKenzie, a $3.7 bn firm. In the UK, Harrow Court reopened after a three‑year shutdown while white‑collar defence lawyers...
Why Cannabis Highs Come Before 4/20 Day
April 20, known as 4/20, generated an estimated $167 million in U.S. cannabis retail sales in 2025, a 133% jump over the monthly average. However, data from Sweed shows that 60% of that revenue was earned on April 18‑19, with a 147% sales...
Echodyne Named as Radar System for Trust Automation’s $490M Air Force Counter-UAS Engineering Contract
Echodyne announced that its EchoShield radar will serve as the primary sensor in Trust Automation’s Small‑Unmanned Air Defense System (SUADS) platforms for a U.S. Air Force IDIQ contract valued at $490 million. The contract covers three variants—rapid‑deployable, fixed‑site, and expeditionary SUADS—each...
Exclusive: Your Delivery Robot Will Now Offer the Blind Real-Time, On-the-Ground Eyes Around Sidewalk Hazards
Coco Robotics, which runs about 10,000 delivery robots across the U.S. and Europe, has partnered with BlindSquare to stream real‑time sidewalk hazard data to the app used by visually impaired pedestrians. The integration will launch in six markets—Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago,...
Polish Cement Sector Faces Economic Strain
Poland’s cement industry is confronting a downturn, with output slated to drop 2% year‑over‑year to 16.8 Mt by 2026. Imports are set to top 2 Mt, largely from Ukrainian producers who enjoy lower operating costs. Domestic plants face energy bills that exceed...
Japan's Cement Industry Expects Historic Decline
Japan’s cement demand is set to fall to about 30 Mt by fiscal 2026, the lowest level since 1964 and far below the 1990 peak of 86.28 Mt. The slump is driven by 2024 work‑style reforms and overtime caps that lengthen construction...
LYCRA® ANTISTATIC Fiber Debuts at Techtextil, Bringing Advanced Comfort and Safety to Workwear and Personal Protective Equipment
The LYCRA Company unveiled its new LYCRA® ANTISTATIC fiber at Techtextil in Frankfurt, marking a global launch aimed at workwear and personal protective equipment. The fiber integrates proprietary anti‑static additives directly into the elastane structure, preserving the stretch and recovery LYCRA...
Manufacturing Breakthrough Dives Deep with Australia’s First Underwater 3D Printing System
Australian firm LUYTEN 3D, together with the University of Wollongong, unveiled Australia’s first submerged 3D concrete printing system and an accelerator‑free underwater concrete mix. The single‑mix formulation remains stable under water, removing the need for chemical accelerators that traditional marine...
Batteries Charge To The Edge
Breakthrough claims from Finland’s Donut Lab and China’s BYD signal a new era for battery chemistry, promising double‑the‑energy solid‑state cells and ultra‑fast charging that could reach 1,000 km on a single charge. While capacity gains have historically lagged at 4‑8% per...
RAIYS Launches Digital Support Solution as Neurodiversity Waiting Lists Soar
Raiys, a digital health platform, has launched a clinically‑led neurodiversity support solution to address soaring waiting lists for assessment and care. The offering combines 24/7 access to evidence‑based content, digital screening tools and behavioural resources across mobile, tablet and desktop....
Speed, Scale, and Simplicity in Microarray Analyzer
Thermo Fisher Scientific introduced the SwiftArrayStudio microarray analyzer, a fully automated platform that consolidates hybridization, staining, washing and scanning into a single instrument. The system can deliver genomic results in roughly 30 hours, a dramatic reduction from the traditional five‑day turnaround....
Chris Davies: AR Regime Consultation Signals Stronger Accountability Ahead
The UK Treasury’s consultation on the Appointed Representative (AR) regime builds on the FCA’s PS22/11 reforms, probing whether the current framework adequately curtails consumer harm. It signals a possible legislative overhaul if enhanced reporting, due‑diligence and governance standards prove insufficient....
61% of Travel Business Surveyed Experimenting with or Scaling Agentic AI
Travel firms are rapidly moving beyond generative AI, with 61% experimenting with or scaling agentic AI that can perform real‑world tasks. Phocuswright’s report shows 6% are actively scaling and 22% are beginning to scale these solutions. Adoption is fueled by...
Digest: Price Drops for ChatGPT Ads; Google in Talks with Pentagon; Publishing Giants Plan Cuts
OpenAI announced a steep reduction in ChatGPT advertising rates, with CPMs falling from the original $60 to as low as $15, and lowered the minimum spend to $50,000. Google is in negotiations with the U.S. Pentagon to grant access to...
Technology Targets a Revival in Copper Refining
Australia produced about 800,000 t of copper in 2024 and refined roughly 460,000 t, but its smelting capacity is tightening, threatening domestic value capture as global demand is projected to hit 35.1 mt by 2030. Start‑up Banksia Minerals, backed by an A$5 m (≈US$3.3 m)...
Demystifying Credit: Commercial Lease Securitisations
The Morningstar research note explains commercial lease securitisations, detailing how lease‑payment streams are transferred to special purpose vehicles and sliced into tranches for investors. It outlines why issuers use these structures to access cheaper funding while preserving balance‑sheet capacity. The...
Record Wind Generation Boosts Renewables but Highlights Grid Constraints
Great Britain recorded a historic 29.2 TWh of wind generation this year, pushing total renewable output to 40.3 TWh—up 20% year‑on‑year and covering 52% of electricity demand. Strong winter storms drove the surge, lowering wholesale prices and displacing fossil‑fuel generation, while gas...
UltraTech Cement Achieves Historic 200Mta Capacity Milestone in India
UltraTech Cement, part of the Aditya Birla Group, announced that its installed manufacturing capacity in India has surpassed 200 Mta, reaching 200.1 Mta after commissioning three new grinding units in Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh. The additions contribute 8.7 Mta, raising the...
Planetary Nets $28M to Scale Full-Stack Fermentation Platform for Sustainable Proteins
Swiss biotech startup Planetary secured CHF16 million ($20.4 million) in Series A financing and an additional CHF6 million ($7.6 million) credit facility, bringing total capital to roughly $41 million. The funds will expand its BioBlocks full‑stack fermentation platform, scale a global licensing business, and diversify its...
Uruguay's ANCAP Presses Ahead with Cement Restructuring Amid Union Dispute
Uruguay’s state‑owned energy firm ANCAP has terminated negotiations with the construction union Sunca and the workers’ federation Fancap, opting to move forward with a restructuring of its Portland cement business. The cement division posted a $31 million loss in 2025, prompting...
Nigeria’s Airtime Lifeline Just Got Disrupted
On April 12, MTN Nigeria abruptly discontinued its Xtratime and XtraByte airtime‑credit services, and Airtel followed suit days later. The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) clarified that the stoppage stems from operators’ failure to meet lending‑regulation deadlines introduced...
Resources Top 5: Tartana Minerals Closes in on Copper Sulphate Production
Tartana Minerals is poised to restart copper sulphate production within three weeks, targeting its first shipment to Kanins International in mid‑May. Meanwhile, Narryer Metals completed a A$1.056 million placement that brought seasoned miner Tim Goyder on board as a substantial shareholder....
Waitrose Moves Into Airport Travel Retail with Heathrow Launch
Waitrose is entering airport travel retail through a wholesale partnership with Lagardère Travel Retail, which operates the Relay brand. Four Relay stores in Heathrow Terminal 2 will stock Waitrose food‑to‑go items, with three airside and one landside location slated to open...
French Army Rebuilds After Years of Cuts
France has halved its army size over three decades, dropping from roughly 240,000 personnel to about 130,000 professional soldiers and cutting regiments from 129 to 80. Heavy equipment was trimmed dramatically, with tanks falling from 927 to around 200, artillery...
Mulberry Turnaround Gathers Pace as Sales Rebound and Christopher Kane Appointment Boosts Buzz
Mulberry reported a 5.7% constant‑currency sales increase for the year to 29 March, driven by a strong second‑half rebound after a 3.2% decline in the first half. The luxury brand credited its "Back to Mulberry Spirit" turnaround plan, tighter discount control...
At The Quint, AI Is Helping Readers Navigate Long-Form Journalism
The Quint, an Indian digital‑first news platform, launched NewsEasy – an AI‑powered widget that embeds article‑in‑brief summaries, five key takeaways, and a Q&A‑style breakdown within long‑form stories. Developed through WAN‑IFRA’s 2025 Newsroom AI Catalyst program with OpenAI, the tool operates...
How Niche Insurance Shielded Bad Bunny From Bad Weather
Bad Bunny's three sold‑out Medellín concerts faced a rain threat that could have caused multimillion‑dollar losses. A transatlantic team installed a temporary, shoe‑box‑sized weather station inside the stadium and secured a bespoke parametric insurance policy that triggers payouts when rainfall exceeds...
PM Modi Meets South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, Defence and Trade Ties in Focus
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung met in New Delhi for a three‑day state visit, underscoring the deepening India‑South Korea Special Strategic Partnership. The leaders focused on maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz, energy...
Altitude Minerals Lines up Byrock Copper-Gold Porphyry Drill Targets
Altitude Minerals is finalising drill collar locations for three high‑priority pipe‑like copper‑gold targets at its Byrock project in New South Wales. The company has integrated new gravity and passive‑seismic surveys with existing air‑core, rotary mud and diamond drilling data to...
China’s Lending Benchmark Stability Prompts Asian Markets Growth
China’s core lending benchmark, the 7‑day repo rate, has held steady at 2.5% for the third consecutive month, reinforcing liquidity in the country’s banking system. The stability has encouraged investors to increase exposure to Asian equities, driving a 1.8% rally...