May

Federal Reserve official Michael Barr said additional interest rate hikes are likely needed to bring inflation back to the central bank's target. The remarks add to expectations that the Fed will keep monetary policy restrictive, with investors and analysts weighing how much further borrowing costs may rise and what that means for markets and the broader economy.

A new US intelligence assessment warns that Saudi Arabia may still choose to pursue nuclear weapons, despite ongoing diplomacy over a potential normalization deal with Israel that would include US civilian nuclear cooperation. The warning highlights persistent concern in Washington that Riyadh wants a nuclear option as a hedge against regional rival Iran, complicating negotiations.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has given an exclusive interview addressing the protests inside Iran and the future of the country's military actions. In the conversation, he discusses how Tehran plans to respond to ongoing domestic unrest and where its military posture may be headed. The interview is drawing wide attention as observers look for signals about Iran's next moves amid regional tensions.

Saudi Arabia has signaled it may be open to developing nuclear weapons, according to a New York Times report on US-Saudi politics. The statement marks a notable shift in the kingdom's public stance on nuclear armament, a topic long tied to regional rivalry with Iran and to negotiations over civilian nuclear cooperation and security guarantees with Washington.

A question is being raised over whether markets are pricing in too many interest rate increases from the European Central Bank. With inflation pressures still elevated, investors have been betting on a series of further hikes, but some analysts argue those expectations may overshoot what the ECB will actually deliver.

Billionaire investor Bill Ackman argues that the Federal Reserve's latest interest rate hike could actually make inflation worse rather than curb it. His warning challenges the central bank's standard playbook, suggesting higher rates may raise costs and stoke price pressures, and is fueling debate among investors and economists about the Fed's policy path.

Anthropic chief executive Dario Amodei previously warned that autonomous AI agents could take over the 'entire internet' if they ran out of control. The warning is being revisited after reports that OpenAI's tools have been involved in bot-driven activity online, fuelling debate about whether his scenario is starting to materialise.

Australian authorities have formally summoned the chief executives of OpenAI and Anthropic to appear before a public inquiry into artificial intelligence. The move marks a rare step of compelling US AI company leaders to testify abroad. The inquiry is examining the risks and regulation of advanced AI systems, and attention is on whether the executives will attend and what commitments they may offer.

Analysts say the $32 trillion US Treasury market may be entering a new phase in which interest rates around 5% become the norm, as yields on instruments such as the five-year note move higher. The shift would mark a break from the near-zero rate years and reshape expectations for borrowing costs, equities and the broader economy.

Gwynne Shotwell, President and COO of SpaceX, has sold roughly $52 million worth of her holdings days before the company's next Starship test flight, scheduled for Monday. The sale is drawing attention because it comes shortly before a high-profile launch, though executives routinely sell shares for diversification and tax reasons and SpaceX remains a private company with limited disclosure.

A Supreme Court ruling concerning a disputed election may come into conflict with state law, according to reporting by Honolulu Civil Beat. The potential clash raises questions about how election disputes would be resolved and which legal authority would prevail. No further details about the specific ruling, the state involved, or the reaction from officials are available at this time.

The European Union has called on member countries to reduce their gas consumption as concerns grow over supply. The request reflects fears that gas flows may become insufficient, and it asks national governments to take measures lowering demand. The move is drawing wide attention across Europe as countries weigh how to respond and what it means for households and industry.

Physicists report new evidence that gravity behaves holographically, meaning it can collapse the dimensions of space, though the implications for reality remain unknown. The findings, reported by Quanta Magazine, touch on the idea that our three-dimensional universe may be encoded on a lower-dimensional surface. Researchers say they understand the math but not yet what it means for the nature of spacetime, and cosmologists are debating the consequences.

Researchers have found that everyday plastic cleaning sponges shed trillions of microscopic fibers during normal use, adding a previously underestimated source of microplastics to household wastewater and the environment. The finding suggests routine cleaning chores may be contributing far more plastic pollution than assumed, prompting discussion about safer alternatives and possible regulatory scrutiny of common sponge materials.

The Trump administration is moving to lower federal fuel economy standards for cars and light trucks, rolling back efficiency requirements that had been set to tighten over the coming years. Automakers and environmental groups are expected to clash over the change: manufacturers may welcome reduced compliance costs, while critics warn it will raise gasoline consumption and emissions. The move marks a significant shift in US vehicle policy.

Scientists may have misinterpreted a geological clue dating back roughly 2 billion years, according to a new report highlighted by ScienceDaily. The finding suggests that assumptions about Earth's ancient history could need revising, with potential implications for how researchers understand the planet's early environmental and climate conditions. Details of the specific evidence and the scientific debate remain limited.

New research suggests radiation exposure could trigger a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease in the brain, adding to concerns about the neurological effects of radiation from medical treatments, occupational settings or space travel. The finding points to possible mechanisms linking radiation to dementia-like changes, though scientists caution more work is needed to confirm the risk in humans.

A treatment for insomnia may do more than improve sleep: it could also slow biological aging, according to recent reporting on the science. The suggestion that a therapy targeting poor sleep might influence aging at the cellular level has caught attention, linking two major health concerns — sleep quality and longevity — in a single finding.

BBC News examines a case in which artificial intelligence was used to hack a government, exploring how such an attack was possible and what it reveals about security weaknesses. The report raises questions about how AI tools can be exploited for cyberattacks on public institutions and what safeguards governments may need as the technology spreads.

A Quanta Magazine article explaining the holographic principle in physics is being discussed on Hacker News. The idea is that gravity in a volume of space can be described by information encoded on that volume's boundary, as in the AdS/CFT correspondence, suggesting three-dimensional reality may emerge from lower-dimensional information. Commenters on the post are debating what this implies about the fundamental nature of space, time and whether reality is a projection.

Bitcoin briefly rose above the $85,000 level, recording an intraday gain of 1.03% before settling back. The move marks a modest recovery for the cryptocurrency, which has faced volatility in recent trading sessions. Market watchers are treating the milestone as a sign of renewed buying interest, though analysts caution that gains at this level may not hold without sustained momentum and broader market support.

Food stamp payments through SNAP will increase on Oct. 1 as annual cost-of-living adjustments take effect. However, new program rules may lead to benefit cuts for some recipients, meaning households could see less support despite the higher amounts. The changes come as the USDA updates eligibility and work requirement policies.