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Beijing, May 14 (BNP): US President Donald Trump held high-level talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Thursday as both leaders began a series of meetings and diplomatic engagements scheduled over two days.

Trump received a grand ceremonial welcome in the Chinese capital, including a gun salute, performances by cheering schoolchildren and a visit to the historic 15th-century Temple of Heaven.

The US President is accompanied by several prominent business leaders and officials during the visit, including Elon Musk, Nvidia chief Jensen Huang and Trump’s son Eric Trump.

The summit discussions are expected to focus on trade relations, technology cooperation, global security issues and economic partnerships amid evolving geopolitical tensions between the two countries.

Chennai, May 14 (BNP): The Tamil Nadu government led by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Thursday announced a 2 per cent increase in Dearness Allowance (DA) for state government employees and teachers with retrospective effect from January 1, 2026.

According to an official statement, the DA has been revised from 58 per cent to 60 per cent, benefiting nearly 16 lakh government employees, teachers, pensioners and family pensioners across the state.

The government said the decision would place an additional financial burden of around ₹1,230 crore on the state exchequer. The administration stated that government employees and teachers play a crucial role in implementing welfare-oriented programmes and ensuring effective public service delivery.

The move is expected to provide financial relief to employees and pensioners amid rising living costs and inflation.

Vadodara,May 14 (BNP): Dairy major Amul has increased the prices of its packaged milk variants by ₹2 per litre, with the revised rates coming into effect from May 14 across the country.

The price hike applies to popular variants including Amul Gold, Amul Shakti, Taaza, Cow Milk and Slim & Trim. Following the increase, a 500 ml pouch of Amul Gold will now cost ₹35, while Amul Shakti and Slim & Trim are priced at ₹32 and ₹26 respectively in Gujarat.

The move has triggered concern among consumers in Vadodara, where residents said the rising prices of essential commodities are putting additional pressure on household budgets. Many homemakers and middle-class families expressed worry over managing daily expenses, stating that milk is an essential item consumed in almost every household.

The Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), which markets Amul products, said the increase amounts to nearly 2.5 to 3.5 per cent and marks the first hike in milk prices since May 2025.

Bengaluru, May 14 : The Climate Pledge  co-founded by Amazon, today published India’s first evidence-based roadmap for shifting freight transport from diesel to zero-exhaust-emission battery electric trucks  in collaboration with C40 Cities .

The National EV Highway Guidance Framework recommends a phased plan to electrify India’s busiest freight routes by 2027, beginning with 20 priority highways identified by the Ministry of Heavy Industries, expanding to industrial centres and ports and ultimately creating a seamless, EV-ready national freight network by 2035 

Why this Framework Matters India’s freight demand is expected to grow significantly in the coming years, increasing the need for cleaner transport solutions. Road transport already accounts for nearly 70% of goods movement in the country, while medium and heavy-duty trucks, despite making up just 3% of vehicles on the road, contribute around 53% of particulate emissions. With demand projected to grow over four-fold by 2050, scaling electric freight will be key to reducing emissions and improving efficiency. This Framework outlines practical pathways, aligned with the Government’s focus on electrification and sustainable mobility, and India’s commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2070.

“India’s transition to cleaner freight will require strong collaboration across government and industry. The EV Highway Guidance Framework launched under the Laneshift program today is an important step in this direction and will help create a scalable pathway for electric trucking in the country. Through the e-FAST India platform, NITI Aayog has been bringing together logistics operators, OEMs, energy providers, and financial institutions to build an enabling ecosystem for freight electrification. Building on these efforts, partnerships led by C40 Cities, The Climate Pledge, and private sector stakeholders such as Amazon and Ashok Leyland demonstrate how collaborative action can help move electric freight from pilots to large-scale deployment.” said Dr. O.P. Agarwal, Distinguished Fellow, NITI Aayog.

“We continue to invest in making our operations more sustainable, and electrifying our logistics is a key part of that effort. Through The Climate Pledge, we are also working with stakeholders to help scale electric freight solutions more broadly in India. The project findings and framework are encouraging, and reinforce the importance of continued collaboration between government and industry to accelerate adoption,” Abhinav Singh, VP, Operations, India and Australia, Amazon.

From Pilot Project to Policy The Framework draws insights from Laneshift pilot project, led by C40 Cities and The Climate Pledge, by bringing together truck manufacturers, fleet operators, logistics providers, and financiers to test electric freight. As part of the project, electric trucks completed 600 trips on the Bengaluru-Chennai corridor, covering over 200,000 km across sectors, generating insights on performance, reliability and cost, and supporting early adoption through long-term contracts. To assess scalability, the project also undertook a 6,500-km pilot along the Golden Quadrilateral, connecting Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Kolkata.

Laneshift project demonstrated operational viability of electric freight across all use cases, and commercial viability for operations exceeding 400 km per day. The project saw 4.2-times increase in electric truck orders and the securing of long-term commercial contracts , signaling growing market confidence.

“Decarbonizing freight is not a future ambition; it is an immediate economic and public health imperative for the country. Laneshift has shown that zero-exhaust-emission trucks can operate commercially on long-haul corridors, that costs are coming down, and that when the right stakeholders align their efforts, barriers give way. India has the scale, the policy momentum, and the industry appetite to be the next frontier,” said Naim Keruwala, Regional Director for South and West Asia at C40 Cities.

New Delhi, May 14 (BNP): Facing mounting financial pressure amid the ongoing fuel crisis and geopolitical tensions, Air India has announced a major reduction in its international summer flight operations, suspending and scaling down services on several key routes till August 2026.

According to the revised schedule, the airline will operate nearly 37 per cent fewer international flights between June and August compared to April operations. Monthly international departures are expected to drop significantly as rising aviation turbine fuel prices, restricted airspace due to the West Asia conflict and declining route profitability continue to impact operations.

Several major routes connecting India with North America, Europe, Australia and Asia have been affected. Services on routes such as Delhi-Chicago, Delhi-Shanghai and Chennai-Singapore have been temporarily suspended, while flight frequencies on destinations including Paris, Melbourne, Singapore and Kathmandu have been reduced.

Air India, however, said it will continue operating more than 1,200 international flights every month during the affected period. The airline has offered affected passengers options including alternative flights, free rescheduling and full refunds if the revised schedules are not suitable.

The operational changes come at a time when the Tata Group-owned airline is battling heavy financial losses, rising fuel costs and global travel disruptions. Industry experts believe the airline is prioritising cost control and operational stability as part of its ongoing turnaround strategy.

Air India has also reportedly initiated several internal cost-cutting measures, including curbing discretionary spending and reviewing operational expenses, as it attempts to navigate one of the toughest phases for the aviation sector in recent years.

NEW YORK, May 14, 2026 – The Feil Organization, a leading national real estate investment firm, has partnered with Layer, the art and technology company shaping the future of digital art, to bring the work of top digital artists to its historic Manhattan buildings at 853 Broadway in Union Square and 257 Park Avenue South in Gramercy Park.

Layer presents digital art as it’s meant to be experienced: dynamic, evolving, and deeply connected to the spaces it inhabits. Layer and its proprietary display model, Layer Canvas, feature works from a highly curated selection of digital artists, including Zach Lieberman, Casey Reas, and Leander Herzog, displayed on Layer Canvas, the company’s museum-grade digital art display system designed to present generative artworks with exceptional fidelity and depth.

Each piece on Layer is rendered in real time on Layer Canvas, evolving continuously and creating a living, responsive visual experience.

Founded by entrepreneur Angelo Sotiracopoulos, Layer collaborates with world-class digital artists to present generative artworks that transform the spaces they inhabit. The company’s proprietary Art Intelligence™ engine dynamically curates artworks based on time of day and environmental conditions, creating a constantly shifting art experience.

853 Broadway is a commercial loft building with a mix of retail, corporate and creative offices and commanding views of Union Square Park. 257 Park Avenue South is an Art Deco treasure in Manhattan’s Gramercy Park neighborhood with magnificent views of Midtown-South.

Sotira said:

“The Feil Organization’s Union Square and Gramercy Buildings capture New York City’s unique and constantly evolving mix of commercial and cultural life. We’re thrilled to introduce some of the world’s most acclaimed digital artists to these vibrant spaces in a format where their work can live and breathe in harmony with people’s daily lives.”

Andrew Wiener, Head of Commercial Leasing at The Feil Organization, said:

“We’re always looking for innovative ways to create engaging environments within our office buildings. Layer will enhance how our tenants experience 853 Broadway and 257 Park Avenue South by integrating museum-worthy digital art with classic New York architecture.”

Mumbai, May 13: iServeU, a global leader in payment infrastructure and banking technology, recently conducted an in-house ReactJS training programme as part of its ongoing focus on employee learning and skill development. The initiative aimed to help employees strengthen their front-end development capabilities and progress toward becoming full-stack developers.

The training programme was conducted across four batches and saw participation from 140 employees. The sessions focused on key areas of modern frontend development, including component-based architecture, API integration, and responsive application design using ReactJS.

The programme included practical assignments and hands-on learning sessions designed to provide participants with exposure to real-world development practices and collaborative problem-solving approaches.

Speaking about the initiative, Sanjib Kumar Parida, CTO of iServeU, said,

“We strongly believe that continuous learning is essential for both individual and organizational growth. Technology is evolving rapidly, and it is important for teams to continuously upgrade their skills to stay future-ready. This ReactJS training programme was designed to create more opportunities for our employees to learn, collaborate, and grow into stronger technology professionals.

The initiative received an encouraging response from employees, with participants actively engaging throughout the programme. To recognize consistent effort and performance, five top performers from each batch, 20 employees in total,were honoured for their outstanding performance.

The overall winner of the training program was awarded a Ronin bike in recognition of their performance and dedication during the course.

The initiative reflects iServeU’s continued focus on building a skilled and future-ready workforce through continuous learning and employee development initiatives.

May 13: F1® Authentics, operated by Memento Exclusives, is auctioning a rare collectible this month, combining motorsport and American football, captured at the 2026 Miami Grand Prix.

Brought together by Atlas Air Worldwide, the signed helmets of both Aston Martin Aramco F1® Team driver Lance Stroll and Miami Dolphins NFL player Jordan Phillips, will be available for collectors to purchase as a unique set. This activation was created to help raise money and awareness for Movember and its work supporting men’s health.

A sporting exchange took place ahead of the 2026 Miami Grand Prix, celebrating the power of using high-profile platforms to raise money for an important cause. The helmets then went on display over the race-weekend at the track before now being made available for one lucky collector to own.   
 
Moments like this are incredibly rare and made extra special for the way they unite sports such as Formula One® and the NFL, as well as charitable purposes in one distinctive collectible. This exciting set is expected to attract significant interest as it offers collectors the chance to acquire a unique multi-sport collaboration while also contributing to fundraising efforts that support vital conversations and action around men’s health. Atlas Air Worldwide and Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team have both committed up to $25k to match the winning bid. 

Previews of this listing and exchange are live now, with bidding set to begin on 11th May.

Collectors wishing to find out more and register their interest can do so by visiting F1® Authentics now.

MINNEAPOLIS—May 12, 2026—Recast, a leader in modern application and endpoint management, today announced that Shanmugam Senthil has joined the company as Senior Director of Engineering and India Site Leader. Based in Bangalore, Senthil will help establish Recast’s India presence and strengthen the company’s engineering organization to support continued growth. His combination of Microsoft platform expertise and technology leadership experience gives Recast added depth as it evolves its capabilities to help customers manage and secure complex IT environments.

A 30-year technology industry veteran, Senthil has built and led engineering teams at Microsoft, Yahoo!, Samsung, and Sun Microsystems. During his decade at Microsoft, he led engineering teams responsible for evolving core endpoint management capabilities within Intune and ConfigMgr. That experience aligns closely with Recast’s mission and product direction as organizations look for more effective ways to manage, secure, and optimize endpoints across hybrid and cloud environments.

In his new role, Senthil will help shape the structure, culture, and daily operations in India. He will also collaborate closely with Recast’s global engineering and product teams to expand the company’s capabilities in support of its long-term product strategy.

“Senthil brings a strong leadership philosophy and tremendous experience with Microsoft Intune and ConfigMgr,” said Will Teevan, CEO, Recast. “This is exactly the kind of expertise Recast needs to accelerate innovation and deliver greater value to our customers.”

“I’m excited to join Recast at such an important stage in the company’s growth,” said Senthil. “Recast has a clear mission, notable product alignment with the needs of modern IT teams, and a meaningful opportunity to expand its engineering presence in India. I look forward to working with teams across the company to help build a solid foundation for growth, execution, and new advances.”