World
A flash flood swept through a valley on the Nepal-China border, leaving hundreds of people missing. Authorities say at least 291 foreign tourists are among those unaccounted for. CCTV footage shows a wall of mud and water destroying buildings in Gyirong, in China's Tibet region. Several British citizens are also missing, including a 13-year-old girl. Rescue teams are searching through mud and wreckage, but landslides and downed communication lines are slowing the work. Helicopters have been sent to lift people out of cut-off villages. The flood follows days of heavy monsoon rain across the region. Local officials said the damage is severe and the death toll could rise as rescuers reach more areas.
BBC News
Politics
The U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for parts of President Donald Trump's executive order on mail-in voting, a decision that could reshape the November midterm elections. The court sided with the administration in a ruling announced Wednesday, allowing stricter rules on mail ballots to move forward. Democratic-controlled states immediately filed a new lawsuit challenging the order. Voting rights groups warned the rules could make it harder for millions of Americans to cast ballots. The court's action came as states prepare for a high-stakes election season, with control of Congress on the line. The decision is one of several recent court rulings that have split along familiar lines, with conservative justices in the majority.
AP News
Business
Nvidia reported a 106 percent jump in sales, beating Wall Street expectations as demand for its AI chips stays red-hot. The company's results, released Wednesday, reinforce its position as the biggest winner of the artificial intelligence boom. Analysts closely watch Nvidia as a bellwether for AI and the wider stock market. The company's data center business drove most of the growth, with cloud providers and tech giants buying chips in record numbers. Nvidia also said supply of its newest processors is sold out for the coming quarters. The strong report lifted tech stocks in after-hours trading and eased worries that the AI spending wave is slowing.
CNBC
Technology
OpenAI's custom inference chip, code-named Jalapeño, outperformed Nvidia's GB300 in third-party benchmark tests, according to new results. The chip, built with Broadcom, led on tokens per user and throughput per kilowatt, a measure of energy efficiency. The results mark a milestone for OpenAI's push to design its own silicon and reduce reliance on Nvidia. Analysts said the chip could reshape the economics of AI computing if it scales well. OpenAI has been quietly building a hardware team and working with Broadcom for years. The company still buys Nvidia chips in large volumes but sees custom silicon as a way to cut costs and boost performance for its models.
Quartz
Science
Physicists at Harvard have found that a steady stream of sound waves can shield a fragile quantum bit from noise in its surroundings, nearly tripling how long it holds information. The result, published in Nature Physics, points toward sound-based quantum networks on chips and hybrid quantum systems. Quantum bits, or qubits, lose their data quickly because they are easily disturbed by heat, vibration, and electrical noise. The Harvard team used acoustic waves to create a protective barrier around a silicon-vacancy spin in diamond. The technique kept the qubit stable for roughly three times longer than before. Researchers said the approach could be combined with existing chip manufacturing methods, bringing practical quantum computers a step closer.
Sci.News
Sports
The SEC and Big Ten have passed rules barring professional athletes from returning to college competition, including basketball players who left early for the NBA or WNBA. The move comes after court orders opened the door for former pros to rejoin college rosters. The new rules aim to block that path, but legal experts say the fight is not over. Coaches and players reacted strongly, with Rams coach Sean McVay joking that the situation left him feeling like he 'took a gummy.' The conferences say the rules protect the amateur model and roster fairness. Opponents argue athletes should have the freedom to compete wherever they are eligible. The decision adds another layer to the ongoing turmoil in college athletics.
ESPN
Health
Pennsylvania health officials reported two recent deaths from measles, the first deaths from the disease in the United States in 2026. The cases add to a growing outbreak that has raised alarms among public health experts. Measles is highly contagious and can cause severe complications, especially in young children and unvaccinated people. Health officials urged families to check vaccination records and get the MMR shot if needed. The deaths come as vaccination rates have slipped in parts of the country, leaving communities more exposed. Doctors said early treatment and vaccination are the best defenses. State officials are working to trace contacts and contain the outbreak before it spreads further.
Live Science
Environment
The Copernicus Climate Change Service reported that the daily global sea surface temperature has reached its highest level since records began. The announcement adds to growing evidence that the ocean is under unprecedented strain. Warmer seas fuel stronger storms, disrupt marine life, and speed up ice melt. Scientists said El Niño conditions helped supercharge the warming on top of the long-term trend driven by greenhouse gas emissions. Coral reefs, fish stocks, and coastal communities all face knock-on effects. Researchers said the record is another sign that the planet's heat is building up faster than expected. They called for faster cuts in emissions to slow the pace of ocean warming.
Copernicus Climate Change Service