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4 takeaways: Jalen Brunson stars, Hawks struggle shooting from 3

Jalen Brunson led the way once again, scoring 39 points on 15-for-23 shooting and adding eight assists, with just one turnover.

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NEW YORK — If point differential mattered, the first round series between the New York Knicks and the Atlanta Hawks would be over right now. Over five games, the Knicks have outscored the Hawks by 54 points.

Game 5 was the Knicks’ most dominant performance of all, a 126-97 victory that gave them a 3-2 lead in a series they trailed just four days earlier. If a possession or two had gone their way in Game 2 or Game 3, the Knicks would be in the Eastern Conference semifinals for the fourth straight year. But the Hawks are still alive, having shot 10-for-13 on clutch shots and winning each those two games by a single point.

The Knicks made sure there would be no clutch shots in this one, taking control late in the first quarter on Tuesday and never leading by fewer than 10 points after that.

Jalen Brunson led the way once again, scoring 39 points on 15-for-23 shooting and adding eight assists, with just one turnover.

Here are some notes, quotes, numbers and film as the Knicks put the Hawks on the brink of elimination:

1. Brunson takes over late in the clock

In general, teams do not want to be playing late in the shot clock. For every team, efficiency is highest early in the clock and goes down as time ticks off.

But these are the playoffs, when the defenses are better, and also better prepared to take away the offense’s primary actions. So late-clock situations are more common.

And the Knicks have Brunson, maybe the best in the league at getting a bucket late in the clock. In the regular season, league-average effective field goal percentage in the last seven seconds of the shot clock was 47.1%. Brunson’s was 53.2% and he ranked second with 157 total buckets in the last seven seconds.

Over the five games in this series, the Knicks have taken 54 more shots than the Hawks in the last seven seconds of the shot clock. They weren’t particularly efficient late in the clock through the first three games, but over Games 4 and 5, the Knicks have shot 25-for-50, including 6-for-13 from 3-point range in the last six seconds.

On Tuesday, Brunson was 5-for-7 in the last seven seconds of the shot clock, just killing the Hawks when they were so close to getting a stop.

Midway through the second quarter, Dyson Daniels stopped a Brunson drive and forced him to give up the ball with seven seconds on the clock …

But Daniels’ work was not done. He was able to deny a handoff to Brunson, but the Knicks’ star kept moving and gained separation from his defender by curling around Karl-Anthony Towns in the high post. Towns hit Brunson cutting to the hoop and he had an easy layup with less than two seconds left on the clock …

In the fourth quarter, Brunson put the game away with some more standard (though not unspectacular) late-clock bucket-getting. He isolated against Jalen Johnson and Daniels on consecutive possessions and beat them both with up-and-under moves as the clock wound down …

“Come playoff time,” Knicks head coach Mike Brown said afterward, “you have to be able to execute different levels of the clock. Obviously you want to play fast, so you’re not going to get to set defense all the time. But that’s not going to always work in the playoffs.

“Our guys seem to not panic when it comes to, you know, eight… seven… six seconds on the shot clock. And I’ve always felt the better teams are able to do that.

“To me, that’s a sign of a mature team, and that’s a sign of a good team. Just like a good player, you know, being able to score all three levels. It’s almost identical to the shot clock, early, middle and late, without panicking. And our group has done a really good job of it, especially Jalen.”

2. Knicks are keeping the Hawks in check

The Hawks were a slightly better-than-average offensive team in the regular season, but they have scored an efficient 119.6 points per 100 possessions (sixth best) as they won 19 of their final 24 games.

In this series, they’ve scored just 106.9 per 100, the second worst mark for any team not involved in the Detroit-Orlando car crash. In four of the five games, the Hawks have scored well below league-average efficiency.

Some of that is some poor shooting from open 3-point shooters. The Knicks haven’t been perfect defensively.

But they’ve been very good. The Hawks had some success attacking Brunson down the stretch of Game 2, but Towns has passed the test. In fact, he had two terrific defensive plays against the Hawks’ two biggest offensive threats on Tuesday.

Early in the second quarter, Towns blocked a CJ McCollum step-back 3-pointer. And less than two minutes later, he smothered a Jalen Johnson drive …

This season was just the second time in the last 30 years that the Knicks ranked in the top 10 on both ends of the floor. And their success on both ends has carried over into the playoffs thus far.

3. Towns plays big

Towns finished with only 16 points in Game 5, but 14 of those came in the first half, when the Knicks made it clear that they were the better team on Tuesday.

Jonathan Kuminga came off the Hawks bench and tried to guard the Knicks’ starting center, but he had no chance. Towns drained a 3-pointer over Kuminga and then backed him down before hitting him with a spin move that put the Knicks up five …

A few possessions later, Towns scored against Kuminga in the post again. The Hawks tried double-teaming him in the second half, but that just resulted in the Knicks getting great shots elsewhere on the floor.

Through five games, Towns is averaging 20 points, his third highest mark in the 10 playoff series he’s played in. He’s done it efficiently, with a true shooting percentage of 73.9%, the second best mark among the 29 players who’ve averaged at least 20 points in these playoffs. And he’s one of only three players – Nikola Jokić and Jayson Tatum are the others – averaging at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.

4. Shooters matter

If you want to play at this time of year, it really helps if you can shoot, because non-shooters will be ignored on the perimeter, compromising your team’s spacing.

Dyson Daniels was never a very good shooter (32.7% from 3-point range over his first three seasons) but he really struggled with his jumper this season, shooting just 19% from beyond the arc. Still, the Hawks’ starting lineup works because center Onyeka Okongwu was a much improved shooter from the outside.

Teaming Daniels with a non-shooting center doesn’t work so well, as we saw late in the first quarter on Tuesday. McCollum was double-teamed and Daniels drew help when he got the ball in the paint. But when he passed the ball to the wide-open shooter, that wide-open shooter was Tony Bradley …

The Hawks’ advantage was lost and they turned the ball over.

Two possessions later, the Knicks weren’t afraid to run another double-team at McCollum because Daniels and Bradley were still on the floor together. The Hawks then ran a double at Brunson, and Jordan Clarkson got a short, uncontested floater in the paint.

Late in the second quarter, Daniels again got the ball in the paint after McCollum was doubled. This time, Okongwu was on the floor instead of Bradley, and he drained a corner 3 …

With the Hawks missing Jock Landale (their normal back-up center who can shoot), Bradley has been needed to match up with the Knicks’ size. But it’s very difficult to put him on the floor alongside another non-shooter.

The Hawks may try to avoid that when they hope to keep their season alive in Game 6 on Thursday (7 p.m. ET, ESPN).

* * *

John Schuhmann has covered the NBA for more than 20 years. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on Bluesky.

April 29, 2026
4 takeaways: Young San Antonio team earns its playoff spurs with series victory

Victor Wembanyama is the first player since Patrick Ewing in 1994 to have consecutive double-doubles and 6 or more blocks in the playoffs.

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The San Antonio Spurs left no doubt. Well, perhaps a smidgen of doubt. Whatever glimmer of hope the Portland Trail Blazers carried into Game 5 on Tuesday, the Spurs tried extinguishing it with an onslaught of scoring and defense right from the opening tip.

San Antonio led by 10 early in the first quarter, by 20 early in the second quarter and were up 28 late in the second. It looked like the Spurs were going to waltz their way to a series-clinching victory. Portland didn’t let that happen, making the score closer than the Spurs wanted in the fourth quarter.

The Spurs finished the job, defeating the Trail Blazers 114-95 and winning the first-round Western Conference series 4-1.

It was the first series victory for Victor Wembanayama, Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper, Devin Vassell, Julian Champagnie, Keldon Johnson, Carter Bryant and De’Aaron Fox.

Spurs coach Mitch Johnson, who replaced Basketball Hall-of-Famer Gregg Popovich following Popovich’s health issues, also recorded his first playoff series victory.

It was also San Antonio’s first series win since 2017.

Now, the Spurs await the winner of the Minnesota Timberwolves-Denver Nuggets series, which Minnesota leads 3-2.

1. Spurs’ offensive versatility on display

In the first half, eight Spurs had at least five points and only Julian Champagnie hit double figures. Castle and Harper each went 4-for-5 from the field for nine points in the first half, and Wembanyama had seven points, four rebounds and two blocks at halftime.

In the first half, San Antonio shot 66.7% from the field and 46.7% on 3-pointers.

Six Spurs, including the starters, reached double figures in points led by Fox who had 21 points and nine assists. When the Trail Blazers cut into deficit, Fox took over, scoring 13 in the final quarter to prevent Portland from an improbable comeback.

“He’s done this in his career,” Mitch Johnson said. “He was a Clutch Player of the Year for a reason. He’s in a different situation now, in terms of having the basketball in his hands at that volume every single night in the fourth quarter. He may be as good as any player I’ve ever seen, in terms of balancing how to play off (the ball), and then when to go on it. When he gets on it, he doesn’t mess around, and he gets right to it … He took over the game clearly again tonight.”

Wembanyama finished with 17 points, 14 rebounds, six blocks and three assists, and Harper added 17 points.

Wembanyama is the first player since Patrick Ewing in 1994 to have consecutive double-doubles and six or more blocked shots in the playoffs.

2. A toast to Champagnie

Champagnie had not scored more than nine points in any of the previous four games of the series. He had 14 in the first half, including 11 during a five-minute stretch of the first quarter when the Spurs took control.

Champagnie, who had a season-high 36 points in a victory against the New York Knicks on Dec. 31, finished with 19 points, seven rebounds and three assists.

3. Trail Blazers run into scoring problems

The Blazers scored fewer than 100 points in three of the five games, which is not a complete surprise given the Spurs possessed the league’s No. 3 defense during the regular season.

Portland shot just 35.1% from the field and 23.4% on 3-pointers.

However, The Blazers did not quit in Game 5 and reduced San Antonio’s lead to 91-82 with 8:02 left in the fourth quarter.

“It did feel like we let our foot off the gas,” Mitch Johnson said. “NBA games are long, so that’s not an excuse. That means we’ve got to be better. … There was a stretch there where we needed to be sharper and got to continue to play games like it’s 0-0 every single possession.”

4. What’s next for the Trail Blazers?

All-Star Deni Avdija, veteran Jrue Holiday, Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe, Jerami Grant, Donovan Clingan, Toumani Camara and Damian Lillard, who missed this season recovering from an Achilles injury, are all under contract with Portland for next season, giving the Trail Blazers the framework of a solid team in the ultra-competitive West.

Matisse Thybulle and Robert Williams III are free agents, so Portland will need to address frontcourt depth and find additional scoring. It was tied for 27th in 3-point shooting percentage and was 29th in field-goal percentage in the regular season.

The Trail Blazers must fill their head coaching position. Tiago Splitter handled the job on an interim basis and led the Blazers to a 42-40 record and the seventh seed.

Portland does not have a pick in the first or second round of the 2026 NBA Draft.

* * *

Jeff Zillgitt has covered the NBA since 2008. You can email him at jzillgitt@nba.com, find his archive here and follow him on X.

April 29, 2026
FBI Probes Missing Man After $1M Vanished Into Gold, Crypto Buys
Missing California man Nai Ping Hou’s finances are now central to a suspicious disappearance investigation. Over $1 million in withdrawn funds tied to gold and cryptocurrency purchases has raised concerns about who controlled his assets.

Key Takeaways:
- FBI investigators are examining Nai Ping Hou’s depleted accounts after his disappearance.
- Gold and cryptocurrency purchases raised concerns over control of Hou’s finances.
- Authorities continue seeking Hou while reviewing property and asset activity.
Missing California Man’s Drained Accounts Draw FBI Scrutiny

Over $1 million in drained funds tied to gold and cryptocurrency purchases is now central to the disappearance of Nai Ping Hou, a 74-year-old Chinese man missing since March 16, 2025. On April 20, 2026, the FBI Most Wanted account on X said federal and local authorities were investigating the case, as investigators examined suspicious financial activity linked to his disappearance.

Authorities are treating Hou’s disappearance as suspicious while examining activity involving his finances and property. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) notice says Hou was last seen in Rancho Cucamonga and that his bank accounts were depleted before law enforcement was notified. The FBI Most Wanted account on X stated:

“The FBI and partner law enforcement agencies are investigating the suspicious disappearance of Nai Ping Hou. He has been missing since March 16, 2025, and was last seen in Rancho Cucamonga, California.”

His son, Wen Hou, said more than $1 million was withdrawn and used to buy gold and cryptocurrency. Wen said his father was not experienced with online transactions, making the purchases appear suspicious.

Rancho Cucamonga Home Search Adds Pressure to Case

The family believes someone may have used Hou’s phone to reduce concern after he disappeared. Wen said messages from his father changed after a March fishing trip, which he described as normal and happy. Later texts gave short excuses, including that Hou was tired, unavailable, or would call later. Wen said that was unusual because his father rarely missed chances to visit his grandchildren. Authorities are investigating the case as a possible kidnapping, according to a report by ABC7 Los Angeles.

The case expanded after family friends checked Hou’s Rancho Cucamonga home. They found the house empty, the lawn overgrown, and handprints on the garage door. Wen said furniture, vehicles, and other belongings were gone. He also said Hou had been remodeling the home after a major water leak in January 2025 and had received bids from contractors. The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department later searched the home for evidence, including beneath tile, while continuing its investigation.

A family website offers up to $250,000 for information leading to Hou’s safe return or the arrest and conviction of those responsible. It states:

“Naiping was not located and evidence indicated Naiping may have been kidnapped.”

“There has been unexplained and suspicious activity with Naiping’s financial accounts and property; Draining of his accounts, unauthorized sales of his vehicles, gifting of items and the attempted renting of his home,” the website adds. Investigators continue to focus on locating Hou and identifying who controlled his assets after he disappeared.
April 29, 2026
Canada moves to ban crypto ATMs after investigation exposes their role in fraud

Canada’s federal government is planning to ban crypto ATMs to address rising fraud, CBC News reported Tuesday. Officials say these machines are widely used by scammers to collect money from victims and move illicit funds.

A crypto ATM is a machine connected to the blockchain network that allows users to convert cash into cryptocurrency, or sometimes crypto into cash. Transactions are completed by scanning a wallet QR code, and the funds are transferred digitally rather than dispensed physically like regular ATMs.

While features such as rapid processing and minimal verification make crypto ATMs convenient, they also leave the systems vulnerable to misuse.

Crypto-ATM-linked scams are a growing subset of fraud losses in Canada. Media reports and law enforcement accounts describe cases where elderly Canadians are coached into depositing cash from retirement savings into crypto ATMs at gas stations and convenience stores.

Canada currently hosts nearly 4,000 of these machines, the second-highest concentration per capita on Earth, according to Coin ATM Radar. Despite that density, the country has operated without any industry-specific regulations. Crypto ATMs have simply been lumped in with other “money services businesses,” a regulatory category that also includes Western Union and ordinary currency exchange counters.

The government has not shared many details about the ban but says people will still be able to buy crypto through regulated in-person services.

Other countries have already introduced bans or restrictions, such as licensing systems or transaction limits, to reduce fraud linked to these machines.

The UK effectively restricted crypto ATMs in 2021 by requiring all operators to register with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). As of 2026, no crypto ATM operator has obtained that registration, rendering each machine in practice illegal and subject to enforcement action.

New Zealand has introduced legislation to ban crypto ATMs entirely and limit cash‑transfer sizes as part of anti‑money‑laundering reforms.

Australia took a softer approach, with its financial intelligence agency AUSTRAC imposing per‑transaction cash limits at crypto ATMs in mid‑2025, following a joint review focused on fraud and consumer protection.

In the US, roughly half of the states have either proposed or enacted rules specifically targeting crypto ATMs, including daily spending caps, fee‑disclosure rules, and requirements that operators reimburse scam victims in certain cases.

The FBI reported that Americans lost more than $333 million to crypto‑ATM scams in 2025 alone.

Maine recently secured a $1.9 million settlement with Bitcoin Depot, one of the largest crypto‑ATM operators, over allegations that its kiosks helped facilitate fraud.

For operators in Canada, an outright ban would pose an existential threat. Bitcoin Well, a Canadian crypto ATM company, and Localcoin, another major operator, collectively run hundreds of machines.

Without these kiosks, some Canadians who rely on cash‑to‑crypto services say they will have little to no way to buy Bitcoin, since many of their banks already restrict or block transfers to crypto exchanges.

April 29, 2026
World-Renowned Analyst Predicts Death For Bitcoin’s Biggest Supporter, Here’s Who

Bitcoin is back in focus after a well-known critic warned that its biggest corporate supporter, Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy), could face a serious breakdown. The warning comes from Peter Schiff, who believes the company’s current financial strategy may not be able to hold up over time.

Bitcoin-Linked Financing Model Raises Structural Concerns

At the center of this issue is how Strategy raises money using a financial instrument called STRC. These preferred shares promise investors a variable return of about 11.5%. Some believe that Bitcoin only needs to grow by around 2% each year for the company to keep paying this return. However, Schiff pointed out that this idea only works if Strategy stops issuing new STRC shares.

That is not what is happening. Under Michael Saylor, the company continues to release more STRC. Each new issuance increases the total amount of returns the company must pay. This means Bitcoin would need to grow faster over time just to keep up with the rising obligations.

Another problem appears if the price of STRC drops below its target value of 100. Schiff explained that to bring the price back up, the company may need to offer an even higher return. This increases the pressure further because higher returns mean more money must be paid out. As more shares are issued and returns rise, the system becomes harder to maintain.

Death Spiral Scenario Extends From STRC To Bitcoin And MSTR

Schiff then described how this situation could turn into a dangerous cycle. To keep paying investors, Strategy may need to sell some of its Bitcoin. Selling Bitcoin can push its price down, especially if it happens repeatedly.

If Bitcoin’s price falls, the value of the company’s remaining holdings also drops. At the same time, the company still has to meet its growing payment obligations. This creates a loop where falling prices and rising demands feed into each other.

The situation can become worse if more STRC is issued. Each step adds more pressure, and, according to Schiff, this is how a “death spiral” can form, where each action taken to solve the problem ends up making it bigger.

He added that the only way to stop this cycle would be to cancel the payments tied to STRC. However, that option comes with its own risks. If the payments stop, the value of STRC could fall sharply, which may also affect Strategy’s stock. Because the company is so closely tied to Bitcoin, this kind of disruption could spread to the wider market.

In Schiff’s view, the link between STRC, Strategy, and Bitcoin creates a chain reaction where pressure in one area quickly affects the others. He believes this cycle could ultimately bring down Strategy, widely seen as Bitcoin’s strongest corporate supporter, with ripple effects extending into the Bitcoin market itself.

$BTC bears pushing down on price | Source: BTCUSD on Tradingview.com

Featured image created with Dall.E, chart from Tradingview.com

April 29, 2026
TON Tech Gives Telegram Bots Spending Power With New Agentic Wallet Standard
$TON Tech launched Agentic Wallets on April 28, 2026, an open standard that allows artificial intelligence (AI) agents operating on Telegram to hold and spend $TON without user approval on every transaction.

Key Takeaways:
- $TON Tech launched Agentic Wallets on April 28, 2026, giving AI agents on Telegram direct onchain spending access.
- The open standard lets developers build trading bots and DeFi agents on $TON with no vendor lock-in and no custodial risk.
- $TON Tech’s Andrew Grekov signals agents will execute payments and interact with onchain services inside Telegram’s 1 billion-user base.
Telegram AI Agents Gain Direct $TON Payments

The new standard, shared with Bitcoin.com News, addresses a gap that has limited AI agents to advisory roles. Agents can research, recommend, and plan, but they have had no self-contained way to act financially on $TON without either full key access or step-by-step confirmation from the user. Agentic Wallets fill that space.

Each agent receives a dedicated onchain wallet funded directly by the user. The user keeps ownership through their main wallet. The agent transacts only within the balance the user assigns. Access can be revoked at any time. No intermediary holds funds at any point.

The setup process is designed to stay out of the way. A user asks their agent to create a wallet, funds it, and confirms the arrangement once. After that, the agent operates within its assigned scope without requiring further input for routine actions.

Telegram provides a practical distribution channel for the standard. Its bot infrastructure and bot-to-bot communication already support autonomous agent interactions across a user base of over one billion. Agentic Wallets extend what those agents can do inside that environment: they can now make payments directly within Telegram’s chat interface.

For developers, the standard opens a set of applications that were difficult to build cleanly before. Trading bots can execute within predefined budgets. Decentralized finance (DeFi) agents can handle staking and portfolio management inside isolated wallets. Payment automation for subscriptions and API usage becomes viable without routing funds through a custodian.

The standard integrates with existing $TON infrastructure and does not require upgrades to existing $TON wallets. $TON Tech built it with no vendor lock-in, allowing developers to implement and manage agent setups independently. It comes with MCP and CLI tools included, and is compatible with leading AI models and agent frameworks.

For individual users, the model allows multiple agents to run at once, each operating in its own isolated wallet with its own spending limit. Recurring payments and budget-capped automation become tasks users can assign and step back from.

Andrew Grekov, Head of $TON Tech, described the shift plainly. “Agents on Telegram can not only communicate, but transact — making payments and interacting with onchain services on behalf of users, without ever touching their keys.”

The standard is fully non-custodial and open-source. $TON Tech built and maintains it as part of The Open Platform, the company developing Web3 infrastructure inside Telegram.
April 29, 2026
US, Latin America countries criticise China’s retaliation over Panama Canal

China has detained nearly 70 Panamanian-flagged ships after a Supreme Court ruling on the Panama Canal, US officials say.

Published On 29 Apr 2026

Bolivia, Costa Rica, Guyana, Paraguay, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United States have released a joint statement in support of Panama, while criticising Chinese economic retaliation, after a Hong Kong-based conglomerate lost a legal dispute over the management of ports on the Panama Canal.

Panama’s Supreme Court in late January annulled contracts that had allowed a subsidiary of Hong Kong’s CK Hutchison to administer the Balboa and Cristobal port terminals on the Panama Canal after deeming the decades-old agreements unconstitutional.

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In their joint statement on Tuesday, the six countries claimed that following the court ruling, China has retaliated against Panama with “targeted economic pressure” on Panamanian-flagged ships.

China detained nearly 70 Panamanian-flagged ships in March, according to the US Federal Maritime Commission, a number “far exceeding historical norms”.

“These actions – following the decision of Panama’s independent Supreme Court regarding the Balboa and Cristobal terminals – are a blatant attempt to politicise maritime trade and infringe on the sovereignty of the nations of our hemisphere,” the signatories said.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said separately on X that Washington was “deeply concerned” by China’s economic pressure on Panama.

“We stand in solidarity with Panama. Any attempts to undermine Panama’s sovereignty are a threat to us all,” he said.

China has previously accused the US of “bullying” and trying to smear its reputation in Latin America, while it described the Panamanian Supreme Court ruling as “absurd” and “shameful”.

US Federal Maritime Commission head Laura DiBella said last month that Beijing’s detention of Panamanian ships had repercussions for both Panama and the US.

“These intensified inspections were carried out under informal directives and appear intended to punish Panama after the transfer of Hutchison’s port assets,” DiBella said.

“Given that Panama‑flagged ships carry a meaningful share of US containerised trade, these actions could result in significant commercial and strategic consequences to US shipping,” she said.

‘States know how vulnerable shipping is’

Panama’s decision to invalidate the contracts held by CK Hutchison’s subsidiary Panama Ports Company was made at a time of heightened media attention around the Panama Canal amid threats by US President Donald Trump to seize the strategic waterway.

Trump had made the approximately 80km (49-mile) waterway a focus of his second administration, alleging in his inaugural address in January 2025 that China was “operating” the canal and pledging that the US would “take back” control.

US officials allege that, in addition to targeting Panama and its interests, China has also retaliated against shipping giants Maersk and the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), whose subsidiaries were granted 18-month contracts to administer the Balboa and Cristobal terminals after CK Hutchison was removed.

Representatives of Maersk and MSC were both summoned by China’s Ministry of Transport for “high-level discussions”, the Federal Maritime Commission said in March, while Chinese shipping giant COSCO has suspended operations at the Balboa terminal.

CK Hutchison, through its Panama Ports Company subsidiary, is separately pursuing international arbitration against the government of Panama and seeking more than $2bn in damages.

David Smith, an associate professor at the University of Sydney’s US Studies Centre, said that the Panama Canal dispute and China’s retaliation were the latest example of how shipping has become a political target, from Latin America to the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea in the Middle East.

“We have taken for granted that the world runs on container ships just freely sailing around the world,” he told Al Jazeera.

“What we’re seeing now is that states know how vulnerable shipping is. They know they can cut shipping lanes off if necessary. It should not surprise us from now on if ships and shipping in general become pawns in international politics.”

April 29, 2026
Indian Comedy King David Dhawan Gets Retrospective at PVR Inox Ahead of Final Film’s Release (EXCLUSIVE)

Leading Indian multiplex chain PVR Inox will mount a week-long retrospective dedicated to director David Dhawan beginning May 8, screening five of his most celebrated Hindi-language comedies across 40 venues in 25 cities. The festival arrives as Dhawan prepares to release “Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai,” described as his final film as a director.

Dhawan is considered one of India’s foremost filmmakers in the comedy genre. The lineup – “Aankhen,” “Raja Babu,” “Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya,” “Partner” and “Main Tera Hero” – covers different chapters of a career stretching beyond four decades. “Raja Babu” casts Govinda alongside Karisma Kapoor; “Partner” puts Govinda and Salman Khan together in a buddy comedy; “Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya” stars Khan with Sushmita Sen and Katrina Kaif; “Main Tera Hero” features Varun Dhawan; and “Aankhen” turns on a double-role conceit.

Niharika Bijli, lead strategist at PVR Inox Ltd., said: “At PVR Inox, we strongly believe in the enduring power of the theatrical experience and in celebrating filmmakers whose work has shaped India’s collective moviegoing culture. It is an honor for us to host a festival dedicated to Mr. David Dhawan’s remarkable legacy. Over decades, his films have defined mainstream Hindi entertainment, bringing joy to audiences across generations. This festival is a rare opportunity for newer audiences to rediscover some of his iconic films in the format they were originally created for.”

A event for media and the film industry will see David Dhawan in conversation with his son, leading Bollywood actor Varun Dhawan.

David Dhawan said: “I have always believed in making films that entertain people and help them forget the struggles of their daily lives. My idea has always been simple: make people laugh, feel good about life, even if just for those three hours, and walk out of the theatre with a smile. To see PVR Inox curate a festival around my work and bring these films back to the big screen is heartwarming. These films were made with a lot of love, energy, and instinct. I am excited to see audiences return to cinemas to relive the madness, the music, and the joy all over again.”

PVR Inox operates 1,802 screens across 360 properties in 114 cities in India and Sri Lanka, formed through the 2023 merger of PVR Limited and Inox Leisure Limited.

April 29, 2026
Canneseries YA Show ‘Sneakermania,’ From ‘Icebreaker’ Producers, Boarded by Norsekey Distribution (EXCLUSIVE)

Canneseries competition entry “Sneakermania,” helmed by Ima Iduozee, choreographer of Netflix’s “Dance Brothers,” has been swooped on by Norsekey Distribution which has acquired global distribution rights outside Finland.

The deal was announced by high-profile Finnish writer and Helsinki-filmi head of drama Mia Ylönen (“Icebreaker,” “Codename Annika”), as the 9^th edition of Canneseries drew to a close.

”Sneakermania is a unique story of friendship and career in the internationally fascinating world of sneakers, with a diverse cast that showscases the Nordics from a completely new and fresh angle,” said Maria Kivinen, Norsekey Distribution’s director of sales, acquisitions and co-production, before adding: “the show already got enormous interest amongst international buyers at Content Europe in Lisbon last week.

Streaming since February on Finnish pubcaster YLE’s platform Yle Areena, the YA drama, produced by the local powerhouse Helsinki-filmi, marks the series debut of hot choreographer-turned-filmmaker Iduozee. “I believe Ima is the next best thing to come out of Finland: a young, creatively unique director whose vibrant vision is something we haven’t seen on Finnish screens before,” said Ylönen earlier to Variety.

The eight-part 15-minute series, co-penned by Vilja Keskimäki, Jani Airiainen, Aleksi Aro-Heinilä and Zakariya Noor, follows Ola, a 17-year-old ambitious sneakerhead who wants to become the No. 1 fashion influencer in town. “It’s a coming-of-age story that places today’s Helsinki youth at the heart of its storytelling in a way that is inclusive, humane and forward-thinking,” noted Iduozee.

Leading the cast are Mohamed El-Waber, Ada Mustonen, Yosef Nousiainen, Jasir Osman, Adja Wade, Mitra Matouf, Salah Isse Mohamed and Ame Waber.

Commenting on the Canneseries audience’s reaction following the show’s international premiere at the Grand Theatre Lumiere on Monday, Ylönens said: “The reception was overwhelmingly positive, and the series’ high visual style made it clearly stand out. The audience and press were especially keen to hear about the culture of sneakerheads in Helsinki and the organic way social media is used in the series. Perhaps people are used to seeing dark and cold Nordic noir series coming from Finland and were positively surprised to see a sunny, upbeat Young Adult series!”

“Sneakermania” was the second Yle series showcased at Canneseries alongside the psycho thriller “Guts” which bowed in the long-form competition, picking up best performance for Roosa Söderholm.
The YA series “Sneakermania” is the latest pickup by Kivinen who set up the Finnish TV, film sales and financing outlet Norse Key Distribution less than a year ago, after more than a decade at YLE Sales.

‘Sneakermania’ Courtesy of Helsinki-filmi

April 29, 2026
Bitcoin rises to $77,000 ahead of Fed decision as Trump preps for lengthy Hormuz block

Bitcoin is doing nothing while everything around it moves.

The largest crypto just under $77,000 on Wednesday in Asian hours, up just 0.1% over 24 hours and down 0.8% on the week, holding a tight band even as Brent crude pushed above $111 a barrel on a Wall Street Journal report that President Donald Trump told aides to prepare for an extended U.S. naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran has said the country is in a “State of Collapse,” Trump claimed on Truth Social Tuesday, while Tehran has signaled it may accept an interim deal to reopen the strait if Washington lifts its blockade of Iranian ports.

Ether dropped 2.6% on the week to $2,310. XRP fell 3.8% to $1.39. Solana lost 3.2% to $84.57. BNB shed 2.3% to $625. The exception was dogecoin, up 5.5% on the week to $0.1016, the only top-10 token outside stablecoins to print green over seven days.

Bitcoin’s market dominance is slowly climbing again as a result, which is what tends to happen when macro stress arrives and capital rotates into the largest asset.

Zaheer Ebtikar, founder of Split Research, said in a note that bitcoin’s relative calm was indicative of a change in market strucute.

“The supply overhang has finally dried up, and the sellers who were spooked by macro shifts or quantum fears have already exited, leaving the market much thinner on the sell-side than it was just a few months ago,” he said to CoinDesk over email.

“Bitcoin is far less sensitive to regulatory noise or central bank policy than people think. Its sensitivity is purely a function of wider volatility, and since we’re currently in a quieter trading range, there’s no immediate rush for the exits,” Ebtikar added.

The technical levels are sharper. Analysts at Bitget flagged $75,000 as the line where the upward range that has held since late March breaks, with a clean loss potentially opening room for further downside.

A reversal back toward $80,000 from current levels keeps the rally structure intact and sets up a retest of the resistance that has rejected bitcoin every attempt since February.

The Fed announces its rate decision later on Wednesday, the ECB follows Thursday, and the U.S. equity market sold off Tuesday on growing skepticism about the payoff from artificial intelligence capital expenditure, with Nasdaq 100 futures clawing back 0.4% in Asian hours.

Brent crude whipsawed between gains and losses but stayed elevated near $111 on the blockade reporting, putting renewed pressure on inflation expectations heading into the central bank decisions.

Traders may watch whether bitcoin’s apparent supply exhaustion holds against the next macro shock. If Ebtikar’s read is correct, the seller base that capitulated through March and April is gone, and bitcoin trades on volatility rather than headlines until something forces a fresh leg of selling. If the read is wrong, $75,000 gets tested quickly and the range break Bitget flagged plays out as drawn.

April 29, 2026