Five baby orangutans were found in the Bichitrapur forest area near Badapahi village in Odisha’s Balasore district, nearly 4,000 km from their natural habitats in Indonesia and Malaysia. The discovery has raised serious concerns because orangutans are not native to India. Forest officials rescued the animals and began investigating how they reached the area, with suspected international wildlife trafficking among the possibilities. The unusual discovery also attracted large crowds, prompting authorities to secure the animals. Officials are assessing their health and considering relocation to a suitable facility, including Nandankanan Zoological Park. The case highlights concerns over illegal wildlife trade and endangered-species protection.

A major technical failure in the UK’s air traffic control system disrupted flights across Britain, forcing Air India’s Mumbai-London flight AI131 to divert and land in Zurich instead of Heathrow. The disruption was caused by a fault in NATS’ flight-processing system and affected major airports, including Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester. More than 1,000 flights were cancelled, while hundreds faced delays. Although NATS said the technical problem was resolved, the resulting backlog continued to disrupt operations. Airlines warned that passengers could face further delays as schedules gradually recover. The incident has renewed concerns about the resilience of Britain’s aviation infrastructure.

India has raised concerns over a new United Nations world map that depicts Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin as separate regions between Indian and Chinese claim lines. The map reportedly portrays Arunachal Pradesh as an independent region bordering Assam and China, while Aksai Chin is shown separately between the two countries. India stressed that its support for the UN General Assembly’s “Correct the Map” resolution on equal-area mapping does not mean endorsement of any particular map. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India has taken the anomalies up with the concerned authorities. New Delhi reiterated that Arunachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are integral parts of India. (PC: X)

Students and residents in Delhi’s Satya Niketan have raised concerns over the reported death toll following Sunday’s collapse of a five-storey student PG building, which killed seven people. � Students reportedly questioned whether the official figures fully reflected the casualties, while fear spread across the densely populated area. Many students began leaving their accommodations, dragging belongings away amid concerns about the structural safety of nearby buildings. The MCD subsequently issued demolition notices to several buildings considered dangerous or ruinous. Authorities have also faced scrutiny over building safety and regulatory enforcement following the tragedy. (PC: PTI)

The US-Iran conflict has sharply escalated after US forces destroyed five Iranian oil tankers, following attacks by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards on a US Navy vessel. Iran retaliated with ballistic-missile strikes targeting a US military base in Jordan, while also threatening shipping near the Strait of Hormuz. Jordan said most incoming missiles were intercepted and reported no casualties. Iran has also warned of possible action against oil-related facilities and shipping linked to Kuwait and Bahrain. The escalation has raised concerns over the security of the Gulf’s critical energy routes, while oil prices have moved closer to $100 per barrel. (PC: Reuters)

Fresh threat letters allegedly issued by Lashkar-e-Taiba-linked United Liberation Council (ULC) have warned Kashmiri Pandit employees recruited under the PM Package to quit their jobs or face fatal consequences. The threats, reportedly the fifth in a month, have been accompanied by alleged online leaks of employees’ phone numbers, addresses and vehicle details. Activists have demanded an FIR, security audit and stronger protection for employees living in transit colonies and rented accommodation. The developments have renewed concerns over the safety of Kashmiri Pandits working in the Valley and raised questions about the effectiveness of rehabilitation and security arrangements. (PC: Getty Images)

The Trump administration will ban imports of certain Canadian alcohol, dairy products and motor vehicles from September 29, escalating an 18-month-old trade dispute with Ottawa. President Donald Trump signed three proclamations moving selected Canadian products from the existing 50 per cent additional tariff regime to outright import bans. The restrictions came hours after Canada imposed retaliatory tariffs on about $20 billion of US goods, with duties ranging from 15 to 50 per cent. Washington accused Canada of restricting US alcoholic beverages, limiting dairy access and maintaining vehicle tariffs that disadvantage American exporters. Canada introduced its measures after negotiations failed, while Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canada needs to reduce dependence on the United States, its largest trading partner. (PC: Reuters) 

The US Department of Labor has suspended Cognizant’s ability to file for new employment-based green cards amid an investigation into alleged visa fraud. Founded in Chennai in 1994, Cognizant is now headquartered in the United States and is one of the largest H-1B visa applicants in corporate America. Labour Department Inspector General Anthony D’Esposito said “threats to American workers” would not be tolerated and warned that “handcuffs await”. The department also suspended PERM filings for tech firm Cloudera. PERM certification is the first step toward obtaining an employment-based green card for foreign workers. The action comes amid the Trump administration’s “Project Firewall”, launched last year to target employers suspected of abusing the H-1B visa programme.

Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon has resigned from the company, saying AI labs are “gambling with our lives” in their race toward self-improving superintelligence. Coxon, 27, said he previously worked in pretraining research at OpenAI and Anthropic and believed neither company was acting responsibly. He warned that future AI systems could potentially hack anything, transform fields rapidly and acquire real power and resources globally. Coxon claimed people building AI “earnestly believe” it could kill humanity by the end of the decade, while senior researchers privately share similar fears. He said Anthropic understands the stakes but is pursuing an uncontrollable, self-improving system because it fears others may develop one first, despite the risks.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are scheduled to meet Friday, a day before the BRICS leaders’ summit in New Delhi on September 12-13, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday. Speaking to India-based journalists in an online interaction organised by Sputnik India, Peskov described the relationship between the two leaders as one involving close personal contact and pragmatism. He said Modi and Putin can discuss sensitive global issues and bilateral relations in an open and constructive manner. Peskov also highlighted Russia’s financial engagement with BRICS members, saying 90 per cent of Russian payments with BRICS countries are conducted through national currencies. He described BRICS as a flexible club focused on policy, security, economics, finance, and humanitarian cooperation. (PC: Wikimedia Commons)