As US-Iran tensions escalate, America's most expensive warship, the $13.3 billion USS Gerald R. Ford is battling an unexpected internal crisis after a catastrophic sewage system failure leaving most of its 650 toilets non-functional. Over 4,500 sailors face 45-minute toilet queues daily while technicians work 19-hour shifts attempting repairs. The vacuum-based sewage system's fragile design means a single valve failure disables entire departments, with calcium build-up requiring $400,000 acid flushes each time. Now in its eighth month at sea well beyond the standard six exhausted sailors are missing family milestones and contemplating leaving the military entirely. The USS Harry S. Truman suffered similar crew fatigue issues, resulting in multiple lost fighter jets in 2025.

The United States has begun collecting a new 10% tariff on most imports. The move was confirmed in a notice by US Customs and Border Protection. It said goods would face “an additional ad valorem rate of 10%.”   The rate is lower than the 15% tariff earlier announced by President Donald Trump. A White House official said the higher rate may come later, but there is no formal order yet.   The step follows a Supreme Court ruling that blocked earlier tariffs. Trump then used Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 to impose the new duties for up to 150 days. (PC: HT)

Reddit has been fined £14 million by the UK Information Commissioner’s Office for failing to protect children’s data. The watchdog said the platform did not properly check users’ ages. Children under 13 had their personal information collected without proper safeguards. The ICO found Reddit lacked strong age verification measures. It also failed to assess data risks to children before January 2025. UK Information Commissioner John Edwards said companies must ensure children are not exposed to harm online. He warned that relying only on self-declared age is not enough. The ICO is reviewing new controls introduced by Reddit.

Authorities in Chiang Mai are investigating the deaths of 72 tigers at Tiger Kingdom, a popular tourist park. The tigers died within two weeks across two facilities. Officials said tests found canine distemper virus and a respiratory bacteria. The virus is highly contagious and can be fatal for big cats. More than 240 tigers live at the park. Staff said the illness was hard to detect early. The park has been closed for two weeks for cleaning and disinfection. Animal rights groups raised concerns about captive wildlife conditions. Officials are monitoring staff, but no human infections have been reported. (PC: Getty Images)

Mexico has deployed 10,000 troops to restore order following the death of Nemesio "El Mencho" Oseguera, leader of the feared Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) and the country's most-wanted drug lord. El Mencho was wounded during a military shootout in Tapalpa, Jalisco State, and died while being airlifted to Mexico City. His death triggered immediate and widespread cartel retaliation, with members blocking roads across 20 states while torching vehicles and businesses. The violence claimed dozens of lives within hours. Mexican authorities responded by deploying thousands of soldiers nationwide to contain the unrest and prevent further cartel-orchestrated chaos from destabilising the country's already fragile security landscape.

US-Iran tensions have reached a critical flashpoint, with Washington deploying its largest Middle East military presence since the 2003 Iraq invasion, including two aircraft carriers and fighter jets. Trump warned Iran of "a very bad day" if nuclear talks collapse, while anonymous texts circulated across Iran reading "The US President is a man of action. Wait and see." The State Department ordered nonessential diplomats to leave Lebanon. India issued an urgent advisory asking all nationals, including medical students, to exit Iran immediately. However, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi expressed cautious optimism, stating a "good chance" exists for diplomatic resolution, with US envoy Steve Witkoff scheduled to meet Iran's team in Geneva. (PC: HT)

A massive bomb cyclone nor'easter described as the strongest storm in a decade battered the northeastern United States from Maryland to Maine on Monday, dumping over two feet of snow across the metropolitan Northeast. More than 5,600 flights were cancelled, with an additional 2,000 grounded Tuesday. Schools shuttered across New York, Boston and Philadelphia, while over 450,000 households lost power. Central Park recorded 19 inches of snowfall, while Warwick, Rhode Island surpassed three feet, breaking a 1978 record. Emergency declarations were issued across multiple states. The United Nations even postponed a Security Council meeting. Meteorologists warned another storm could strike the region later this week. (PC: X)

On the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy acknowledged deep national exhaustion but firmly rejected any surrender, warning that capitulating to Moscow would mean Ukraine losing its sovereignty entirely. Speaking to CNN, Zelenskyy called Putin himself "a war" and urged stronger US pressure on Russia, bluntly stating Trump was not doing enough. He indicated Ukraine could consider freezing front lines but refused withdrawing troops from Donetsk. Peace talks remain deadlocked over security guarantees, with Kyiv insisting Congressional approval must precede any settlement. Separately, Zelenskyy declared on X that Putin has already triggered World War III, with Ukraine serving as the world's defensive outpost. (PC: X)

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has summoned Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei to the Pentagon for a high-stakes confrontation over military access to the Claude AI system. The Defence Department is pressuring Anthropic to deploy its most advanced models within classified military networks with significantly fewer safety restrictions. Currently Claude is the only frontier AI operating in certain sensitive defence environments. Tensions escalated after reports emerged that Claude was allegedly used during the January 3 Venezuela operation that captured Nicolas Maduro, though Anthropic denied confirming this. The Pentagon has threatened to designate Anthropic a "supply chain risk," which would force all defence contractors to abandon Claude entirely, effectively severing the partnership. (PC: India Today)  

Following the US Supreme Court's 6-3 ruling declaring Trump's global tariffs "unlawful," President Donald Trump swiftly retaliated by signing an executive order imposing a 10% global tariff on foreign goods, subsequently raising it to 15% the very next day. The Court ruled Trump exceeded his legal authority by invoking the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act without Congressional approval. Chief Justice John Roberts emphasized that extraordinary assertions of power require clear congressional authorisation. Undeterred, Trump issued a stark warning on Truth Social, threatening countries attempting to exploit the ruling with "much higher tariffs and worse." Global allies including the EU and UK are now reconsidering their trade arrangements with Washington.