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)

Meta has launched Muse, a new artificial intelligence assistant designed to perform everyday digital tasks with limited user intervention. The AI agent can send emails, book travel, manage schedules, shop online and handle other activities, marking Meta’s biggest push yet into AI agents that independently complete real-world tasks. Unveiled Tuesday, Muse moves beyond conventional chatbots that mainly respond to prompts. The tool is initially available to adults in the United States through a dedicated app and Meta’s WhatsApp platform. Its rollout highlights Meta’s focus on AI agents capable of taking actions across connected services while emphasizing privacy and safety controls. Muse represents the company’s expanding effort to build autonomous AI tools. (PC: India Today)

India and China held two senior military-level flag meetings in two days along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Arunachal Pradesh, amid efforts to maintain peace along the disputed boundary. The first meeting took place Sunday at Wacha, north of Kibithoo in Anjaw district, while the second was held Monday at Damai on the Chinese side. India was represented by 3 Corps Commander Lt Gen Girish Kalia. The meetings followed a misunderstanding between the two militaries near Taksing in Upper Subhansiri district. The Ministry of External Affairs said they followed understandings reached by Special Representatives Ajit Doval and Wang Yi. The meetings came ahead of Xi Jinping’s expected BRICS visit. (PC: The Tribune)

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed it seized a US unmanned underwater vehicle near the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz amid escalating tensions between Tehran and Washington. The IRGC said its naval forces captured the unmanned submarine during an intelligence mission. Iranian state media reported that the vehicle was delivered to the US military fleet in 2025 and can conduct underwater reconnaissance, map the seabed, detect mines and inspect submarine cables and pipelines. Iran said it would release photographs and video in the coming hours. The United States has not publicly commented. The seizure comes as Iran blocks the Strait, while Washington maintains a counter-blockade on Iranian ports. (PC: Reuters)

Oil prices climbed sharply on Wednesday as escalating US-Iran tensions raised concerns over possible disruptions to Middle Eastern energy supplies. West Texas Intermediate crude futures for October delivery rose 1.75% to $94.66 a barrel, while Brent crude gained 1.55% to $99.44. The increase followed US strikes that destroyed five Iranian crude oil tankers on Tuesday after Washington said Iran had attempted attacks on an American warship. US Central Command said the warship evaded the attacks and no US personnel were injured. The latest escalation has heightened concerns that oil could rise above $120 a barrel if attacks on shipping continue. Goldman Sachs commodities researcher Daan Struyven said such a price level was “definitely plausible”. (PC: X)

Nearly 1,300 flights to and from British airports were cancelled Tuesday after a technical problem at air traffic control provider NATS caused widespread disruption. FlightRadar24 reported the cancellations, with Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham and Edinburgh among affected airports. Dublin Airport in neighbouring Ireland also reported dozens of cancellations. NATS said the fault affected its flight data processing system. By early evening, the provider said the problem had been fixed but warned that clearing the backlog would take time. NATS chief executive Martin Rolfe said the organisation’s investigation was incomplete and that it had no “idea of exactly what went wrong”. The disruption caused widespread travel chaos across the UK today. (PC: AFP)