A chartered air ambulance travelling from Ranchi to Delhi crashed shortly after takeoff on Monday, with all seven people onboard feared dead. The aircraft departed at 19:11 IST on a medical evacuation mission. At 19:34 IST, pilots contacted Kolkata Air Traffic Control requesting a route deviation due to bad weather. Minutes later, the aircraft lost both communication and radar contact approximately 100 nautical miles southeast of Varanasi. The wreckage was later discovered near Simaria in Chatra district, Jharkhand. Onboard two pilots Vivek Vikas Bhagat and Captain Savrajdeep Singh, one patient, two attendants, one doctor and one paramedic. The DGCA has initiated a formal investigation.

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)  

India has issued an urgent advisory asking all its nationals in Iran including students, pilgrims, businesspersons and tourists to leave immediately via available commercial means, citing the "evolving situation" in West Asia. The Indian Embassy in Tehran reinforced earlier January advisories, urging citizens to carry travel documents, avoid protests, and register with the embassy. Families in India were also asked to assist in registration amid potential internet disruptions. The advisory coincides with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's scheduled visit to Israel on February 25-26, his first since 2017. Israeli PM Netanyahu called the visit significant amid ongoing Oman-mediated US-Iran nuclear talks and heightened regional security concerns.

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.

An Irish man sparked controversy on X after sharing an Irish Times article about the University of Galway's student food bank turning away hundreds weekly. He falsely claimed 90%+ of those queuing were Indian nationals, questioning why they were in Ireland and alleging financial fraud. Critically, the Irish Times article never identified students' nationalities nor singled out any group. Despite this, the post fueled xenophobic reactions online, with users accusing Indian students of exploiting the system. Some commenters called for stricter immigration enforcement. The incident highlights how misleading framing of news images can rapidly ignite racial hostility against diaspora communities, particularly Indian students studying abroad.

Travel vlogger Maya Rey, who has explored over 40 countries, went viral after sharing five things that genuinely shocked her during her solo journey across India. In an Instagram post garnering over 127,000 views, Rey highlighted India's extraordinary hospitality, where strangers constantly offered help despite staring. She was surprised by the widespread English proficiency that enabled seamless communication everywhere. Rey noted Indians' blunt personal questioning, skipping small talk entirely. Remarkably, she observed that locals travel their own country more extensively than any nation she'd visited. Finally, she declared Indian food unmatched globally, lamenting that no international substitute compares. The post received overwhelmingly positive responses from Indian users appreciating her open-hearted perspective.

Donald Trump has warned that countries could face higher tariffs if they delay or step back from trade deals with the United States. His remarks came after the US Supreme Court struck down sweeping tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.   In a post on Truth Social, Trump said any country that wants to “play games” would be met with “a much higher Tariff.” He added that nothing has changed in the proposed India-US trade deal.   The European Commission has asked for clarity, saying, “A deal is a deal.” (PC: The Indian Express)