Ueli Kestenholz, a former Olympic bronze medalist and one of Switzerland’s most influential figures in competitive snowboarding, has died following an avalanche accident in the Swiss Alps. He was 50. The Swiss Ski Federation confirmed Kestenholz’s death on Tuesday, stating that the former Olympic athlete was fatally injured after being caught in an avalanche on Sunday in the Lötschental valley in southern Switzerland. Kestenholz had been snowboarding on an eastern slope in the

Microblogging platform X, formerly known as Twitter, experienced a widespread global outage on Tuesday, January 13, disrupting access for users across several regions. The platform, which hosts a wide range of content spanning news, entertainment, sports, and general discussion, saw users report significant difficulty in accessing both its mobile application and website. Complaints began surfacing as users encountered loading issues, delayed responses, and intermittent service interruptions.

A tragic road accident in the eastern Kazakhstan city of Oskemen has resulted in the death of an Indian student and left two others injured, according to confirmation from the Indian Embassy in the country. The incident involved a group of Indian medical students enrolled at Semey Medical University who were returning from an excursion to the Altai Mountains, a well-known destination in the region. The accident has deeply affected the Indian student community and raised renewed concerns over stu

Apple has emerged as the world’s leading smartphone manufacturer in 2025, overtaking long-time rival Samsung in global shipments, according to the latest industry analysis. The milestone marks a significant shift in the global smartphone market, ending a 14-year period during which Samsung consistently held the top position in worldwide shipments. Industry data shows that Apple recorded the highest year-on-year growth among the top five smartphone brands, capturing a 20 percent sh

NEW YORK — Nurses across New York City returned to picket lines Tuesday for the second day of what union leaders describe as the largest nurses strike in the city’s history, as contract negotiations with major hospital systems remain unresolved. The strike, which began early Monday, involves an estimated 15,000 nurses from hospitals within the Mount Sinai, Montefiore and NewYork-Presbyterian networks. Picketing resumed outside multiple hospital facilities Tuesday morning, though

The Virginia Department of Health has confirmed the state’s second case of measles reported so far this year, prompting an investigation into potential exposure sites and renewed public health guidance for residents. Health officials said the case involves a preschool-aged child who recently traveled internationally with family members, a factor that continues to play a significant role in measles transmission within the United States. According to the department, the child visite

The Internal Revenue Service has announced that the 2026 tax filing season will officially begin on Monday, Jan. 26, giving taxpayers the green light to submit their 2025 individual income tax returns. The agency expects to process approximately 164 million returns during the upcoming season, with the vast majority filed electronically. Officials say new tax law provisions could lower tax liabilities for some filers and potentially increase refund amounts, while operational changes may alter

The protest movement against the Iranian regime is growing stronger and more vocal with each passing day. What began as domestic unrest has now expanded beyond the country’s borders, evolving into a global expression of dissent. Demonstrations are increasingly visible in Europe, the United States, and neighboring regions, highlighting the determination of Iranians and their supporters to draw international attention to long-standing political and social grievances. The expanding reach of these

Iran’s exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi has intensified his appeal to former United States president Donald Trump, urging immediate action against Iran’s leadership as nationwide protests continue to grip the country and reports of fatalities mount. In a series of statements issued on Monday, Pahlavi portrayed the Iranian government as severely weakened and argued that decisive international support could help protesters bring an end to the current political system. Pahlavi soug

Australia has moved India into its highest-risk category for student visa applicants, a decision that will result in stricter scrutiny and longer processing timelines for thousands of prospective students. The change, implemented under Australia’s Simplified Student Visa Framework, takes effect from January 8, 2026, and represents an out-of-cycle reclassification driven by concerns over emerging integrity risks in the student visa system. Under the revised framework, India has bee

Sergio Gor formally assumed charge as the United States Ambassador to India on Monday, marking the beginning of a new diplomatic chapter between the two countries. Speaking shortly after taking office, Gor described the relationship between India and the United States as the most consequential global partnership of the century, underlining its growing importance across economic, strategic, and technological domains. He confirmed that fresh trade negotiations between the two sides are schedule

The United Arab Emirates has approved significant amendments to its child care framework, allowing foreign residents to foster children of unknown parentage, a move that expands access to a system that was previously restricted to Emirati citizens. The changes, enacted under Federal Decree-Law No. 12 of 2025, revise provisions of the 2022 law governing child welfare and are aimed at strengthening institutional care while broadening social participation in foster services. The update

The United States considers India its most essential international partner, US ambassador-designate Sergio Gor said on Monday, as Washington and New Delhi prepare to restart a new round of trade negotiations beginning Tuesday, January 12. Speaking at the US Embassy in New Delhi, Gor underlined the depth of the bilateral relationship and expressed confidence that both sides could overcome existing challenges to advance cooperation across multiple sectors. Gor, who also serves as Spec

Iran’s government said on Monday that it is prepared to enter negotiations with the United States, even as it warned that the country remains fully ready to defend itself militarily amid ongoing nationwide protests and rising international tension. The statement came after US President Donald Trump suggested that Iran’s leadership had expressed interest in talks following his repeated warnings of possible military intervention. Speaking at a conference of foreign ambassadors in

The Indian Space Research Organisation experienced a tense morning on Tuesday after the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle C62 lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota at 10.18 am carrying a total of 16 satellites. The mission initially appeared to progress as planned, with scientists closely monitoring each phase of the flight. However, around 30 minutes after liftoff, ISRO confirmed that the mission had encountered an anomaly during the third stage of the launch sequence, r

A strong earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia’s Talaud Islands on Saturday, triggering widespread concern across parts of the northern Sulawesi region but causing no immediate reports of damage or casualties, according to monitoring agencies. The tremor highlighted the country’s ongoing vulnerability to seismic events due to its location along one of the world’s most active tectonic zones. The German Research Center for Geosciences reported that the earthquake measured

A small passenger aircraft operating an IndiaOne Air service crashed in Odisha on Saturday, prompting an immediate emergency response from local authorities and aviation officials. The aircraft, a nine-seater, was en route from Rourkela to Bhubaneswar when it went down in a rural area approximately 10 to 15 kilometres from Rourkela. The incident has raised concerns over flight safety and led to the launch of a formal investigation to determine the cause of the crash. According to pr

A 24-year-old student from Andhra Pradesh pursuing a master’s degree in the US state of Texas has been reported missing after undertaking a solo winter trip to Alaska during the Christmas holiday period. The student, identified as Karasani Hari Krishna Reddy, is a native of Guntur district and had travelled to Alaska on December 22 with plans to return within two weeks, according to information shared by his friends. Reddy, who was studying in Texas, had informed his friends and r

Several airlines operating from the United Arab Emirates, Turkey and Qatar suspended flights to Iran on Friday as widespread protests and communication disruptions continued to affect the country, leading to growing uncertainty across the regional aviation sector. The cancellations affected key routes linking major Gulf and Turkish hubs with Iranian cities, underscoring the broader impact of the unrest on international travel. According to information published on the Dubai Airports

India on Friday said it was concerned about the fatal shooting in Minneapolis, citing the presence of a large Indian community in the United States and the broader implications of the incident. The reaction came amid growing scrutiny of immigration enforcement practices in the US following the death of a woman during a federal operation. Responding to questions on the incident, the Ministry of External Affairs said India was closely following developments related to the Minneapolis