Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has directed the officials of APSRTC to introduce a fleet of 1,000 electric buses in a bid to transform the state’s public transport system into a more environmentally friendly and sustainable one. This directive is part of the government’s larger vision to encourage green energy solutions and reduce carbon emissions in the state. During a review meeting held at the Secretariat, the Chief Minister emphasized the growing need for cl

The Tirumala Laddu adulteration case, a scandal that has rocked the religious and culinary world, has reached the highest legal corridors with the Supreme Court intervening and ordering a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)-led Special Investigation Team (SIT). The case has stirred a hornet’s nest due to the large-scale adulteration of the famous sacred laddus with harmful substances, undermining its spiritual significance. Now, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is reportedly stepping into

An Iranian man has reportedly taken his own life after recording and sharing a video message in which he appealed directly to former US President Donald Trump to halt any diplomatic engagement with Iran’s current leadership. The man, identified by activists and Iranian media as Pouria Hamidi, was from the southern port city of Bushehr. His death has drawn renewed attention to ongoing political tensions inside Iran and the wider international debate surrounding Tehran’s relations with Wash

A 37-year-old Indian-origin information technology professional was killed after unidentified assailants opened fire on the vehicle he was travelling in at a shopping centre parking lot in Toronto, according to Canadian police officials. The victim, identified as Chandan Kumar, hailed from Bengaluru Rural district in Karnataka and had been living in Canada for the past six years while working with a private technology company. The incident occurred on Saturday, February 7, when poli

Syria and Saudi Arabia have signed a series of major economic and infrastructure agreements aimed at accelerating Syria’s post-war reconstruction and strengthening bilateral ties, marking one of the most significant rounds of cooperation between the two countries in recent years. Officials said the deals span aviation, telecommunications, energy, and development projects, with billions of dollars expected to flow into key sectors of the Syrian economy. The agreements include the l

A new white paper has underscored the deep and lasting contribution of the Indian diaspora to modern Britain, describing the community as the country’s most economically successful migrant group and a central force in national growth. The report, launched at the House of Lords on 5 February, traces decades of migration and documents how successive generations of Indian migrants have supported Britain’s recovery, innovation and competitiveness across multiple sectors of the economy.

More than six people, including four Indian students and two police officers, were injured after a knife attack inside a foreign students’ hostel at a state medical university in Ufa, Russia, on Saturday, authorities said. The incident unfolded in the sports hall area of the dormitory when a teenage suspect allegedly entered the premises armed with a knife and began attacking those present, prompting an emergency response from law enforcement and medical teams. According to Russia’s Interior Ministry, the assailant forced his way into the hostel building and targeted students inside the hall. The situation escalated quickly as officers attempted to restrain and detain the suspect. During the arrest operation, the teenager reportedly resisted and stabbed two police officers before inflicting injuries on himself. Both officers sustained wounds while attempting to control the attacker, highlighting the volatility of the encounter. Officials have not immediately released the names or nationalities of all those injured, though early information confirmed that four Indian students were among the victims. The injured individuals were transported to nearby medical facilities for treatment. Local reports indicated that the students and officers were admitted to a clinical hospital in the city, while the 15-year-old suspect was taken to a children’s hospital and remains in serious condition. The motive behind the knife attack remains under investigation, and authorities are continuing to gather evidence and question witnesses to determine the circumstances leading up to the violence. Security has been tightened around the university campus and residential areas as a precaution, and police are reviewing surveillance footage from the hostel. The Indian Embassy in Russia confirmed the incident and said it is closely coordinating with local authorities to ensure assistance for the affected students. In a statement, the embassy said officials from its consulate in Kazan are traveling to Ufa to provide on-ground support, medical assistance, and consular help to those injured. The embassy described the episode as unfortunate and assured that it is monitoring the situation closely. The university administration has yet to issue a detailed statement, but sources indicated that counseling and support services may be offered to students shaken by the incident. The attack has raised concerns about campus safety and the security of international students living in hostels, prompting calls for strengthened measures to prevent similar incidents. As investigations continue, authorities are expected to provide further updates on the condition of the injured and the legal proceedings involving the suspect.

HOCKLEY, Texas — A suspected gas leak prompted the evacuation of one Waller Independent School District elementary campus and precautionary shelter-in-place orders at two nearby schools Friday morning as emergency crews worked to contain the situation and ensure student safety. According to the Spring Creek Fire Department, elevated gas levels were detected at Roberts Road Elementary School shortly after the start of the school day. Officials determined that conditions inside the

An alleged key participant in the 2012 Benghazi attack has been taken into custody and is expected to face federal charges in the United States, the Justice Department confirmed on Friday. The arrest marks the latest development in a long-running terrorism case stemming from the deadly assault on American facilities in Libya that left four U.S. officials dead, including Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens. Attorney General Pam Bondi, District of Columbia Attorney Jeannie Pirro, and FB

As artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes industries and job markets, higher education, especially in the UK, is undergoing a transformation to adapt to new skill demands. In 2026, universities are increasingly focusing on practical skills and AI literacy to ensure graduates are ready for the workforce. This shift away from traditional degrees is a response to the growing need for hybrid capabilities that blend human insight with machine intelligence. The UK, in particular, faces a r

Alphabet, Google’s parent company, achieved a remarkable financial milestone in Q4 2025, surpassing $400 billion in revenue for the first time in its history. The key growth driver behind this success has been Google's expanding AI capabilities, particularly through its full AI stack, with Gemini 3 leading the charge. Sundar Pichai, CEO of both Alphabet and Google, highlighted how the company's growth was primarily fueled by advancements in AI, with Gemini 3 seeing massive engagem

Mohan Babu and his son, actor-politician Manchu Vishnu, are embroiled in a controversy in Tirupati after a police case was registered in connection with a student protest at Mohan Babu University. The protest, organized by leaders from the Students Federation of India (SFI) and SV University, was aimed at the university's fee structure. The students raised concerns over the high fees and staged the protest in response to the perceived exploitation. The situation took a dramatic turn

The March 3, 2026 Lunar Eclipse will be a Total Lunar Eclipse, often called a Blood Moon because the Moon turns deep red during totality. This happens when the Earth moves directly between the Sun and the Moon, casting its shadow completely over the Moon. According to NASA, the red color appears because Earth’s atmosphere filters sunligh

India’s Space Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh has said that there is no indication of sabotage behind a series of recent failures involving the Indian Space Research Organisation, even as repeated setbacks to strategic missions have triggered concern within policy and defence circles. The remarks come after three out of six ISRO missions launched from Indian soil over the past year failed, all of them linked to national security and strategic objectives. Speaking at a press briefing in New Delhi, Dr. Singh said that no report pointing to sabotage has been received so far. He clarified that while he is responsible for overseeing space launches, investigations related to sabotage or hostile interference fall under the purview of other ministries such as defence, home affairs, or external affairs. The minister added that, as of now, there is no information to suggest external interference in the recent launch failures. The comments follow two rare back-to-back mid-flight failures of ISRO’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, a rocket that has long been considered the agency’s most dependable platform. Over a 33-year operational history, the PSLV had suffered only four major failures prior to 2025. The failures in May 2025 and January 2026, both occurring during the third stage of flight, have therefore raised serious questions about reliability and corrective action. Dr. Singh addressed public speculation that ISRO may have failed to rectify earlier faults, stating that the two PSLV failures had different technical causes despite occurring at the same stage. He expressed confidence in ISRO’s internal failure appraisal process, describing it as thorough and analytical. Traditionally, ISRO has publicly released summaries of mission failure analyses, contributing to its image as a transparent space agency. However, in recent cases, that practice has not been consistently followed. The failure analysis report of the PSLV-C61 mission in May 2025 was submitted to the Prime Minister’s Office but not released publicly. Similarly, no detailed technical update has been shared regarding the PSLV-C62 failure in January 2026 beyond ministerial statements. January 2026 – PSLV-C62 / EOS-N1 The PSLV-C62 mission on January 12, 2026, was ISRO’s first launch of the year and marked the PSLV’s return to flight after a setback in May 2025. The primary payload was EOS-N1, also known as Anvesha, a hyperspectral Earth observation satellite developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation. The satellite was designed to operate at an altitude of 511 kilometres and provide advanced material identification capabilities by analysing reflected light across multiple wavelengths. The mission also carried 15 co-passenger satellites. A mid-flight failure during the third stage of the PSLV resulted in the loss of the rocket and all onboard satellites, ending the mission prematurely. May 2025 – PSLV-C61 / EOS-09 On May 18, 2025, ISRO’s PSLV-C61 mission failed approximately six minutes after liftoff. According to ISRO officials, performance was normal up to the second stage before an anomaly was observed during third-stage operation. The EOS-09 satellite, a radar imaging platform capable of all-weather, day-and-night surveillance, was lost along with the launch vehicle. Despite the strategic importance of the mission, ISRO did not release a public failure analysis, a departure from past practice. January 2025 – GSLV-F15 / NVS-02 On January 29, 2025, ISRO launched the NVS-02 navigation satellite aboard the GSLV-F15 rocket during the 100th launch from the Sriharikota spaceport. While the rocket successfully placed the satellite into its initial orbit, the satellite failed to fire its onboard engines, preventing it from reaching its designated operational orbit. The failure rendered NVS-02 unusable for its intended role within India’s NAVIC regional navigation system, which serves both civilian agencies and the armed forces. August 2021 – GSLV-F10 / EOS-03 In August 2021, ISRO launched the EOS-03 satellite, previously known as GISAT-1, aboard the GSLV-F10 rocket. Designed for near real-time Earth observation and disaster monitoring, the mission failed due to a malfunction in the cryogenic upper stage. ISRO later identified a valve leak in the liquid hydrogen tank as the cause of the failure. August 2017 – PSLV-C39 / IRNSS-1H The PSLV-C39 mission in August 2017 failed after the satellite remained trapped inside the rocket’s heat shield due to a separation failure. Although all other flight events proceeded as planned, the navigation satellite could not be deployed, resulting in the loss of a critical component of the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System. The cumulative impact of these strategic mission failures over the past nine years is significant. Financial estimates suggest losses amounting to several hundred million dollars, excluding the cost of rebuilding and relaunching replacement missions. Beyond monetary loss, delays in deploying indigenous navigation and surveillance satellites force greater reliance on foreign systems, affecting strategic autonomy. ISRO has indicated that each failure was caused by a different subsystem or component, reinforcing the reality that spaceflight is a zero-error domain where even minor defects can have catastrophic consequences. While each failure contributes valuable lessons, the repeated setbacks have slowed the deployment of key space-based capabilities developed by Indian scientists, placing renewed focus on reliability, transparency, and long-term mission planning.

As many residents across New Jersey look ahead to a shift in seasonal weather, this year’s Groundhog Day forecasts offered contrasting visions of what lies ahead. Two well-known groundhogs from different parts of the state delivered opposing predictions, leaving the ultimate outlook for winter and spring unresolved and adding to the tradition’s familiar uncertainty. At Turtle Back Zoo in Essex County, Essex Edwina emerged before a crowd of families and visitors to make her annua

Voters in Tarrant County delivered a significant political upset on Saturday by electing Democrat Taylor Rehmet to represent Texas Senate District 9 in a special runoff election, flipping a seat that had been controlled by Republicans for decades. Rehmet defeated Republican opponent Leigh Wambsganss with 5

The number of reported sightings of rogue drones operating near military installations in the United Kingdom has more than doubled over the past year, raising fresh concerns over national security and prompting the government to consider significant changes to military powers. Official figures show that incidents increased from 126 in 2024 to 266 in 2025, representing a rise of more than 100 per cent and highlighting what ministers describe as an evolving and increasingly complex threat envir

Union Budget 2026 was presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, marking her ninth consecutive budget and outlining the government’s commitment to inclusive growth. The budget is guided by three key kartavyas aimed at accelerating economic development while supporting the poor, underprivileged, and disadvantaged sections of society. While income tax payers were hoping for rebates or changes in standard deduction, the government chose to focus on indirect tax relief, healthcare afford

A major political development unfolded in Andhra Pradesh late on Saturday night with the arrest of YSR Congress senior leader Ambati Rambabu following a controversy that erupted earlier in the day. Rambabu had drawn widespread criticism after he made highly abusive and objectionable remarks against Chief Minister

Union Budget 2026 is being presented live from Parliament, marking a significant moment in India’s economic calendar. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is delivering her ninth consecutive Union Budget, continuing a historic streak that reflects policy continuity and long-term fiscal planning. The budget session is being closely watched by policymakers, economists, businesses, and citizens across