Category: Trending News

Jio Platforms has announced a partnership with SpaceX to bring Starlink’s stale-powered broadband internet services to India. This decision, subject to regulatory approvals, is going to create a significant milestone in India’s digital connectivity growth. With this partnership, Jio promises to introduce high-speed, low-latency internet services for the Indian people, even in the most remote areas.

This association will enable Jio to offer Starlink solutions with its retail outlets and digital platforms and make satellite broadband services accessible to people nationwide.

With this partnership, the world’s leading Earth orbit saline internet providers, Starlink and Jio, will work together to expand broadband coverage across the country. The ultimate objective of this collaboration is to cover the digital divide by reaching remote locations of healthcare centers, schools, businesses, and more.

Under this deal, Jiio will offer Starlink equipment, installation, and activation support and establish a seamless customer connection. It will also enable the satellite connectivity of Starlink to complement Jio’s current broadband offerings. Jio’s existing services include JioAirFiber and JioFiber; this deal will extend high-speed internet services to regions where traditional fiber networks are tough to deploy.

The Group CEO of Reliance, Mathew Oommen, said that Jio’s top priority has been ensuring that every Indian has access to affordable and high-speed broadband regardless of where they live. By integrating Starlink into Jio’s broadband, we plan to expand our reach, improve the reliability and accessibility of high-speed broadband, and empower businesses and communities across India.

Both companies have formalized their agreement; Starlink’s launch in the country is still contingent on government approvals from the Department of Telecommunications and the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Center.

This partnership comes as India’s satellite broadband sector is continuously evolving with Jio’s joint venture with SES and Airtel-backed Eutelsa OneWeb securing GMPCS licenses.

President Donald Trump is set to implement a new travel ban that could bar Afghanistan and Pakistan from entering the US. This news is based on an executive order that directed the government to submit a list of countries from which travel should be partially or fully suspended. Other nations could also be on the list but it is still not clear.

The move is  to the travel restrictions placed during the first term of Trump on several Muslim-majority nations in 2017. It was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018 but later revoked by the Joe Biden administration in 2021.

The US State Department is doing the full review of visa programs. A US official familiar with the situation informed me that Afghanistan could be among the nations included.

According to officials, the ban could come as soon as next week. It is still not clear if final decisions on countries and timing have been made.

If Afghanistan is included in the new travel ban policy, it would impact tens of thousands of Afghans who worked alongside the US during its two decades of war

there, as the new restriction would block Afghan nations from entering the USA.

Tens of thousands of Afghans have already been caught in limbo due to other Trump administration executive orders to suspend the US refugee admissions programs and the suspension of foreign aid funding for flights of Afghan Special Immigrant Visa holders.

AfghanEvac, a coalition of organizations, is continuously working to bring Afghan allies to safety after the Afghanistan War in 2021. The organization urged all Afghan nations having valid US visas to travel as soon as possible amid clear indications that a travel ban would affect Afghani nationals.

While there has been no official announcement. This policy change can significantly impact Afghan visa  holders who have been awaiting relocation to the US.

On Thursday, SpaceX’s Starship exploded minutes after lifting off from Texas. This explosion doomed an attempt to deploy mock satellites, the second consecutive failure this year after Musk’s Mars rocket program.

Several videos were shared on social media showing fiery debris streaking through the dusk skies near South Florida and the Bahamas after the Starship’s breakup in space. This occurred shortly after it began to spin uncontrollably with its engines cut off.

This failure occurred more than a month after the company’s seventh Starship flight ended in an explosive failure. These continuous mishaps happened in the early mission phases that SpaceX easily surpassed earlier. It indicates serious setbacks for Musck programs that were supposed to be speeded up this year.

The eighth test flight of Sarship, which is the biggest and most powerful rocket ever built, was launched from its Starbase site in South Texas.

The huge first-stage booster of Starship, known as Super Heavy, came back to Starbase for a launch-tower catch about seven minutes after liftoff as planned. However, the vehicle’s 171-foot-tall upper stage Starship witnessed a serious issue shortly, then it ended up exploding over the Atlantic Ocean.

The rocket was not carrying any astronauts. SpaceX stopped the live stream shortly after the launch and gave no information on where debris would fall.

Sharing about the incident, ShapcX said that the vehicle experienced a rapid, unscheduled disassembly and we lost contact. The team is coordinating with safety officials and we will check the flight data to understand the main cause of this explosion.

As debris scarred the different parts of the Caribbean, the Federal Aviation Administration issued ground stops of commercial flights at Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach, Miami, and Orlando airports due to the space launch debris. Some flights were also diverse around Turks and Caicos.

OpenAI has declared a significant change in its artificial intelligence development strategy, deciding to forgo the launch of the highly awaited “o3” model in favor of a more cohesive and simplified framework. CEO Sam Altman disclosed that the technologies originally planned for “o3” will be incorporated into the upcoming GPT-5 model, with the objective of refining its AI products and improving the overall user experience.

The choice to terminate “o3” arises in the context of heightened examination by investors regarding OpenAI’s significant investments in artificial intelligence technology. Importantly, the Chinese startup DeepSeek has launched a more cost-effective AI model, thereby escalating competition within the AI sector. Altman underscored the organization’s dedication to developing AI systems that operate effortlessly for users, while recognizing the existing intricacies in the domain.

OpenAI has announced the cancellation of the “o3” project and intends to introduce a new model, designated as GPT-4.5 and codenamed “Orion.” This forthcoming model will be the final iteration that does not incorporate a “chain-of-thought” reasoning approach. While this method aids in providing straightforward answers, it frequently struggles with more intricate challenges, particularly in fields like physics and mathematics. The forthcoming integration of “chain-of-thought” reasoning is anticipated to significantly improve the AI’s capabilities in these domains.

This strategic transition illustrates OpenAI’s commitment to adjusting to the changing AI environment and tackling the challenges presented by competitors and market needs. By integrating its technologies into a cohesive model, OpenAI seeks to provide more effective and user-centric AI solutions. The forthcoming GPT-5 model is expected to establish new benchmarks in AI performance, delivering improved capabilities and wider applicability across multiple sectors.

The rapid progression of the AI industry highlights OpenAI’s strategic choice, which emphasizes the necessity for adaptability and innovation in addressing the evolving requirements of users and stakeholders. By prioritizing the simplification of its product range and the incorporation of sophisticated reasoning capabilities, the company is well-positioned to lead in AI development. The forthcoming launch of GPT-5 is eagerly awaited, with predictions that it will profoundly affect the AI sector and shape the trajectory of future technological innovations.

On Wednesday, the US deported 104 Indians who were living in the US illegally. All the Indian nationals traveling in a military aircraft landed at Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport in Amritsar. It was the first batch of deportations of Indian immigrants as ordered by President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.

The deportation follows the recent discussion between the US and India to tackle illegal immigration.  This issue has become a significant concern since Trump assumed office.

Earlier also, the US deported Indian nationals but this is the first time a military aircraft has carried out such an operation. For 40 hours, deportees were handcuffed, their feed tied with chains, and were not allowed to move from their seats, according to medical reports.

On Friday, the central government announced that the US authorities have identified another 487 illegal Indian migrants living in the US; they will be deported soon.

Basic Overview of Deportation and Reasons

Deportation is the process of removing foreign citizens from a nation for violating immigration law. Generally, the deportation process is taken care of by the host nation’s immigration administration, and the total cost is done by the host nation.

While there can be numerous reasons behind the deportation, including violations of visa status, criminal convictions, or a threat to public safety,. The most common reason is illegal entry: when a person enters a nation without proper documentation.

In several cases regarding the visa expiration and criminal convictions, people get some right to appeal in court. But when it comes to the illegal entry, nations mostly have a fast-tracked process to deporte and deportee Havana’s right to appeal.

The US has a guideline for deportation that includes provisions like humane treatment with deportees; vulnerable people are not being deported and deportation is not done in a nation where their lives are at risk.

Indian Deportation and the USA

As per the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Department, around 2,71,000 people were deported in 2024, which was the highest since 2014. Since the return of President Trump, illegal immigrant deportation has become a significant topic of political debate.

Data says that there are around 11–13 million illegal migrants in the US. Deporting such large people will be a huge financial and logistical challenge for the nation.

Although the number of undocumented Indian immigrants in the US is very disputed. As per the new data from the Pew Research Center, a total of 725,000 people are illegal immigrants who are in India, making India the third-largest group after Mexico and El Salvador.

On the other hand, the Migration Policy Institute says the total number of Indian immigrants is 375,000, which puts India in a position.

According to an ICE document, accessed by Fox News, last year in November, a total of 1.44 million non-citizens in the US were on ICE’s non-detained docket with final orders of removal.

The ICE document says the US government expects foreign countries to accept their citizens; otherwise, they face resistance.  As of now, ICE has classified 15 nations as uncooperative, including India, China, Russia, Venezuela, and Iran. While nations like Vietnam and Iraq are at risk of non-compliance.

As part of India-US migration, both nations are actively processing to deter illegal migration and try to create more averages for legal migration from India to the US.

On Monday, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced the state-wise allocation of the Indian Budget 2025. Speaking at a press conference at Rail Bhavan in New Delhi, Vaishnaw emphasized the government’s commitment to transforming Indian Railways into a world-class transportation network while also contributing to economic growth and job creation.

Maharashtra received the highest budgetary allocation among all states at Rs 23,778 crore, followed by Uttar Pradesh (Rs 19,858 crore), Gujarat (Rs 17,155 crore), and West Bengal (Rs 13,955 crore). The North Eastern states, including Assam, have been allocated Rs 10,440 crore, while Jammu and Kashmir will receive Rs 844 crore for the financial year 2025-26.

Please find the detailed allocation list below.

Please check the list below

• Andhra Pradesh – Rs 9417 crore
• Bihar – Rs 10066 crore
• Chhattisgarh – Rs 6925 crore
• Delhi- Rs 2593 crore
• Goa – Rs 482 crore
• Haryana- Rs 3416 crore
• Himachal Pradesh – Rs 2716 crore
• Jharkhand – Rs 7302 crore
• Karnataka – Rs 7559 crore
• Kerala – Rs 3042 crore
• Madhya Pradesh – Rs 14745 crore
• Odisha – Rs 10559 crore
• Punjab – Rs 5421 crore
• Rajasthan – Rs 9960 crore
• Tamil Nadu – Rs 6626 crore
• Telangana – Rs 5337 crore
• Uttarakhand – Rs 4641 crore

The Union Railway Minister also announced that Mumbai’s local train services will soon see a 10% increase. Currently, the city operates 3,200 local train services, which are expected to rise to 3,500, enhancing convenience for commuters.

He made this announcement while highlighting key projects from the Union Budget aimed at improving Mumbai’s suburban railway network. To make local trains more comfortable, railway authorities are developing new trains that promise a smoother ride with reduced vibration and improved air circulation.

Additionally, signaling systems are being upgraded to reduce train intervals. The railway also has plans to decrease the current headway of 180 seconds to 150 seconds, and later to 120 seconds.

Beyond the service expansion, new tracks, terminals, and extensions are being planned.

A tripartite agreement has been made for the completion of these projects. According to the agreement, the state government, Indian Railways, and RBI will collaborate, with the RBI covering the costs incurred by the state government in the joint schemes.

On Wednesday, a jet, American Eagle Flight No. 5342, with 60 passengers and four crew members collided with an Army helicopter while moving towards Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, D.C. This plane had taken off from Wichita, Kansas on the same day.

The helicopter was a training flight and belonged to B Company, 12th Aviation Battalion out of Fort Belvoir in Virginia, Joint Task Force. One air traffic control person was maintaining the helicopter and some planes from the Reagan National Airport to the water during the collision; this work is generally done by two people.

A live stream camera at the Kennedy Center in Washington captures the moment of the accident. It shows an explosion in the areas near the Potomac River.

A minute before the jet was about to land, the air traffic controllers asked the American Airlines flight if it could do so on a shorter runway. The pilots agreed with the controllers. The air traffic controllers quickly cleared the jet to land and flight tracking sites directed the plane to adjust its approach towards a new runway.

Within 30 seconds before the accident, an air traffic controller asked the helicopter if it had the plane in sight. The controller did a radio call again to the helicopter moments later. He said, “PAT 25 passed behind the CRJ, telling the helicopter to wait for the Bombardier CRJ-701 twin-engine jet to cross. But he did not get any reply from the other side and the aircraft collided a few seconds later.  All 67 people aboard an American Eagle flight from Kansas and an Army helicopter were killed in the tragedy.

The wreckage of the helicopter was found in the river. A statement has been released by the NTSB office that they are working to recover the data recording equipment from both aircraft.

The cause of the accident is still not clear. Federal investigators are doing their best to piece together the moment before the accident, including any communication between the aircraft.

One air traffic controller was coordinating with the helicopter traffic and the arrival and departure of planes when this collision happened. “The task is generally assigned to two individuals in the tower, so the staffing wasn’t normal,” according to the reports.

Further, as per the report published in the New York Times, an internal preliminary Federal Administration, the report was not normal as per the time of the day and volume of traffic.

D.C. Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly said that this is a complex operation, and the conditions are extremely rough for the responders. The team is dealing with relatively windy conditions.

President Donald Trump addressed the crash during a briefing at the White House, and he confirmed that there were no survivors.

The Biggest U.S. Commerical Crash in 16 Years

Last time, the major U.S. commercial air crash happened in 2009 when a Continental Airlines flight out of Newark crashed into a house as it was approaching the airport in Buffalo.  In that tragedy, 49 people died. One year later, Continental merged with United Airlines.

U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated his call for OPEC to reduce the oil prices to hurt oil-rich Russia’s economy and Ukraine.  After the statement, oil prices slipped on Monday. The Brent crude dropped 53 cents, or 0.68% to $77.97 a barrel by 0430 GMT after settling up 21 cents on Friday.

As soon as President Donald Trump landed in North Carolina to check the storm damage, he said that one strong way to stop the ongoing war is to quickly avoid earning so much money and cut down the crude oil price.

Trump also warned of imposing taxes, tariffs, and sanctions on Russia, and other nations. If the agreement to end the Ukraine war is not done soon. Responding to this statement, Vladimir Putin suggested a meeting with Trump to talk about the war and energy prices.

During his 23rd speech to the global business elite at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Trump had called Saudi Arabia and its allies in OPEC to ramp up oil output, a move that would cut down the cost of crude oil, choking a key revenue source to Moscow to fund the war.

In 2024 throughout its presidential campaign, Trump announced to end of Russia’s three-year full-scale invasion of Ukraine. He has been trying to hold a meeting with Putin since winning the election in November. But the Kremlin doesn’t seem to enter into any discussion, saying Putin believes he is about the win the war and hence sees no reason to stop this fight.

Trump’s return to the White House demonstrates a tougher enforcement of U.S. oil sanctions against OPEC member Iran and potentially cutting out the oil exports which are currently over 1.5 million barrels per day.

At present, OPEC and other members hold 5.86 million barrels per day of outcome, or around 5.7% of the demand in the global market, as per the 2022 agreement to support the market.

With the supply drop in Iran after the new sanctions, OPEC; ‘s spare capacity would be an effective support to deal with the declines.  This year, the oil price has increased with Brent crude reaching almost $83 on 15th January. It was the highest since August.

Most of the OPEC members depend on oil revenue and have their budget balanced at $80 a barrel or more. In his first term, Trump has already urged OPEC and Saudi Arabia to reduce the costs and try to reduce exports from Iran.

Further, on Sunday Trump announced his plans to impose a 25% tariff on all Colobina goods entering the US, with plans to take it to 50% in the coming week. It has increased a lot of concerns in crude supply. This decision was taken after Colombia refused to launch two US military plans, to carry deported migrants to land.

Currently, the US is the largest buyer of seaborne crude exports of Colombia, buying 183,000 barrels per day, which is 41% of the total export of the country.

Surprisingly, the White House announced on Monday that Colombia has agreed to all the terms presented by President Trump, including the acceptance of all illegal aliens from Colombia, returned from the US.