Actor James Van Der Beek, best known for his role in the American TV series ‘Dawson’s Creek’, has sadly passed away. He was 48. News of his demise on Wednesday, comes amid the actor’s highly publicised battle with colorectal cancer.

James Van Der Beek’s family release statement

“Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed peacefully this morning. He met his final days with courage, faith, and grace. There is much to sharee regardin his wishes, love for humanity and the sacredness of time. Those days will come. For now, we ask for preaceful privacy as we grieve our loveing husband, father, son, brother and friend,” read a post on his Instagram page.

James Van Der Beek’s cancer battle

Van Der Beek, who was married and had six children, announced his cancer diagnosis in 2024.He made a surprise video appearance in September at a ‘Dawson’s Creek’ reunion charity event in New York City after previously dropping out due to illness.He appeared projected onstage at the Richard Rodgers Theatre during a live reading of the show’s pilot episode to benefit F Cancer and Van Der Beek. Lin-Manuel Miranda subbed for him on stage. “Thank you to every single person here,” Van Der Beek said.

Van Der Beek goes public with Cancer diagnosis

“I have colorectal cancer,” James said in a statement to People magazine and went on to add, “I’ve been privately dealing with this diagnosis and have been taking steps to resolve it, with the support of my incredible family. There’s reason for optimism, and I’m feeling good.”Later in an Instagram post, the actor said, “… I’d planned on talking about it at length with People magazine at some point soon… to raise awareness and tell my story on my own terms. But that plan had to be altered early this morning when I was informed that a tabloid was going to run with the news. I’ve been dealing with this privately until now, getting treatment and dialing in my overall health with greater focus than ever before. I’m in a good place and feeling strong. It’s been quite the initiation, and I’ll tell you more when I’m ready.” Van Der Beek also apologised to the people in his life whom he had planned on telling himself. “Nothing about this process has occurred on my preferred timeline… But we roll with it, taking each surprise as a signpost, pointing us toward a greater destiny than we would have discovered without divine intervention. Please know that my family and I deeply appreciate all the love and support,” he further said in the post.

James Van Der Beek’s film career

He was best known for playing Dawson, the lead character of the eponymous 1998-2003 teen drama that followed a group of friends living in a small Massachusetts town. While he also had roles in the films ‘Varsity Blues’ and ‘The Rules of Attraction’, Van Der Beek never truly established himself in cinema as he struggled to separate himself from the legacy of ‘Dawson’s Creek’. But the actor insisted he was happy with his career path. “Overall, I’ve worn my past with pride rather than seeing it as something to get rid of,” he told celebrity site Page Six in 2011.

Van Der Beek’s final post

Wednesday’s Instagram post showed a picture of Van Der Beek wearing a white top and cardigan. It was also shared by his wife Kimberly.The actor’s final post was made on January 26, with the actor sharing a birthday message for his father and his daughter, who shared the same birthday. Sharing a couple of photos, he wrote, “My father and my daughter share a birthday today. At first, I thought that was all they shared – they seemed so different to me. But as the two of you have evolved, and let more of who you are shine through, I can recognize the same open, warm, loving, gentle heart. I see the care and dedication you shower upon those you love most. I see the same out-of-the-box Aquarian creativity and originality. And you both make every room you’re in more fun. Different senes of humor, but you both have a way of alchemizing the vibe around you in such a subtle way one can almost miss how powerfully you do this.”He went on to add, “In this crazy world, it’s a wonder to me that you’ve managed to stay so open, so tender, and so genuinely good. You are marvels… and I’m so insanely grateful to have you in my life. The world is a better place because the two of you are in it. Happy birthday, guys. I love you with all my heart.”

Hollywood celebs mourn his loss

Taking to the comments section, several American TV stars and Hollywood actors mourned Van Der Beek’s demise with touching posts. Sarah Michelle Gellar took to the comments to write, “I’m so sad for your beautiful family. While James legacy will always live on, this is a huge loss to not just your family but the world. F**k Cancer.”Jennifer Garner also left a comment that read, “What a heartbreaking loss. So much love to you, Kimberly, and to your kids, as you navigate this tender time.”Patricia Arquette helped fans and friends raise awareness about the Go Fund Me Page created to help out the actor’s family amid their financial difficulties that arose amid the cancer treatment. She wrote, “Love you. James was one of a kind. The best. People can support on- go fund me look up Support for James Van Der Beek’s family to support through this time.”David Denman also left a pos that read, “One of the kindest souls I’ve ever known. RIP brother.”

After ‘Dawson’s Creek’

Some of his projects after ‘Dawson’s Creek’ include co-creating and playing Wesley “Diplo” Pentz, a dull but likable music producer in the mockumentary satire on Viceland, ‘What Would Diplo Do?’ In 2019, he made it to the semifinals of ABC’s ‘Dancing with the Stars’ and played a balding, out-of-shape ex-boyfriend on ‘How I Met Your Mother.’Between 2003 and 2013, he made appearances in shows like ‘Criminal Minds’, ‘One Tree Hill’, and ‘How I Met Your Mother.’ He played himself with a crackpot intensity in the Krysten Ritter-led ABC drama ‘Don’t Trust the B— in Apartment 23’, and the short-lived spinoff ‘CSI: Cyber’ and ‘Friends With Better Lives’.He’s also appeared in a number of movies, such as Kevin Smith’s 2001 comedy ‘Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back’ and its 2019 sequel, ‘Jay and Silent Bob Reboot’. He also was in the Bret Easton Ellis adaptation of ‘The Rules of Attraction’ in 2002 opposite Jessica Biel and Kate Bosworth.In 2025, he was unmasked as Griffin on ‘The Masked Singer’, after singing a cover of John Denver’s ‘Take Me Home, Country Roads’ and ‘I Had Some Help’ by Post Malone and Morgan Wallen.

US President Donald Trump said no final agreement was reached for a nuclear deal after having a three-hour meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and warned Iran of consequences if negotiations failed. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said that he insisted to Israeli PM Netanyahu during their White House meeting Wednesday that negotiations with Iran continue.“It was a very good meeting, the tremendous relationship between our two Countries continues.” Trump said in a social media post. “There was nothing definitive reached other than I insisted that negotiations with Iran continue to see whether or not a Deal can be consummated.Trump also referred to past US military action against Iran, warning of consequences if negotiations failed.“Last time Iran decided that they were better off not making a deal, they were hit with Midnight Hammer — that did not work well for them,” he said, referring to the June 2025 US strikes on Iran’s three main nuclear sites.“Hopefully this time they will be more reasonable and responsible,” he added.The US President said the leaders also discussed the war in Gaza and wider developments in the Middle East. Iran continued to reel from the 12-day war with Israel in June, after a series of airstrikes, including the US bombing of several Iranian nuclear sites, killed nearly 1,000 people in Iran and almost 40 in Israel.Israel long called for Iran to cease all uranium enrichment, dial back its ballistic missile programme and cut ties to militant groups across the region. Iran always rejected those demands, saying it would only accept some limits on its nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief. Washington built up military forces in the region, sending an aircraft carrier, guided-missile destroyers, air defence assets and more to supplement its presence. Arab and Islamic countries, including Turkey and Qatar, urged both sides to show restraint, warning that any strike or retaliation could have destabilising consequences for a region already strained by the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

NEW DELHI: The Indian Air Force targeted terror infrastructure and select military installations in Pakistan during Operation Sindoor, but did not strike nuclear site in Kirana Hills, Vice Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Nagesh Kapoor said on Wednesday.Responding to questions about videos circulating online that purportedly show attacks on Pakistan’s Kirana Hills, Kapoor said the IAF’s operations were limited to identified terror and military targets.

“We attacked terror infrastructure and several of their (Pakistan’s) military installations. This is absolutely true,” Kapoor said.“If you see any video, whether it’s from open sources, or generated by them, or what they’re trying to portray, we don’t know. Whether we did something, or whether the explosion was caused by an insurgency there, or by what weapon, we don’t know about all this,” he added.“But these videos (of Kirana Hills) were presented by their people; they made them; we did nothing. We only struck terror and military installations,” the Vice Air Chief said.The IAF has maintained that its actions were aimed at dismantling terror infrastructure and degrading military capabilities linked to cross-border threats.During a press briefing on the operation last year, Air Marshal AK Bharti, then Director General of Air Operations, had said India had not struck Kirana Hills. Th IAF put out a video on Republic Day showing the Pakistan’s nuclear base in Sargodha getting hit, accompanied by footage of Indian jets — Rafale, Sukhoi, Jaguar and Tejas — and the words “the enforcers of peace”.However, when asked about the video, IAF maintained that it stood by the official version.

Russia’s foreign minister Sergey Lavrov on Wednesday said that Moscow will continue to observe the limits set under the New START nuclear arms control treaty, even after its expiry, as long as the United States adheres to the same restrictions.The New START treaty formally expired on February 5, leaving the world’s two largest nuclear powers without any binding restrictions on their atomic arsenals for the first time in more than 50 years. The development has raised concerns globally about the possibility of an unchecked nuclear arms race.Last year, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Moscow was ready to continue adhering to the treaty’s limits for another year if the United States agreed to do the same. However, US President Donald Trump has insisted that China should be included in any future agreement, a proposal Beijing has rejected.Speaking to Russia’s lower house of parliament, Lavrov said that Moscow would maintain its commitment to the treaty’s caps despite the absence of a formal extension.“The moratorium declared by the president will remain as long as the US doesn’t exceed these limits,” Lavrov told lawmakers. “We will act in a responsible and balanced way on the basis of analysis of the US military policies.”He added that “we have reason to believe that the United States is in no hurry to abandon these limits and that they will be observed for the foreseeable future.”“We will closely monitor how things are actually unfolding,” Lavrov said. “If our American colleagues’ intention to maintain some kind of cooperation on this is confirmed, we will work actively on a new agreement and consider the issues that have remained outside strategic stability agreements.”Lavrov’s remarks followed a report by Axios claiming that Russian and US negotiators discussed a possible informal understanding to continue observing the treaty’s limits for at least six months during talks held last week in Abu Dhabi.Commenting on the report, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that any extension would have to be formal. “It’s hard to imagine any informal extension in this sphere,” he said.At the same time, Peskov confirmed that future nuclear arms control was discussed during meetings in Abu Dhabi, where delegations from Russia, Ukraine and the United States held two days of talks focused on a potential peace settlement in Ukraine.“There is an understanding, and they talked about it in Abu Dhabi, that both parties will take responsible positions and both parties realize the need to start talks on the issue as soon as possible,” Peskov said.The New START treaty, signed in 2010 by then-US President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, was the last in a series of agreements between the two countries aimed at limiting nuclear weapons, beginning with the SALT I pact in 1972.Under New START, each country was limited to 1,550 deployed nuclear warheads and no more than 700 deployed missiles and bombers. The treaty was originally due to expire in 2021 but was extended for five years.The agreement also allowed for on-site inspections to ensure compliance. However, inspections were halted in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and were never resumed. In February 2023, Putin announced the suspension of Russia’s participation in the treaty, citing tensions with the United States and NATO over the Ukraine conflict. Still, the Kremlin maintained that Russia would continue to respect the treaty’s numerical limits.In September, Putin proposed extending adherence to the treaty’s caps for another year to allow time to negotiate a replacement agreement.Despite the treaty’s expiration, both countries agreed on February 5 to restore high-level military-to-military communication following discussions in Abu Dhabi. The direct link had been suspended in 2021 amid worsening relations before Russia launched its military operation in Ukraine in February 2022.

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a temporary flight restriction on Wednesday halting all flights to and from El Paso International Airport in Texas and parts of southern New Mexico for 10 days, citing “special security reasons”.The restriction, which came into effect February 11 at 0630 UTC, will remain in place until the same time on February 21, covering the airspace over El Paso and the neighbouring community of Santa Teresa, New Mexico. The temporary restrictions extend across a 10-nautical-mile radius around the city and up to an altitude of 17,999 feet, according to a notice to airmen (NOTAM) issued by the FAA. “No pilots may operate an aircraft in the areas covered by this NOTAM,” the official notice said.The airport operator said in a travel advisory posted on its official Facebook and Instagram accounts that all commercial, cargo and general aviation flights had been grounded and advised travellers to contact their airlines for updates. An airport operator who answered the phone early Wednesday also confirmed that all flights had been halted because of an FAA order, according to The New York Times.The airport said the restriction had been issued “on short notice” and that it was awaiting further guidance from the FAA, according to a statement cited by CNN affiliate KFOX. In a notice, the FAA said the federal government “may use deadly force” if an aircraft violating the airspace is determined to pose “an imminent security threat”, The New York Times reported.Representative Joaquin Castro, a Democrat who represents San Antonio, said he had no clear information about the situation. “Sorry, I don’t have some clear answer,” Mr Castro said early Wednesday. When asked if the move was surprising, he replied, “Yes.” Texas State Representative Vincent Perez of El Paso said he had no information about the restriction and added, “I have never heard of an American airspace being shutdown for 10 days, absent a major emergency,” according to The New York Times.El Paso International Airport serves a large area of West Texas and eastern New Mexico, The New York Times noted.This is a developing story.

Shares of Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) fell 6% in early trade on Wednesday, after the government announced an Offer for Sale (OFS) to reduce its stake in the company. On NSE, the BHEL stock was down 16 points or 5.80% to 260.10 at 11:20 am. On the Bombay Stock Exchange, the share price was 5.74% down to 260.2, sheding 15 points.The Centre plans to sell up to 5% of its holding and may raise about Rs 4,422 crore if the entire offer is subscribed at the floor price. The floor has been fixed at Rs 254 per share, which is 8% lower than Tuesday’s closing price of Rs 276.05.The sale will start with a 3% stake, however, the government can sell an additional 2% through a greenshoe option, in case the issue is oversubscribed. The base offer includes more than 10.44 crore shares, while the extra portion covers over 6.96 crore shares. In total, 17.41 crore shares could be sold.Non-retail investors can bid on Wednesday while retail investors will get their chance to bid on Thursday, according to ET. The government currently holds 63.17% in BHEL but may fall depending on how much of the OFS is taken up.With this transaction, the Centre’s total disinvestment proceeds from public sector undertakings in the current financial year stand at Rs 8,768 crore.The stake sale comes after BHEL posted a strong set of numbers for the quarter ended December 2025. The company reported a net profit of Rs 382 crore, compared with Rs 125 crore in the same period last year — a rise of 206% year on year. The improvement was driven by better execution and operating leverage.Revenue from operations increased 16% to Rs 8,473 crore from Rs 7,277 crore a year earlier, pointing to improved project work and a stronger order pipeline. Total income, including other income, rose to Rs 8,700 crore from Rs 7,393 crore in the year-ago quarter.

Stock market today (AI image)

Stock market today: Nifty50 and BSE Sensex, the main stock market benchmarks, rose in opening trade on Wednesday as global cues remained positive and optimism around the India-US trade deal continued. While Nifty was near the 26,000 mark, BSE Sensex rose over 100 points. At 9:16 AM, Nifty50 was trading at 25,983.75, up 49 points or 0.19%. BSE Sensex was at 84,403.92, up 130 points or 0.15%.Experts are of the view that the broader trend remains mildly positive in the near term, though gains may remain limited unless the benchmarks decisively move above the 26,000 level.Dr. VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist, Geojit Investments Limited says, “There are two trends that can sustain the ongoing mild rally in the market. One, this is a comprehensive rally with the broader market, too, participating with more enthusiasm. The appreciation in mid and small caps have brought cheer to retail portfolios and retail investors are participating eagerly in the rally. Two, sustained FII selling, which has been a major drag on the market, has stopped. FIIs have been buyers in the market in the last five out of six trading sessions. This cannot be taken as a complete reversal of the FII stance; but the sustained selling appears to be over.It is also important to note that the around 10 percent depreciation in dollar during the last one year has significantly eroded the dollar gains of foreign investors from investment in the US market. So FIIs might look for markets outside the US for gains this year and beyond. The rupee stability and hope of appreciation in the months ahead also can nudge FIIs to turn buyers in India. Apart from these factors, the improving earnings growth prospects in FY27 and the strong macro construct will provide the fundamental support to a modest rally. An unhealthy trend in the market now is the inflows into gold and silver ETFs exceeding the inflows into active equity funds. This is the time to put more money into equity than to precious metals which have turned highly volatile rather than a safe haven.”In the US stock market, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq finished lower on Tuesday, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average recorded its third consecutive record closing high. Investors reacted to weaker-than-expected retail sales data and awaited an important labour market report that could provide clearer direction on the Federal Reserve’s interest rate outlook.Across Asia, equities hovered near record levels ahead of the release of key US employment data scheduled for Wednesday. Weak retail sales numbers in the US strengthened expectations that the Federal Reserve may move toward interest rate cuts later this year, supporting regional market sentiment.On the domestic front, foreign portfolio investors were marginal net buyers, purchasing shares worth Rs 69.45 crore on Monday, according to exchange data. Domestic institutional investors remained supportive, recording net purchases of Rs 1,174 crore during the same period.(Disclaimer: Recommendations and views on the stock market, other asset classes or personal finance management tips given by experts are their own. These opinions do not represent the views of The Times of India)

UK police on Tuesday arrested a teenage suspect after two boys were stabbed at a school in northwest London, with counter-terrorism officers taking charge of the probe amid concerns over the circumstances of the attack.The suspect, believed to be 13, was arrested several hours after fleeing Kingsbury High School, where the stabbing took place just after midday. Police said the boys, aged 12 and 13, were taken to hospital and were in serious condition. The suspected weapon has been recovered.“The suspect was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and remains in custody for questioning,” detective chief superintendent Luke Williams told reporters at the scene. He said police were keeping an open mind on the motive, adding that while the incident has not been declared a terrorist attack, counter-terrorism officers are leading the investigation. Police said they were not looking for any other suspects.Students were still being interviewed by officers hours after the school day ended, according to media reports.Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said she was “heartbroken” by the incident and that her department was in touch with the school and local council to offer support.The stabbings come amid growing concern over teenage knife violence in the UK, particularly in London, and a rise in violent incidents in schools, according to teaching unions. Last week, a 15-year-old boy in Wales was remanded in custody after being charged with the attempted murder of a female teacher in a knife attack.The London Ambulance Service said two patients were treated, with one taken to hospital and the other to a major trauma centre as a priority.In a letter to parents, Kingsbury High School headteacher Alex Thomas described the incident as “deeply traumatic” for the school community, adding that the situation was under control. Some parts of the school, which has nearly 2,000 pupils aged 11 to 18, will remain closed on Wednesday.