Mid Day

Congress claims nine of its AI videos were deleted by BJP-led governments, calling it misuse of IT Rules and a suppression of political satire. Social media head Supriya Shrinate said the videos were clearly labeled, highlighted Indias AI issues, and accused PM Modi of prioritizing rhetoric over national interest

In January 2026, Pune registered 14,537 properties and collected Rs 609 crore in stamp duty during the month. While registrations declined 17 per cent year-on-year (YoY) compared to January 2025, stamp duty collections saw a relatively smaller dip of 5 per cent YoY

The buildup has persisted despite indirect discussions between Washington and Tehran in Geneva on Tuesday. Irans Foreign Minister stated there was agreement on a set of guiding principles, while US officials noted progress but highlighted that significant gaps remain

A 65-year-old retired ISRO employee was taken into custody after allegedly strangling his wife to death with a towel at their home in Avalahalli. The incident was reported around 11 am. Police said the accused, reportedly undergoing treatment for depression

Rumours of child kidnapping have led to multiple mob assaults across Jharkhand, including a fatal attack. Police have urged people not to act on unverified rumours and to report suspicions to authorities

The latest US-brokered talks between Russia and Ukraine in Switzerland ended without a breakthrough, with both sides calling the discussions difficult. While some progress was reported on military issues, sharp political differences remain, especially over Russian-occupied territories in eastern Ukraine

Preparations for the Nashik-Trimbakeshwar Simhastha Kumbh Mela 2027 have begun, with a Rs 25,000 crore master plan covering roads, airport expansion, sanitation, AI-based crowd management and tent cities. The 21-month festival is expected to attract over 12 crore devotees and generate Rs 30,000 crore in economic activity

Over 16.15 lakh students have registered for the Maharashtra SSC exam 2026, scheduled from February 20 to March 18. The MSBSHSE will conduct exams at 5,119 centres across nine divisions, with CCTV monitoring, 271 flying squads, helplines, counsellors, and strict anti-cheating measures in place

The scheme, expected to be introduced within the next two months, will carry an annual fee ranging between KD 750 (Rs 8600) and KD 1000 (Rs 11,500), to be paid directly to the government

Union Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday directed officials to work on a war footing to achieve a revised target of creating six crore Lakhpati Didis under the rural livelihoods mission

Gisele Pelicots memoir A Hymn to Life, Shame has to Change Sides has been released in 22 languages worldwide. In the book, Pelicot recounts her traumatic experience and delivers a powerful message of hope, resilience and solidarity for survivors of sexual abuse

Mukesh Ambani announced that Reliance and Jio will invest Rs 10 lakh crore over seven years to build sovereign AI infrastructure in India. Speaking at the India AI Summit 2026, he unveiled Jio AI Bharat and outlined plans for gigawatt-scale data centers and green-powered AI systems

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates will not deliver the keynote at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, the Gates Foundation said. Ankur Vora will represent the foundation in New Delhi. The clarification comes amid speculation over Gates reported mention in the Epstein files

The data shows that the average apartment size in these key urban centres increased from 1,420 square feet (ft) in 2023 to approximately 1,676 sq ft in 2025. The momentum continued over the past year, with an 8 per cent rise from around 1,540 sq ft in 2024

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast light to moderate rainfall across parts of southern and coastal Tamil Nadu over the next few days due to a low-pressure area over the equatorial Indian Ocean and adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal. According to the IMD, the system is expected to move west-northwestwards and intensify further

A 65-year-old umpire, Manik Gupta, died after a swarm of bees attacked players and officials during a cricket match at Sapru Maidan in Unnao. Several players were injured in the sudden attack. Gupta was rushed to hospital but was declared dead on arrival

our passengers, including three brothers, died after their car plunged into a six-metre-wide canal near the Nahla Deviya bridge while travelling from Mahmoodpur to Deeg. Police suspect the driver failed to negotiate a sharp turn at high speed. Bodies have been sent for post-mortem

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu criticised BJP MLAs for not supporting a resolution seeking restoration of the Revenue Deficit Grant after the 16th Finance Commission recommended its discontinuation. The resolution was passed amid disruptions in the Assembly

Congress leader Pawan Khera attacked the Centre over the Galgotias University robodog controversy at the India AI Impact Summit 2026. The university vacated its stall and issued an apology after confusion over the robots origins sparked political criticism and calls for accountability

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to visit Israel on February 28 to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and discuss progress in the Geneva nuclear talks with Iran. The White House says limited progress has been made, but major differences remain as diplomacy continues

The UN Security Council is holding a high-level meeting on the Gaza ceasefire and Israels West Bank expansion plans ahead of President Donald Trumps first Board of Peace gathering in Washington. Global leaders are debating reconstruction

Shiv Jayanti 2026: A stampede-like situation broke out at Shivneri Fort in Pune during Shiv Jayanti celebrations, injuring several devotees. The chaos occurred near narrow entry points as lakhs gathered to pay tribute to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj

A fireworks shop explosion in Xiangyang, Hubei province, killed 12 people during Lunar New Year celebrations. Investigators are probing the cause of the blast. Earlier this week, a similar explosion in Jiangsu province claimed eight lives and injured two

The father of the 17-year-old accused in the Dwarka SUV crash has apologised to the family of 23-year-old Sahil Dhaneshra, who was killed on February 3. The teen was allegedly driving the vehicle during a social media video shoot. The father said he will abide by the judiciarys decision

Award-winning pilot Ron Timmermans and his wife Barbara died in a single-engine Beechcraft A36 crash in East Texas after he radioed an engine emergency. The aircraft struck a power line and crashed near homes. Their pet dog survived and was taken in by a neighbour

Metas CEO was expected to answer questions on Wednesday from attorneys representing a now 20-year-old woman who claims her early use of social media addicted her to the technology and exacerbated depression and suicidal thoughts

Mahroof Ahmed Khan and Masroor Ahmed Khan, twin brothers from Bhubaneswar, scored identical 285 out of 300 in JEE Main (Session-I) 2026. The duo also secured the same 99.98 percentile in the BE/BTech paper, reflecting years of shared preparation and dedication

The latter mostly target the elderly, who should be made aware of their modus operandi

All 14 ex-captains played strokes that drew emphatic applause. But the open letter to the Pakistan government about the need to treat jailed Imran Khan well is deserving of kudos from a world audience

Galgotias University faced criticism at the AI Impact Summit for showcasing a Chinese-made robotic dog as its own. The university clarified it was used for student AI learning, not developed in-house, and vacated its stall following government instructions, emphasising academic integrity and hands-on innovation

Under the supervision of Virars Assistant Security Commissioner, divisional staff ensured smooth and safe commuter movement between 6 AM and 11 AM

Nine BJP corporators in Bhiwandi-Nizampur broke away to form the BSF and backed the Congress-led alliance, giving it the numbers to likely elect the mayor and deputy mayor. The move highlights political shifts after last months fractured municipal election

The SC denied anticipatory bail to Bhaskar Yadav in a Rs 640 crore cyber fraud and money laundering case, involving siphoning funds from middle-class investors through 5,000 plus bank accounts and laundering via a UAE-based platform

NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Suman Bery at Mumbai Climate Week highlighted the link between Indias economic growth, womens workforce participation, and renewable energy. He emphasised clean technology, competitive infrastructure, and reliable power as key to development and advanced manufacturing

On January 15, the top court observed that the West Bengal chief ministers alleged obstruction of the EDs probe was very serious and agreed to examine whether a states law enforcement agencies can interfere with a central agencys investigation into a serious offence

The discussions focused on strengthening Indias leadership in artificial intelligence and deepening international partnerships. The summit is being held at Bharat Mandapam from February 16 to 20. PM Modi and the Google CEO discussed Indias growing AI ecosystem

An elated Atharva credited his parents, teachers, and friends for his achievement, while emphasising the importance of honesty and regularity in exam preparation. His father, Avinash Chauhan, expressed confidence in his sons abilities, citing his consistent academic performance over the years

The India AI Expo Summit 2026 will remain closed to the public on February 19 due to Prime Minister Narendra Modis inauguration and security arrangements. The event has been extended to February 21 to accommodate strong public interest. Around 20 heads of state are expected to attend

Pakistan hockey captain Shakeel Ammad Butt slammed the Pakistan Hockey Federation after the team faced severe mismanagement in Australia, including delayed flights, lack of hotel bookings despite PSB funding, and being forced to wash dishes before matches

The Madhya Pradesh government has unveiled a Rs 4.38 lakh crore Budget for 2026-27, prioritising womens welfare, agriculture, rural development and infrastructure expansion. Presenting the Budget in the Assembly in Bhopal, Finance Minister Jagdish Devda emphasised inclusive growth, sustainable development and economic self-reliance

Applications filed by the Trump Organization with the federal trademark office are seeking exclusive rights to use the president`s name on airports and dozens of related things found there, from buses shuttling passengers to umbrellas and travel bags to flight suits

YouTube said it has resolved a widespread outage that disrupted access for hundreds of thousands of users worldwide late Tuesday. According to Downdetector, more than 300,000 users reported issues at the peak of the disruption around 0100 GMT. During the outage, visitors to YouTubes homepage were asked to return later as videos failed to load

A GR to this effect was issued on Tuesday, following the lapse of the previous ordinance granting the quota, which also faced an interim court stay. The earlier Congress-NCP government had issued an ordinance providing a 16 per cent quota to Marathas and five per cent to Muslims

India is hosting the AI Impact Summit 2026 to promote responsible and inclusive AI. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said AI will create new opportunities, while global leaders backed Indias role in shaping the future of artificial intelligence

Addressing a social-harmony meeting on Tuesday, the RSS chief expressed concern over what he described as a declining Hindu population and said inducement- or coercion-based religious conversions should be stopped

The lower court had stated that merely grabbing breasts and pulling a pyjama string did not amount to the offence of rape. Setting aside the HCs judgment, the apex court restored the original charge of attempt to rape against two men under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act

In a ruling made public Tuesday, the judge, Nina Froes, said she had terminated the case because of a procedural misstep by government attorneys, who failed to properly certify an official document they intended to use as evidence

The Special Cell of Delhi Police has arrested an alleged key member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang who had been absconding for seven years. The accused, identified as Bobby Kabutar, was apprehended by the Counter-Intelligence Unit in New Delhi. Police said he was a significant operative linked to the gang, which has been associated with extortion

According to a press note released on Wednesday, the tenure of 37 members elected from Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Telangana will end in April, thereby vacating the seats for fresh elections

The commitments of USD 36 billion for three projects came as Japan comes under pressure to deliver on its pledges made in 2025 in return for lower US trade tariffs. The announcement came ahead of a scheduled trip by PM Sanae Takaichi to the White House in March after Trump`s visit to Japan last year