Veteran journalist and author K Govindan Kutty has died after a brief illness here, family sources said on Thursday. Kutty, 81, is survived by wife, son and daughter. He breathed his last at his residence here on February 18. He was the journalist who broke the news of the air crash involving the then Prime Minister Morarji Desai in 1977 at Jorhat in Assam. Desai had survived the crash. Kutty had a notable career as a reporter and editor in Thiruvananthapuram and New Delhi. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
20 February,2026 09:44 AM IST | Thiruvananthapuram | AgenciesIndia is set to formally join Pax Silica-the US-led effort on artificial intelligence and supply chain security on the sidelines of the Global AI Impact Summit being held here in the national capital. Pax Silica is the US Department of State's flagship effort on AI and supply chain security, advancing new economic security consensus among allies and trusted partners. The Pax Silica Declaration underlines the importance of a reliable supply chain indispensable to mutual economic security and recognises AI as a transformative force for long-term prosperity. As per an official statement by the State Department, the signatories of the Declaration include Australia, Greece, Israel, Japan, Qatar, South Korea, Singapore, UAE, UK; with non-signatory participants being Canada, the Netherlands, European Union, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and Taiwan. In another statement, the State Department announced the visit of Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg to India from February 20-21, where he will join the US delegation to the India AI Impact Summit led by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director, Michael Kratsios. The statement highlighted that the Under Secretary will hold bilateral meetings and deliver remarks at the conference to further the United States' economic relationship and partnerships in emerging technologies with India and help launch the next phase of the American AI Exports Program, part of the AI Action Plan. The partnership comes shortly after India participated at the Critical Minerals Ministerial convened by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio earlier in February represented by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. On the sidelines of the Ministerial, EAM Jaishankar told ANI that India extended its support to the Forum on Resource, Geostrategic Engagement (FORGE), a newly launched initiative unveiled at the inaugural Critical Minerals Ministerial, which succeeds the US-led Mineral Security Partnership. Jaishankar attended the inaugural Critical Minerals Ministerial in Washington DC on Wednesday (local time), during which the EAM called for structured international cooperation to "de-risk" critical mineral supply chains, noting that "excessive concentration" poses a major global risk. In a post on X, Jaishankar said, "Spoke at the Critical Minerals Ministerial in Washington DC today. Underlined challenges of excessive concentration and the importance of de-risking supply chains through structured international cooperation. Highlighted India's efforts towards greater resilience through initiatives including National Critical Minerals Mission, Rare Earth Corridors and responsible commerce. Conveyed India's support to the FORGE initiative on critical minerals." The India AI Impact Summit 2026, the first global AI summit hosted in the Global South, has brought together policymakers, industry leaders, academics and civil society representatives to deliberate on responsible AI governance and inclusive technological advancement. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday outlined MANA vision for AI - Moral and Ethical Systems, Accountable Governance, National Sovereignty, Accessible and Inclusive, Valid and Legitimate" M - Moral and Ethical Systems: AI must be based on ethical guidelines, A - Accountable Governance: Transparent rules and robust oversight, N - National Sovereignty: Data belongs to its rightful owner, A - Accessible and Inclusive: AI must not be a monopoly, but a multiplier, V - Valid and Legitimate: AI must be lawful and verifiable," he said. The Prime Minister asserted that India's MANAV Vision will become a crucial link for humanity's welfare in the AI-driven world of the 21st century. Addressing the Leaders Plenary Session later, PM Modi said that the AI Impact Summit will shape a human-centric, sensitive global ecosystem. He said AI must be accessible to all, with Global South priorities at the centre of governance. "Ethics in AI must be unlimited; profit must align with purpose," he said. The Prime Minister outlined three key suggestions for ethical use of AI: Trusted global data framework, transparent 'glass box' safety rules, and embedding human values in AI. He said AI is a shared resource for the welfare of humanity. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
20 February,2026 09:43 AM IST | New Delhi | ANIThe Supreme Court on Thursday granted bail to filmmaker Vikram Bhatt in a multi-crore rupees cheating case lodged in Rajasthan. A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi also regularised the interim bail granted earlier to Bhatt’s wife Shwetambari Bhatt in the case. Shwetambari was granted interim bail on February 13. Earlier on January 31, the Rajasthan High Court had rejected their bail applications in the cheating case. They were arrested in Mumbai and brought to Udaipur in December last year. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
20 February,2026 09:40 AM IST | New Delhi | AgenciesThe Supreme Court on Thursday slammed the freebies culture, saying it was high time to revisit such policies that hamper the country’s economic development. Taking note of the Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation Ltd’s plea, which proposed to provide free electricity to all irrespective of financial status of consumers, the top court said it was quite understandable if states hand-hold the poor. “Most of the states in the country are revenue deficit states and yet they are offering such freebies” overlooking development, said the bench. The bench said economic development of the nation gets hampered with this kind of largesse distribution. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
20 February,2026 09:30 AM IST | New Delhi | AgenciesA six-year-old girl died after a collision between an e-rickshaw and a car in Janakpuri on Tuesday. According to Delhi Police, a PCR call regarding the incident was received from Mata Chanan Devi Hospital on the morning of February 17. During treatment, the child was declared dead at Max Hospital, Dwarka. Her postmortem was later conducted at DDU Hospital. Police said the victim's grandmother, namely Mercy Xavier, who was also injured in the accident, stated that they were travelling in an e-rickshaw when it collided with a car near Fire Station, Janakpuri, and overturned. Following the incident, the police registered an FIR. The car has been seized, and the accused, identified as Sanjeev, was apprehended and bound over on Wednesday. Further investigation is underway. Meanwhile, another man was killed in a road accident in Delhi's Dwarka after a car allegedly driven by a juvenile without a licence collided with his motorcycle, police said. The mother of a 23-year-old man who was killed earlier on February 3 has made an emotional appeal on social media, demanding justice for her son after the juvenile driver accused in the case was granted interim bail by the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB). Sharing an X post, the victim's mother wrote, "I lost my son sahil Dhaneshra, a 22+ year old young and most talented boy whom I raised for 23 years alone as a single mom, was killed brutally by a car driver, who is an unlicensed driver and his sister, while making speed fun reels in #dwarka #delhipolice". The incident took place near Lal Bahadur Shastri College in Dwarka South. According to the preliminary investigation, the car allegedly collided with a motorcycle travelling in the opposite direction and then hit another parked car. According to Delhi Police, an FIR was registered at Police Station Dwarka South under Sections 281/106(1)/125(a) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) after a PCR call was received at around 11:57 am regarding a serious road crash. Upon reaching the spot, police found three vehicles in an accidental bad condition and a motorcycle. The motorcycle rider, later identified as Sahil Dhaneshra (23), was found dead at the scene. Police said that Sahil's post-mortem has been conducted, and the report has been obtained. The injured taxi driver was shifted to the IGI Hospital. His statement has been recorded, and the final medical opinion is awaited. The accused driver, a minor, was found to be without a driving licence and was apprehended at the scene. Being a minor, he was produced before the Juvenile Justice Board and sent to an Observation Home. On February 10, 2026, the JJB granted him interim bail on the grounds of his Class 10 board examinations. According to police, all three vehicles have been seized and mechanically inspected. Relevant documents have been verified, and CCTV footage from the area has been collected as part of the investigation. Further investigation into the matter is currently underway, police added. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
20 February,2026 09:24 AM IST | New Delhi | AgenciesA 70-year-old woman was found strangled inside her residence in Nelamangala, on the outskirts of Bengaluru, on Wednesday evening while her wheelchair-bound husband was in the house. The victim had been the sole caregiver for her husband. The incident came to light when a doctor arrived at their house to provide him with physiotherapy. Police said they have arrested the accused neighbour who reportedly killed the woman and fled with her gold jewellery. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
20 February,2026 09:23 AM IST | Bengaluru | AgenciesThe Congress on Thursday claimed that nine of its videos created using artificial intelligence (AI) were “forcefully deleted” by BJP governments at the Centre and in various states. The party said the move was a “blatant misuse” of blocking rules and called for more transparency from the government. At a press conference, Congress social media department head Supriya Shrinate accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP-ruled state governments of curbing dissent. She claimed the deleted AI videos all carried proper disclaimers indicating they were AI-generated and were not meant to mislead anyone. Shrinate said, “Throughout the entire duration of the videos, 'AI-generated video' is prominently displayed at the top, which clearly proves that there was no attempt to mislead or deceive anyone,” as per PTI reports. According to her, deletion orders came from both state authorities in Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra, as well as the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology under Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. Criticism of AI management and national policy Shrinate criticized the Modi government’s handling of AI initiatives, citing the controversy over Galgotias University displaying a Chinese-made robotic dog at the India AI Impact Summit as its own innovation. She argued this reflects broader issues of imitation over innovation. “Imitation is not innovation, but does the government care? Modi ji, no matter what you say, your legacy is that private university which has brought us global shame,” she said. She also claimed that instead of deleting AI videos and curbing dissent, the Prime Minister should focus on national interests, farmers’ rights, and governance issues. Calls for transparency The Congress leader called the video deletions a misuse of the IT Rules, 2021, noting that there is no public explanation for the take downs.“This is how authoritarian regimes work — by giving orders to social media platforms to take down or block content arbitrarily in complete secrecy,” Shrinate said, stressing that citizens deserve clarity on what was illegal in the videos as per PTI reports. The party also questioned if political satire and commentary using AI would be treated the same way, warning that such censorship undermines democratic freedoms. (With PTI Inputs)
19 February,2026 06:10 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentMaharashtra’s Pune district recorded more than 14,000 property registrations in January 2026, generating over Rs 600 crore in stamp duty revenue, according to data released by Knight Frank India. 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. However, on a sequential basis, the market showed signs of recovery. Property registrations rose 20 per cent month-on-month (MoM), while revenue collections increased 37 per cent compared to December 2025, indicating improved activity levels at the start of the year. Homes priced up to Rs 1 crore continued to dominate the market, accounting for 82 per cent of total registrations in January 2026. At the same time, the ticket-size distribution suggests a gradual shift towards higher-value properties. The Rs 50 lakh–1 crore and Rs 1–2.5 crore segments gained traction, with their respective shares rising to 29 per cent and 14 per cent . The distribution of home sizes remained largely stable, with minor shifts across segments. The share of units below 500 sq ft declined from 26 per cent in January 2025 to 23 per cent in January 2026. The 500–800 sq ft category continued to lead the market, increasing marginally from 45 per cent to 46 per cent over the same period. Larger configurations witnessed a modest rise in demand. The 800–1,000 sq ft and 1,000–2,000 sq ft segments each saw a one percentage point increase to 14 per cent, while the share of homes above 2,000 sq ft remained steady at 3 per cent. Overall, the data indicates a stable demand environment in Pune’s residential market, with a slight inclination towards larger homes and mid-to-premium ticket sizes despite the annual slowdown in registrations.
19 February,2026 04:51 PM IST | Pune | A CorrespondentA 65-year-old retired ISRO employee allegedly strangled his wife to death with a towel at their residence on Wednesday, police said. The incident was reported at around 11 am within the Avalahalli police station limits. The accused, Nageshwar Rao, has been taken into police custody, said police. A senior police officer said Rao was reportedly undergoing treatment for depression. After the alleged attack on his wife, Sandya Sri, Rao reportedly remained at the spot. He then contacted an acquaintance, who alerted the police. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
19 February,2026 03:49 PM IST | Bengaluru | AgenciesHighlighting India's pivotal role in the global technological landscape, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on Thursday stated that the country is currently leading the world in AI adoption and is poised to become one of the largest markets for the technology. He said that India is not just participating in the Artificial Intelligence revolution but leading it. Speaking to ANI at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi, Altman expressed his optimism regarding the nation's digital trajectory, noting that the work happening within India's tech ecosystem is "amazing" and currently setting a global pace. He identified India as a primary driver of future innovation, suggesting the nation will wield a "huge amount of influence" over how the technology evolves globally. Addressing persistent concerns over automation, Altman acknowledged that while AI will definitely impact the job market, he remains confident in human adaptability. He emphasized that throughout history, technological shifts have consistently led to the discovery of new, more meaningful work. "It (AI) will definitely impact the job market, but we always find new things to do, and I have no doubt we will find lots of better ones this time," Altman stated. Incidentally, OpenAI has seen its second-largest user base emerge from India. The company opened its first office in New Delhi last year "It is amazing to be here, obviously the work happening in India and the adoption of AI is leading the world, and I can't wait to see what goes next," Altman told ANI. Meanwhile, on the sidelines of the summit, the Tata Group, Tata Consultancy Services and OpenAI announced a multi-dimensional strategic partnership, that will drive AI-powered innovation across enterprise, consumer, and social sectors. This partnership spans multiple high-impact areas, including powering AI-led innovation across Tata Group companies, joint efforts to drive AI transformation across industries globally, and setting up AI infrastructure. Building industry-specific Agentic AI solutions: Under this partnership, OpenAI, with its leading Agentic AI solutions, and TCS, with its contextual knowledge of industries and deep AI skills, will come together to build impactful industry-specific solutions. Through this collaboration, TCS will help its customers accelerate AI-led transformation by deploying, integrating, and scaling OpenAI's advanced AI platforms worldwide. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
19 February,2026 02:51 PM IST | New Delhi | ANIRumours of child kidnapping have triggered panic across Jharkhand, leading to a spate of mob violence incidents over the past five days. At least 12 cases of mob assault based on suspicion have been reported from different parts of the state, prompting police to issue an urgent appeal for restraint. On Thursday morning, three innocent persons, two women and a man were surrounded and assaulted by a mob in the Edalhatu area of Ranchi on suspicion of child theft. They were travelling in an auto-rickshaw with a child when the incident occurred. According to eyewitnesses, the child was crying, following which someone raised an alarm alleging that a kidnapping attempt was being made. As the rumour spread rapidly, locals gathered, stopped the auto-rickshaw and dragged the three occupants out. The situation quickly turned violent, with the mob attacking them without verifying the facts. Police from Bariatu police station, led by officer-in-charge Manoj Kumar, reached the spot promptly and rescued the victims, averting what could have been a fatal incident. They were taken to the police station for questioning. Preliminary investigations have not confirmed the existence of any organised child-lifting gang. Officials said it remains unclear whether there was any actual attempt to abduct the child, and the matter is under investigation. The Ranchi incident is part of a worrying pattern. Over the past five days, similar mob attacks based on child-lifting rumours have been reported from Dhanbad, Chatra, Jamshedpur, Jamtara, Giridih, Ramgarh, Latehar and Bokaro. Three days ago, a man was beaten to death in the Piparwar area of Chatra district after being suspected of child theft. Subsequent inquiries revealed that the deceased was mentally unstable and had no links to any kidnapping attempt. On Wednesday, two women were attacked by a mob in Dhanbad’s Baghmara area following similar rumours. Police intervened in time and rescued them. Earlier, on February 16, six women were assaulted in Bokaro on suspicion of being members of a child-lifting gang before police stepped in and ensured their safety. Jharkhand Police have urged citizens not to take the law into their own hands and to refrain from acting on unverified information circulating on social media platforms, particularly WhatsApp. Authorities have appealed to the public to report any suspicious activity to the nearest police station instead of resorting to violence. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
19 February,2026 02:50 PM IST | Ranchi | IANSADVERTISEMENT
-1771504437793_d.png "Congress social media department head Supriya Shrinate. File Pic")
-1771490093681_d.png "Open AI CEO Sam Altman. File Pic/AFP")
-1771491468673_d.png "One killed, several injured in mob violence across multiple districts in Jharkhand. Representational Image")