The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast light to moderate rainfall across parts of southern and coastal Tamil Nadu over the next few days, following the formation of a low-pressure area over the equatorial Indian Ocean and adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal. According to the weather department, the low-pressure system, which developed over the equatorial region of the Indian Ocean and the adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal, is expected to move in a west-northwesterly direction and intensify further. Under its influence, light rainfall is likely in southern Tamil Nadu and along the coastal districts on Friday. Similar conditions are expected to prevail in Puducherry and Karaikal as well. The IMD has also indicated the possibility of moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms at isolated places across Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal on Friday and Sunday. The weather activity is expected to remain scattered, with one or two places in these regions likely to receive light showers on February 23 and 24. In northern Tamil Nadu districts, early morning mist is likely to occur at one or two places over the next two days, potentially affecting visibility during the early hours. As far as Chennai is concerned, the sky is expected to remain partly cloudy. Light mist may form in isolated areas during the early morning hours, the forecast said. Meanwhile, strong winds are likely to prevail over several parts of the southwest Bay of Bengal and the adjoining equatorial Indian Ocean region. In view of the rough sea conditions and gusty winds, fishermen have been advised not to venture into these areas until further notice. Authorities have urged the public, especially those in coastal districts, to stay updated with official weather bulletins and exercise caution during thunderstorm activity. The situation is being closely monitored, and further updates will be issued as the system evolves. With intermittent rain expected in select regions, residents are advised to plan their travel accordingly and remain alert to changing weather conditions over the coming days. 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 11:35 AM IST | Chennai | IANSA 65-year-old umpire in Unnao, Uttar Pradesh, has died, while several players were injured after a swarm of bees attacked them during a cricket match, police said on Thursday. As reported by news agency PTI, a top office-bearer of the Kanpur Cricket Association, which organised the game, confirmed the incident that took place at Sapru Maidan in the Shuklaganj area on Wednesday evening. According to police officials, Manik Gupta from Kanpur was officiating as the umpire of the cricket match. Soon after the match started, a swarm of bees suddenly attacked the players and officials present on the ground. The sudden outbreak of bees into the ground triggered panic. While there was chaos on the ground, players and spectators ran for cover to save themselves. Umpire sustained serious injuries Eyewitnesses said that Gupta sustained serious injuries in the attack and fell unconscious on the ground. PTI further reported that he was initially taken to a private hospital in Shuklaganj and later referred to Lala Lajpat Rai Hospital in Kanpur as his condition deteriorated. Upon reaching the hospital, doctors declared him dead. Moreover, another umpire and around 15 to 20 players also suffered bee stings, police said. As per PTI, in an official confirmation of the incident, S N Singh, president of the Kanpur Cricket Association, said that umpire Manik Gupta died after being attacked by a swarm of bees during a cricket match in Unnao. Singh further emphasised, “When Gupta was being rushed to the hospital, bees were still clinging to his face and body," Singh said, underscoring the intensity of the attack, as per PTI. The president of the Kanpur Cricket Association conveyed heartfelt condolences on behalf of the association while further stating that the association stands firmly with the bereaved family in this hour of grief. Four dead after speeding car falls into canal in Mathura In a different scenario, four passengers, three of them brothers, died after their car fell into a canal here, a senior police official said on Thursday. According to police, the car was travelling from Mahmoodpur to Deeg when the accident occurred near the Nahla Deviya bridge late on Wednesday night. (With inputs from PTI)
19 February,2026 11:17 AM IST | Unnao | mid-day online correspondentFour passengers, three of them brothers, died after their car fell into a canal here, a senior police official said on Thursday. According to police, the car was travelling from Mahmoodpur to Deeg when the accident occurred near the Nahla Deviya bridge late on Wednesday night. "There is a sharp turn on the road. The driver possibly failed to negotiate the turn at high speed and hit a structure ahead," Superintendent of Police (Rural) Suresh Chandra Rawat said. The vehicle overturned and plunged into a nearly six-metre-wide canal, he said, adding that it overturned again after falling into the water. Two local residents rushed to the spot and managed to pull the car out of the canal but the occupants could not be saved. They subsequently informed the police, Rawat said. Police have sent the bodies for post-mortem, he added. The deceased were identified as Rahul (23), and his cousins Amit (23) and Mohit (21), all residents of Baldevgarh under Mahavan police station limits. The fourth victim, also in his twenties and a friend of the trio, is yet to be identified, police said. Police are collecting evidence and further legal action is underway, SP Rawat said. 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 10:57 AM IST | Mathura | PTIHimachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu criticised opposition BJP MLAs on Wednesday after they refused to support a government resolution seeking the restoration of the Revenue Deficit Grant (RDG). He also said that the resolution, passed in the state assembly amid heavy sloganeering, follows a recommendation by the 16th Finance Commission to discontinue the grant. Speaking to the media, Sukhu said, "It is very unfortunate that BJP MLAs from Himachal Pradesh did not support a resolution seeking restoration of the Revenue Deficit Grant, which was given as a right under the Constitution by the Government of India. We wanted to fight for Himachal's rights collectively. I had even requested that we go together to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, keeping aside protocol, in the interest of the state. But today, when we raised this issue under Rule 102 after the 16th Finance Commission recommended discontinuation of the grant, they (opposition) chose not to stand with us." On the matter, Himachal Pradesh Leader of Opposition and BJP leader Jairam Thakur said, "False statements are continuously being made in the Assembly. The Chief Minister was presenting incorrect figures. If Himachal Pradesh is not receiving the Revenue Deficit Grant now, the responsibility lies with the present Congress government, which failed to effectively plead the state's case." Himachal Pradesh Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania also spoke to the media regarding the same issue. He said," The issue of RDG had serious implications for Himachal Pradesh and other hill states, especially in light of recommendations of the 16th Finance Commission. There was a detailed discussion over two days, and members were given adequate time. The resolution was put to a vote and passed by a majority. It will now be sent to the Parliament and the Central Government. We hope a positive decision will be taken in the interest of Himachal Pradesh." Earlier on Wednesday, the Himachal Pradesh Assembly witnessed dramatic scenes and repeated disruptions after Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu began replying to a discussion on a government resolution moved under Rule 102 regarding the situation arising from the discontinuation of the Revenue Deficit Grant (RDG). Responding to the debate, Sukhu said the RDG was stopped on February 1 and that his immediate effort thereafter was to gather feedback from all stakeholders. He asserted that RDG is not the right of any government but the right of the people of the state, adding that its importance is enshrined in the Constitution and that it is a constitutional entitlement. The Chief Minister said an all-party meeting was convened in the interest of the state and without any political motive. He alleged that BJP state president Rajeev Bindal was not prepared to speak on RDG during the all-party meeting and that, at Bindal's request, the venue of the meeting was shifted from the Secretariat to Peterhoff. Sukhu said a three-day Assembly session was called to deliberate on issues affecting all sections of society. He questioned the Opposition's stand, stating that they were unable to clarify whether they supported or opposed the discontinuation of RDG. He warned that the stoppage of RDG would require a 15 per cent cut in the state budget. 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 10:54 AM IST | Shimla | ANICongress leader Pawan Khera on Wednesday attacked the government over Galgotias University's "robodog" controversy at the AI Impact Summit, saying the event was supposed to be a platform for innovation and exchange of ideas but "BJP reduced it to a cheap China Bazaar". In a post on X, Khera also slammed Union Minister for Electronics and IT Ashwini Vaishnaw, saying that he has proved that in India AI means "Ashwini is Incompetent." "'@AshwiniVaishnaw has proved that in India AI means "Ashwini is Incompetent.' As for the 'Pradhan (Tamasha) Mantri' - every event is a Jhappi-Pappi Fest. This was supposed to be an AI Summit - a platform for innovation and exchange of ideas. BJP reduced it to a cheap China Bazaar," he said. He also attached a video in which he slammed the government. Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) Secretary S Krishnan said on Wednesday that they want genuine and actual work to be reflected in the way that people exhibit in expos such as AI Summit 2026 and a code should be followed. Talking to the media here, he said misinformation cannot be encouraged. Answering a query on Galgotias University vacating the stall at the AI Impact Expo 2026, Krishnan said he is not getting into whether they are right or wrong and "just don't want the controversy". "We want genuine and actual work to be reflected in the way that people exhibit in expos. The idea is not to sort of use this as an opportunity in any other fashion. We don't want the controversy surrounding the exhibits presented here. So I think it's essential that a code is followed there. Misinformation cannot be encouraged. So we don't want the controversy around this. I'm not getting into whether they are right or wrong. We just don't want the controversy," he said. The Galgotias University staff and officials on Wednesday vacated their stall at the India AI Impact Summit expo, following controversy over the display of a "Chinese" robodog. According to sources, the authorities had asked Galgotias University to vacate its expo stall. Galgotias University Registrar Nitin Kumar Gaur on Wednesday issued a press release on behalf of the University and apologized for the confusion created at the Al Summit. "We at Galgotias University, wish to apologise profusely for the confusion created at the recent Al Summit. One of our representatives, manning the pavilion, was ill-informed. She was not aware of the technical origins of the product and in her enthusiasm of being on camera, gave factually incorrect information even though she was not authorised to speak to the press," the release said. "We request your kind understanding as there was no institutional intent to misrepresent this innovation. Galgotias University remains firmly committed to academic integrity, transparency, and responsible representation of our work. Understanding the organisers sentiment we have vacated the premises," it added. Gaur earlier issued a clarification amid growing controversy over the display of a "Chinese" RoboDog at the AI Impact Summit. Speaking to ANI, Gaur explained that the confusion stemmed from the use of the words "develop" and "development." He clarified that the university did not develop the robot but had worked on its development for academic and research purposes. "This is a jumble of two words, develop, and development. We didn't develop it. We worked on its development... We want to bring them, just like that robot was brought, and an effort was made to get students to do research on it," Gaur said. Referring to a viral video in which Professor Neha Singh introduced the RoboDog as "Orion" during the AI expo, Gaur suggested there may have been a misunderstanding in the wording. "I can say that perhaps she (Professor Neha) might have been confused by the words "develop" and "development" in the flow. But the truth is that we bought this robot for children's research... If China is making the claim, then maybe it (robodog) could be bought from China... I haven't received any such official communication yet (on vacating the expo)," Gaur said. 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 10:52 AM IST | New Delhi | ANIWhile the whole of India gets ready to celebrate the Shiv Jayanti on Thursday, a stampede-like situation broke out during the celebrations at Shivneri Fort in the Pune district. The incident happened during the late hours of Wednesday, leaving several devotees injured. The incident occurred near the Ambar Khana area of the fort as lakhs of devotees assembled at the historic birthplace of the Maratha warrior king to pay tribute to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj on his birth anniversary. A stampede-like situation broke out during Shiv Jayanti celebrations at Shivneri Fort in Pune district late on February 19, leaving several devotees injured. The chaos occurred near the Ambar Khana area as lakhs gathered at the birthplace of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Narrow… pic.twitter.com/rV8iDL3duF — Mid Day (@mid_day) February 19, 2026 As per the authorities, narrow entry and exit points, including Hatti Darwaja and Ganesh Darwaja, became choke points due to heavy footfall, triggering panic and a brief period of chaos. A video of the stampede that has been surfacing online showed that the surge intensified as more devotees attempted to move towards the main celebration area, resulting in people pushing through the congested pathways. However, authorities confirmed that the situation has now been brought under control. The officials further stated, “The injured were immediately shifted to Junnar Government Hospital for treatment.” They also added that no casualties have been reported so far. Despite the stampede-like situation, the Shiv Janmotsav ceremony will proceed as scheduled. Also, Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde are expected to attend the commemorative event. Police have urged devotees to cooperate with security arrangements and follow crowd management guidelines to ensure the safety of all attendees.
19 February,2026 10:01 AM IST | Pune | mid-day online correspondentThe father of the minor accused in the recent SUV accident in Delhi’s Dwarka has expressed deep remorse over the incident, apologising to the victim’s mother and saying he is “ready to abide by the decision of the judiciary”. On February 3, 23-year-old Sahil Dhaneshra was killed after a speeding SUV, allegedly being used to film a social media video, collided with a motorcycle. The accused, a 17-year-old boy, was behind the wheel at the time of the collision. 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 09:01 AM IST | New Delhi | AgenciesMahroof Ahmed Khan and Masroor Ahmed Khan, the twin brothers from Odisha, who studied together and together sat the same JEE Main (Session-I) 2026, scored identical marks till the last digit - 285 out of 300. They appeared for the BE/BTech paper of the session-I together and scored the same 99.98 percentile. The Khan brothers, hailing from Bhubaneswar, spent years preparing together. 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 08:49 AM IST | Bhubaneshwar | AgenciesPrivate university Galgotias has been asked to vacate its stall at the AI Impact Summit after a controversy over display of a made-in-China robotic dog as its own innovation. Following the controversy, IT Secretary S Krishnan said the government does not want any exhibitor to showcase items that are not their own. "We do not want such exhibits to continue," he said, after organisers asked Galgotias University to vacate its stall. Later in the day in a statement, Galgotias University apologised for the confusion created at the AI Impact Summit, stating that the person "manning the pavillion was ill-informed". "She was not aware of the technical origins of the products and in her enthusiasm of being on camera, gave factually incorrect information even though she was not authorised to speak to the press," the university said. Stating that there was "no institutional intent to misrepresent this innovation," the university said it remains firmly committed to academic integrity, transparency and responsible representations of its work." It said it has vacated the premises "understanding the organiser's sentiment". The controversy erupted after Neha Singh, a professor of communications at the University, on Tuesday showed to DD News a robotic dog Orion, saying it "has been developed by the Centre of Excellence at Galgotias University." As the video went viral, social media users highlighted that the robot was actually a Unitree Go2, manufactured by China's Unitree Robotics and commonly used in research and education worldwide. As the episode snowballed into a controversy, the university was asked to vacate the stall. Facing backlash, both Galgotias and Singh on Wednesday said the robot was not a university creation and that the institution had never claimed otherwise. IT Secretary Krishnan, however, emphasised that the government would not tolerate exhibits misrepresented as original creations. "If you mislead... we do not want a controversy (and) so we do not want a controversial agency... whom people believe are exhibiting something which is not theirs," he said. Abhishek Singh, Additional Secretary in Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, said the intention is not to stifle innovation but it should not be misleading. The controversy "should not overshadow the kind of effort that the others have put in," he said. As Galgotias University drew sharp criticism and accusations of misrepresenting imported technology as its own, the Greater Noida-based institution issued a statement saying, "the robotic programming is part of our endeavour to make students learn AI programming and develop and deploy real world skills using globally available tools and resources, given developing AI talent is the need of the hour." Stating that its faculty and students were "deeply pained by the propaganda campaign" against the institution, the university said its vision is focused on student learning and innovation, and that it provides students access to modern technologies to help them gain practical experience and prepare for the future. "Spreading negativity can harm the morale of students, who are working hard to innovate, learn and build their skills using global technologies," it said. The university maintained that the exercise was aimed at imparting hands-on AI programming skills using globally available platforms and tools. On ground, the university's stall at the expo had no display on Wednesday. Some students of the university continued to occupy the stall. Responding to the controversy, Singh told PTI that, "The controversy happened because things may not have been expressed clearly and the intent may not have been properly understood." "Regarding the robot dog, we cannot claim that we manufactured it. I have told everyone that we introduced it to our students to inspire them to create something better on their own. Our university contributes to building future leaders by providing cutting-edge technologies in the field of AI, and it will continue to do so." On reports that the government had asked the university to vacate the expo area, she said, "I do not have any information about that. What I know is that today we are all present here." 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.
18 February,2026 11:55 PM IST | New Delhi | PTIMaharashtra's Nalasopara Railway Station, known for its heavy passenger footfall during peak hours, witnessed a coordinated crowd management operation on Wednesday. Under the supervision of Virar’s Assistant Security Commissioner, divisional staff ensured smooth and safe commuter movement between 6 AM and 11 AM. The operation involved personnel from various posts alongside Nalasopara station staff. Passengers were guided to stand in two orderly lines and advised to allow sufficient space for those alighting from trains before boarding. Staff ensured boarding and alighting occurred smoothly to reduce congestion and enhance commuter safety. A total of 22 personnel participated in the operation, including 12 Railway Protection Force (RPF) members and 10 Mumbai Suburban Force (MSF) staff. The coordinated effort successfully maintained order on the platform, providing a safer and more organised experience for commuters during the busy morning hours.
18 February,2026 11:07 PM IST | Mumbai | Rajendra B. AklekarNITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Suman Bery shared a vision connecting India’s economic growth, women’s workforce participation, and energy self-sufficiency at Mumbai Climate Week. He emphasised that clean technology and strong infrastructure could reinforce the country’s development. Bery drew on insights from Nobel laureates to highlight the role of women in economic growth. “One of the Nobel Prize laureates a couple of years ago, Claudia Goldin, has documented even in the United States that there is a gender gap, a wage gap," He also referenced Sir Arthur Lewis, whose work connects growth and labour mobilisation. “What Sir Arthur Lewis basically said… if economies grow, they will look for labour resources,” Bery explained. Bery also noted that in the US, the pattern was that women first entered the labour force, followed by migrants. In a way, these factors interact, as the economy grows faster, more women are drawn in. It’s about priming the pump, encouraging female participation to accelerate growth. That’s the “magic circle,” the upward spiral we should aim to create. Renewable energy and self-reliance Bery aligned his remarks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of energy self-sufficiency. He noted that the underlying theme of Mumbai Climate Week reflects the PM’s Red Fort address on India’s push for energy independence. “We should celebrate the fact that technology now gives us a competitive edge in harnessing abundant resources like the sun and wind. That’s where our advantage lies,” he said as per ANI reports. He noted the challenge of integrating renewable energy into India’s existing grid. “The question of integrating these new resources… into the existing grid is the challenge,” Bery said. Infrastructure and manufacturing advantage Highlighting India’s cost competitiveness, Bery said, “A data centre in India… is much cheaper than a data centre in the US, for all kinds of reasons. So if we can be competitive in both the grid, and in mobilising, it plays to our comparative advantage.” He stressed the importance of reliable power for advanced manufacturing, particularly chip production. “Quality of power supply… is incredibly important for our ambitions in chip manufacturing,” Bery noted, adding that data centre operators could help ensure uninterrupted supply. Bery pointed to the fast expansion of global capability centres (GCCs) and data infrastructure. “Who would have thought the GCCs would be growing like mushrooms, or data centers might grow like mushrooms,” he said. (With ANI Inputs)
18 February,2026 08:54 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
-1771427783917_d.png "Private university Galgotias stall at the AI Impact Summit. Pic/PTI")
-1771414428556_d.png "NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Suman Bery. Pic/X (@NITIAayog)")