India

Hyderabad will host the ICCA Global Summit in January 2027, marking the first time the event will be held in India. The milestone coincides with India assuming the ICCA Chair, boosting the country’s growing corrugated packaging industry.

In Ranchi’s Doranda area, a young man was dragged several kilometres on a Mercedes after protesting its collision with a woman. The driver, High Court advocate Manoj Tandon, has been detained, and police are investigating amid public outrage

Forest officials in Odisha’s Ganjam district reported 13 critically endangered Irrawaddy dolphins near Bateshwar at the Rushikulya river mouth, a site already famed for Olive Ridley turtle mass nesting, emphasizing the estuary’s ecological significance

BRS working president KT Rama Rao strongly defended party chief K Chandrashekhar Rao during his 72nd birthday celebrations at Telangana Bhavan, dismissing attempts to undermine his achievements. Calling for unity, KTR urged party cadres to work towards bringing the BRS back to power.

Confusion surrounds Bill Gates’s participation in the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, with government sources saying he won’t attend, while his foundation confirms he will deliver a keynote on February 19 during the ongoing February 16–20 event

Pixxel Space partnered with French propulsion firm Exotrail to integrate electric propulsion systems in its satellites, boosting its Earth Observation constellation. The announcement coincided with India-France Innovation Year in Mumbai

Veteran screenwriter Salim Khan, known for classics like 'Sholay', 'Deewar', and 'Zanjeer', was admitted to the ICU of Lilavati Hospital. His son, actor Salman Khan, was seen outside the hospital

The Delhi High Court allowed the Centre and Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi more time to seek UAE cooperation regarding the detention of Major Vikrant Jaitly, brother of actress Celina Jaitly, with further hearings scheduled in March

Kolkata police arrested Mohammad Amjad in a Rs 3 crore cyber fraud case involving SIM box technology. The gang threatened a couple with fake CBI and ED charges. Multiple devices, SIM cards, and international links were seized and are under investigation

B62 Studios, headed by filmmaker Aditya Dhar, may be blacklisted by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation over repeated safety and civic violations during the shoot of “Dhurandhar 2,” starring Ranveer Singh, with police intervention reported on set

In Bengaluru, an actress alleged voyeurism and online blackmail at the Celebrity Women Cricket Tournament, claiming a stranger recorded her in a stadium washroom and threatened to make the footage viral. Cyber Crime Police have registered an FIR and launched an investigation

A 45-year-old man, Rambali Rajwar, died at Ranchi’s Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences after being brutally beaten by residents of Piparwar, Chatra, on suspicion of child-lifting. Police have launched a probe into the mob lynching incident

In Manipur’s Ukhrul district, police evacuated 51 Kuki students from Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya Ramva following clashes with the Tangkhul Naga community that damaged 30 houses. Authorities transferred students to Kangpokpi and urged communities to maintain restraint amid rising ethnic tensions

The Janata Dal (United) and Bharatiya Janata Party criticised the Indian National Congress after senior leader Mani Shankar Aiyar made controversial remarks against party colleagues, triggering political reactions and allegations of internal turmoil within Congress

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the India AI Impact Expo 2026 in New Delhi, highlighting India’s commitment to responsible and inclusive AI. The event at Bharat Mandapam features 600 startups, 13 country pavilions and global technology collaborations

A 40-year-old woman labourer was injured after an unidentified motorcyclist allegedly threw acid on her in Dugri Colony, Ludhiana. The attacker fled the scene. Police are analysing CCTV footage and have launched a search to apprehend the accused

The Women’s Selection Committee has included Pratika Rawal in India’s squad for the ODI series against Australia after she recovered from an ankle injury. Rawal completed rehabilitation at the BCCI Centre of Excellence ahead of the ongoing multi-format tour

Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed Emmanuel Macron to India, expressing confidence that their talks in Mumbai and New Delhi will deepen the India-France strategic partnership. Macron’s three-day visit includes the AI Impact Summit and high-level bilateral discussions

The scrutiny of identity documents submitted during hearings on West Bengal’s draft voter list may extend beyond the February 21 deadline due to a flood of fake and unlisted papers uploaded into the system.

A 73-year-old woman from Buvapada, Ambernath, died after suffering severe burns when her saree caught fire from a lit oil lamp at a Lord Shiva temple in Maharashtra’s Thane district. She succumbed to injuries at Ulhasnagar Central Hospital; police registered accidental death

A 19-year-old Computer Science student from Telangana was found dead in his hostel room at NIT Kurukshetra. Police said no suicide note was recovered and investigations are underway pending the family’s statement

The high-profile AI Summit comes against the backdrop of India positioning itself as a global hub for digital infrastructure and artificial intelligence

India’s new labour codes promise simplification and economic growth, but gaps in implementation, diluted worker protections and increasing centralisation raise serious concerns