Feb 20 News Live: Trump repeats India-Pak ‘war stopped’ claim, cites 11 jets downed

Bihar CM reduced to 'puppet', criminals roaming free with impunity: Tejashwi Yadav

Claiming that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has been reduced to a "puppet" in the hands of the BJP, Leader of Opposition in the Bihar assembly, Tejashwi Yadav, alleged on Friday (February 20) that criminals were operating freely across the state.

Addressing reporters outside the assembly, Yadav said the NDA government has established a "dartantra" (system of fear) in the state. "The situation in Bihar is extremely unfortunate. Our CM appears unconscious and unconcerned about ground realities. The BJP is using him like a puppet," he claimed. The RJD leader claimed that crime is rampant not only in Bihar but across BJP-ruled states.

Yadav pointed out that the chief minister traditionally retains the Home and Law departments but alleged that Kumar has been "so weakened" that these key portfolios have effectively been taken away from him. Accusing the government of shielding criminals, he said those committing crimes have become 'vijay' (victorious) and 'samrat' (king) in the state, an apparent reference to Deputy CMs Vijay Kumar Sinha and Samrat Choudhary. "There is no shame left in this government. Criminals are carrying out a naked dance of crime fearlessly and with impunity," he alleged.

AIADMK-led alliance in Tamil Nadu will only finish in third place, says Congress MP

The AIADMK-led alliance in Tamil Nadu will only finish in third place in terms of vote share in the upcoming Assembly polls, Congress MP Manickam Tagore said on Friday.

Citing a study, the MP from Virudhunagar constituency asserted that the alliance, whether contesting from Sivakasi or anywhere else, would only fare better than third place.

Addressing reporters, he said, "Our survey indicates that the AIADMK-led alliance will secure only 18-20 per cent (of the total votes polled in Assembly elections). This is an undeniable truth." According to him, even those BJP leaders planning to contest would eventually withdraw, fearing defeat in the polls.

"In this election, it is very clear that the AIADMK-BJP alliance will be rejected by the people. They will come in third place. (Actually) we are talking about two parties that are not even in the race," he said.

On his earlier statement that he would not contest again from Virudhunagar constituency, Tagore reiterated his decision.

"My relationship with Virudhunagar is one of love and affection. I will continue to raise my voice in the Parliament for the welfare of people of Virudhunagar," he added. 

Supreme Court of India refuses to entertain plea against naming religious structures after Babur

The Supreme Court of India on Friday refused to entertain a plea seeking directions to restrain the construction, establishment or naming of any mosque or religious structure after Mughal emperor Babur or the Babri Masjid. A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta showed its disinclination to consider the petition, following which the petitioner’s counsel withdrew it. The bench subsequently ordered, “Dismissed as withdrawn.”

The petitioner’s counsel referred to suspended All India Trinamool Congress MLA Humayun Kabir’s reported announcement to construct a replica of the Babri Masjid in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district. He told the court the petitioner was opposed to the construction of mosques in the name of “invaders” and alleged that Kabir had “announced for construction of Babri Masjid in Murshidabad despite the fact that Babur was an invader,” urging that action be taken.

The plea sought directions to the Centre and state authorities to restrain the construction of any monument or mosque in the name of Babur and to consider framing guidelines, circulars or administrative orders to ban the construction or naming of religious structures after Babur, Babri Masjid or “any such person who invaded in India” across the country.

The matter comes in the backdrop of the apex court’s landmark November 2019 verdict in the Ram Janmabhoomi–Babri Masjid title dispute, which cleared the way for the construction of a Ram temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya and directed the Centre to allot a five-acre plot to the Sunni Waqf Board for building a mosque.

Gold futures climb to Rs 1.56 lakh/10g amid rising US-Iran tensions

Gold prices climbed by Rs 1,315 to Rs 1.56 lakh per 10 grams in the futures trade on Friday, tracking firm global trends amid renewed geopolitical tensions between the US and Iran, which boosted the safe-haven asset.

On the Multi Commodity Exchange, the yellow metal for April delivery appreciated by Rs 1,315, or 0.85 per cent, to Rs 1,56,134 per 10 grams in a business turnover of 7,355 lots.

In the international market, Comex gold futures for April delivery gained USD 49.55, or 1 per cent, to USD 5,046.95 per ounce. 

Gold went above the USD 5,000-mark as safe-haven demand strengthened amid rising US-Iran tensions, Hareesh V, Head of Commodity Research, Geojit Investments Ltd, said.

He added that a strong US dollar and shifting interest-rate expectations could temporarily cap sharp gains; continued escalating tensions are likely to keep risk-averse flows elevated, potentially supporting a further rise in gold prices in the coming days.

Youth Congress workers stage protest at Bharat Mandapam

Workers of the Indian Youth Congress (IYC) staged a topless protest outside Bharat Mandapam amid the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in Delhi, raising slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Centre over the issues of unemployment and inflation.

India assumes IONS Chairmanship at conclave of chiefs in Vizag

Vice Admiral Tarun Sobti, Deputy Chief of Naval Staff on Friday announced that India has assumed the Chairmanship of the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS), during the 9th Conclave of Chiefs being held in Vishakhapatnam.

He said India is prepared to take on greater responsibility to ensure peace, stability and security in maritime spaces as it assumes the leadership of the forum. "India has assumed the Chairmanship of the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium during the 9th Conclave of Chiefs being held here," Sobti told reporters.

He noted that maritime challenges are shared across nations and require enhanced interoperability, structured communication mechanisms and coordinated responses among navies of the Indian Ocean Region.

The Indian Ocean Naval Symposium is a voluntary initiative aimed at increasing maritime cooperation among navies of littoral states of the Indian Ocean Region. It provides an open and inclusive forum for discussion on regionally relevant maritime issues and seeks to promote the flow of information among naval professionals to foster common understanding and cooperative solutions.

IONS currently comprises 25 member navies and nine observer nations and has evolved into a credible multilateral framework promoting trust, transparency and practical collaboration.

19-year-old beaten up by live-in partner admitted to AIIMS in critical condition

A 19-year-old female student was beaten up brutally by her live-in partner here and was admitted to AIIMS Delhi in a critical condition, police said Friday. Police have arrested the accused partner, identified as Shivam (19), a resident of Delhi.

The victim, a native of North Tripura, was a biotechnology student at GD Goenka University in Gurugram. According to police, the couple met in September 2025 and had been living together in a PG accommodation at Sector 69 for the last few months. Discussions were underway between the families regarding their marriage.

On Thursday night, the couple had an altercation after which the accused assaulted the woman, severely injuring her. The woman was rescued by police, who reached the PG room after receiving a call from the woman's mother late on Thursday night to report the incident.

"The accused allegedly brutally attacked the victim in a fit of rage. Preliminary investigations revealed that the accused had developed doubts about his live-in partner's character. The accused, Shivam, has been arrested and is being interrogated. We have also collected evidence from the spot and are examining CCTV footage," said Deputy Commissioner of Police Hitesh Yadav.

SC refuses to entertain plea to restrain naming of religious structures in Babur's name

The Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain a plea seeking a direction to restrain the construction or naming of any mosque or religious structure in the name of Mughal emperor Babur or Babri Masjid.

After a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta showed its disinclination in entertaining the plea, the counsel appearing for the petitioner withdrew it. The counsel referred to suspended Trinamool Congress MLA Humayun Kabir's announcement to construct a replica of the Babri Masjid in West Bengal's Murshidabad district.

The plea sought a direction to the Centre, states and others to consider the petitioner's case for restraining or banning the construction, establishment or naming of any mosque or religious structure in the name of Babur or Babri Masjid or any other derivative names across India.

US-India partnership has critical role to play to make AI benefits available to everyone: Pichai

The US-India partnership has a critical role to play in making the benefits of AI available to everyone and everywhere, said Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and its parent company Alphabet Inc Sundar Pichai on Friday.

Speaking here at the AI Impact Summit ahead of India and US signing of PAX SILICA declaration, he said Google is proud to serve as a connection point between the two countries "both figuratively and literally".

"Yesterday, at the opening session, I shared some thoughts on this profound moment of AI. I said we are on the cusp of an era of hyper progress and new discoveries, but the best outcomes are not guaranteed," Pichai said.

He further said, "We must work together to ensure the benefits of AI are available to everyone and everywhere. The US India partnership has a critical role to play." Google is proud to serve as a connection point between them, both figuratively and literally, he added.

Elaborating, he said, "We have teams across both countries working seamlessly together on some of our most important initiatives, innovations that start in India, like Google Pay are making products better for people all over the world." Bullish on India, Pichai said, "I believe India is going to have an extraordinary trajectory with AI, and we are supporting it with a full stack commitment, including product scaling and infrastructure." 

India joins US-led global alliance Pax Silica on AI, supply chain

India on Friday (February 20) formally joined Pax Silica – United States' flagship effort on AI (Artificial Intelligence) and supply chain security, advancing new economic security consensus among allies and trusted partners. 

India and the US signed the Pax Silica declaration - a move described as a “historic milestone” - on the sidelines of the Global AI Impact Summit being held in New Delhi.

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.

The signatories of the Declaration include Australia, Greece, Israel, Japan, Qatar, South Korea, Singapore, UAE, UK, according to US State Department. Non-signatory participants are Canada, the Netherlands, European Union, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and Taiwan.