Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri defended himself against Rahul Gandhi's Epstein Files allegations, stating he met the late sex offender only 3-4 times as part of International Peace Institute delegations. Puri clarified his boss Terje Rod-Larsen knew Epstein, and their interactions were purely professional, unrelated to criminal charges. He referenced three million US Department of Justice documents covering 2009-2017, showing minimal contact during his UN ambassadorship. Puri read email exchanges discussing India's internet economy growth, noting Epstein called him "two-faced" and he wasn't their "right person." Gandhi raised Puri's name during Lok Sabha Budget session discussions. Epstein was indicted on federal sex trafficking charges in August 2019, dying in jail one month later. (PC: X)

A deadly shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School in British Columbia killed ten people, with the primary suspect found dead at the scene. Canadian media outlets, including Western Standard and Juno News, identified the suspect as 18-year-old Jesse Strang, confirmed by the suspect's uncle Russell G. Strang. Police haven't officially released the identity pending verification. Early reports suggested a possible second individual, though authorities haven't confirmed additional suspects. Media reports claim a YouTube account linked to Strang displayed a transgender flag and "she/her" pronouns, circulating widely on social media but remaining unconfirmed by law enforcement. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney called the incident "horrific," expressing condolences. Investigators analyze digital records, witness statements, and physical evidence. (PC: X/@Shorts91)

Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif made stark admissions in Parliament, accusing the US of exploiting Pakistan for strategic interests then discarding it "like toilet paper." He termed Islamabad's involvement in two Afghan wars a "mistake," acknowledging current terrorism as blowback from past dictatorial decisions. Asif said realignment with Washington post-1999, especially after 9/11 attacks, proved devastating. Pakistan turned against the Taliban while America eventually withdrew, leaving Pakistan facing violence, radicalization, and economic strain. Challenging official narratives, he rejected claims religious obligation drove Afghan involvement, stating military dictators Zia-ul-Haq and Pervez Musharraf joined wars "to appease a superpower," not for Islam. He called losses "irreversible" and acknowledged Pakistan's reshaped education system still embeds war-justifying ideology.

An Italian media report claiming India's final Air India Flight 171 crash investigation may point to intentional pilot action sparked intense debate, though no official conclusion exists. Corriere della Sera, citing Western aviation sources, reported investigators believe one pilot moved both engine fuel switches to "cutoff" shortly after June 12, 2025 Ahmedabad takeoff, an "almost certainly intentional" act. The Boeing 787 crashed 32 seconds post-takeoff. Simulator tests allegedly couldn't reproduce mechanical dual-engine shutdown. Cockpit recordings captured pilots asking "Why did you turn off the engines?" Indian authorities including AAIB, DGCA, Civil Aviation Ministry haven't responded. The Indian Commercial Pilots' Association previously condemned speculation as "gross violation." Government confirmed independent AAIB investigation follows ICAO standards, with flight recorders under constant surveillance.

The Supreme Court reduced compensation for a "faulty haircut" at ITC Maurya Hotel salon from Rs 2 crore to Rs 25 lakh. Justices Rajesh Bindal and Manmohan ruled February 6 that while "deficiency in service" was established, consumer dispute compensation requires "material evidence," not complainant's "whims and fancies." Aashna Roy, a management professional, claimed the 2018 incident caused mental trauma and lost modeling opportunities after her hair was cut shorter than requested. The court criticized the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission for relying on photocopies without proper verification, stating crore-rupee claims require trustworthy evidence. Even after remand, Roy failed adequately proving claimed losses, justifying the reduced award. (PC: Brut India)

India inaugurated its first "musical road" on Mumbai's Coastal Road corridor Wednesday, with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis leading the ceremony. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation installed specially designed grooves on the northbound carriageway from Nariman Point toward Worli that play "Jai Ho" from Slumdog Millionaire when vehicles travel at 70-80 kmph. The friction-generated sound waves create the melody audible inside vehicles. Located 500 meters after the Worli-bound underground tunnel exit, this is the world's fifth such road. The concept, first developed in Japan in 2007 by engineer Shizuo Shinoda, has been implemented in Hungary, Japan, South Korea, and UAE. Signboards alert motorists about required speeds.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov contradicted US President Donald Trump's claims that India agreed to halt Russian oil purchases, telling Russia's parliament he hasn't heard such statements from Prime Minister Modi or other Indian leaders. Trump previously rolled back 25% tariffs on Indian goods, citing India's agreement to stop buying Russian oil as a trade deal condition. India hasn't officially confirmed this commitment. Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal diplomatically stated trade deals don't dictate sourcing decisions, which depend on market conditions and energy security. Lavrov accused the US of using "coercive measures" to force India and BRICS members to abandon affordable Russian energy for expensive American liquefied natural gas, pursuing "global economic dominance."

Days after Anthropic AI safety lead Mrinank Sharma resigned warning "the world is in peril," OpenAI engineer Hieu Pham publicly expressed feeling AI's "existential threat," stating its disruptive impact on jobs, society, and human relevance is "when, not if." Pham, currently on OpenAI's technical staff with previous experience at xAI, Augment Code, and Google Brain, questioned what remains for humans when AI "becomes overly good and disrupts everything." His concerns echo rising alarm within Silicon Valley as companies accelerate AI development. Geoffrey Hinton, the "AI godfather," previously warned advanced systems could become uncontrollable if more intelligent than humans without shared goals, expressing regret about rapid advancement speed. (PC: India Today)

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman criticised Rahul Gandhi over his “Bharat Mata sold” remark in Lok Sabha. She said Prime Minister Narendra Modi always acts in India’s interest. She accused the previous Congress government of “selling farmers” and surrendering before the WTO.   Sitharaman rejected Gandhi’s claims on data and artificial intelligence. She said India is promoting data centres so data stays in the country. She added that the India AI Mission has been given ₹1,000 crore for 2026-27.   Gandhi had alleged that the trade deal with the US weakens India’s control over data and harms national interest.

The United States has deleted a social media post that showed a map of India including PoK and Aksai Chin as Indian territory. The post was shared by the US Trade Representative on February 7. It was part of an announcement on the India-US trade deal.   The map drew attention because it did not mark the regions as disputed. In the past, US maps showed these areas as disputed. Analysts said the move was unusual. Later, the post was removed without explanation.   India maintains that Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, including Aksai Chin, are integral parts of the country.