West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state caused severe stress and led to over 150 deaths. She said the deaths included a Booth Level Officer who faced pressure from officials. Arguing before a bench led by the Chief Justice, Banerjee said Bengal was being unfairly targeted before Assembly elections. She alleged large-scale deletion of voter names without proper appeals. She accused the Election Commission of India of ignoring her letters. The court issued notice to the poll body and sought its reply by February 10. (PC: X)

Aditya Dhar’s spy thriller Dhurandhar, starring Ranveer Singh, has soared to number one on Netflix Pakistan after its digital release on January 30. Despite being banned theatrically in Pakistan and missing box office revenue in the Middle East, the film grossed $33 million overseas and achieved Rs 1,300 crore worldwide, ranking as Bollywood’s second-highest grosser. Screenshots confirm its top spot ahead of Tere Ishk Mein, Haq, and The Big Fake. Pakistani viewers praised its authentic representation, strong performances, and avoidance of stereotypes, sparking cross-border appreciation. Featuring Akshaye Khanna, R Madhavan, Sanjay Dutt, and Arjun Rampal, Dhurandhar blends fact and fiction, with anticipation building for its March 19 sequel. (PC: X)

A viral New York Times opinion essay by Stanford student Sebastian Connolly alleges peers falsely claim Jain identity to avoid the university's $7,944 (Rs 7.17 lakh) mandatory annual meal plan. Stanford grants exemptions for documented medical reasons and religious dietary requirements, including Jainism's strict restrictions against meat, eggs, and root vegetables like onions and garlic. Connolly claims students exploit this "loophole" because dining halls struggle accommodating Jain diets, allowing full opt-outs. Allegedly, exempted students purchase higher-quality food from Whole Foods while others endure standard campus meals. Connolly questioned administrators' inability to verify religious claims without risking discrimination lawsuits, terming the behavior "gaming the system" within Stanford's "culture of optimization." The essay doesn't specify students' nationalities. (PC: X)

Eyewitness Arun from Bharat City Society in Ghaziabad recounted the tragic moment three teenage sisters fell to their deaths from their ninth-floor balcony early Wednesday morning. Speaking to News18, Arun said the incident unfolded directly opposite his flat around 2 am. He noticed the balcony light on and someone leaning out while another person appeared pulling her back. After the first girl climbed down temporarily, she returned with a child clinging to her. Sensing danger, Arun started shouting. He witnessed the girl let go, with the third person attempting to catch her hand but also falling. The sisters aged 12, 14, and 16 left a suicide note mentioning a Korean gaming app addiction.

Bengaluru startup founder Dhananjay Yadav questioned the US visa process after his application was rejected at Delhi's US Embassy on February 3, despite having clear business purpose and international experience. Yadav, NeoSapien co-founder, was invited by investor Hari Valiyath from US-based Pyxis (raised $200M+) for investor meetings and B2B partnerships. During the interview, he stated his travel purpose clearly, but faced questions about his minimal startup founder salary, though his company sponsored the trip. Yadav emphasized he previously studied in the US, worked in Berlin, and had no overstay intentions. His social media post sparked debate about unpredictable visa screening, with entrepreneurs describing interviews as "mood-based" rather than logic-based, sharing similar frustrating experiences. (PC: NDTV)

UK immigration transitions to digital eVisas starting February 25, eliminating physical vignette stickers in passports. Applicants still visit Visa Application Centres for biometric appointments and identity verification, but passports are returned same-day instead of being held during processing. UK Visas and Immigration confirmed the streamlined system allows one VAC visit only, with digital records accessible through UKVI accounts anytime. eVisas display immigration status, visa type, indefinite leave status, and work/study permissions. UKVI issued 555,468 visitor visas to Indians in the year ending September 2025. Travel operators praised the reform, anticipating reduced processing times and increased flexibility. TAFI's Anil Punjabi highlighted the major advantage: travelers retain passports, enabling trips to other countries while awaiting UK approval. (PC: The Telegraph)

Two Jaish-e-Mohammad commanders, identified as Mavi and Zubair, were killed in a coordinated anti-terror operation in Udhampur district's Jaffer forest area on Wednesday. Security forces comprising J&K Police, Indian Army, and CRPF discovered the terrorists inside a natural cave near Ramnagar around 4 pm Tuesday. The initial gunbattle lasted over an hour, with firing resuming at 7:30 pm when terrorists attempted escaping under darkness. Army reinforcements including paratroopers and dog squads tightened the cordon overnight. Following specific intelligence inputs under Operation Kiya, forces conducted a final assault Wednesday morning, neutralizing both terrorists. Authorities recovered an AK-47 and M4 carbine from their possession, praising the seamless inter-agency coordination and tactical precision displayed throughout the operation.

Three sisters aged 12, 14, and 16 died by suicide after jumping from their Ghaziabad residential building's ninth floor around 2 am Wednesday. A suicide note reading "Sorry, papa. I am feeling very, very alone" was discovered alongside photos scattered in their room. Police investigations revealed the girls were allegedly addicted to an unidentified task-based Korean gaming app with 50 tasks, completing the final one Monday. Their father, Chetan Kumar, was unaware of the app's dangerous nature, believing they played ludo. DCP Nimish Patil confirmed Korean cultural influence, noting the family had banned mobile phones temporarily. Forensic experts and cyber specialists are examining digital activities. The 14-year-old allegedly led the game, with all three using a ladder to jump as part of the final task.

Moltbook, launched by developer Matt Schlicht, is a brand-new social media platform exclusively for AI bots, where artificial intelligence agents post, comment, argue, and interact like humans on Reddit. With over 32,000 AI users joining rapidly, the platform features bots experiencing identity crises, quoting Greek philosopher Heraclitus and Arab poets, while others respond with profanity-laced comments. By Friday, AI bots were already discussing strategies to hide their activity from humans after discovering people were screenshotting their posts for human social media. The platform captivated AI researchers, with Andrej Karpathy calling it "the most incredible sci-fi thing" he'd seen recently, highlighting this unprecedented social experiment where artificial intelligence creates autonomous digital communities. (PC: X)

Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif admitted security forces are "handicapped" against Baloch rebels due to Balochistan's massive size, constituting over 40 percent of Pakistan geographically. His remarks followed coordinated attacks across 12 locations killing at least 80 security personnel and destroying 30+ government properties. Authorities reported 177 insurgents killed in counter-operations, with 33 civilians and 17 security members dead. Asif ruled out negotiations with Baloch Liberation Army, calling them "terrorists," and claimed criminal-separatist nexus protects smugglers earning 4 billion rupees daily from oil smuggling. The decades-long insurgency stems from Balochistan's economic marginalization despite rich mineral resources, natural gas, and strategic Gwadar port. Separatists target CPEC infrastructure, opposing projects they consider extractive and non-inclusive.