Warning: This report contains accounts of sexual assault and violence that some readers may find distressing. Ramia was preparing for a family picnic, on a warm summer day in her village in Latakia province in western Syria, when a white car drove up, she said
Google CEO Sundar Pichai on Wednesday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi here in the national capital. Pichai is here for the Global AI Impact Summit 2026 and will deliver the keynote address on February 20 at the summit. New Delhi: Google CEO Sundar Pichai on Wednesday met Prime Minister Narendra
The back-and-forth between the WNBA and the WNBA Players Association has taken another turn. On Tuesday afternoon, the WNBPA submitted a new counterproposal, only to have it shot down yet again by the league, as negotiations intensify ahead of the new season
The leadership has made it clear that performance and public perception will be key criteria in deciding nominations The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is preparing for a major organisational overhaul in Assam ahead of the assembly elections
An avalanche in California's Lake Tahoe region has left 10 backcountry skiers missing, authorities say, with six more people stranded and awaiting rescue. The avalanche was reported about 11:30PST (19:30GMT) in the Castle Peak area near the town of Truckee
Political and strategic considerations will overshadow economic ones in the choices that countries make going forward, Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar said on Tuesday (February 17, 2026). Speaking at the Global Economic Cooperation 2026 summit organised by the Future Economic Cooperation
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday met with Spanish President Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón at Hyderabad House in New Delhi amid high-level engagements at the ongoing India AI Impact Summit 2026. The meeting between the two leaders followed President Sanchez’s arrival in the national
Warner Bros Discovery is in talks with Paramount Skydance Corp. for a potential takeover. The Ellison family's bid has seen a slight increase. Warner boss David Zaslav is negotiating to secure the best possible deal for shareholders. Paramount needs to address remaining concerns to surpass
India discussing age restrictions with social media platforms
India discussing age restrictions with social media platforms
India is discussing age-based restrictions with social media companies, IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said Tuesday, following moves by Australia and other countries to ban young teens from popular platforms.
Vaishnaw, speaking at a global artificial intelligence conference in New Delhi, also said stronger rules were needed on deepfakes, while hailing an expected $200 billion in AI investment over the next two years.
Australia has since December required TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat and a host of other top social media services to remove accounts held by under-16s, or face heavy fines.
Last month, French lawmakers passed a bill that would ban social media use for under-15s, which awaits a Senate vote before becoming law.
"This is something which has now been accepted by many countries that age-based regulation has to be there," Vaishnaw told reporters at the AI Impact Summit.
"Right now we are in a conversation regarding deepfakes, regarding age-based restrictions with the various social media platforms and... what is the right way to go about this," he said.
A state minister in India's Andhra Pradesh had previously said it was preparing the ground for a ban on children using social media, but Vaishnaw's remarks are the first indication of national action from the world's most populous country.
India last week tightened rules regulating artificial intelligence technology, requiring social media platforms to clearly label AI content and comply with takedown requests by authorities within three hours.
"We need much stronger regulation on deepfakes," Vaishnaw said Tuesday.
It's a problem which is growing day by day. And certainly there is a need for protecting our children, protecting our society from these harms.
The five-day AI Impact Summit kicked off on Monday, with nearly 20 world leaders and dozens more ministerial delegations set to discuss big issues from job disruption to AI's environmental impact.
Organisers highlight this year's AI summit, the fourth in an annual series of international gatherings focused on the fast-evolving technology, as the first hosted by a developing country.
Vaishnaw said Tuesday that India expected more than $200 billion in investments over the next two years, including roughly $90 billion already committed.
Separately, India's Adani Group said Tuesday it plans to invest $100 billion by 2035 to develop "hyperscale AI-ready data centres", a boost to New Delhi's push to become a global AI hub.
The investment would catalyse an additional $150 billion in spending across "server manufacturing, advanced electrical infrastructure, sovereign cloud platforms and supporting industries", it said.
Last year India leapt to third place, overtaking South Korea and Japan, in an annual global ranking of AI competitiveness calculated by Stanford University researchers.
But despite plans for large-scale infrastructure and grand ambitions for innovation, experts say the country has a long way to go before it can rival the United States and China.
As part of efforts to expand computing capacity, Vaishnaw said the government has already deployed 13,000 graphics processing units (GPUs) under its common compute programme and will place orders within a week for another 20,000 GPUs, which are expected to be installed within six months.
The expansion, he said, was part of a "constant endeavour to provide high-quality resources to our startups, researchers and students".
Also in attendance at the summit will be tech CEOs including Sam Altman of OpenAI and Google's Sundar Pichai, as well as Microsoft tycoon Bill Gates.
Indian media had reported that Gates' appearance had been cancelled over his mention in the Epstein files, but a Gates Foundation spokesperson told AFP that he was attending and "will be delivering his keynote as scheduled".
Vaishnaw declined to comment on the withdrawal of Nvidia boss Jensen Huang from the summit.
Published - February 18, 2026 09:06 am IST
technology (general)
Source: TheHindu
Related Posts: Seemab Gul on Pakistan’s ‘Ghost School’ and bringing the film to India India AI Summit 2026 Day 2 Google Wants To Partner India In Its AI Journey Rare earth boost for India Historic trade deals put India on global stage - but challenges remain Ferrari all set to launch 849 Testarossa in India on March 14 – check out the specs and features India, France announce Joint Declaration of Intent for cooperation in critical India's 'AI for All' plan can push development India among key hubs for AI innovation India expands AI infrastructure
For the fourth time in less than two weeks, a sea of red and blue descended on the Wankhede Stadium. And it turned out to be a case of fourth-time lucky for Nepal as it ended its T20 World Cup sojourn by gifting the 19,000-odd fans a much-anticipated win against Scotland
1 minutes ago
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said his net worth is almost entirely due to... New Delhi: Even as Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is another step towards becoming the world’s first trillionaire, the US entrepreneur said that the actual amount of cash he is sitting on is much lesser
1 minutes ago
One of the biggest changes is the renumbering of several commonly used tax documents, including salary and tax-credit statements used by millions of taxpayers. New Delhi: The government has proposed major changes to income-tax compliance forms under the Income-tax Act, 2025
1 minutes ago
Pakistan's water crisis to worsen with approaching summers as India plans to halt excess Ravi river water flow to Pakistan with the completion of Shahpur Kandi barrage. Pakistan’s water crisis is deepening amid the Indus Waters Treaty suspension and is not going to end soon
1 minutes ago
A clip circulating on X (formerly Twitter) has once again brought attention to an old but persistent exam-time practice where students slip currency notes inside answer sheets during board exams. Though authorities have repeatedly warned against it and tightened monitoring
1 minutes ago
Vikrant Massey and Sheetal Thakur had been together for several years, officially registered their marriage on February 14, 2022, before hosting a traditional wedding ceremony on February 18, of the same year. New Delhi: Actor Vikrant Massey marked his fourth wedding anniversary with wife Sheetal
1 minutes ago
French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron met Bollywood stars in Mumbai, the delegation will travel to Delhi for the India AI Impact Summit 2026. Mumbai: Grammy Award winner Ricky Kej met French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron in Mumbai on Tuesday
1 minutes ago
The United States has significantly increased its military presence in West Asia, deploying dozens of fighter jets to the region amid rising tensions with Iran and ongoing indirect nuclear negotiations in Geneva. The developments come alongside strong warnings from Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah
1 minutes ago
After a relatively chaotic first day on Monday (February 16, 2026), the AI Impact Summit saw smoother operations on Tuesday (February 17, 2026), with more areas opened to attendees and fewer surges of crowding, even as turnout remained strong. Students bused in from local colleges, schools
1 minutes ago
A widespread YouTube outage on Tuesday disrupted video access worldwide, including India and the US. YouTube suffered a widespread outage on Tuesday, halting video access for users across multiple countries, including India and the United States
1 minutes ago
Tech giant Microsoft on Wednesday announced at the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi that the company is on pace to invest $50 billion by the end of the decade to help the Global South access artificial intelligence (AI)."Our five-part program is designed to make AI diffusion real at scale
1 minutes ago
A massive wildfire emergency has unfolded across the US Plains. In the northwestern part of Oklahoma, a fast-moving fire on the southwest side of Woodward forced evacuations on Tuesday. Wind gusts near 60 mph pushed flames through the red cedar-filled neighbourhoods
1 minutes ago
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday claimed that then Congress president Sonia Gandhi had asked him to decide on the date for his swearing in as CM when 58 party MLAs had supported him back in 2014. Sharing what he called his “days of distress" in the Congress
1 minutes ago
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has called the AI Summit a disorganized PR spectacle. He alleged that Chinese products were displayed at the event. This comes amid controversy over a robotic dog at the summit. Critics claim it was a Chinese-made product, not an Indian innovation
1 minutes ago
The Delhi Traffic Police has launched a dedicated ‘Digital Lok Adalat’ system to make the traffic challan settlement easier for the citizens, making the process quicker and more convenient. This initiative, introduced in collaboration with the Delhi State Legal Services Authority (DSLSA) and
1 minutes ago
India is discussing age-based restrictions with social media companies, IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said Tuesday, following moves by Australia and other countries to ban young teens from popular platforms. Vaishnaw, speaking at a global artificial intelligence conference in New Delhi
1 minutes ago
Gold Rate Today: Gold retreats from record highs as 24K prices fall and futures dip on MCX. Check today’s city-wise rates and expert insights. Gold Rate Today: Gold prices have taken a breather after scaling record highs, with fresh data showing a noticeable dip in both domestic and global
1 minutes ago
A new leak has offered a closer look at the upcoming Infinix GT 50 Pro, pointing to design changes and hardware upgrades over last year’s gaming-focused model. The smartphone, from Infinix, has surfaced in alleged renders alongside a detailed specification sheet shared by tipsters online
1 minutes ago
Nissan Gravite vs Maruti Suzuki Ertiga: The Gravite’s smaller engine may feel underpowered, particularly when the car is loaded with seven people and luggage. In contrast, the Ertiga’s larger engine make it more practical for real-world family use and long-distance driving
1 minutes ago
Ameesha Patel has been issued a non-bailable warrant by a Moradabad court in connection with a 2017 fraud case, she is accused of accepting money for a wedding performance and issuing a cheque that later bounced. Legal trouble has resurfaced for Ameesha Patel as a Moradabad court issued a
1 minutes ago
The Ministry of Education on Tuesday organised a special session titled “Ministry of Education – Pushing the Frontier of AI in India" at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi as part of the India AI Impact Summit 2026. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan attended the session
1 minutes ago
The reactor involved was Ward 250, which belongs to a new class of compact microreactors. Washington: The United States has carried out an operation that has drawn global attention in the field of advanced energy technology. A nuclear reactor moved through the sky
1 minutes ago
Beyond the mines: Archaeologists uncover a massive 3,000-year-old gold processing city in Egypt’s Eastern Desert. Discover the ancient smelting furnaces, residential districts, and the 628 'Ostraca' library fragments rewriting history.Beyond the mines: Archaeologists uncover a massive 3
1 minutes ago
Even as debate around AI intensifies across industries, concerns about the technology are also growing. In an interview with CNN-News18 at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi, Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales discusses artificial intelligence, misinformation risks, open-source innovation
1 minutes ago
PAK vs NAM live streaming, match time, broadcasters and weather update as Pakistan fight for Super 8 qualification. Pakistan face Namibia in a high-stakes ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 clash on February 18 at the Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo, with Super 8 qualification hanging in the balance
1 minutes ago
Salim Khan Health Updates: On Tuesday night, Bollywood superstar Salman Khan was seen leaving the Lilavati Hospital where his 90-year-old father and veteran screenwriter Salim Khan has been admitted following complaints of swelling. The actor stepped out of the hospital premises late at night and
1 minutes ago
New Delhi: Massive traffic congestion hit several parts of the national capital as global leaders arrived for the high level AI summit. New Delhi: Heavy traffic congestion was reported across several key routes in the national capital as global leaders arrived to attend the high-profile AI summit
1 minutes ago
