Daily Current Affairs Brief: February 10, 2026

Authored By: K Shiva

1. International Current Affairs

Jimmy Lai Sentenced: Hong Kong media tycoon and vocal China critic Jimmy Lai has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and publishing seditious materials.

UK Political Crisis: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing intense pressure to resign following the resignation of key aides and backlash over the appointment of Peter Mandelson as U.S. ambassador due to his past ties with Jeffrey Epstein.

Iran Reformist Crackdown: Iranian security forces have launched a fresh campaign to arrest prominent figures within the country’s reformist movement, including Azar Mansouri, head of the Reformist Front.

Vance in Armenia: U.S. Vice President JD Vance landed in Yerevan to advance a U.S.-brokered peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan, marking a historic visit to the region.

Portugal Election: Centre-left Socialist candidate Antonio Jose Seguro secured a landslide victory in Portugal’s presidential runoff, defeating hard-right populist Andre Ventura.

Japan Election Outcome: Exit polls indicate a significant victory for Sanae Takaichi’s coalition, which is expected to trigger promised tax cuts and a shift in regional military strategy.

2. National Current Affairs

Oil Sourcing Strategy: Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri stated that India’s oil procurement will be guided strictly by national interest and diversification, despite U.S. pressure to stop importing Russian crude.

No-Confidence Motion against Speaker: Opposition parties in the INDIA bloc are considering a no-confidence motion against Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, accusing him of partisan conduct and denying the Leader of the Opposition a chance to speak.

Anil Ambani Probe: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe alleged money laundering cases involving ₹40,000 crore against Anil Ambani and the Reliance Group.

AIIMS Delhi Global Ranking: AIIMS Delhi has been ranked 6th globally in the 2026 Brand Finance Global Top 250 Hospitals report, recognized for its clinical precision and ability to handle high patient loads.

Net-Zero Investment: A NITI Aayog report highlights that India requires a cumulative investment of $22.7 trillion to achieve its 2070 net-zero target, flagging a financing gap of $6.53 trillion.

3. Science & Technology

Chandrayaan-4 Landing Site: ISRO has finalized "Manzius Mountain (MM-1)" in the lunar south pole region as the landing site for the Chandrayaan-4 mission, which aims to bring lunar samples back to Earth.

Next-Gen Tsunami Warning: India is establishing a first-of-its-kind Regional Service Centre in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to detect tsunamis triggered by non-seismic causes like landslides or volcanic activity.

Transponders for Fishing Boats: ISRO’s Space Applications Centre announced that one lakh fishing boats will be equipped with transponders to help fishermen identify potential zones and receive wave/tsunami alerts.

Quantum Valley Project: AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu laid the foundation for the "Amaravati Quantum Valley," aiming to manufacture quantum computers in India within two years.

AI for Banking Security: The Supreme Court has directed banks to develop AI-based mechanisms to flag suspicious transactions and issue real-time alerts to account holders to prevent cyber fraud.

4. States Current Affairs

West Bengal Voter Revision: The Supreme Court extended the deadline for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal by one week following allegations of logical discrepancies in over 1.36 crore entries.

Telangana Municipal Polls: Campaigning ended for the Telangana Municipal Elections-2026, covering seven corporations and 116 municipalities, with polling scheduled for February 11.

Meghalaya Mining Tragedy: The death toll from the February 5 coal mine explosion in Meghalaya has risen to 30, prompting the state government to order a judicial probe.

Andhra Pradesh Budget Session: The state legislature's budget session is set to commence on February 11 with an address by Governor S. Abdul Nazeer.

Delhi Air Taxi Corridor: CII has proposed a pilot air mobility corridor linking Gurgaon, Connaught Place, and Noida Airport, aiming to reduce travel time between these hubs to under 20 minutes.

5. District & Local News

Srisailam Brahmotsavams: The Mahasivaratri Brahmotsavams began at the Sri Bhramaramba Mallikarjuna Swamy temple in Srisailam with the traditional 'Dwajarohana' ritual.

Kanpur Lamborghini Crash: Police filed an FIR against Shivam Mishra, son of a tobacco tycoon, for a high-speed crash in Kanpur that injured several pedestrians.

Faridabad Jail Violence: A terror suspect, Abdul Rahuman, was allegedly killed by another inmate in Faridabad district jail using a sharp-edged object.

Vijayawada Bridge Work: Safety upgrade and reinforcement work is underway on the railway bridge in Vijayawada as the water level in the Krishna river recedes.

Hoax Bomb Threats: Over a dozen schools in Delhi, including DPS and Bal Bharati in Rohini, received hoax bomb threats via emails written in Punjabi.

6. Sports & Games

BCCI Annual Retainers: Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have been moved to Grade B in the 2025-26 annual contracts, while Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja were demoted from Grade A.

Davis Cup Victory: Dhakshineswar Suresh won the decisive fifth rubber to lead India to a 3-2 victory over the Netherlands, securing a spot in the Elite Qualifiers.

T20 World Cup: Zimbabwe marked their return to the showpiece with an eight-wicket victory over Oman in Colombo.

Pakistan to Play India: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif cleared the national team to play India in the T20 World Cup on February 15, ending a week-long standoff.

Olympic Education: Indian Olympic Association president PT Usha met an international delegation to discuss structured Olympic education and athlete welfare programs in India.

7. Cinema & Entertainment

Mysore Sandal Rebranding: Actor Tamannaah Bhatia has been named the face of the 108-year-old Mysore Sandal soap as it launches a new, royal look and transformed product portfolio.

Super Bowl Halftime: Bad Bunny performed at Super Bowl 60's halftime show, featuring guest appearances by Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin, celebrating Puerto Rican culture.

Historical Film Projects: A new film project titled Yuddha (set in the Tipu Sultan era) began filming in Hyderabad, featuring Raj Bhawani Devi in a key role.

8. General Knowledge Points

1. Where did Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw recently inaugurate Zetwerk Electronics' new large-scale manufacturing facility? Answer: Bengaluru, Karnataka (The facility aims to boost India's electronics manufacturing ecosystem and supports the "Make in India" initiative.)

2. Which state government has collaborated with the Centre to lay the foundation stone for India’s first "Quantum Valley"? Answer: Andhra Pradesh (Amaravati) (The project, launched by Dr. Jitendra Singh and CM N. Chandrababu Naidu, aims to make India a global leader in quantum computing.)

3. President Patrick Herminie, who is currently on a six-day state visit to India, is the President of which country? Answer: Seychelles (This is his first visit to India since assuming the presidency; India has gifted 10 ambulances to Seychelles during this visit.)

4. Which Indian state recently launched "iLive Connect," the world's first doctor-led, AI-powered home healthcare ecosystem? Answer: India (National Launch) (It is designed for 24/7 medical monitoring of senior citizens and high-risk patients directly from their homes.)

5. Who created history in domestic cricket today by becoming the first Indian to be dismissed for 299 runs in a first-class match? Answer: Sudip Gharami (The Bengal batter missed his triple century by just one run in a rare and unusual milestone.)

6. Which Indian duo set a new World Record in the 10m Air Rifle Mixed Team event at the Asian Shooting Championships 2026? Answer: Arjun Babuta and Elavenil Valarivan (They scored 505 points in the final held in New Delhi, breaking the previous world record of 502.7.)

7. What is the name of the nationwide mission launched by Shivraj Singh Chouhan to boost pulse productivity and reduce imports? Answer: Pulse Self-Reliance Mission (Launched from Sehore, Madhya Pradesh, it focuses on cluster-based production and "Seed Villages.")

8. Which international organization recently announced a new "Virtual Museum of Stolen Cultural Objects"? Answer: UNESCO (The museum aims to raise awareness and help recover artifacts that have been illegally trafficked globally.)

9. India has recently climbed to which rank in terms of total LEED-certified green building space globally? Answer: 2nd Place (India overtook several nations to secure the second spot, with Mainland China remaining at number one.)

10. Which neighboring country of India has recently agreed to play a high-profile T20 World Cup match against India on February 15? Answer: Pakistan (The match is part of the ongoing ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 hosted by India and Sri Lanka.)

11. World Pulses Day: Observed on February 10; the UN recommends daily pulse consumption for protein and declared 2016 as the International Year of Pulses to promote their benefits.

12. GDP Growth Projections: Moody’s Ratings projected India’s GDP to grow at 6.4% in FY27, making it the fastest-growing G-20 economy.

13. DII Dominance: For the first time, Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) outstripped Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) in Nifty 50 holdings during the December 2025 quarter.

9. Do You Know?

• The 299 Club: Before Sudip Gharami today, only a handful of cricketers worldwide had ever been dismissed on 299. It is considered one of the "cruelest" scores in cricket history.

• The Quantum Leap: India’s new Quantum Valley aims to train over 35 lakh students in quantum talent by 2035 through the WISER Quantum Talent Hub.

• A "Blind" Discovery: Scientists in the Western Ghats recently discovered a new species of Caecilian (limbless amphibian) named Gegeneophis valmiki. It looks like a giant earthworm but is actually a cousin of frogs!

• World’s Only: The NDRF (which celebrated its Raising Day recently) is the only paramilitary force in the world specifically trained and equipped to handle "Nuclear and Biological" disasters as their primary job.

• The Dragon of Kerala: A new dragonfly species, the Slender Bombardier (Lyriothemis keralensis), was officially documented today. It only appears during the peak monsoon and disappears as soon as the rains stop.

• Water Bottle Caps: Different colored caps indicate water types: clear/blue for purified, green for mineral-rich, white for standard purified, and yellow for vitamin-enhanced water.

• Types of Tears: Human eyes produce three types of tears: Basal (to keep eyes moist), Reflex (to wash out irritants like onions), and Emotional (which contain higher levels of prolactin).

10. Job & Educational Topics

IOCL Apprenticeship: Indian Oil Corporation Limited has notified 637 Trade Apprentice posts for its Panipat Refinery; applications close February 20, 2026.

CSIR-CCMB Recruitment: The Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology in Hyderabad is recruiting for 80 positions including Technician and Technical Officer.

EPFO UPI Withdrawals: Members will soon be able to withdraw provident funds directly via UPI through a new mobile application launching in April 2026.

Skill Training Blacklist: The government has blacklisted 178 Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) centers following checks for low attendance and weak capacity building.

11. Day Special: 10 February

World Pulses Day: February 10 is celebrated annually to recognize the importance of pulses (legumes) as a global food.

Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) Anniversary: IOB celebrated its 90th Foundation Day on February 10, highlighting its history of innovations like the "My Account My Name" facility.