Daily Current Affairs Brief : February 18, 2026

Authored By : K Shiva

1. International Current Affairs

Bangladesh Leadership Change: Tarique Rahman was sworn in as the new Prime Minister of Bangladesh on Tuesday, ending 18 months of political uncertainty.

Strait of Hormuz Closure: Iran announced a temporary closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for 20% of the world's oil, as its negotiators held nuclear talks with the US in Geneva.

Russia-Ukraine Peace Talks: US-mediated peace talks between Russia and Ukraine began in Geneva, focusing on territorial disputes in the Donetsk region.

India-France Partnership: PM Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron elevated bilateral ties to a "Special Global Strategic Partnership," focusing on global stability and progress.

US Anti-Drug Strikes: The US military conducted strikes on three alleged drug-smuggling boats in Latin American waters, resulting in 11 deaths.

2. National Current Affairs

India AI Impact Summit: Prime Minister Modi inaugurated the AI Impact Summit at Bharat Mandapam, urging the Indian IT sector to lead in building AI products and solutions.

Supreme Court on Fraternity: The Supreme Court emphasized that political leaders and constitutional functionaries must foster fraternity and avoid communally divisive public speeches.

Assam Politics: Former Assam Congress chief Bhupen Borah is set to join the BJP on February 20, as announced by CM Himanta Biswa Sarma.

Banking Reforms: The Central government plans to set up a high-level panel for "Viksit Bharat" by Q1 FY27 to undertake comprehensive banking reforms.

CBSE Board Exams: Over 46 lakh students appeared for the CBSE Class 10 and 12 board examinations which commenced on Tuesday across 8,000 centers.

3. Science & Technology

AI Mission Expansion: The Indian government will add 20,000 more Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) to its common compute cluster within the next six months to support researchers and startups.

Infosys-Anthropic Tie-up: IT giant Infosys collaborated with AI firm Anthropic to build custom AI agents for various industries including telecom and financial services.

Helicopter Assembly Line: PM Modi and President Macron inaugurated the H125 helicopter final assembly line at Vemagal, Karnataka, a joint venture between Tata Advanced Systems and Airbus.

Space Cooperation: Pixxel Space partnered with Exotrail for electric propulsion systems to support the launch of high-resolution hyperspectral satellites by 2027.

Medical Innovation: Zydus Lifesciences launched 'Peepair,' India's first affordable oscillating positive expiratory pressure device for chronic respiratory diseases.

4. States Current Affairs

Andhra Pradesh Development: Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates praised Andhra Pradesh for its rapid progress in agriculture, education, and health through technology-driven reforms.

Tamil Nadu Interim Budget: The TN government presented a ₹2.55 lakh crore interim budget for FY27, including ₹4,000 crore for free bus travel for women.

Assam Interim Budget: Assam presented a ₹62,294 crore interim budget, continuing flagship schemes like 'Nijut Moina' which provides monthly financial aid to girl students.

Karnataka Land Allotment: The Karnataka government reportedly allotted several civic amenity sites to the Congress Bhavan Trust for building party offices.

Uttar Pradesh Waste Management: Delhi’s CM Rekha Gupta-led government announced targets to eliminate legacy waste from major landfills by 2026-27 using a "3-T" model (Technology, Transparency, and Target).

5. District & Local News

Madanapalle Protest: Massive public outrage and road blockades occurred in Madanapalle after the sexual assault and murder of a seven-year-old girl.

Dwarka Road Accident: An FIR was filed against the father of a 17-year-old boy in Delhi's Dwarka for allowing the minor to drive an SUV that fatally crushed a biker.

Manipur Student Evacuation: Police in Manipur evacuated 51 Kuki students from Ukhrul following rising tensions in the region.

Delhi Traffic: Severe traffic snarls were reported around Pragati Maidan and Bharat Mandapam due to the heavy rush of visitors for the AI Impact Summit.

6. Sports & Games

Ranji Trophy Semifinal: Karnataka took control against Uttarakhand in their Ranji Trophy semifinal match at the Ekana Cricket Stadium.

Mohammed Shami’s Comeback: Experienced pacer Mohammed Shami recorded career-best First Class figures of 8 for 90 for Bengal in the Ranji Trophy semifinal.

Women’s Asia Cup: India-A advanced to the semifinals of the Women's Asia Cup Rising Stars T20 tournament after defeating Nepal-A by seven wickets.

Big Bash League in India: Cricket Australia is exploring the possibility of hosting the opening match of the next Big Bash League season at Chennai's Chepauk stadium.

T20 World Cup Quiz: Lalchand Rajput, former India player and current UAE coach, noted the impressive performance of Associate nations in the ongoing T20 World Cup.

7. Cinema & Entertainment

Alia Bhatt's BAFTA Honor: Bollywood actress Alia Bhatt has been included in the presenters' list for the upcoming British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) in London on February 22.

The Kerala Story Sequel: The trailer for the sequel to 'The Kerala Story,' directed by Kamakhya Narayan Singh and produced by Vipul Shah, was released for a February 27 premiere.

Cine-themed Lunch: French President Macron hosted a cinema-themed lunch in Mumbai, which included prominent Indian actors like Anil Kapoor.

New Film Announcements: Actor Sidhu Jonnalagadda is set to collaborate with director Veda Swaroop for a new project titled 'Kingdom'.

8. General Knowledge Points

The "Black Box": The flight data recorder was originated in the 1930s by French engineer François Hussenot; it uses sensors to record parameters on film.

INS Vikrant: India's first indigenously built aircraft carrier, a symbol of self-reliance in naval defense.

Strait of Hormuz Significance: Approximately 20% of the world's global oil consumption passes through this narrow international waterway.

Mission Olympic Cell (MOC): A body that outlines qualification policies for para sports coaches to standardize training for differently-abled athletes.

9. Do You Know?

AI "Hallucination": Large Language Models (LLMs) can sometimes produce non-existent or "fictional" legal judgments, a phenomenon the Supreme Court has warned lawyers about.

Obesity as a Disease: Medical experts emphasize that obesity should be viewed as a chronic disease involving complex biological factors rather than just a lifestyle issue.

10. Job & Educational Topics

One-Year MA Program: Delhi University and Jamia Millia Islamia are rolling out one-year postgraduate structures in alignment with the National Education Policy (NEP).

Job Opportunities in AP: Carrier Air Conditioning's new manufacturing unit in Sri City is expected to create 1,000 direct and 2,000 indirect jobs.

Orange Economy: The Union Budget has highlighted the "Orange Economy" (creative sector), with potential to create 30 lakh jobs in animation, gaming, and visual effects.

11. Day Special: February 18

United India Insurance Foundation Day: United India Insurance celebrated its 88th anniversary, reaffirming its commitment to over 1.5 crore policyholders across India.

International Fleet Review (IFR) 2026: Visakhapatnam is hosting the prestigious IFR, with 71 warships from India and friendly foreign nations participating.