Current Affairs 17 February 2026

Current Affairs 17 February 2026

1. Bangladesh is about to go through a big political change. Tarique Rahman, the chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), is getting ready to take the oath of office as Prime Minister after winning a decisive general election. After Sheikh Hasina was ousted as Prime Minister in 2024, Rahman was sworn in as Prime Minister. This was his first time in formal leadership since he had been in exile for 17 years. The February 12 parliamentary elections changed the political landscape of the country, giving the BNP and its allies a clear mandate.

Bangladesh is about to go through a major political change. Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairman Tariq Rahman is preparing to be sworn in as Prime Minister after winning a decisive general election. After the removal of Sheikh Hasina as Prime Minister in 2024, Rahman was sworn in as Prime Minister. It was his first time in formal leadership after 17 years in exile. The February 12 parliamentary elections changed the country’s political landscape, giving the BNP and its allies a clear mandate.

2. The White-bellied Sea Eagle’s annual nest monitoring survey has found 17 active nesting sites this season in the Kannur and Kasaragod districts. This is a small increase from the 13 sites found in 2024. The Malabar Awareness and Rescue Centre for Wildlife (MARC) and the Social Forestry Divisions of Kannur and Kasaragod worked together to do the survey. Dr. Roshnath Ramesh of MARC, Rajeevan M., Assistant Conservator of Forests for the Kannur Social Forestry Division, and Jose Mathew, Assistant Conservator of Forests for the Kasaragod Social Forestry Division, led the exercise.

The annual nest monitoring survey of white-bellied sea eagle has detected 17 active nests in Kannur and Kasaragod districts this season. This increase is much lower than the 13 places found in 2024. The survey was jointly conducted by the Malabar Awareness and Rescue Center for Wildlife (MARC) and the Social Forestry Departments of Kannur and Kasaragod. MARC’s Dr. Roshanath Ramesh, Assistant Conservator of Forests, Kannur Social Forestry Department Rajivan M. And Jose Mathew, Assistant Conservator of Forests, Kasaragod Department of Social Forestry led the study.

3. Doctors at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi have done a real-time ultrasound on a patient who was almost 12,000 kilometers away at India’s Maitri research station in Antarctica. This is a big step forward for telemedicine. The breakthrough shows that it is possible to provide specialized diagnostic care in one of the most dangerous and remote places on Earth.

Doctors at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi have performed a real-time ultrasound on a patient almost 12,000 kilometers away at India’s Maitri Research Center in Antarctica. This is a big step for telemedicine. This success shows that it is possible to provide specialized diagnostic services in some of the most dangerous and remote places on earth.

4. Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, a spiritual leader, has started the “Bhavya Bharat Bhushan Award,” a national honor that recognizes people for their outstanding contributions to India’s growth and well-being. The award was given out at the Isha Yoga Center during the Mahashivaratri celebrations, and Defense Minister Rajnath Singh was the main guest. The goal of the initiative is to recognize excellence in many areas that are important to the country’s growth.

Spiritual leader Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev has launched the “Bhavya Bharat Bhushan Award”, a national honor given to people who have made outstanding contributions to the development and welfare of India. The award was presented at the Isha Yoga Center during Mahashivratri celebrations and Defense Minister Rajnath Singh was the chief guest. The initiative aims to recognize excellence in a number of areas that are important for the country’s development.

5. The US has flown a small nuclear reactor on a military cargo plane for the first time. This is a big step forward in being able to quickly use nuclear weapons. The Departments of Energy and Defense worked together to move a Ward microreactor made by Valar Atomics in California to Hill Air Force Base in Utah on a C-17 plane. When the reactor was flown, it didn’t have any nuclear fuel in it.The protest shows that Washington wants to make advanced nuclear energy available to both the military and the public. This is because energy needs are growing and competition for strategic resources is getting stronger.

For the first time, the US has fired a small nuclear reactor from a military cargo plane. This is a big step towards rapid deployment of nuclear weapons. The Departments of Energy and Defense worked together to move the Ward microreactor, made by Valor Atomics in California, from a C-17 aircraft to Hill Air Force Base in Utah. When the reactor was detonated, there was no nuclear fuel in it. The protest shows that Washington wants to make advanced nuclear power available to the military and the public. This is because energy needs are increasing and competition for strategic resources is increasing.

6. DBS Bank is the first bank in Asia-Pacific to test Visa Intelligent Commerce (VIC). This is a big step forward for agent-initiated digital payments. The goal of working with Visa is to make sure that AI-ready card credentials, authentication systems, and payment signals are all working properly. This will make sure that the ecosystem is ready for safe, consent-based transactions that AI agents can do on behalf of customers. The project puts DBS at the front of the line when it comes to turning the idea of agentic commerce into a real business across the region.

DBS Bank is the first bank in Asia-Pacific to trial Visa Intelligent Commerce (VIC). This is a big step for agent-initiated digital payments. The goal of working with Visa is to ensure that AI-ready card credentials, authentication systems and payment signals are all working properly. This will ensure that the ecosystem is ready for secure, consent-based transactions that AI agents can perform on behalf of consumers. This project puts DBS at the forefront of transforming the idea of ​​agent commerce into a real business across the region.

7. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet with French President Emmanuel Macron to kick off the “India-France Year of Innovation” and improve strategic cooperation between the two countries. Macron’s three-day trip to India from February 17 to 19 shows how the two countries are working together more closely. They talked about AI, defense cooperation, technology partnerships, and the Indo-Pacific.
The visit comes after a long period of high-level talks between the two leaders and shows that they are getting closer as the world changes politically. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet French President Emmanuel Macron to launch the “India-France Innovation Year” and improve strategic cooperation between the two countries. Macron’s three-day visit to India from February 17 to 19 shows how the two countries are working more closely together. They discussed AI, defense cooperation, technology partnership and Indo-Pacific.
The meeting comes after a long period of high-level talks between the two leaders and shows they are getting closer as the world changes politically. 8. A Class IV student from Guwahati has made Assam famous across the country by winning the Veergatha 5.0 Super 100 title. Ayesha Karim, a student at Sarala Birla Gyan Jyoti School in Amingaon, won the award for her powerful artwork showing how brave Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan was during the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. Her success puts Assam on the national map because she is the only student from the state to get this honor in five years.

A class IV student from Guwahati has given Assam national fame by winning the Veergatha 5.0 Super 100 title. Ayesha Karim, a student of Sarla Birla Gyan Jyoti School in Amingaon, won the award for her powerful artwork depicting the bravery of Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan during the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. Her achievement has put Assam on the national map as she is the only student from the state to achieve this honor in the last five years.