1 NASA’s Crew 12 arrives at the International Space Station
On February 18th , NASA’s Crew-12 arrived at the International Space Station . NASA’s Crew-12 mission launched on February 12, 2026, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket . Crew-12 replaced the crew members of Crew-11, who returned to Earth prematurely due to ill health . The Crew-12 mission was launched aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft , carried by a Falcon 9 rocket. Crew-12 included American astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway , along with French astronaut Sophie Adenot and Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev . This is the first time in 65 years of spaceflight that astronauts have been evacuated from space due to health issues . The ISS is a scientific laboratory orbiting the Earth at a height of 400 kilometers above Earth. The current ISS will be de-orbited in 2030 and crashed into the Pacific Ocean.
2 President Draupadi Murmu reviews International Fleet Review from INS Sumedha
President Draupadi Murmu, the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, participated in the International Fleet Review (IFR) 2026 off the coast of Visakhapatnam . The exercise demonstrates India’s growing maritime capabilities and the country’s commitment to global naval cooperation. Embarking on INS Sumedha, the President inspected a large fleet of 71 Indian and foreign ships. The fleet includes 45 ships of the Indian Navy , 19 guest warships , and other vessels representing the Coast Guard, merchant navy, and research organizations, demonstrating the scale and diversity of maritime participation. Visakhapatnam is hosting the International Fleet Review for the second time since 2016. Previous Fleet Reviews were held in Mumbai in 2001 and Visakhapatnam in 2016. Visakhapatnam is also hosting the 13th edition of the Indian Navy’s flagship multilateral exercise, “Milan 26.”
3 Sanae Takaichi resigned and became Prime Minister of Japan again.
On February 18 , Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi resigned along with her cabinet and was reappointed as PM . All the ministers of the Takaichi administration submitted their resignations en masse at a cabinet meeting. Sanae Takaichi became the first female Prime Minister of Japan . Sanae Takaichi replaced former Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in October 2025. Takaichi won the election for the first time in her hometown Nara in 1993. On February 18, the Lower House re-elected Takaichi to the post of PM. Takaichi won the election with 2/3rd of the votes and became the 105th PM of Japan.
4 French President and Union Health Minister inaugurate India-France AI Health Campus at AIIMS
French President Emmanuel Macron and Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda inaugurated the India-France Campus on AI in Global Health at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi . This initiative is an important step to strengthen India-France cooperation in the field of Artificial Intelligence for Global Health. The campus will promote research, innovation, and capacity building in AI-based health solutions, fostering academic excellence and international partnerships. The campus was established under an agreement between AIIMS, New Delhi , and Sorbonne University and the Paris Brain Institute . The initiative promotes interdisciplinary research in Artificial Intelligence, brain health, and global health systems through academic collaboration between the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, and leading French institutions. The initiative was launched during a two-day high-level academic and scientific conference held at AIIMS, New Delhi.
5 The first regular session of the UN Women Executive Board for 2026 was held at UN Headquarters in New York.
The first regular session of the UN Women Executive Board for 2026 will be held at UN Headquarters in New York. The two-day session will be inaugurated by the Chairperson of the Executive Board, Her Excellency Dr. Adonijah Ayebare , Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Uganda to the United Nations . During the two-day session, the Executive Board will consider a number of matters related to auditing. Additionally, members will receive updates on efforts to strengthen enterprise risk management, promote a positive organizational culture, and combat racial discrimination within the Organization.
6 Google announced plans to connect India to the US via new undersea cables, investing $15 billion over five years.
Google has announced at the India AI Impact Summit that it will connect India to the US through new undersea cables with an investment of $15 billion over five years . The company has named this infrastructure initiative as US-India Connect . Through this initiative , a new undersea international gateway will be established in Visakhapatnam. The company also informed that three new undersea routes and four strategic fiber-optic routes will be established to connect India with Singapore, South Africa and Australia. Speaking at the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, Google CEO Sundar Pichai said that this initiative provides new undersea cable routes to enhance AI connectivity between India, the US and several locations in the Southern Hemisphere.
7 Microsoft to invest $50 billion to promote artificial intelligence in the Global South
US tech giant Microsoft announced on Wednesday that it will invest $50 billion by the end of this decade to advance artificial intelligence (AI) in countries in the Global South . Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith and Microsoft Vice President and Chief Responsible AI Officer Natasha Crampton said in a blog post that AI use in the Global North is nearly twice that of the Global South. Last fiscal year alone, Microsoft invested more than $8 billion in data center infrastructure serving the Global South. This includes new infrastructure in India, Mexico, and countries in Africa, South America, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. Furthermore, with 24 million members, the Indian developer community is the second-largest national community on GitHub, where developers learn about AI and collaborate with developers around the world.
8 India-UK Offshore Wind Taskforce launched, boosting clean energy collaboration
Union Minister of New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi addressed the launch of the India-UK Offshore Wind Taskforce in the presence of the Honourable Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom , David Lammy , and the British High Commissioner to India, Sue Lindy Cameron. Describing the India-UK Offshore Wind Taskforce as a working mechanism rather than a symbolic platform, the Minister said it was created to provide strategic leadership and coordination for India’s offshore wind ecosystem under Vision 2035 and the Fourth Energy Dialogue. He noted that while the United Kingdom has demonstrated global leadership in expanding offshore wind and developing a mature supply chain, India brings scale, long-term demand, and a rapidly growing clean energy ecosystem. The Minister emphasized that the next phase of India’s transition will require strengthening reliability, grid stability, industrial depth, and energy security, and that offshore wind plays a strategic role in this journey. Along with grid planning, promising offshore wind zones have been identified off the coasts of Gujarat and Tamil Nadu, and the necessary studies and surveys have been conducted by the National Institute of Wind Energy for pilot projects. To support pilot projects, the government has launched a Viability Gap Funding Scheme with a total outlay of ₹7,453 crore, approximately £710 million.
9 CM Rekha Gupta honored with the 50th Matrishree Award
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta was honored with the 50th Matrishri Award . This honor was given to her for her outstanding work for the society and the public . The Matrishri Award was started in the year 1975 by the late Dinesh Sharma, a senior journalist of Punjab Kesari . Its aim was to honor individuals who have done outstanding work in the field of society and journalism. In the past, many dignitaries including LK Advani, Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley, Madanlal Khurana, Sahib Singh Verma, Rajat Sharma, Khushwant Singh and Sarla Maheshwari have been honored with this award.
10 Agreement between Food Corporation of India and World Food Programme, India will give 2 lakh metric tonnes of rice
The Food Corporation of India has signed a significant agreement with the World Food Programme . Under this agreement, India will supply 200,000 metric tons of rice to combat global hunger . The Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution announced this agreement. Sanjeev Chopra, Secretary, Department of Food and Public Distribution, said that this agreement reflects the country’s resolve to ensure that no one goes hungry. He said that India will stand with the international community in tackling malnutrition and food insecurity.
11 First European Legal Gateway office inaugurated in New Delhi
The first European Legal Gateway office was inaugurated in New Delhi in the presence of External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar , Executive Vice President of the European Commission Henna Virkkunen , and Director General of the International Centre for Migration Policy Development Susanne Raab . The office aims to enhance coordination, enhance cooperation, and advance the strategic partnership in legal matters between India and the European Union. It will help both sides strengthen mutual understanding and coordination. Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Jaishankar said that this initiative reflects the growing depth, trust, and maturity of the India-EU strategic partnership.
12 India AI and Intel India set a new world record for the most resolutions received in 24 hours under the AI campaign
India AI and Intel India have set a new world record for the most pledges received in 24 hours under an AI campaign . Over 2.5 lakh students took pledges under this initiative. A total of 2,50,946 valid pledges were recorded in the 24-hour period between February 16 and 17. This achievement has been recorded in the category “ Most pledges received for an AI responsibility campaign in 24 hours ”. Guinness World Records adjudicator Praveen Patel officially certified this achievement.
13 South African cheetah Gamini gives birth to three cubs in Kuno National Park, taking the number of cheetahs in India to 38.
Gamini, a South African cheetah , has given birth to three cubs in Kuno National Park , bringing the total number of cheetahs in India to 38. Union Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav stated in a social media post that the number of live cubs born in India has reached 27. He added that this marks the ninth successful birth of a cheetah on Indian soil. The Environment Minister noted that Gamini is a second mother. The Union Minister stated that each successful birth strengthens ‘ Project Cheetah ‘ and is a significant achievement in the country’s cheetah conservation efforts. Twenty cheetahs were brought to India from Na Mbia and South Africa in 2022-23 . The first eight cheetahs were released into the wild by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 17, 2022.
14 Smriti Mandhana named BBC Indian Sports Woman of the Year
On February 16 , Indian cricketer Smriti Mandhana was named the BBC Indian Sports Woman of the Year . Mandhana was the vice-captain of the Indian team that won the 2025 ICC Women’s World Cup . Mandhana scored a total of 434 runs in the 2025 World Cup. Mandhana was selected by a jury consisting of Leander Paes, Deepa Malik, and Anju Bobby George. Mandhana also won the WPL 2026 as captain of RCB . Harmanpreet Kaur, Divya Deshmukh, Suruchi Singh, and Jyoti Yerraji were also nominated for the award.
15 National Rafting Championship – Ultimate River Battle begins at Shibnote in Doda district in Jammu and Kashmir
The sixth National Rafting Championship – Ultimate River Battle – is getting underway in Shibnote , Doda district , Jammu and Kashmir . The four-day championship aims to showcase top rafting talent from across the country and promote tourism in the region. Held amidst the picturesque scenery of the Chenab River , the event is expected to attract numerous professional rafting teams and tourists. The championship will not only provide a platform for athletes to showcase their skills but also highlight Doda as an emerging destination for water sports and eco-tourism. Hosting a national-level championship in Shibnote is considered a significant step towards establishing Jammu and Kashmir as a major tourist destination.