Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla met Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and handed over a letter from Prime Minister Narendra Modi inviting him to visit India. The letter congratulated Rahman on his party’s election win and his swearing-in as prime minister. Modi wrote, “I extend my warmest congratulations to you” and said he hopes Bangladesh will move ahead with “peace, stability and prosperity.” The letter also invited Rahman and his family to visit India at a mutually convenient time, adding that “a warm welcome awaits you.” Modi could not attend the swearing-in ceremony due to prior commitments and deputed Birla to represent India. (PC: NDTV)

In one of the biggest upsets of the T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka, former champions Australia have been eliminated from the tournament. Australia crashed out after a brutal combination of on-field defeat and rain intervention sealed their fate on Tuesday. Zimbabwe, meanwhile, marched into the Super Eight after their match against Ireland in Pallekele was abandoned due to persistent rain, earning them a crucial point that pushed them to second place in Group B with five points. It was Zimbabwe who had set the wheels in motion last week, stunning Australia by 23 runs, weirdly mirroring their famous upset in the tournament's inaugural edition 19 years ago. Sri Lanka, who crushed Australia by eight wickets on Monday, top the group and have already secured their Super Eight berth. (PC: X)

India is set to deal Pakistan a significant blow this summer. The Shahpur Kandi barrage on the Ravi River, 46 years in the making will be completed by March 31. It will permanently cut off surplus water that has flowed into Pakistan for decades due to India's incomplete infrastructure. J&K Minister Javed Ahmed Rana confirmed the move bluntly: "Excess water to Pakistan will be stopped. It has to be stopped." With nearly 80% of Pakistan's agricultural land dependent on the Indus system and agriculture contributing 25% of its GDP, the consequences are severe. Combined with the already suspended Indus Waters Treaty following the Pahalgam terror attack, Pakistan's water crisis is no longer looming but, it has already arrived. (PC: India Today)

In a significant diplomatic gesture, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla attended Bangladesh's new Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's swearing-in ceremony in Dhaka on Tuesday as India's official representative personally delivering a letter from PM Narendra Modi extending a warm invitation for Rahman to visit India at his "earliest convenience." Birla conveyed Modi's congratulations to Rahman, who returned to Dhaka after 17 years of London exile to lead BNP to a two-thirds parliamentary majority on February 12. Modi was among the first world leaders to reach out after Rahman's election victory, a deliberate signal of diplomatic thaw after two strained years under Bangladesh's interim government. Rahman, however, made his position clear: Bangladesh's foreign policy will be guided strictly by a "Bangladesh First" agenda.

India moved swiftly to establish diplomatic ground in Dhaka as Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri held a courtesy meeting with Bangladesh's Leader of the Opposition and Jamaat-e-Islami chief Shafiqur Rahman. On the other hand Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, attending as PM Modi's special envoy, personally handed Tarique Rahman a letter from the Indian PM conveying warm wishes and extending a formal invitation for an official visit to India. Vikram Misri's decision to personally engage with Jamaat-e-Islami chief, head of a party that secured 68 parliamentary seats signals that New Delhi is carefully mapping every significant power centre in Dhaka's new political order leaving no important relationship unattended as Bangladesh begins a fresh chapter. (PC: X)

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw issued a public apology on Tuesday after the opening day of India's AI Impact Summit 2026 billed as the "world's largest artificial intelligence summit" descended into operational chaos at Delhi's Bharat Mandapam. Over 70,000 attendees faced crushing overcrowding, long queues, unclear instructions, stolen exhibitor equipment, and near-dead mobile connectivity. Most disturbingly, startup CEO Dhananjay Yadav reported his AI wearables were stolen from inside a high-security zone cleared ahead of PM Modi's visit with security personnel having  sole access. Entrepreneurs publicly called out "optics over execution," with exhibitors locked out of their own stalls. Vaishnaw promised a war room, smoother coordination, and a better experience for remaining days.

Five days after Bangladesh's parliamentary elections, Tarique Rahman, chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) was officially sworn in as the country's new Prime Minister on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, in Dhaka. Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin administered the oath to Rahman alongside a formidable 49-member cabinet, comprising twenty-five cabinet ministers and twenty-four ministers of state, all sworn in during the same ceremony. Rahman's ascension to power marks a defining political turning point for Bangladesh, ending a prolonged period of political uncertainty that followed the fall of the previous government. As BNP chairman, his leadership will be closely watched both domestically and regionally, particularly regarding Bangladesh's foreign policy direction with India, China, and Western partners.

As US-Iran indirect nuclear talks opened in Geneva on Tuesday, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued a direct challenge to President Donald Trump warning that even "the strongest military force in the world" could be struck so hard it "cannot get up again." Khamenei openly dared Washington to eliminate the Islamic Republic, calling 47 years of failed attempts "a good confession." Meanwhile, Trump signalled indirect involvement in negotiations mediated by Oman, deploying a second aircraft carrier to the region as military pressure. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi arrived in Geneva seeking a "fair deal" firmly ruling out zero enrichment, missile programme discussions, or any submission under threat. Parts of the Strait of Hormuz were simultaneously closed for IRGC military drills.

French President Emmanuel Macron addressed Mumbai's India-France Innovation Forum with a resounding "Jai Ho," reaffirming France as India's most committed innovation partner. Macron boldly declared the question is no longer whether India innovates but who innovates alongside it, positioning France as the unequivocal answer. Highlighting India's global leadership, he noted Indian-origin CEOs helm Alphabet, Microsoft, IBM, Adobe, and Palo Alto Networks. Defence cooperation covering next-generation engines, submarines, multirole helicopters, and advanced combat aircraft was celebrated as a cornerstone of the Special Global Strategic Partnership. Space collaboration through the TRISHNA satellite and civilian nuclear initiatives further cement bilateral ties. PM Modi and Macron shared a car ride, visibly symbolising their personal rapport.

Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Mohsin Naqvi has credited Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake as the "actual hero" behind Pakistan's dramatic U-turn on boycotting the India vs Pakistan T20 World Cup match in Colombo. Naqvi revealed that a personal phone call from Dissanayake to Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif proved decisive, with Sharif immediately instructing Naqvi: "There is no more issue... we have to play the match." Earlier, Bangladesh Cricket Board chief Aminul Islam Bulbul had also appealed to Pakistan to participate. Despite the diplomatic intervention, India emphatically won the high-voltage clash by 61 runs, with Ishan Kishan starring with a superb 77-run knock marking India's third consecutive tournament victory. (PC: NDTV)