Daily Current Affairs – 09-02-2026

International News

Iran Sentences Nobel Peace Prize Laureate to Additional Prison Term

Narges Mohammadi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate from Iran, has been sentenced to more than seven additional years of imprisonment by Iran, according to information shared by her supporters on February 8.
The sentence was confirmed by her lawyer Mostafa Nili through the social media platform X, stating that six years of imprisonment were imposed for gathering and collusion, and one and a half years for propaganda against the state.
Along with the prison term, a two-year travel ban has also been imposed on her.
The Iranian government has not issued any official announcement regarding this sentencing so far.

Mohammadi is the second Iranian woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize after Shirin Ebadi won the award in 2003 for her efforts to promote democracy and human rights.

India–Malaysia Sign Strategic Agreements Across Key Sectors

Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, held talks with Anwar Ibrahim, Prime Minister of Malaysia, at Putrajaya on February 8 to deepen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between India and Malaysia.
The discussions focused on cooperation in artificial intelligence, defence, and the semiconductor sector, and resulted in the exchange of several agreements and Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) covering strategy, economy, technology, and people-to-people engagement.
Malaysia, which accounts for about 13% of global semiconductor trade, will integrate India’s design capabilities with Malaysia’s manufacturing and packaging strengths.
To strengthen supply chains, the Indian Electronics and Semiconductor Association (IESA) and the Malaysia Semiconductor Industry Association (MSIA) were officially linked.
In the energy sector, PETRONAS and Gentari are expanding their presence in India’s solar and green hydrogen markets, and Malaysia appreciated India’s role in establishing the International Solar Alliance (ISA).
In defence cooperation, both sides welcomed the establishment of the Su-30 Forum, enabling the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) to share technical expertise and maintenance protocols.

NSA Ajit Doval Holds Security Talks with Canadian Counterpart in Ottawa

Ajit Doval, National Security Adviser of India, met Nathalie Drouin, Deputy Clerk and National Security and Intelligence Advisor to the Prime Minister of Canada, in Ottawa on Saturday to discuss bilateral security cooperation and safety of citizens.
Both sides acknowledged progress in India–Canada cooperation on national security and law enforcement and agreed on a shared work plan to guide cooperation and enable practical collaboration on priority issues.
The meeting took place in the context of efforts to normalise India–Canada relations following the 2023 killing of a Khalistani separatist.
The visit preceded the proposed March visit of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to India.
India and Canada agreed to appoint security and law-enforcement liaison officers and strengthen coordination between their respective agencies.
This step aims to improve bilateral communication and timely information sharing on issues such as illegal drug trafficking, including fentanyl-related flows, and transnational organised crime networks.
Both countries also committed to cooperation on cybersecurity policy, information sharing on cyber issues, and continued discussions on fraud and immigration enforcement.

Japan Parliamentary Election: LDP Secures Historic Majority

Sanae Takaichi, Prime Minister of Japan, led the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to a historic victory in the Japanese parliamentary elections held on February 8 for 465 seats in the House of Representatives, the lower house of Japan’s Parliament.
The LDP won 316 seats, crossing the majority mark of 261 seats and securing more than a two-thirds majority.
The LDP, founded in 1955, had earlier achieved its highest tally of 300 seats in 1986, which has now been surpassed.
Following intra-party changes, Sanae Takaichi assumed party leadership in October and became Japan’s first woman Prime Minister after Shigeru Ishiba resigned in September.
The election was announced early to strengthen the party’s position in Parliament.
Key policy priorities include strengthening Japan’s economy, defence capability, and ties with the United States, amid rising tensions with China.
Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, extended congratulations, noting the India–Japan Special Strategic Partnership.

National News

Centre Sets Up Expert Panels to Review 50 Years of Project Tiger

The Central Government of India has constituted four expert working groups to review all policy decisions on tiger conservation taken over the last 50 years, marking the completion of 50 years of Project Tiger.
Project Tiger, launched in 1973, aims at the conservation of tigers and their habitats.
The programme is monitored by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), which has conducted 28 policy meetings so far.
Each working group will focus on one tiger landscape zone — North, South, East, and West India.
The groups will analyse past policies, assess their current relevance, identify outdated practices, and recommend new conservation policies for the next 25 years.
They will also study region-specific challenges, trends in tiger and prey populations, requirements of frontline forest staff, and gaps in Centrally Sponsored Schemes.
The reports of these working groups are expected to be submitted before the 29th NTCA meeting.
The initiative is being coordinated under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, headed by Bhupendra Yadav, with emphasis on coordination among NTCA, Wildlife Institute of India (WII), and Botanical Survey of India (BSI).

Prehistoric Human Skeletons Unearthed at Tekkalakote in Ballari District

Two prehistoric human skeletons were discovered during an ongoing archaeological excavation at Gaudra Moole Hill in Tekkalakote town, Ballari district.
The excavation is being carried out under the leadership of Dr. Namita S. Sugandhi, Professor at Hartwick College, USA, and Co-Director of the project.
The remains consist of two complete human skeletons, each measuring about 5.5 feet in length, found lying side by side in a well-preserved condition.
Evidence of an ancient burial practice involving stone placement over bodies was observed at the site.
Associated findings include pottery fragments, microlithic tools, and early human tools, indicating Neolithic or prehistoric human settlement at Tekkalakote.
Experts estimate the skeletons to be 3,000 to 5,000 years old, and the remains are to undergo carbon dating to determine the exact age.
Dr. Sugandhi conducted earlier studies at the site in 2019 and 2025 and presented a research study titled “Man and Environment Tekkalakote”.
The archaeological importance of the region was first highlighted in 1964 by renowned archaeologist M. S. Nagaraja Rao.

Kashmiri Educator Roubel Nagi Wins World’s Best Teacher Award

Roubel Nagi from Kashmir, India, was selected for the World’s Best Teacher Award at the World Government Summit – 2026 held on February 5 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
The award is presented annually by the Varkey Foundation, headquartered in London, in collaboration with UNESCO.
She received a cash prize of one million US dollars (approximately ₹9 crore).
Roubel Nagi is a teacher, social worker, and artist, and runs the Roubel Nagi Art Foundation.
She has established over 800 education centres in slum areas across India and uses wall murals as an educational tool.
She has created more than 850 paintings and sculptures, which have been exhibited at over 200 locations worldwide, and she was the first artist invited to hold an art exhibition at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Indian Private Space Firm Demonstrates Non-Earth Imaging Capability

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) currently manages over 50 satellites in space with an estimated total value of more than ₹50,000 crore.
An Ahmedabad-based private space company, Asista Industries, has successfully demonstrated Non-Earth Imaging technology, which enables a satellite to photograph another object in space.
During a test conducted on February 3, the company’s 80-kg ACR satellite captured high-precision images of the International Space Station (ISS), which is operated by five countries including the USA.
The ACR satellite tracked and photographed the ISS from distances of about 300 km and 245 km while it was moving at high speed.
This achievement enhances India’s capability for in-orbit snooping, allowing monitoring of foreign satellites and their movements.
The test also highlights the growing commercialisation of India’s space sector, as similar capabilities were earlier demonstrated only by ISRO.

Sports News

Tejaswin Shankar Wins Gold in Asian Indoor Athletics Championships

Tejaswin Shankar won the men’s heptathlon event with 5,993 points at the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships held in Tianjin, China, securing India’s only gold medal at the championships.
In the same competition, Pooja won silver in high jump, Tajinderpal Singh Toor won silver in shot put, and Ancy Sojan won bronze in long jump.
In the women’s long jump, Moumita Mondal finished sixth with a best jump of 6.01 metres.

India’s Medal Surge at Asian Rifle/Pistol Championship

Asian Rifle/Pistol Championship saw India winning 8 medals on February 8 alone. In the 10m Air Rifle Mixed Team event, Elavenil Valarivan and Arjun Babuta won gold with 505 points. In the junior category of the same event, Shambhavi Shravan and Himanshu secured gold with 502.4 points, while Kazakhstan won silver (488.6) and Maldives won bronze (422.4). In the 25m Standard Pistol Men’s event, India swept all three medals, with Gurpreet Singh winning gold (575), Harsh Gupta winning silver (571), and Amanpreet Singh winning bronze (569). In the junior men’s 25m Standard Pistol, Suraj Sharma (576), Mukesh Nelavalli (559), and Tanishq Muralidhar (557) secured the first three positions respectively. At the end of the 5th day of the championship, India’s overall medal tally stood at 53 medals, including 31 gold, 12 silver, and 10 bronze.

Services Win Santosh Trophy National Football Championship

Santosh Trophy final was held on February 8 at Thaguwakana, where Services defeated Kerala by 1–0 to become champions.
The decisive goal was scored by Abhishek Pawar in extra time at the 109th minute during the final match held in Assam.
With this victory, Services won the Santosh Trophy for the 8th time.
This was the second time Services and Kerala met in a Santosh Trophy final, with Services also winning the earlier final in the 2012–13 season.

Devika Sihag Wins International Badminton Title in Azerbaijan

Devika Sihag of India won the women’s singles title at an international badminton tournament held in Azerbaijan on February 8.
In the final, Devika Sihag defeated fellow Indian Navya Kanderi in straight games 21–10, 21–13.
This victory marked Devika Sihag’s second consecutive international title, following her win at the Thailand Masters last week.
In the mixed doubles final, the Indian pair of Sathwik Reddy and Radhika Sharma won the gold medal.
They defeated the third-seeded Serbian pair of Mihajlo Tomic and Anđela Vitman with a score of 24–22, 10–21, 24–22.
The Sathwik Reddy–Radhika Sharma pair are the current national champions of India.

Tamil Nadu News

4th Indian Library Congress at Anna Centenary Library, Chennai

The 4th Indian Library Congress will be held on February 16 and 17 at the Anna Centenary Library in Chennai.
The Indian Library Congress was earlier conducted in Kerala, Bengaluru, and New Delhi with the objective of strengthening libraries for the benefit of the poor and marginalised sections of society.
The event brochure was released on Sunday.
Tamil Nadu currently has over 4,500 public libraries.
The Anna Centenary Library records a daily footfall of about 10,000 visitors.
The congress is organised by V. Sivadasan, MP and General Convenor, and is expected to be attended by around 500 delegates.
Participants include Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, School Education Minister, Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, N. Ram, Director, The Hindu Group, Su. Venkatesan, Madurai MP, and K. Chandru, former Madras High Court Judge, along with writers, academics, and activists.