Sanae Takaichi

♦ Japan's lower house formally reappointed Sanae Takaichi as Prime Minister on 18 February 18, 2026.

♦ She became Japan's first woman premier in 2025 October and won a two-thirds majority for her ruling Liberal Democratic Party in the snap lower house elections on February 8

Tarique Rahman

♦ Bangladesh Nationalist Party leader Tarique Rahman was sworn in as Bangladesh’s Prime Minister on 17 February 2026. He is the son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and assassinated President Ziaur Rahman. Breaking with tradition, the swearing‑in ceremony was held under the open sky at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, the national parliament building, instead of the Bangabhaban, the president’s official residence where such events are usually organised.

♦ President Mohammed Shahabuddin officiated as Rahman and his cabinet took their oaths.

♦ Rahman’s BNP secured a commanding two‑thirds majority, returning to power after nearly two decades. The Islamist party Jamaat‑e‑Islami, contesting its first election since a 2013 ban was lifted following Hasina’s ouster, won a record 68 seats.

♦ Hasina’s Awami League party was banned from contesting after its registration was revoked by the Election Commission.

British and Canadian citizens can enter China without a visa

♦ British and Canadian citizens can enter China without a visa, bringing to 79 the number of countries granted visa-free access in a bid to boost tourism and business. China has expanded eligibility for the program significantly in the last two years. Visitors can stay for up to 30 days for business, tourism, exchange programs and to visit family and friends.

♦ Most Europeans qualify for visa-free entry, along with some from select countries in other regions including Latin America, Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

♦ Citizens of a few other countries, including the United States and Indonesia, can enter for 10 days if they are in transit — meaning they have a ticket departing for a different country than they arrived from.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)

♦ The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is set to form the next government after sweeping the 13th national parliamentary election and crossing the two-thirds majority mark. According to official results released by the Election Commission for 297 seats, the BNP has won 209 seats on its own, comfortably crossing the 151-seat threshold required to form a government in the 300-member Parliament. BNP chairman Tarique Rahman is expected to become the next prime minister.

♦ These elections were held nearly 18 months after the removal of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was forced out of office following massive student-led protests in July 2024. This was the country’s first national election since that dramatic political change.

Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2025

♦ India climbed five places to the 91st position out of 182 countries and territories on the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2025 released on 10 February 2026. India's score has gone up by one point since the previous year, while its rank has improved from 96th position, according to the latest CPI from the global NGO Transparency International.

♦ The CPI ranks 182 countries and territories worldwide by their perceived levels of public sector corruption. The results are given on a scale of 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean).

♦ Denmark retained its position at the top of the index, scoring 89 points, ahead of Finland and Singapore. At the other end of the scale were South Sudan and Somalia, both registering nine points, followed by Venezuela. The leading three nations saw no change, while South Sudan's one-point gain brought it level with Somalia.

♦ While the US has been ranked at the 29th spot, the UK bagged the 20th spot.

Kashiwazaki-Kariwa

♦ Japan switched on the world's biggest nuclear power plant, named 'Kashiwazaki-Kariwa' again on 9 February 2026. A problem with a monitoring alarm in 2026 January forced the suspension of its first restart since the 2011 Fukushima disaster.

♦ The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant locate in the Niigata region.

♦ The facility had been offline since Japan pulled the plug on nuclear power after a colossal earthquake and tsunami sent three reactors at the Fukushima atomic plant into meltdown. But now Japan is turning to atomic energy to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels, achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and meet growing energy needs from artificial intelligence.