Morning Digest: Modi to address AI summit today; India joins list of countries criticising Israel’s unilateral measures on West Bank, and more

Here are the top news for the day from The Hindu's Morning Digest, on February 19, 2026

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the AI Impact Summit on Thursday (February 19, 2026), joined by fellow world leaders and senior tech executives. Mr. Modi’s address will be followed by keynote presentations by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Google DeepMind CEO Dennis Hassabis, and Reliance Industries Limited, chairman and managing director, Mukesh Ambani. The keynote speakers include Gates Foundation Chair Bill Gates, and Microsoft president Brad Smith.

Ramzan fasts will begin on Thursday (February 19, 2026) in India as the crescent moon marking the start of the fasting month was sighted in various parts of the country on Wednesday (February 18, 2026). After the sighting of the moon, the holy month begins and for the next 30 days, Muslims fast from dawn to dusk.

The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) examining the Bill on simultaneous elections is considering a provision that would bar the introduction of a no-confidence motion against an incumbent government if only one year of its term remains, committee chairperson and BJP MP P.P. Chaudhary said on Wednesday (February 18, 2026).

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has established 43 temporary operating bases in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), at altitudes between 3,000 feet and 6,000 feet, after the Pahalgam terror attack last April, a CRPF official said on Wednesday (February 18, 2026). The official added that this was part of a new strategy to identify and flush out terrorists who, instead of operating from the floor of the Kashmir Valley, have relocated to the upper reaches to keep militancy active at over 6,000 feet.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry on Wednesday (February 18, 2026) said it has “no reason” to believe that India has changed its position on buying Russian oil, which it said is beneficial for both countries and maintains stability in the global hydrocarbons market. The remarks came in the backdrop of Washington’s claim that New Delhi has agreed to stop importing Russian crude oil.

India has added its name to the list of countries criticising Israel for its unilateral measures on the West Bank. India had not joined the original group of 85 countries that announced the statement on Tuesday (February 17, 2026)