Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama received his first Grammy Award at the Grammy Awards 2026 ceremony held in Los Angeles, USA, on February 1. He was honoured in the ‘Best Audio Book, Narration and Storytelling Recording’ category for his spoken-word album called ‘Meditations: The Reflections of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’, underscoring his international impact and reach.

Sanae Takaichi, Japan’s first-ever female prime minister, won a decisive victory in the country’s snap general election, with her ruling bloc securing a two-thirds supermajority in the lower house of parliament. The victory gives Takaichi significant legislative power, allowing her to push through key changes, which include boosting Japan’s military capabilities, tightening immigration policies and suspending consumption tax on food.