Release v1.9.0

[github-actions]

🚀 Release v1.9.0

This PR was automatically created by the release workflow.

⚠️ Pre-merge Checklist

• Review CHANGELOG.md - ensure it has meaningful release notes
• Verify version numbers are correct in all files
• All CI checks are passing

📝 How to improve changelog

If the auto-generated changelog isn't good enough:

1. Edit CHANGELOG.md in this PR
2. Commit the changes
3. Then approve and merge

🔄 Release Process

After merging this PR, the release-publish workflow will:

1. Build the package from main
2. Require manual approval before publishing to PyPI
3. Publish to PyPI, create tag and GitHub release

🚨 Running from: refs/heads/main

✅ Running from main branch

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Triggered by @aidandaly24