Seychelles President Patrick Herminie will meet Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi in Chennai today. President Herminie arrived in Chennai yesterday on his first official visit to India. 

 

The visit coincides with the golden jubilee celebration of diplomatic relations between the two countries. 

 

During his five-day trip, Seychelles President will also meet Maharashtra Governor Acharya Devrat in Mumbai. 

 

He will then travel to Delhi to hold talks with President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on bilateral, regional, and international issues of mutual interest.

 

United States and Russia have agreed to re-establish high-level military dialogue for the first time in more than four years.

High-level military communication was suspended in late 2021, as tension between Moscow and Washington rose ahead of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Trump then campaigned for a second term on promises that he would swiftly end the conflict. Many of his proposals for peace have heavily favored the Kremlin, including requiring Ukraine to cede territory to Russia.

The U.S. European Command said in a statement that the restored communication channel will provide a consistent military-to-military contact as the parties continue to work towards a lasting peace.

 Police in Dhaka today used batons, water cannons, tear gas and sound grenades to disperse government employees marching towards the chief adviser Yunus’s residence, Jamuna.

The protesters are demanding immediate implementation of the ninth national pay scale.

The protesters, under the banner of the Sarkari Karmachari Dabi Adai Oikya Parishad (Government Employees’ Unity Council for Realisation of Demands), are pressing their sole demand for the gazette notification and enforcement of the ninth pay scale as recommended by the Ninth National Pay Commission.

Police initially blocked the march with barricades at Shahbagh. After protesters broke through, water cannons were used.

The demonstrators then advanced towards Inter Continental Dhaka, breached another barricade and reached Jamuna, where they staged a brief sit-in outside the state guest house.

About 15 minutes later, police moved in to disperse the crowd, deploying water cannons, sound grenades and baton charges. Several protesters were reportedly injured, with some seen being taken away by police.

Meanwhile, tensions around Jamuna remained high as another platform, Inqilab Moncho, continued a sit-in there since yesterday, demanding a UN-led impartial investigation into the killing of Sharif Osman bin Hadi.

 Union Home Minister Amit Shah today visited forward areas in Hiranagar sector along the International Border in Kathua district, marking the start of his two-day tour of Jammu and Kashmir.

The Home Minister launched welfare schemes for the Border Security Force (BSF) personnel.

Mr. Shah visited the border outposts of Gurnam and Bobiyian in the Hiranagar sector and inspected the arrangements made by the BSF to curb infiltration. Mr. Shah interacted with the Border Security Force (BSF) personnel guarding the frontier.

The Home Minister’s visit comes amid heightened focus on border management to scuttle infiltration of terrorists and smuggling of weapons and narcotics, and stepped up anti-terror operations that left four hardcore Pakistani terrorists of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) dead in nearly a dozen encounters in Kathua, Udhampur and Kishtwar districts over the past two weeks.

The Home Minister also e-inaugurated and laid the e-foundation of six welfare schemes for the BSF personnel from Bobiya border outpost and interacted with the BSF officers and jawans on the International Border and took feedback on the situation.

Later in the day, the Home Minister will chair a comprehensive high-level security review meeting at Lok Bhavan Jammu today after his return from the International border to review the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir.

The meeting will be attended by Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha, top officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs, heads of paramilitary forces, Police and civil administration and intelligence agencies, among others. The Home Minister will also distribute compassionate appointment letters and meet the families of martyrs at the Lok Bhawan.

Mr. Shah will also review the development of Jammu and Kashmir at a high-level meeting tomorrow morning. LG Manoj Sinha, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, senior officers of MHA and civil administration from J&K will attend the development review meeting.

 The government has said that the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme has transformed from a policy initiative into a national movement by mobilising various stakeholders, including government agencies, communities, media, civil society and the public at large. In a written reply in the Lok Sabha today, Minister for Women and Child Development Annpurna Devi said, Sex Ratio at Birth at the national level has increased from 918 in 2014-15 to 929 in 2024-25 and gross enrolment ratio of girls in the schools at secondary level has increased from 75.51% in 2014-15 to 80.2% in 2024-25. She said, based on the Sex Ratio at Birth SRB status of districts as per the 2020-21 HMIS data of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, funds are provided to districts according to their SRB.

The Minister said the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme was launched on 22nd January 2015 to help address the Child Sex Ratio and related issues of empowerment of girls and women over a life cycle continuum. She said, it aims not only to address immediate concerns related to sex ratio and gender-based discrimination but also to foster a cultural shift towards valuing the girl child and ensuring her rights and opportunities.

 The High Commission of India in Dhaka organised the live streaming of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s interaction with students during the 9th edition of Pariksha Pe Charcha (PPC) 2026 at its premises.

During this year’s Pariksha Pe Charcha, Prime Minister Modi underscored the importance of effective time management and advised students to strike a healthy balance between professional skills and essential life skills.

He encouraged learners to approach examinations with confidence, curiosity and a positive mindset, viewing them as opportunities for growth rather than sources of pressure.

 Union Home Minister Amit Shah will review border security and hold a high-level meeting in Jammu today on the security situation in the Union Territory.

 

Mr Shah reached Jammu last night on a two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha received the Home Minister on his arrival at the Jammu airport. 

 

During the visit, Mr Shah will meet security agencies and administrative officials to evaluate the overall law and order situation and also assess the progress of ongoing development initiatives.

 

The Home Minister will visit the International Border at Hiranagar in Kathua district today to inspect new installed gadgets and equipment deployed by the Border Security Force (BSF) to prevent cross-border infiltration. He will visit BSF outposts in Bobia and Gurnam. 

 

In addition, the Minister will meet with the families of fallen soldiers and hand over appointment letters at Lok Bhavan in Jammu. 

 

In the afternoon, Mr Shah will chair a high-level meeting to review the security situation. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, top officials of the Union Home Ministry, heads of paramilitary forces and senior officers of civil and police administration, besides Intelligence agencies from Jammu and Kashmir will attend the meeting.

 

Tomorrow, the Home Minister will leave for Srinagar where he will launch various development projects for Jammu and Kashmir. 

 

This will be Mr Shah’s second high-level review of the security scenario in the Union Territory in less than a month. He assessed the situation during a meeting in New Delhi on 8th of last month.