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.

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.

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.

The Declaration was signed during the official visit of the Federal Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Friedrich Merz, to India from the 12th to the 13th of this month. This cooperation in telecommunications, Information and Communication Technologies, supports the shared objective of inclusive and sustainable digital transformation. This reflects the shared commitment of both countries to deepen bilateral cooperation in the fields of telecommunications and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), building upon the strong momentum in India-Germany relations and sustained high-level engagements.

The meeting focused on strengthening global supply chains for critical minerals, including rare earth elements.

On the occasion, Mr. Vaishnaw said, this is very important for countries like India, where manufacturing, especially electronics, is growing quickly.

In the meeting, participating countries shared their experiences and talked about steps they are taking to make supply chains stronger. They discussed technologies for refining minerals so that high-quality critical minerals, like rare earths and permanent magnets, are available sustainably in the long term.

The participating countries also talked about funding new projects, sharing technology, recycling minerals from waste, and collaborating on research. Mr Vaishnaw said the meeting was very positive, with the goal of improving the quality and availability of critical minerals. He emphasized the importance of resilient supply chains for India’s growing electronics and manufacturing sectors and called the discussions very positive for improving the quality and availability of critical minerals globally.

Finance and economy ministers from Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, and the UK, along with U.S. trade and finance officials, participated in the meet.

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi issued notices to the Centre and the Election Commission in the matter but declined to stay the provision.

The petition was filed by Lok Prahari, an NGO, and challenges Section 16 of the 2023 CEC Act.

The plea argues that this section grants “unprecedented, unbridled power” to the CEC and Election Commissioners, providing them with permanent, blanket immunity from both civil and criminal proceedings, even in cases of alleged misuse of office.

Highlighting a major milestone of energy transition, Mr Joshi said that India has already achieved 50 per cent of its installed electricity capacity from non-fossil fuel sources in 2025, five years ahead of its Nationally Determined Contribution target under the Paris Agreement. He added that India’s renewable energy capacity has crossed 266 Giga Watt, placing the country among the global leaders in renewable energy deployment.

The Minister emphasised that India’s energy transition is not only about capacity addition but also about people, opportunity and a shared sustainable future. 

The Group of Seven comprises the United States, Britain, Japan, France, Germany, Italy and Canada, along with the European Union. Critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt, graphite, copper and rare earth elements are essential for defence systems, semiconductors, renewable energy technologies, electric vehicle batteries and advanced manufacturing.

The Ministry said that a series of transformative initiatives has been taken to foster the comprehensive development of the fisheries sector. It said, 32 thousand 723 crore rupees have been approved since 2014-15 across various schemes, including Blue Revolution, Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana and Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samridhi Sah-Yojana. The Ministry said India’s seafood exports touched an all-time high in value during 2024-25 to 62 thousand 408 crore rupees.

Organised by Rashtrapati Nilayam and anchored by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, with support from the National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE), the event attracted school students, farmers, entrepreneurs, startups, farmer-producer organisations (FPOs), and citizens from diverse backgrounds.

In a statement, MANAGE Director General Dr Sagar Hanuman Singh described Udyan Utsav as an important reflection of Indian history and culture. He noted that children enjoyed the exhibition, farmers took part in workshops, and the participation of young women was particularly encouraging.

Director in the President’s Secretariat, Shivendra Chaturvedi, expressed satisfaction over the active involvement of people, especially the youth and school children.

The festival featured 50 thematic stalls with more than 120 exhibitors, organised across zones like the Green Knowledge Hub, Millet Mandi and Start-up Hub, Eco Bazaar, Plant and Produce Zone, Innovation Zone, and Farm-to-Enterprise Zone. 

DGCA said the forced landing site is around 15 to 20 km short of Rourkela Airport. It said that there were four passengers and two crew members on board the aircraft. All are safe and have been taken to a hospital. 

The Minister urged students, referred to as “Exam Warriors”, to actively join this year’s edition and benefit from the Prime Minister’s guidance on confidence, focus, well-being and stress management as exams approach.

Registrations opened on December 1, 2025, through the MyGov portal and include students, parents and teachers from across the country. According to the Ministry, the overwhelming response reflects the programme’s rising popularity and its role in addressing exam-related anxiety and promoting a positive and holistic approach to education.

Organised annually by the Department of School Education and Literacy, the event brings participants together to interact directly with the Prime Minister on academic pressures, mental well-being and personal development.

With exams drawing closer, the Ministry has encouraged more students to register for Pariksha Pe Charcha 2026 and take advantage of the platform’s guidance on handling exam stress with confidence.

Prime Minister’s flagship platform for Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation, PRAGATI, has marked a significant milestone with the successful conduct of its 50th meeting. Since its launch by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015, PRAGATI has transformed governance by enabling real-time monitoring and resolution of key infrastructure projects and public grievances through direct Prime Ministerial review. The platform exemplifies cooperative federalism, bringing together the Centre, States, and Union Ministries on a single digital interface. Over a decade, PRAGATI has helped accelerate decision-making, resolution of issues causing delay in key infrastructure projects, and instilled a strong culture of accountability. Today, in this special series, we take a look at the Jabalpur-Gondia Gauge Conversion project of Ministry of Railways.

The Jabalpur-Gondia Gauge Conversion project covers around 285 km. It was approved at a cost of around 1,991 crore rupees to strengthen rail capacity and operational flexibility in the central part of the country. The project involved conversion of the existing narrow-gauge alignment, including the Balaghat-Katangi section, into broad gauge, thereby creating an alternate route to several saturated rail corridors. Traversing Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, the corridor serves districts with significant agricultural output, forest-based activity and mineral movement.  The project encountered persistent environmental and coordination-related challenges. In March 2016, the project was taken up under the PRAGATI mechanism. The review reinforced the importance of time-bound forest clearances, expeditious land transfer by the Government of Madhya Pradesh, and close coordination between the Ministries of Railways, Road Transport and Highways, and Environment, Forest and Climate Change. The elevation of the project under PRAGATI also strengthened inter-departmental accountability, aligning forest, revenue and line departments around shared timelines linked directly to execution requirements. With environmental and land-related impediments resolved, works progressed across remaining sections, culminating in full commissioning of the Jabalpur-Gondia broad-gauge corridor in March 2021. It achieved 100 percent physical progress and delivering the intended operational benefits of an alternate rail route. The Jabalpur-Gondia Gauge Conversion illustrates how environmentally sensitive rail infrastructure can be delivered through coordinated governance and sustained administrative engagement. The resolution of forest and land-related challenges-undertaken with due regard to statutory safeguards, compensatory afforestation and environmental compliance, was enabled by structured oversight under the PRAGATI framework and consistent follow-through at the State and district levels.