The Hindu Morning Digest: February 12, 2026

Amid Naravane memoir row, Defence Ministry plans fresh norms

Amid the controversy surrounding former Army Chief General (retired) M.M. Naravane’s unpublished memoir Four Stars of Destiny, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) is working on detailed guidelines for serving and retired armed forces personnel who wish to publish books in the future. The proposed guidelines will spell out the process to be followed before any manuscript is cleared for publication. A senior defence official confirmed that a meeting was held recently to frame a new set of rules, during which a detailed presentation was made. The upcoming framework is expected to incorporate provisions of existing service rules as well as the Official Secrets Act.

Police identify suspect in Canada school shooting as 18-year-old

Police have identified the suspect in a school shooting in Canada as an 18-year-old who had prior mental health calls to her home and who was found dead following the attack that killed nine people in a remote part of British Columbia. Royal Canadian Mounted Police Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald on Wednesday (February 11, 2026) said Van Rootselaar had a history of mental health contact with police and that the suspect’s mother and stepbrother were also found dead in a home near the school. The motive remained unclear.

U.S. House votes to slap back Trump’s tariffs on Canada

The House has voted to slap back President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canada, a rare if largely symbolic rebuke of the White House agenda as Republicans joined Democrats over the objections of GOP leadership. Wednesday’s tally, 219-211, was among the first times the House, controlled by Republicans, has confronted the President over a signature policy. The resolution seeks to end the national emergency Mr. Trump declared to impose the tariffs, though actually undoing the policy would require support from Mr. Trump himself, which is highly unlikely. The resolution next goes to the Senate. Mr. Trump believes in the power of tariffs to force U.S. trade partners to the negotiating table. But lawmakers are facing unrest back home from businesses caught in the trade wars and constituents navigating pocketbook issues and high prices.

Vande Mataram to be played before Jana Gana Mana, says Centre to States and government bodies

The Union Government has said in a set of instructions to States and other government bodies that the national song Vande Mataram should be sung or played before the national anthem Jana Gana Mana when both the songs are played at an event. The fresh set of guidelines was uploaded on the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) website on February 6 but no formal announcement or statement was issued. It states that whenever the official version of the national song, around 3.10 minutes long, is sung or played, the audience shall stand to attention. “However, when in the course of a newsreel or documentary, the national song is played as a part of the film, it is not expected of the audience to stand, as standing is bound to interrupt the exhibition of the film and would create disorder and confusion rather than add to the dignity of the national song,” it said.

Bangladesh election: BNP accuses Jamaat-e-Islami of trying to buy votes hours before polling

Hours before polling, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party on Wednesday (February 11, 2026) accused the largest Islamist Party Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) of attempting to sabotage the election process by using money power. The accusation was made after a JeI leader was caught with nearly Taka 74 lakh in Saidpur airport in northern Bangladesh amid social media reports that several such Jamaat leaders have been recorded distributing cash among voters. JeI has countered the accusation and said the incident was a “staged drama” by law enforcement agencies.

Tamil Brahmi inscriptions found in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings shed light on ancient trade links

A path-breaking finding has shed new light on trade links between ancient Tamilagam, other parts of India and the Roman Empire. Two researchers have identified close to 30 inscriptions in Tamil Brahmi, Prakrit and Sanskrit at tombs in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt. These inscriptions are said to belong to the period between the 1st and 3rd Centuries C.E. These inscriptions were identified during a study carried out in 2024 and 2025 by Charlotte Schmid, Professor at the French School of Asian Studies (EFEO) in Paris and Ingo Strauch, Professor at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland. The team documented them across six tombs in the Theban Necropolis. They followed the footsteps of French scholar Jules Baillet, who surveyed the Valley of the Kings in 1926 and published more than 2,000 Greek graffiti marks.

Supreme Court orders completion of AAIB probe into AI-171 flight crash in three weeks

The Supreme Court on Wednesday (February 11, 2026) allowed three weeks for the completion of the ongoing investigation by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) into the Air India Flight 171 crash at the Ahmedabad airport, killing 12 crew members and 229 passengers on June 12 last year. “There is a lot of anxiety and queries in the minds of pilots, close relatives [of those who died]… We are also eagerly waiting for the findings of the investigation. We also want to see what they have to say,” Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, heading a Bench, addressed Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the government. The court asked Mr. Mehta to place the AAIB report on record after the completion of the investigation.

Calling Rafale the ‘hero’ of Operation Sindoor, Vice Chief of Air Staff seeks more fighter planes for IAF

Vice Chief of the Air Staff Air Marshal Nagesh Kapoor on Wednesday (February 11, 2026) described the Rafale fighter jet as the “hero” of Operation Sindoor and said the Indian Air Force (IAF) is looking to induct more such Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA), with Rafale planes among the contenders. “Rafale was definitely the hero during Operation Sindoor, among other heroes. The Indian Air Force is looking forward to inducting more MRFA, which is going to be Rafale or any other aircraft under deliberations. A concrete decision has yet to be taken. We are looking for newer generation aircraft [to add] to our inventory,” he said.

Supreme Court agrees to list another plea against Assam CM for alleged hate speeches

The Supreme Court on Wednesday (February 11, 2026) agreed to consider listing another plea filed by four persons seeking a direction against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma over a series of alleged hate speeches targeting Muslims in the State. On Tuesday (February 10, 2026), a Bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant had agreed to list for hearing a separate plea of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and CPI leader Annie Raja seeking action against the Chief Minister over a viral video allegedly showing him taking aim and firing with a rifle at members of the Muslim community. On Wednesday (February 11, 2026), the Bench was urged to list the fresh plea along with the one filed by Left leaders. “We will see,” the CJI said.

Supreme Court adjourns hearing in case against T.N. CM Stalin’s 2011 poll win

The Supreme Court on Wednesday (February 11, 2026) adjourned the hearing in an appeal filed by Saidai Duraisamy, who has accused Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and the ruling DMK party of indulging in corrupt practices ahead of the 2011 Assembly election from the Kolathur constituency, citing a lack of clarity and structure in the presentation of material particulars in his pleadings. A Bench of Justices J.K. Maheshwari and Vijay Bishnoi postponed the hearing in the case of Mr. Duraisamy, who has alleged that the party used its functionaries and money to lure voters through innovative ways that amount to corrupt practice under Section 123 of the Representation of the People Act.

Except Trump, nobody has stated India’s refusal to buy Russian oil: FM Sergei Lavrov

Except for U.S. President Donald Trump, nobody else has declared that India will stop buying Russian oil, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told the country’s parliament on Wednesday (February 11, 2026). Mr. Lavrov’s comments came two days after Russia accused the U.S. of attempting to prevent India and other countries from buying Russian oil, saying Washington was using a wide range of “coercive” measures, including tariffs, sanctions and direct prohibitions.

Trump ‘insists’ on continued Iran talks in meeting with Israeli PM Netanyahu

U.S. President Donald Trump met for more than two hours behind closed doors with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday (February 11, 2026) and said he’d insisted that negotiations with Iran continue as the U.S. pushes for a nuclear deal with Tehran. Mr. Netanyahu entered the White House out of the view of reporters and left without issuing a statement on what was said. But Mr. Trump, in a subsequent post on his social media site, called it “a very good meeting” but said “there was nothing definitive reached, other than I insisted that negotiations with Iran continue to see whether or not a Deal can be consummated.”

Bondi clashes with Democrats as she struggles to turn page on turmoil over Epstein files

Attorney General Pam Bondi launched into a wide-ranging, passionate defence of U.S. President Donald Trump, repeatedly shouting at Democrats during a combative hearing in which she postured herself as the Republican’s chief protector and tried to turn the page from persistent criticism of the Justice Department’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files. Besieged by questions over Epstein and accusations of a weaponised Justice Department, Ms. Bondi aggressively pivoted in an extraordinary speech in which she mocked her Democratic questioners, praised Mr. Trump over the performance of the stock market and openly aligned herself as in sync with a president whom she painted as a victim of past impeachments and investigations.

Published – February 12, 2026 06:27 am IST