In a discovery that reinforces the footprint of ancient Tamil civilisation across the globe, around 30 inscriptions, the majority of them in Tamil Brahmi, the early Tamil script, have been identified in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings.

These findings establish that people from Tamil landscape visited and lived in Roman Egypt between the 1st and 3rd centuries AD - not merely as distant trading partners, but as travellers whose names were etched into royal tombs.

“This discovery stands as a resounding reminder to the world that the Tamil people are a proud civilisation that left their imprint across global cultures, far beyond the seas. Tamil Brahmi inscriptions dating back 2,000 years have been found in the pyramid tombs of Egypt. The name of a Tamil merchant, Sikai Kotran, has been discovered eight times across five different pyramids. This underlines how deeply the Tamils were embedded in the ancient global trade network,” Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu said in a post on X.

The Parliament has passed the Industrial Relations Code (Amendment) Bill, 2026 with the Rajya Sabha approving it this evening. Earlier in the day the Lok Sabha had passed the legislation.

Replying to a short debate on the Bill, Minister for Labour and Employment Dr Mansukh Mandaviya said, the amendment bill has been brought for legal clarity. Mentioning details, he said, annual health check-ups have been made mandatory for workers above 40 years of age under the four Labour Codes. The Minister said, guarantee of equal pay for equal work for women and men workers has been ensured under the Labour Codes. He added that under the Labour Codes, a guarantee has been ensured to provide an appointment letter along with a job to every youth. Mr Madvaviya said, the opposition against the Labor Codes is merely motivated by politics.

Opposing the legislation, Jairam Ramesh of Congress said, the Bill will not enable ease of hiring. He alleged that these labour codes are anti-labour.

Supporting the Bill, YSRCP MP Ayodhya Rami Reddy Alla said that this amendment seeks to address a narrow but important drafting concern.

In Shooting, India finished with a double podium at the Asian Rifle/Pistol Championship in New Delhi today. India’s Aakriti Dahiya clinched the silver medal in the women’s 50-metre rifle three position event with a score of 354.2 points, finishing four points behind Kazakhstan’s Sofiya Shulzhenko, who won the gold. Anjum Moudgil secured the bronze medal with a score of 340.4 points.

Meanwhile, the Indian trio of Aakriti Dahiya, Anjum Moudgil, and Aashi Chouksey claimed silver in the women’s 50-metre rifle three-position team event with a combined score of 1,756 points. Kazakhstan bagged the gold medal with a total score of 1,760 points.

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Wednesday issued comprehensive guidelines formalising the official protocol for the rendition of Vande Mataram, outlining when and how India’s national song should be performed at government and public functions.

The Ministry forwarded the “Orders relating to the National Song of India” for strict compliance and necessary instructions to concerned agencies.

The MHA guidelines seek to standardise the ceremonial status of Vande Mataram, originally written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, and clarify the occasions on which it must be played or sung, along with the decorum to be observed by the public.

In a landmark moment for urban infrastructure and commuter experience, Mumbai has officially unveiled India's first-ever melody road, a stretch of roadway engineered to play the iconic 'Jai Ho' tune from the film Slumdog Millionaire as vehicles pass over it at designated speeds. The installation was inaugurated today by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, alongside other dignitaries, marking a unique blend of engineering innovation and cultural expression on the city's Coastal Road.

The musical stretch has been created on the northbound carriageway of the Coastal Road, between Nariman Point and Worli, immediately after vehicles emerge from the Coastal Road tunnel. Over a 500-metre section adjacent to the central divider, precisely cut grooves commonly known as rumble strips have been laid out so that tyres create sound vibrations resembling the rhythm of 'Jai Ho' when a vehicle drives over them at around 70-80 km/h.

Delhi government today announced the launch of a new welfare scheme, Lakhpati Bitiya Yojana for the bright future of the girls of the national capital. Under the new scheme, daughters in Delhi will receive a total assistance of 56 thousand rupees in instalments, starting from birth and continuing until the completion of their graduation.

After successfully completing their education, the scheme will mature, and the beneficiary will receive over one lakh rupees. Addressing a press briefing in National Capital, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta informed the entire process, from application to payment, will be fully online and transparent, eliminating the need for beneficiaries to visit government offices. She further said the scheme is designed to combine social security with education-linked incentives, reinforcing the state’s long-term commitment to gender equity, financial inclusion and human capital development.

The Magenta Line (Line-8) of the Delhi Metro network is set to emerge as the longest corridor in the system, featuring the highest number of interchange stations and underground stations. The expansion is expected to significantly enhance cross-city connectivity across Delhi-NCR, officials said on Wednesday.

In light of the recently sanctioned Phase -V (A) corridor, namely Line 8 (Magenta Line) extension from Ramakrishna Ashram Marg to Indraprastha (Via Central Vista), the Indraprastha - Inderlok corridor of Phase -IV shall be implemented as an extension of the Magenta Line.

With these additions, the total length of the Magenta Line, stretching from Noida Botanical Garden to Inderlok, will be approximately 89 kilometres, making it the longest corridor in the Delhi Metro network. The line will run from Botanical Garden to Inderlok and, once fully operational, will function entirely as a driverless Metro corridor, Anuj Dayal, Principal Executive Director (Corporate Communications), DMRC, shared the details of the project expansion.

Seeking to avoid any future unwarranted complication over the continuity of certain laws replaced by the Industrial Relations Code of 2020, an amendment bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha yesterday. The Industrial Relations Code (Amendment) Bill 2026 was introduced by Union Minister of Labour and Employment Mansukh Mandaviya in the House during Zero Hour. The Bill is expected to be taken up for consideration and passing today.

According to the statement of objects and reasons of the Bill, the Industrial Relations Code, 2020, replaces the Trade Unions Act, 1926, the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946 and the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, relating to trade unions, industrial employment and industrial disputes.

NATO on Wednesday (February 11, 2026) said it had launched a new mission to bolster security in the Arctic, in a move to assuage U.S. President Donald Trump after he backed off claims on Greenland.

“Arctic Sentry underscores the alliance’s commitment to safeguard its members and maintain stability in one of the world’s most strategically significant and environmentally challenging areas,” U.S. General Alexus Grynkewich, NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe, said in a statement.

NATO said the “multi-domain activity” would initially pull together undertakings already being carried out by alliance members in the region such as upcoming exercises by Norway and Denmark.

The Centre has launched a cooperative-led initiative, “White Revolution 2.0”, aimed at expanding cooperative coverage in the dairy sector, generating employment and strengthening women’s empowerment, the Lok Sabha was informed on Monday.

The initiative, launched by the Ministry of Cooperation, seeks to increase milk procurement by dairy cooperatives by 50 per cent from the present level over the next five years by providing market access to dairy farmers in uncovered areas and increasing the share of dairy cooperatives in the organised sector.

In absolute terms, milk procurement by dairy cooperatives is expected to reach 1,007 lakh kg per day by the end of 2028–29, the fifth year of implementation. The target will be achieved through a two-pronged strategy focusing on expanding the coverage of dairy cooperatives and deepening their reach.