News Dabba for 12 February 2026: Five stories for a balanced news diet

Indie Journal brings you the daily updates that the internet is talking about through various news websites. Here's a glance through some of the National and International news updates, from DAC clearing proposal to buy 114 Rafale jets from France, cyclone killing 31 in Madagascar, to Bangladesh elections.

India Today: Govt on US trade factsheet changes

The Centre on Thursday said recent amendments made by the United States to its trade deal factsheet are in line with the joint understanding reached between the two countries earlier this month. India Today reports that responding to queries on India-US trade negotiations, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) referred to the India-US Joint Statement issued on February 7, 2026, which outlined the framework for an Interim Agreement on reciprocal and mutually beneficial trade. The ministry added that both sides will now work towards implementing the agreed framework and finalising the Interim Agreement. Read the full report here.

DAC clears proposal to buy 114 Rafale jets from France, Indian Express

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) Thursday cleared the long-awaited proposal to buy 114 Rafale fighter jets from France under an inter-governmental deal for the Indian Air Force (IAF), of which 90 jets would be manufactured in India, top government officials told The Indian Express. The clearance comes days before French President Emmanuel Macron’s scheduled visit to India between February 17 and 19. The DAC, headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, has also cleared the procurement of six additional P8I maritime surveillance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft from the US, the report says. Read the full report here.

Powerful cyclone kills at least 31 as it tears through Madagascar port, BBC reports

BBC reports that at least 31 people have died after a powerful cyclone struck Madagascar, says the disaster authority in the Indian Ocean island. Cyclone Gezani made landfall on Tuesday, hitting the island's main port, Toamasina. Madagascar's disaster management office said there was "total chaos" - reporting that houses collapsed in the impact zone, where the bodies were found. The report adds that neighbourhoods were plunged into darkness as power lines snapped, while trees were uprooted and roofs ripped off. Read the full report here.

Rajpal Yadav to remain in jail, Hindustan Times reports

Actor Rajpal Yadav is currently in Tihar Jail over a decade-old case of non-repayment of around ₹9 crore he took for his film, Hindustan Times reports. The Delhi High Court will hear Rajpal Yadav’s bail plea today and is expected to rule on the actor’s fate in the afternoon, the report says. The actor had borrowed ₹5 crore from Delhi-based Murali Projects Pvt Ltd in 2010 for his directorial debut Ata Pata Laapata. Read the full report here.

Al Jazeera live on Bangladesh election 2026

Voting is under way in Bangladesh in a crucial election seen as a key test of the country’s return to democracy after a student-led uprising toppled longtime leader Sheikh Hasina in August 2024, Al Jazeera reports. The vote is a direct contest between the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and a Jamaat-e-Islami-led coalition of 11 parties, including the National Citizens Party (NCP), formed by youth ‌activists instrumental in ousting Hasina. Besides the parliamentary election, the report says that the country is holding a referendum on the National Charter 2025 – a document drafted by the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus, setting the foundation for future governance. Read the full report here.