Morning Digest: Days ahead of polls, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal get new Governors; Sri Lanka evacuates crew of second Iranian ship near its waters, and more

Days ahead of polls, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal get new Governors

Tamil Nadu Governor R. N. Ravi was on Thursday (March 5, 2026) appointed the Governor of West Bengal while Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar was given additional charge of Tamil Nadu ahead of Assembly polls in the crucial States. West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose and Ladakh Lieutenant-Governor Kavinder Gupta resigned on Thursday (March 5, 2026). Mr. Gupta will take charge as the Governor of Himachal Pradesh.

Sri Lanka evacuates crew of second Iranian ship near its waters

Sri Lanka is evacuating 208 crew members from an Iranian naval ship — IRINS Bushehr — stranded near its territorial waters, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said on Thursday (March 5, 2026), a day after a U.S. submarine torpedoed another Iranian warship off Sri Lanka’s southern coast, killing at least 84 sailors and widening the war in West Asia into the Indian Ocean region.

Sinking of Iranian ship brings war to region, say Sri Lankan and Maldivian leaders

The sinking of an Iranian ship by the U.S. in the Indian Ocean raises concern for the smaller countries in the region, leaders from Sri Lanka and the Maldives, who have gathered for the Raisina Dialogue here, said on Thursday (March 5, 2026). They called for closer communication on the issue with India as a “net security provider” in the region.

SU-30 MKI aircraft of IAF crashes in Assam’s Karbi Anglong, search operations underway

A Sukhoi 30 MKI fighter jet of the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed in the area of Karbi Anglong, Assam, approx 60 km from Jorhat, said Indian Air Force on Thursday (March 5, 2026). IAF said in a statement that search operations are underway. Earlier on Thursday, a Sukhoi 30 MKI fighter jet of the Indian Air Force (IAF) was reported missing from radar contact after taking off from eastern Assam’s Jorhat.

BJP earned ₹6,769.14 crore in 2024-25, Congress ₹918.28 crore: report

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) declared an income of ₹6,769.14 crore in the financial year 2024-25, the highest among national parties, while the Congress took the second spot with an income of ₹918.28 crore, according to a report by the Association of Democratic Reforms.

‘Free’ vaccines, single-dose nudge pushes India-made HPV vaccine to back of the line

A relaxation by the World Health Organization (WHO) in the prescribed dosage for the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine and ‘free’ doses may have pushed back the inclusion of an India-made vaccine into the national programme to inoculate children against HPV.

Iran-Israel war grounds IndiGo’s Europe flights

IndiGo’s entire fleet of widebody aircraft, comprising six Boeing 787s that flew to several international destinations, including London, Manchester and Amsterdam, has been grounded from the start of the Iran-Israel war last Saturday (February 28, 2026), as the aircraft the Indian airline has loaned from the Norwegian carrier Norse cannot fly over West Asian countries due to a European advisory, sources said.

Nepal election: Voting concludes with preliminary turnout around 60%

Nepal voted on Thursday (March 5, 2026) in its first election since September last year’s Gen Z protests, with preliminary estimates suggesting a turnout of 60%. “Our preliminary assessment is that around 60% of votes were cast,” said Acting Chief Election Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari during a press conference on Thursday evening (March 5, 2026) , after polls closed at 5 p.m.

T20 World Cup: India survives Bethell blitz, scrapes into the final

It was a Thursday with an early weekend vibe and the fans relished every second. Despite Jacob Bethell’s incandescent ton, India prevailed over England by seven runs in the ICC T20 World Cup semifinal in Mumbai at the Wankhede Stadium.