Top news of the day: March 29, 2026

Pakistan Foreign Minister meets Egypt, Turkiye counterparts to discuss West Asia tensions

Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Sunday (March 29, 2026) met his counterparts from Egypt and Turkiye in Islamabad ahead of a quadrilateral summit, which also includes Saudi Arabia, to discuss the ongoing conflict in West Asia and efforts to negotiate peace in the region. Pakistan and Egypt exchanged views on West Asia tensions and underscored the need for restraint, de-escalation, and the resolution of disputes through dialogue and diplomacy, the statement said.

Mann ki Baat: Don’t politicise the challenges created by West Asian crisis, urges PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday (March 29, 2026) noted that the situation in West Asia has created “challenging times” and called for those “politicising” the issue to refrain from doing so. He also urged Indians to be careful about believing rumours related to the crisis. Speaking during his monthly Mann Ki Baat address, the Prime Minister said that, following the COVID-19 pandemic, it was expected that the world would move forward on a path of renewed progress.

Incarceration without trial is punishment, says Supreme Court; grants bail to accused in jail for two years

Observing that incarceration without trial amounts to punishment, the Supreme Court granted bail to a Punjab resident in an attempt-to-murder case, noting that he had spent two years in jail without the trial even commencing. A Bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and P.V. Varale, in its recent order, said Pradeep Kumar alias Banu was booked for various offences, including attempt to murder, in February 2024, but the prosecution is yet to examine any one of the 23 witnesses related to the case.

TVK chief Vijay to contest from Perambur, Tiruchi East constituencies making electoral debut in T.N. Assembly election

Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president and actor C. Joseph Vijay, on Sunday (March 29, 2026), announced his party’s candidates for the ensuing Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu. Mr. Vijay is set to make his electoral debut from two constituencies – Perambur in Chennai and Tiruchi East. The DMK has fielded incumbent MLA R.D. Shekar from Perambur, while in the AIADMK front, the constituency has been allocated to the PMK led by Anbumani. At Tiruchi East, the DMK has fielded incumbent MLA Inigo Irudayaraj, while the AIADMK has fielded K. Rajasekaran.

Amit Shah says curbing ‘infiltration not enough’, every illegal immigrant must be deported from Assam

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday (March 29, 2026) asserted that the BJP government has stopped “infiltration in Assam in the last 10 years,” but this is “not enough”, as each illegal immigrant must be sent back to their countries. Addressing a poll rally in Dhekiajuli Assembly constituency in Sonitpur district, he accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of opposing the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in several States to “protect infiltrators”.

40 pilgrims injured as bus rams into tree in Uttar Pradesh’s Mau

At least 40 pilgrims, including women and children, were injured when their bus crashed into a tree in the Ratanpura area in the early hours of Sunday (March 29, 2026), police said. The bus was going to Ballia from Ayodhya. The accident occurred around 1.30 a.m. on the Ratanpura-Mubarakpur road under the Haldharpur police station area when the driver lost control of the bus and rammed it into a roadside tree, police said.

“The pilgrims were headed back home after attending a religious event in Ayodhya when the accident took place,” a police official said.

Indian Railways shows red flag to unauthorised expenses

Expressing serious concern over the increasing instances of unauthorised expenditure running to thousands of crores of rupees, the Indian Railways has called for urgent measures to enforce financial discipline in the system. The Railway Board has directed General Managers of all Zonal Railways, Production Units and others to initiate effective measures to curb the practice of incurring unsanctioned expenses in the execution of projects and subsequently getting the same approved by the competent authority.

Modi targets LDF, UDF over decades of corruption, calls BJP Kerala’s real A-team

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday intensified the National Democratic Alliance (NDA)’s campaign for the April 9 Kerala Assembly election with a sharp attack on both the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the opposition United Democratic Front (UDF). Alleging that the two fronts had alternated in power for decades while “looting” the State through corruption and misgovernance, Mr. Modi said their politics had deprived the people of Kerala of resources, opportunities and growth.

BJP to score hat-trick in Assam, to come to power for third term in row: Nitin Nabin

The ruling BJP will make a hat-trick in Assam by forming the third consecutive government in the State under the leadership of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, the party’s national chief Nitin Nabin announced on Sunday (March 29, 2026). Addressing an election rally in support of Margherita candidate and sitting BJP MLA Bhaskar Sharma, Mr. Nabin also attacked the previous Congress governments for allegedly engaged in vote bank politics instead of developing the State.

Mary Kom considers move into professional boxing

Olympic bronze medallist and six-time world champion Indian boxer M.C. Mary Kom on Sunday (March 29, 2026) said she is considering a move into professional boxing. The 43-year-old, who became the first Indian woman boxer with an Olympic medal when she bronze in the 2012 London Games, is past the age eligibility to compete on the amateur circuit.

“What can I say about the high points? Winning six World Championships was incredible. Although I reached a stage where age restrictions prevented me from competing further in amateur boxing for the country, a new opportunity has surfaced in Professional Boxing,” she said on the sidelines of Sundays on Cycle event.

NCLAT rejects BSE pleas on Demat account freezing during insolvency

The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) has dismissed the appeals filed by BSE, where the leading bourse challenged the power of the NCLT to defreeze the Demat accounts of businesses undergoing insolvency resolution and liquidation process. “…the impugned orders have been passed in valid exercise of such jurisdiction,” the NCLAT said while setting aside the two petitions filed by BSE.

BSE had contended that the NCLT does not have any jurisdiction under Section 60 (5) of the IBC Code to adjudicate on the issues, which are within the Securities Law Framework and Sebi Circulars

Consumer panel asks Ola Electric to replace consumer’s faulty scooter

A consumer commission in Thane has asked Ola Electric Technologies to replace a defective electric scooter or provide a full refund following a series of technical failures, citing “sheer deficiency” in customer service. The Bengaluru-based manufacturer was also engaged in “unfair trade practice”, the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (Additional Thane) noted in a recent order. The chronology of events emphatically shows that the vehicle was not in proper condition and had various defects, it held.

Published – March 29, 2026 05:49 pm IST