The Hindu Morning Digest: April 1, 2026

Iran Guards say will target U.S. tech firms if more leaders killed

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Tuesday (March 31, 2026) that they would target leading U.S. technology firms like Apple, Google, and Meta if more Iranian leaders were killed in “targeted assassinations”. “These companies, starting from 8:00 pm (1630 GMT) Tehran time on Wednesday (April 1, 2026), should expect the destruction of their relevant units in exchange for every assassination in Iran,” the Guards said in a statement listing the names of 18 companies it alleged were complicit in the killing of officials.

44 Maoists surrender in Bastar; Chhattisgarh now Maoists-free, asserts CM

As many as 44 Maoists from five districts of Bastar division in Chhattisgarh surrendered before security forces on Tuesday (March 31, 2026), said a senior police officer. The surrender led to recoveries of a large cache of arms and ammunitions apart from cash amounting to ₹3 crore and gold worth over ₹11 crore, which were displayed on Tuesday (March 31, 2026), the officer added, highlighting the significance of the date that was set by the Centre as the deadline for elimination of Maoism from the country.

T.N. Assembly election: Vijay has no understanding of T.N. politics, says Piyush Goyal

BJP’s election in-charge for Tamil Nadu and Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal said on Tuesday that Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president C. Joseph Vijay had no understanding of the people of Tamil Nadu, their culture, and politics.

India can cater to 30 crore PNG connections with its domestic LNG production itself: PNGRB Secretary

India can comfortably cater to the demand of as many as 30 crore domestic piped natural gas (PNG) connections even if it were to solely rely on its domestic production of liquefied natural gas (LNG), according to Anjan Kumar Mishra, Secretary at the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB).

29 dead as Russian military plane crashes in Crimea: Report

A Russian Antonov-26 military plane crashed while flying over the Crimean peninsula, killing 29 people, the TASS news agency reported Wednesday (March 1, 2026), quoting Russia’s Defence Ministry. “On 31 March at around 18:00 Moscow time, contact was lost with the An-26 military transport aircraft whilst it was on a scheduled flight over the Crimean Peninsula,” the Defence Ministry said.

Failed lawyer dream ‘drove Mysuru man to send bomb threats’

Disgruntlement over his inability to become a lawyer drove a 46-year-old man from Mysuru to allegedly send over 1,100 hoax bomb threats to the Supreme Court and several High Courts and government offices in the country, according to the Delhi police. The police said Srinivas Louis, arrested from his rented accommodation in Mysuru on Saturday and brought to the national capital on transit remand, was taken back to the district in Karnataka on Tuesday for further probe.

More than 200,000 fled Lebanon for Syria in March: UNHCR

More than 200,000 people have fled Lebanon for Syria since fighting resumed a month ago between Israeli forces and Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement, the United Nations’ refugee agency said on Tuesday (March 31, 2026). Lebanon was pulled into the West Asia conflict in early March when Israeli-U.S. strikes killed Iran’s supreme leader and Tehran-backed Hezbollah responded by firing rockets at Israel.

U.S. strikes Isfahan as Iran targets fully loaded oil tanker off Dubai

U.S. strikes hit a city on Tuesday (March 31, 2026) that is home to one of Iran’s main nuclear sites, sending a massive fireball into the sky, and Tehran attacked a fully loaded Kuwaiti oil tanker in the Persian Gulf. The attacks were testament to the intensity of the war more than a month after the United States and Israel launched their first strikes. The conflict has left more than 3,000 dead and caused major disruptions to the world’s supply of oil and natural gas.

India diesel exports to SE Asia hit 7-year high in March due to Iran war, data shows

India’s diesel exports to Southeast Asia surged ‌to the highest in more than seven years in March, shipping ​data showed, as traders pivoted supply to cover short positions and ⁠refiners cashed in on higher profits in Asia caused by the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran. The surge in exports could boost spot sale margins for Indian refiners who have ‌purchased large volumes of prompt Russian crude to replace Middle East supply disrupted by the war.

CPI manifesto promises to fight commercialisation of drinking water, agriculture and irrigation

The Tamil Nadu Assembly election 2026 manifesto released by the State unit of the Communist Party of India in Chennai on Tuesday (March 31, 2026) accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of threatening political parties and forcing alliances ahead of the polls. M. Veerapandian, State secretary of the party, who released the manifesto, said that even though the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) was reiterating that a government would be formed under its leadership, the BJP was asserting that the NDA would form the government. “The AIADMK has given up all its ideological moorings and merged itself with the BJP,” he alleged.

IPL 2026 | Cool Connolly takes Kings across the line against plucky Titans

Cooper Connolly announced himself on the IPL stage on the very first attempt, regaling the home crowd with a belligerent, unbeaten 72 (44b, 5×4, 5×6) at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Stadium here on Tuesday (March 31, 2026). The young Australian’s debut heroics, coupled with a fine bowling show, led by leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal (two for 28), propelled Punjab Kings to a nervy three-wicket triumph over Gujarat Titans.