Top news of the day | March 1, 2026

Alireza Arafi, cleric member of Iran’s Guardian Council, to lead Iran’s Leadership Council

Iran named Ayatollah Alireza Arafi to its interim leadership council, which will be at the helm of the country following the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Sunday (March 1, 2026). The interim council, which will also include the President and the head of the judiciary, will lead the country until the Assembly of Experts “elects a permanent leader as soon as possible”.

At least 17 killed in Nagpur explosives factory blast

At least 17 people were killed, and 18 were injured in an explosion in the ammunition manufacturing company in Raulgaon village in Maharashtra’s Nagpur district on Sunday (March 1, 2026). “The incident of explosion is unfortunate and tragic. The relief work has been accelerated, and so far, 17 people have died. 18 people injured in this incident are shifted to Nagpur,” said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, paying heartfelt tributes to the deceased.

Operation against Afghan Taliban ‘still continuing’; PM Sharif postpones Russia trip

A Pakistani Minister on Sunday (March 1, 2026) announced that the operation against the Afghan Taliban was continuing, refuting social media reports about the conclusion of the blitz. Federal Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry refuted reports that Pakistan halted its operations, saying that “false and fabricated news is being spread on social media that Pakistan has stopped its operations against Afghanistan”. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif cancelled on Sunday (March 1) a trip to Russia in the coming days, citing the “regional and internal situation”.

GST mop-up grows 8.1% to over ₹1.83 lakh crore in February

Gross GST collection increased 8.1% to over ₹1.83 lakh crore in February, led by higher growth in revenues from imports. Gross domestic revenue rose 5.3% to about ₹1.36 lakh crore, while gross import revenue climbed 17.2% to ₹47,837 crore. Total refunds were up 10.2% at ₹22,595 crore.

India braces for hotter-than-normal summer, more heatwave days expected

India is ​set to experience a hotter-than-normal summer ‌this year, with heatwave days ​during March and May expected ⁠to exceed the seasonal average, the weather office said on Saturday (February 28, 2026). In March, ‌the first month of the summer season, minimum temperatures are ‌likely to remain above ‌average ⁠across most areas, said Mrutyunjay ⁠Mohapatra, director-general of the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

BJP chief claims ‘over 50 lakh infiltrators’ removed from Bengal electoral rolls

A day after the publication of West Bengal’s post-SIR electoral rolls that saw 63.66 lakh names deleted, BJP national president Nitin Nabin on Sunday (March 1, 2026) claimed that “more than 50 lakh infiltrators” had been removed from the voter list and said “time is up for illegal immigrants” in the State.

Senior leader Vikas and 14 Naxalites surrender in Chhattisgarh

Fifteen Naxalites belonging to the Balangir-Bargarh-Mahasamund (BBM) division of CPI (Maoists) surrendered before security personnel in Chhattisgarh’s Mahasamund district on Sunday (March 1, 2026), Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma said. Among those who laid down arms was Vikas, a Special Zonal Committee-level member. Nine of the 15 surrendered cadres are women.

India calls for respecting ‘sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states’

India on Saturday (February 28, 2026) issued a series of advisories for citizens as a regional conflict started with the U.S.-Israel attack on Iran and the subsequent Iranian retaliation that hit several military and commercial hubs in the Gulf states. The Ministry of External Affairs, in a statement, called upon all sides to resort to “dialogue and diplomacy” and said “safety of civilians” should be prioritised.

Bar and Bench cannot be separated in justice delivery system: CJI Surya Kant

The Bar is an integral part of the justice delivery system and can not be separated, though people think that it is the sole responsibility of the court to deliver justice, which may be a myth, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said on Sunday (March 1, 2025). After laying the foundation stone for the District Courts Complex in Tirupati, CJI Kant said the bar and the bench are not adversaries but two hands of the same institution.

Air India cancels 50 international flights amid West Asia crisis

Air India has cancelled 22 more international services for Sunday (March 1, 2026), taking the total number of overseas flight cancellations announced so far to 50 due to the West Asia crisis. Indian airlines are expected to cancel 444 international flights on March 1 due to airspace restrictions in West Asia, according to the Civil Aviation Ministry.

CIA intel guided strikes that killed Iran’s supreme leader Khamenei: report

CIA intelligence indicating Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would attend a meeting of top Iranian officials helped guide strikes in a U.S. and Israeli attack that killed Iran’s supreme leader, the New York Times reported Sunday (March 1, 2026). Khamenei was killed in the strikes on the capital Tehran, Iranian state media confirmed on Sunday (March 1, 2026), after the U.S. and Israel vowed to seek regime change in the Islamic Government.

U.N. nuclear agency to hold extraordinary meeting on Iran on March 2

The United Nations’ nuclear agency will hold an extraordinary meeting on Iran on Monday (March 2, 2026) in the wake of the U.S.-Israeli strikes on the Islamic Government, aimed in part at Tehran’s atomic programme. In a statement late on Saturday (February 28), the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said the meeting was at the request of Russia, a key ally of Tehran.

Published – March 01, 2026 06:47 pm IST