Opposition to move impeachment motion against CEC Gyanesh Kumar

The INDIA bloc parties are likely to move an impeachment motion against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar in the coming days. According to sources, Trinamool Congress’ Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha, Satabdi Roy, raised the issue at the INDIA bloc meeting chaired by Congress president and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, at his office in Parliament. Ms. Roy argued that it was crucial for the Opposition to take the next step by moving an impeachment motion against Mr. Kumar. Other Opposition leaders agreed with the suggestion, sources said.

West Asia conflict: India favours peace, return to dialogue, prioritises Indians’ safety, says Jaishankar

Speaking on the developments in West Asia, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Monday (March 9, 2026) said India remains in favour of peace and a return to dialogue and diplomacy. India also advocates de-escalation, restraint, and ensuring the safety of civilians, he said. Mr. Jaishankar, who was making a suo moto statement on the conflict in Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha on Monday, said the developments in West Asia are a deep cause for concern for all of us, saying the government continues to believe dialogue and discussion should be used to resolve all issues. “It is also imperative that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states in the region be respected,” he said. He added that the wellbeing and security of the Indian community in the region remain the government’s priority.

Crude oil prices surpass $114 a barrel as Iran war impedes production and shipping

Oil prices eclipsed $114 per barrel for the first time since 2022 on Monday (March 9, 2026) as the Iran war intensified, threatening production and shipping in West Asia. The price for a barrel of Brent crude, the international standard, surged past $114 after trading resumed on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. That was up 23% from its Friday (March 6, 2026) closing price of $92.69. West Texas Intermediate, the light, sweet crude oil produced in the United States, also was selling for about $114 a barrel. That’s 25% higher than its close on Friday (March 6, 2026) at $90.90.

IndiGo’s Delhi–Manchester flight: a 14-hour journey to nowhere

An IndiGo flight from Delhi to Manchester was forced to turn back from Eritrea after being airborne for nearly eight hours, even though the aircraft had skirted the conflict-affected Persian Gulf region, effectively turning the journey into a 14-hour flight that ended back where it began. The prolonged diversion was triggered by confusion at the air traffic control in Eritrea over a permit filed by IndiGo, sources said. The Boeing 787 aircraft, which IndiGo has leased from Norwegian carrier Norse Atlantic Airways, took off from Delhi at 12:30 a.m. on Monday (March 9, 2026). Flight tracking website Flightradar24 shows that it avoided the entire Gulf region, entered Africa through Ethiopia and was flying over Eritrea when it did a u-turn and started returning to Delhi. It landed in Delhi at 2:30 p.m.

Israel-Iran war: Trump says war will end ‘very soon’

U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday (March 10, 2026) pushed the idea of the Israel-Iran war ending soon, but remained vague on a timeline for ending the attacks that have rocked West Asia and shaken the global economy. U.S. markets jumped when Mr. Trump suggested earlier that the U.S.-Israeli assault was “very complete,” but during a later speech and press conference he offered shifting accounts of what to expect.

Sharad Pawar, Ramdas Athawale among 26 elected unopposed to Rajya Sabha

NCP (SP) supremo Sharad Pawar and Union minister Ramdas Athawale were among 26 candidates who were elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha on Monday (March 9, 2026). After the last date of withdrawal of candidature, elections to 11 seats of the Upper House — five in Bihar, four in Odisha and two in Haryana — would be held on March 16.

U.S. stocks erase big early loss and rise after oil prices whip back below $90

The U.S. stock market careened through a manic Monday (March 9, 2026), going from a steep early loss to a solid gain as worries turned into hope that the war with Iran may not last that long. Oil prices whipped from nearly $120 per barrel, their highest since 2022, back toward $90. The U.S. stock market has a history of bouncing back relatively quickly from past military conflicts, as long as oil prices do not stay too high for too long.

West Asia dominates Lok Sabha; resolution on Speaker’s removal not taken up

As the Budget Session resumed, the Lok Sabha on Monday (March 9, 2026) failed to take up a resolution seeking the removal of Speaker Om Birla amid repeated adjournments as the Opposition insisted on a full-fledged discussion on the West Asia crisis and its impact on nearly 10 million Indians living in the region.

Government sends feelers to Opposition on women’s quota law implementation

The government, sources said, has reached out to several Opposition leaders, seeking their opinion on bringing an amendment to advance the timeline on the implementation of the Constitution (One Hundred and Sixth Amendment) Act or Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, which seeks to allocate 33% of the seats to directly elected legislative bodies, including the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies, for women.

I-T Department uncovers ₹408 crore sales underreporting by restaurants across India

The Income tax Department has found a preliminary ₹408 crore worth of sales being hidden by restaurants across the country through the deletion of bills and other means to modify the actual sales figures. The investigation began in November 2025. “Advanced analytics of transactional data from about 1.77 lakh restaurants in the F&B sector was carried out using AI-enabled analytical tools,” the Department said in a release on Monday (March 9, 2026).

Australia to grant visa to five Iranian women soccer players after Trump appeal

Australia on Tuesday ​(March 10, 2026) agreed to provide ‌visas to five Iranian ​women’s soccer ⁠players to stay in the country, after ‌U.S. President Donald Trump urged ‌Canberra not ‌to ⁠send them back ⁠to Tehran due to concerns over their ​safety. Home Affairs ‌Minister Tony Burke said the other members of ‌the team were ​welcome to stay back in ⁠Australia.

Human Rights Watch accuses Israel of using white phosphorus in new Lebanon attacks

Human Rights Watch on Monday (March 9, 2026) accused Israel of “unlawfully” using white phosphorus over residential parts of a southern Lebanese town last week. “The Israeli military unlawfully used artillery-fired white phosphorus munitions over homes on March 3, 2026, in the southern Lebanese town of Yohmor,” the New York-based rights group said in a report.

Tehran threatens to confiscate property of Iranians abroad who back attacks on Iran

Iranians living abroad could have property confiscated and ​face other legal penalties if they express ‌support for the United States ​and Israel, the Iranian prosecutor ⁠general’s office said on Monday (March 9, 2026). Some members of the Iranian diaspora who want ‌political change in Tehran took to the streets of ‌European and American cities to celebrate ‌the ⁠killing of Supreme Leader ⁠Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran. “A warning has been issued to those Iranians living abroad who in different ways sympathise, support ‌or cooperate with the American-Zionist [Israeli] enemy,” ​the prosecutor general’s office was quoted as saying by ⁠state media.

Iraq coach Graham Arnold urges FIFA to delay team’s World Cup playoff because of the Iran war

Iraq head coach Graham Arnold has issued an urgent plea to soccer’s international governing body to delay his team’s intercontinental qualifier for the World Cup because of disruptions caused by the escalating Iran war. The Iraq squad faces major logistical issues ahead of a winner-takes-all playoff against either Suriname or Bolivia, scheduled for March 31 in Monterrey, Mexico. Players haven’t secured visas for the playoff tournament in Mexico due to foreign embassy closures, and Mr. Arnold is stranded in the United Arab Emirates due to the conflict.

Eminent historian K.N. Panikkar passes away

Eminent historian, academic and public intellectual K.N. Panikkar, widely regarded as one of India’s foremost scholars of modern history, passed away in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, on Monday (March 9, 2026). He was 89. Panikkar breathed his last at a private hospital after age-related ailments. Panikkar was widely known for his rigorous, evidence-based historical writing and his consistent critique of communal interpretations of Indian history.