Iranians follow a truck carrying the flag draped coffins of Iran's intelligence minister Esmail Khatib and, according to Iranian officials, his wife and daughter, during a funeral procession in Tehran, Iran, Friday, March 20. AP/PTI
LIVE: Iran threatens world tourism sites; Trump calls NATO allies 'cowards'
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei praised Iranians' steadfastness in the face of war in a written statement read on Iranian television to mark the Persian New Year, Nowruz
Here is the top, trending news of Friday, March 20, 2026, including Iran war, Indian politics, states’ politics, geopolitics, federal issues, economics, development issues, sports, entertainment, and so on.
Scroll below for updates.
Live Updates
- 20 March 2026 10:06 PM IST
Pak PM pushes 'peace through dialogue and diplomacy' during calls with world leaders
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday held telephonic talks with leaders of Malaysia, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan among others and discussed the West Asia situation.
Sharif's calls to these leaders came a day after he carried out similar conversations with Turkiye President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Jordan’s King Abdullah II.
On Friday, Sharif also greeted the leaders on the occasion of Eid apart from discussing bilateral issues.
According to a statement by the Prime Minister Office (PMO), during his phone conversation with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, the two leaders prayed for peace and harmony of the Ummah, and called for “de-escalation of the ongoing hostilities in Iran and the Gulf region.” They agreed to continue to work together for advancing peace efforts in this regard, the PMO statement said.
“Both leaders also expressed satisfaction at the positive momentum in bilateral ties and reaffirmed their shared resolve to further strengthen Pakistan-Malaysia fraternal relations,” it added.
Sharif later posted on X about the phone call with Ibrahim and their discussions and how they agreed on continued joint efforts “to promote peace through dialogue and diplomacy.” The prime minister had earlier spoken with Ibrahim on March 5 and briefed him on “recent developments regarding Afghanistan.” The PMO in a post on X said Sharif held a telephone conversation with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev and discussed “the ongoing hostilities in Iran and the Gulf region.” “The prime minister reiterated [his] strong condemnation of the attacks against Azerbaijan and expressed full solidarity and support with the brotherly people of Azerbaijan in these challenging times,” the statement said.
- 20 March 2026 9:32 PM IST
Delhi Police seal news agency UNI's office, cites high court order
Delhi Police on Friday sealed news agency UNI's office in Delhi, citing a high court order, even as the media organisation termed the action an "attack on press freedom".
The news agency also alleged that their female staff members were manhandled by the police team.
However, Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Sachin Sharma told PTI that legal process was followed and no wrongdoings happened as everything was videographed.
The police reached the premises on Rafi Marg with adequate deployment to carry out the sealing process after the Delhi High Court dismissed a petition filed by the news agency challenging the cancellation of its land allotment.
The case pertained to an order issued by the Land and Development Office (L&DO) under the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry, which had asked the news agency to vacate the premises.
The matter is related to the cancellation of the allotment of land to the news agency.
The high court upheld the cancellation, rejecting the news agency's plea.
UNI said on X, "The sealing of the office of United News of India (UNI), one of the country's oldest and most respected news agencies, has raised serious concerns over press freedom." In a purported video shared on X, a woman personnel is seen allegedly manhandling a woman journalist during a confrontation. The footage shows the journalist losing her balance, after which she falls to the ground. Meanwhile, a person in the background can be heard objecting, saying, “Ye kya kar rahi ho madam, haath-pair toot jayega” and “Ye kya tareeka hai.” It alleged that staff members were forcibly evicted, with several not allowed to retrieve their personal belongings, and women journalists were manhandled by teams of Delhi Police.
"Some Delhi Police personnel were reportedly intoxicated while on duty. Two lawyers and Delhi Police personnel allegedly abused several individuals," the agency said.
"The premises at 9, Rafi Marg, New Delhi has been taken over by the Government of India on 20.03.2026 pursuant to the judgment dated 20.03.2026 of the Hon'ble High Court of Delhi. Any entry, occupation, or use of the said premises by any person without authorization of L&DO is strictly prohibited and will invite action under law," read a notice pasted at the news agency's office.
- 20 March 2026 9:13 PM IST
Supreme leader hails Iran's steadfastness as military threatens tourist sites
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei praised Iranians' steadfastness in the face of war in a written statement read on Iranian television to mark the Persian New Year, Nowruz.
Khamenei said the US and Israeli attacks were based on an illusion that killing Iran's top leaders could cause the overthrow of the government. He commended Iranians for “building a nationwide defensive front" and "delivering such a bewildering blow that the enemy fell into contradictions and irrational statements.” Khamenei has not been seen in public since he became supreme leader following the assassination of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in Israeli strikes at the start of the war. US and Israeli officials suspect the younger Khamenei was wounded.
Iran's top military spokesman, Gen Abolfazl Shekarchi, warned Friday that “parks, recreational areas and tourist destinations” worldwide won't be safe for Tehran's enemies. The threat renewed concerns that Iran may revert to using militant attacks beyond the Middle East as a pressure tactic.
- 20 March 2026 8:54 PM IST
Trump calls NATO allies 'cowards'
US President Donald Trump, in a post on Truth Social, slammed NATO allies as "cowards".
"Without the U.S.A., NATO IS A PAPER TIGER! They didn’t want to join the fight to stop a Nuclear Powered Iran.
"Now that fight is Militarily WON, with very little danger for them, they complain about the high oil prices they are forced to pay, but don’t want to help open the Strait of Hormuz, a simple military maneuver that is the single reason for the high oil prices.
"So easy for them to do, with so little risk. COWARDS, and we will REMEMBER!"
- 20 March 2026 8:26 PM IST
Around 6,000 nationals ‘unsafe’ in Gulf: Nepalese foreign ministry
Over 82,000 Nepalis have registered from the Gulf region, out of which around 6,000 nationals have enlisted as being 'unsafe', a foreign ministry official said on Friday (March 20). Nepali nationals living in the Gulf enlisted themselves through an online registration system maintained by the Department of Consular Services under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ministry spokesperson Lok Bahadur Chhetri said at a press meet.
“Of the total 82,100 registrations, around 6,000 Nepalis have enlisted as being unsafe,” Chhetri said.
According to the ministry, a total of 170 contacts have been made to its emergency room, including 78 calls, from various countries in West Asia, amid escalating tension between Israel, the US, and Iran.
"Many of those who came in contact were curious about security in the initial days of the Iran-US-Israel way. However, as the situation is being relaxed, the number of those wishing to return to Nepal has declined lately," he added.
The ministry is continuously gathering information about those facing problems through its 10 missions and is working to make the necessary coordination. He made it clear that there is no record of Nepalis being stuck in transit.
The government is watchful regarding the security of Nepali nationals in West Asia and will go to great lengths to rescue them if needed, the ministry said.
- 20 March 2026 8:18 PM IST
Make life easier for taxpayers, use technology to check evasion: FM to IT officers
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday (March 20) asked income tax officers to make life easier for assesses and use technology to catch those evading tax wilfully.
Addressing the 'PRARAMBH 2026: Nationwide Awareness Campaign on the Income Tax Act, 2025', the minister also exuded confidence that the Income Tax Act, 2025, effective from April 1, will certainly set the trend for making India a very tax-friendly country.
"Make paying tax so easy that honesty becomes the natural choice. But those who are wilfully evading, those who are deliberately trying to get away, technology must catch them. If you are honest, the system will make your life easy, but if you evade, the system will find you. This message should go to the taxpayer," Sitharaman said.
Parliament, on August 12, 2025, passed a new Income Tax Bill to replace the six-decade-old Income Tax Act, 1961. It does not impose any new tax rate and only simplifies the language, which was required for understanding the complex Income Tax laws. The Act has removed redundant provisions and archaic language and reduced the number of Sections from 819 in the Income Tax Act of 1961 to 536 and the number of chapters from 47 to 23. The number of words had been reduced from 5.12 lakh to 2.6 lakh in the new Income Tax Bill, and for the first time, it introduces 39 new tables and 40 new formulas, replacing the dense text of the 1961 law to enhance clarity.
Sitharaman also asked the tax officials to hold awareness sessions across India to educate people about the new tax laws in local languages. Besides, efforts should be made to reduce litigation aggressively.
"Every case that goes to a tribunal or a court is a failure of our system... a black mark on all of us," the Minister said.
She further said the new Income Tax Act should continue to remain simple and clear, adding it should not become as bulky and complex as the 1961 Act.
- 20 March 2026 8:14 PM IST
Russia warns US-Israeli strike on Iranian Caspian port risks regional escalation
Russia has expressed alarm over a US-Israeli airstrike on Iran's Bandar Anzali port on March 18, warning it risks drawing Caspian states into the widening Middle East conflict. The strike destroyed the Customs House and other structures at the key Caspian Sea harbour.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova called the attack "reckless and irresponsible," noting the port is a critical hub for Russian-Iranian trade, including food supplies. She warned the strike threatens the economic interests of all Caspian states with transit links through Iran.
Bandar Anzali is a vital node on the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), the multi-modal route linking Mumbai to St Petersburg via Iran, bypassing the Suez Canal. Signed in 2000 by India, Iran and Russia, the corridor carried over 7.5 million tonnes of cargo through its trans-Caspian route by end-2025. Russia has called for an immediate ceasefire.
- 20 March 2026 8:14 PM IST
'Kahaani 2': SC quashes proceedings in copyright case against filmmaker Sujoy Ghosh
In a relief to filmmaker Sujoy Ghosh, the Supreme Court on Friday (March 20) quashed the proceedings in a case alleging copyright infringement against him over his movie Kahaani 2, which was released in December 2016. A bench of Justices PS Narasimha and Alok Aradhe said the proceedings instituted against Ghosh were "manifestly frivolous and vexatious".
The bench set aside an order passed by the Jharkhand High Court on April 22 last year that refused to quash the proceedings against the filmmaker. The top court also quashed a June 7, 2018, summoning order passed by the chief judicial magistrate (CJM) of Hazaribagh in the case.
The bench said the complaint only contained "bald and unsubstantiated allegations" and did not even prima facie disclose the similarity between the film and the script of complainant Umesh Prasad Mehta.
"For the reasons stated above, the inevitable conclusion is that the proceedings instituted against the appellant (Ghosh) are manifestly frivolous and vexatious," the bench said, while allowing the appeal filed by the filmmaker.
The court said in the summoning order, the CJM had even failed to record the satisfaction that there was any similarity between the film and the complainant's script.
"The summoning order, therefore, has been passed in a mechanical manner and suffers from the vice of non-application of mind. The high court has also failed to appreciate that the summoning order has been passed without any application of mind and in the absence of sufficient material on record," it said.
The bench noted that the material on record revealed that Kahaani 2 was a sequel to Ghosh's earlier film, Kahaani.
"The appellant (Ghosh) registered the synopsis of the film on December 10, 2012, under the title 'Kolkata'. The partial script of the said film, then titled 'Durga Rani Singh', was registered on October 10, 2013. The full script of the said film, then titled 'Karaar', was registered on December 2, 2013. Admittedly, the complainant went to Mumbai on June 29, 2015, and registered his script on July 31, 2015," the bench noted.
It said the question of copyright infringement does not arise as the complainant's script was not even in existence when Ghosh registered his screenplay.
- 20 March 2026 8:03 PM IST
TVK leader says Tamil Nadu Assembly poll candidate list in final stages
TVK leader Nirmal Kumar on Friday said that the selection of candidate list for the April 23 Assembly elections is in the final stages.
Speaking to reporters after a meeting with potential candidates at the party office in Panaiyur, the TVK joint general secretary said, "Our leader is preparing the final list and will announce it soon. Most of the districts have already been covered and the process is complete."
Regarding alliances, Kumar said party founder Vijay has already made it clear that TVK will not "compromise on secularism." However, TVK is not ruling out alliances. "If anyone comes forward accepting our leader as the chief ministerial candidate, and will not compromise on secularism, he will consider it," he said.
Hitting out at the ruling DMK, Kumar claimed that ministers were looking for safe seats out of fear.
"Even Minister Sekar Babu is talking about changing constituencies. Many DMK ministers are thinking about changing their constituencies because of TVK. They are looking for which is the safest seat, but no seat in Chennai is safe for them any more," he claimed.
- 20 March 2026 8:01 PM IST
Fire breaks out in 5-storey guest house in Gurugram, 4 people rescued
A massive fire broke out at a five-storey guest house in the Sector 28 area in Gurugram on Friday afternoon (March 20), creating panic and chaos. Police, firefighters, Haryana State Disaster Response Force (HSDRF), and locals rescued four people, including three women, who were trapped in the building. They managed to douse the fire after an hour's struggle.
According to a fire officer, the blaze originated from an electrical panel on the ground floor of the guest house. It was initially believed to have been caused by a short circuit. He said fire department officials received a call around 1.29 pm stating that a five-storey building (No 3401) in Sector 28 had caught fire, with four people trapped inside. Four fire engines and an HSDRF team were immediately dispatched to the spot. A senior police officer said the fire erupted near the main entrance of the building and smoke spread inside.
Heavy smoke made it impossible to climb up the building from the front, but police personnel and the fire brigade demonstrated courage, reached the first floor using the building's side railings and set the rescue operation in motion. They then used ropes, grills and stairs from the rear of the building to reach the top floor and rescued the trapped people.
"Acting promptly and bravely, the rescue team safely evacuated women and other residents from the burning guest house. Due to their swift action, a major tragedy was averted, and the fire was brought under control in time," he added.
A Gurugram Police spokesperson said, "The DCP (East) will give commendation letters to the police personnel, the fire brigade team and common people who saved lives by entering the burning building."
The building, rented by a company, has five floors, with four one-BHK units on each. The rooms were fully occupied at the time, they said.
