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 5:47 PM IST
Zelenskyy sends delegation to US seeking resumption of Russia-Ukraine talks
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he sent an official delegation to the US in a bid to move forward suspended negotiations on ending Russia's invasion of his country.
A senior Kremlin official also indicated on Friday (March 20) that a new round of US-brokered talks between Moscow and Kyiv will likely take place soon.
The trilateral talks, which have yet to produce any breakthrough on key issues, have been on ice while the Iran war has dominated international attention.
Zelenskyy is keen to restore momentum to the negotiations and said late Thursday that he had sent representatives to the US for a meeting expected Saturday. The White House did not confirm any meeting - 20 March 2026 5:38 PM IST
Russia blames US-Israel for Gulf conflict, urges ceasefire
Russia has voiced alarm over what it described as an intensifying conflict in the Persian Gulf, urging an immediate halt to fighting while blaming Washington and Tel Aviv for triggering the crisis. In a statement on X, the Foreign Ministry said, "Moscow is seriously concerned over the ongoing armed confrontation in the Persian Gulf and the risks of escalation. The scale of damage to energy and other critical infrastructure in Iran and neighbouring Arab states continues to grow."
Calling for de-escalation, it added, "We call for an immediate cessation of hostilities resulting from the unprovoked aggression by the US and Israel against Iran." The ministry stressed, "We emphasise that the first step must be an immediate end to the US and Israel's military venture."
Russia said it was prepared to work with partners including China and Turkiye, noting, "Russia, together with China, Turkiye and other like-minded partners, stands ready to facilitate a settlement..." It also backed proposals for regional dialogue, insisting on diplomacy to secure lasting stability.
- 20 March 2026 4:51 PM IST
Rupee crashes 82 paise to all-time low of 93.71 against US dollar
The rupee crashed 82 paise, or nearly one per cent, to settle at an all-time low of 93.71 (provisional) against the US dollar on Friday, weighed down by persistent foreign fund outflows and a steep rise in crude oil prices amid mounting geopolitical tensions.
The local unit opened at 92.92 at the interbank foreign exchange before breaching the 93-mark for the first time, eventually closing at 93.71 — down from the previous record low of 92.89 set on Wednesday. Forex markets were shut on Thursday for Gudhi Padwa.
"The rupee hit fresh all-time lows on Friday amid geopolitical tensions in West Asia and FII outflows. Rising global crude oil prices, too, have pressured the rupee," said Anuj Choudhary, Research Analyst, Mirae Asset Sharekhan.
"We expect the rupee to trade with a negative bias as escalating geopolitical tensions and rising crude oil prices may continue to pressure the rupee," he added, pegging the USD-INR spot range at Rs 93.20–93.80.
Brent crude was trading 1.84 per cent higher at USD 110.7 per barrel, while the dollar index rose 0.35 per cent to 99.58. Foreign institutional investors offloaded equities worth Rs 7,558.19 crore on a net basis on Thursday.
- 20 March 2026 4:45 PM IST
Stock markets recover on buying in IT, PSU bank stocks; Sensex climbs 325 pts
Equity benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty gave up most of their intra-day gains to end nearly 0.5 per cent higher on Friday (March 20), following intense buying in PSU bank, IT and metal stocks amid concerns over a further spike in fuel-driven inflation.
In another volatile session, the 30-share BSE Sensex climbed 325.72 points or 0.44 per cent to settle at 74,532.96. During the day, it jumped 1,079.15 points, or 1.45 per cent, to 75,286.39. The 50-share NSE Nifty edged higher by 112.35 points, or 0.49 per cent, to end at 23,114.50. Intra-day, it jumped 343 points, or 1.49 per cent, to 23,345.15.
From the 30-Sensex firms, Tata Steel, Tech Mahindra, Infosys, Trent, Reliance Industries, Titan, NTPC and Sun Pharma were among the major gainers. HDFC Bank, Bharat Electronics, Kotak Mahindra Bank and ICICI Bank were among the laggards.
On Thursday (March 19), the Sensex tanked 2,496.89 points or 3.26 per cent - its biggest single-day plunge since June 2024 - to settle at 74,207.24. The Nifty tumbled 775.65 points, or 3.26 per cent, to end at 23,002.15.
- 20 March 2026 4:41 PM IST
Air India's Vancouver-bound plane returned to Delhi due to operational issue
After being airborne for over seven hours, an Air India plane from Delhi to Vancouver returned to the national capital on Thursday evening (March 19) due to an operational issue. Without providing specific details, Air India, in a statement on Friday (March 20), said the aircraft landed safely at the Delhi airport.
The flight was operated with Boeing 777-200 LR aircraft VT-AEI and was airborne for over seven hours. The plane turned back to Delhi when it was in the Chinese airspace, according to information available on the flight tracking website Flightradar24.com.
"Air India flight AI185, operating from Delhi to Vancouver on 19 March, returned to Delhi due to an operational issue and in line with established standard operating procedures. The aircraft landed safely, and all passengers and crew had disembarked," the airline said in a statement.
A source said that there might have been an administrative issue in terms of the aircraft deployed, which led to the decision to return to Delhi. Further details, such as the reason for the air turn and the number of passengers on board the plane, could not be ascertained. Meanwhile, Air India also said the flight departed for Vancouver with the passengers on Friday morning.
- 20 March 2026 4:39 PM IST
CJI Surya Kant recuses from hearing on EC appointments law
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Friday (March 20) recused himself from hearing a batch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of a 2023 law that removed the CJI from a committee responsible for appointing the chief election commissioner and the ECs to the poll panel.
"I will be accused of conflict of interest. There is a conflict of interest," the CJI, who was sitting alongside Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi, said at the outset.
The bench was hearing PILs challenging the validity of certain provisions of the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023, on the ground that it excluded the Chief Justice of India from the selection panel responsible for appointing CEC and the ECs.
The CJI said it would be appropriate for the case to be heard by a bench where no judge is in line to become the chief justice. Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for one of the petitioners, supported the CJI's view. He suggested that the matter be placed before a bench without any prospective chief justice to avoid any perception of bias.
Accepting the suggestion, the CJI directed that the matter be listed before another bench on April 7 and indicated that the new bench would comprise judges who are not in line to assume the office of the CJI.
The law, enacted by Parliament in December 2023, came months after a landmark verdict by which the apex court directed that election commissioners be appointed by a committee comprising the prime minister, the leader of the Opposition, and the chief justice of India. The bench had said that the system will remain in force till a law is enacted.
- 20 March 2026 4:35 PM IST
Indian national killed in Saudi Arabia amid Gulf conflict, says embassy
An Indian national has been killed in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, amid the ongoing Gulf conflict. The Indian Embassy announced on Friday that it expressed its "deepest condolences on the tragic demise of an Indian national in Riyadh due to recent events on March 18th."
The circumstances of the death remain unclear. The embassy said it is in contact with the deceased's family and local authorities, adding: "We remain committed to extending all possible assistance in this matter."
Earlier, the embassy had urged the Indian community in Saudi Arabia to remain calm and follow official guidelines issued by Saudi authorities, cautioning residents to rely only on verified information from authorised government channels.
“Please adhere strictly to the guidelines and instructions issued by Saudi authorities. Rely only on verified information shared by the authorities through official channels such as @SaudiDCD and other authorised government handles,” it said.
The death comes in the backdrop of the US-Israel joint attack on Iran launched on February 28, which triggered retaliatory strikes that have since escalated tensions across the Gulf region.
- 20 March 2026 4:12 PM IST
Premium petrol prices up by over Rs 2 as West Asia conflict continues
The cost of premium petrol in India has gone up by Rs 2.35 starting Friday, as oil marketing companies (OMCs) are compelled to accommodate the increased expenses associated with crude oil imports.
Prices of BPCL’s Speed, HPCL’s Power, and IOCL’s XP95 have been increased by Rs 2.09-Rs 2.35 per litre, ANI reported. However, the price of regular petrol remains unchanged as of now. The premium fuel is considered to offer a better performance, improved efficiency of the engine, and a smoother run of vehicles.
This move comes amid the growing uncertainty over global energy supply disrupted by the ongoing war in West Asia where Iran has been attacked jointly by Israel and the US. The conflict, which completes three weeks on March 21, has hit global energy markets with the Brent crude soaring as high as nearly $108 a barrel.
- 20 March 2026 4:07 PM IST
Six Indians dead, one missing in Gulf amid Iran conflict: MEA
Six Indian nationals have died, and one remains missing in separate incidents across the Gulf amid the West Asia conflict, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Friday. Missions in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Iraq and the UAE are coordinating with local authorities for repatriation and efforts to trace the missing person. "Six Indian nationals have unfortunately lost their lives, and one is missing in various incidents..." said Aseem R Mahajan, Additional Secretary (Gulf), MEA.
Travel conditions are easing, he said. "Situation continues to improve with additional flights operating from the region. Since February 28, around 300,000 passengers have returned..." Limited services continue from the UAE and Qatar, while Kuwait and Bahrain airspace remain closed, with special flights arranged.
- 20 March 2026 4:00 PM IST
CBI questions Anil Ambani again in Rs 2,929 crore cheating case
The CBI on Friday questioned industrialist Anil Ambani for a second straight day in a Rs 2,929-crore cheating case linked to Reliance Communications Ltd, based on a complaint from the State Bank of India, officials said. He reached the agency’s headquarters around 10 am.
Investigators have been examining alleged diversion and misuse of loan funds extended to the company. "The appearance is in furtherance to Mr Ambani's commitment to extend full cooperation in the matter with all agencies," his spokesperson said on Thursday.
The agency had registered the case in August last year, accusing Ambani and the company of defrauding SBI. The bank’s complaint states that Reliance Communications owed more than Rs 40,000 crore to lenders, with SBI’s exposure pegged at Rs 2,929 crore.
"It is alleged that the accused persons, in criminal conspiracy, misrepresented and got sanctioned credit facilities from SBI in favour of Reliance Communication Ltd," a CBI spokesperson said earlier.
"Anil D Ambani denies all allegations and charges, and will duly defend himself," his spokesperson said.
(With agency inputs)
