Supreme Court petitions on influencers' FIRs, Delhi Ridge tree felling, stray dog order tweaks, and CCTV oversight.
Supreme Court petitions seek clubbing and quashing of multiple FIRs against influencers, permission disputes over tree felling in Delhi's Ridge for road construction, modification of a stray dog order, challenges to the validity of an electoral commission decision to conduct SIRs, and a suo motu matter on installing CCTV cameras in police stations; High Court matters include a defamation plea against a web series and a challenge to the relaxation of mandatory pilot fatigue management regulations.

Stock markets slip early as investors await Union Budget today; Sensex and Nifty open noticeably lower.
Equity benchmarks opened lower after a two-day rally as investors grew cautious ahead of the Union Budget; Sensex fell ~344 points to ~82,001 and Nifty declined ~94 points to ~25,249. Specific large-cap names underperformed following corporate earnings, while select infrastructure and banking stocks gained. Prior-session data showed net purchases by both foreign and domestic institutional investors, and regional markets were mixed, contributing to a volatile near-term outlook tied to budget-related sentiment.

Rupee hits 92 per USD amid elevated dollar demand and oil-driven risk aversion, pressuring markets and outlook.
The rupee fell to 92.00 per US dollar due to elevated dollar demand, a firmer dollar index and heightened geopolitical risk, with rising oil prices exacerbating pressure given India's net oil import position. Market strains were evident in NDF quotes near 92.00 and equity declines. A sustained break above 92.00 could extend downside toward 92.20-92.50, while RBI support and a softer dollar backdrop may cap gains and steer the pair back toward the low 91 range.

Kerala budget allocates Rs 14,500 crore to social security pensions and raises honorariums for ASHA and Anganwadi workers.
The 2026-27 budget allocates Rs 14,500 crore for social security pensions and Rs 3,700 crore for the Chief Minister's Stree Suraksha Scheme, and raises monthly honorariums by Rs 1,000 for ASHA and Anganwadi workers, Rs 500 for Anganwadi helpers, Rs 1,000 for pre primary teachers and literacy mission motivators, and increases school cooking staff daily wages by Rs 25.

Partial government shutdown looms as Democrats demand enforceable ICE conduct rules and identification for agents.
Senate Democrats condition funding approval on an enforceable code of conduct for immigration agents, identification requirements with "masks off, body cameras on," tighter warrant rules and coordination with local law enforcement, and an end to roving patrols; they seek to separate Homeland Security funding and have pledged to block the broader spending package until these reforms are accepted.

Venezuela: US will control oil proceeds and work with interim authorities while denying further military action.
Rubio said the US will work with interim Venezuelan authorities to stabilise the country and allow sanctioned oil sales, with oil proceeds deposited in a US Treasury-controlled account and released only after US approval of monthly budgets to pay for basic government services; he denied any current posture to undertake further military action absent an imminent threat.

Arctic security talks begin as the US, Denmark and Greenland form a working group to address access and strategic disputes.
Technical diplomatic talks between the United States, Denmark and Greenland have begun via a newly established working group to negotiate an Arctic security arrangement and address disputes over access to Greenland; the process is intended to be regular and conducted discreetly to preserve flexibility following prior political tensions, tariff threats, and subsequent US de escalation of military and economic measures.

Ajit Pawar's death prompts a full investigation into the crash, with calls for an independent, court-supervised probe and against politicisation.
The crash that killed Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others will be subject to a thorough inquiry covering the airline operator, technical agencies, the captain and related officials; calls include a demand for an independent probe under Supreme Court supervision, while other leaders counsel against politicisation and conspiracy allegations and stress procedural fact-finding to determine cause and potential accountability.

Immigration enforcement in Minneapolis continues amid leadership changes and active legal challenges over due process.
Federal immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis continued despite presidential conciliatory comments and a leadership reassignment; deployments by multiple federal agencies involved detainments, pepper-spray incidents, interactions near a consulate and reported interference with journalists. Activists monitored and followed enforcement activity while local-federal tensions persisted. Concurrent judicial review includes a lawsuit seeking to pause the crackdown and consideration of an order requiring the immigration agency head to address alleged failures to provide due process to certain immigrants.

India-Japan strategic partnership advances through MoU-backed green hydrogen cooperation, policy implementation and a commercial pilot project.
Discussions emphasized implementing the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Uttar Pradesh and Yamanashi to advance green hydrogen cooperation through policy-driven investor facilitation, centres of excellence for research and skills, and commencement of commercial operations of a green hydrogen pilot project in an industrial development zone, with institutional oversight enabling sustainable industrial development and capacity building.

India energy sector: PM Modi pitches the country as an energy hub; CEOs signal strong investment interest.
Prime Minister Modi held a roundtable with global and Indian energy CEOs during India Energy Week 2026 to promote India as an energy hub and gather industry feedback. CEOs cited policy stability, reform momentum, and long-term demand visibility as reasons to expand investment. The prime minister outlined major opportunities-around USD 100 billion in exploration and production and USD 30 billion in compressed bio gas-and urged innovation, collaboration, and deeper partnerships across the gas, refinery petrochemical, maritime, and wider energy value chain.

IndiGo operational disruptions prompted fines, schedule cuts and a Rs. 50 crore bank guarantee to enforce systemic corrective measures.
The airline's CEO accepted customer harm from a three day operational failure but defended the carrier's broader record. The aviation regulator imposed enforcement measures in response: Rs. 22.20 crore in fines, a 10% winter schedule curtailment, warnings to senior executives, and a required Rs. 50 crore bank guarantee to secure long term systemic corrective measures following thousands of cancellations and delays affecting over 300,000 passengers.

Venezuela: US operation removed the president; oil revenues to be held in a Treasury controlled account pending approved budgets.
The executive conducted a targeted operation to remove Venezuela's president, defended as addressing a U.S. national security threat, triggering congressional dispute over presidential authority and war powers limits. The administration will deposit proceeds from sanctioned Venezuelan oil sales into a U.S. Treasury controlled account and disburse funds only after approving monthly budgets submitted by interim Venezuelan authorities, creating U.S. fiscal oversight and conditionality concerns. Legislative measures and wrongful death litigation have been initiated in response to the campaign's conduct.

Haryana directs a pilot Smart Agriculture Zone and organic produce certification lab, with income protection and outreach measures.
The Chief Minister directed establishment of a laboratory for certification of natural farming produce and creation of a Smart Agriculture Zone of about 5,000 acres as a pilot to promote organic and natural farming, with state assurance of income compensation for any loss; complementary measures include micro irrigation, high quality seed development, and block level outreach through meetings, training and awareness programs.

SIR exercise facing political challenge as leader vows legal and parliamentary fight to prevent alleged NRC implementation.
The Chief Minister challenges the SIR exercise as an administrative process alleged to enable NRC-style exclusion, has preserved documentary evidence, and plans to pursue administrative meetings with electoral authorities and litigation if necessary, while mobilising parliamentary and public support to prevent perceived detention or exclusion measures.

Hamas interactions in Pakistan and Bangladesh raise transnational security concerns; India and Israel pursue counterterrorism and trade corridor cooperation.
Israeli envoy warns that Hamas interactions in Pakistan and Bangladesh create transnational security risks, linking the October 7 attack to a pattern of emboldened militant replication and sectarian violence exemplified by the Pahalgam attack. He urges dialogues and protective measures aimed at counterterrorism and the dismantlement of Hamas as a terrorist organisation, and describes ongoing India-Israel consultations on security and the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor to enhance trade through infrastructure and transport cooperation.

Farmers helpline provides single-call access to scheme, subsidy and digital registry information across Uttar Pradesh.
The Agriculture Department established a dedicated helpline providing single-point telephonic access (Monday-Friday, 10:00 am-6:00 pm) to information on schemes, subsidies, solar pumps, agricultural machinery, seeds, fertilisers, pesticides, inputs for crop production, and the digital agriculture survey and farmer registry to reduce in-person visits and improve access to departmental programs.

Tripura secures Rs 5,000 crore investment and expects Rs 9,000 crore more, offering subsidies and land support.
Tripura has grounded Rs 5,000 crore of investment from Rs 19,600 crore in proposals and expects Rs 9,000 crore more; the government reviews commitments monthly, has introduced transport and solar subsidies, and is acquiring additional industrial land at Bodhjungnagar to accommodate new units.

Baramati plane crash: AAIB probe underway; DGCA found no operator safety concerns, reforms possible after initial checks
The AAIB will conduct an in-depth investigation of the Baramati Learjet 45 accident while the DGCA's prior approvals and recent assessment of the operator show no immediate safety concerns; the minister noted the PIC's over 15,000 flying hours and indicated potential review of uncontrolled airfields and flying training organisations, with any reforms to follow AAIB and DGCA findings and a warning against reliance on rumours.

Rupee falls to record 91.99 amid month end dollar demand and geopolitical tensions; India EU FTA may shift market flows.
The rupee depreciated to a record 91.99 against the US dollar due to month end dollar demand and geopolitical tensions, opening firmer on a softer dollar index but closing 31 paise down amid intra day volatility; market drivers included crude oil prices and foreign institutional investor flows. Separately, India and the EU concluded a negotiated free trade agreement granting duty free or concessional market access to specified sectors, a policy shift expected to affect capital flows and sectoral competitiveness.