The Communist Party of India (Marxist) will contest 86 of the 140 seats in the upcoming Kerala Assembly election. The party has decided to give tickets again to 56 sitting MLAs. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will contest from the Dharmadom constituency in Kannur district. Former health minister K. K. Shailaja will contest from the Peravoor seat in Kannur district. She had earlier won from Mattannur with a record margin in the previous election. Peravoor is currently represented by Sunny Joseph. He is also the president of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC). The CPM announcement sets the stage for key contests in Kannur district ahead of the state election. (PC: India Today)

The Election Commission has announced that the West Bengal Assembly election will be held in two phases on April 23 and April 29. Votes will be counted on May 4. In the 2021 election, the state voted in eight phases over more than a month. This time, polling will be shorter while other states — Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry — will vote in a single phase. The 294-seat Assembly will see a contest between the ruling Trinamool Congress and the BJP. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is seeking a fourth term. The BJP is aiming to expand its presence after winning 77 seats in the 2021 polls. (PC: NDTV)

The Election Commission on Sunday announced the schedule for assembly elections in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and the Union Territory of Puducherry.   Assam, Kerala and Puducherry will vote in a single phase on April 9. Tamil Nadu will hold polling on April 23. West Bengal will vote in two phases on April 23 and April 29.   The commission said counting of votes for all states and the Union Territory will take place on May 4.   Nomination filing for Assam, Kerala and Puducherry will begin with a gazette notification on March 16. For Tamil Nadu and West Bengal Phase-1, the notification will be issued on March 30.

The Indian Embassy in the UAE has issued a travel advisory as airlines revise and reduce flight schedules after instructions from the UAE Civil Aviation Authorities. The embassy said limited flights will operate between airports in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah, Sharjah and Fujairah and several destinations in India. It asked travellers to check details directly with their airlines before planning journeys. The advisory comes amid disruptions in aviation activity across the UAE due to the regional security situation. Airlines have already scaled back operations and some flights remain suspended. Authorities and airlines are adjusting schedules as conditions evolve and airspace restrictions continue. (PC: HT)

Indian Railways is preparing to launch a new ticket reservation system that will replace its 40-year-old Passenger Reservation System.   Officials say the upgraded platform will be faster and more secure. It will handle up to 125,000 ticket bookings per minute, compared with about 25,000 now.   The system is being developed by the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS). A senior official said the project is in the testing stage. “It is in an advanced stage… We are currently testing it,” the official said. The rollout is expected between April and June.   The new system will also aim to reduce booking failures and bot activity. Indian Railways carries about 23 million passengers daily. (PC: India Today)

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran would welcome any initiative that leads to a “complete end to the war”. “Tehran welcomes any initiative that leads to a complete end to the war,” Araghchi said, according to Iranian state media. His remarks came as the conflict in West Asia entered its third week. Iran has also warned it could intensify its response against the United States and Israel. Earlier, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards threatened Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The group said it would “pursue and kill him with full force”. Tensions have risen across the Gulf region. Several countries reported missile and drone interceptions. Iran has also accused the United States of launching attacks from the United Arab Emirates. (PC: News18)

Israel has launched “wide-scale” strikes on targets in western Iran, the Israeli military said.   The attacks came as Iran and Israel exchanged strikes overnight. Several Gulf states also reported missile and drone interceptions.   US President Donald Trump said Iran wants to make a deal to end the war. However, he said Washington is not ready to accept it. “They want to make a deal, but the terms are not good enough,” Trump told NBC.   Trump also claimed US forces had “totally demolished” Iran’s Kharg Island, a key oil export hub. He added the US “may hit it a few more times just for fun”.   The UK said it is discussing options to help secure the Strait of Hormuz. (PC: BBC)

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has vowed to “pursue and kill” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The group described him as a “child-killing criminal”. In a statement reported by Iranian state media, the Guards said, “If this child-killing criminal is alive, we will continue to pursue and kill him with full force.” The warning came after rumours on social media claimed Netanyahu had been assassinated. His office quickly rejected the claims and said the Israeli prime minister was “fine”. Speculation started after a video on Netanyahu’s X account appeared unusual to some users. X’s chatbot Grok later said the video was not manipulated and the claims were false. (PC: HT)

Software demonstrations by US defence contractor Palantir suggest the US military could use AI chatbots to help plan battlefield operations. The system uses Palantir’s Artificial Intelligence Platform to connect large language models, including Anthropic’s Claude, with defence data systems. In one demo, the AI flagged unusual enemy activity from radar and satellite images. When an analyst asked what unit might be present, the chatbot suggested it could be an armoured battalion based on equipment patterns. The analyst could then ask the system to create possible “courses of action”, such as an airstrike or artillery strike. Commanders would review the options before approval. Anthropic earlier said its Claude models should not be used for mass surveillance or fully autonomous weapons. (PC: NDTV)

A second key sea route could face disruption as Yemen’s Houthi group warned it may join the Iran war. The group said its “fingers are on the trigger” and it is ready to respond if the conflict widens.   Experts say the Houthis could target the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The narrow route connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and is vital for ships travelling between Asia and Europe through the Suez Canal.   The threat comes as the Strait of Hormuz remains disrupted during the war.   Analysts say if both routes are affected, global trade and oil shipments could face major delays and rising costs. (PC: India Today)