Morning Digest: Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his father as Iran’s supreme leader; India bulldoze New Zealand to lift T20 WC trophy, and more

Morning Digest the Hindu March 9, 2026

Iran’s ‌Assembly of Experts has named ​Mojtaba Khamenei ⁠to replace his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, ‌as the country’s new supreme ‌leader, state ‌media reported ⁠on Sunday (March 8, 2026). Mr. Mojtaba, a ⁠mid-ranking cleric with close ties to the powerful ​Revolutionary ‌Guards, had long been viewed by elements of Iran’s ruling ‌establishment as a ​potential successor to his father, who ⁠was killed after the United ‌States and Israel launched strikes on Iran.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will make a statement in the Lok Sabha on Monday (March 9, 2026), after days of criticism from Opposition parties and several former Indian diplomats over the government’s “silence” on the conflict in West Asia. A notice for the statement, regarding “The Situation in West Asia”, was added to the list of business for the lower house of Parliament on Sunday evening (March 8).

Among the list of milestone dates in India’s limited-overs cricketing history, add March 8, 2026. At a packed Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, the defending champion dished out a commanding performance to claim the ICC T20 World Cup after defeating New Zealand by 96 runs. Sanju Samson was named Player of 2026 T20 World Cup, while Jasprit Bumrah was announced the Player of the match for the final.

As controversy rages over proper protocol not being followed during President Droupadi Murmu’s visit to Darjeeling on Saturday (March 7, 2026), district officials emphasise that they had warned their superiors that arrangements at the International Santhal Conference were inadequate.

The second part of the Budget Session of Parliament is set to resume from Monday (March 9, 2026) and is expected to be stormy, with the first item on the agenda being the debate over the Motion of Removal admitted against Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. The resolution has been listed against Congress MPs Mohammad Jawed, K. Suresh and Mallu Ravi and has been signed by 118 Opposition members. Speaker Birla will not be presiding over the proceedings

An Indian national is among two killed after a projectile fell on a residential location in Saudi Arabia on Sunday (March 8, 2026), officials said. A Civil Defence spokesman said the projectile struck a residential compound belonging to a maintenance and cleaning company in Al-Kharj. Authorities have not yet released the identity of the victims