Morning digest: Security forces close in on three militants who escaped from Kathua encounter site; Iran complains to U.N. about Trump’s remarks, and more

The Hindu Morning Digest gives a select list of stories to start the day. Read the top news today on April 1, 2025

Security forces on Monday night encircled three militants, suspected to have escaped from an encounter site in Kathua’s Suffian village in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday. They were trapped in Panjtirthi area of Jathana on a tip-off. Officials said the hiding militants opened fire on a search party and an intense encounter ensued. Additional forces have been rushed to the area. “The operation to neutralise the militants is continuing,” an official said.

Iran complained to the United Nations Security Council on Monday (March 31, 2025) about "reckless and belligerent" remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump, describing them as "a flagrant violation of international law" and the founding United Nations Charter.

The voluntary return of undocumented Bangladeshis is showing an increase after the government in December 2024 began a crackdown against foreigners staying illegally in India, following political changes in the neighbouring country, a source in the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said.

The State Government is resorting to large-scale oppression of the student community of University of Hyderabad (UoH) who have been fighting to protect the university’s land, working president of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) K.T. Rama Rao alleged after a group of UoH students met him on the issue here on Monday (March 31, 2025).

A ban on liquor in 19 religious cities and areas under select gram panchayats in Madhya Pradesh, including Ujjain, Omkareshwar, Maheshwar and Maihar, will come into effect from April 1, a government official said on Monday (March 31, 2025).

China’s military on Tuesday said it had sent its army, navy, air and rocket force to surround Taiwan, in drills it said were aimed at practising a blockade of the self-ruled island. Beijing’s military said the exercises were aimed at sending a “stern warning and forceful deterrence” to alleged separatists in Taiwan.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has “ruled out” the possibility of an El Nino in the coming southwest monsoon season this year. An El Nino, characterised by a warming of the central equatorial Pacific Ocean, is frequently associated with reduced monsoon rainfall in India.