18032026-TTB-01.qxd 3/18/2026 12:17 AM Page 1 c m y b GIPPY GETS THREAT CALL FROM GOLDY BRAR NATION /thetribunechd 13 MAMATA TO CONTEST FROM BHABANIPUR BACK PAGE CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 146 NO. 75 | 14 PAGES | ~5.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2024-2026 ESTABLISHED IN 1881 HARYANA wednesday | 18 march 2026 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com SHANDAAR 4 SAAL, BHAGWANT MANN DE NAAL Mojtaba rubbishes truce talk as Israel kills 2 top Iranian officials Security chief Larijani among dead|Didn’t expect strikes on Gulf allies:Trump BJPCong win one seat each in , Hry RS poll amid cross-voting Rebels to face music: Cong |Saffron party to ‘induct’ them abstain from voting and a result that went down to the wire. Former MP Sanjay Bhatia of the BJP and Dalit activist Karamvir Boudh of the Congress were declared winners through the preferential vote system after counting concluded past 1.30 am. Theyweredeclaredwinnersafter securing 28 votes each while Independent candidate Satish Nandal, backed by the BJP lost , by a narrow margin, getting 27 votes. He required 27.66 votes. This is likely to have a fallout continued on page 8 airstrike by Pakistan on a hospital in Kabul, saying the attack on a civilian medical facility marked a grave violation of international law and continued on page 8 New Delhi, March 17 Days after release following his six-month detention, activist Sonam Wangchuk on Monday indicated that he was open to a conciliatory approach vis-a-vis Geetanjali Gayatri Ajay Banerjee Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Chandigarh, March 17 In a closely watched contest for two Rajya Sabha seats of Haryana, the ruling BJP and the main opposition — the Congress — won one seat each in the election that had all the trappings of a thriller — invalid votes, behindthe-scene manipulations, crossvoting, a party that decided to New Delhi, March 17 Iran’s new Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has rejected ceasefire or deescalation offers conveyed by intermediaries even as Israel on Tuesday claimed to have killed top Iranian security official Ali Larijani and Revolutionary Guard’s all-volunteer Basij militia head Gen Gholam Reza Soleimani. Larijani was the secretary of Iran’s top decision-making body Supreme National Security Council and was widely believed to be running the nation as it reeled from the killing of its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on continued on page 8 Karamvir Boudh, Cong Sanjay Bhatia, BJP DIPR, Punjab Free treatment worth ₹10 lakh for every family in Punjab Board chiefs in HP lose Cabinet rank SHIMLA: CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has withdrawn Cabinet rank from political appointees, including chairmen of boards and corporations, while ordering a 20 per cent cut in their pay with immediate effect. INSIDE Take down posts on Puri’s daughter: HC NEW DELHI: The Delhi HC has ordered the removal of social media content linking Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri’s daughter to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein within 24 hours. INSIDE ALI LARIJANI, IRAN’S SECURITY CHIEF Indian-flagged LPG carrier ‘Nanda Devi’ arrives at Vadinar, Gujarat. PTI MODI DIALS UAE PREZ FM claimssteadyLPG flow as oil ministry flags concern India denounces Pak over Ready for give and take on Use gas rationally, shift to Af hospital strike; toll 400 Ladakh, says Wangchuk induction, PNG: Govt PM Modi spoke to UAE President Zayed Al Nahyan on Tuesday and condemned attacks on the country. The two agreed to work towards ensuring safe and free navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. KEY US OFFICIAL QUITS In a setback for Trump, US’ National Counterterrorism Centre director Joe Kent has quit, saying he “can’t in good conscience” back the war in Iran. He asserted Tehran “posed no threat to our nation”. INSIDE Ujwal Jalali Tribune News Service New Delhi, March 17 As the second Indian tanker, Nanda Devi, carrying 45,000 MT LPG arrived in Gujarat via the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman allayed Ujwal Jalali concerns around cooking gas shortage, saying “supplies were being maintained”. The Petroleum Ministry, however, continued on page 8 c m y b Tribune News Service New Delhi, March 17 India on Tuesday strongly condemned what it described as a “cowardly and unconscionable” the government over the demand seeking autonomy for Ladakh. Wangchuk’s release came after the Centre revoked the NSA order, under whose continued on page 8
The Tribune, now published from Chandigarh, started publication on February 2, 1881, in Lahore (now in Pakistan). It was started by Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia, a public-spirited philanthropist, and is run by a trust comprising four eminent persons as trustees.
The Tribune, the largest selling daily in North India, publishes news and views without any bias or prejudice of any kind. Restraint and moderation, rather than agitational language and partisanship, are the hallmarks of the paper. It is an independent newspaper in the real sense of the term.
The English edition apart, the 133-year-old Tribune has two sister publications, Punjabi Tribune (in Punjabi) and Dainik Tribune (in Hindi).
