New Delhi/Thiruvanthapuram, May 3 (IANS) Kerala has once again demonstrated its reputation as one of India’s most politically dynamic states, concluding the Assembly elections with a voter turnout of 79.7 per cent. The participation of women voters, who outnumbered men at 80.86 per cent, reflects a deeply engaged electorate that has carefully weighed the performance of the incumbent Left Democratic Front (LDF) against the promises of the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF).However, in the…
Latest Middle East News & Updates
Seoul, May 3 (IANS) Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol on Sunday called for strengthening regional cooperation in responding to growing external economic uncertainty from the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, the finance ministry said.Koo made the call during the 29th meeting of ASEAN+3 finance ministers and central bank governors held Sunday in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, according to the ministry, reports Yonhap news agency.ASEAN+3 involves member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEA…
Seoul, May 3 (IANS) Some 3 trillion won (around $2 billion) worth of loans extended by South Korea’s four major financial groups have been classified as “estimated loss” in the first quarter, financial sector data showed on Sunday.A total of 2.9 trillion won of loans held by these groups were deemed largely unrecoverable as of the end of March, up 5.8 percent from the same period a year earlier, according to a fact book released by the four major lenders.The four financiers are KB Financial Grou…
New Delhi, May 2 (IANS) Pakistan’s foreign exchange buffers could fall sharply to $6.8 billion by the end of 2026 and approach $1.6 billion by FY28, if the country’s current macro policies continue to collapse, a new report has said.The report from South China Morning Post said that assumed oil would average $113 a barrel in Q2 2026 before easing to $79 by year‑end, Pakistan reserves would deteriorate sharply if imports and remittances remain unchanged.The report cited analysts as saying tha…
Washington, May 2 (IANS) The Arabian Sea, the Strait of Hormuz, and the Red Sea form a connected maritime network that sustains critical global flows, where disruption in one part can trigger cascading effects across the entire system. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz disrupts global energy markets, instability in the Red Sea complicates the re-routing of shipping routes and intensifies pressure on alternative corridors, while maritime infiltration exposes vulnerabilities in coastal urban hub…
Riyadh, May 2 (IANS) The USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier has left the Middle East after taking part in operations against Iran, local media reported, citing a US official. The move leaves two US aircraft carriers in the region — the USS Abraham Lincoln and USS George H.W. Bush.The Ford had been at sea for more than 10 months, breaking the post-Vietnam War record for a US aircraft carrier deployment.On March 12, two sailors aboard the carrier were injured when a fire broke out in the main la…
Washington, May 2 (IANS) President Donald Trump said that US military action against Iran was carried out despite expectations of a sharp economic shock, arguing that preventing Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons outweighed risks to markets and oil prices.Speaking at an event with seniors in Florida, Trump said he had warned advisers that the move could rattle the economy. “I thought the stock market would go down by 25 per cent. I thought that oil prices would be at much higher than they a…
Washington, May 2 (IANS) Iran and its allies have damaged at least 16 US military sites across eight Middle Eastern countries during the US-Israeli war with Iran starting on February 28, rendering some of those positions virtually unusable, a CNN investigation has found.The damaged facilities constitute the majority of US military sites in the region, according to the CNN report, citing a congressional aide familiar with the damage assessments.”There has been a spectrum of assessments,” a source…
Seoul, May 1 (IANS) South Korea’s exports exceeded $80 billion for the second consecutive month in April, jumping nearly 50 per cent from a year earlier on the back of robust shipments of semiconductors, government data showed on Friday.Outbound shipments totalled $85.89 billion last month, up 48 percent on-year, according to the data compiled by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources, reports Yonhap news agency.The April tally marks the second-highest monthly export figure for the countr…
Washington, May 1 (IANS) US President Donald Trump said Iran had been significantly weakened and was eager to negotiate, even as tensions remain high over its nuclear programme.“Iran is dying to make a deal,” Trump said, while reiterating that Tehran “cannot be nuclear.”He claimed US military action had sharply degraded Iran’s capabilities. “Their Navy is gone. Their Air Force is gone… their drone factories are about 82 percent down,” he said.Trump added that missile production h…