Thiruvananthapuram, April 22 (IANS) Flagging a deepening travel crisis in West Asia and its growing impact on Indian expatriates, senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala has written to Union Civil Aviation Minister K. Ram Mohan Naidu on Wednesday, urging immediate intervention to ease the hardships faced by Indian expatriates, particularly Keralites, who are stranded or are struggling to travel amid widespread and continuing flight disruptions.In his detailed communication, Chennithala pointed…
Latest West Asia News & Updates
New Delhi, April 22 (IANS) In its attempt at being relevant while seeking economic support, Pakistan looks intent on playing a complicated game of diplomatic checkers where its apparent “peace mediation” efforts appear to contradict its own stand. The diplomatic push is a pivot for Pakistan, which has spent more time as a combatant over the past year in its own conflicts than as a peace broker, pointed out a report in The New York Times. Islamabad has a chequered history in Afghan involvemen…
Washington, April 22 (IANS) Former US National Security Advisor (NSA) H.R. McMaster has underscored the urgency of strengthening US-India energy cooperation, saying that current global tensions highlight India’s need for long-term energy security. McMaster, who served as the national security advisor to President Donald Trump in his first term, said the energy crisis in the aftermath of the Iran war situation mirrors earlier disruptions during the Ukraine war.“This is very similar to the ene…
New Delhi, April 22 (IANS) India’s seafood exports surged to a record Rs 72,325.82 crore ($8.28 billion) in FY26, with volumes reaching 19.32 lakh metric tonnes, according to provisional data released by the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA).Frozen shrimp remained the primary growth driver, contributing Rs 47,973.13 crore ($5.51 billion), accounting for over two-thirds of total export earnings. Shipments of shrimp grew 4.6 per cent in volume and 6.35 per cent in value, reinf…
Islamabad, April 21 (IANS) A future agreement between the US and Iran will fail, not because diplomacy is inherently flawed, but due to structural contradictions embedded in the geopolitical architecture surrounding it, especially the continued reliance on Pakistan as a strategic intermediary, a report has stated. “The recent suggestion that Pakistan could host or mediate US–Iran negotiations is not merely surprising; it is strategically concerning. It reflects a persistent tendency in US fore…
New Delhi, April 21 (IANS) The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Tuesday that India continues to follow developments in the West Asia region and remains in touch with countries of the region. Addressing an inter-ministerial media briefing on recent developments in West Asia on Tuesday, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that India is in touch with the Iranian authorities on the issue of safety of Indian nationals in Iran and to ensure safe passage of Indian ships through the Strait o…
New Delhi, April 21 (IANS) Pakistan has entered more than 20 programmes with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) over 65 years since 1958, and yet continues to remain trapped in a recurring cycle of economic crises, bailouts and temporary stabilisation without achieving durable structural reform, a report has lamented.According to a report in The News International, latest concerns were reflected in the IMF’s End-of-Mission Statement of March 2026, which once again highlighted familiar prior…
New Delhi, April 21 (IANS) Even after escalation in West Asia conflict and rise in Brent crude oil prices due to the closure of Strait of Hormuz, the fuel prices remain unchanged in India, while many countries have witnessed a jump of up to 85 per cent.Data by Kotak highlighted a sharp divergence between India and both advanced and emerging countries, where consumers have faced increases in fuel prices so far this year, reports NDTV Profit.On the diesel front, prices have witnessed a sharp rise …
New Delhi, April 21 (IANS) India’s two-wheeler sales touched record high in FY26, with domestic wholesale volumes surging to around 22 million units, a report said on Tuesday.The report from ICRA estimated that wholesale volumes grew by around 20 per cent in March 2026, while retail volumes jumped 28.7 per cent on a YoY basis, and two-wheeler domestic volumes grew by approximately 11 per cent for the full fiscal year.The ratings agency forecasted two-wheeler wholesale volume growth to moderate…
Mumbai, April 20 (IANS) Indian equity markets ended Tuesday’s session on a flat note, with benchmark indices giving up most of their intra-day gains amid rising geopolitical concerns in West Asia that dampened investor sentiment.The Nifty closed marginally higher by 11.30 points, or 0.05 per cent, at 24,364.85, while the Sensex inched up 27 points, or 0.03 per cent, to settle at 78,520.30.Commenting on Nifty technical outlook, experts said that going forward, the 24,400–24,500 zone remains a…