War Conflict

The death toll in Lebanon from Israeli strikes in the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah has risen to 2,020, the Lebanese health ministry said Saturday. The death toll from nearly six weeks of war includes 248 women,165 children and 85 health workers, the ministry said. Another 6,436 people have been wounded. Nearly 100 people were killed in the past 24 hours. The Iran-backed Lebanese militant group fired missiles into Israel on March 2 in retaliation for the US-Israeli attacks on Iran. A tentative truce is now in place in Iran, but the US and Israel say the agreement does not apply to Lebanon, while Tehran says it does. The question is likely to be one of the thornier points in the US-Iran ceasefire negotiations now underway in Pakistan.

Iran has asserted control over the strait through which roughly a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas typically flows, effectively halting most commercial traffic

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday began his official visit to the UAE by interacting with the members of the Indian Community. Jaishankar, who is on a two-day visit to the UAE, is expected to focus on exchanging views on the West Asia conflict. "Started my visit to the UAE interacting with the members of the Indian Community. Spoke about GOI's efforts towards their well - being and security amidst the West Asia conflict," Jaishankar posted on X. "Appreciated their contributions to the local society during these difficult times. As well as the support of the Government of the UAE in ensuring the welfare of the Indian community," the post read. The external affairs minister arrived in the UAE on Saturday after concluding his visit to Mauritius, where he attended the 9th Indian Ocean Conference. The West Asia war and Iran's chokehold of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway through which a fifth of global oil passes, had halted shipping and sent global oil prices

There was no immediate statement from the United States about any unfreezing of assets. Qatar's Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment

The truly unsettling element in the scenario has been the fall in the exchange rate of the rupee. The fall predates the Iran conflict

Details of the 10-point US-Iran negotiating text remain unclear, but hardline demands from both sides on reopening the Strait of Hormuz suggest common ground may be difficult

LPG allocation raised to 70 per cent for key industrial sectors, with cap of 0.2 thousand tonnes per day per sector and conditions for eligibility

Further adding to uncertainty, sporadic fighting continued throughout the region and the Strait of Hormuz remained largely blocked

Shipping is the biggest obstacle for India in source fuels

Unseasonal rains and West Asia conflict may hit demand and costs, but Blue Star expects 20 per cent growth backed by strong long-term AC market expansion

Rupee, bonds gain ahead of central bank's policy review outcome on Wednesday

West Asia conflict may disrupt Budget 2026-27 projections, squeezing revenues and raising subsidies, prompting fiscal adjustments and potential reforms, echoing lessons from the Covid-era shock

India imports more than 90 per cent of its oil needs and roughly half its gas requirements

It has been argued that India must push up the domestic production of fossil fuels, including oil and gas, along with diversifying sources of imports

NBFCs see early warning signs in MSME portfolios as supply disruptions and rising input costs linked to the West Asia conflict strain cash flows and push up early-stage delinquencies

FM Nirmala Sitharaman says current year even 'more challenging' but India has enough fiscal space

US and Iran are exploring a 45-day ceasefire through back-channel diplomacy to prevent further escalation in West Asia, stabilise oil markets and ease pressure on global shipping routes

The US military pressed ahead Saturday in a frantic search for a missing pilot over a remote area in southwestern Iran, a day after the Islamic Republic shot down a US warplane and promised a reward for whoever turns in the pilot. The plane, identified by Iran as a F-15E Strike Eagle, was one of two attacked Friday, with one service member rescued and at least one missing. It was the first time the United States lost aircraft in Iranian territory during the war, now in its sixth week, and could add to pressure on the Trump administration to end the fighting. The war, which began with joint US-Israel strikes on Feb 28, has killed thousands, shaken global markets, cut off key shipping routes and spiked fuel prices. It shows no signs of slowing as Iran responds to ongoing airstrikes with attacks across the region. The downing of the American planes came two days after US President Donald Trump said in a national address that the United States has "beaten and completely decimated Iran."

The incidents show the risks still facing US and Israeli aircraft over Iran, despite assertions by Donald Trump and his Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that US forces had total control of the skies

If the West Asia conflict continues, India's exports to other parts of the world will also be impacted, Central Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said on Saturday. Indian exports during the last financial year were expected to remain on a positive trajectory despite the crisis, he added. Addressing a press conference on the sidelines of 'Chintan Shivir - Scaling Up Pharma Exports', Agrawal said that because of the West Asia crisis, there was definitely an impact last month on both imports and exports, as energy is a major part of the Indian import market. "West Asia is also an important market. Around 12-13 per cent of our exports go to the region. So, that will directly get impacted. And if it goes on for long, maybe our exports to other parts of the world will also get impacted as some of the value chains will rotate back. We are cognizant of it," the official told reporters. Replying to a query, he said the exact impact of the West Asia crisis on Indian exports will be known in