West Asia

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said steps taken in the last decade helped the country to sail through the crisis emerged during the war in the Middle East. He was inaugurating various welfare projects worth over Rs 15,600 crore here, including renewable energy and petroleum infrastructure. "War around Iran and Gulf countries shows how important energy security is. Steps taken for energy security in the last decade helped the country face the crisis with resilience," the PM said. Regarding the Metro Pink Line, which was dedicated to the public, Modi said it gives better connectivity to people in Bengaluru. He also noted that the Metro rail network increased from 17 km in 2014 to over 100 km in 2026 in Bengaluru. On the occasion, Modi lauded Karnataka Governor Sudha Yadav for serving the nation as the widow of a Kargil war hero.

Rising Middle East supplies and subdued demand are expected to push global oil production 1.7 million barrels per day above consumption in the fourth quarter

Revenue and expenditure pressures are expected to widen the fiscal deficit, although the impact on market borrowings may be limited

The automotive aftermarket chain will partner with UAE-based Crescent Enterprises for its West Asia entry and expects revenue to cross ₹2,000 crore in the current financial year

Brent crude fell 16 per cent from its October 30 peak amid hopes of easing US-Iran tensions, potentially reducing India's import costs and losses at state-run oil firms

The upcoming Samvat will remain as challenging for the markets as Samvat 2082 unless crude prices cool off and bond yields ease, analysts caution.

RBI's net short dollar forward position rose from $200.06 billion in August to $239.2 billion in September, driven by FCNR(B) swaps, as forward premiums climbed sharply in October

The partnership aims to co-develop and localise indigenous defence systems in Oman, including unmanned aerial platforms, counter-drone technologies and micro-missile systems

Fresh Houthi attacks raise security concerns around Saudi Arabia's oil infrastructure as Egypt authorises steps to support Riyadh

New refining capacity will boost diesel supplies from India, helping ease global shortages as geopolitical conflicts disrupt fuel flows

At the Business Standard BFSI Insight Summit 2026, RBI Deputy Governor Poonam Gupta said India's dependence on imported oil remains a challenge, despite the economy's resilience to global shocks

Gold and silver are expected to face fresh headwinds next week as surging crude oil prices revive inflation concerns, while the US Federal Reserve's policy decision could determine whether bullion rates stabilise or extend their downward trend, analysts said. The precious metals, already battered by elevated bond yields and a stronger dollar, will look to the Federal Reserve's October 27-28 meeting and its chair's commentary for signals on whether interest rates could stay higher for longer. The focus will also be on policy decisions from the European Central Bank and the Bank of Japan, along with US durable goods orders, consumer confidence, Personal Consumption Expenditures inflation and third-quarter GDP data. Eurozone inflation readings, developments around the US mid-term elections, Russia-Ukraine peace talks and the West Asia conflict will also remain on the radar, they added. "The near-term outlook remains cautious, with gold likely to remain under pressure until there is ..

Crude oil prices are heading into another volatile week, with escalating geopolitical tensions in West Asia keeping supply fears alive and the US Federal Reserve's monetary policy decision expected to dictate market direction, analysts said. With Brent crude already crossing USD 117 per barrel, investors will track developments around the Strait of Hormuz, threats to energy infrastructure, and weekly US inventory data for cues on the next move. The American Petroleum Institute and the US Energy Information Administration will release their weekly stock estimates, while Cushing crude inventories and the Federal Open Market Committee's October 27-28 meeting will be in focus, they added. "The near-term bias remains bullish but highly headline-driven; traders should avoid chasing sharp rallies and monitor geopolitical developments, Fed guidance and weekly inventory data for directional confirmation," said Ajit Mishra, SVP - Research at Religare Broking. Any disruption to energy ...

Israelis held a final large rally against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of what has been described as the most consequential election in the country's history. Meanwhile, the death toll rose from Friday's attack on a church in Jordan. And an Iranian military commander said his country will not allow US warships to enter the Persian Gulf as concerns grow of a return to all-out war. Here is the latest news from the Middle East on Saturday. Read our full coverage here. Thousands rally in Tel Aviv days ahead of Israel's election ---------------------------------------------------------------- A large crowd gathered in a final protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government ahead of Tuesday's close election. The crowd heard calls for a commission of inquiry into the security failures that led to the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, 2023, that sparked the war in Gaza. Netanyahu has refused such an inquiry. Netanyahu's chief rival, Gadi Eisenkot, attended the

The MEA said around 3,000 stranded Umrah pilgrims have returned from Saudi Arabia, while Indian missions are coordinating with airlines to bring back others.

Mahindra Holidays plans to add 1,000 resort keys over the next six months, with 70 per cent of capital earmarked for new resorts, despite higher costs and project delays.

An Indian national was killed and two others were injured in an attack on Dammam airport in Saudi Arabia, officials said on Thursday, a day after another compatriot was injured in a drone attack targeting the kingdom's Shaybah oilfield, amid a spate of strikes by Yemen's Houthi rebels on key infrastructure in the country. The Indian Embassy in Riyadh said Saudi authorities have informed it about the casualties in the attack on Wednesday night. "One Indian national was among two people who unfortunately lost their lives in the attack on Dammam airport yesterday night and two Indian nationals were injured," the embassy said in a social media post. The mission said it is ascertaining further details and contacting the affected families. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and loved ones of the deceased and we wish speedy recovery of the injured," it said. The attack comes amid escalating drone and missile strikes targeting Saudi Arabia's airports, energy installations and o

Indian refiners are increasing diesel exports as the West Asia conflict and restrictions by Russia and China tighten supplies, although higher crude import costs and export duties could limit gains

The International Energy Agency agreed to release over 20 million barrels of diesel to the market and any oil remaining from a record release of emergency reserves pledged in March to boost supply

In a report, Anthropic detailed how Yemen-based Houthis used Claude Code to work on three weapons development programmes.