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Trump said talks with Iran were underway but warned that the US would step up strikes if no agreement is reached
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The war could result in huge geoeconomic shifts. The big immediate winner is Russia, benefitting from higher oil prices and the removal of sanctions
Benchmarks surrender part of gains, end 1.6% higher; crude oil slips below $100 per barrel
Trump claimed that an Iranian leader had sought a ceasefire. He added that the United States would consider it only when the Strait of Hormuz was open, free, and clear
German growth forecasts for 2026 and 2027 were cut by experts on Wednesday as governments across Europe implement measures aimed at reducing the price impact of the Iran war. A group of five economic institutes predict German gross domestic product will expand by 0.6 per cent this year - less than half the 1.3 per cent they forecast in September - and by 0.9 per cent in 2027, down from 1.4 per cent. The economic outlook was below the government's own forecast, issued two months ago, of 1 per cent and 1.3 per cent growth, respectively. The Iran war has created an unwelcome new obstacle to growth across Europe. The annual inflation rate in the 21-nation euro area sped up to 2.5 per cent in March from 1.9 per cent the previous month. It was powered by a 4.9 per cent increase in energy prices as the war and the blocking of the Strait of Hormuz sent fuel costs higher. "This energy price shock is hitting a German economy in which a recovery set in last year after a several-year downturn,"
US President Donald Trump called Nato a 'paper tiger' and said US withdrawal is 'beyond reconsideration' after the bloc members refused to participate in the Iran war
A week earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had chaired a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security to review the situation
Should the US decide to send in military forces to secure Iran's uranium stockpile, it would be a complex, risky and lengthy operation, fraught with radiation and chemical dangers, according to experts and former government officials. US President Donald Trump has offered shifting reasons for the war in Iran but has consistently said a primary objective is ensuring the country will "never have a nuclear weapon". Less clear is how far he is willing to go to seize Iran's nuclear material. Given the risks of inserting as many as 1,000 specially trained forces into a war zone to remove the stockpile, another option would be a negotiated settlement with Iran that would allow the material to be surrendered and secured without using force. Iran has 440.9 kilograms (972 pounds) of uranium that is enriched up to 60 per cent purity, a short, technical step from weapons-grade levels of 90 per cent, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN's nuclear watchdog agency. That ...
Iran hit a tanker off the coast of Qatar and Kuwait International Airport early Wednesday as Tehran remained unrelenting in its attacks on its Gulf Arab neighbours, while acknowledging for the first time that Washington had been in direct contact about a possible ceasefire. Israel sounded warnings of incoming fire from both Yemen and Iran, while launching its own attacks in Lebanon that killed at least five people. An airstrike on Tehran appeared to have hit the former US Embassy compound, which has been controlled by Iran's Revolutionary Guard since the 1979 hostage crisis. Witnesses said buildings outside the massive compound had their windows blown out and that it appears the strike happened inside the walled facility. With no sign of the war abating and more than 3,000 lives already lost, US President Donald Trump suggested it could be over within two weeks even as he moved to bring thousands more troops to the region. No signs of Iran relinquishing grip on Strait of Hormuz ...
Jet fuel prices, the single largest cost component for airlines, have surged sharply since February and are now forcing airlines globally to raise fares and activate emergency cost controls
Prices of commercial LPG were hiked by Rs 195.50 on Wednesday, on back of surge in global oil prices linked to the widening West Asia conflict. A 19-kg commercial LPG now costs Rs 2,078.50 in Delhi, according to state-owned oil companies. Rates were last increased by Rs 114.5 per 19-kg cylinder on March 1. Domestic cooking gas LPG rates, which were last hiked by Rs 60 per 14.2-kg cylinder on March 7, remain unchanged. It costs Rs 913 per 14.2-kg cylinder in Delhi. State-owned Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum, and Hindustan Petroleum revise ATF and LPG prices on the first day of every month based on international benchmarks and the exchange rate. Global oil prices have shot up almost 50 per cent after the war in West Asia disrupted energy supply chains. Petrol and diesel prices continue to remain frozen after a Rs 2 per-litre reduction in March last year; petrol currently costs Rs 94.72 per litre in Delhi and diesel Rs 87.62.
The government has extended fiscal benefits under the RoDTEP scheme for exporters by six months, until September 30, amid disruptions to global trade caused by the ongoing West Asia crisis. The Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP) Scheme, launched in 2021, provides for a refund of taxes, duties and levies that are incurred by exporters in the process of manufacturing and distribution of goods, and not being reimbursed under any other mechanism at the Centre, state or local level. Refunds under the scheme range from 0.3 per cent to 3.9 per cent. The scheme was valid till March 31, this year. "Eligible exports made during the period from April 1 to Sep 30, 2026 shall continue to be entitled to RoDTEP benefit at the rates and value caps in force as on March 31, subject to the existing terms and conditions of the scheme," the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has said in a notification. The budget allocation under the scheme for 2025-26 was Rs 18,232 ..
Indian Oil has hiked XP100 petrol price from ₹149 to ₹160 per litre and Xtra Green diesel from ₹91.49 to ₹92.99 per litre in Delhi
IDF said more than 4,000 targets and more than 10,000 terror components were attacked
The escalating West Asia conflict is beginning to exert cost pressure on India's real estate sector, with material prices rising and industry leaders warning of a potential 5 per cent spike in construction costs if hostilities persist through April. Construction schedules are also likely to be affected because of shortage of materials and resources if the conflict prolongs. Harshavardhan Neotia, Chairman of Ambuja Neotia Group, said the crisis is triggering a "classic cost-push cycle" for real estate, with crude oil moving from sub-USD70 levels in February to well above USD 110120 per barrel in March and natural gas witnessing sharp spikes. "Early pressure is already visible across steel, logistics, and petrochemical-linked materials. If this persists, construction costs could rise meaningfully over the next 12 quarters, which may have a bearing on pricing going forward," Neotia said. Sushil Mohta, President of CREDAI West Bengal and Chairman of Merlin Group, struck a more immediat
Energy shock fuels inflation fears as markets push back rate-cut expectations
President Donald Trump said the West Asia conflict could end in two to three weeks, while Iran signalled it is open to ending hostilities if it receives firm guarantees against future strikes
Iranian Foreign Minister criticises US stance, says trust deficit blocks talks
President Trump and his aides have made contradictory statements on whether the United States and Israel have transformed the Iranian government through violence