Middle East

Bengaluru hotels face shutdown from March 10 amid commercial LPG shortage

Hotel and restaurant operations in the city are likely to be affected starting March 10, following a sudden and total halt in the supply of commercial gas cylinders, the Bangalore Hotels Association said on Monday. This development comes amid rising energy costs and supply constraints caused by the West Asia conflict. "Since the gas supply has stopped, the hotels will be closed from tomorrow," the association said in a release. Noting that the supply of commercial gas cylinders stopped today, it said, since the hotel industry is an essential service, common people, students, and medical professionals, who rely on the hotels for daily meals, will be affected. "In addition, our hotel industry will also face difficulties until the gas supply returns to normal," it added. The association said oil companies had guaranteed an uninterrupted gas supply for 70 days, making the sudden stoppage a "big blow" to the hotel industry. "Therefore, we expect the concerned Union Ministers to take .

Hike in pump prices unlikely for now even as Brent tests $120 per barrel

Oil prices spike past $100 amid Iran war and supply cuts, raising fears of a sharply higher import bill, inflation and current account deficit for India

Oil remains potent geopolitical tool, decades after energy crisis

In the West Asia, Iran has leaned on one of its strategic advantages: its ability to disrupt the flow of oil and natural gas through the Persian Gulf and hurt economies around the world

IndiGo London-Mumbai flight diverted to Cairo; Delhi-Manchester returns

Another IndiGo flight operating from London Heathrow to Mumbai, diverted to Cairo on March 8 due to Flight Duty Time Limitations, and will resume its journey on March 10

West Asia conflict could boost palm oil demand from biodiesel sector

Indonesia, the world's largest user of palm oil-based biodiesel, said it may revive plans to roll out a B50 grade of palm oil biodiesel mid-year to counter surging crude oil prices

Lok Sabha fails to take up resolution seeking Speaker Om Birla's removal

The Lok Sabha on Monday could not take up a resolution seeking the removal of Speaker Om Birla amid repeated adjournments, as opposition members demanded a debate on the West Asia situation. The government and the Chair accused the opposition of holding the House proceedings "hostage" to its demands. The House was adjourned for the day shortly after it reassembled at 3 pm, following an earlier adjournment due to relentless protests by opposition members. As proceedings resumed, opposition MPs continued raising slogans. Jagadambika Pal, who was chairing the proceedings, urged them to maintain decorum and allow the House to take up the resolution against Birla. Pal reminded the opposition that the no-confidence resolution against the Speaker was already on the House agenda, and their adjournment notice seeking debate on the West Asia crisis could not be taken up. He accused the opposition of wasting taxpayers' money -- about Rs 9 crore per day -- by holding the House "hostage" to its

West Asia crisis: Centre working for smooth gas supply to fertiliser plants

Amid Middle East tensions, the Government of India assures fertiliser makers it is working to ease LNG shortages and safeguard urea output despite supply disruptions from Qatar

Why Trump's plan to secure tankers in Strait of Hormuz may face hurdles

Trump has floated deploying Navy escorts for tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, but analysts say geography, Iranian military threats and limited naval resources pose challenges

Iran war: How ships are avoiding being targeted in Strait of Hormuz

As attacks intensify around the Strait of Hormuz, several commercial ships are altering transponder signals to claim Chinese ownership or crew in an apparent attempt to avoid being targeted

Middle East conflict: 100 flights cancelled at Delhi, Mumbai airports

At least 100 international flights were cancelled at the Delhi and Mumbai airports on Saturday as the Middle East crisis continued to impact flight operations. As many as 35 departures and 36 arrivals were cancelled at the Mumbai airport while 22 departures and 17 arrivals were cancelled at the Delhi airport, according to officials. Delhi airport operator DIAL, in a post on X, said due to the current situation in the Middle East, some west-bound international flights may experience delays or schedule changes. The conflict involving the US, Israel, and Iran that started on February 28 has significantly impacted flight operations as some of the airspaces in the Middle East are closed. Many airlines are only operating a limited number of services.

Oil and gas prices rapidly rise as Iran war shows no signs of letting up

The price of oil surged higher and showed no signs of halting its rapid climb a week after the US and Israel launched major attacks on Iran that escalated into a war in the Middle East. The conflict, in which nearly every country in the Middle East has sustained damage from missiles or drone strikes, has left ships that carry roughly 20 million barrels of oil a day stranded in the Persian Gulf, unable to safely pass through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Gulf that is bordered on its north side by Iran. The disruption and damage to key oil and gas facilities in the Middle East has led to an interruption in the supply of oil and gas. Oil prices surpassed $90 a barrel Friday, with American crude settling at $90.90, up 36% from a week ago, and Brent, the international standard, climbing 27% over the course of the week to land at $92.69. The fallout is ratcheting up what consumers and business will pay for gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, with some drivers already feeling i

CBSE postpones Class 12 board exams in West Asia amid Iran-Israel war

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Saturday postponed the Class 12 board exams scheduled on March 9, 10 and 11 in the Middle East region amid the Iran-Israel conflict, officials said. "Due to the current situation in parts of the Middle East--Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE, the board has decided to postpone 12 exams on March 9, 10 and 11," said CBSE Examination Controller Sanyam Bhardwaj. The new dates will be announced later, and for further exams, the situation will be reviewed on March 10, Bhardwaj added. Previously, the board had postponed the exam scheduled on March 2, March 5 and March 7 in the region. The board has cancelled Class 10 exams till March 11 and said mode of declaration of results will be announced separately. The US and Israel launched military strikes on Iran on February 28, killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Following the military offensive, Iran has carried out a wave of attacks mainly targeting

West Asia conflict puts $11.8 bn of India's agri exports at risk: GTRI

India's agri and food products exports worth USD 11.8 billion to West Asia are at risk as the conflict in the region is disrupting shipping routes, raising insurance costs and creating uncertainty in logistics, think tank GTRI said on Saturday. In 2025, India exported about USD 11.8 billion of agricultural and food products such as cereals, fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and spices to West Asia, accounting for 21.8 per cent of India's total exports in this sector. "The Gulf region's geographic proximity and large expatriate Indian population have historically made it a natural market for India's food exports. "However, the conflict in the region is disrupting shipping routes, raising insurance costs and creating uncertainty in logistics," the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) said. India exported USD 7.48 billion of cereals, fruits, vegetables and spices to West Asia in 2025, with the region accounting for 29.2 per cent of India's global exports in this category. Key ..

West Asia crisis: Govt asks ports to consider waiving charges, issues SoP

Union Shipping, Ports and Waterways Ministry has proposed that ports may consider requests regarding reduction, waiver or remission of charges, including change of vessel charge, and also rolled out a standard operating procedure (SoP) for them to deal with issues arising from the West Asia crisis. As part of the SoP that followed extensive consultations with all stakeholders on Friday, each port will appoint a nodal officer at the level of head of department or deputy head of department, who will be the single point of contact for addressing the issues coming up for consideration at ports. The nodal officer will be responsible for taking up the matter with the competent authority and ensure that the action is taken within 24-72 hours. Also, as per the SoP, port chairpersons should have periodical meetings with stakeholders such as shipping lines, exporters, terminal operators, customs, among others to closely monitor the situation and ascertain and address legitimate concerns. The

Govt grants exporters relief on export obligations amid West Asia crisis

The government has granted certain relaxations to exporters in fulfilling their export obligations, as the trading community is facing difficulties in the movement of goods due to the ongoing West Asia crisis, according to a notification. "In view of the prevailing geo-political developments affecting international shipping routes and global supply chains, and with a view to facilitating exporters, the export obligation (EO) period/block wise EO period in respect of specified advance authorisations and EPCG authorisations expiring between March 1, 2026 and May 31, 2026 has been automatically extended up to August 31, 2026 without payment of composition fee," the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has said in a public notice. Under Export Promotion Capital Goods (EPCG) scheme, domestic firms are allowed to import duty-free machines but they have to meet certain export obligations against that. This relaxation is in addition to the existing facility already available under ..

Shipper MSC to impose emergency fuel surcharge on cargo from March 16

It said the surcharge would be $30 per twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) from the Mediterranean and Black Sea to the Red Sea for dry containers, and $50 per TEU for refrigerated containers

Additional war-risk insurance lifts Gulf airfares three to four times

Airfares between India and the West Asia have jumped three to four times as airlines face steep war-risk insurance premiums, higher ATF prices and severe operational disruptions

Markets snap 3-day losing streak, rebound over 1% despite West Asia crisis

Benchmark indices bounced back after three sessions of steep losses, but analysts caution the recovery may remain fragile as escalating Middle East tensions continue to cloud global sentiment

Iran war threatens Asia fertiliser supplies ahead of planting season

West Asia conflict disrupts fertiliser production and shipping via the Strait of Hormuz, threatening supplies to major Asian importers including India and China ahead of the planting season

India seeking US marine cover for West Asia energy cargoes: Report

India, the world's third biggest oil importer, relies on the Middle East for about 40 per cent of its oil imports and about 85-90 per cent of LPG imports