Page 31 - Middle East

Ripple impact of Mideast conflict still not entirely clear: EAM Jaishankar

Any expectation that conflicts and terrorism can be contained in their impact is no longer tenable, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Sunday. In an address at an event, Jaishankar, delving into geopolitical upheavals witnessing the world, said the ripple impact of what is taking place right now in the Middle East is still not entirely clear. The external affairs minister said the consequences of various conflicts in a globalised world spread far beyond immediate geographies while citing the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war. "In different regions, there are smaller happenings whose impact is not inconsequential," he said. Talking about the challenge of dealing with various forms of violence, Jaishankar said, "There is also the less formal version that is very pervasive. I am speaking about terrorism which has long been honed and practised as a tool of statecraft." "The basic takeaway for all of us is that given the seamlessness of our existence, any expectation that ..

US sending additional air defence systems to Middle East: Lloyd Austin

The US has decided to send a Terminal High Altitude Area Defence system as well as additional Patriot battalions to the Middle East to increase its force posture there following recent escalations by Iran and its proxy forces across the region, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said. These steps will bolster regional deterrence efforts, increase force protection for US forces in the region, and assist in the defence of Israel, he said. Following detailed discussions with President Joe Biden on recent escalations by Iran and its proxy forces across the Middle East Region, today I directed a series of additional steps to further strengthen the Department of Defence posture in the region, Austin said. The US is on alert for activity by Iran-backed groups amidst escalating tension in the Middle East amid the Israel-Hamas war. First, I redirected the movement of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group to the Central Command area of responsibility. This carrier strike group is in

Bulletproof jackets shortage in Israel as 300,000 reserve troops mobilised

An Israeli company that makes bulletproof jackets told ANI about the current situation, stating that the bulletproof manufacturing companies are unable to meet the current demand

Israel clears regulations to shut Al Jazeera offices over security concerns

Israel Communication Minister has led the charge to pass these regulations in order to shut down the Al Jazeera news channel, which he claims has damaged national security

Fuel shortage unlikely but disruption in oil supplies, price hikes possible

Fifty years after the 1973 Arab oil embargo, the current crisis in the Middle East has the potential to disrupt global oil supplies and push prices higher. But don't expect a repeat of the catastrophic price hikes and long lines at the gasoline pump, experts say. The Israel-Hamas war is definitely not good news for oil markets already stretched by cutbacks in oil production from Saudi Arabia and Russia and expected stronger demand from China, the head of the International Energy Agency said. Markets will remain volatile, and the conflict could push oil prices higher, "which is definitely bad news for inflation, Fatih Birol, executive director of the Paris-based IEA, told The Associated Press. Developing countries that import oil and other fuels would be the most affected by higher prices, he said. International benchmark Brent crude traded above $91 a barrel on Thursday, up from $85 per barrel on Oct. 6, the day before Hamas attacked Israel, killing hundreds of civilians. Israel ...

US, its allies working to build better future for West Asia: Prez Biden

US President Joe Biden on Thursday said the US and its allies through innovative projects like the India Middle East Economic Corridor are working to connect the Middle East countries to a better future. As he addressed the nation on his just concluded trip to Israel, Biden asked Congress for financial aid to the country that has been hit by a terrorist attack by Hamas. The United States and our partners across the region are working to build a better future for the Middle East. One wherein the Middle East is more stable, better connected to its neighbours through innovative projects like the Indian Middle East Europe rail corridor that I announced this year at the summit of the world's biggest economies, Biden said in his Oval Office address to the nation. "More predictable markets, more employment, less rage, less grievances, less war when connected. The benefits of people would benefit the people of the Middle East and would benefit us. American leadership is what holds the world

US military shoots down missiles, drones as it faces threats in Middle East

With tensions spiking in the Middle East, US forces in the region are facing increasing threats, as a Navy warship shot down missiles appearing to head toward Israel Thursday and American bases in Iraq and Syria were repeatedly targeted by drone attacks. The USS Carney, a Navy destroyer in the northern Red Sea, intercepted three land attack cruise missiles and several drones that were launched by Houthi forces in Yemen. The action by the Carney potentially represented the first shots by the U.S. military in the defense of Israel in this conflict. Brig Gen Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary, told reporters the missiles were potentially headed toward Israel but said the U.S. hasn't finished its assessment of what they were targeting. A US official said they don't believe the missiles which were shot down over the water were aimed at the US warship. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military operations that had not yet been announced. But an array of other dro

Will work with India on import of laptops, says Arun Venkataraman

United States wants to make sure that the India Middle- East Europe Economic Corridor moves forward as much as possible

Oil prices slip as Venezuela sanctions ease, Middle East in focus

Saudi Arabia had said it would keep its voluntary cut until the end of the year

British PM Rishi Sunak pledges to stand with Israel in its 'darkest hour'

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak Thursday pledged to stand with Israel in its "darkest hour" and welcomed the opening of a humanitarian corridor into Gaza as he held talks with the country's top leadership during his two-day visit to the Middle East aimed at preventing further escalation of conflict in the region. After his meetings with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Sunak acknowledged the "shocking scenes" over the past day. He pledged to stand with Israel in its "darkest hour" and welcomed the opening of a humanitarian corridor into Gaza. The British Indian leader was greeted by Netanyahu with an embrace and described each other as my friend. "You described this as Israel's darkest hour. Well then it's for me to say I'm proud to stand here with you in Israel's darkest hour, as your friend we will stand with you in solidarity, we will stand with your people and we also want you to win," said Sunak, addressing a joint press conference with h

Welspun bags contract to supply 61,000 MT of LSAW pipes, bends in Mideast

Welspun Corp Ltd (WCL) on Thursday said it has bagged a contract to supply 61,000 metric tonnes (MT) of LSAW pipes and bends in the Middle East. The company will supply the longitudinally submerged arc welding (LSAW) pipes and bends from its plant, located at Anjar in Gujarat, WCL said in a statement. "Welspun Corp wins a contract to supply 61,000 MT of bare pipes and bends to the Middle East, which will be used for offshore production and transport of gas. With the receipt of the above order, WCL has cumulatively received total orders of approximately 1,91,000 MT of line pipes, to be executed from its India and USA facilities since its last announcement dated August 4, 2023," the statement said. In the statement, the company did not disclose the order value. Welspun Corp Ltd (WCL) is one of the largest manufacturers of large-diameter pipes globally. The company also manufactures steel billets, TMT (thermo-mechanically treated) rebars, DI (ductile iron) pipes, stainless steel pipe

Dollar gains against euro as Fed, Middle East conflict stay in focus

The dollar is also benefiting from safe haven demand on concerns over the conflict in the Middle East

Brent hits $93 as escalating Middle East conflict heightens supply concerns

"This turn of diplomatic fortunes again garners fear of conflict spread and therefore the leap in oil," said John Evans of oil broker PVM

Gaza carnage spreads anger in Middle East, threatening to widen conflict

Within hours after a blast was said to have killed hundreds at a Gaza hospital, protesters hurled stones at Palestinian security forces in the occupied West Bank and at riot police in neighbouring Jordan, venting fury at their leaders for failing to stop the carnage. President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi of Egypt, King Abdullah II of Jordan and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas friends of the US who normally relish the chance to meet with American presidents called off a planned Wednesday summit with Joe Biden, who will now only visit Israel. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spent much of the past week meeting with Arab leaders to try to keep tensions in check, but those efforts are now in doubt following the hospital blast. The raw nerve of decades of Palestinian suffering, left exposed by US-brokered normalisation agreements between Israel and Arab states, is throbbing once again, threatening broader unrest. This war, which has entered a dangerous phase, will plunge the region .

History, Hollywood won't be as charitable to Bibi as they are to Golda Meir

Future historians and moviemakers will need exceptionally powerful blinkers to miss the controversies that have attended Netanyahu's decades in politics

JPMorgan index-bound Indian bonds lure foreigners, but flows to start later

"This pace, however, may not sustain at least in the immediate future as globally investors will eye developments in the Middle East conflict and what impact it could have on oil prices"

Investors can partner with India to participate in IMEEC: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said investors have an opportunity to partner with the country, and be a part of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEEC). Speaking after the inauguration of the Global Maritime India Summit here, Modi said India took the lead at the G-20 summit to form a consensus on the corridor. Very few countries are blessed with development, demography, democracy and demand, Modi said and invited global investors to be part of India's growth journey. He said whenever India's maritime capabilities have been strong in history, the country and the world have benefitted from it, and added that his government has been working to strengthen the maritime sector in the last 9-10 years. PM Modi inaugurated and laid foundation stones for port-related projects worth over Rs 18,800 crore at the third edition of the summit. He also launched the foundation stone for the Rs 4,539-crore Tuna Tekra all-weather deep-draft terminal at the Deendayal Port ...

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KEC International bags new domestic, global orders worth Rs 1,315 cr

Infrastructure company KEC International on Monday announced securing new orders totalling Rs 1,315 crore in India and international markets. The orders have been bagged by the company's Transmission & Distribution (T&D) business in the domestic market apart from clientele in Middle East, Australia and Americas, KEC International said in a regulatory filing. In India, the scope of order includes a transmission line and a substation order from Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (PGCIL) while the orders in Middle East, Australia and Americas are for supply of towers, hardware and poles and various types of cables. Vimal Kejriwal, MD and CEO of KEC International Ltd, said, "we are delighted with the new order wins, particularly the orders from PGCIL in Rajasthan. These orders have significantly enhanced our India T&D order book. In a noteworthy achievement, our tower supply business footprint now extends across six continents." KEC International is a global infrastructure ...

Indian blue-chips slip on Middle-East conflict concerns, metals cap losses

Metals gained nearly 1%, after data showed recovery in exports and imports in world's top consumer China. JSW Steel, Tata Steel were among the top Nifty 50 gainers