Page 14 - West Asia

A complex region encounters bigotry and prejudice

Robert Kaplan's latest book aims to offer a fresh survey of the 'Greater Middle East', but in doing so, it grossly simplifies complex political issues, reflecting American interests and prejudices

Oil prices rises $2 amid West Asia tensions, reduced Libyan output

Brent crude futures rose by $2, or 2.63%, to $78.12 a barrel at 1312 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures gained $2.09, or 2.95%, to $72.86 a barrel

Israeli airstrike kills Hezbollah commander in Lebanon: Security official

A Lebanese security official said on Monday that an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon killed a senior commander of the militant group Hezbollah. The assassination comes as clashes between Iran-backed Hezbollah militants and the Israeli military along the Lebanon-Israel border have intensified. It comes nearly a week after an Israeli strike killed top official with the militant Palestinian group Hamas in Beirut, and two days after Hezbollah launched a wide-ranging missile attack on an Israeli military base in Mount Meron in north Israel in retaliation. The Israeli military did not immediately comment about the attack. It said fighter jets have targeted Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon. The Lebanese security official, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with regulations, said that Israel struck a commander from Hezbollah's elite Radwan Forces, without giving his name. The strike hit a Honda SUV in the southern village of Khirbet Selm, while he was driving it, t

Oil fell by more than 2% as Saudi price cuts counter West Asian worries

Brent crude slid 2.2%, or $1.74, to $77.02 a barrel by 1024 GMT while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures shed 2.3%, or $1.73, to $72.08

Blinken opens West Asian tour in Turkiye amid fears of war engulfing region

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has kicked off his latest urgent Middle East diplomatic mission in Turkiye, as fears mount that Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza may explode into a broader conflict. Blinken's fourth visit in three months comes amid worrying developments outside of Gaza, including in Lebanon, northern Israel, the Red Sea and Iraq, that have put intense strains on what had been a modestly successful US push to prevent a regional conflagration in the weeks after the war began, and growing international criticism of Israel's military operation. Blinken was meeting on Saturday with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to discuss what Turkiye and others can do to exert influence, particularly on Iran and its proxies, to ease soaring tensions, speed up humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza and begin in earnest to plan for reconstruction and governance of postwar Gaza, much of which has been reduced to rubble by three months of intense

Oil prices rise as Blinken begins week-long sweep through the Middle East

Shipping giant Maersk said it will divert all vessels away from the Red Sea for the foreseeable future, warning customers of disruptions

Red Sea region conflict: No major threat to India's fuel supplies

Petroleum Minister Hardeep Puri said there had been no disruption in supplies due to the attacks by Houthi rebels on oil tankers transiting the Suez

Can do in Beirut what we did in Gaza: Israeli minister warns Hezbollah

"Hezbollah looks at what is happening in Gaza and it understands very well - what we did in Gaza can also be done in Beirut," declared Israel's Minister of Defence Yoav Gallant

India makes first-ever rupee payment for the purchase of crude oil from UAE

India spent $157.5 billion on importing 232.7 million tonnes of crude oil with West Asia contributing 58% of all supplies

'Attacks on ships in Red Sea to affect crude oil flow from West Asia'

Iran-backed Houthi attacks lead to rerouting of vessels which can result in higher oil prices

Sheikh Nawaf: Impact of his short but tumultuous reign as Kuwait's emir

Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah, the Emir of Kuwait, passed away on 16th December.

Yemen's Houthi group strikes two Liberian vessels with missiles in Red Sea

Yemen's Houthi group strikes two Liberian vessels with missiles in Red Sea

Will operate in maximum force: Israel warns as truce with Hamas reaches end

Invoking the end of the truce on December 1, Hagari emphasised that the terror group chose war by rejecting the release of hostages and breaking the agreement

New urgency hangs over Antony Blinken's trip as Israel-Hamas war resumes

Netanayhu, who had warned all along that the campaign would resume, was similarly unsparing in his description of Israel's goals

2 missiles fired near USS Mason from Yemen after ship seizure: US military

Two ballistic missiles fired from Houthi-controlled Yemen came near a US warship after it aided a tanker that had been seized in the Gulf of Aden, the US military said on Monday, raising the stakes amid a series of ship attacks linked to the Israel-Hamas war. A statement from US Central Command said the missiles splashed down in the water some 10 miles (16 kilometers) away from the USS Mason as it aided the tanker Central Park. There was no damage or reported injuries from either vessel during this incident," Central Command said. The Houthis did not immediately acknowledge the attack. Central Command also said it apprehended five armed attackers who targeted the Central Park.

France issues arrest warrants for Syrian prez, generals over war crimes

French judicial authorities issued international arrest warrants for Syrian President Bashar Assad, his brother, and two army generals for alleged complicity in war crimes and crimes against humanity, lawyers for Syrian victims said. They include a 2013 chemical attack on rebel-held Damascus suburbs. A victim of the attack welcomed the move as a reminder of the horrors of Syria's civil war and urged countries where Assad might travel to arrest him. While he is unlikely to face trial in France, international warrants for a serving world leader are very rare and send a strong message about Assad's leadership at a time when some countries have welcomed him back into the diplomatic fold. In addition to President Assad, the arrest warrants were issued for his brother, Maher Assad, the commander of the 4th Armored Division, and two Syrian army generals, Ghassan Abbas and Bassam al-Hassan, the lawyers said. There was no immediate comment from the Syrian government on the warrants. Jeann

Kalyan Jewellers Q2 results: Consolidated PAT up 27.33% at Rs 134.87 crore

Jewellery retailer Kalyan Jewellers on Tuesday reported a 27.33 per cent on-year growth in consolidated profit after tax (PAT) during the quarter ended September 30, at Rs 134.87 crore. The company's PAT stood at Rs 105.92 crore in the corresponding period of the previous financial year, the jewellery retailer said in a regulatory filing. Revenue from operations of the company grew by 27.11 per cent during the quarter under review at Rs 4,414.53 crore, compared to Rs 3,472.91 crores in the same period of the previous fiscal. Total revenue from the company's Middle East operations during the second quarter FY24 was at Rs 629 crore, as against Rs 601 crore in the same period of the previous financial year, a growth of 5 per cent. The Middle East operations recorded PAT of Rs 12 crore for the quarter, compared to Rs 14 crore for the corresponding period in the previous year, a dip of 14.28 per cent. The e-commerce division of the company, Candere, recorded a revenue of Rs 31 crore in

PM Modi, Brazilian Prez share concerns on situation in West Asia over call

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Brazilian President Luiz Incio Lula da Silva on Friday shared concerns on the situation in West Asia and expressed deep concern over terrorism, violence and loss of civilian lives there. Modi's conversation with Lula da Silva comes amid the Israel-Hamas conflict. Prime Minister Modi received a telephone call from the President of Brazil, a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office said. The two leaders shared concerns on the ongoing developments in West Asia, it said. They expressed deep concern at terrorism, violence and loss of civilian lives and called for concerted efforts for early resolution of the situation, the statement said. Prime Minister Modi conveyed India's full support for the success of Brazilian Presidency of the G20. They also discussed ways to further expand bilateral cooperation in all areas in follow-up to their meeting on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in New Delhi, the statement said. After his telephonic conversatio

EAM Jaishankar, Blinken discuss situation in West Asia, Indo-Pacific

The situation arising out of the Hamas-Israel conflict and ways to further deepen the India-US strategic partnership figured in talks between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday morning. The Jaishankar-Blinken meeting took place ahead of the fifth edition of India-US '2+2' defence and foreign ministerial ministerial dialogue. In a post on 'X', the external affairs minister described his talks with his US counterpart as "open and productive". "Pleased to meet with Secretary of State @SecBlinken this morning. An open and productive conversation on further developing our strategic partnership. Also spoke about West Asia, Indo-Pacific and other regional issues," he said. In the last couple of weeks, the US Secretary of State has been engaged in hectic diplomacy on the Israel-Hamas war. Blinken and US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin are in Delhi for the '2+2' dialogue which is aimed at taking forward India-US futuristic roadmap for .

West Asian countries to launch new climate initiatives at COP28 meeting

Although the contribution of Arab countries to carbon emissions is limited, the Arab region is one of the most affected by climate change, according to the Abu Dhabi-based Arab Monetary Fund