Page 3 - West Asia

Yemen's Houthis claim first ship sinking this year in Red Sea attack

The ship's Greek operator Stem Shipping told Reuters it had no independent verification. Reuters could also not immediately verify whether the ship had sunk

Executions in Saudi Arabia hit record high mostly over drug cases: Amnesty

Executions in Saudi Arabia surged last year to a record high, Amnesty International said Monday, as activists increasingly warn about the kingdom's use of the death penalty in nonviolent drug cases. Saudi Arabia executed 345 people last year, the highest number ever recorded by Amnesty in over three decades of reporting. In the first six months of this year alone, 180 people have been put to death, the group said, signalling that record likely will again be broken. This year, about two-thirds of those executed were convicted on non-lethal drug charges, the activist group Reprieve said separately. Amnesty also has raised similar concerns about executions in drug cases. Saudi Arabia has not offered any comment on why it increasingly employs the death penalty in the kingdom. Saudi officials did not respond to detailed questions from The Associated Press about the executions and why it is using the death penalty for nonviolent drug cases. However, it conflicts with comments from Crown

Ship attacked in Red Sea near Yemen amid ongoing regional tensions

A ship came under attack Sunday in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen by armed men firing guns and launching rocket-propelled grenades, a group overseen by the British military said. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, which comes as tensions remain high in the Middle East over the Israel-Hamas war and after the Iran-Israel war and airstrikes by the United States targeting Iranian nuclear sites. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre said that an armed security team on the ship had returned fire and that the situation is ongoing. Authorities are investigating, it said. Yemen's Houthi rebels have been launching missile and drone attacks against commercial and military ships in the region in what the group's leadership has described as an effort to end Israel's offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Between November 2023 and January 2025, the Houthis targeted more than 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, sinking two of them and killi

Russia won't back down from Ukraine war objectives: Putin tells Trump

Putin says Russia remains committed to its Ukraine war aims in phone call with Trump but is open to talks; US pause in military aid shocks Kyiv and Western allies

US' approach to Pak terror raises questions on Quad's effectiveness

The fact that a Quad foreign ministers' meeting was held a day after Mr Trump was sworn in for a second term and talks began for a New Delhi summit later this year is seen as a sign of hope

Reliance Power participates in global bids for 1,500-MW energy project

Anil Ambani's Reliance Power Ltd is planning to set up a 1,500-MW gas-based power project overseas and is actively participating in several international tenders for its development, according to sources. Sources said, Reliance Power has submitted competitive bids for gas-based power projects in Kuwait, UAE, and Malaysia as part of its selective global expansion strategy. The company has recently secured two mega power projects in Bhutan - a 500-MW solar project and a 770-MW hydropower project. Based on the outcome of the ongoing international bids, Reliance Power plans to relocate two 750 MW modules of world-class equipment currently in its possession in India. The proposed project is expected to create significant value in Reliance Power's balance sheet, as the company aims to realise up to Rs 2,000 crore through the monetisation of these assets. When contacted, a Reliance Power spokesperson confirmed the company's participation in global tenders. Originally, the company had ..

India's engineering exports see marginal decline of 0.82% in May: EEPC

The country's engineering exports conceded a marginal fall of 0.82 per cent year-on-year to USD 9.89 billion in May due to a higher statistical base and geopolitical tensions in West Asia, EEPC India said in a statement. According to EEPC, the share of engineering goods in the country's overall merchandise exports increased to 25.53 per cent during this period. India's engineering exports to the US, a top destination among major exporting countries, remained positive in May 2025 with total shipments growing 4.6 per cent to USD 1.74 billion year-on-year. Engineering shipments to China registered a 5.1 per cent year-on-year decline to USD 207.36 million in May this year as compared to USD 218.59 million in the corresponding month last year, the statement said. To countries like Germany, the UK, Japan, Italy and Italy, engineering goods exports showed positive growth in May this year, while shipments to Mexico, Turkey and Vietnam showed negative growth. On a cumulative basis, India's

Evacuated over 3,400 Indian nationals from Iran in 14 flights so far: MEA

India has evacuated over 3,400 Indian nationals from Iran so far in 14 flights under Operation Sindhu launched on June 18 to bring home its citizens amid the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict, according to data shared by the Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday. At his weekly media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, in response to queries on Operation Sindhu, also said, New Delhi was "assessing the situation on ground" and depending on that a decision would be taken whether to "continue with it or not". On June 24, while India remained "deeply concerned about the prospects for overall and sustained regional security and stability" she welcomed reports of a ceasefire between Iran and Israel. Hours after US President Donald Trump's claims of an Iran-Israel ceasefire, the MEA in a statement said "India stands ready to play its part" to resolve the situation and insisted on "dialogue and diplomacy" as the way forward. Jaiswal was asked if India would continue Operation Sindhu .

An uneasy truce between Iran-Israel may be best-case scenario: Vandana Hari

True rapprochement between Israel and Iran remains elusive, complicated further by the Gaza conflict that has pitted Israel against Iran-backed groups like the Houthis, Hamas, and Hezbollah, says Hari

Qantas jet takes 15-hour flight to nowhere due to West Asian crisis

The Boeing Co. 787 jet departed Perth for the usual 17-hour haul to Paris at 7.35 p.m. local time Monday

West Asia conflict sends India tourists to safer Southeast destinations

Online travel portals, tour operators, agents have reported a sharp rise in rescheduling over the past few days, with 25-30% of Indian travellers postponing or altering plans to Western destinations

No impact on CV exports due to the West Asia tensions: Ashok Leyland

Ashok Leyland says CV exports remain unaffected by West Asia tensions and aims to raise market share in northern India to 30 per cent in two to three years

No sign of panic among Indian exporters; shift to Cape of Good Hope route

Despite Iran-Israel instability, exporters report no disruption in trade as 96 per cent of India's container traffic shifts to the Cape of Good Hope route

Air India, IndiGo resume West Asia, Europe flights amid easing restrictions

Air India and IndiGo have resumed flights to the Middle East and Europe as airspace curbs ease after the Iran-Israel ceasefire, though rerouting may cause delays and extended travel times

HPCL, BPCL: OMCs, paint, tyre, aviation stocks rally after oil slips 5%

BPCL, HPCL, IOC, Asian Paints, and other downstream oil companies' stock surged, while ONGC, Oil India dropped after Brent crude oil slipped 5 per cent

Air India temporarily stops flights to Europe, 5 destinations in US, Canada

Air India has stopped flight operations to Europe and five destinations in the US and Canada amid escalating tensions in the Middle East. Besides, flights of Air India Express and IndiGo to the Middle East have been impacted, and some of them have been diverted. With Iran launching a missile attack on a US airbase in Qatar, tensions have mounted in the region, and a few countries, including Qatar, have closed their airspace. Air India's long-haul flights to Europe and North America overfly the Middle East, and the airspace curbs have disrupted its services. Amid the developing situation in the Middle East, Air India said it has ceased all operations to the region as well as to and from the East Coast of North America and Europe with immediate effect, until further notice. Services have been temporarily stopped to European cities as well as to four US airports -- New York, Newark, Chicago and Washington -- and to Toronto (Canada). "Our India-bound flights from North America are ..

Rupee weakens on safe-haven demand; fall in crude prices caps losses

The Indian currency settled at 86.75 per dollar, against the previous close of 86.59 per dollar

West Asia conflict keeps mkts on edge; Indices rebound as oil fears ease

FPIs were net sellers to the tune of ₹1,874 crore, while domestic institutions provided buying support worth ₹5,592 crore

Asia's oil lifeline at risk as Iran conflict threatens key trade routes

Asia buys more than four-fifths of all the crude produced in the Middle East, and 90 per cent of that goes through the Strait of Hormuz

India has weeks of oil supply, imports continue via many routes: Puri

India, the world's third-largest oil importer and fourth-biggest gas buyer, has enough energy supplies to meet requirements for several weeks and continues to receive supplies from several routes, Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said amid escalating tensions in the globe's biggest energy supply regions. In a post on X, the minister said the government has been "closely monitoring the evolving geopolitical situation in the Middle East since the past two weeks." "Under the leadership of PM @narendramodi Ji, we have diversified our supplies in the past few years and a large volume of our supplies do not come through the Strait of Hormuz now," he said. The Strait of Hormuz, which Iran is threatening to shut down following US strikes on its nuclear facilities, is an important transit for oil coming from the Middle East. About 2 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil out of India's total import of 5.5 million bpd transits through the narrow waterway. However, India has diversified ..