South Asia

Iran and Israel exchanged attacks on Tuesday, as Tehran defiantly refused to reopen Strait of Hormuz or accept a ceasefire agreement on the eve of the deadline set by U.S. president Donald Trump for Tehran to comply with his demands. According to a source familiar with the plan, Iran rejected the U.S. proposal that was mediated by Pakistan. The plan called for an "immediate" ceasefire, the lifting of the effective blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, and then talks about a wider peace settlement to be held within 15 to 20 working days. IRNA, the official news agency, reported that...

The oil prices continued to rise on Tuesday as U.S. president Donald Trump increased his rhetoric against Iran and threatened stronger action if it failed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz - a major global oil transit chokepoint. Brent crude futures rose 57?cents or 0.5% to $110.34 a barge by 1202 GMT. U.S. West Texas intermediate crude futures gained $1.26 or 1.1% at $113.67. Trump has threatened to "rain hell" on Tehran for failing to meet his deadline to reopening the Strait of Hormuz by 8 pm EDT, Tuesday. Trump said that if no deal was reached, "they could be...

Pakistan raised consumer prices for petrol and diesel by more than 50% on Thursday, its second price hike in less than one month. This was due to the rising global oil prices, which were sparked by the conflict in the Middle East. Diesel prices will rise by more than 55%, to 520.35 Rupees ($1.88) a litre. Petrol prices are expected to increase by 55% or so to 458.40 Rupees a litre. The price increase was inevitable due to the international markets prices spiraling out of control following the US-Iran War, Pakistan's Petroleum Minister, Ali Pervaiz?Malik said at a press conference...

Shipping data shows that India's diesel exports into Southeast Asia soared in March to the highest level in over seven years. This was due to traders adjusting supply to cover their short positions, and refiners taking advantage of higher profits in Asia as a result of the U.S./Israeli war against Iran. The increase in exports may boost the spot sales margins of Indian refiners, who have bought large volumes Russian crude oil to replace Middle East supplies disrupted by war. According to Kpler, three trade sources and data from the analytics firm, Kpler, around 1 million metric tonnes (7.45 millions...

President Donald Trump claimed that the U.S. has been meeting with Iran "directly and indirect" and that the new Iranian leaders were "very reasonable". This was as more U.S. troops arrived in the area and Tehran warned they would not accept humiliation. Trump's comments on Sunday come after Pakistan, acting as an intermediary between Tehran, Iran and Washington, announced that it would be hosting "meaningful discussions" in the next few days to end the Iran?war, which has lasted for a month. Trump said to reporters Sunday night as he traveled on Air Force One from New York City to Washington....

The Indian government bond market plunged Friday, ending a week-long loss, as New Delhi’s fuel excise tax?cut clouded fiscal outlook and intensified oil-driven anxieties. This also drove the yield on the 10-year note to its largest weekly increase in almost four years. The benchmark 6.48% bond yield for 2035 ended the session at 6.9419%. This is the highest 10-year bond yield since July 25, 2024. It closed at 6.8750% the previous day. Bond yields are inversely related to bond prices. The yield increased by 20 basis points for the week. This is the largest move since the week ending?May 6,2022...

The rupee is in a tailspin as foreign?investors pull out at record rates from Indian bonds and equities. This is due to the Iran War-driven rise?in oil price, which has sparked a flurry of 'worries about a possible increase?in inflation. Since the beginning of the war on February 28, foreign investors have sold an estimated $12.14 billion in Indian shares, marking the largest monthly outflow ever recorded. The net bond sales of foreign portfolio investors under the Fully Accessible Route, or FAR, reached 152 billion rupees (1.6 billion dollars), the highest amount since the category was first introduced six years...

Sources familiar with the situation said that Indian billionaire MukeshAmbani's?Reliance Jio Platforms? has been in talks with?13?marquee investors to sell 8% of their individual stakes at the upcoming Mumbai listing for the company which will be transforming its telecoms into AI. Ambani’s Jio Platforms is expected to file for approval in Mumbai of its IPO as early as this coming week. The list includes Meta with a stake worth 9.99% and Google?with 7.73%. Vista Equity Partners, KKR and KKR are also big investors. Investors include three sovereign Gulf funds: the Public Investment Fund (PIF), Mubadala, and Abu Dhabi Investment Authority....

Sources from Bharat Oil Corp. said that Manoj Heda, the international trade head of Bharat, had been appointed to lead its Singapore-based trading division. Bharat Oil Global Energy Services (Singapore), Pte, is expected to begin operations in April, with a staff size of four, according to the company. Manish Parikh, who will be "the chief financial officer," was also named. Amit Bilolikar, Vaibhav gandhi and others will also join as crude traders. BPCL didn't immediately respond to a'request for comments. Sources declined to be identified because the appointments had not yet been made public. Heda joined BPCL as a senior...

Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India, said that the fundamentals of Indian economy were strong, and that the country had enough petroleum, fertilizers, and coal to weather the trade and energy disruptions brought on by the U.S. and Israeli 'war on Iran. The conflict, which started last month, has affected sectors ranging from air travel, shipping, and gas supplies. It also caused the Strait of Hormuz to be almost closed, which is a major conduit for 40% of India’s crude oil imports. Modi, the lower house of parliament, said that India had enough petroleum reserves, with strategic reserves exceeding...

India's benchmark indexes rose on Monday morning, rebounding from their worst week for years. However, investors remain?wary that crude oil will continue to rise above $100 per barrel amid the prolonged Middle East conflict. As of 10:08 a.m. IST, the Nifty 50 index rose by 0.2%, to 23,189. The BSE Sensex increased by 0.18%, to 74697.2. Nine out of 16 major sectors were higher. Mid-cap and small cap fell by 0.2% and 0.7% respectively. The U.S. and Israeli war against?Iran has led to the closure of Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery of global oil?and?gas shipments. Brent crude was hovering...

An official said on Thursday that Nepal would begin rationing cooking gas due to fears of a possible nationwide shortage caused by the Middle East conflict. Chandika Bhatta, executive Director of the state-run Nepal Oil Corporation said that authorities will only refill half of empty cylinders of consumers starting Friday in order to extend the life of its liquefied petrol gas (LPG). The shortage of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is due to the U.S. and Israeli war against Iran, and Tehran's response across the region. This has effectively stopped shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Bhatta said that despite assurances...

As market participants remained cautious, they awaited more signals on the U.S. - Iran situation and how it would impact global interest rates. By 9:26 am, spot gold had not changed much from $4,669.13 an ounce. ET (1326 GMT), after falling by 1% in the previous session. U.S. Gold Futures increased 0.3% to $4694.20 an ounce. The United States and Iran weighed the outline of a plan on the eve of an U.S. deadline, as Tehran resisted pressure to quickly reopen Strait of Hormuz. Donald Trump, the president of the United States, has warned that he will rain "hell' on...

As the dollar eased, and markets assessed the impact of a proposed ceasefire in the U.S. - Israel war against Iran on oil prices and inflation expectations, gold prices rose in thin European trading. Many markets in Europe were closed for Easter Monday, so spot gold was 0.1% higher than it had been earlier, at $4,678.58 an ounce. U.S. gold futures for June delivery rose 0.6% ?to $4,706 per ounce. Kyle Rodda is a senior financial market analyst for Capital.com. He said: "We saw a gain in headlines about the potential ceasefire." The substance of that statement is questionable. However,...

India's highest court rejected a billionaire Anil. Agarwal's. Vedanta plea on Monday to halt the acquisition of a bankrupt real. estate giant by the. Adani group, which included a $4 billion collection of prized assets. This includes India's one Formula One track. Agarwal Vedanta has filed a lawsuit against a lender's panel's decision to give assets from bankrupt Jaiprakash Associates' group to Gautam Adani. This will lead to a fight between billionaires over assets such as homes, cement plants, and India's only Formula One track. Vedanta’s appeal to the?Supreme Court? was denied as the judges stated that a lower court...

?Gold prices fell on ?Monday, pressured by a stronger ?dollar ?as elevated oil prices on the back of a protracted Iran war and stronger-than-expected U.S. jobs data dampened hopes for interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve. Spot gold fell 0.9% per ounce to $4631.69 by 0306 GMT. U.S. Gold Futures for April Delivery?lost 0.5 percent to $4657.50. Many markets in Asia, Europe and North America were closed on holiday. Tim Waterer is the chief market analyst at KCM Trade. He said that "the latest robust NFP has reinforced hawkish Central Bank nerves while persistent oil-driven inflation concerns continue to...

Gold prices dropped on Thursday, as the U.S. Dollar?and oil price?strongened?after Donald Trump stated that the?U.S. Gold prices fell on Thursday as the U.S. dollar?and oil prices strengthened?after President Donald Trump said that the?U.S. As of 1:30 pm EDT (1730 GMT), spot gold was down by 2.2%, at $4.651.35, after reaching a session high. U.S. Gold Futures ended the session 2.8% lower, at $4679.70. The dollar rose sharply, increasing the price of greenback bullion for holders of other currencies. David Meger is director of metals at High Ridge Futures. He said, "The market has been very focused on Trump's remarks,...

Gold prices reversed their course on Thursday, dropping more than 1%, ending a four-day streak of gains, after U.S. president Donald Trump announced that the United States will continue its war against Iran in the coming weeks. U.S. Gold Futures fell 1.9%, to $4,723.70, and Spot Gold dropped 1.3%, to $4694.48 an ounce, by 0202 GMT. Before Trump's remarks, prices were at their highest level since March 19, up more than 1%. Trump said in a televised address that the United States will strike Iran "extremely" hard over the next 2 to 3 weeks, and force it back to the...

The U.S. Dollar?slipped? and traders watched developments in the Middle East. Gold spot was up 2.2% to $4,774.25 an ounce at 1510 GMT. This is the highest price since March 19. U.S. Gold Futures rose 2.6% to $4800.40. Dollars of other currencies are more attracted to greenback priced bullion after the U.S. currency fell for a second day. Bob Haberkorn is a senior market strategist with RJO Futures. He said that gold prices could rise above $5,000 an ounce, if we are on a path of?de-escalation', and rate-cutting expectations may creep back into the market. He added: "The focus is...

On Wednesday, gold was near a two-week-high - after a month that saw its largest monthly loss for nearly 17 years. The U.S. Dollar and Treasury yields fell on signs of a de-escalation of the war against Iran. Gold spot rose by 1.2%, to $4,723.35 an ounce, at 0958 GMT. It had earlier reached its highest level since the 19th of March. U.S. gold futures for April delivery rose 1.5% to $4749.90. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and President Donald Trump said that?the war against Iran could be close, signaling the potential for direct talks with Tehran and a...

Two'sources' familiar with the issue have said that India will not 'go ahead with auctioning off deep-sea mine rights due to a lack in technological preparedness, and a low response from potential bidders. India announced its first offshore mineral block auction in November 2024. It included three lime mud, three construction sands, and seven polymetallic blocks. The blocks contained minerals such as cobalt and copper that are essential for solar panels and electric vehicles. In December of last year, the government cancelled the auction because there was a lack of interest. Reports said that the first batch of offshore minerals...

Gold prices rose by more than 1% on Monday, as bargain hunters sought to get a good deal. However, the metal was on track for its largest monthly decline in almost two decades due to rising oil costs caused by the Middle East war. Gold spot rose 0.8%, to $4,529.58 an ounce at 0913 GMT. It had gained more than 1% earlier. U.S. Gold Futures for April Delivery gained 0.8%, to $4,558.30. Ricardo Evangelista, an analyst at ActivTrades, said that after prices reached multi-month lows a week ago, traders took advantage of the opportunity to buy a dip and drove...

Gold rose on Monday due to a surge in energy prices, which fueled inflation fears and dimmed expectations of interest rate reductions by the U.S. Federal Reserve this year. As of 0755 GMT spot gold was up 0.8% at $4,526.67 an ounce, bouncing back from a loss of 1% earlier in the day. U.S. Gold Futures for April Delivery gained 0.7%, reaching $4,554. Gold's price action last week, when it ended a three-week losing run, suggested that oversold behavior was at play and that recent declines could be reversed. This must be confirmed this week by the price action. Nicholas...

Gold prices remained'steady' on Monday, despite a volatile session. A softer dollar met a surge in energy prices which fueled inflation fears and further dampened expectations of interest rate reductions by the U.S. Federal Reserve this year. As of 0431 GMT, spot gold was down 0.1% at $4,488.46 an ounce after swinging between a fall of more than 1% and a marginal increase earlier. U.S. Gold Futures for April Delivery lost?0.1% at $4,518.30. Dollar-denominated goods became more affordable to holders of other currencies as the U.S. currency eased. Gold's price movement?last weekend (when it ended a three-week loss streak) indicated...