Analysts predict a surge in gold and silver prices as investors seek safe-haven assets due to escalating tensions in the Middle East. The impact on domestic prices will depend on the conflict's duration, with geopolitical factors and macroeconomic data also playing a role.
To be sure, Trump is furious, as the trajectory of the war is in a state of Zugzwang, as chess players call it. Trump and Netanyahu stare at two choices -- retreat in humiliation and concede Tehran's demands -- recognition of its rights, reparations, and binding security guarantees -- or perish in a quagmire, points out Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Donald Trump has warned Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours or face military action, escalating tensions amid regional conflict and impacting global oil supplies.
India has commissioned its new indigenously-built nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine INS Aridaman into service, further strengthening the naval component of its nuclear triad. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also highlighted the Indian Navy's role in securing maritime trade routes.
Analysts say long-term investors may still benefit, but recommend limiting bullion exposure to around 10 per cent.
A French soldier was killed while several others were injured in an attack in the Erbil region of Iraq, French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed. Macron, in a post on X, confirmed that Chief Warrant Officer Arnaud Frion of the 7th Battalion of Chasseurs Alpins lost his life in the attack.
Gold prices experienced a significant drop in futures trading due to global selloff, inflation concerns, and a strong US dollar. Analysts predict a continued downward trend amid geopolitical tensions and potential rate hikes.
In crowded Mumbai trains, passengers, despite being crushed and unable to breathe, watch the IPL action on their phones. Oxygen may be optional, but the live score is not.
'Much will depend on the position of the United States.' 'It will have to be seen to what extent the US will be more interested in achieving some form of a deal and to what extent Israel will be allowed to continue to carry out both airstrikes and the killing of Iranian officials.'
Sri Lanka's President Anura Kumara Dissanayake announced that the country refused permission for the US to land two warplanes at Mattala International Airport, citing a commitment to neutrality amidst rising tensions in the Middle East.
Amidst rising tensions in the Middle East, an Iranian drone struck a British RAF base in Cyprus, prompting the UK to allow US defensive operations and consider evacuation plans for British citizens in the region.
Fixed deposits from nationalised banks delivered higher returns than equities, outperforming both inflation and stock market benchmarks.
'Was the five-day pause ever meant to hold, or was it simply another instrument of signaling, of positioning, of buying time in a war where even the pauses are tactical?' asks Prem Panicker in his must read daily blog on the Gulf War.
The United States, which entered this war in expectation of a short, sharp win along the Venezuela model, is now preparing for deeper involvement in a conflict it does not fully control, without the allies it typically relies on, against an adversary that is not behaving as expected, in a global environment that is already absorbing economic shock. Prem Panicker continues his must read daily blog on the Gulf War.
As the negotiations continued, the Iranian government said on social media that "talks between Iran and the US in Islamabad entered the expert-level stage as economic, military, legal, and nuclear committees joined in".
'TTP has vowed to take revenge for the attacks that Pakistan is carrying out against Afghanistan.' 'To diminish this threat, Pakistan is hitting Afghanistan hard.'
'The people who are outraging, they don't have any substantial argument. They are enraging over manufactured memes and manufactured figures.'
Major paint companies in India, including Asian Paints, Berger Paints, Akzo Paints, and Kansai Nerolac, have announced price hikes ranging from 1% to 8% across various product lines, effective from mid-March to late April, in response to persistently high crude oil and gas prices.
The Dhurandhar movies will undoubtedly shape the minds of the audience much more than news reports, court investigations, books and documentaries. But it is worth remembering that Pakistan's irridentist claims against India's national security have succeeded due to strategic planning, diplomacy, and the unsung heroines and heroes across government agencies, not due to a single maverick leader, points out Shweta Desai.But it is worth to remember that Pakistan's irredentist claims against India's national security have succeeded due to strategic planning, diplomacy, and the unsung heroines and heroes across government agencies -- not a single maverick, points out Shweta Desai.
The 'rescue' operation occurred within kilometres of Iran's underground tunnel complex at Isfahan, assessed by the IAEA and US intelligence as holding a substantial portion of the country's 60 per cent enriched uranium stockpile. Retired senior US military officers have highlighted that the mission's footprint -- hundreds of special operators, multiple heavy-lift aircraft deep inside Iran -- appears outsized for recovering a single airman. Prem Panicker continues his must read blog on the Iran War.
'The entire US ecosystem built over decades at the bases in the Gulf region, especially the UAE, costing trillions of dollars have been decimated, dealing a mortal blow to the US Central Command's war capability,' points out Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
The question is no longer whether the war will expand. It has. The next few days will tell us whether the war stabilises around Hormuz or whether the Strait itself becomes the trigger for a far larger rupture. What to watch for over the next 48 hours is simple: Any move by the US toward direct naval control of the Strait; any credible Iranian attempt to disrupt or mine shipping lanes and, critically, whether energy infrastructure in the Gulf continues to be targeted.If those lines are crossed in tandem, the war will no longer be containable within the region.
'Jews are very much safe in Iran. They are our brothers. There is a difference between a Jew and a Zionist.' A conversation around a tea table in Mumbai serves as an eye-opener for Syed Firdaus Ashraf.
'What we have yet to see on either the US or the Iranian side is willingness to compromise on their ultimate demands and the flexibility to reach an agreement to end the war.
Trump said that Iran's leadership, along with its air defence, Air Force, and Navy are 'gone'.
Made in Korea had the potential to be a culturally rich coming-of-age story but settles for a generic template with an underdeveloped location setting, notes Sreeju Sudhakaran.
An Indian-flagged crude tanker safely departed from the UAE's Fujairah after loading oil, despite an attack on the oil terminal. The Indian government is closely monitoring the situation in West Asia to ensure stable fuel supplies and maritime safety.
Mamla Legal Hai 2 draws humour from its assorted characters, crafting quirky storylines inspired by newspaper headlines, and anchored by consistently strong performances, led by an ever-reliable Ravi Kishan, applauds Sreeju Sudhakaran.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the BJP's 47th Foundation Day, highlighting the Uniform Civil Code and 'One Nation, One Election' as key unfinished agendas. He also reaffirmed the party's commitment to implementing women's reservation in the 2029 elections and criticised dynastic politics.
'Our diplomacy should have been focused on preventing war and avoiding the inevitable disruptions it would cause, posing a real risk to India's growth story,' asserts former foreign secretary Shyam Saran.
Government officials are reportedly apprehensive that the 30,000 to 40,000 US troops currently deployed within the region could serve as the primary target of the Islamic Republic in the event of an all-out war.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claims control of the Strait of Hormuz and reports striking a US destroyer, escalating tensions in the Middle East following retaliatory strikes between Iran, the US, and Israel.
As the March 31 deadline arrives, a wave of Maoist surrenders suggests insurgency's end, but political and social concerns remain.
Two Indian ships carrying liquified petroleum gas (LPG) from the Gulf countries crossed the Strait of Hormuz early on Saturday morning, raising the number of Indian vessels safely passing through the war-hit, narrow shipping lane to three.
Alliances fight wars effectively only when they share an endgame. If Israel acted without US knowledge, then the military alliance is operating without real coordination at the level of strategic targeting. Neither picture is reassuring in a war that is no longer regional in its consequences. Prem Panicker continues his must read daily blog on the Gulf War.
'India was not obliged to protect the Iranian ship.' 'Once the Iranian ship left Indian waters, she was on her own.' 'Guilt tripping India is wrong.'
India and Israel have elevated their relationship to a special strategic partnership, focusing on enhanced cooperation in trade, technology, and defense, while also addressing regional peace initiatives.
Israel and the United States had a plan. Iran punched back. And now the Gulf is reeling, the world is beginning to feel the pain and, as on date, no one in Washington or Tel Aviv appears willing to admit that the punch has landed, notes Prem Panicker, continuing his must-read blog on the war in the Middle East.
When everyone has footage and no one can verify it, the loudest voice wins, notes Prem Panicker who begins a daily blog on the War in the Middle East.
Fight on toward goals that keep receding, or exit with most objectives unmet. Trump is agitated, his poll numbers falling below the Plimsoll line, his base fractured between those who back the war and those who remember that he campaigned on ending them.
