News for 'the Middle East'

9 Of The World's Most Crowded Cities, Jakarta Now Leads

9 Of The World's Most Crowded Cities, Jakarta Now Leads

Rediff.com2 Dec 2025

Jakarta overtakes Tokyo to become the most heavily-populated city in the world, with 42 million inhabitants, according to a November 2025 UN report on megacities.

India and France Elevate Ties to 'Special Global Strategic Partnership'

India and France Elevate Ties to 'Special Global Strategic Partnership'

Rediff.com18 Feb 2026

India and France have elevated their relationship to a 'special global strategic partnership,' with increased cooperation in defense, trade, and technology. The leaders also inaugurated a helicopter assembly line in Karnataka.

China mulls military base in Pakistan: Pentagon

China mulls military base in Pakistan: Pentagon

Rediff.com24 Dec 2025

In its annual report to Congress on Tuesday on 'Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China 2025', the US Department of War said the People's Liberation Army (PLA) is actively considering and planning for additional military facilities.

'US Bombings Have United All Of Iran'

'US Bombings Have United All Of Iran'

Rediff.com13 Mar 2026

'The US landed in this war without planning. The US felt that if they kill Ayatollah Khamenei the people of Iran will come out on the roads and do a regime change.' 'On the contrary, the US bombings on Iran has united the entire nation.'

US Eyes Iran Assault: High Risks Ahead

US Eyes Iran Assault: High Risks Ahead

Rediff.com6 Apr 2026

Although extensive air attacks have been carried out to destroy most of Iran's defence capabilities, the latter's resilience and sustenance during the war clearly indicate that the US landing force would encounter severe resistance in the operation, explains Commodore Venugopal Vengalil (retd).

Apple to open fourth India store in Pune on Sep 4

Apple to open fourth India store in Pune on Sep 4

Rediff.com26 Aug 2025

iPhone-maker Apple on Tuesday announced that it will open a new store in Pune next week. The latest move marks a significant expansion for Apple in the country, offering customers in Pune new ways to explore and purchase Apple products, as well as experience Apple's services in person, the company said.

Manipur violence: 2 kids killed in blast, two shot dead in CRPF camp attack

Manipur violence: 2 kids killed in blast, two shot dead in CRPF camp attack

Rediff.com8 Apr 2026

Two people were killed and five others injured after a mob stormed a CRPF camp in Manipur's Bishnupur district following a protest against a bomb attack that killed two children.

Qatar halts LNG production amid Iran attack, supply to India disrupted

Qatar halts LNG production amid Iran attack, supply to India disrupted

Rediff.com4 Mar 2026

Qatar has halted liquefied natural gas (LNG) production after its facilities came under attack amid the ongoing West Asia conflict, disrupting supplies to India and squeezing feedstock availability for key domestic sectors.

India's Foreign Policy Needs Strategic Expansion

India's Foreign Policy Needs Strategic Expansion

Rediff.com12 Aug 2025

The era where nations thrived through rigid alignments is giving way to an age where the connective State defines power. For India, that era has arrived, points out Dr Nishakant Ojha.

India Faces Russian Oil Squeeze After US Deal

India Faces Russian Oil Squeeze After US Deal

Rediff.com12 Feb 2026

Replacing over a third of India's oil imports at competitive rates is going to be a challenge, said traders from State refiners, even though some progress was made in the last two months.

Manipur Reels After Bomb Attack and Protest Deaths

Manipur Reels After Bomb Attack and Protest Deaths

Rediff.com7 Apr 2026

Violence erupted in Manipur's Bishnupur district following a bomb attack that killed two children and subsequent protest deaths at a CRPF camp. The incident has sparked widespread outrage and prompted a government investigation.

Investors' wealth erodes by Rs 5.98 lakh cr as mkts tumble

Investors' wealth erodes by Rs 5.98 lakh cr as mkts tumble

Rediff.com12 Jun 2025

Investors' wealth eroded by Rs 5.98 lakh crore on Thursday, tracking weak trends in equities where the BSE Sensex tumbled 1 per cent. Benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty declined 1 per cent in tandem with weak global market trends amid growing tensions in the Middle East.

Energy security for 1.4 bn supreme: India refutes Trump's Russian oil claim

Energy security for 1.4 bn supreme: India refutes Trump's Russian oil claim

Rediff.com5 Feb 2026

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India's energy decisions are guided by national interest.

8 Islamic nations agree to join Trump's 'Board of Peace'

8 Islamic nations agree to join Trump's 'Board of Peace'

Rediff.com22 Jan 2026

Trump's 'Board of Peace' is being projected by Washington, DC as a new international body to usher in peace and stability in Gaza and beyond, triggering speculation that it could throw a challenge to the United Nations.

Why There's A Music Revolution

Why There's A Music Revolution

Rediff.com3 Jan 2026

With the music industry pushing for growth in the paid subscription segment, Universal Music India anticipates that the Indian market will mature, potentially becoming a highly impactful paid market for music over the next five years.

Iran's War: 'Mojtaba Khamenei Is Being Hunted By Foreign Powers And Internal Foes'

Iran's War: 'Mojtaba Khamenei Is Being Hunted By Foreign Powers And Internal Foes'

Rediff.com12 Mar 2026

'Mojtaba Khamenei supervised the most recent repression in December 2025 and January 2026 which remains ongoing.'

8 To 1 Trump Won't Start A Gulf War

8 To 1 Trump Won't Start A Gulf War

Rediff.com12 Feb 2026

The threat of wars hovers over the negotiations in Oman, but the good part is that Trump called the talks to be 'very good' and Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian responded that they 'constitute a step forward', points out Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.

T20 World Cup: 'If Pakistan cricket can survive without playing India, they can sustain'

T20 World Cup: 'If Pakistan cricket can survive without playing India, they can sustain'

Rediff.com2 Feb 2026

Pakistan have somehow survived the financial loss of not being able to play India bilaterally for two decades now, said former ICC Head of Communications Sami-ul-Hasan Burney.

Lenskart to launch IPO on Oct 31; aims to raise Rs 2,150-cr

Lenskart to launch IPO on Oct 31; aims to raise Rs 2,150-cr

Rediff.com26 Oct 2025

Eyewear retailer Lenskart Solutions is gearing up to launch its initial public offering (IPO) on October 31, aiming to raise Rs 2,150 crore through a fresh issue of shares. This marks its much-awaited entry into the public markets.

India's mfg sector activity falls to 9-month low in Nov

India's mfg sector activity falls to 9-month low in Nov

Rediff.com1 Dec 2025

India's manufacturing sector activity eased to a nine-month low in November, mainly owing to softer rise in sales and production amid reports of challenging market conditions, a monthly report said on Monday. The seasonally adjusted HSBC India Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) falling to 56.6 in November from 59.2 in October, highlighted the slowest improvement in operating conditions since February.

Growth triggers missing in Dabur

Growth triggers missing in Dabur

Rediff.com14 Jan 2026

Dabur's business update for Q3FY26 indicated mid-single digit consolidated revenue growth. The guidance is that growth in operating and net profits will beat revenue growth. In the domestic business, home and personal care (HPC) revenue grew in double digits, while healthcare is likely to post a sequential growth in low-single digits.

GPS spoofing, jamming on rise, IATA warns pilots to stay alert

GPS spoofing, jamming on rise, IATA warns pilots to stay alert

Rediff.com14 Dec 2025

In recent times, there have also been instances of GPS spoofing and interference incidents at Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Amritsar, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Chennai airports.

Tata Motors' CV arm lists on BSE, seeks clean mobility, tech-led growth

Tata Motors' CV arm lists on BSE, seeks clean mobility, tech-led growth

Rediff.com13 Nov 2025

Tata Motors' commercial vehicle (CV) business debuted on the BSE on Wednesday, completing the automaker's long-planned demerger into separate listed entities for its passenger and CV operations.

Sensex, Nifty tumble 1% on weak global trends

Sensex, Nifty tumble 1% on weak global trends

Rediff.com12 Jun 2025

From the Sensex firms, Tata Motors, Titan, Eternal, Power Grid, Tata Steel, Larsen & Toubro, Mahindra & Mahindra and Hindustan Unilever were among the biggest laggards. Bajaj Finserv, Asian Paints and Tech Mahindra were the gainers.

Israel ready to launch operation in Iran, US withdraws personnel

Israel ready to launch operation in Iran, US withdraws personnel

Rediff.com12 Jun 2025

This is part of the reason the US advised some Americans to leave the region earlier Wednesday, with the State Department ordering non-emergency government officials to exit Iraq due to 'heightened regional tensions', CBS News reported.

Ageing CBD offices emerge as developers' next growth play

Ageing CBD offices emerge as developers' next growth play

Rediff.com13 Jan 2026

Office redevelopment is emerging as a key growth frontier for developers as India's commercial real estate market shifts towards quality, sustainability, and capital efficiency. With land parcels scarce in central business districts (CBDs) and demand for Grade A offices remaining strong, developers and investors are increasingly turning to ageing office stock in prime locations to unlock value.

'Iranian Ship Was A Sitting Duck'

'Iranian Ship Was A Sitting Duck'

Rediff.com10 Mar 2026

'Torpedoes travel at more than 100 kilometres per hour, about 50-60 knots.' 'It must have been a matter of a few minutes before it detonated under the Iranian ship.' 'The Iranian ship would have probably got three, four minutes and wouldn't have known till they actually heard the whirr of the torpedo.'

Is The UN Heading For Bankruptcy?

Is The UN Heading For Bankruptcy?

Rediff.com20 Feb 2026

Every UN secretary-general has flagged the financial situation, but Antonio Guterres has issued the direst warning yet, calling it a 'race to bankruptcy and of imminent financial collapse, points out Ambassador T P Sreenivasan.

UAE stops giving visas to Pakistani nationals

UAE stops giving visas to Pakistani nationals

Rediff.com27 Nov 2025

A senior Pakistani official reveals the UAE is restricting visas for Pakistanis, while the UAE ambassador discusses visa facilitation reforms. Concerns about criminal activities and visit visa violations are cited.

What Happens When Trump's Deadline Expires?

What Happens When Trump's Deadline Expires?

Rediff.com7 Apr 2026

Trump may strike. He may announce productive talks and extend again. He may do both at the same time. Iran will not open the Strait on someone else's terms, so no matter what happens, that problem will remain unsolved. And the IRGC will still be collecting its $2 million toll from every ship bold enough to ask permission to pass.

Ethiopian volcanic ash drifts towards India; flights cancelled

Ethiopian volcanic ash drifts towards India; flights cancelled

Rediff.com25 Nov 2025

Ash clouds from the recent eruption of the HayliGubbi volcano in Ethiopia are impacting flight operations, and there are reports suggesting that clouds might also be drifting towards the western parts of India.

Wangchuk denies 'Arab Spring' call in SC; says police twisted words

Wangchuk denies 'Arab Spring' call in SC; says police twisted words

Rediff.com29 Jan 2026

Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, detained under the National Security Act, denied allegations in the Supreme Court that he incited sedition. His lawyer argued that the police selectively used video evidence to mislead authorities.

'Israeli Assassinations In Iran Will Continue'

'Israeli Assassinations In Iran Will Continue'

Rediff.com26 Mar 2026

'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.'

Trump Is Caught Between Two Bad Options

Trump Is Caught Between Two Bad Options

Rediff.com16 Mar 2026

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.

What's in store for realty sector in 2026? A mixed bag

What's in store for realty sector in 2026? A mixed bag

Rediff.com2 Jan 2026

After three post-pandemic years of an upcycle, it was a mixed bag for the realty sector in 2025, with sales volumes in the residential real estate moderating across top cities, and commercial real estate and institutional investments emerging as standout performers. Residential: Volumes soften, value holds firm.

Iran War Exposes Washington's Strategic Chaos

Iran War Exposes Washington's Strategic Chaos

Rediff.com12 Mar 2026

What we are watching is something different: A fog manufactured and maintained by the people who started the war, so that the question of why it was started never has to be answered, observes Prem Panicker in his must read blog on the war in the Middle East.

'Direct threat to US': Trump sanctions Indian firms

'Direct threat to US': Trump sanctions Indian firms

Rediff.com21 Nov 2025

The Trump administration has sanctioned entities and individuals from India involved in sales of Iran's petroleum and petroleum products, saying the funds from this trade support Tehran's regional terrorist proxies and procure weapons systems that are a direct threat to the US.

US-Israel-Iran Conflict: 'India Is Too Late In...'

US-Israel-Iran Conflict: 'India Is Too Late In...'

Rediff.com6 Mar 2026

'To suddenly give the impression of taking a position that is hostile to Iran, or, at least, not friendly to Iran, is not a good thing.'

Brookfield to build Asia's biggest GCC facility in Powai

Brookfield to build Asia's biggest GCC facility in Powai

Rediff.com13 Dec 2025

Brookfield Asset Management will invest $1 billion to develop Asia's largest global capability centre (GCC) in Mumbai's Powai, the New York-based global alternative asset manager said in a statement on Friday. The infrastructure arm of Canada's investment firm will develop the campus across 6 acres with 2 million square feet that can be let out.

'Kasab Drank Urine, Didn't Eat Biryani'

'Kasab Drank Urine, Didn't Eat Biryani'

Rediff.com6 Apr 2026

'The jail staff told me Kasab was served only jail food and not biryani.' 'They told me that Kasab was beaten regularly after court proceedings.' 'And they filled Kasab's bottle with urine so that whenever he felt thirsty he used to drink urine.'