All posts tagged: Asia

As Asia rises, Indian fans confront a distant World Cup dream

As Asia rises, Indian fans confront a distant World Cup dream

Published by Parlour News

New Delhi: Every time the FIFA World Cup comes around, Indian football fans find themselves asking the same question: why not India? Perhaps it is a question that should not be reserved for once every four years. Perhaps it is a question Indian football needs to ask itself every day. Women wearing masks of Lionel Messi pose for a photograph as they celebrate his birthday in Kolkata on Wednesday. (AFP) As the 2026 World Cup unfolds across North America, the gap between India’s footballing ambitions and reality feels starker than ever. Across Asia, nations once considered peers have turned dreams into milestones. Japan and South Korea have become World Cup regulars, qualifying for eight and eleven consecutive editions respectively, while first-time qualifiers Jordan and Uzbekistan have broken new ground and earned their place on football’s biggest stage. Asia will have a record representation at the 2026 tournament, reflecting decades of investment in youth development, coaching pathways and long-term planning. For Indian fans, those success stories are both inspiring and painful. Uzbekistan, a nation of around …

India holds strong positions on opening day of Asia Cup Bridge Championships

India holds strong positions on opening day of Asia Cup Bridge Championships

Published by Webster

Host nation India launched a powerful competitive campaign on the opening day of the 5th Bonus Asia Cup Bridge Championships 2026, solidifying top-three positions across multiple premier divisions at the Taj Cidade de Goa Horizon. In the Men’s Teams Championship, the premier domestic line India A emerged as a top-tier title contender, locking down the third-place slot on the leaderboard with 55.85 Victory Points (VPs). The host squad sits within striking distance of regional pacesetters China, who commands the field with 64.09 VPs, and Hong Kong China A, holding second with 56.21 VPs. The day’s primary highlight unfolded in the Seniors Teams Championship, where India A unleashed a clinical, high-precision performance to anchor themselves firmly in third place, shadowing the tournament frontrunners after a gruelling opening segment. Simultaneously, a resilient India Mixed squad successfully engineered a major leaderboard recovery, overriding early structural setbacks to fight their way back into the top flight and reclaim the fifth-position baseline. The first full day of qualification rounds drew a definitive competitive line across the continental field, establishing the …

NSA Doval meets counterparts from BRICS grouping, discusses West Asia and India-China ties

NSA Doval meets counterparts from BRICS grouping, discusses West Asia and India-China ties

Published by Parlour News

In this image posted on June 22, 2026, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval during a meeting with Deputy Secretary for Defence Affairs of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), Ghadir Nezamipour, on the sidelines of the 16th BRICS National Security Advisers’ Meeting, in New Delhi. | Photo Credit: X/@MEAIndia via PTI Developments in West Asia formed the dominant backdrop as National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval hosted his counterparts from BRICS grouping in New Delhi for the BRICS NSAs meeting. Mr. Doval met Ghadir Nezamipour, Deputy Secretary for Defence Affairs of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, and Secretary of Multilateral and Political Affairs of Brazil Carlos Cozendey among others who are in New Delhi to attend the two-day event that will survey the security architecture of the world. “Both sides reviewed the ongoing situation in West Asia. They also discussed cooperation under the BRICS platform and India-Iran bilateral ties,” said Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal after Mr. Doval met Mr. Nezamipour. The MEA said the meeting between …

Extreme heat, rainfall, glacier loss impacted Asia in 2025: WMO report

Extreme heat, rainfall, glacier loss impacted Asia in 2025: WMO report

Published by Parlour News

Asia saw a number of extreme weather events, including flooding, extreme heat, drought and devastating rainfall, with the annual mean temperature in 2025 recorded at 0.96 °C ± 0.08 above the 1991–2020 long period average, the latest ‘State of Climate in Asia report 2025’, released by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) on June 17 has found. Overall, the assessment also found an increase in ocean heat content, which indirectly alters storm tracks. (Image sourced from UNDP) The latest assessment for Asia’s climate, found Japan, China and the Republic of Korea all recorded their hottest summers on record, while prolonged heatwaves affected Central Asia, parts of West Asia and the Arabian Peninsula, meaning all 23 monitored glaciers in high-mountain Asia lost mass, driven by above-average temperatures and below-average winter snow, it found. “The annual mean surface air temperature over Asian land areas in 2025 ranked between the second and fourth warmest on record. The temperature anomaly for 2025 was 0.96 °C above the 1991–2020 climatological average and 1.90 °C above the 1961–1990 baseline. Temperatures were above …

India’s exports hit 3 billion even amid West Asia turmoil, US tariffs: Official | Ahmedabad News

India’s exports hit $863 billion even amid West Asia turmoil, US tariffs: Official | Ahmedabad News

Published by Parlour News

4 min readAhmedabadJun 18, 2026 01:54 AM IST By Yashaswi Singh DNYANESHWAR B Patil Zonal Development Commissioner Kandla Special Economic Zone (KASEZ) said on Wednesday that despite challenges faced during 2025-26, including the West Asia crisis and heavy tariffs imposed by the United States, the country has “performed wonderfully”. “The year 2025-26 was a challenging year, as we know there was crisis in West Asia and the US had also imposed tariffs, but despite all this we have performed wonderfully and that shows the resilience of India,” said Patil while speaking at the Gujarat SEZs Outreach Programme organised in Ahmedabad on Wednesday, during which officials reviewed 12 years of progress made by Gujarat’s Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and outlined their vision for future growth, investment and exports. Despite these challenges, he said the export performance remained strong and referred to an export figure of $863.11 billion, covering products such as coffee, spices and marine goods. Also, the potential role in supporting manufacturing, technology transfer and employment generation in India through long-term investment commitments of the European …

Global bodies must shield Global South from West Asia shock, says PM Modi at G7

Global bodies must shield Global South from West Asia shock, says PM Modi at G7

Published by Parlour News

Global financial institutions must create support mechanisms to help countries in the Global South absorb shocks such as the impact of the West Asia conflict on fuel, fertiliser and food supply chains, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at an outreach session of the G7 Summit in France on Wednesday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva attend a morning work meeting to “revive balanced, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth for the benefit of all” in the presence of the G7 countries, partner countries, the International Monetary Fund, and the OECD, as part of the G7 summit, in Evian, eastern France, on June 17 (AFP) Modi, who was speaking at the session on “Reviving balanced, shared and sustainable economic growth for all, called for combining the G7’s capital, India’s talent and the countries of the Global South for connectivity projects in Africa, Latin America and the Pacific Islands that focus on trade, technology and energy. India, Brazil, Egypt, Kenya and South Korea are the partner countries invited to the summit’s outreach …

India prepared for oil market volatility amid West Asia tensions: Hardeep Puri

India prepared for oil market volatility amid West Asia tensions: Hardeep Puri

Published by Webster

India remains well-prepared to manage any volatility in global crude oil markets amid escalating tensions in West Asia, Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Wednesday.  In an interaction with IANS, Puri said the government has successfully managed fluctuations in global oil markets over the past several months and will continue to closely monitor the situation. In addition, the minister asserted that the country`s energy security remains robust due to diversified supply sources and growing efforts towards self-reliance. “Our constant effort has been, and will continue to be, to manage the situation in the same way we have managed it over the last 100 days. We will try to handle the next 30 or 60 days in the same manner. But if the international situation changes and prices rise sharply, then the issue will have to be revisited,” the minister said. On concerns over India`s oil supplies amid the ongoing tensions in West Asia, Puri said the country is better positioned today than in the past to deal with potential disruptions. …

India urges de-escalation as fresh West Asia tensions heighten global concern

India urges de-escalation as fresh West Asia tensions heighten global concern

Published by Webster

India on Monday expressed deep concern over the latest escalation in West Asia, urging all parties involved to immediately reduce tensions and pursue a diplomatic solution, reported the IANS. In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the renewed attacks in the region were a matter of serious concern for the international community. “India deeply regrets the renewed attacks in West Asia. These developments are a matter of utmost concern to the international community,” the MEA said, the news agency reported. India noted that the conflict has now continued for more than 100 days, causing significant human suffering and affecting economic stability across the world. The MEA said the prolonged hostilities have disrupted global trade and energy supplies, adding to international concerns over the impact of the crisis. The government called on all sides to protect civilians and support ongoing diplomatic efforts aimed at restoring peace and stability in the region. India reissues travel advisory for Iran Earlier on Monday, the Indian Embassy in Tehran renewed its advisory for Indian nationals in Iran. …

Oil tanker with 24 Indians catches fire near Oman amid West Asia tensions

Oil tanker with 24 Indians catches fire near Oman amid West Asia tensions

Published by Webster

A fire broke out aboard an oil tanker carrying 24 Indian seafarers off the coast of Oman on Monday, even as Israel and Iran exchanged fresh attacks in their first major escalation since the ceasefire. The Madagascar-flagged MT Marivex reported the fire around 1.30 pm, Opesh Kumar Sharma, a director in India`s Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, said at a news briefing. Sharma declined to comment on the cause of the fire but confirmed that the vessel had 24 Indian crew members on board. The tanker was empty and positioned well outside the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping route impacted by regional tensions. “This is the preliminary information which we have received… as per available information, all Indian seafarers are safe,” Sharma said. “We are coordinating with the Ministry of External Affairs, our missions abroad, Indian Navy, Ministry of Defence, to ensure their safety.” Delhi: Director in the Shipping Division of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW), Opesh Kumar Sharma says, “There has been a recent report that today around 1.30 …