NEW DELHI: BRICS nations, including Iran and Russia, met in New Delhi on Thursday, where India warned of &quot;considerable flux&quot; in a world hit by conflict, economic uncertainty and energy insecurity. The war in Iran and the related fuel crisis are dominating discussions in the two-day gathering. India was hosting the foreign ministers from the expanded bloc that now includes Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates -- countries at odds over the conflict launched by the United States and Israel on February 28. &quot;We meet at a time of considerable flux in international relations,&quot; India&#39;s Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said in his opening speech, before closed meetings began. Among the foreign ministers attending were Iran&#39;s Abbas Araghchi and Russia&#39;s Sergei Lavrov. &quot;Ongoing conflicts, economic uncertainties, and challenges in trade, technology, and climate are shaping the global landscape,&quot; Jaishankar added, saying many countries &quot;continue to face challenges on energy, food, fertilizer, and health security&quot;. Disruptions around Gulf shipping routes and the Strait of Hormuz continue to drive volatility in oil and gas markets, increasing pressure on energy-importing economies, including India. India&#39;s foreign ministry also condemned an attack on an Indian-flagged ship off Oman on Wednesday as &quot;unacceptable&quot; -- with all sailors rescued safely by Muscat. &quot;We deplore the fact that commercial shipping and civilian mariners continue to be targeted,&quot; the foreign ministry said, without giving further details of who launched the attack. Araghchi, speaking in New Delhi, insisted that the Strait of Hormuz &quot;is open for all&quot; commercial vessels that &quot;cooperate&quot; with its navy. &quot;There is no such thing as a military solution to anything related to Iran,&quot; Araghchi said. &quot;We Iranians never bow to any pressure or threat, but we reciprocate the language of respect.&quot; &#39;Volatile global environment&#39;The conflict involving Iran has added strain to India&#39;s economy, which is heavily reliant on Middle Eastern energy supplies and fertilizer imports, and has cast uncertainty over New Delhi&#39;s growth outlook. India, the world&#39;s third-largest oil buyer, normally sources about half of its crude through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway that has been repeatedly blocked since the war began. Ship‑tracking and import data show that India has partially plugged the gap by turning to old allies, expanding promising ties and reviving suppliers it had not tapped in years. The biggest backstop has been Russian crude -- a fuel source New Delhi spent much of the past year trying to pivot away from under stiff US tariffs. Jaishankar met with Lavrov on Wednesday evening. &quot;Our political cooperation is even more valuable in an uncertain and volatile global environment,&quot; Jaishankar said in remarks at the meeting, adding that discussions included &quot;trade and investment, energy and connectivity&quot;. BRICS expandsBRICS was created in 2009 as a forum for major emerging economies seeking greater influence in institutions dominated by Western powers. The grouping, originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, has since expanded, as members sought to boost the bloc&#39;s global political and economic influence. It now includes Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates. China&#39;s Foreign Minister Wang Yi was not attending, with US President Donald Trump in Beijing on Thursday. India will hold a leaders&#39; summit later this year, and the foreign ministers will also meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the foreign ministry said. With deep divisions among some members, including over the war in the Middle East and criticism of Western powers, it was unclear whether a joint statement would be released at the meeting&#39;s end.

Asia

Americas

China

Africa

Middle East

Ministers meet amid widening geopolitical tensions, energy shocks and trade uncertainty, with the war in Iran exposing divisions within the expanded bloc and raising doubts about a joint statement.

Iran war and oil dominate BRICS meet in India

Web Desk

DHAKA: Bangladesh will begin loading uranium fuel into its first nuclear power station on Tuesday, a key step towards bringing the 2,400 megawatt plant online to ease pressure on the overstretched power grid. When operating, it could meet up to 10 percent of the power demands of the South Asian nation of 170 million people, according to the government. Construction began on the $11 billion Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant in 2017, with initial power generation of around 300 MW hoped to come online by August, before full production in late 2027. &quot;A controlled nuclear fission chain reaction will be initiated in the reactor core, once fuel loading is completed,&quot; Saikat Ahmed, the plant&#39;s senior scientific information officer told AFP. &quot;This marks the start of the physical start-up phase.&quot; The grid in Bangladesh is stretched every year during the summer heat, when people crank up power-hungry air conditioners. But restrictions have been made worse after an energy crunch due to the Middle East war. Bangladesh imports 95 percent of its oil and gas, much of it from the Middle East, where energy shipments through the Strait of Hormuz have been disrupted since war began in late February. Science and Technology Minister Fakir Mahbub Anam, speaking earlier this month, said it was hoped the plant would supply around 300 megawatts of electricity to the grid by August. But the process requires a slow process of testing at each stage. &quot;This is a complex and sensitive phase, and every aspect of safety and security will be further evaluated before full-scale production,&quot; said Shafiqul Islam, a professor of nuclear engineering at the University of Dhaka.

Bangladesh

Bangladesh will load uranium into its first nuclear plant at Rooppur, starting physical start-up. The $11 billion, 2,400 MW project aims to ease grid pressure, supply 300 MW by August, and reach full output by late 2027.

Bangladesh starts fuelling its first nuclear power station

ISLAMABAD: During a meeting focused on energy security, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed the authorities to accelerate Pakistan&#39;s transition to electric vehicles and establish strategic reserves of crude oil. He emphasized that these initiatives are now crucial components of the country&#39;s long-term planning. &quot;Timely measures and energy conservation have helped prevent an energy crisis despite the current regional situation,&quot; the PM said during the briefing, according to a press statement issued by the Prime Minister&#39;s Office. The PM called for a gradual shift to electric vehicles (EVs), directing that &quot;in the future, only electric buses and motorcycles should be procured for official use.&quot; He also ordered that &quot;steps be accelerated for the establishment of EV charging stations.&quot; The prime minister instructed officials to advance plans to maintain strategic crude oil reserves, saying the initiative should continue in view of future energy needs. &quot;Local production of high-quality storage batteries should be encouraged,&quot; he added. According to the press statement, officials briefing the meeting said that the National Coordination and Management Council, formed in view of the regional situation, was monitoring developments in the energy sector daily. They added that Pakistan currently has &quot;adequate petroleum reserves&quot; and that the country&rsquo;s food security situation &quot;remains stable.&quot;

Pakistan Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif chairing a meeting regarding energy security. Islamabad, 23 April 2026. (Photo: X/@PakPMO)

Economy

Security

Emphasizes that these initiatives are now crucial components of the country's long-term planning.

Pakistan PM directs shift to electric vehicles, strategic oil reserves amid regional tensions

NEW DELHI: India&#39;s fertilizer production plunged nearly a quarter in March, official data showed, after natural gas imports used in its manufacture were hit by the Middle East conflict. Natural gas is used to power the production of urea, a key part of the lifeline fertilizers used by India&#39;s vast agriculture sector, making it deeply sensitive to global energy price swings. The slump comes after Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, through which key energy supplies and fertilizer-linked inputs pass, after the United States and Israel launched their war on the country on February 28. A third of the world&#39;s fertilizers normally transit the waterway, and the disruption has prompted multiple warnings about the impact on food production Individual farms are small and often unproductive, but agriculture employs more than 45 percent of people in India, the world&#39;s most populous nation. &quot;Fertilizer production declined by 24.6 percent in March 2026, over March 2025,&quot; the Ministry of Commerce said in a statement late Monday. The drop came after output had risen 3.4 percent in February, 3.7 percent in January and 4.1 percent in December 2025. India&#39;s Ministry of Petroleum has insisted there are &quot;adequate stocks of fertilisers available&quot;, and that the &quot;sourcing of fertilizers being diversified across multiple countries&quot;. India&#39;s fertilizer demand peaks during the Kharif sowing season, in June to July, ahead of the monsoon rains, and then again for the Rabi season, from October to November, for sowing of winter crops. Earlier in April, India hiked subsidies for fertilizers 11 percent to protect farmers from surging prices. India relies on imports for supplies of urea, as well raw materials such as rock phosphate, phosphoric acid and potash, which are key components of fertilizers. Disruptions to fertilizer supplies caused by the Middle East war pose a double threat to global food security, the World Trade Organization warned last month.

India

India’s fertilizer output fell 24.6 percent in March after Middle East conflict disrupted gas-linked supplies, raising concerns over farm inputs and food security despite government assurances on stocks and subsidies.

India fertilizer output drops a quarter on Mideast war

Pakistan TV

ISLAMABAD: Russia stands ready to &ldquo;lend a helping hand whenever needed,&rdquo; said the Russian Energy Minister Sergei Tsivilev, adding that he arrived in Islamabad on the direct instructions of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who believes that bilateral ties continued to grow stronger each year. In an exclusive interview with Pakistan TV on Thursday, during his visit to Islamabad, Tsivilev called the 10th meeting of the Pakistan-Russia Intergovernmental Commission (IGC) a &ldquo;turning point&rdquo; in bilateral ties.&nbsp; He reaffirmed Moscow&rsquo;s commitment to expanding long-term cooperation with Pakistan across energy, pharmaceuticals, education, tourism, and space technology. &ldquo;I have arrived in Islamabad on the direct instructions of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who conveyed respect to the Pakistani nation and believes that bilateral ties continue to grow stronger with each passing year,&rdquo; the Russian minister said, adding that President Putin wishes every success to the IGC and hopes for the launch of maximum joint projects for the development of both nations. Russia, Pakistan to develop joint space programTsivilev highlighted a series of initiatives aimed at deepening collaboration, one of which is the joint space program. He said, &ldquo;Russia and Pakistan are developing a joint program in the outer space, and it&#39;s very important that young people see these cosmonauts.&rdquo;He said perhaps, it will inspire the youth to pursue their dream of joining this research and with enough determination, it is attainable for anyone, &ldquo;including women.&rdquo; &ldquo;Russia will always stand by Pakistan&rdquo;The minister said Russia values its friendship with Pakistan and remains ready to assist whenever needed.&nbsp;&ldquo;We are always prepared to lend a helping hand to the friendly nation of Pakistan,&rdquo; he said&nbsp;Insulin production in Pakistan priority for &lsquo;pharmaceutical security&rsquo;One of the most concrete proposals discussed was localized insulin production in Pakistan. Tsivilyov said Moscow wants Pakistan to achieve &ldquo;pharmaceutical security&rdquo; by manufacturing essential medicines domestically rather than relying on imports.&nbsp;He confirmed that the final pricing model, aligned with the cost of American-made insulin currently imported by Pakistan, will be discussed during the IGC meeting. He added that Russia is open to jointly producing additional medicines and vaccines, including veterinary vaccines crucial for livestock protection.&nbsp;Energy Justice: A shared vision for developmentThe minister reiterated Russia&rsquo;s global call for &ldquo;energy justice,&rdquo; pointing to the urgent need for equal access to reliable electricity in developing regions.&nbsp;&ldquo;Energy today defines competitiveness, transport systems, AI infrastructure, even finance through cryptocurrencies,&rdquo; he said, adding that Russia has raised the issue at BRICS and SCO forums.&nbsp;Tsivilev said Pakistan-Russia cooperation in the energy sector will expand as new technologies and investments are explored.&nbsp;Engineering Education: Russia proposes joint schools and trainingA major long-term initiative Tsivilev announced is the potential rollout of Russia&rsquo;s Engineering Schools Program in Pakistan.The model begins at the secondary-school level with specialized physics, chemistry, and mathematics tracks, followed by university training and industrial internships.&nbsp;He said Russia aims to train 300,000 engineers by 2030 and is ready to include Pakistani students in a similar pipeline.&nbsp;&ldquo;It&rsquo;s time to invest in children. In five to seven years, the payback will be far greater than any money spent today,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;Tourism and direct flights on the agendaTourism emerged as another expanding avenue, with both sides seeing strong interest from travelers. Tsivilyov said Pakistan and Russia must &ldquo;remove existing restrictions&rdquo; and simplify travel, adding that increased tourism flows could justify regular direct flights between the two countries. This issue remained a key focus of working-group meetings ahead of the IGC sessions, he confirmed.

Foreign Affairs

Russia’s energy minister called the Pakistan–Russia IGC a turning point, outlining deeper cooperation in energy, pharma, education, tourism, and space while reaffirming Putin’s message that Moscow stands ready to support Pakistan whenever needed.

President Putin believes Russia’s relationship with Pakistan strengthening every year: Russian minister

WASHINGTON: The United States wants Japan to halt Russian energy imports, US. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Wednesday, hours after President Donald Trump announced that India would stop buying oil from Moscow. Bessent said on X that he discussed with visiting Japanese Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato Washington&rsquo;s &ldquo;expectation that Japan stop importing Russian energy.&rdquo;Japan relies heavily on importing oil and gas from abroad. In 2023, Japan spent 582 billion yen ($3.9 billion) importing Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG), according to the latest customs data available. This accounted for 8.9 percent of its total LNG imports. Japanese media in Washington quoted Kato declining to be drawn out on Bessent&rsquo;s comments. &ldquo;I&rsquo;d like to refrain from discussing what other ministers said,&rdquo; Kato was quoted as saying. &ldquo;We are committed to doing what we can to realize a just peace in Ukraine by coordinating with fellow G7 countries,&rdquo; he said. On Wednesday, Trump said that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised him New Delhi would stop buying Russian oil. &ldquo;You know, you can&rsquo;t do it immediately. It&rsquo;s a little bit of a process, but the process is going to be over with soon,&rdquo; Trump told reporters. Modi has previously defended buying oil from Russia, a historic partner of India, despite Moscow&rsquo;s invasion of Ukraine. Trump in August raised tariffs on Indian exports to the United States to 50 percent, with Trump&rsquo;s aides accusing India of fueling Russia&rsquo;s war in Ukraine. Bessent said that he and Kato also discussed &ldquo;plans for mobilizing Japan&rsquo;s strategic investment in the United States through the US-Japan trade and investment agreement.&rdquo;

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent looks on during a press conference with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on the sidelines of the IMF/World Bank annual meetings in Washington, D.C., US., October 15, 2025. (REUTERS/Ken Cedeno)

Business

The United States wants Japan to halt Russian energy imports, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Wednesday, hours after President Donald Trump announced that India would stop buying oil from Moscow.

US wants Japan to stop buying Russian energy

ISLAMABAD: Oil prices held steady Monday as markets weighed the impact of Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian refineries against expectations for U.S. fuel demand and a possible Federal Reserve rate cut this week. Brent crude rose 3 cents to $67.02 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate gained 8 cents to $62.77 by 12:09 a.m. GMT, the global standard for coordination. Ukraine strikes Russian infrastructureBoth benchmarks rose more than 1% last week after Ukraine struck key Russian energy infrastructure, including the Primorsk terminal and the Kirishi refinery. Primorsk, Russia&rsquo;s largest oil port in the west, can load about 1 million barrels per day, Reuters reported.&nbsp; The Kirishi refinery processes roughly 355,000 barrels per day, equal to 6.4 percent of Russia&rsquo;s refining capacity. Analysts at JPMorgan said the attacks signaled &ldquo;a growing willingness to disrupt international oil markets,&rdquo; which could put upward pressure on prices. In Russia&rsquo;s Bashkortostan region, local officials said production would continue despite a weekend drone strike.&nbsp; Impending US sanctionsThe pressure grew as U.S. President Donald Trump warned Sunday he was ready to impose tougher sanctions on Russia and urged European nations to match U.S. measures. &ldquo;Europe is buying oil from Russia. I don&rsquo;t want them to buy oil,&rdquo; Trump told reporters. He added that &ldquo;the sanctions they are putting on are not tough enough, and I am willing to do sanctions, but they are going to have to toughen up their sanctions commensurate with what I am doing.&rdquo; Federal reserve policy meetingInvestors are also watching U.S., China and rising inflation have raised concerns about economic momentum ahead of the Federal Reserve&rsquo;s policy meeting on September 16-17, where markets expect a possible interest rate cut to support growth, Reuters reported. The recent developments highlight how geopolitical tensions in Eastern Europe, trade negotiations in Europe, and monetary policy in the United States are converging to shape the global oil market outlook.

Oil prices held steady Monday as markets weighed the impact of Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian refineries against expectations for U.S. fuel demand and a possible Federal Reserve rate cut this week.

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