Geography
Physical geography, resources, disasters and urbanisation
India-China border trade via Lipulekh Pass to resume after six years
Border trade between India and China via Lipulekh Pass in Pithoragarh district, Uttarakhand, is set to resume in 2026 after a six-year suspension. Trade was ...
Why US is weighing Kharg Island takeover — and why it is a major risk
The United States is weighing a ground invasion and occupation of Kharg Island — Iran's primary oil export terminal, which handles approximately 90% of Iran'...
As Iran war prolongs, Indian PMO asks Agriculture Ministry for measures to combat fertilizer, chemicals shortage
India's Prime Minister's Office (PMO) has asked the Ministry of Agriculture to draw up contingency measures to address a potential fertilizer and agricultura...
India to revive key China trade route at Lipulekh in June after six-year break
India is set to reopen the Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand for border trade with China in June 2026, ending a six-year suspension that began in 2020 due to the ...
Prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz could severely disrupt global supply chains: Study
Iran's effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz since late February 2026 has triggered what analysts are calling the largest disruption to the global energy...
Nearly 100 ships pass the Hormuz Strait - who is getting through?
Since Iran's effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz began on February 28, 2026, fewer than 100 commercial ships have crossed the strait in the entire thr...
Oil down 2% as US considers lifting sanctions on Iranian oil loaded on vessels
Global crude oil prices fell 2–3% after US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent signalled that Washington may soon lift sanctions on Iranian crude oil currently ...
EU asks for reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and no more strikes on energy, water sites
All 27 EU heads of state, convening as the European Council in Brussels, issued a joint statement calling for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and a mor...
Climate change could pose a major risk to cassava in Africa: study sets out what can be done now
A new peer-reviewed study mapping cassava suitability and disease risk across Africa through 2080 found that while rising temperatures may expand areas suita...
Six allies ready to help ‘efforts to ensure safe passage’ through Hormuz Strait
Britain, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Japan issued a joint statement declaring readiness "to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe...
Japan's Takaichi tries to reaffirm alliance with Trump as he seeks help securing Strait of Hormuz
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi met with US President Donald Trump at the White House on March 19, 2026, seeking to reaffirm the US-Japan alliance whi...
UN shipping body calls for ‘safe maritime framework’ in Gulf
The International Maritime Organization (IMO), the UN's specialised shipping agency, convened an extraordinary two-day session of its Council in London (Marc...
Why Punjab CM wants Rajasthan to pay Rs 1.44 lakh crore for water used since 1960
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann announced that the state government will formally claim Rs 1.44 lakh crore from Rajasthan for water supplied throug...
Storage in 40% of India’s key reservoirs below 50% of capacity
According to the Central Water Commission's (CWC) weekly bulletin, total water storage across 166 major monitored reservoirs in India stands at 104.13 billio...
World trade in goods may slow to 1.4-1.9% due to West Asia crisis: WTO report
The World Trade Organization released a report projecting global merchandise trade growth will slow sharply to 1.9% in 2026 — down from 4.6% in 2025 — primar...
India faces 'triple threat' amid West Asia crisis, high energy costs, falling remittances, reverse migration: Report
A report by ASK Wealth Advisors has warned that India faces a "triple threat" from the ongoing West Asia conflict: soaring energy costs, declining remittance...
Dire Straits: Some vessels trickle through Hormuz, their unusual paths indicate a nod from Iran
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has been squeezed to a trickle since the US-Israel military campaign against Iran began on February 28, 2026, w...
Iran-Israel war LIVE: Tehran intensifies attacks on Gulf energy facilities after Israel hits Iranian gas field
The US-Israel conflict with Iran, which began on February 28, 2026 (Operation Epic Fury), entered a dangerous new phase on March 18–19 as Israel struck Iran'...
Israel will not attack Iranian gas field any more: U.S. President Donald Trump
U.S. President Donald Trump publicly stated that Israel acted alone in striking Iran's South Pars gas field, distancing the U.S. from the attack. Trump warne...
Tehran intensifies attacks on Gulf energy facilities after Israel hits Iranian gas field
Following Israeli strikes on Iran's South Pars gas field in the Persian Gulf, Iran launched retaliatory attacks on energy infrastructure across the UAE, Qata...