Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday welcomed a host of world leaders, including United States President Joe Biden and United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, at the Bharat Mandapam, the venue of the G20 Summit.

The summit is being attended by more than 30 heads of state and top officials from the European Union and invited guest countries and 14 heads of international organisations.

The silver lining for India's presidency is likely to be the support by almost all G20 countries to its proposal to include the African Union as a permanent member of the bloc that has emerged as perhaps the most influential multilateral forum after the United Nations.

The biggest question looming over the summit is whether there will be a joint leaders' declaration in view of the sharp differences between the West and the Russia-China combine on the text to describe the Ukraine conflict in the document.

While Modi has spent fewer days abroad than his predecessor (270 days versus Dr Singh's 306), he has travelled more extensively and actively than any other Indian PM.

Prime Minister Narendra D Modi will hold over 15 meetings with visiting leaders between Friday, September 8, 2023, and Sunday, September 10, 2023 during the G20 summit in Delhi.

Indian imports of Russian oil plunged by a record in August month-on-month (M-o-M) as discounts on the fuel shrank in tandem with rising Brent oil prices. Higher crude prices will drive inflation or hurt earnings at oil companies and India's fiscal position if such spikes are not passed on to consumers. Indian purchases of Russian crude declined by around 24 per cent in August from July to the lowest level since January, with refiners expecting volumes to drop further amid rising rates of Russian benchmark Urals grade, substantial stocks at refiners, and planned maintenance at Indian refineries, according to ship tracking data and industry officials.

This could become tricky territory for India, given its basically adversarial relationship with China, its moves to block imports and investment from that country, and to deny market access for Chinese technologies, observes T N Ninan.

India will soon meet Iraq and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to seek a definitive rate of discount on crude oil similar to what Russia has provided so far, sources said. Multiple officials and industry executives said Iraq, which is India's biggest oil supplier, wants to discuss the level of discounts expected by Indian refiners. India's focus on snapping up ever-increasing volumes of Russian crude oil has led to a corresponding decline in imports from the Middle East. Flows from Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE have suffered as a result.

"We will examine the latest developments and make a determination about our future engagement with BRICS," Baloch said.

Modi held a "productive meeting" with his Ethiopian counterpart Abiy Ahmed Ali on a day when BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) leaders officially endorsed Ethiopia's entry into the bloc.

Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have been invited to join the grouping.

Showing respect to the Indian flag, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday immediately picked up the tricolour placed on stage at a BRICS meeting here to mark the standing place of every leader so as not to step on it.

Barely days after imposing a 40 per cent export tax on onions to cool down soaring prices, which, in turn, triggered widespread protests across the main growing belts, the Centre on Tuesday sought to mitigate both political and economic tensions gripping parts of Maharashtra. It decided to procure an additional 200,000 tonnes of onions at Rs 2,410 per quintal for its buffer stock from farmers, a rate that is strikingly close to the price at which they were being exported before the 40 per cent duty was levied on August 19. The export price before the imposition of the duty stood at around $320 per tonne free on board (approximately Rs 2,650 per quintal).

New Zealand will travel to England later this month to play four T20 and as many one-day internationals before heading to India for the ODI World Cup in October-November.

Star India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin on Sunday hailed United Arab Emirates (UAE)'s stunning win over New Zealand in a T20I.

The Indian Coast Guard has evacuated a Chinese national from a Panama-flagged research vessel on the Arabian Sea after he suffered a heart attack, the maritime security agency said in a statement on Thursday.

Cristiano Ronaldo guided nine-man Al-Nassr to their first ever Arab Club Champions Cup title after scoring twice in a 2-1 extra-time win.

Trent Boult said that he is hungry as ever to represent the country and play a big role in Kiwis lifting their maiden ICC Cricket World Cup in 2023

Fast bowler Trent Boult is in line to play his first one-day international in almost a year after being included in New Zealand's 15-man squad for a four-match series against England.

Actor Chrisann Pereira, who was released by Sharjah authorities after being implicated in a drugs case, has returned to Mumbai, an official said on Thursday.

With Chhetri and Stimac at helm, AIFF hoping for strong show in Asian Games

Higher discounts on crude oil offered by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to wean India away from Russian crude may soon see Indian refiners ramping up purchases from the Gulf nation, officials at multiple refiners said. They also pointed to the recent agreement on trade settlement in national currencies signed between India and the UAE as a reason for this. "While discussions are underway, the UAE has offered discounts on crude, which will be more than that of the current level of Russian discounts.

Odd and unusual images from around the world.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Abu Dhabi on July 15.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's two-day visit to France beginning July 13 would be both rich in "substance" and set "new benchmark" for strategic partnership between the two countries in years ahead, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said on Wednesday.

Sri Lanka were made to work hard for an 82-run win over Scotland to top Group B

El-Sisi welcomed Modi, who is on a two-day state visit to Egypt, at the Presidential Palace where the two leaders were closeted for one-on-one meeting after which the two sides signed a memorandum of understandng.

Naval ships deployed in the Indian Ocean region are visiting ports of friendly foreign countries and spreading the message of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' on International Day of Yoga forming an 'Ocean Ring of Yoga'.

China on Tuesday inked an agreement worth a whopping USD 4.8 billion with cash-strapped Pakistan to set up a 1,200-megawatt nuclear power plant as a sign of increasing strategic cooperation between the two all-weather allies.

Leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga took a career-best 6/24 as Sri Lanka opened their ICC World Cup Qualifier group league campaign with a crushing 175-run victory over minnows United Arab Emirates

United Arab Emirates (UAE) astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi took to his Twitter to post a few pictures of Cyclone Biparjoy over the Arabian Sea.

Batter George Munsey believes Scotland's recent exploits mean they will be seen as a force to be reckoned with at the ICC Men's World Cup Qualifier.

Sources said Rujira had reached Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata with her two children around 7am before being stopped before immigration.

China on Thursday said Beijing views the BRICS as an "open and inclusive" platform and it backs moves to expand the five-member grouping with "like-minded partners".

The IPL, with an estimated brand value of $8.4 billion, continues to attract the world's top players and coaches.

In a significant development, India is believed to have placed a funding request of around $55 million in its first call with the Pandemic Fund of the World Bank, sources said. The fund has been set up to finance critical investments in a bid to strengthen pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response capacities at national, regional, and global levels, with a focus on low- and middle-income countries. It was created in the aftermath of the Covid-19 global pandemic.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said India faces a 'very complicated challenge' from China, and the Narendra Modi government has taken steps to ensure no attempts are made to change the status quo in the border areas unilaterally.

BCCI denied the claims that BCCI has agreed to Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) hybrid model for the upcoming Asia Cup 2023, said sources.

Exports to India's key markets - the US, the United Arab Emirates, China, Singapore, Bangladesh and Germany - witnessed a sharp decline, resulting in a 12.69 per cent contraction in outbound shipments during the first month of the current financial year, commerce department data showed. India's biggest export market - the US - with 17 per cent share witnessed 17.16 per cent contraction at $5.9 billion in April. This was followed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) that saw 22.09 per cent decline at $2.23 billion exports.