Indian refiners have bought about 60 million barrels of Russian oil for delivery next month, according to people familiar with the matter, easing supply concerns as the West Asia war chokes flows.

The cargoes were booked at premiums of $5 to $15 a barrel to Brent, said the people, who asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of the trade.

Harish Rana, the first person in India to be allowed passive euthanasia, passed away on Tuesday at AIIMS-Delhi after more than 13 years in coma, sources said.

The 31-year-old, who has been in a coma since 2013, was shifted from his Ghaziabad home to the palliative care unit at Dr BR Ambedkar Institute Rotary Cancer Hospital at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences on March 14.

Food delivery platform Swiggy has increased its platform fee to ₹17.58 per order (including GST) from ₹14.99 earlier. This marks a 17.27 per cent increase. The hike comes soon after rival Zomato also raised its effective platform fee to ₹14.90.

Swiggy’s ₹17.58 fee already includes GST. In comparison, Zomato charges a base platform fee of ₹14.90, plus ₹2.68 GST, totalling to ₹17.58 per order.

The Government of India has called for an all-party meeting on March 25 (Wednesday) at 5 PM on the West Asia crisis.

Earlier today, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh chaired a review meeting in the wake of recent global and regional security events, and also to review India's defence preparedness.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said the government is trying to procure gas and crude oil from all available sources, and efforts will continue in the coming days as the war in West Asia has created a serious energy crisis globally.

In a statement in the Rajya Sabha, Modi said the war in West Asia is a cause of concern, and India wants peace in the region through dialogue and diplomacy.

Traders have offered Iranian oil to Indian refiners at a premium to ICE Brent after Washington temporary removed sanctions ​to ease the energy crisis caused by the US -Israeli war on ​Iran, three industry sources said.

India, the world's third-biggest oil importer and consumer, has not received ‌a cargo from Tehran since May 2019 after it came under US pressure not to buy Iranian crude.

Hours after US President Donald Trump announced a pause on attacks targeting Iran’s power infrastructure, strikes were reported at energy facilities in the cities of Isfahan and Khorramshahr, according to Iran’s Fars News Agency.

The report said a gas administration building and a gas pressure reduction station on Kaveh Street in northern Isfahan were hit on Tuesday

US President Donald Trump said on Monday he had ordered a five-day pause on planned military strikes targeting Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure, citing “very good and productive” talks with Tehran as discussions continued. However, Iran’s Foreign Ministry has reportedly rejected his claim.

Iran will attack Israel's power plants and those supplying US bases across the Gulf region if President Donald Trump carries out his threat to "obliterate" Iran's power network, the Revolutionary Guards said in a statement on Monday.

They appeared to retract earlier threats to attack desalination plants, which are crucial for providing drinking water in Gulf countries.

Supply contraints of LPG cylinders showed no signs of abating in parts of West Bengal on Monday, with gas distributors, transporters and restaurants reporting disruption in operations amid the crunch.

Bijan Biswas, vice-president of the Indane LPG Distributors' Association in Bengal, said the overall situation has not improved significantly.

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