The Ministry of Civil Aviation on Thursday said it is closely monitoring the evolving situation in West Asia and its impact on air connectivity between India and several destinations in the region, as airlines begin restoring some operations affected by US, Israel strike on Iran.. Riyadh in Saudi Arabia has seen damage as Iran retaliates to US-Israeli conflict by attacking their bases in its neighbouring countries. (Reuters Photo). Flights to and from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, have restarted from March 12, marking a key step in restoring vital air connectivity between India and the Gulf, according to a press release.. On the first day of operations, Air India and IndiGo operated three services to Mumbai, while Air India Express ran one service to Calicut, reflecting a phased resumption strategy.. Between February 28 and March 11, over 1.5 lakh passengers (1,50,457) travelled from Gulf countries to India, underscoring the importance of these routes for Indian travellers.. To maintain connectivity across the region, Indian carriers have scheduled 57 inbound flights on March 2026 from cities including Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Fujairah, Jeddah, Muscat, Ras Al Khaimah, Riyadh, and Sharjah, though operations remain subject to prevailing conditions and operational feasibility.. The Ministry is coordinating closely with airlines and other stakeholders to ensure smooth passenger movement, while also monitoring ticket prices to prevent any undue surge during this period. Passengers are advised to stay in touch with their airlines for the latest updates on flight schedules and travel arrangements.. MoCA has confirmed that it will continue to review the situation in West Asia and provide further updates as needed, reflecting ongoing efforts to manage air travel safely amid regional uncertainties. 

 A 40-year-old man on Wednesday night allegedly killed his wife and daughter with a sword in Jaipur and then remained with the bodies overnight until the police arrived to arrest him on Thursday morning.. Police arrested a Jaipur man who allegedly killed his wife and young daughter, sitting with their bodies overnight on the terrace. “The incident took place when his son and his brother went to attend a relative’s wedding function. Prima facie, he was stressed over his deteriorating health and poor financial condition. We are probing the matter,” Jaipur Superintendent of Police (Rural) Shivlal Bairwa said.. The accused, Surjeet Singh, works in a local factory in Jaipur’s Mokhampura. “He was diagnosed with tuberculosis a year ago and since then his health was not good. He used to fight with his wife almost daily. He was probably not in the right state of mind,” Bairwa said.. On Wednesday, his wife Saroj Devi (35) and daughter Anshika (8) were sleeping on the terrace.. “Surjeet returned from the factory, took out a sword, and suddenly attacked Saroj. He first slit her throat multiple times. When Anshika woke up, he smothered her to death,” Bairwa said.. After killing the duo, he sat with the two bodies overnight. “In the morning, he started screaming from the terrace, calling the neighbours and telling them that he killed them. The locals immediately called the police, who arrived and arrested Surjeet,” SP added.. The police sent the two bodies for autopsy and registered a murder case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). 

 A crude oil tanker carrying Saudi crude reached Mumbai Port on Thursday after navigating the conflict-hit Strait of Hormuz, a route where shipping has slowed sharply since fighting broke out between the United States, Israel and Iran late last month.. The Liberia-flagged Suezmax tanker Shenlong carrying crude oil berths at the Jawahar Dweep terminal of Mumbai Port in Mumbai. (PTI). The Liberia-flagged tanker Shenlong, carrying crude from Saudi Arabia, became the first India-bound vessel to safely navigate the sensitive route during the ongoing conflict. The ship docked in Mumbai on Wednesday evening after making its way through waters where attacks and military activity have stalled maritime traffic.. The journey from Saudi Arabia. The tanker’s voyage began at Ras Tanura, where it loaded crude on March 1. Two days later, the vessel departed with India as its destination.. Also read| Ship heading to India activated ‘Dark Mode’ to pass through Strait of Hormuz. For several days, the tanker’s movements were tracked through maritime monitoring systems as it sailed toward the Strait of Hormuz — the narrow channel that connects the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea and carries a significant share of the world’s oil shipments.. Disappearing from tracking systems. The vessel’s last transmitted position was recorded inside the strait on March 8. Soon after, it vanished from monitoring systems.. Maritime sources said this suggested the crew had switched off the ship’s Automatic Identification System (AIS) while crossing the most sensitive stretch of the route. AIS normally broadcasts a vessel’s location, speed and identity, allowing ships and authorities to track movements at sea.. Also read| First India-bound oil tanker crosses Strait of Hormuz, reaches Mumbai Port. Ships rarely disable this system because international maritime rules require it to remain active. However, in conflict zones such as the Strait of Hormuz during wartime, vessels may temporarily turn off their transponders to avoid detection.. Reappearing after clearing the strait. The tanker reappeared on tracking databases the following day after it had cleared the strait. It then continued its journey toward India without further interruption.. Port officials said the ship reached Mumbai at around 1pm on Wednesday and was later berthed at the Jawahar Dweep Terminal.. “The ship Shenlong is carrying 1,35,335 metric tonnes of crude oil. She is berthed at Jawahar Dweep Terminal and has started discharging the cargo,” said Praveen Singh, deputy conservator of the Mumbai Port Authority.. The crude will be sent to refineries in Mahul, located in eastern Mumbai.. The crew and cargo. The tanker is owned by Shenlong Shipping Ltd and managed by Dynacom Tanker Management Ltd.. Officials said the vessel has a crew of 29, including Indians, Pakistanis and Filipinos. The ship is commanded by Captain Sukshant Singh Sandhu, and unloading of the crude cargo is expected to take around 36 hours 

 Amid closure of hotels and restaurants over concerns of fuel shortage, the ministry of petroleum and natural gas on Thursday announced that some commercial liquid petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders will be released, adding that state governments will identify beneficiaries.. A worker sits over LPG cylinders during distribution at a gas agency, in Chikkamagaluru, Karnataka, Wednesday. (PTI). The oil ministry also said that 40,000 kilolitre of additional kerosene has been allocated to states as an alternative to LPG,.. Sujata Sharma, joint secretary, ministry of petroleum and natural gas, said during an inter-ministerial briefing that almost 50 lakh cylinders are delivered on a daily basis, adding that no dry out has been reported “on the distribution side”.. ALSO READ | ‘No shortage of fuel’: Energy minister Hardeep Puri’s assurance amid Strait of Hormuz closure. “But there is a manifold increase in bookings because of the panic. We urge the citizens to avoid panic booking…State governments have been requested to identify the list of beneficiaries so that the delivery of the cylinder, commercial cylinder, can be made on a priority basis,” Sharma added.. She further said that every quarter, the government makes an allocation of almost 1 lakh kilolitre of kerosene to the states. “Today, the order has been released and another 48,000 kilolitres of kerosene will be released to the state governments,” she added.. Following yesterday’s figure of 25 per cent, Sharma said that the LPG production has now increased to 28 per cent. “We have a very vast network of retail outlets. Almost one lakh retail outlets are operating in the country. The majority of these are with public sector oil marketing companies. No dry out has been reported on any of these retail outlets,” she said during the press briefing.. Panic to book cylinders. Fears and concerns over the LPG shortage have been taking over the states across the country. Consumers have been rushing to their gas agencies in a panic to book cylinders.. Amid the ongoing panic, senior Delhi police officials reportedly directed their officers to prepare a list of gas agencies in their respective jurisdictions and deploy personnel to maintain the law and order situation.. ALSO READ | Bengaluru restaurant shuts doors amid LPG shortage. ‘Heart is broken,’ says owner. The move also aims to curtail any attempts at black marketing cooking gas cylinders during the ongoing supply crunch, and ensure smooth distribution of the cylinders.. “The SHOs will deploy police personnel along with PCR vans and motorcycle patrol riders near gas agencies to maintain law and order and ensure that the distribution process remains smooth,” a senior officer was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.. Several hotels and restaurants have also reportedly closed their doors amid the shortage.. Oil minister’s ‘full assurance’. Union petroleum minister Hardeep Singh Puri, earlier in the day, briefed the Lok Sabha about the current situat 

 Amid closure of hotels and restaurants over concerns of fuel shortage, the ministry of petroleum and natural gas on Thursday announced that some commercial liquid petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders will be released, adding that state governments will identify beneficiaries.. A worker sits over LPG cylinders during distribution at a gas agency, in Chikkamagaluru, Karnataka, Wednesday. (PTI). The oil ministry also said that 40,000 kilolitre of additional kerosene has been allocated to states as an alternative to LPG,.. Sujata Sharma, joint secretary, ministry of petroleum and natural gas, said during an inter-ministerial briefing that almost 50 lakh cylinders are delivered on a daily basis, adding that no dry out has been reported “on the distribution side”.. ALSO READ | ‘No shortage of fuel’: Energy minister Hardeep Puri’s assurance amid Strait of Hormuz closure. “But there is a manifold increase in bookings because of the panic. We urge the citizens to avoid panic booking…State governments have been requested to identify the list of beneficiaries so that the delivery of the cylinder, commercial cylinder, can be made on a priority basis,” Sharma added.. She further said that every quarter, the government makes an allocation of almost 1 lakh kilolitre of kerosene to the states. “Today, the order has been released and another 48,000 kilolitres of kerosene will be released to the state governments,” she added.. Following yesterday’s figure of 25 per cent, Sharma said that the LPG production has now increased to 28 per cent. “We have a very vast network of retail outlets. Almost one lakh retail outlets are operating in the country. The majority of these are with public sector oil marketing companies. No dry out has been reported on any of these retail outlets,” she said during the press briefing.. Panic to book cylinders. Fears and concerns over the LPG shortage have been taking over the states across the country. Consumers have been rushing to their gas agencies in a panic to book cylinders.. Amid the ongoing panic, senior Delhi police officials reportedly directed their officers to prepare a list of gas agencies in their respective jurisdictions and deploy personnel to maintain the law and order situation.. ALSO READ | Bengaluru restaurant shuts doors amid LPG shortage. ‘Heart is broken,’ says owner. The move also aims to curtail any attempts at black marketing cooking gas cylinders during the ongoing supply crunch, and ensure smooth distribution of the cylinders.. “The SHOs will deploy police personnel along with PCR vans and motorcycle patrol riders near gas agencies to maintain law and order and ensure that the distribution process remains smooth,” a senior officer was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.. Several hotels and restaurants have also reportedly closed their doors amid the shortage.. Oil minister’s ‘full assurance’. Union petroleum minister Hardeep Singh Puri, earlier in the day, briefed the Lok Sabha about the current situat