Travellers between India and Dubai are facing significant disruptions at Dubai International Airport (DXB) due to unprecedented rainfall, with multiple flights cancelled and travellers stranded in the water-logged city. The situation, which began on April 16, is expected to continue until at least Sunday, April 21, according to senior airline officials. Over the past two days, DXB has witnessed an extraordinary 1,244 flight cancellations and 61 diversions to nearby airports due to flooding caused by relentless rains. Indian carriers alone estimate that around 10,000 passengers have been affected by nearly 50 flight cancellations to Dubai.

Senior executives from both Indian and West Asian carriers have confirmed that disruptions, including delays and cancellations, are likely to persist until Sunday based on communication received from Dubai Airport authorities. Plans are underway to deploy larger aircraft with higher capacity once operations return to full strength at the airport, to accommodate affected passengers. The torrential rain, amounting to up to 259.5mm (10.2in), has led to challenges not only for travellers but also for airlines. European carriers, which typically use Dubai as a stopover between south India and Europe, are considering deploying larger planes on Indian routes to avoid the disrupted stopover in Dubai. While Emirates, IndiGo, Air India, and SpiceJet operate numerous flights between India and Dubai, flight operations have been severely impacted since April 16.

IndiGo, for instance, posted on April 17 that flights to and from Dubai were cancelled until noon on April 18 due to airport restrictions and operational challenges caused by bad weather and road blockages. Passengers have shared harrowing experiences of delays, cancellations, and challenging conditions at the airport and in the city. Aishwarya Reddy, a traveller from the decadal lows witnessed in the previous fiscal year. This resurgence underscores the industry’s adaptability and resilience in the face of adversity, as spinners recalibrate their strategies to optimize profitability amidst challenging market conditions. Furthermore, the projected revenue growth of 4-6% is indicative of a positive trajectory for the industry, fuelled by moderate expansion in downstream demand.

The buoyancy in segments such as readymade garments and home textiles augurs well for spinners, as they capitalize on domestic sales volume to drive revenue growth. This diversification of revenue streams mitigates the reliance on export markets, thereby enhancing the industry’s stability and sustainability. Despite the tapering export growth forecasted for the current fiscal year due to sluggish global economic conditions, the remarkable recovery witnessed in the preceding year underscores the industry’s resilience and adaptability. The revival in demand, coupled with operational efficiencies, has from Bengaluru, described her journey as terrifying due to severe delays and a frightening landing experience, followed by challenges in navigating a water-logged city with limited transport options.

Similarly, Anuradha Chowdhary, a frequent flyer, faced three flight cancellations within a day, highlighting the frustration and financial losses incurred due to last-minute re-bookings at significantly higher prices. As the situation unfolds, affected passengers and airlines are grappling with the logistical and financial implications of the disruptions, with concerns mounting about the duration and severity of the weather-related challenges.

The Israeli offensive in Gaza aimed at destroying Hamas has caused widespread devastation and killed over 33,800 people, according to local health officials.

On Tuesday, the United Nations appealed for 2.8 billion dollars to provide desperately needed aid to 3 million Palestinians, stressing that tackling looming famine in war-torn Gaza requires not only food but sanitation, water and health facilities. Andrea De Domenico, the head of the UN humanitarian office for Gaza and the West Bank, told reporters that massive operations are required to restore those services and meet minimum standards and this can’t be done during military operations. He pointed to the destruction of hospitals, water and sanitation facilities, homes, roads and schools, adding that there is not a single university that is standing in Gaza.

De Domenico said Israel’s recently-ended second major military operation at Shifa Hospital, Gaza’s largest medical facility, was so destructive the facility has been forced to shut down. As an example, he questioned what the military objective was in shooting an MRI scanner that examines parts of the body and can detect cancers. He said his team has been dealing with a scene of terror at the hospital, with UN and Palestinian colleagues helping people try to recognize family members from shoes or clothes on the remnants of corpses.

Israel promised to open more border crossings into Gaza and increase the flow of aid into Gaza after its drone strikes killed seven aid workers from the World Central Kitchen who were delivering food into the territory on 1 April. The killings were condemned by Israel’s closest allies and heightened criticism of Israel’s conduct in the 6-month-old war with Hamas, sparked by the extremist group’s surprise attack in southern Israel that killed about 1,200 people and led some 250 others to be taken hostage.

The Israeli offensive in Gaza aimed at destroying Hamas has caused widespread devastation and killed over 33,800 people, according to local health officials. De Domenico said there are signs of Israel’s good intention to get more humanitarian assistance into Gaza, citing the opening of a crossing to the north, which faces the most serious threat of famine, and the opening of bakeries there. But the UN keeps pushing Israel to do more, he said. De Domenico pointed to Israeli denials and delays on UN requests for aid convoys to enter Gaza.

He said 41% of UN requests that required going through Israeli checkpoints were denied during the week from April 6-12, and last week a convoy from the Un children’s agency UNICEF and the UN World Food Programme was caught in crossfire in an area that was supposed to be safe. De Domenico said convoys often spend hours at checkpoints and are only cleared in the afternoon, too late to make deliveries and return safely in daylight hours. He said the Israelis know this is how the UN operates, and delays allow them to say we’re not blindly denying you while controlling what happens.

We continue to engage with them and our objective is really to solve the issue and deliver aid, he said. According to the international community’s authority on determining the severity of hunger crises, famine is imminent in northern Gaza where 70% of people are experiencing catastrophic hunger. And its recent report warned that escalating the war could push half of Gaza’s 2.3 million people to the brink of starvation.

De Domenico said the UN appeal was scaled back from 4 billion dollars because of difficulties in getting aid into Gaza and most importantly getting it to the people who need it most. He said 90% of the 2.8 billion dollars being sought for the rest of the year is for Gaza and 10% is for the West Bank, which has seen an upsurge in violence and settler attacks.

The Office for National Statistics, the U.K.’s gross domestic product (GDP) increased by 0.1% in February, indicating a continuation of sluggish economic growth for the year. This figure matches the forecast from a Reuter’s poll. However, on an annual basis, GDP was 0.2% lower. The U.K. experienced economic contraction in the third and fourth quarters of 2023, resulting in a technical recession. January saw modest growth, which was revised upward to 0.3% on Friday. In February, construction output declined by 1.9%, contrasting with a 1.1% increase in production output, which the primary contributor to GDP growth became.

Meanwhile, growth in the U.K.’s dominant services sector slowed to 0.1% from 0.3%. Paul Dales, chief U.K. economist at Capital Economics, remarked that these readings “all-but confirm the end of the recession” from the previous year. “But while we expect a better economic recovery than most, we doubt it will be strong enough to prevent inflation (and interest rates) from falling much further as appears to be happening in the U.S.,” Dales added. British inflation fell more than expected in March, to a nearly two-and-a-half year low of 3.4%.

In the U.S., however, price rises came in higher than forecast at 3.5% this week, pushing back market bets for the start of interest rate cuts from the summer to September. This has raised questions about whether central banks elsewhere will be influenced by a later start from the Federal Reserve than previously expected, particularly if the U.S. dollar strengthens. Goldman Sachs on Friday revised its forecast for Bank of England rate cuts this year from five to four, projecting the trims will start in June, before slowing to a quarterly pace.

Simon French, chief economist at Panmure Gordon, told CNBC’s “Squawk Box Europe” on Friday that while the BOE is independent, policymakers will nevertheless be conscious of an upcoming U.K. national election, which politicians have suggested will be held in the second half of the year. “Do you get [cuts] out of the way ahead of that general election? There is quite a lot of pressure from the governing party, not necessarily the prime minister but the chancellor has talked about expecting rate cuts.”

Overall, French said the figures strongly indicated the end of the recession but were “not a reason to hang out the bunting.” Growth remains below its pre-pandemic levels and trails behind the U.S., but is comparable to many European counterparts. French noted signs of improvement, particularly in sectors like manufacturing and automobile production.

India and Peru on Friday discussed trade in goods, trade in services, movement of natural persons, rules of origin among other matters during the seventh round of negotiations for the India-Peru FTA from 8-11 April 2024. India has called for effective and fast-track negotiations and ensuring that an understanding of strengths and respecting sensitivities of each other forms the basic principle of negotiations with Peru for a free trade agreement. The seventh round of talks involved understanding priorities and concerns of each other and ensuring that the negotiations are rooted in mutual respect and benefit.

Peru has emerged as the third-largest trading partner of India in Latin American and Caribbean Region. In the last two decades, the trade between India and Peru has increased from USD 66 million in 2003 to around USD 3.68 billion in 2023.The trade agreement under negotiations shall play a pivotal role in future collaboration in various sectors, creating avenues for mutual benefit and advancement. The seventh round of discussions also ranged across sanitary and phytosanitary measures, technical barriers to trade, custom procedures and trade facilitation, initial provisions and general definitions, legal and institutional provisions, final provisions, trade remedies, general and security exceptions, dispute settlment and cooperation.

It was the visit of Teresa Stella Mera Gomez, Vice Minister of Foreign Trade, Peru to India and the bilateral discussions held during the sidelines of the 9th CII India-LAC Conclave in August, 2023, which played a key role in resuming of the negotiations. The modalities of negotiation may emerge from appropriate stakeholder consultations, feedback from the industry and the negotiating teams should engage in gainful and explorative approach. India and Peru have held two rounds of negotiation within two months which, as Rajesh Agrawal, Chief Negotiator & Additional Secretary, Department of Commerce, pointed out, is testimony to the willingness between both the countries to have a deeper economic cooperation.

Ambassador of Peru in India Javier Manuel Paulinich Velarde mentioned that the recent negotiations have laid down the ground work for a substantial foundation and exhibited confidence on the outcomes of negotiations towards fostering partnership. Peruvian Chief Negotiator, Gerardo Antonio Meza Grillo from the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism, emphasized on flexibility and pragmatism by negotiating teams to reach mutual solutions. Around 60 delegates together from both sides participated in the negotiations.

Substantial convergence in the text of the agreement was achieved during the round and detailed discussions were held on the aspirations and sensitivities between both parties. The next round expected in June, 2024 will be preceded by intersessional negotiations over VC to ensure that outstanding issues are resolved before the two parties meet again.

In accordance with President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s instructions, the UAE has announced a USD 15 million allocation to support the “Amalthea Fund.” This initiative, endorsed by the Republic of Cyprus, aims to aid the maritime corridor initiative linking Cyprus and the Gaza Strip. The fund was established to facilitate and coordinate the flow of aid arriving in Gaza, and ensure that aid is delivered as effectively as possible.

The fund also aims to strengthen the capacity for the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza, by providing flexible funding modalities for parties concerned with enhancing the humanitarian response to contribute to these endeavours. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) stressed in a statement that the UAE’s contribution to this fund stems from its commitment to address the worsening catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip through this multilateral cooperative approach, which achieved a historical precedent for helping the Palestinian people before the suspension of the maritime corridor between Cyprus and the Strip.

The Ministry underlined the importance of immediately mitigating the worsening catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Strip, and ensuring the immediate and widespread flow of aid, safely, unhindered, and sustainably delivered, through all available channels by land, air and sea.

The Ministry affirmed that within the historic commitment towards the brotherly Palestinian people, the UAE, under its wise leadership, continues to provide critical humanitarian aid and supplies to the Strip, and believes that the maritime corridor is part of a sustained effort to increase the urgent flow of aid and goods through all roads and mechanisms, while ensuring protection for relief workers.

The Joint Operations Command of the Ministry of Defence announced the successful completion of the 30th “Birds of Goodness” airdrop operation, delivering 125 tonnes of humanitarian aid and Eid clothing to northern Gaza.

The airdrop, which took place on April 10, 2024, was the largest to date and involved six aircraft: three C-17s from the UAE Air Force, two C295s and one C-130 from the Egyptian Air Force. The airdropped supplies encompassed essential food items alongside special Eid clothing parcels for families. These parcels contained clothes, toys, sweets, and various products for all family members.

The mission aimed to address the needs of the Palestinian people in Gaza during Eid Al Fitr, fostering hope and joy while alleviating their hardships. The operation targeted isolated areas in northern Gaza that are difficult to access by land. The total amount of aid delivered since the launch of “Birds of Goodness” has reached 1,857 tonnes of food and relief supplies.

This brings the total amount of aid sent by the UAE to northern Gaza to over 2,227 tonnes, including both land shipments through the Kerem Shalom crossing and airdrops via “Birds of Goodness.” The “Birds of Goodness” campaign is part of Operation “Chivalrous Knight 3” to support the Palestinian people in Gaza.