Live blog updates from 12 PM – 3 PM IST on October 14, 2026. All times are in IST.
12:07 PM IST: Piyush Goyal Says India-US Ties Remain ‘Very Good’ Despite Trade Tensions Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said India-US relations remain “very good” despite ongoing trade tensions. (6:37 am UTC · 2:37 am ET)
Piyush Goyal Says India-US Ties Remain ‘Very Good’ Despite Trade Tensions
- Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said India-US relations remain “very good” despite ongoing trade tensions.
- Speaking at an economic forum in New Delhi, Goyal described the bilateral relationship as deep and significant for global affairs.
- His remarks come amid trade frictions and tensions over US President Donald Trump’s earlier claim that he helped mediate an India-Pakistan armed clash.
- Goyal said he sees no fundamental problem with the relationship when asked whether ties could improve under a different US administration.
12:14 PM IST: Russell Investments Expects Fed Pause in October, Rate Hike in December Russell Investments senior strategist BeiChen Lin expects the Federal Reserve to pause rate hikes at its October meeting before… (6:44 am UTC · 2:44 am ET)
Russell Investments Expects Fed Pause in October, Rate Hike in December
- Russell Investments senior strategist BeiChen Lin expects the Federal Reserve to pause rate hikes at its October meeting before resuming tightening in December.
- Unexpectedly high inflation remains the key risk, potentially prompting markets to reassess the likelihood of an October hike and the peak federal funds rate.
- Russell Investments said current inflation dynamics differ significantly from 2022, as several drivers of the earlier inflation surge are no longer present.
- The fading of previous inflationary pressures could limit how far inflation rises and reduce the need for a substantially higher terminal interest rate.
- Near-term inflation data could still influence the timing of Fed decisions, even as the case for a materially higher peak rate appears to have weakened, according to Lin.
1:09 PM IST: Jefferies Says US-Iran Deal Before Midterms Unlikely, Warns of Post-Election Strike Risk Jefferies global economist Mohit Kumar said the likelihood of a US-Iran agreement before November’s midterm ele… (7:39 am UTC · 3:39 am ET)
Jefferies Says US-Iran Deal Before Midterms Unlikely, Warns of Post-Election Strike Risk
- Jefferies global economist Mohit Kumar said the likelihood of a US-Iran agreement before November’s midterm elections has declined, with even a temporary compromise now appearing unlikely.
- The firm identified geopolitical tensions and artificial intelligence as two major drivers of financial markets.
- Jefferies warned that US President Donald Trump could order military strikes against Iran after the midterm elections, raising the risk of further escalation.
- Kumar said geopolitical uncertainty is likely to remain a key market factor unless meaningful diplomatic progress emerges.
1:09 PM IST: Houthi Missile and Drone Strikes Hit Saudi Arabia, Aramco Campus Affected Houthi forces launched missile and drone strikes on multiple Saudi cities, including Riyadh, with Saudi authorities reporting… (7:39 am UTC · 3:39 am ET)
Houthi Missile and Drone Strikes Hit Saudi Arabia, Aramco Campus Affected
- Houthi forces launched missile and drone strikes on multiple Saudi cities, including Riyadh, with Saudi authorities reporting a limited fire at Saudi Aramco’s headquarters campus in Dhahran.
- The fire was extinguished with no casualties reported. Saudi authorities said air defences intercepted multiple incoming missiles targeting areas including Kharj, Dhahran, Haradh and southern provinces.
- Debris from an intercepted projectile reportedly fell in a residential area of Dhahran.
- Separately, Iran has intensified attacks on vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, raising concerns over disruptions to global oil supplies.
- Saudi Arabia’s cabinet warned the Houthis would face consequences for continued attacks on airports, civilian facilities and economic targets.
1:39 PM IST: IEA Warns Global Diesel Shortages Could Persist Into 2027 Amid Middle East Supply Disruptions The International Energy Agency (IEA) warned that global diesel supplies are likely to remain tight into n… (8:09 am UTC · 4:09 am ET)
IEA Warns Global Diesel Shortages Could Persist Into 2027 Amid Middle East Supply Disruptions
- The International Energy Agency (IEA) warned that global diesel supplies are likely to remain tight into next year, as slow Middle Eastern refined-product exports limit availability despite a recovery in crude shipments.
- Global diesel supply fell by around 1.7 million barrels per day in Q3, following disruptions linked to the Iran conflict and Ukrainian attacks that forced output cuts at Russian refineries.
- Global diesel exports averaged 4.7 million barrels per day in the first nine months of 2026, down 10% year-on-year.
- Combined net exports from the Middle East and Russia fell by more than 60% in September, with refinery operations, export capacity and regional logistics still impaired.
- The IEA’s monthly report forecasts OPEC output will increase by 5 million barrels per day in 2027, potentially easing supply pressures if production growth materialises.
- Russia’s crude output rises: September production increased by 65,000 bpd month-on-month to 8.43 million bpd, but remained 870,000 bpd below the year-ago level. Crude exports rose to 5.30 million bpd.
- Global diesel supply remains tight: Ukrainian attacks have kept Russian refinery operations constrained for a second month. Easing diesel export restrictions is unlikely to significantly improve global supply balances.
1:49 PM IST: India Plans National Data Centre Policy to Prevent AI Power Demand From Raising Household Tariffs India is drafting a national data centre policy to manage rising electricity demand from rapid industr… (8:19 am UTC · 4:19 am ET)
India Plans National Data Centre Policy to Prevent AI Power Demand From Raising Household Tariffs
- India is drafting a national data centre policy to manage rising electricity demand from rapid industry expansion, including AI infrastructure, and prevent higher costs from being passed on to residential consumers.
- Minister of State for Electronics and IT Jitin Prasada announced the plan on Wednesday but did not disclose details on its scope or implementation timeline.
- Opposition has emerged in Mumbai and Visakhapatnam against data centre projects by Amazon and Google, citing concerns over water consumption, electricity demand and environmental impact.
- India currently has no dedicated national data centre framework, with projects governed by existing environmental and building regulations.
- Some Indian states offer incentives to attract data centre investments, as policymakers seek to balance AI infrastructure growth with energy affordability and environmental concerns.
1:57 PM IST: Rupee Defence Under Pressure as RBI Faces $50 Billion Reserve Decline and Heavy Forward Liabilities Foreign investors have net sold around $31 billion worth of Indian equities this year, adding pressu… (8:27 am UTC · 4:27 am ET)
Rupee Defence Under Pressure as RBI Faces $50 Billion Reserve Decline and Heavy Forward Liabilities
- Foreign investors have net sold around $31 billion worth of Indian equities this year, adding pressure on the rupee amid elevated oil prices and rising US Treasury yields.
- India’s foreign exchange reserves have reportedly fallen by $50 billion since early September as the RBI intervenes to support the currency. The rupee has temporarily recovered from its record low to around 95 per dollar.
- The RBI faces substantial forward-market exposure, with reported negative dollar forward positions of $200 billion and an additional $35 billion in forward dollar exposure across the banking system.
- The central bank has expanded its defence measures, including a special dollar window for state-owned oil companies, renewed derivatives restrictions and efforts to attract foreign-currency funding.
- The yield spread between Indian and US 10-year government bonds has narrowed from around 600 basis points in 2013 to approximately 200 basis points, reducing India’s relative yield advantage for foreign investors.
- India faces a policy trade-off: continued currency intervention could increase pressure on reserves and forward liabilities, while interest-rate hikes to support the rupee could weigh on economic growth. Elevated oil prices, inflation and US yields remain key external risks.
2:41 PM IST: White House Weighs Suspending US Intelligence Sharing With Ukraine, Semafor Reports The White House is discussing a possible suspension of US intelligence sharing with Ukraine, but no final decision h… (9:11 am UTC · 5:11 am ET)
White House Weighs Suspending US Intelligence Sharing With Ukraine, Semafor Reports
- The White House is discussing a possible suspension of US intelligence sharing with Ukraine, but no final decision has been made, Semafor reported.
- President Donald Trump said the US is still sharing intelligence with Ukraine, adding that his goal is to end Russia’s war against the country.
- A Trump administration official said the president is angry and could order a halt, potentially limited to intelligence used by Ukraine to strike targets inside Russia.
- CIA Director John Ratcliffe reportedly opposes ending intelligence cooperation.
- Trump previously suspended intelligence cooperation with Ukraine briefly after a tense meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last year. Zelenskyy recently said Ukraine received no partner intelligence during a Russian missile attack.
Intraday recap covering 12 PM – 3 PM IST. All times are in IST (UTC/ET equivalents in brackets). For real-time updates, visit our Live News Blog.
