Asia / Pacific

According to a government official, industrial customers are increasingly buying diesel at cheaper retail outlets run by'state-run' companies, rather than from the bulk supply points. This is causing shortages at the pump in some areas. Sujata Singh, joint secretary of the federal oil ministry, stated that diesel sales have increased by 20-30% in some areas. Industrial buyers are paying 40-42 rupees per litre more than retail prices. In New Delhi, the retail price for a litre is 91.58 rupees. Indian Oil Corp., Bharat Petroleum Corp. and Hindustan Petroleum Corp., all state-run companies, are now losing money because they're selling diesel...

According to official sources, almost all of the major oil refineries in central Russia have been forced to reduce or halt their fuel production due to recent drone attacks by Ukraine. Moscow has already banned gasoline exports from April to the end of July. Refineries which have stopped operations or are partially stopped, together, produce more than 83 million tons of?product per year. This is approximately 238,000 tons a day. According to anonymous sources and data, this represents around a quarter of Russia's entire refining capacity. Over 30% of Russia's gasoline is produced by refineries, and around 25% by diesel....

SpaceX released its IPO on Wednesday. It revealed to investors how much Elon Musk loses on?artificial Intelligence, while betting on the future of the company by transforming it into a rocket maker that is a powerhouse in AI. SpaceX's future depends on dominating markets and technologies that don't yet exist, from AI data centers to Mars missions. Musk's track record of turning Tesla into the world's most valuable automaker, developing the first reusable rocket and the largest satellite network and making it the most valuable company in the industry is enough for many to justify investing. Musk has tightened his...

STOCKS: The benchmark BSE Sensex rose 0.16% to 75 318.39 while the broader NSE Nifty index grew 0.17% to 23,659, aided by a boost?from heavyweight Reliance Industries. Meanwhile, the Iran war-driven upswing of global borrowing costs weighed down on broader sentiment, and drove the rupee -to another record low. The Indian rupee fell 0.3% against the U.S. dollar to 96.82. Stalled U.S.-Iran peace?talks kept oil prices high, driving global bond yields higher?and hurting equities amid fears of 'further central bank?"rate hikes. Dollar to 96.82 as oil prices remain high due to the stalled U.S.Iran peace talks. This has pushed global...

Local officials reported that two people had been?killed? and 19 others injured overnight in Russia's attacks on Ukraine, while Ukraine sent drones into industrial areas of central Russia. Local authorities in Ukraine reported that two people died and six were injured when Russia attacked the city of Dnipro, located on the south-east coast, with artillery and missiles. Authorities?added that another 13 injuries were reported in the northern Sumy Region and the southern region of Zaporizhzhia. Three children included. We could not independently verify these reports. Russia and Ukraine deny targeting civilians. DRONES TARGET INDUSTRIAL AREA?IN RUSSIA According to Russian officials...

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called on allies on Tuesday to disrupt Iran's.financing network and said that the Treasury would clear its outdated sanctions list to.make it easier for the financial institutions to.root out the most sophisticated terrorist funding schemes. Bessent said that after the G7 finance leaders met at Paris, participants in an anti-terrorism funding conference should "stand in full measure with us" against Iran. Bessent stated that "this will require our European partners, for example to join the United States by taking action against Iran, including by designating its financiers and unmasking their shell and front company, closing its...

Sanjay Khanna, the chairman of India's Bharat Oil Corp. said that it is recalibrating its crude import strategy nearly daily and increasing?spot purchase after the U.S./Israeli conflict in Middle East disrupted Middle East supply. India, which is the third largest?oil?importer and?consumer in the world, has been affected by the rising crude prices as well as supply disruptions after the Strait of Hormuz was closed. South Asian nation raised retail petrol and diesel prices twice in one week. The refiner planned to purchase about 55% of its crude requirements for 2026/27 via annual contracts, mostly from Middle Eastern producers. Khanna stated...

Valdis Dombrovskis, EU Economy Commissioner, said that the extension of a waiver for Russian sanctions showed that 'G7 members are not always in agreement. Dombrovskis stated that the G7 was a forum to discuss and cooperate with like-minded allies. He said, "But, well... we're not always 100% in agreement on everything. This is unfortunately one of those topics." He praised, however, the joint statement after the G7 meeting. It was said to be a positive outcome of the meeting between the central bank governors and finance ministers. Dombrovskis stated that he was reassured by the United States, who said that...

Indian Oil Corp., the country's largest fuel retailer, has suffered a revenue loss on the sale of one cylinder of LPG of 617 rupees, compared to 171 rupees back in April after the Iran war pushed up the price, according to its finance chief. Anuj Jain, an analyst, said that the company lost 100 rupees on the sale of 14.2-kilogram LPG cylinders, which are mainly used for cooking. Indian state-run fuel retail outlets sell LPG to households at discounted prices. India, the second-largest LPG exporter in the world, is experiencing its worst gas shortages in decades. The government has cut...

A top government minister announced on Tuesday that Italy would extend a 'cut in fuel excise duty due to expire May 22 as part of efforts to curb the soaring energy prices caused by the Middle East conflict. Matteo Salvini, Deputy Prime minister and Transport & Infrastructure Minister, said during an interview with RTL 102.5 that "we will definitely have to extend the excise reduction." It has spent about?1 billion Euros ($1.16 billion), so far, to reduce?excise duty on?petrol or diesel pump prices. The measure was first introduced in March, and then extended for the first time in late April....

The Indian rupee will likely continue to weaken?on Tuesday and could even reach an all-time record low. This is due to high oil prices which have been a drag on the currency for several weeks. The currency is likely to be under pressure due to the weakness of Asian currencies amid low risk appetite and high U.S. rates. The rupee will open between 96.35 and 96.40, traders say, after it settled at 96.3450, where it reached a life-low?of 96.3875 on Monday. "Another Day, Another New High (on Dollar/Rupee). A currency trader from a bank said that for the moment it...

The U.S. Department of Energy reported on Monday that a'record 9.9 millions barrels of oil were shipped from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in the United States last week. This pushed the total volume of the U.S. Government's emergency stockpile to 374 million barils, the lowest level since July 2024. The Trump administration wants to?release 172 million barrels of oil from the reserve, as?part a global deal to calm down the oil markets after prices?spiked due to the U.S. and Israel's war with Iran which began almost three months ago. In April, the?Energy Department offered approximately?92.5 millions barrels of?sweet crudes and...

The Trump Administration is increasing efforts to secure U.S. Supply Chains for Critical Minerals and Semiconductors by converting federal grant?for companies in equity stakes. This will reduce reliance on China. The U.S. Department of Commerce announced on Thursday that it would be taking $2 billion as equity stakes in nine quantum computing companies. As part of the shift from traditional subsidies to direct ownership, the administration has acquired or discussed stakes with several companies. The following are the companies that have been linked to strategic investment: QUANTUM COMPUTING COMPANIES The 'Trump' administration will invest $1 billion in order to launch...

After the Department of Commerce reached a final decision on a countervailing duty of 110.1%, the United States is moving closer to imposing prohibitive 'tariffs' on imports of Russian Palladium. It also issued a final ruling in April 2026 setting a 132.83% anti-dumping duty for Russian palladium. If an independent investigation by the International Trade Commission finds that the U.S. manufacturing industry has been harmed, the duties will be imposed. These decisions "support" a petition from Johannesburg-based Sibanye-Stillwater which, last summer, along with the United Steelworkers'?union asked Washington to consider imposing tariffs on imports Russian palladium in order to "ensure...

A senior U.S. Official said that the United States will likely reach an agreement with the Philippines on a long-term framework for an economic zone "sooner than later". Washington is aggressively expanding?its supply chain alliance for technology?known by the name "Pax Silica". The official, Jacob Helberg, said both countries had a 2-year window in which to finalize the arrangements as per a pact signed last month. Helberg, U.S. Undersecretary of State for Economic Affairs, said in an interview that both parties would also set sectoral priorities for industrial activities in the area. He said that "there's a lot of momentum...

Japan's Nikkei stock average rose by the most in two weeks Thursday, thanks to renewed interest?in technology stocks?and the easing of geopolitical tensions?related?to the Iran War. The Nikkei Index benchmark rose by 3.14%, closing at 61.684.14, the highest one-day gain since May 7. The Topix index, which is a broader measure of the Nikkei 225 Index, rose 1.64% to 3,5853.81. The Nikkei mirrors Wall Street gains ahead of earnings forecast by AI powerhouse Nvidia. The oil prices fell sharply overnight, after U.S. president Donald Trump said that negotiations to end war in Iran are in their final stages. This eased...

Danantara, the Indonesian sovereign fund, will honor existing export contracts while reviewing them to ensure that prices do not fall below market levels. This was announced by its chief executive on Thursday. The fund is preparing to take over the top commodity shipments of the country. The fund's chief executive said that a unit will be the sole exporter of ferroalloys, coal, and palm oil as soon as September 1. This is because the government wants to tighten control over the tax revenue and foreign exchange earned from commodities. Danantara CEO Rosan Roeslani stated that the sovereign wealth fund may...

Arafura Rare Earths announced on Thursday that it has approved the development of its $1.6 billion Nolans Project in the 'Australian Northern Territory', which will 'become 'the third-largest rare earths operations of the country by the end of this decade. The project is designed to deliver 4,440 metric tons of neodymium-praseodymium (NdPr) oxide annually, targeting markets outside China amid growing demand for rare earths used in electric vehicles and wind turbines. Arafura has secured financing commitments with the export credit agencies in the United States, Canada and Germany, as well as global trading houses and manufacturers. This is because Western...

The Nikkei 225 index rose more than 3.5% Thursday, the biggest gain in two-weeks, thanks to renewed interest in 'technology stocks' and a easing of geopolitical tensions related to?the Iran War. If the current momentum continues, the benchmark Nikkei Index will be on track for its biggest daily gain since May 7 if it maintains this pace. The Topix index rose 2.21% to 3,875.34. The Nikkei was up ahead of Wall Street's gains before earnings from AI bellwether Nvidia. Nvidia forecasted sales that exceeded market expectations. Oil prices fell sharply overnight after U.S. president Donald Trump announced that negotiations to...

Arafura Rare Earths announced on Thursday that it had made a final investment decision for the development of 'Nolans' project in Australia's Northern Territory. This would be 'the country's 'first 'fully integrated ore to oxide rare earths 'operation. The company's shares rose 13.6% intraday to A$0.335, their highest intraday gain since 11 March. As of 0046 GMT, the benchmark index was up by 1.7%. The Nolans project is designed ?to deliver 4,440 metric tons of neodymium-praseodymium (NdPr) oxide annually, targeting markets outside China ?amid growing demand for rare earths used in electric vehicles and wind ?turbines. Arafura announced that Hatch,...

Bernd Schaefer, an industry expert at the EIT, said on Wednesday that Europe needs to develop its own pricing system for "specialty metals" and "rare earths" in order to lessen reliance on China and increase investment in mining and manufacturing. China controls the critical mineral supply chains and sets prices on its own markets. This leaves Western developers with no benchmarks for their investment decisions, which can delay projects already costing more in Europe. The EU has set a goal to mine 10% of its strategic raw material requirements annually by 2030, and rely no more than 65% on one...

The recovery process of PT Freeport Indonesia’s Grasberg copper and gold mine has taken longer than expected. However, the company anticipates that?operations will "approach" their full capacity by the end of 2027. In September of last year, seven workers died when 800,000 metric tonnes of wet material flooded Grasberg Block Cave. The Grasberg Complex is the second largest copper mine in the world and the largest gold mine. Global copper prices rose due to a disruption in production caused by the?mine. Freeport Indonesia CEO Tony Wenas stated in an interview with the company's headquarters in Jakarta that "we found out...

Two sources with knowledge of the issue said that Indonesia is planning to create a 'body' that will oversee the exports of certain commodities. This move is intended to?combat under-invoicing?and increase state revenue. The market has been spooked by the news, as Jakarta's main index fell 3.5% on Tuesday. Sources said that all exports of coal and palm oil will be handled by the state agency. Other strategic commodities are expected to follow. Indonesia is the largest exporter of palm oil and thermal coal in the world. They declined to be named as they weren't authorised by the government to...

The Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin, told the 'Izvestia' newspaper that Russia is worried by U.S. efforts to secure access to rare earths and vital minerals in Central Asia. The?G7 nations including the U.S., EU and Canada have been exploring alternative markets to help reduce their reliance on Beijing. Russia is interested in the Central Asian countries - Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Tajikistan Turkmenistan, and 'Uzbekistan. This is at a time when China has been increasing its focus on the region. Galuzin, in an interview with?Izvestia published on Wednesday, said: "We are worried by the intensity of Washington's push for agreements on...