US-Venezuela Oil Deal: Washington is reportedly nearing a “massive” long-term access/ownership stake in Venezuelan oil fields, with talks framed as a way to keep China out and secure supply for US refineries—though critics warn of constitutional and legal hurdles. Hormuz Shock Ripple: Iran war disruption is keeping tanker earnings high and leaving crude flows choppy; India is also facing a major added fossil-fuel import bill tied to the Hormuz-linked price spike. Indus Waters Tensions: Pakistan’s Ishaq Dar warned India against using the Indus Waters Treaty as political leverage, stressing the treaty remains valid and that weaponising shared waters would carry profound regional consequences. Grid & Storage Policy: China’s energy storage buildout slowed after a mandate shift, while the US issued an executive order expanding scrutiny of foreign-produced bulk-power equipment affecting inverters and storage—raising compliance pressure for Asia-Pacific project developers. Cyber & Data-Center Politics: US authorities say they disrupted a China-linked hacking operation targeting NASA and other critical agencies; meanwhile X and OpenAI report a China-linked bot farm pushing narratives against US AI data centers and energy policy. India Energy Strategy: India’s nuclear push and capacity targets stay in focus, alongside India-Canada finance talks that include a bilateral investment treaty push—both aimed at strengthening long-term energy and critical-minerals security. China Auto Exports: China’s NEV exports are surging even as domestic demand softens, underscoring export-led pressure on Asia’s energy-linked supply chains.