Red Sea Oil Shock: Saudi Arabia shut its East-West crude pipeline after drone attacks from Iraq, just as Houthi forces tightened control along Yemen’s Red Sea coast—raising fresh risks for shipments that already face Strait of Hormuz constraints, with Brent back above $107 and U.S. diesel costs hitting record levels. BRICS Energy & Diplomacy: The 18th BRICS summit opened in New Delhi with wars and energy security dominating talks; Xi Jinping arrived for Modi meetings focused on “properly handling differences,” while India pushed for trade barriers to fall and local-currency use to grow. India’s Power Demand Boom: A KPMG report flags India’s data centre build-out as a potential $90bn FY35 infrastructure opportunity, lifting demand for power, cooling, networks and security—an AI-driven stress test for grid planning. ASEAN Renewables Push: Malaysia used the IMT-GT ministerial meeting to back stronger ASEAN Power Grid links and next-stage connectivity plans through 2031. EU-India Trade Friction: EU aluminium scrap levy plans were paused after India pushed back, underscoring how recycling policy and trade talks collide. China NEV Policy: China’s new “intelligent connected new energy vehicle” plan targets 70% of passenger sales by 2030, with autonomy and efficiency benchmarks set for the decade ahead. Markets Watch: Indian stocks slid for a fifth straight week as crude volatility and global rate fears hit sentiment.