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610 stories · Page 5 of 21

Business📍 GLOBAL / ASIA-PACIFIC / NORWAY

Iran War Spurs Asia-Pacific Demand for Norwegian LNG and Petroleum

Norwegian energy major Equinor has reported a marked increase in Asia-Pacific interest in its petroleum products and liquefied natural gas, attributing the trend directly to the ongoing Iran war and its disruptive effect on established energy supply chains in the region. The conflict has prompted buyers across East and Southeast Asia to accelerate their search for alternative energy sources, with Norwegian supplies emerging as a preferred substitute given their geopolitical neutrality and reliability of delivery infrastructure.

Business📍 PAKISTAN

PM Orders National Renewable Energy Plan and Crackdown on Power Theft

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed authorities to prepare a comprehensive national renewable energy plan while simultaneously ordering tougher enforcement action against power theft, in a significant policy intervention targeting two of the most persistent challenges in Pakistan's energy sector. The directive on renewable energy comes amid growing pressure to reduce Pakistan's reliance on expensive imported fuel for power generation and to lower the circular debt burden that continues to strain the national exchequer.

Business📍 GLOBAL MARKETS

Oil Prices Extend Decline as Trump Signals Possible Iran Peace Deal

Global oil prices extended their downward trajectory after US President Donald Trump signalled the possibility of a peace deal with Iran, raising expectations that Iranian crude could return to international markets in significant volumes. The prospect of additional supply entering an already cautious demand environment pushed benchmark crude contracts lower in Asian and early European trade.

Business📍 KARACHI

KSE-100 Surges Over 3,000 Points On US-Iran Peace Optimism

The KSE-100 Index surged more than 3,000 points in early trading on Wednesday as investor sentiment received a sharp boost from growing hopes of a diplomatic resolution between the United States and Iran, easing fears of a broader Middle East conflict that had weighed heavily on regional markets. The rally reflected a swift repositioning by domestic investors who had priced in geopolitical risk premiums over recent sessions.

Business📍 PAKISTAN

NEPRA Reverses Rs42 Billion Penalties Against Power Grid Company

The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority has walked back penalties totalling Rs42 billion previously imposed on the National Transmission and Despatch Company, in a major reversal that raises questions about regulatory consistency and the financial health of Pakistan's power transmission infrastructure. NTDC, which manages the high-voltage national grid and is responsible for bulk power transmission across Pakistan, had been facing the substantial penalty burden over performance or compliance violations.

Business📍 PAKISTAN

SBP Warns Middle East Conflict May Undermine Pakistan's Financial Stability

The State Bank of Pakistan has issued a formal warning that ongoing uncertainty arising from the Middle East conflict carries the potential to damage Pakistan's financial stability prospects, flagging the geopolitical situation as one of the most significant external risks on the central bank's radar. The caution comes as part of the SBP's Financial Stability Review and represents an elevated level of concern from Pakistan's apex monetary authority.

Business📍 WASHINGTON / GLOBAL

Trump predicts rapid fuel price drop once Iran conflict ends

US President Donald Trump has predicted that global fuel prices will fall rapidly once the conflict involving Iran comes to an end, signalling confidence that current elevated energy costs are directly tied to geopolitical risk premiums rather than structural supply deficits. Trump made the remarks as oil markets continue to absorb a sustained conflict premium driven by Middle East hostilities and concerns over regional supply route security.

Business📍 PAKISTAN

Sitara Petroleum IPO Book Building Sets PSX Record in Ten Minutes

Sitara Petroleum's initial public offering book building process set a new record on the Pakistan Stock Exchange on Monday, hitting the cap price within just ten minutes of opening, underscoring exceptional investor appetite for the energy sector listing. The speed at which institutional and retail demand absorbed the available allocation broke previous benchmarks on the PSX, with analysts noting that Sitara Petroleum's entry into the listed market comes at a time of renewed investor confidence in Pakistan's oil and gas downstream sector.

Business📍 GLOBAL / STRAIT OF HORMUZ

Oil Prices Fall After Trump Pledges Aid for Hormuz-Stranded Ships

Global oil prices declined on Monday after US President Donald Trump announced that the United States would take steps to assist commercial vessels stranded in the Strait of Hormuz amid ongoing US-Iran tensions, a statement that eased immediate supply disruption fears in energy markets. The Strait of Hormuz, through which approximately one-fifth of the world's oil supply transits, has been subject to intensified disruption risk as US-Iran nuclear negotiations have stalled.

Business📍 UAE

ADNOC Commits $55 Billion to New Energy Projects Through 2028

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, ADNOC, has pledged to invest $55 billion in new energy projects by 2028, in a sweeping capital commitment that underscores the UAE's determination to expand hydrocarbon and downstream capacity despite regional instability and market volatility. The announcement comes at a strategically significant moment, as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has reconfigured regional energy export dynamics.

Business📍 PAKISTAN

Oil Price Surge Poses Serious Risk to Pakistan's Economic Recovery

A sharp rise in global oil prices is casting a shadow over Pakistan's fragile economic recovery, threatening to widen the import bill and strain the country's external account at a particularly delicate juncture. Analysts warn that sustained oil price increases could reverse gains made under the ongoing IMF stabilisation programme, undermining fiscal consolidation efforts and reigniting inflationary pressures.

Business📍 PAKISTAN

Foreign Investors Pull Out of Pakistan's Treasury Bill Market

Foreign investors are exiting Pakistan's treasury bill market at a notable pace, raising concerns among financial authorities about the sustainability of short-term capital inflows that have been a modest but symbolically important component of the country's external financing picture. The withdrawal signals a shift in investor sentiment at a time when the government is seeking to consolidate economic stabilisation gains.

Business📍 BEIJING / WASHINGTON

China Blocks US Sanctions Against Five Domestic Oil Refineries

China's Commerce Ministry has moved to block US-imposed sanctions targeting five domestic oil refineries, escalating tensions in the ongoing economic and trade confrontation between the world's two largest economies. The ministry invoked domestic regulatory authority to counter the American measures, which were reportedly intended to penalise refineries processing sanctioned crude oil supplies.

Business📍 STRAIT OF HORMUZ / KUWAIT

Pakistan-Bound Diesel Tanker Exits Strait of Hormuz Amid War Tensions

A tanker carrying Kuwaiti diesel bound for Pakistan has successfully exited the Strait of Hormuz, according to a report, marking a significant logistical development as the waterway remains under elevated risk from the ongoing US-Iran military conflict. The successful passage provides a measure of relief for Pakistan's fuel supply chain, which depends heavily on energy imports transiting through the strategically critical strait.

Business📍 NATIONWIDE

Pakistan Bans New Gas Connections for Domestic and Commercial Users

The Pakistani government has imposed a ban on new gas connections for both domestic and commercial consumers, citing mounting pressure on the country's gas supply infrastructure and the fiscal burden of maintaining subsidised distribution to an ever-expanding consumer base. The decision marks a significant policy shift with immediate implications for housing, industry, and urban development.

Business📍 PAKISTAN

PM Shehbaz extends fuel subsidy for motorcyclists, goods transport one month

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed a one-month extension of the government's fuel subsidy programme for motorcyclists and goods transport vehicles, providing continued relief to two of the country's most economically sensitive transport segments. The decision sustains a policy measure originally introduced to cushion lower-income commuters and small-scale transporters against elevated petroleum prices.

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