Cover Story
Issue 01Crude prices climbed more than 4% on June 8 as conflict escalated between Israel and Iran and Israel carried out strikes in Lebanon. Brent rose about $4 to around $97 a barrel and WTI gained about $4 to about $94. Reports cited concerns linked to disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs said renewed hostilities in West Asia, including between Iran and Israel, have raised international concern. India called on all parties to de-escalate immediately, protect civilians, and return to diplomatic engagement. The statement cited continuing humanitarian and economic costs linked to the conflict.
The World Bank said data centers consume large amounts of water and electricity and warned Thailand may not yet have a sufficiently developed digital economy to generate economy-wide benefits that offset those resource demands. It also cited the absence of mechanisms to price industrial resource use, including water, as a key challenge.
At least 14 million barrels of United Arab Emirates crude grades, including Upper Zakum, Umm Lulu and Das, were sold via a tender for loading over the coming months. Separately, seven participating countries agreed to a production adjustment of 188,000 barrels per day, according to an OPEC statement.
Indonesia is considering exemptions for commodity traders under planned single-gate export regulations covering coal, palm oil and ferroalloys. The palm oil products cited include crude palm oil, refined bleached deodorized palm oil, and refined bleached deodorized palm olein. Officials and lawmakers have discussed clarifying the framework for market participants and investors.
Blackstone Inc is seeking to sell more than $2 billion of stakes it holds in private investment funds, according to the Financial Times. The firm is marketing a collateralized fund obligation that would bundle interests in leveraged buyout funds and issue bonds to investors, including insurance companies.
Carlsberg A/S is preparing to submit draft documents for an initial public offering of its India business as early as this month, according to reports. The potential listing may raise up to $700 million and could be structured as a secondary share sale. Kotak Mahindra Capital and local units of JPMorgan and Citigroup are said to be advising.
Crude prices climbed more than 4% on June 8 as conflict escalated between Israel and Iran and Israel carried out strikes in Lebanon. Brent rose about $4 to around $97 a barrel and WTI gained about $4 to about $94. Reports cited concerns linked to disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz.
Seven OPEC+ countries agreed on June 7 to raise July production quotas by 188,000 bpd, taking the group’s July quota to 35.83 million bpd, excluding compensation for prior overproduction. The increase applies to Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria and Oman, with Iraq’s quota up 26,000 bpd, amid disruptions to flows through the Strait of Hormuz.
OpenAI is planning its largest redesign of ChatGPT, aiming to expand it beyond chat into a broader app that includes coding features and AI agents designed to handle tasks across work and personal use. The changes are being prepared as the company moves toward a planned public listing this year.
Ukraine’s nuclear operator reported that a drone strike hit a spent nuclear fuel storage site near the Chornobyl nuclear power plant, damaging the fuel reception building. A fire covering about 40 square meters was contained and extinguished. Authorities said radiation readings remained within established limits, with no reported spike.
China’s central bank increased official gold holdings by 320,000 troy ounces last month, lifting reserves to 74.96 million ounces, according to data released Sunday. China’s foreign exchange reserves rose $31.7 billion to $3.4422 trillion by the end of May. Bullion prices fell in May for a third straight month.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung nominated Han Seongsook, a former chief executive of internet portal operator Naver, to serve as prime minister. The presidential office announced the nomination on Sunday and said the appointment is intended to support the government’s artificial-intelligence policy agenda and broader economic strategy.
Bouygues Telecom, Orange and Iliad’s Free unit signed a memorandum of understanding with Altice France to buy SFR for an enterprise value of €20.35 billion including debt, subject to regulatory approval. The indicative split is about 42% Bouygues, 31% Iliad and 27% Orange, with break-up fees of €0.1–€2.0 billion.
Airbus is reviewing whether to proceed sooner with a larger, stretched version of its A220 jet after expectations that the program could move closer to launch this year, sources said. The company has signaled it is assessing technical and market factors, including the aircraft’s potential range and customer considerations.
Authorities in St. Petersburg advised residents to remain indoors after a large Ukrainian drone attack targeted Russia’s second-largest city on Saturday. The incident followed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s rejection on Friday of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s proposal for face-to-face talks. Ukraine has intensified long-range strikes on energy and military sites inside Russia.
The Sandiganbayan, the Philippines’ anti-graft court, dismissed the remaining asset claims in a civil forfeiture case involving the heirs of former president Ferdinand Marcos, ending litigation that had lasted more than 30 years. Media reports said the government previously secured partial summary judgments ordering forfeiture of $658 million in Swiss deposits.