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Saudi shares drop after drone attacks target key oil pipeline
Saudi Arabian stocks fell in the early trading on Sunday as a result of 'the market's reaction to drone attacks' on the Kingdom's East-West crude oil pipeline. Saudi Arabia's benchmark index fell?1.0%. This was due to a 0.8% decline in Al Rajhi Bank, and a 2.4% drop in Saudi Arabian Mining Company. Saudi Aramco, the oil giant, fell 1.1%. Rabigh Refining and Petrochemical Company plummeted 7.3% and was the worst performer of this session. The sale 'followed an emergency shutdown of the East West pipeline on Thursday after aerial strikes 'hit installations in the Riyadh region and Medina, causing multiple injuries. Riyadh as well as?Baghdad both traced the attack back to Iraqi territory where Iran-backed militias are active, leading the Iraqi Government to dismiss a senior military leader on Saturday. Saudi Arabia did not immediately retaliate militarily after an appeal from Iraq's Prime Minister, but Riyadh defended its right to protect its sovereignty and vital infrastructure. The U.S. president Donald Trump blamed Iran on Saturday for the attacks on the conduit. This is the primary alternative that the Kingdom uses to avoid the Strait of Hormuz. According to the International Energy Agency, previous attacks on Saudi energy facilities had reduced crude production by 2.3 million barrels per day to a low of 6 millions bpd for three decades. Qatar's benchmark Index, which is a measure of the petrochemical industry, rose 0.2%, bucking the regional trend. The Financial Times reported that Gulf foreign ministers will meet with their Iranian counterparts in an effort to reach an interim agreement on traffic management through the Strait of Hormuz.
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Authorities say it could take several months to identify the victims of the Philippine ferry fire.
On Sunday, authorities in the Philippines warned that it may take several weeks or months to identify victims of a ferry fire in which 76 people died. As forensic experts collect and compare DNA samples taken from the charred remains, investigators are determining what caused the worst maritime disaster in recent history in the Philippines. Richard Allan Mangalip, a forensic expert with the Philippine National Police said that some remains were clustered in certain areas of the vessel. Others were spread out across the ship. The vessel was carrying over 130 people, and it was nearing its destination at the time of the fire. The ferry headed southwest from Manila, to Coron in the province of Palawan, a journey that usually takes around 20 hours. Mangalip, at a recent press conference, said that "most of them are already charred." He added that authorities could not give a timeline for identification due to the large number of specimens which must be examined. It could take a few weeks or even longer. This assessment was made a day after the rescuers found 41 more remains on the ferry. The death toll now stands at 76, and 13 people are still missing. Officials stated that more remains may still be discovered because investigators haven't yet thoroughly searched the flooded sections of vessel. On Friday, firefighters entered the ferry after putting out the blaze a day and a half after it started. The Coast Guard released images showing the extent of the damage inside the ship, including rows of bed frames that were twisted and covered with ash by intense heat. Investigators have not yet determined where the fire began and are still working to gain access to key areas of the vessel including the flooded lower decks, the engine room and other sections where evidence may help determine the cause. According to a statement by the Maritime Industry Authority based on survivor 'accounts', two explosions could be heard within the vessel just before the fire started. A representative from shipowner Atienza inter-Island ferry said at the same press conference that the 'company is cooperating fully with the investigators and will continue to assist affected families. The fire is just the latest in a series of maritime accidents that have killed people in the Philippines. This archipelago has more than 7,600 island, and millions of people rely on small boats and ferries to travel.
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The PM's Office says that one person has died and more than 30 people are missing after a Vanuatu Ferry sinks.
In a statement, the office of Prime Minister Jotham napat said that at least one person had been confirmed dead on Sunday and that more than 30 others were still missing after a boat sank off Vanuatu. The statement on Facebook stated that search and rescue operations are continuing in the Pacific Island Nation located approximately 1,750 km (1.090 miles east of Australia) after the MV Matui, with its crew and passengers, went down. It added that 15 of them were alive. RNZ, the New Zealand public broadcaster, reported that search efforts had begun since Friday's inter-island boat sank due to bad weather between the islands of Ambae & Santo. The Napat office stated that the search in open waters was being lowered, while efforts were shifted?towards a search of?the south east coast where currents could have carried survivors. The statement stated that "this loss appears to have been caused by strong winds, failure to heed marine warnings and possible negligence such as overloading the vessel." We pray for the?strength of those who survived and their recovery. Please know that we are with the families of the missing and the ones who have died in this time. Matai Seremaiah is the representative for the Luganville region in Vanuatu’s parliament. He said that rescue efforts began after a crew member of the MV Matui swam to shore and raised the alarm. Seremaiah told RNZ that he alerted them to the fact that the ship had capsized. They went on a search. Vanuatu 'police, Vanuatu Maritime Safety Authority, and the ferry operator, Tui Shipping Agency did not respond immediately to requests for comments.
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Agency reports that 243 passengers from an Indonesian passenger ship have been reported missing at sea.
The Indonesian search and rescue agency reported that a passenger ship carrying 243 passengers was reported as'missing' after it lost contact in the Java Sea during bad weather early Sunday morning. The 'Virgo Transport 8' ship left the East Java town of Surabaya on Saturday for the South Kalimantan City of Banjarmasin, but lost contact. The agency stated that "at the time of this statement, it is not possible to contact the ship and its location is unknown." The agency said that rescuers had launched a search and sent a team to its last-known position. Indonesia is an archipelago consisting of over 17,000 islands. It relies heavily on ferries for transportation. Sea routes are more affordable and accessible than air travel. Safety?standards may not be?always strictly enforced, leading to a high accident rate.
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The PM's Office says that one person has died and more than 30 people are missing after a Vanuatu Ferry sinks.
In a statement, the office of Prime Minister Jotham Napat said that at least one person had been confirmed dead and more than 30 others were missing after a boat sank near Vanuatu. The statement on Facebook said that search and rescue operations are continuing in the Pacific Island Nation located approximately 1,750 km (1.090 miles east of Australia) after the MV Matui with its crew and passengers went down. It added that 15 of them were alive. RNZ, the public broadcaster of New Zealand, reported that search efforts had begun since Friday's inter-island?ferry sank between the islands Ambae and Santo in bad weather. The Napat office stated that the search was "being eased while efforts are being moved towards a search along South-East coast where currents could have carried survivors". The statement said that "this loss appears to be the result of not heeding marine warnings and strong winds, as well as possible negligence including overloading the vessel." "We pray for the strength and recovery of those who survived." "Please know that we stand with the families of the'missing' and those who have died," it added. The Vanuatu Police, the Vanuatu Maritime Safety Authority, and the 'ferry operator Tui Shipping Agency did not respond immediately to comments.
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Hyundai Motor will roll out a driver-assist technology in-house in 2029
Hyundai Motor Group plans to launch its driver-assistance technology in late 2029. This is two years later than originally planned. Hyundai executives said that the South Korean automaker would 'partner with U.S. Chipmaker to 'roll out advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) in 2028. These are known as ADAS Level 2+ or Level 2++. This shift highlights the difficulties Hyundai faces in developing its own automated driving software, originally scheduled for a debut in late-2027, and raises concerns about its growing reliance on Nvidia. This delay has fueled fears that Tesla and Chinese competitors could catch up to the automaker in the race for commercialising vehicle autonomy. Park Min-woo said at a press briefing that the partnership between Hyundai Motor Group and Nvidia does not mean "leaving our fate entirely in their hand". Park?said Hyundai would co-design the tech with Nvidia, and use data from the system for training and refining its own software?platform dubbed Atria. Park, an ex-Nvidia executive, joined Hyundai in January and has spearheaded the automaker’s deeper ties with the chipmaker. His strategy is a departure from his predecessor Song Chang-hyeon's, who concentrated heavily on internal software before his abrupt December departure. Park stated that Hyundai vehicles powered by Nvidia’s Hyperion 10 will initially forgo expensive lidar sensor in favor of cameras, ultrasonic and radar sensors. Hyundai, however, is looking at lidar to be used with its Level 3 automated driving systems that allow for hands-free driving in certain conditions. Park did not provide a timeframe for commercialisation of Level?3. Park stated that Hyundai and its?affiliate Kia Corp., which are the third largest automakers in the world with sales of more than 7 million cars annually, will use their global fleet to collect data for training their autonomous driving technology. Hyundai expects to surpass its competitors in terms of accumulated driving data before 2033. Hyundai Motor Group has deepened its collaboration with Nvidia in autonomous driving, artificial Intelligence?datacenters and humanoid robotics developed by Hyundai owned Boston Dynamics. Level 2+ systems are more capable on the highway, while "Level 2++ systems can handle more complicated urban driving, similar Tesla's Full Self Driving system. Both require driver supervision.
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Nine Russians are killed and dozens injured in Ukraine by Russian attacks. Moscow claims it hit ships, plants
Officials have confirmed that Russian air strikes on Saturday in various Ukrainian regions killed nine people and injured dozens. They also damaged residential buildings and infrastructure throughout the country. In the last two months, civilian deaths in Ukraine have risen dramatically as Russia intensifies its attacks on power stations and other infrastructure. Ukraine has attacked energy facilities and storage warehouses in remote parts of Russia, and both sides have targeted shipping. According to the city council of Kramatorsk, a Ukrainian "fortress city" on Ukraine's frontline that Russia is trying to capture, Russian forces have attacked and killed three private cars in three separate incidents in a 90 minute period. Four people were injured. The council stated that "these are not military targets." The council said, "They are just ordinary civilian cars." "People were going about their businesses." Vitaliy Bunechko is the governor of Ukraine's Zhytomyr Region west of Kyiv. He said that a Russian attack on an grocery store in Zvyahel killed two people. He said that two petrol stations and an "unidentified enterprise with foreign investment" were also attacked. Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the president of Ukraine, had earlier reported that attacks were taking place in Zaporizhzhia (a city located in the south-east) and his hometown of Kryvyi Rih. Ivan Fedorov is the governor of Zaporizhzhia Region. He said that two people died and eleven were injured in "assaults" on Zaporizhzhia. Oleksandr Vikul, the head of Kryvyi Rih’s military administration, confirmed that two people were killed overnight in attacks by drones and rockets on the city. The Russian military claimed that its forces had attacked Ukrainian steelmaker Zaporizhstal, located in Zaporizhzhia. They also said they hit an Interpipe Steel facility in Dnipro, and several plants at Kryvyi Rih including the Northern Iron Ore Benefit Works Complex. It was impossible to independently verify the accounts of either side. Oleh Kiper, the Governor of Odesa Region said that 37 people including an infant had been injured during a series overnight attacks. Two people are missing. RUSSIAN STRikes on UKRAINIAN Port The Russian Defence Ministry stated that Moscow's forces have continued their strikes against Ukrainian ports. It said that a cargo vessel in Odesa was being used to transport military goods. The ministry announced earlier in the day that its forces had?struck two cargo ships?overnight at the Black Sea Port of Chornomorsk. Ukraine's military claimed it had caused a fire at one of Russia's biggest synthetic rubber producers, Togliatti, in the Samara area. It said that the?Togliattikauchuk factory specialised in producing synthetic rubbers and fuel add-ons used in fuel for Russian missiles. Interfax reported that Russian regional governor Vyacheslav Federishchev claimed that Ukrainian drones had attacked industrial facilities in the Samara region, but did not specify which ones or if they had been damaged. Ilya Sukhikh said that several residential buildings had been damaged, and one person injured. Svetlana Kambulova, the local mayor, told TASS that four commercial properties in Taganrog, in the Rostov Region, were also set ablaze.
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Brussels airport traffic disrupted on Friday evening following drone sighting
The traffic at Brussels Airport was disrupted on Friday night for a half-hour after a drone was spotted. Kurt Verwilgen, a spokesperson for the airport, said that the 'drone procedure' was initiated, and includes an interruption of traffic on the runway up to 30 minutes after the last sighting. He refused to "give any details" on the type of drone or how many flights it diverted. He added that the drone vanished after the sightings. After a series of?attacks on civilian airports, military bases, and a nuclear plant, the Belgian authorities purchased defensive kamikazes in November. Belgian officials said at the time that the incursions "bore the hallmark of" Russian interference while acknowledging they had no proof. Russia denied any involvement.
Maguire: The EV export boom in China is beginning to affect the gasoline market.
Years ago, predictions of the energy shift followed a familiar plot: Electric vehicles would gradually reduce gasoline demand in Europe before spreading elsewhere.
Recent trade data suggests that the process is already accelerating in a much wider swath across the global economy.
Comparing the year-to date gasoline imports with Chinese EV exports shows a striking overlap across several major economies.
Australia, Brazil and South Korea have all increased their imports of Chinese EVs in the past year, while the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Canada, United States, Nigeria, and Japan reduced their gasoline imports.
No single ?dataset proves causation. Imports of gasoline are affected by refinery operations and inventories as well as economic growth, government policy, and government policies.
When a'same' pattern appears in multiple regions, and at different income levels, this is less a coincidence and more an early sign of structural change.
WHAT ARE THE FIRST SIGNS OF DISplacement?
It is possible that the global trade in gasoline is starting to reflect China's surge in EV exports.
Years ago, EV adoption was treated as a separate story. They seem to be more and more connected.
In 2026, the countries listed here collectively reduced gasoline imports by about a third compared to last year's same-month figures. They also increased imports of Chinese electric vehicles to record levels.
Fuel traders will need to watch Chinese vehicle exports just as closely as refinery failures if this relationship continues.
AUSTRALIA LEADS IN THE WAY
Australia is perhaps the most obvious example.
Imports of Chinese EVs grew by 200%, or $2.5 billion.
Chinese brands have gained rapid market share because they offer vehicles at prices that Western competitors cannot match. The economics of electrification is increasingly favorable for consumers who face high living costs and unpredictable fuel prices.
ASIA PRESSURE BUILDINGS
South Korea and Japan are both automotive powerhouses.
South Korea reduced its gasoline imports to around 0.4 million tonnes or 44%, while increasing Chinese EV imports to more than $1 billion.
Japan has cut its gasoline imports to 0.3 million metric tons or 11% while registering a 90% increase in the purchase of Chinese electric vehicles.
Chinese automakers may have a stronger global competitive position than they realize if they can establish themselves in two of the most advanced automotive markets.
EVEN OIL PRODUCERS ARE JOINING THE PARTICIPATION
The United Arab Emirates is perhaps the most important case symbolically.
China's electric vehicle imports reached new heights, with a total of $1.4 billion, as it posted multi-year lows in gasoline imports.
The conflict in the Middle East has hampered oil and product flow around the region this year, including to the UAE.
The steep rise in EV sales is still important because traditionally, oil-producing countries have been viewed by many as laggards when it comes to vehicle electrification. EVs are becoming more popular due to falling prices and improved technology.
If EVs are able to gain ground in an economic system based on hydrocarbons, then they can do so almost anywhere.
NORTH AMERICA'S QUIET SHIFT
Canada and the United States are also part of the same pattern.
Canada has increased its purchases of electric vehicles from China while reducing gasoline imports.
The United States cut its gasoline imports in half compared to 2025's first half and imported more than $1 billion worth of electric vehicles from China despite trade barriers.
In both markets, refining dynamics play a significant role. Every electric vehicle sold replaces an upcoming gasoline vehicle, reducing fuel consumption growth that refiners used to take for granted.
THE EMERGING MARKET TEST
Pakistan is the largest market in the world.
The conventional wisdom held that electric vehicle adoption would be concentrated in wealthy countries because they were too expensive for developing economies.
Chinese manufacturers challenge this assumption.
Pakistan has decreased total gasoline imports this year, while Chinese EV imports have increased by an astounding 549% on a scale of nearly $500 million.
Nigeria followed a similar trend, as the Dangote refinery's increased gasoline production helped to reduce gasoline imports more than half compared to a year earlier, while EV imports more than doubled, reaching close to $72million.
Nigeria has also partnered with South Korea’s development arm in order to build a EV manufacturing facility that will manufacture both cars and charging equipment?in Nigeria.
If low-cost EVs gain traction in emerging markets that are fuel-sensitive, future expectations of gasoline demand growth could need to be revised.
Why this Matters
These countries are not only important because of their numbers, but also for their diversity.
Together, they cover North America, East Asia and South Asia. They also include the Middle East, Africa, Oceania, Africa, and Oceania. They include oil exporters, oil importers, wealthy economies, middle-income countries and emerging markets.
Histoically, EV adoption was dismissed as a largely European phenomena supported by subsidies and regulations.
This argument is getting harder to "sustain".
Consumers seem to be responding more to a simple economic calculus: gasoline is still expensive and volatile while Chinese EVs become cheaper and more readily available.
The Takeaway
The demand for gasoline is not going to fall. Internal combustion engines will continue to dominate the global road for many years.
Major shifts are rarely the result of dramatic headlines. They begin with subtle shifts in behavior, which are first evident in trade data and market flows.
One of the early signs may be the overlap between declining gasoline imports and increasing Chinese EV sales across many different economies.
Fuel efficiency and slower economic growth may not be the greatest threat to long-term gasoline demand.
There may be an increasing number of Chinese electric vehicles that are affordable.
These are the opinions of the columnist, who is also an author. This column is great! Open Interest (ROI) is your new essential source of global financial commentary. Follow ROI on LinkedIn, X and X. Listen to the Morning Bid podcast daily on Apple, Spotify or the app. Subscribe to the Morning Bid podcast and hear journalists discussing the latest news in finance and markets seven days a week. (Reporting and editing by Jamie Freed; reporting by Gavin Maguire)
(source: Reuters)