Australia is moving to extend its domestic gas reservation scheme across liquefied natural gas projects and export arrangements, including volumes tied to existing contracts, sharpening a policy shift aimed at easing pressure on households, power generators and manufacturers exposed to volatile east coast gas prices. The draft design framework for the scheme requires LNG exporters to supply gas equal to 20 per cent of their export volumes […]
Gold rose more than 1 per cent on Monday as hopes of a possible US-Iran agreement pushed oil prices lower, weakened the dollar and reshaped inflation expectations across commodity and currency markets. Spot bullion climbed to about $4,559 an ounce, while US gold futures traded near $4,560, extending gains as investors assessed signals that Washington and Tehran had moved closer to a framework that could ease pressure […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Abu Dhabi National Oil Co is moving oil, gas and refined fuel cargoes out of the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz using ships linked to its own logistics network, keeping a limited export channel open while one of the world’s most important energy corridors remains under severe strain. Ship-tracking data indicates that vessels associated with ADNOC Logistics & Services have crossed or […]
Gold prices advanced by more than 1 per cent on Monday as a weaker dollar and a sharp fall in crude oil prices strengthened demand for bullion, with investors reassessing inflation risks and the likely course of US monetary policy amid signs of progress in Washington’s talks with Tehran. Spot gold traded near $4,560 an ounce, extending gains after the dollar slipped against major currencies and oil […]
Dubai Police have warned that selling or promoting counterfeit products through social media and digital marketplaces is a criminal offence, intensifying scrutiny of online accounts that use advertising, influencer posts and informal e-commerce channels to move fake goods across the UAE. The warning, issued through the Anti-Economic Crimes Department at the General Department of Criminal Investigation, targets commercial account owners, advertisers and young social media users who […]
Matein Khalid US President Donald Trump’s recent state visit to China has done little to end the stalemate in the Strait of Hormuz. If anything, Iran appears to have been emboldened enough to escalate Gulf tensions through drone strikes near the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant in Abu Dhabi and rocket attacks targeting sites in Saudi Arabia. Brent crude trading at about $110 a barrel has coincided with a brutal sell-off […]
President Donald Trump said a proposed agreement with Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz has been “largely negotiated”, raising hopes of a diplomatic breakthrough after months of conflict disrupted one of the world’s most important energy routes. Final terms are still being discussed among Washington, Tehran and regional governments, with an announcement expected once the remaining points are settled. Trump said the framework followed calls with […]
Abu Dhabi has cast its departure from OPEC as a strategic move to protect national revenue before global oil demand enters a long-term decline, marking one of the sharpest shifts in Gulf energy policy in decades. The UAE ended nearly 60 years of membership in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries on May 1, stepping away from both OPEC and the wider OPEC+ framework after years […]
Petrol in New Delhi rose by 87 paise to ₹99.51 a litre, while diesel increased by 91 paise to ₹92.49 a litre. The latest increase takes the cumulative rise in both fuels to about ₹5 a litre this month, following the first retail fuel price increase since April 2022.
The pricing move reflects mounting pressure on oil marketing companies as international crude benchmarks remain elevated amid conflict in West Asia and supply concerns around key shipping routes. The controlled increases also point to a calibrated approach by the government, which is seeking to protect refiners’ balance sheets without delivering a sharp one-time shock to household budgets, freight operators and small businesses.
Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum Corporation and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation dominate the retail fuel market, operating more than 90 per cent of the country’s roughly 103,000 fuel stations. Their pricing decisions carry wide implications for transport costs, food supply chains, inflation expectations and fiscal calculations.
The latest revision follows a ₹3-a-litre increase on May 15 and another smaller increase during the week, marking a clear shift from the long freeze that had shielded consumers from global volatility while pushing losses onto state-run refiners. That freeze had become harder to sustain as crude prices climbed and the rupee’s movement added to import costs.
The country imports more than four-fifths of its crude oil requirements, leaving domestic retail prices exposed to global oil markets and exchange-rate swings. Refiners have been selling petrol and diesel at discounted rates relative to landed costs, with diesel under-recoveries remaining larger because of its central role in freight, agriculture, public transport and industry.
Losses on diesel sales have been estimated at ₹25-30 a litre even after the first hike, while petrol losses have been placed at about ₹10-14 a litre. The fresh increase narrows that gap only modestly, suggesting further upward revisions could follow if crude prices stay high or the currency weakens.
Diesel is the more sensitive fuel for the broader economy. It powers trucks, buses, farm equipment, construction machinery and a large part of the country’s goods movement. Even modest increases can feed into freight rates, especially for smaller fleet operators with limited capacity to absorb higher running costs.
Petrol demand has also stayed firm, supported by urban commuting, two-wheeler use and private vehicle ownership. April consumption data showed petrol sales at about 3.7 million tonnes, up more than 6 per cent from a year earlier, while gasoil sales stood near 8.3 million tonnes, marginally higher than last year. The numbers indicate that demand has not weakened sharply despite higher living costs.
Bulk fuel demand has added another layer of pressure. Large users such as transport operators, mining companies and industrial consumers often respond quickly to price differences between retail outlets and direct industrial supply. A spike in retail buying can worsen supply imbalances and deepen losses for refiners if pump prices remain below market-linked levels.
The government has so far signalled little appetite for direct subsidies to compensate refiners for continuing under-recoveries. That stance increases the likelihood of gradual price adjustments, particularly if global crude remains above levels assumed in company projections. A sudden subsidy programme would also complicate fiscal planning at a time when public spending priorities remain stretched across infrastructure, welfare and defence.
State-level taxes mean consumers across major cities will see different pump prices even when the base increase is broadly similar. Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad typically record higher retail rates than New Delhi because of local levies, dealer commissions and freight costs. That variation also affects inflation differently across regions.
Compressed natural gas prices have moved higher as well, with Delhi seeing another ₹1-per-kg increase, the third rise in ten days. The parallel increase in CNG adds pressure on taxis, autorickshaws and urban commuters who had shifted to gas-based transport as a cheaper alternative to petrol and diesel.
For oil marketing companies, the price increases may support margins but are unlikely to restore full profitability immediately. Investor attention is now focused on how quickly the companies can recover past losses, whether demand holds up, and whether policymakers allow market-linked pricing to continue if inflationary pressure grows.
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Abu Dhabi’s exit from OPEC has placed the UAE at the centre of a wider debate over how Gulf producers should manage oil wealth as long-term demand faces pressure from the energy transition. Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, said the decision was shaped over three years and reflected the leadership’s view that the world is approaching […]
OKX is moving beyond digital assets into oil-linked derivatives through a partnership with Intercontinental Exchange, marking a fresh step in the convergence of crypto trading platforms and traditional commodity markets. The crypto exchange plans to introduce perpetual futures contracts tied to ICE Brent Crude and ICE WTI Crude benchmarks, giving eligible users exposure to two of the world’s most closely watched oil price references without using conventional […]
Binance has launched a SpaceX-linked pre-IPO perpetual futures contract, giving crypto traders synthetic exposure to one of the world’s most closely watched private companies before any public share sale is completed. The product began trading on May 21 under the SPCXUSDT ticker, marking Binance’s first move into a new class of pre-listing derivatives tied to private-market valuations. The contract is settled in USDT and tracks Space Exploration […]
Singapore business leader Teo Siong Seng has been accused by US prosecutors of taking part in a multi-year conspiracy to restrict output and fix prices of standard dry shipping containers, a case that places one of the city-state’s most prominent maritime figures at the centre of a major antitrust action. The indictment names four container manufacturing companies and seven executives in an alleged scheme that prosecutors say […]
Washington’s derivatives regulator and the National Hockey League have signed a memorandum of understanding to share information and co-ordinate oversight of prediction markets tied to professional hockey, extending federal scrutiny over a fast-growing sector that sits between financial derivatives, sports data and gambling regulation. The agreement, signed by Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chairman Michael S. Selig and NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman on 21 May 2026, creates regular […]
The New York-founded company, led by Shayne Coplan, is seeking to open discussions around whether event-based contracts can be permitted under Japan’s financial and digital-asset framework rather than treated purely as gambling. The move comes as prediction markets draw heavier institutional interest, stronger trading volumes and sharper scrutiny from regulators over consumer protection, market integrity and the legal boundary between betting and derivatives.
People familiar with the matter said the company’s Japan strategy is at an early stage and would require engagement with officials, lawmakers and industry participants before any formal market entry. Japan does not have a dedicated framework for cash-based prediction markets, leaving platforms that allow users to trade on political, economic, sports or cultural outcomes exposed to uncertainty under gambling and financial laws.
Polymarket allows users to buy and sell contracts tied to the outcome of real-world events, with prices reflecting market-implied probabilities. Its markets have covered elections, central bank decisions, geopolitical events, sports, entertainment and cryptocurrency milestones. The platform gained global visibility during the 2024 US presidential election cycle, when trading volumes surged and its odds were widely cited as an alternative gauge of political sentiment.
Japan would offer Polymarket a large, sophisticated retail market with deep participation in equities, foreign exchange and digital assets. The country has also built one of the world’s more structured crypto regulatory regimes, requiring registration for crypto-asset exchange service providers and imposing rules on custody, anti-money laundering controls and customer protection. That framework may give the company a potential route for engagement, although prediction markets remain a separate and more politically sensitive category.
The company’s global push has accelerated after a period of regulatory pressure in the United States. Polymarket settled a case with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission in 2022 after being accused of offering off-exchange event-based binary options without proper registration. It blocked US users for several years before moving to rebuild a domestic regulatory path through acquisitions and licensing efforts. Its purchase of a derivatives exchange and clearinghouse gave it a route to pursue compliant US operations.
Institutional backing has also strengthened its position. Intercontinental Exchange, the parent of the New York Stock Exchange, agreed to invest up to $2 billion in Polymarket in a deal that valued the business at about $8 billion before the transaction. The partnership gave Polymarket a powerful market infrastructure ally and signalled that event-driven data may have value beyond retail speculation, particularly for investors seeking real-time sentiment around political, economic and corporate developments.
Competition is intensifying. Kalshi, a regulated US prediction market operator, has expanded rapidly by framing event contracts as financial instruments under commodities law. Its growth has triggered legal disputes with state regulators, some of whom argue that sports and election-linked contracts resemble gambling products. That debate is likely to influence Japan’s assessment of whether prediction markets can be supervised as finance, gaming, information markets or a hybrid category.
Polymarket’s Japan plan faces several obstacles. Gambling is tightly restricted, with permitted activity largely confined to state-authorised sectors such as horse racing, bicycle racing, motorboat racing, lotteries and pachinko-linked structures. Online betting carries heightened enforcement risks, and any product involving wagers on uncertain outcomes would need careful legal classification. A crypto-funded model could add further complexity because regulators would need to examine custody, settlement, identity checks, sanctions screening and investor suitability.
Supporters of prediction markets argue that they create useful public signals by aggregating dispersed information into tradable prices. Traders who believe a market is mispriced can buy or sell contracts, pushing prices closer to collective expectations. That model has appealed to political analysts, hedge funds, economists and technology investors seeking faster indicators than polls, surveys or conventional research.
Critics counter that thin liquidity, anonymous participation, insider access and coordinated trading can distort outcomes. Questions have intensified around markets linked to sensitive events, where participants may possess non-public information or where the existence of a market could create troubling incentives. Japan’s regulators are likely to examine whether surveillance systems, position limits, disclosure rules and dispute-resolution mechanisms are strong enough to reduce those risks.
Full oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz are not expected to return before the first or second quarter of 2027, even if the Middle East conflict were to end immediately, ADNOC chief Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber has said, signalling that the energy shock from the Iran war could outlast any diplomatic settlement by many months. The warning from the head of the Abu Dhabi National Oil […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai OHO Sunshine has launched GlobeEar smart glasses as competition intensifies in AI-enabled eyewear, combining real-time translation, Bluetooth audio and everyday lens protection in a single lightweight frame aimed at travellers, commuters and multilingual users. The Cheyenne, Wyoming-based smart eyewear brand is positioning GlobeEar as a daily-use device rather than a specialist gadget. The glasses combine Bluetooth 5.2 open-ear audio, hands-free calling, an AI […]
Britain’s jobs market weakened in April as employers cut back on permanent recruitment while turning to temporary staff to manage uncertainty, rising business costs and disruption linked to the Iran conflict. Permanent staff placements fell at the sharpest pace since January, reversing part of the improvement seen earlier in the year. The permanent placements index dropped to 47.5 in April from 49.2 in March, staying below the […]
Emirates NBD has extended a AED367.3 million loan facility to Luxembourg-based CPI Property Group, giving the European real estate investor funding cover for deferred payments on a portfolio of ultra-luxury residential units in Dubai through 2026 and 2027. The transaction, equivalent to about $100 million or €86 million, is secured against 19 high-end residences owned by CPI Property Group, including 15 units still under construction. The assets […]
UAE economic growth is expected to slip into a mild contraction in 2026 as the Iran war disrupts oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz, before staging a strong recovery in 2027 on higher crude and gas production, major energy projects and continued strength in non-oil sectors. The projected setback marks a sharp reversal for the Gulf’s second-largest economy, which has spent the past decade reducing its […]
France will add €710 million in targeted aid to help households and businesses absorb higher energy costs, as the war in Iran keeps fuel prices elevated and tests the government’s fiscal restraint. Budget Minister David Amiel said the new measures would lift total support for consumers and affected sectors to nearly €1.2 billion, while the government seeks to avoid broad tax cuts that would deepen pressure on […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Abu Dhabi’s push to build a new crude pipeline bypassing the Strait of Hormuz has reached the halfway mark, with ADNOC chief executive Sultan Al Jaber saying the project is being accelerated towards a 2027 launch as regional tensions continue to expose the vulnerability of Gulf energy routes. Al Jaber said the pipeline, intended to expand export capacity through Fujairah on the Gulf […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Abu Dhabi’s push to build a crude export route outside the Strait of Hormuz has moved to the centre of Gulf energy security after ADNOC said its new West-East Pipeline is about halfway complete and on course to expand shipments through Fujairah by 2027. The project, being fast-tracked under the direction of Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of […]
Investors should be seeking advice on a possible US stock market correction as surging bond yields driven by the ongoing war in Iran pose a near-term risk to stock gains. Wall Street spent the past year treating artificial intelligence as a force powerful enough to overwhelm inflation, war, deficits and interest rates simultaneously. Markets rewarded that conviction spectacularly. Nvidia added more than $2tn in market value in […]
