US Energy Secretary Wright warned the EU that if it refuses to relax methane regulations, US gas supplies will "flow to other regions." He said: "If this regulation is not meaningfully reformed, it will cause serious pain for Europe that is entirely unnecessary," and added the issue is not about escalation but that "our energy will go somewhere else." EU energy commissioner Dan Jørgensen has vowed to resist pressure from the US and other LNG exporters and to press ahead with revisions aimed at c

After Wednesday's CPI release, Westpac kept its forecast that the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) will raise rates in August. Westpac said May headline CPI undershot expectations mainly due to falls in travel, clothing and recreation prices that are largely seasonal, and this does not change its view that underlying inflationary pressure is intensifying. The bank said May data more strongly signals a widening second‑round effect from Middle East supply shocks: rising costs for fuel, transport, plastics and chemical inputs are transmitting beyond energy‑related goods. Westpac warned wage‑cost pressure in H2 2026 could further lift inflation, especially in market‑based services. Policy supports, including fuel excise relief, are expected to be withdrawn gradually over coming months, keeping inflation risks alive beyond the August monetary policy meeting.

Nokia (NOK.N) expands partnership with Amazon Web Services to launch autonomous networks designed for the AI era.