Middle East Ceasefire Flip: Trump said he called off new strikes on Iran after talks reached Iran’s top leadership, while also previously threatening “total control” of Iran’s oil and gas—keeping energy-market risk front and center. Energy Security & Inflation: The ECB resumed rate hikes, citing energy-cost-driven inflation pressures tied to ongoing Middle East instability and Strait of Hormuz disruption. Grid Buildout: Transgrid completed Australia’s “largest” NSW transmission project, underscoring how transmission is becoming the bottleneck for the energy transition. Battery & Grid Storage: VAELLA spun out from KONE to give AI-driven operational awareness for high-footfall facilities; meanwhile, GM is moving to sodium-ion batteries for energy storage via Peak Energy. Clean Power Pipeline: The Philippines’ BOI certified 13 renewable projects under its Green Lane, fast-tracking permits for solar, wind, hydro and geothermal. LNG & Geopolitics: A report claims Russia and China are building a parallel energy system to bypass dollar and Western control, with Power of Siberia 2 as a key threat to LNG exporters. Solar Home Push: India’s MNRE recognized Solarium Green Energy as a top vendor under PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana. Nuclear Policy: Arizona advanced a bill creating a framework for small modular reactors to meet surging demand from data centers and industry. Rare Earths Supply: Energy Transition Minerals found 10 new rare-earth targets at Kvanefjeld in Greenland, with uranium below Greenland’s legal threshold. Patent Truce: LG Energy Solution ended its two-year patent dispute with China’s Sunwoda via a licensing deal.