LNG Market Watch: East Asian LNG prices for October inched up to about $20.4/MMBtu as heat and geopolitics kept spot demand firm; Bangladesh is lining up August cargoes after its Excellence FSRU returned from a mid-July fire, while Japan’s Shimane 2 nuclear restart was delayed to Aug 19, likely lifting gas burn during the heatwave. Oil & Shipping Risk: Brent climbed to $80.43/bbl after Yemen’s Houthis claimed a missile attack on a Saudi oil tanker in the Red Sea, reviving fears of supply and route disruption. India Energy Policy: India’s central bank held rates at 5.25% while watching whether Iran-war fuel volatility turns into broader inflation; meanwhile, reports say India may charge LPG and natural-gas users to fund a $42bn strategic fuel reserve. Grid Storage Push (India): Ola Electric and Axis Energy signed an MoU to assess up to 20 GWh of battery storage deployment by 2032, targeting firming for renewables and grid reliability. Nuclear Politics (India): Odisha’s BJD opposed a proposed private 3,000 MW nuclear plant, citing public safety concerns. Japan Safety Probe: Japan’s industry ministry said a Kumamoto mall blast was highly likely caused by LP gas, following onsite inspections. Brunei Climate Data: Brunei urged stronger greenhouse-gas inventory transparency at a regional workshop to improve climate policy decisions. Asia Power Demand Constraint: Malaysia’s data centres could consume up to 30% of national power by 2030, underscoring grid readiness challenges for the region’s AI buildout.