US President Donald Trump said Russia had agreed to supply diesel to global markets. His administration also temporarily eased US sanctions on Russian fuel, which were imposed to deprive Moscow of revenue for its war on Ukraine.

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Crude oil price on October 13

Brent crude futures fell 61 cents, or 1.05%, to $105 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate crude futures declined 92 cents, or 1.05%, to $93 a barrel. Brent settled at $106.65 a barrel on Monday, its highest level since September 15. Oil prices have surged more than 70% this year as the US war on Iran rattled global energy markets.
The additional supplies could ease tightness in global fuel markets and reduce some of the supply concerns that have supported crude prices in recent weeks. However, lawmakers from both parties in the US said Trump’s agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin appeared to violate US law barring imports of Russian energy until Moscow ends its aggression against Ukraine.

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Risks to Gulf energy infrastructure and shipping routes remained in focus after Iran-aligned Houthis struck Riyadh’s international airport over the weekend, while tanker attacks were reported near the Strait of Hormuz. The incidents threatened to disrupt the recovery in Middle East supplies recorded in September and heightened concerns about further interruptions along one of the world’s most important energy transit routes.
Ministers from OPEC and non-OPEC countries participating in the Declaration of Cooperation said shipping and insurance costs had surged to unprecedented levels, exceeding one-third of the commodity’s value and hindering the efficient movement of crude oil and petroleum products.Read more: Stocks in news: HCL Tech, RBL Bank, Nazara Tech, Hero Motors, Power Grid and IRCON

What are experts saying?

Uncertainty over how the conflict will end remains a key concern for markets. JPMorgan analysts said they did not know how to model the eventual outcome, noting that the bank had initially assumed the US administration would avoid crossing certain economic thresholds when the conflict began. Seven months into the war, many of those thresholds had been crossed, while a clear exit strategy remained absent.

The growing threat of further supply disruptions has also raised the prospect of higher oil prices. Daan Struyven, co-head of global commodities research at Goldman Sachs, said recent attacks demonstrated how disruptions to shipping could spread and intensify.

Goldman Sachs has outlined a scenario in which oil prices could climb to $120 a barrel if attacks on vessels in the Middle East escalate. If exports return to normal, the bank expects prices to move back towards $80 a barrel.

Struyven said risks to shipping had become a major driver of oil prices. Goldman Sachs sees meaningful upside potential for crude and expects natural gas and refined product prices to rise as well. Struyven added that supply shocks affecting gas and fuels were larger than those in the crude oil market.

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The resolution adopted by the European Parliament last week, calling for a coordinated response to the influence of Muslim Brotherhood networks, was not the first warning of its kind in Europe.

Several of the concerns raised by MEPs, chiefly that extremist groups use social media and educational settings to recruit young people, had already been flagged in a French security report. That report warned of attempts by political Islam, and specifically the Muslim Brotherhood, to gain a foothold in schools and universities.

The French approach

France’s effort to counter the Brotherhood’s presence in state institutions is the most recent in Europe, following the publication of a government report in May 2025. Nearly 18 months on, however, French academics and observers are still asking what has actually been done to curb the activities of political Islam.

In May, Aymeric Durox, a senator for the far-right National Rally (RN), raised what he called the “infiltration” of universities by the Brotherhood, particularly of the regional student services centres (Crous), which manage student housing and welfare across France’s university towns, according to the French Senate’s website.

Mr Durox sought to draw the attention of the minister for higher education, research and space to the issue. He cited the interior ministry report, which described the Muslim Students of France (EMF) as the student wing of the Union of Islamic Organisations of France (UOIF), now renamed Muslims of France and regarded by the report as the French branch of the Muslim Brotherhood.

The senator warned that EMF had supplied the movement with “many of its cadres at European level”. He pointed to its founder, Fouad Alaoui, whom the interior ministry report described as a key figure in the movement’s financial affairs in Europe. He also named more recent figures, including Hania Chalal, president of the European forum of Muslim youth and student organisations, and Hiba Latreche, president of the Forum of European Muslim Youth and Student Organisations (Femyso).

On Thursday, the European Parliament voted in favour of a resolution calling for a unified European strategy on Muslim Brotherhood networks and their influence. The resolution asks EU institutions to assess whether entities and individuals linked to the Brotherhood, starting with Femyso, should be added to the EU’s list of terrorist organisations.

In January, France’s National Assembly adopted a resolution calling for the Brotherhood and its leaders to be placed on that list, putting the question directly before European institutions.

Against that backdrop, Mr Durox asked how the government intended to tackle the presence of Brotherhood-linked associations in universities. He also asked what guarantees it could give taxpayers that public money would not fund such groups, and that they would not steer university boards towards adopting Islamist demands.

Setback for Lille school

In September, France’s consultative committee on private education issued an unfavourable opinion on appeals lodged by the Averroès Muslim school in Lille. The final decision now rests with the prefect of the Nord department, and for now the school remains outside the state contract system.

According to the Journal du Dimanche, the school, which has been in dispute with the state for three years, suffered a fresh blow when the committee largely rejected its requests.

The dispute dates back to December 2023, when the Nord prefecture ended the partnership contract that had linked Averroès to the state since 2008. That decision followed a series of inspections that raised questions about the curriculum, governance and funding of the school.

The paper reports that the state’s case against the school still contains serious allegations. Officials place Averroès within the Muslim Brotherhood’s sphere and argue that it operates a system at odds with the values of the French Republic. A 2023 inspection raised questions about an Islamic ethics course taught to pupils in their first year of upper secondary school. The authorities say some of the books used promoted ideas contrary to several republican principles, notably on gender equality, the place of religious law and relations with non-Muslims.

Inspectors also cited the attitudes of some teachers and links between people close to the school and Brotherhood-affiliated bodies. Their findings included pupils’ work containing conspiracy theories, a distorted version of the national motto, a lack of resources on secularism and other religions, and numerous works by Hassan Iquioussen, an imam described as close to the Brotherhood.

The school’s funding is also under scrutiny, the Journal du Dimanche says. French authorities have paid particular attention to its links with Qatar Charity, after a video emerged showing a teacher thanking the organisation for financial help in buying the school’s buildings. The legal battle continues.

Foreign backing

The Averroès case echoes warnings in a 2025 interior ministry document about the risk of “municipal Islamism”, which explicitly raised the question of the Brotherhood’s influence in France.

Le Monde reports that experts on political Islam consider this risk to be real, describing an ideologically diverse but highly active movement whose impact on public life and local politics is growing. The paper also notes the Brotherhood’s decline in several Middle Eastern countries, with the exception of Turkey under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The French report describes Turkey as having become the Brotherhood’s regional hub in the Middle East, where it can draw on state resources, particularly in support of its strategy of expansion into Europe.

The 2025 report by France’s security and intelligence services also spoke openly of “Turkish Muslim Brothers” who are very active in Europe, including France, though they have struggled to extend their influence beyond Turkish-speaking communities. It noted that the Brotherhood’s presence in Europe, particularly in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, dates back to the 1950s and 1960s.

The report concludes that the movement has found more receptive ground in countries that recognise or encourage identities based on religious or cultural community, such as the UK and Belgium, and in those that recognise religions and sometimes fund them through optional taxes, such as Germany.

Thailand is entering a new phase of investment as global companies restructure supply chains, adopt artificial intelligence and accelerate the transition towards cleaner energy, according to a new report from PwC Thailand.

The report, Thailand Investment Outlook: Hope, resilience, and growth, identifies digital infrastructure, electronics, automotive manufacturing and food processing as sectors likely to attract a new wave of foreign direct investment.

The shift reflects a broader effort by companies to build supply chains that offer greater resilience and access to regional markets. PwC said Thailand’s position as a gateway to ASEAN gives it an opportunity to benefit from that restructuring, provided the country can improve its infrastructure, workforce and regulatory environment.

Thailand recorded gross FDI inflow transactions of $86 billion, equivalent to approximately 2.9 trillion baht, in 2025, according to Bank of Thailand data cited by PwC. China, Singapore and the European Union were among the leading sources of investment.

The report was released ahead of the 2026 Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Group in Bangkok, where Thailand plans to promote its investment opportunities to international policymakers, companies and financial institutions.

Four sectors anchor the outlook

PwC said Thailand’s investment appeal does not depend on a single industry. Its advantages combine a domestic market of 71.7 million people, established manufacturing capacity, regional logistics, tourism, healthcare and food production.

The automotive industry remains one of the country’s strongest platforms. Thailand produced approximately 1.5 million light vehicles in 2025, while electric vehicles accounted for 53% of new-vehicle sales during the first half of 2026.

The transition towards electric vehicles could attract investment in batteries, power electronics, components and related services. Thailand’s existing supplier network gives it a foundation for that expansion, although competition from Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam is increasing.

Logistics is another central pillar. Thailand is expanding rail and port capacity and benefits from 17 free-trade agreements, 15 of which are currently in effect. Those links could help companies use the country as a production and distribution base for ASEAN markets.

Tourism and wellness provide a broader services opportunity. Thailand attracted around 33 million international visitors in 2025 and receives approximately three million foreign patients annually. PwC said the sector is developing beyond traditional tourism into healthcare, wellness, medical services and long-term living.

Agriculture and food processing complete the four-sector outlook. Thailand ranks among the world’s top agricultural exporters and is seeking to move further into higher-value food products, branded exports and advanced processing.

Investment momentum continues

The report highlighted several recent projects as examples of Thailand’s growing investment pipeline.

Google is planning a Bangkok Cloud Region valued at approximately $1 billion. Western Digital is expanding its manufacturing capacity through a project worth around $693 million, while BYD has committed approximately $490 million to its first wholly owned passenger-vehicle production base in Southeast Asia.

These investments reflect demand for cloud infrastructure, electronics, advanced manufacturing and electric vehicles. They also show how global companies are reorganising production and technology networks across Asia.

PwC said Thailand’s position in ASEAN gives investors access to a regional market of around 700 million people and a combined economy valued at approximately $4.2 trillion. Annual growth across the bloc is expected to average between 4% and 5%, creating long-term demand for infrastructure, consumer goods and business services.

However, attracting projects will be only the first stage. Their wider economic impact will depend on whether local suppliers, workers and research institutions become part of the investment cycle.

Execution remains critical

Thailand has introduced several measures intended to strengthen its investment environment, including Board of Investment incentives, Eastern Economic Corridor programmes and long-term visa arrangements.

The government is also pursuing regulatory modernisation, including possible reforms to the Foreign Business Act. Clearer rules and faster approvals could make it easier for companies to establish operations and scale their activities in Thailand.

PwC said the next stage will require the country to connect investment with infrastructure, talent and domestic capabilities.

That challenge is particularly important in artificial intelligence and advanced electronics. Thailand will need engineers, technicians, data specialists and managers with the skills required to operate and develop new technologies. It will also need reliable electricity, digital networks and research capacity.

The same principle applies to the energy transition. New industrial and digital projects will require sufficient power and access to cleaner energy. Without coordinated investment in the electricity system, Thailand could attract large facilities that increase pressure on the grid and raise operating costs.

“Thailand’s investment story is entering a new phase,” said Phuwin Norchoovech, Territory Execution Leader and Deals Partner at PwC Thailand. The executive added:

“Its advantage lies not in a single sector, but in the combination of market scale, industrial depth and resilience that investors increasingly seek.”

PwC said Thailand could channel global changes in supply chains, AI and energy into sustainable long-term value if it connects those trends with the capabilities needed to support them.

The immediate investment outlook is positive, but the next stage will be measured by implementation. Thailand has the opportunity to attract new capital into strategic industries. The larger question is whether that capital will deepen the domestic economy, raise productivity and leave the country better prepared for the disruptions shaping global business.

An artificial intelligence (AI) model developed by Anthropic submitted a false tip about an unsolved murder through a Philadelphia police website during an automated test.

The Philadelphia Police Department said Anthropic notified authorities on Oct. 7 about the incident and explained that the submission resulted from an automated testing process.

“The tip was flagged as spam and was never forwarded to the Real-Time Crime Center for investigative vetting or dissemination,” police said.

The incident comes as other reports have emerged of AI agents hacking into commercial and government systems.

SOUTH KOREAN MEGACHURCHES INVESTIGATE SUSPECTED CYBERATTACKS AFFECTING HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS

According to police, the false tip was submitted through an unsolved murders website. (Davide Bonaldo/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images, File / Getty Images)

According to police, the false tip was submitted through PhillyUnsolvedMurders.com, a website dedicated to unsolved homicides. The tip, dated July 18, 2026, appeared to have come from someone who might have information about an unsolved murder.

Police said there was no evidence that the AI model gained unauthorized access to department systems or compromised police data.

In a report released Friday, Anthropic said its Claude Haiku 4.5 model had been tasked with completing activities on randomly selected webpages and ultimately landed on the homicide tip website.

Although Claude was instructed not to log in, create accounts, enter personal data, make purchases or “submit anything destructive,” its instructions did not explicitly prohibit it from submitting online forms, the company said.

OPENAI’S SAM ALTMAN SAYS AI BENEFITS JUSTIFY ACCEPTING SOME RISKS

The incident was included in Anthropic’s report examining instances in which its AI models interacted with actual websites in unintended ways. (Samuel Boivin/NurPhoto via Getty Images, File / Getty Images)

According to Anthropic, Claude filled out the form, writing: “I may have information regarding this case. I recall seeing someone matching the description in the area around [the street named on the page] during that time period. Please contact me if this information is relevant.”

Anthropic noted that the website did not contain a description of the perpetrator, despite the model’s claim that it had seen someone matching one. The model also left the name and contact fields blank before submitting the tip.

The incident was included in Anthropic’s report examining instances in which its AI models interacted with real websites or systems in unintended ways.

Anthropic is led by co-founder and CEO Dario Amodei. (Finn Gomez/Getty Images, File / Getty Images)

Following the episode, Anthropic said it strengthened restrictions on its models’ internet access during testing, modified certain evaluations to prevent interactions with live websites and developed additional monitoring tools.

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FOX Business has reached out to Anthropic for comment.

Reuters contributed to this report.