Global Diesel Crisis Deepens as India Largely Escapes Supply Crunch

The world is running low on a special fuel called diesel that powers trucks, farms and factories.

Wars and unrest in Russia and Iran have made it harder for countries to get this fuel.

Europe has been hit especially hard - its diesel stockpiles are at the lowest levels since 2014, and the profit margin on making diesel hit a record high.

India has many big factories, called refineries, that turn thick crude oil into diesel.

Because India makes more fuel than it needs, it has escaped the shortage and has even been sending diesel to Europe.

India also buys cheap oil from Russia, and in July more than half of its imported oil came from there, which has drawn criticism from the United States.

Experts say that if India stopped buying so much Russian oil, its oil bill could rise by 5-10 billion dollars in a year and push up prices a little.

Countries near India are not as lucky - Bangladesh is facing its worst power crisis in years because there is not enough natural gas to make electricity.

Bangladesh has asked India to send extra diesel, and India already supplies some through a pipeline called the Bangladesh-India Friendship Pipeline.

Pakistan has also raised petrol and diesel prices because international oil prices keep going up and down.