Automakers just can’t catch a break: The Russia-Ukraine war is pushing up prices of metals — including aluminum, palladium, and nickel — which is expected to hit the automotive industry, which uses these metals to manufacture vehicles, writes Reuters. Car buyers are likely to foot the increase in costs from metals as the auto sector already suffers through the chip shortage, supply chain disruptions, and soaring energy costs — which are also often passed on to the consumer. Aluminum and palladium both hit record highs this week, while nickel’s price doubled to more than USD 100k a tonne, leading the London Metal Exchange to temporarily suspend trading on nickel contracts. The price increase of nickel could deter the world’s EV ambition as the metal is a core component in EV batteries.

Where does Islam stand on the world of crypto? The short answer is that the jury is out on whether the currency and its trading is “halal,” the Washington Post writes. Several religious scholars have issued religious edicts, or fatwas, against crypto, saying that its uncertainty and price fluctuations puts it on equal religious footing with gambling, which is forbidden in Islam. Technoid Muslims argue otherwise, suggesting that crypto provides an accessible alternative to the traditional banking and financial systems (including interest-bearing loans). The debate over crypto and how it meshes with Islamic Sharia is gaining traction s mns in Muslim-majority countries — particularly in Indonesia and the Gulf — begin to invest in the digital assets.