Iran seized on Friday an oil tanker en route to Singapore after it passed the critical Strait of Hormuz in the Middle East in the first major escalation of the tensions in the region since the Iran-Israel war in June.  The Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker Talara was seized by Iranian forces in the Gulf of Oman after having passed the Strait of Hormuz from Ajman in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), heading to Singapore.  Iran’s forces diverted the ship from the international waters to the Iranian territorial waters, a U.S. defense…

The key Russian oil port of Novorossiysk on the Black Sea suspended oil exports on Friday, following a major Ukrainian attack on the port overnight. Friday, November 14, 2025The Russia-Ukraine war rages on, with Ukraine’s drone attacks temporarily halting oil loadings in Russia’s largest Black Sea port, however, even such a high-impact event was only able to recoup the past days’ losses and reset ICE Brent at $64 per barrel. Oil bulls’ sentiment was dampened by this week’s monthly reports from the IEA and OPEC, particularly…

The central figure in the corruption scandal shaking Ukraine, Tymur Mindich, is an old friend and former business partner of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.Law enforcement sources say Mindich left the country shortly before police searched his home.And prosecutors have reportedly told a court they have a recording of a call in which Zelenskyy is heard speaking to another target of the probe, Justice Minister Herman Halushchenko, while Halushchenko was on a group call with Mindich and Oleksandr Tsukerman, an associate who is also charged and also…

The key Russian oil port of Novorossiysk on the Black Sea suspended oil exports on Friday, following a major Ukrainian attack on the port overnight, industry sources told Reuters.    In addition, Russia’s pipeline company Transneft suspended crude oil supply to the facilities at the port, according to Reuters’ sources.  The port of Novorossiysk, a key export outlet of crude from Russia and Kazakhstan, and a major wheat export hub, was attacked by Ukrainian drones early on Friday. Oil prices jumped in Asian and early…

Power generation in China jumped by the most in October in nearly two years and overall electricity output was at its highest for any October since at least 1998, as a heat wave hit southern China while temperatures were colder-than-usual in the north.  China’s power generation surged by 7.9% in October from a year earlier, with total output at 800.2 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh), data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed on Friday.  The October generation hit the highest for the month of October since at least 1998, according…

Crude oil prices traded defensively this week as bearish fundamentals overshadowed short-term risk catalysts. While geopolitical tensions and the end of the U.S. government shutdown offered fleeting support, the market remained focused on rising global inventories, shifting supply-demand expectations from OPEC and the IEA, and a broader sense that supply continues to outpace demand. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures fell sharply midweek before stabilizing at $58.12, a level that may act as psychological support in the short term. Large U.S.…

Politics, Geopolitics & Conflict Syrian intelligence claims to have foiled multiple Islamic State plots to assassinate President Ahmad al-Sharaa, including one near the Damascus military airport, highlighting the group’s continued reach despite years of attrition. The government used the incident to reinforce its narrative of national stability and justify new counterterrorism powers that expand security control over civilian zones. Western intelligence officials see the threats as credible but limited, with Islamic State activity centered…

There are very few things that can make a stock tank more than an equity raise. When a company sells more equity it, by definition, dilutes the value of the existing stock. In simple terms, if a company has a market value of $1 million and has issued 10,000 shares, then each share is worth $100. However, if they then raise capital by selling another 10,000 shares, each share is then worth only $50. The value of the company hasn’t changed, but instead of that value being split 10,000 ways, it is now split 20,000 ways. The stock has to halve…

Netanyahu’s position is increasingly precarious. The coalition has thinned to a one-seat margin after United Torah Judaism’s withdrawal over the draft dispute, and the 2026 budget deadline now hangs over him as the next trigger point.  The Supreme Court’s end to Haredi draft exemptions forced the army to begin issuing call-ups this year, igniting mass protests and exposing a structural fault line that no version of the bill can bridge. Any compromise risks splitting either the ultra-Orthodox or nationalist wings. That tension…

Faced with difficult trade negotiations with the United States and American tariffs on their products, Canada and India pledged to encourage long-term supply chain partnerships in critical minerals and clean energy.  At a trade summit in India, Canada and the host country agreed to revive their stalled bilateral relations and “reiterated their commitment to deepening bilateral cooperation through sustained dialogue, mutual respect, and forward-looking initiatives,” the countries said in a joint statement.  Canada and India…

Uncertain demand signals and high costs are holding back India’s green hydrogen goals and plans, the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) said in a briefing note on Friday, days after a senior Indian official warned the country would miss its 2030 green hydrogen production target.  Most projects to produce green hydrogen – via electrolysis using renewable electricity – in India are struggling to reach financial closure as buyer hesitancy amid high costs, uncertainty about long-term demand, and inadequate…

Chinese solar equipment producers are shifting from panels to battery storage to tackle a chronic oversupply in the panel and equipment market that has crashed many sector players’ bottom lines. The latest to make the move was one of the largest in the sector, Longi Green Energy Technology. Bloomberg cited a security filing by the company showing that it was planning to buy a majority stake of 62% in local battery storage maker PotisEdge. The surge in EVs and solar and wind power installations has resulted in excessive manufacturing capacity…

Recently, Bloomberg reported that five of India's largest oil refiners have made no purchases of Russian crude for December delivery, instead turning to Saudi Arabia, UAE and Iraq for crude with similar properties to Urals. The move comes after Washington sanctioned Rosneft and Lukoil while the EU adopted its 19th package of sanctions. Only Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) and Nayara Energy, in which Rosneft holds a 49% stake, have purchased crude from Russia for December. Meanwhile, the diplomatic sensitivity of the ongoing trade talks between the…

Rodrigo Paz, the centrist senator who won the presidential election in Bolivia last month, was sworn in this weekend and immediately set to work to undo the policies of 20 years of nearly-uninterrupted socialist rule. In the first round of the presidential election on 17 August, the left-wing Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS) suffered a historic defeat after nearly two decades in power. MAS nominee Eduardo del Castillo won only about 3% of the vote, while right-leaning Quiroga secured 27% and the more centrist Paz won 32%. Paz, who defeated conservative…

The energy transition faces the biggest challenge yet as a global backlash against renewable energy – spearheaded by U.S. President Donald Trump – is gaining momentum, according to two of the European pioneers of wind turbine design. President Trump’s views on wind energy and climate change are extreme, but they are symptomatic of a global shift in the perception of the need for and benefits from the energy transition, say Henrik Stiesdal and Andrew Garrad, a Dane and a Brit, who are often referred to as the “Godfathers…

After decades of funding major infrastructure projects with state money, the Chinese government has zeroed in on private capital as a source of fresh cash for big projects in everything from transport to energy, to power generation, and drones. In a new policy presented earlier this week, Beijing signaled private capital is now welcome in hydropower, nuclear power, oil and gas pipelines, and water supply, media reported, citing government officials. “Private investment serves as a key barometer reflecting economic vitality and plays a crucial…

The global energy storage sector is heating up to be “clean energy’s next trillion-dollar business.” As more nations around the world become increasingly reliant on renewable energies to power their grids and the AI boom pushes clean energy expansion as part of an all-the-above approach to ramping up energy production as fast as possible, energy storage is becoming an increasingly critical component of energy security at local, national, and global scales. Researchers have estimated that a net-zero energy future will require a…

Well, someone important finally said it. Craig Albert, head of construction firm Bechtel, credited by the Financial Times for “rescuing” the Vogtle nuclear project in Georgia (we think “finishing“ it would be a better description), told that august paper that if the government wanted to get Donald Trump’s nuclear construction expansion going, it should be willing to pick up part of the costs. That is, subsidize the seemingly inevitable cost overruns? All the stories that followed talked about encouraging the “early…

Germany has agreed to subsidize electricity for its heavy industries, capping prices at about €0.05 per kilowatt-hour from 2026 through 2028—a major policy move aimed at keeping its industrial base from eroding under the weight of Europe’s soaring energy costs. Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Thursday that Berlin’s coalition partners reached the deal after months of debate, and that discussions with the European Commission for approval were “largely complete.” The measure will target energy-intensive industries…

Germany has agreed to subsidize electricity for its heavy industries, capping prices at about €0.05 per kilowatt-hour from 2026 through 2028—a major policy move aimed at keeping its industrial base from eroding under the weight of Europe’s soaring energy costs. Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Thursday that Berlin’s coalition partners reached the deal after months of debate, and that discussions with the European Commission for approval were “largely complete.” The measure will target energy-intensive industries…