Europe

In an article published a week before his visit to Kazakhstan, Vladimir Putin said that Russia had given the Central Asian country four Amur tigers. Two of these cubs were also handed over to help the country restore the number of the animals. Kazakhstan is rich in minerals and energy, and shares a border and ally with Russia. Putin announced on Tuesday that the four animals caught in Russia's Khabarovsk region, located in the far east, were flown to Kazakhstan and will be released soon into the wild. Putin is not a stranger to using animals as a diplomatic tool....

LONDON/DUBAI - U.S. secretary of state Marco Rubio warned on Tuesday that negotiations with Iran could "take several days." This was after the U.S. launched what they called 'defensive strikes' in southern Iran. Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson stated earlier that many of the topics covered in a possible 14-point memorandum were concluded, but this does not mean an agreement to end the war will be reached anytime soon. What is the current stage of the discussions? After a "ceasefire" in early April, both sides remain at odds over difficult issues, including Iran's nuke ambitions, Israel’s war with the Hezbollah militia,...

Aleksandar Vucic, Serbia's president, said that he was not optimistic about the possibility of reaching an agreement over the Hungarian oil firm 'MOL's bid for a majority stake in NIS, operator of the Balkan country's only refinery. The deadline is Friday. Gazprom and Gazprom, two Russian oil companies, agreed to sell their majority 56% stake in NIS in January to?MOL after the United States demanded that Russian shares be divested due to sanctions imposed by the United States over Moscow's conflict in Ukraine. Washington has given MOL and the Russian companies until May 22th to complete the sale. This requires...

According to official sources, almost all of the major oil refineries in central Russia have been forced to reduce or halt their fuel production due to recent drone attacks by Ukraine. Moscow has already banned gasoline exports from April to the end of July. Refineries which have stopped operations or are partially stopped, together, produce more than 83 million tons of?product per year. This is approximately 238,000 tons a day. According to anonymous sources and data, this represents around a quarter of Russia's entire refining capacity. Over 30% of Russia's gasoline is produced by refineries, and around 25% by diesel....

Local officials reported that two people had been?killed? and 19 others injured overnight in Russia's attacks on Ukraine, while Ukraine sent drones into industrial areas of central Russia. Local authorities in Ukraine reported that two people died and six were injured when Russia attacked the city of Dnipro, located on the south-east coast, with artillery and missiles. Authorities?added that another 13 injuries were reported in the northern Sumy Region and the southern region of Zaporizhzhia. Three children included. We could not independently verify these reports. Russia and Ukraine deny targeting civilians. DRONES TARGET INDUSTRIAL AREA?IN RUSSIA According to Russian officials...

Sanjay Khanna, the chairman of India's Bharat Oil Corp. said that it is recalibrating its crude import strategy nearly daily and increasing?spot purchase after the U.S./Israeli conflict in Middle East disrupted Middle East supply. India, which is the third largest?oil?importer and?consumer in the world, has been affected by the rising crude prices as well as supply disruptions after the Strait of Hormuz was closed. South Asian nation raised retail petrol and diesel prices twice in one week. The refiner planned to purchase about 55% of its crude requirements for 2026/27 via annual contracts, mostly from Middle Eastern producers. Khanna stated...

A top government minister announced on Tuesday that Italy would extend a 'cut in fuel excise duty due to expire May 22 as part of efforts to curb the soaring energy prices caused by the Middle East conflict. Matteo Salvini, Deputy Prime minister and Transport & Infrastructure Minister, said during an interview with RTL 102.5 that "we will definitely have to extend the excise reduction." It has spent about?1 billion Euros ($1.16 billion), so far, to reduce?excise duty on?petrol or diesel pump prices. The measure was first introduced in March, and then extended for the first time in late April....

Santos, Australia’s No.2 oil &?gas producer said on Monday that it had?reached first oil in its Pikka project, located in Alaska, U.S.A. Shares of the Adelaide-headquartered company rose as much as 3.1% to A$8.12, their highest ?since April 13, while the broader S&P/ASX 200 benchmark index ?was down 1.4% by 0450 GMT. Stocks of the Adelaide-based company rose as much as 3.1% to A$8.12, their highest level?since April 13, while the broader S&P/ASX 200 benchmark index?was down 1.4% by 0450 GMT. Craig Sidney is a senior investment advisor at Shaw and Partners. He said, "This announcement is positive in light...

A joint report by the government and civil society revealed that Nigeria is losing vast amounts of mineral revenue to illegal trading networks, which are dominated by shell companies, foreign buyers, and armed criminals groups. This highlights the extent of illicit activity. The report was produced by Nigeria's extractive industry watchdog NEITI and Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice with UK government funding. It found that illicit financial flow in the mining sector occurs through commercial manipulation, corrupt officials, and cross-border smuggling. Nigeria's mining industry contributed only 0.72% of GDP in 2023, 0.28% of revenue, and 0.75% % of...

Two sources familiar with the investigation said that the Brazilian federal police had targeted the former governor of Rio de Janeiro, Claudio Castro, and the owner Refit Refinery Ricardo Magro as part of an investigation into alleged tax evasion. Castro and Magro did not immediately respond to a request for comment from. The police, without naming any suspects, said that they had launched an investigation into a conglomerate in the fuel industry suspected of concealing assets, faking assets and transferring money abroad. According to a statement, the Supreme Court ordered that assets worth approximately 52 billion Reis ($10.4 Billion) be...

Energy Minister said that Serbia will present its final offer to MOL, the Hungarian oil company, on Friday, in response to the Hungarian bid for NIS, the operator of the Balkan nation’s only refinery. Gazprom and Gazprom, two Russian companies, agreed in January to sell their 56% stake in NIS majority to MOL after the U.S. demanded that Russian shares be divested due to sanctions imposed by the U.S. over Moscow's involvement in the war in Ukraine. We had intensive discussions yesterday and the previous day with representatives of MOL. "We agreed on certain topics," Energy Minister Dubravka Handanovic, was...

Serbia's energy minister said that it will present its final proposal to MOL on Friday regarding the Hungarian company's bid for NIS to be acquired by MOL, the operator of the Balkan nation’s only refinery. Gazprom and?Neft, two Russian companies, agreed in January to sell their 56% stake in NIS majority to MOL after the U.S. demanded that Russian shares be divested due to sanctions imposed by the U.S. over Moscow's involvement in the war in Ukraine. Washington has given MOL and the Russian companies until May 22 for the sale to be completed. This will require the Serbian government's...

Although the Iran war has impacted crude oil and natural gas prices, its impact on coal has been muted. Prices for thermal grades are quietly rising to multi-year heights. The conflict between the United States of America and Iran has led to the loss of about 10% of world crude oil, and a fifth of LNG, but thermal coal supplies remain largely unaffected. Even though the cost of shipping and producing has increased due to higher fuel prices. Coal prices are not solely driven by the?Iran War. Other factors, such as low Chinese production and Indonesian regulations, may be more...

Oil prices fell to a 'two-week low' on Monday, despite the fact that U.S. President Barack Obama and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani remain at odds on key issues. These include the blockades of the Strait of Hormuz which continue to limit oil supplies from the Middle East. Brent crude futures fell $4.71 or 4.55% to $98.83 per barrel at 2234 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate was $92.03 per barrel, down $4.57 or 4.73%. Both contracts reached their lowest levels since May 7 earlier in the session. On Saturday, U.S. president Donald?Trump stated that Washington and Iran had "largely" negotiated a...

Russia announced?on Thursday it would provide active support to Cuba, despite efforts by the United States to 'intimidate' and tighten "sanctions" around the Communist island nation. The United States announced a murder charge against former president Raul Castro, Wednesday. This is a major escalation of Washington's war against Cuba. Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, told reporters that "we will continue to provide the most active support to a fraternal Cuban population during this extremely challenging period." "We reaffirm that we are fully united with Cuba. We condemn any attempts to grossly interfere in the internal affairs a...

According to official sources and data, almost all major oil refineries located in central Russia have been forced to halt or reduce their fuel production following recent drone attacks by Ukraine. Moscow has already banned gasoline exports from April to the end of July. Refineries which have stopped operations completely or partially, together, produce more than 83 million metric tonnes per year. This is approximately 238,000 tons of oil per day. According to anonymous sources and data, this represents a quarter of Russia's entire refining capacity. Over 30% of Russia's fuel is produced by refineries, and around 25% by diesel....

The price of oil fell on Wednesday, after U.S. president Donald Trump re-assured that the war with Iran would 'end very quickly'. However, investors are still unsure about the outcome of the peace talks due to the continued disruptions in Middle East supply caused by the conflict. Brent crude oil futures dropped 45 cents or 0.4% to $110.83 a bar by 0050 GMT. U.S. West Texas intermediate futures were also down 27 cents or 0.3% to $103.88. The benchmarks both fell by nearly $1 after U.S. vice president JD Vance stated that the U.S. had made progress with Iran in...

Bharat Petroleum Corporation, India's state refiner. Sanjay Khanna, the chairman of Bharat Petroleum?Corp. said on Tuesday that it is recalibrating their crude import strategy nearly daily and ramping up its spot purchases following the U.S./Israeli conflict against Iran which disrupted Middle East supplies. India, which is the third-largest oil importer and consumer in the world, has been affected by the rising prices of crude and the disruption of supply following the closing of the Strait of Hormuz. South Asian nation raised retail petrol and diesel prices twice in one week. BPCL planned to procure about 55% its crude requirements?for 2026/27...

Oil prices increased on Thursday, as traders remained focused on the Iran war and investors awaited a?meeting?between U.S. president Donald Trump and Chinese president Xi Jinping. Brent crude futures rose 13 cents or 0.12% to $105.76 a barrel by 0015 GMT. U.S. West Texas intermediate futures also gained 12 cents or 0.12% to $101.14. Investors were worried about possible interest rate increases in the United States, which led to a decline of both benchmark oil contracts on Wednesday. Brent crude futures dropped?more that $2 per barrel while WTI futures declined more than $1. Trump landed 'on Wednesday night in Beijing...

Wall Street's major equity indexes fell on Tuesday, and the dollar rose as U.S. inflation increased and oil gained for the third consecutive day. Hopes for a Middle East Peace Deal to allow ships through?the Strait of Hormuz faded. In April, U.S. Consumer Prices (CPI), rose sharply for the second consecutive month. This resulted in the largest increase in annual?inflation? in nearly three years. It boosted expectations that the Federal Reserve will keep interest rates the same for some time. Oil prices have risen due to the U.S. War on Iran. This has led to higher gasoline, jet fuel and...

A senior Pentagon official stated on Tuesday that the United States war in Iran has cost $29 billion so far, which is an increase of $4 million from an estimate given late last month. The Democrats have been able to gain a lot of ground in the public opinion polls, as they try to tie the war to cost of living issues. The Pentagon announced on April 29 that the war had already cost $25 billion. Jules Hurst who performs the duties of comptroller told lawmakers that the new costs included updated repair and replacing equipment?and operational expenses. Hurst stated...

According to new industry data and dealers, many American car buyers are turning to hybrid vehicles in order to offset the recent spike in gas prices due to the Iran War. Motor Intelligence, a research firm, says that hybrid sales in the U.S. have risen 37% over the past two months. This was a faster growth than the general car market's 15% increase in sales during that time period. According to the American Automobile Association, fully electric cars did not attract the same level consumer interest even though U.S. gas prices reached $4 in late April and hit a four-year...

According to traders, analysts and exchange data, there were a series of well-timed bets made on the falling oil price in March and April, totaling up to $7 billion. These bets were spread over multiple exchanges, types of fuel, and derivatives, just before Donald Trump's major announcements about Iran policy. The amount exceeds the $2.6 billion in?bets that were previously reported, and has already led to the U.S. Administration?warning staff not to use nonpublic information as a means of financial gain. A?person with knowledge of the matter said in April that the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission is investigating. However,...

According to analysts, traders and market experts, there were a series of well-timed "market bets" on falling oil prices that totaled $7 billion between March and April, spread across different exchanges, types of fuel, and derivatives, just before Donald Trump's major announcements about Iran policy. The amount of the bets exceeds previous reported wagers totaling $2.6 billion. This has already led to the U.S. Administration to warn staff against using confidential information to their financial advantage. A 'person familiar with this matter' told a CFTC official in April that the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission is conducting an investigation. However,...