Qatari mediators return to Tehran as US strike fears grow before midterms Binance loses $6.3bn in record crypto theft, North Korea blamed Tech rout deepens as Amazon and Intel results stoke AI spending fears Limpet mines hit Hormuz tanker as Iran blames ships for using unauthorised routes Ukraine resumes refinery strikes as Russian attacks kill about 20 Hundreds leave Oleshky under truce as Europe fears exclusion from talks Oil and gas stay high as eleven EU states release oil reserves Study links 3,560 Indonesian deaths in September to fire smoke as Singapore widens haze probe Spain blames control-centre errors for Toledo train crash Coalition talks begin in deadlocked Israel as foreign-funding probe widens Saudi Arabia reports Houthi drone near Mecca as Taiz and Aden suffer Protests over prices and youth prospects reach Italy and Germany after French unrest Novaya Gazeta to close after eviction and loss of donations Bank of Japan holds rates but says 2% goal reached, as Fed and ECB signal hikes Tech stocks slide after Blackstone flags junk rating for Anthropic Justice Department widens Alaska and California election probes as Trump restores rallies African health ministers keep borders open as Ebola spreads Drone strikes on displaced-persons camp in Ethiopia's Amhara kill 14 to 16 BP profit jumps as Middle East war lifts refining margins US moves to bar Chinese testing labs and curb telecoms as China denies Nvidia spy report AI demand lifts chip and electronics firms across Asia Israel blows up homes in Hebron as siege forces 5,000 to flee El Salvador sends more than 2,000 troops to Haiti after ambush Nigerian probe finds 33 detainees died in civil-defence custody French economy contracts 0.1% as German growth beats forecasts G20 foreign ministers divided over wars; group photo cancelled Canada and EU launch 'Alliance for the Future' at Montreal summit Kim demands drone expansion as Seoul vows firm response to border breaches Xi urges EU and Germany to stay anchored in partnership as trade curbs loom UN bodies warn of war crimes and ethnic cleansing fears in Gaza despite ceasefire Serbia's Student List pushes to review institutions after election win Senior RSF commander defects as investigation maps wartime rape in Sudan Brčko mourns four EUFOR members killed in Italian helicopter crash China's party plenum ends with purge of 33 and PLA anti-graft expansion Volkswagen pauses electric Golf as Audi profit falls 87% and guidance is cut Mayon volcano erupts in the Philippines, evacuations ordered Machado returns to Venezuela urging 2027 elections as Rodríguez promises a vote without a date China stages military patrols and coastguard drills in disputed South China Sea Flávio Bolsonaro flees to Miami and draws ridicule as Trump reportedly will not back his claim Hong Kong officials apologise over Tai Po fire, survivors say it came too late Russia-Africa summit in Moscow ends as Putin turns to bilateral talks Polish president turns back from Senegal as Constitutional Court chief is suspended Irish government to assess possibility of unity with Northern Ireland Dockworkers strike in ports across 22 countries over arms shipments Qatari mediators return to Tehran as US strike fears grow before midterms Binance loses $6.3bn in record crypto theft, North Korea blamed Tech rout deepens as Amazon and Intel results stoke AI spending fears Limpet mines hit Hormuz tanker as Iran blames ships for using unauthorised routes Ukraine resumes refinery strikes as Russian attacks kill about 20 Hundreds leave Oleshky under truce as Europe fears exclusion from talks Oil and gas stay high as eleven EU states release oil reserves Study links 3,560 Indonesian deaths in September to fire smoke as Singapore widens haze probe Spain blames control-centre errors for Toledo train crash Coalition talks begin in deadlocked Israel as foreign-funding probe widens Saudi Arabia reports Houthi drone near Mecca as Taiz and Aden suffer Protests over prices and youth prospects reach Italy and Germany after French unrest Novaya Gazeta to close after eviction and loss of donations Bank of Japan holds rates but says 2% goal reached, as Fed and ECB signal hikes Tech stocks slide after Blackstone flags junk rating for Anthropic Justice Department widens Alaska and California election probes as Trump restores rallies African health ministers keep borders open as Ebola spreads Drone strikes on displaced-persons camp in Ethiopia's Amhara kill 14 to 16 BP profit jumps as Middle East war lifts refining margins US moves to bar Chinese testing labs and curb telecoms as China denies Nvidia spy report AI demand lifts chip and electronics firms across Asia Israel blows up homes in Hebron as siege forces 5,000 to flee El Salvador sends more than 2,000 troops to Haiti after ambush Nigerian probe finds 33 detainees died in civil-defence custody French economy contracts 0.1% as German growth beats forecasts G20 foreign ministers divided over wars; group photo cancelled Canada and EU launch 'Alliance for the Future' at Montreal summit Kim demands drone expansion as Seoul vows firm response to border breaches Xi urges EU and Germany to stay anchored in partnership as trade curbs loom UN bodies warn of war crimes and ethnic cleansing fears in Gaza despite ceasefire Serbia's Student List pushes to review institutions after election win Senior RSF commander defects as investigation maps wartime rape in Sudan Brčko mourns four EUFOR members killed in Italian helicopter crash China's party plenum ends with purge of 33 and PLA anti-graft expansion Volkswagen pauses electric Golf as Audi profit falls 87% and guidance is cut Mayon volcano erupts in the Philippines, evacuations ordered Machado returns to Venezuela urging 2027 elections as Rodríguez promises a vote without a date China stages military patrols and coastguard drills in disputed South China Sea Flávio Bolsonaro flees to Miami and draws ridicule as Trump reportedly will not back his claim Hong Kong officials apologise over Tai Po fire, survivors say it came too late Russia-Africa summit in Moscow ends as Putin turns to bilateral talks Polish president turns back from Senegal as Constitutional Court chief is suspended Irish government to assess possibility of unity with Northern Ireland Dockworkers strike in ports across 22 countries over arms shipments

Symbolic image: Oil and gas stay high as eleven EU states release oil reserves

Symbolic image

Oil and gas stay high as eleven EU states release oil reserves

5 sources

Brent traded near $113 and European spot gas passed €100 per megawatt hour on Friday. Eleven EU states will release strategic oil.

Eleven EU states said on Thursday, 29 October, they will release 42.6 million barrels from strategic reserves by the end of January 2027, 20.5 million of it diesel, following a G7 pledge. Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen said the EU expects no supply-security problem, but the move may make no difference for citizens struggling with bills.

Gas storage lags

European storage was 74.89% full on 28 October, the lowest for that date since 2011, TASS calculates from GIE data. Day-ahead gas at the TTF hub hit $1,204 per 1,000 cubic metres (about €104 per MWh), the first time above $1,200 since December 2022.

Prices rise despite recovering flows

Gulf crude exports exceeded the pre-war average in the week to 18 October, Kpler data cited by Al Jazeera show, yet Brent remains over 60% above pre-war levels. Analysts cite fears of renewed hostilities and freight costs; UKMTO logged 32 incidents against ships in October.

Other opinions

TASS stresses Gazprom chief Alexey Miller's warning of $2,500 per 1,000 cubic metres in a cold winter, while Al Jazeera blames the US/Israel war on Iran.