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G7 leaders have agreed to coordinate an International Energy Agency release of up to 100 million barrels of oil and diesel over four months, including a substantial diesel release for 20 days, to ease record-high diesel prices driven by the US–Israel war on Iran and disruptions to Russian and Chinese exports. The move begins immediately and will include refinery coordination and talks on further diesel releases.
OPEC+ has agreed to increase oil output by 188,000 barrels per day from August, marking the fifth straight monthly rise. While the move signals a cautious unwind of earlier cuts, oil supplies remain constrained by the Strait of Hormuz and ongoing regional tensions. Prices have edged back toward pre-war levels as shipping resumes.
Since January, a U.S. oil blockade has cut most foreign fuel shipments to Cuba and has pushed the island into its worst energy and economic crisis in decades. Repeated nationwide blackouts have occurred, hospitals and transport are strained, tourism has collapsed and Havana has approved limited economic reforms while secret U.S. intelligence and diplomatic contacts continue.
Major automakers have pulled several electric models and cancelled projects after federal tax credits ended in 2025, while Q2 2026 US EV sales have recovered sequentially to about 247,226 units. Higher fuel prices, state rebates and low‑cost entrants such as Slate, Fiat Topolino and Chinese brands in Europe are reshaping supply, pricing and consumer demand.
The IMF has revised its 2026 growth outlook to 3.0%, citing energy shocks from the Middle East but noting an AI investment boom that is offsetting some pain. The US is forecast to grow around 2.3%, Europe remains subdued, and oil markets show volatility as tensions persist in Hormuz. Inflation is expected to ease only slowly.
The Strait of Hormuz remains a focal point as the U.S. indicates it will reinstate a blockade around Iran’s shipping, proposing a 20% toll on all cargo. Markets react as oil prices jump and analysts assess supply-chain implications amid a strained ceasefire.
The OECD has forecast the UK’s GDP will slow to 0.9% in 2026, down from 1.4% last year, citing energy costs and geopolitics. It stresses the need for reforms to boost productivity and address regional disparities, as energy prices remain a risk to growth.
Growing pressure surrounds North Sea developments as Labour’s Burnham weighs policy changes. Rosebank and Jackdaw face regulatory reviews and environmental scrutiny, while the EPL windfall tax looms over investment. Officials caution against early approvals as consultations wrap up, with debates centring on energy security, jobs, and climate impacts.
Oil prices have risen this week after U.S. officials narrowed a waiver to the Jones Act for energy shipments and data showed U.S. crude stocks have fallen to multi-decade lows. Traders are parsing mixed statements from Washington and Tehran about talks to reopen the Strait of Hormuz while reparations demands have emerged, keeping markets volatile on 11 Aug 2026.
Renewed US–Iran strikes and a US naval blockade have pushed oil above $90 a barrel and cut tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. Shipping, insurance and refining costs have surged faster than crude, lifting diesel and jet-fuel premiums and pushing US pump prices toward $4 a gallon; analysts warn sustained disruption will force further price rises.
A wave of AI coverage shows leaders warn momentum is unstoppable while calling for cross‑industry safety checks. Musk predicts rapid gains and a future of abundance; others push for collaboration and stronger safeguards as deployment accelerates.
Record heatwaves has driven a surge in demand for portable fans and air conditioning across Europe, shifting consumer habits and political debate. Sales of handheld fans and AC units have jumped, premium gadgets have become status items, and UK parties and advisers are pushing building-rule changes and passive cooling as alternatives.
Oil prices rise as talks over reopening the Strait of Hormuz remain unsettled. Brent nears $90, and U.S. inventories stay tight amid ongoing tensions and political maneuvering.
Japan’s real GDP has grown at a 0.3% quarter-on-quarter pace in Q2, with annualized growth of 2.1%, driven by exports and government spending. Private spending has slipped, while energy costs and the Iran war have pressured prices. The Bank of Japan maintains a cautious outlook as wage growth remains tepid.
Japan has posted another trade deficit, with imports climbing 27.8% year over year and exports rising 23.2% in July, as the weak yen and Iran-related oil costs shape the outlook. The government is supporting chip subsidies even as energy costs weigh on households.
Independent and Ecologist reports show households embracing heat pumps alongside flexible grid policies. Homeowners cite lower bills and better integration with solar and storage, while debates persist about data centres’ diesel backups in the US.
Oil prices have climbed with Brent above $95 and WTI near $93 as fighting in the Middle East continues to disrupt shipping routes. Analysts say supply fears and demand shifts, particularly from China, are shaping the rally. Markets are also awaiting inflation data and policy signals as bond yields rise globally.
Climate patterns have intensified this year, driving heatwaves, droughts and floods across multiple regions. Governments are mobilising finance, strengthening resilience, and adjusting policies as temperatures and rainfall shift. Aid budgets face pressure while activists warn of rising humanitarian needs.
The Houthis have captured Mokha and Mayun (Perim), extending their reach near a key shipping lane. The developments threaten flows through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a chokepoint for global oil and cargo, while Saudi exports remain stressed by past disruptions and shifting routes. Authorities note ongoing tensions and potential further escalation.
The Houthis have seized the Red Sea coast and three strategic islands, while Saudi Arabia shuts the East-West pipeline and Iraq closes border crossings amid attacks blamed on drones from Iraq. The moves threaten oil shipments and push prices above $100 a barrel as regional tensions escalate.
The Houthis have expanded control along Yemen’s Red Sea coast, seizing a key island in Bab el-Mandeb and threatening global oil routes. Iraq and Iran-backed militias are implicated in attacks on the East-West Saudi pipeline, prompting Saudi closure and heightened regional tension as global oil markets brace for prices to rise.
Saudi Arabia has closed its 1,200km East–West oil pipeline after a drone attack Riyadh has blamed on Iranian-backed militias in Iraq. Repairs could take three to five weeks, analysts say the closure risks 2.6–4 million barrels per day of exports and has pushed Brent above $105–$108 a barrel while Houthi gains in the Red Sea further tighten routes.
Ukraine has carried out long-range drone strikes on multiple Russian oil refineries this week while Russia has launched large drone and missile attacks on Ukrainian cities, killing civilians and damaging infrastructure. U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly urged Kyiv to stop targeting diesel facilities as U.S. diesel prices hit record highs, and Russian officials report dozens of intercepted drones and refinery damage.
The East-West oil pipeline has remained offline after drone attacks, forcing Saudi Arabia to reroute exports and triggering price spikes. Yemen’s Houthis have expanded control in the Bab al-Mandab region, while regional talks in Oman are postponed, complicating any near-term resolution.
Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline remains shut after drone attacks, with authorities citing precautionary measures. Supplies are being rerouted to mitigate disruption, while markets price in potential longer-term supply risk as regional tensions escalate.
Japan has posted a fourth straight month of red ink with August imports up 28% year-on-year to 11.15 trillion yen as Brent crude climbs above $100 a barrel. Exports rose 19.3%, led by chips and autos, while global rate expectations push the BOJ to consider a policy shift; the U.S. Fed is expected to lift rates soon.
Oil prices have risen above $100 a barrel, with Brent trading around the $105 level and WTI around $103-$107 after Middle East tensions and supply disruptions in Hormuz and Bab al-Mandeb. Analysts warn supply concerns could keep pressure on energy costs; diesel and gas prices are climbing, and bond yields are rising on inflation worries.
Global fuel prices have surged amid conflicts in the Middle East and strikes on Iranian refineries. Analysts warn diesel costs are hitting record highs in Europe and the UK, with knock-on effects on transport, food, and industry. Governments are weighing subsidies and demand-reduction measures as inflation pressures mount.