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An equipment-failure fire on 15–16 Apr 2026 shut the motor-gasoline section of Viva Energy’s 120,000 b/d Geelong refinery, forcing the plant that covers 10 % of Australia’s fuel to run at minimum rates and suspend petrol production while diesel and jet fuel continue at reduced levels.
On 14 April 2026 the IMF trimmed its 2026 world-GDP forecast to 3.1 % and issued country-specific downgrades—blaming a 19 % wartime spike in oil and shipping costs after the Strait of Hormuz closure.
On 14 Apr 2026 the IMF cut its 2026 global GDP growth projection to 3.1 %, down from the 3.3 % it had penciled in January, citing energy-market turmoil triggered by the late-February Iran conflict.
Fresh March CPI releases from Central Europe and a World Bank Africa update on 14 Apr 2026 all pointed to an energy-driven inflation uptick, reversing months of disinflation just as oil prices gyrated on news of possible U.S.–Iran talks.
On 14 Apr 2026 Amazon announced a $11.6 billion cash/stock agreement to buy satellite operator Globalstar, aiming to fold its 24-satellite MSS fleet and coveted spectrum into the delayed Leo constellation ahead of a 2028 direct-to-device launch.
On 13 Apr 2026, U.S. indices closed 0.6-1.2 % higher despite President Trump ordering a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a move that sent WTI crude up nearly 3 % and positioned key Asian benchmarks (STI 5,000, Nikkei 56,500, KOSPI 5,810, KLCI 1,680) to open stronger the next day.
Facing a 44-day spike in oil and gas prices from the Strait of Hormuz blockade, Brussels will next week unveil coordinated demand cuts, joint stock releases and a temporary easing of state-aid rules to cushion the shock ahead of the 22-23 April Cyprus summit.
On 13 Apr 2026, the Paris Criminal Court ruled that Lafarge and eight former executives illegally bankrolled jihadist groups to keep a Syrian cement plant running, imposing the maximum corporate fine and ordering ex-CEO Bruno Lafont to begin a six-year prison term at once.
Minutes after CENTCOM fixed 13 Apr 2026 for a total blockade of Iranian ports, Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya HQ vowed to bar U.S./Israeli ships from the Strait of Hormuz and warned that any threat to Iranian ports would put every Gulf port at risk.
On 13 Apr 2026, Brent crude leapt above $103 immediately after Washington declared a naval blockade restricting all Iranian port traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
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