Iran is 'open' to talks on Strait of Hormuz, Iranian FM says - Middle East conflict on 15 March
Iran says it is open to talks with countries seeking safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz - disrupted by recent attacks - as Israel continues ...
Polish refiner Orlen will not buy Russian oil for its Czech refinery after 30 June, Chief Executive Ireneusz Fafara said on Monday. "We freed Central Europe from Russian oil today," Fafara stated.
The contract with Rosneft for Russian oil to be supplied to the Litvinov refinery in the Czech Republic was the last one linking Orlen to Russian oil, it said in a statement.
"We have concluded the last legacy contract for Russian crude deliveries to the Czech Republic. As of 1 July 2025, the ORLEN Group – and, through this, our entire region – will be free from Russian oil. We have closed this chapter and are jointly building a secure future for Central and Eastern Europe. Today, we purchase crude oil from across the globe. Our refineries process feedstock from the Middle East and Persian Gulf, the North Sea, Africa, and both Americas. This is what real energy security looks like, the one we promised to Polish citizens and neighbours,” said Fąfara.
He added that it became possible through strong partnerships, especially with transmission system operators.
The Czech Republic had said in April that it had become fully independent of Russian oil supplies for the first time in its history following the completion of capacity upgrades on the TAL pipeline coming from the west.
Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the Czech Republic government has sought to end its partial dependence on the Druzhba pipeline, which has been delivering supplies from Russia for decades and has accounted for about half the country's annual oil imports.
At the end of last year Czech pipeline operator MERO completed an upgrade along the Transalpine (TAL) pipeline, which carries oil from tankers in the Italian port of Trieste to Germany, where it feeds into the Ingolstadt–Kralupy–Litvinov (IKL) pipeline to the Czech Republic.
Orlen said that currently, Czech refineries are supplied with crude oil from, among others, the North Sea and Mediterranean region, Saudi Arabia, South and North America, and Africa.
A long-running investigation has suggested that the street artist known as Banksy may be legally named David Jones. A report indicates that Jones was previously known as Robin Gunningham, a name long associated with Banksy, before legally changing his name several years ago.
A widening conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel has triggered escalating military strikes across the Middle East, disrupted shipping through the strategic Strait of Hormuz and raised concerns over global energy supplies. This live report tracks the latest developments.
Iran says it is open to talks with countries seeking safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz - disrupted by recent attacks - as Israel continues to launch wide‑scale strikes on Iranian infrastructure in the west. This live report tracks the latest developments.
North Korea fired what appeared to be a ballistic missile on Saturday (14 March), Japanese and South Korean officials said. The development comes amid the joint annual U.S.-South Korea "Freedom Shield" military drills and South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok's visit to Washington.
Ukrainian drones struck an oil refinery and a key port in Russia’s southern Krasnodar region overnight (13-14 March), local authorities said, causing injuries and damage. In separate action, Russian air attacks on Ukrainian territory killed and wounded civilians near Kyiv, officials reported.
The prevailing security situation in the region has done little to deter entrepreneurs from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) who continue to view Dubai as a premier and safe location for business.
China has raised the retail prices of petrol and diesel after global oil prices climbed sharply. The country’s top economic planning body, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), announced the move after reviewing international oil market trends.
Global financial markets remained on edge on Friday as the escalating war involving the United States, Israel and Iran continued to rattle investors, fuelling volatility in stocks and sending energy prices sharply higher.
China’s top leadership has unveiled a new push to turn advanced technologies into large-scale industrial priorities as part of the country’s upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan, which will guide economic and social development from 2026 to 2030.
The European Commission sees no immediate impact on the European Union's security of oil supply from the escalating conflict in the Middle East, it said in an email to EU governments, seen by Reuters on Monday (2 March).
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