Middle East Energy Shock: The US-Iran fight escalated again with a third straight night of strikes and a renewed naval blockade, pushing crude to a four-week high and raising fresh fears for Strait of Hormuz supply flows; markets also reacted to reports of attacks on UAE tankers and talk of a 20% transit fee. Policy Pressure in Europe: Germany confirmed a strategic gas reserve sized at 10% of storage capacity, to be filled in 2027-28 and funded via consumer levies—projected to add about €42 a year to household bills. Renewables Build-Out in Asia: Philippines President Marcos inaugurated Phase 1 of the Meralco MTerra solar-plus-storage project, aiming to cut coal dependence and reduce exposure to global fuel-price swings. Grid Reliability in the US: Knox County’s transmission upgrade connecting Galesburg to Oneida is now in service, replacing century-old parts to improve reliability. Energy Transition Finance: India’s ReNew and Mitsui secured a $730m green loan refinancing for a 320MW “round-the-clock” hybrid wind-solar-battery project. Industrial Storage in Italy: Italy approved 720MW of standalone BESS across five regions, signaling continued momentum for grid-scale storage. UK North Sea Politics: Offshore Energies UK and allies urged the incoming UK government to “back North Sea oil and gas,” warning against overreliance on imports. Safety Spotlight: Police filed an FIR over a fatal waste-to-energy building collapse in Pune, citing alleged inadequate safety measures.