Global Economy · Wednesday, November 4, 2026 · 8 sources

Hormuz closure adds €127 billion to Europe’s fossil-fuel bill, von der Leyen says

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has added €127 billion to the cost of fossil-fuel imports, without delivering more energy. Speaking at the WinWin Summit in Brussels, she argued that the shock underlines Europe’s dependence on imported oil and gas and reaffirmed the EU’s climate targets.

Bottom line — Von der Leyen says the EU will stick to its 2040 target of cutting emissions by 90%.

Go deeper 5

Fortune reports that the Commission put the additional cost at €24 billion in April; by late September, Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen said it had passed €100 billion.
Fortune says the Strait carried about one-fifth of the world’s traded oil before tanker traffic nearly stopped.
According to Fortune, the EU still obtained 57% of its energy from imported fossil fuels when the Iran war began.
Von der Leyen said more than €1.2 trillion had been invested in sustainable activities across the EU since 2021.
The Commission president said emissions covered by the EU Emissions Trading System have fallen by around 50% while the economy grew by 30%.

Read the reporting 8

Eunews eunews.it Von der Leyen: “The closure of Hormutz has cost the EU an extra 127 billion euros” Iranintl iranintl.com Hormuz closure cost EU €127 billion in extra energy imports, von der Leyen says Fakti.bg - Да извадим фактите наяве fakti.bg Von der Leyen: The Closure of the Strait of Hormuz Has Cost Europe €127 Billion Agenzia_Ansa ansa.it Von der Leyen: ‘The closure of the Strait of Hormuz cost the EU an additional 127 billion’ - News - Ansa.it Ground News ground.news Von Der Leyen: Hormuz Closure Cost Europe €127 Billion Demócrata democrata.es The EU pays 127,000 million extra for the closure of Hormuz Clash Report clashreport.com Von der Leyen: Hormuz Closure Cost the EU an Extra €127 Billion · Clash Report Fortune fortune.com The Strait of Hormuz closure has cost Europe an extra $142 billion for the same energy it was already buying | Fortune

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Health · Wed, Nov 4

Tarlatamab combination lifts median survival to 21.1 months in lung cancer trial

In the phase 3 DeLLphi-305 trial, adding tarlatamab to durvalumab after initial chemoimmunotherapy extended median overall survival to 21.1 months, compared with 12.7 months on durvalumab alone. The results, published in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented at the ESMO Congress, also showed longer progression-free survival; the trial involved 563 people with extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer whose disease had not progressed after initial treatment.

Bottom line — The combination cut the risk of death by 58% in DeLLphi-305, though longer follow-up and access remain concerns.

Sources Oncology News Centra… www.nejm.org pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.… +2 more

Technology · Wed, Nov 4

Bambu Lab launches nine-tool H3C 3D printer for €2,500

Bambu Lab has launched the H3C, a 3D printer with nine independently heated toolheads, each with its own filament path. The company says its Swaptek system switches materials in under six seconds; the printer is sold with the nine-spool AMS 3H, which can dry two spools at up to 85°C. 3Dnatives reports prices of about €2,300 in the UK (£2,199) and €2,300 in the US ($2,499).

Bottom line — The H3C’s nine toolheads and AMS 3H target multi-material printing, with two spools dryable during a print.

Sources heise online How-To Geek Bambu Lab EU Store +3 more

Technology · Wed, Nov 4

Microsoft says Windows 11 multitasking is up to 40% faster on 8GB PCs

Microsoft says Windows 11 updates make PCs with 8GB of RAM up to 20% more responsive and up to 40% faster at multitasking in its tests. The changes tune memory compression and background tasks; Microsoft says users need Windows 11 version 26H2, build 26300.9818 or later, alongside updated Edge, Microsoft 365 and Teams apps.

Bottom line — Microsoft still recommends 16GB or more for 3D modelling, advanced video editing and large-scale data processing.

Sources Digital Trends Windows Experience B… Windows Report +10 more

Games · Wed, Nov 4

Phantom Blade Zero sells four million copies in 72 hours

Developer S-Game says Phantom Blade Zero sold more than four million copies across PC and PlayStation 5 in its first 72 hours after launching on 29 October. PCGamesN reports the action RPG also reached a peak of 833,921 concurrent players on Steam on 1 November.

Bottom line — S-Game’s first major PC and console release has passed four million sales in three days.

Sources PCGamesN OpenCritic

Apple · Wed, Nov 4

Apple’s Greater China sales jump 38% as quarterly revenue sets a record

Apple reported record revenue of $143.8 billion (€132.1 billion) for its fiscal first quarter, up 16% year on year, with Greater China revenue rising 38% to $25.53 billion (€23.5 billion). Jiemian attributed the rebound to demand for the iPhone 17 series, trade-in subsidies and localised features; Apple chief executive Tim Cook said mainland China also set records for upgraders and customers switching from rival platforms.

Bottom line — Greater China’s $25.53 billion (€23.5 billion) quarter was one of Apple’s strongest regional performances in years.

Sources www.ainvest.com NDTV the Guardian +2 more

Gaming Hardware · Wed, Nov 4

NVIDIA RTX 50 graphics cards face November price rises of up to €510 ($550)

Wccftech reports that manufacturers are raising prices across NVIDIA’s RTX 50 range this month, with Colorful’s reported increases ranging from €14 ($15) for some RTX 5060 Ti 8GB cards to €510 ($550) for the RTX 5090D v2. The article attributes the increases to rising memory and component costs, which it links to AI demand; ARY News’s separate RTX Spark article is promotional coverage of laptops and does not report on these price rises.

Bottom line — Colorful’s reported RTX 5090D v2 increase reaches €510 ($550), while its RTX 5060 8GB rises by up to €28 ($30).

Sources Wccftech ARY News

World · Wed, Nov 4

Democrats take both chambers of Congress in rebuke to Trump

Democrats won control of the House and Senate in the US midterm elections, after gains in states including Texas, Kansas and South Carolina. Reuters reported voter frustration over the cost of living, the war with Iran and Trump’s stewardship; the new Congress, which takes office in January, can investigate his administration and block nominees.

Bottom line — From January, Democratic control of the Senate gives the party power to block Trump’s nominees.

Sources Reuters inews.co.uk ITV Hub +7 more

Global Economy · Wed, Nov 4

Venezuela’s oil exports hold at 1.08 million barrels a day as growth stalls

Venezuela exported 1.08 million barrels of oil a day in October, little changed from September and the lowest monthly level since February, Reuters reports. Shipments were 21% higher than a year earlier, but stagnant output and high freight rates have limited further growth.

Bottom line — Venezuela’s October exports were 21% above a year earlier, but the recent rebound has plateaued.

Sources OilPrice.com Reuters Trend

World · Wed, Nov 4

South Africa votes as ANC faces further losses and cities brace for coalition rule

South Africans are voting in local elections amid anger over water shortages, unreliable electricity, crime and poor public services. Polls cited by the BBC put the African National Congress at 30%, while Reuters reports polls suggesting it could fall below 40%; analysts expect fragmented results to leave many councils negotiating coalition governments.

Bottom line — The Electoral Commission has seven days to announce results, after which parties have 14 days to form councils and elect mayors.

Sources Anadolu Ajansı The Guardian BBC +3 more

Football · Wed, Nov 4

Inter beat Feyenoord 3-0 to revive their Champions League campaign

Inter Milan beat Feyenoord 3-0 in Rotterdam, recovering from a derby defeat and improving their Champions League position after a difficult start. Yann Bisseck, Francesco Pio Esposito and Piotr Zielinski scored; Inter are on six points, while Feyenoord remain on three after four matches.

Bottom line — Inter move to 14th on six points; Feyenoord sit 30th and face Porto next.

Sources France 24 as Goal.com +6 more

AI · Wed, Nov 4

Oracle cancels €6.4bn Tencent chip lease after US pressure

Oracle has cancelled a planned five-year deal to lease Tencent access to as many as 100,000 advanced AI chips through data centres in South-east Asia. The Financial Times reported that US officials raised concerns with Oracle, while officials in China’s Guangdong province urged Tencent to support domestic chipmakers; Reuters said it could not independently verify the report.

Bottom line — The cancelled lease was valued at about €6.4bn (US$7bn) and would have been Tencent’s largest overseas chip-rental deal.

Sources Financial Times News MoneyControl The Business Times +4 more

Apple · Wed, Nov 4

Apple adds vertical tabs and adaptive dark mode to Safari in 27.3 beta

Apple’s developer betas for iOS 27.3, iPadOS 27.3 and macOS 27.3 add vertical tabs and Adaptive Dark Mode to Safari. The tabs sit in a left-hand sidebar, while the dark-mode feature can adjust bright websites that lack their own dark appearance; Apple has not announced a final release date.

Bottom line — Apple’s 27.3 beta also adds Siri controls for organising tabs and clearing browsing history.

Sources MacRumors Apfelpatient iClarified +4 more

Science · Wed, Nov 4

Battery self-tests cause minute-by-minute power grid dips worldwide

Researchers led by Dirk Witthaut at Forschungszentrum Jülich traced a recurring, 60-second dip in grid frequency to battery storage systems and uninterruptible power supplies that run power checks at the same time each minute. The team found the pattern across grids on five continents; it is not considered a safety risk, but researchers say the fluctuations add to wear on hydroelectric turbines.

Bottom line — In Ireland, the signal quadrupled between 2016 and 2021; randomly staggering battery checks could reduce it.

Sources NatureEnergyJnl www.fz-juelich.de www.kit.edu +3 more

Europe · Wed, Nov 4

Schaeffler to cut 3,460 European jobs and close five sites

Schaeffler plans to cut 3,460 jobs across Europe by 2028, including 2,660 in Germany and about 700 at its Slovak plants, Reuters and TASR report. The company says the cuts and five site closures respond to weaker demand for combustion-engine parts, slower electric-vehicle growth and production overcapacity; it expects annual savings of about €300 million from 2030.

Bottom line — Schaeffler expects €300 million in annual savings from 2030, against restructuring costs of about €480 million.

Sources Anadolu Ajansı spectator.sme.sk Daily Sabah +5 more

Global Economy · Wed, Nov 4

Hormuz closure adds €127 billion to Europe’s fossil-fuel bill, von der Leyen says

Bottom line — Von der Leyen says the EU will stick to its 2040 target of cutting emissions by 90%.

Sources Eunews www.iranintl.com Fakti.bg - Да извади… +5 more

Space · Wed, Nov 4

Orbital Matter prints a half-metre beam in orbit, targeting larger solar arrays

The German startup says its Replicator 2 satellite printed a rigid, half-metre beam in the vacuum of space, which it calls a first for a free-flying spacecraft. One of two printers tasked with deploying a flexible solar array failed, but the printed boom from the other deployed the array. Orbital Matter plans a larger demonstration in 2028, aiming for a 5-kilowatt solar array.

Bottom line — Orbital Matter’s 2028 test will move beyond a half-metre beam towards a 5-kilowatt array.

Sources TechCrunch CryptoPanic TokenPost +2 more

Space · Wed, Nov 4

ESA’s Hera separates Dimorphos from Didymos in its first close-up image

ESA’s Hera spacecraft has captured Didymos and its smaller companion, Dimorphos, as separate objects for the first time, from about 1,280 kilometres away. The probe is closing in to inspect the site where NASA’s DART spacecraft struck Dimorphos in 2022; ESA says it will publish the first detailed images on 25 November.

Bottom line — Hera’s close-up investigation will measure what DART changed and help scientists assess asteroid deflection by impact.

Sources EconoTimes Space.com ScienceDaily

Games · Wed, Nov 4

Guild Wars Afterlife brings the original game its first new DLC in nearly 20 years

ArenaNet and co-development partner 2weeks announced Guild Wars Afterlife, a new expansion for the original Guild Wars, launching on 13 January 2027 for PC, Steam, iOS and Android. The expansion centres on the Unformed, an ever-changing dungeon where players draft skills beyond their characters’ usual professions; prepurchases include a costume.

Bottom line — Afterlife launches on 13 January 2027, with prepurchases discounted to €22.15 (US$23.99) before the price rises to €27.68 (US$29.99).

Sources YouTube GuildWars2.com IGN +4 more

TV/Movies · Wed, Nov 4

Blum and Wan rename their merged horror company Blumhouse Atomic

Jason Blum and James Wan have renamed the company formed by their 2024 merger of Blumhouse and Atomic Monster to Blumhouse Atomic. The two original labels will remain separate, with their own creative teams developing film and television projects. The company’s films have earned more than €2.3 billion ($2.5 billion) worldwide since the merger, against production budgets of less than €303 million ($330 million), according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Bottom line — Blumhouse Atomic says its films have earned more than €2.3 billion ($2.5 billion) since the 2024 merger.

Sources Deadline The Hollywood Report… en.wikipedia.org +6 more

Europe · Wed, Nov 4

Spain’s transport minister resigns after 69 die in second rail crash this year

Óscar Puente resigned as transport minister and withdrew from Spain’s 29 November election, six days after a crash near Urda killed 69 people. He cited two rail disasters in less than a year; January’s collision killed 46. The government has announced safety measures and victim compensation as scrutiny of the Madrid–Seville line intensifies.

Bottom line — Puente’s departure comes less than four weeks before Spain’s 29 November election.

Sources CNN www.bbc.com Yahoo News +6 more

AI · Wed, Nov 4

Plotly’s test puts Kimi K3.1 Pro near the top on data analysis, at a cost

Plotly tested Moonshot AI’s Kimi K3.1 Pro on its data-analysis exam, where it answered 42 of 43 questions correctly, up from 35 for Kimi K3. Plotly said the model also found all five hidden patterns and caught all three planted data-quality problems, but took a typical 2.5 minutes per question and cost €12.43 ($13.47) for the exam.

Bottom line — Kimi K3.1 Pro scored 42 of 43, but Plotly found it slower and costlier than some models with similar results.

Sources DEV Community wallabytoken.com kimik3pro.com +2 more

Cyber Security · Wed, Nov 4

GitBook resets customer tokens after attackers using AI agents accessed credentials

GitBook says an attacker using AI agents gained access to some of its infrastructure credentials on 2 November, prompting the documentation platform to take parts of its service offline and revoke customer API tokens. The company says integration tokens, Git Sync secrets, API tokens and questions sent to GitBook Assistant may have been accessed, but it has found no evidence that hosted content was modified.

Bottom line — GitBook has asked customers to replace connected credentials and reauthenticate its MCP server.

Sources crypto.news TokenPost TokenPost +4 more

Science · Wed, Nov 4

Seven new diamond frog species raise Madagascar’s known total to 27

Researchers have identified seven new species of diamond frogs, a secretive group that spends much of its life beneath Madagascar’s forest floor. DNA from museum specimens, field observations, anatomy and frog calls helped the team distinguish the species and resolve decades of uncertainty over their names. The findings are already informing proposals to strengthen and expand protected areas in Madagascar.

Bottom line — The seven discoveries bring the known Rhombophryne total to 27, though researchers say more species remain to be found.

Sources The Brighter Side of… ScienceDaily www.msn.com +1 more

Global Economy · Wed, Nov 4

Ryanair warns of double-digit fare rises as fuel bill faces €2bn increase

Ryanair expects European short-haul fares to rise materially in 2027 as its fuel costs increase, with the airline forecasting a roughly €2bn jump in its fuel bill for the year to March 2028. Chief executive Michael O’Leary has warned that fares could rise by as much as 20%, while the company reviews costs including staffing, airport charges and greater use of AI.

Bottom line — Ryanair has hedged 80% of its fuel needs only until the end of March 2027, leaving the next financial year more exposed to market prices.

Sources Cyprus Mail Financial Times News London South East +2 more

World · Wed, Nov 4

Trump says the US will end €3.5 billion in annual aid to Israel

Donald Trump said Washington would end its annual security assistance to Israel by the end of 2026, ahead of the current agreement’s scheduled end in 2028. The programme provides about €3.5 billion ($3.8 billion) a year for weapons and missile-defence cooperation; Trump said arms sales would continue and that he had agreed the change with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The timing and implementation remain unclear, and Congress controls funding.

Bottom line — The €3.5 billion ($3.8 billion) programme is not ended by a television announcement; Congress still has a role in funding it.

Sources The_Hindu khaleejtimes www.lemonde.fr +9 more

Science · Wed, Nov 4

CERN finds first evidence of a beauty-particle decay after 42 years

The LHCb collaboration has found first evidence of a beauty particle decaying into two muons, a process predicted to occur only once in every 10 billion beauty particles. The result reached 3.2 sigma, below the five-sigma threshold for a discovery, and agrees with the Standard Model; researchers say more data will let them test it with greater precision.

Bottom line — LHCb plans to collect more data into the early 2030s; the decay remains evidence, not a confirmed discovery.

Sources Mirage News MoneyControl Metro +4 more

Cyber Security · Wed, Nov 4

Unbounded request bodies expose MCP servers to unauthenticated denial-of-service attacks

Security advisories and vulnerability reports identify unbounded HTTP request-body handling across MCP SDKs, including the Java, TypeScript and Ruby SDKs. An unauthenticated attacker who can reach an affected HTTP endpoint may send an oversized or streamed request that exhausts server memory; patched versions are available, and a reverse proxy with a request-size limit can reduce exposure while systems are upgraded.

Bottom line — The Ruby SDK fix is in version 0.23.0; the Java advisory lists fixed releases 2.0.1, 1.1.4 and 0.18.4.

Sources DEV Community github feed.craftedsignal.i… +4 more

Football · Wed, Nov 4

PSG beat Villarreal 6-0 and set a Champions League record with four goals in 17 minutes

Paris Saint-Germain scored four times in the opening 17 minutes before beating Villarreal 6-0 in Spain, extending their perfect Champions League start to four wins. AFP reported that the opening burst set a record for the fastest four goals by a team in the competition; Villarreal’s defeat was also the heaviest home loss by a Spanish side in Champions League history, according to Goal.com.

Bottom line — PSG have 12 points from four matches and are three points clear at the top, according to the Express & Star.

Sources France 24 Haberler.com as +6 more

TV/Movies · Wed, Nov 4

Disney tests AI lyric videos with OpenArt, starting with Hercules song

Disney is working with AI video startup OpenArt to test lyric-video concepts, beginning with “Go the Distance” from Hercules. OpenArt’s platform turns a song’s words and mood into a storyboard preview that Disney’s creative teams can revise; Disney said the tools could help them compare ideas in hours rather than weeks.

Bottom line — Disney’s OpenArt experiment applies AI to its music catalogue as the company explores ways to use the technology in creative workflows.

Sources Yahoo! Finance bizzbuzz.news The Kingdom Insider +5 more

Global Economy · Wed, Nov 4

Nagel backs a December ECB rate rise as inflation risks worsen

Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel said a European Central Bank rate rise in December is “very likely necessary” unless the inflation outlook improves significantly. The ECB held its deposit rate at 2.5% last week; Reuters reports that Nagel sees inflation approaching the bank’s adverse scenario, while energy costs remain the main driver and there is little evidence so far of spillover into wages.

Bottom line — A December move would be the ECB’s third rate rise this year; the decision will be based on new projections.

Sources www.forexfactory.com Global Banking & Fin… money.usnews.com +10 more

Games · Wed, Nov 4

GOG pursues Dune II re-release as five-way rights dispute stalls the 1992 classic

GOG is exploring a way to bring Westwood’s 1992 strategy game Dune II back to PC storefronts, but its rights are split among five parties. GOG manager Marcin Paczynski told GamesRadar+ that EA owns the game’s code and assets, while film rights and an exclusive deal involving Legendary Pictures and Funcom add uncertainty.

Bottom line — Paczynski says GOG has ideas, but no rights deal or re-release date has been announced.

Sources www.notebookcheck.ne… The Otaku Authority … Yahoo Tech +4 more

Technology · Wed, Nov 4

Xiaomi Watch S5 41mm brings a 3,000-nit display and 590mAh battery

Xiaomi is preparing a European launch for the 41mm Watch S5, according to Notebookcheck, which cites SvetAndroida. The compact model has a 1.32-inch OLED display rated at 3,000 nits and a 590mAh battery; Xiaomi claims up to eight days of normal use or 14 days in power-saving mode. Notebookcheck reports an expected price of about €240.

Bottom line — The 41mm model is expected to cost about €240, more than the larger version, according to Notebookcheck.

Sources Notebookcheck GIZGUIDE | Your Gadg… GSMArena.com +1 more

Gaming Hardware · Wed, Nov 4

AMD quad-RX 470 prototype surfaces with 32 GB of GDDR5

A previously unseen AMD-branded board has appeared online, with four Radeon RX 470 GPUs arranged on one circuit board. The photos suggest 32 GB of GDDR5 memory in total, but AMD has not confirmed the specifications or the board’s purpose; its single HDMI output and apparent PCIe x8 interface point away from gaming.

Bottom line — The four-GPU board was never announced by AMD, and whether it was built for mining or as an engineering experiment remains unclear.

Sources VideoCardz.com eTeknix Wccftech +3 more

Football · Wed, Nov 4

Premier League executives want Manchester City investigated for seasons after 2018

An increasing number of English football executives are urging the Premier League to investigate Manchester City’s finances after 2018, according to The Independent. The club was found guilty of 114 of 115 alleged breaches relating to 2009–18 and is appealing; executives are questioning whether the alleged use of disguised owner funding continued beyond that period.

Bottom line — The Premier League’s current case concerns 2009–18; any further inquiry would add another contested process.

Sources The Independent Yahoo Sports Sky Sports +5 more