U.S. Secretary of State Rubio, speaking on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, said he is concerned that vessels linked to the United States could be targeted.

Oil prices rose on Tuesday after a four-day slide as investors watched US‑Iran talks at the UN General Assembly. Tim Wotler, chief market analyst at KCM Trade, said the move looks like a typical short-covering rebound rather than a fundamental shift; traders positioned for further declines are reducing risk. He said unless US‑Iran diplomacy produces clear progress or a decisive setback, oil is likely to remain rangebound and highly sensitive to headlines.

RBNZ chair Breman said sustained higher oil prices are likely to push near‑term inflation slightly above the assumptions in the bank’s September policy statement. Breman said the RBNZ will assess incoming data and global developments ahead of its Oct 28 policy decision and reiterated the committee remains focused on the inflation outlook. She flagged significant risks to the economic outlook, noting upside inflation risk from energy costs and downside risk to activity from softer domestic demand. Current data indicate the quarter‑to‑date recovery continues but is uneven across sectors. Breman said the timing and scale of any further policy tightening will depend on how those factors evolve in the coming weeks.