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US shale magnate Harold Hamm has accused the Biden administration of leaving the nation “unusually vulnerable” to a Middle East oil price shock by draining its strategic petroleum reserve, damaging domestic production and bungling foreign policy.

The Continental Resources founder told the Financial Times he was “very concerned” that Middle East conflict could disrupt global oil supplies while the US shale patch had been put in a “weakened condition”, unable to rapidly lift output.

“They have drained the SPR, and refinery inventories are at their lowest in America [in years]. And you just never know when you need it. It’s kind of like having gas in your car,” said the billionaire shale boss.

“We are in an unusually vulnerable position . . . everybody is looking in the direction [of the Middle East] right now — and has been for the last four years — but we had a president that frankly wasn’t at home.”

While strategic reserves have been drawn down, commercial inventories of crude and petroleum have surged 25 per cent over the past decade. Officials have been replenishing SPR reserves since June 2023, which now stand 10 per cent higher since then, at 382mn barrels.

US oil and gas production has hit record highs under President Joe Biden, while crude and LNG exports have soared.

Kevin Book, managing director of ClearView Energy Partners, said the US was in a better position now to weather supply disruptions than in the 1970s, when some Arab Opec members imposed an embargo on shipping crude to western countries that triggered a sudden price spike.

“We’ve battened down a lot of hatches,” he said, giving the US “limited industrial exposure to high crude prices”.

The comments from Hamm, a prominent donor to Republican candidate Donald Trump’s election drive, echo campaign trail comments from the former president, who has accused the Biden administration of a “war on American energy” and taking the US to the “brink of world war three”.

Hamm, a pioneer of the shale revolution, spoke to the FT shortly before Iran fired a barrage of missiles at Israel, a response to Israel Defense Forces’ ground offensive against Hizbollah in southern Lebanon.

The Iranian attack sent oil prices up 5 per cent to $75.40 on Tuesday, amid fears of a wider conflict in a region accounting for about a third of global oil production capacity.

Geopolitical analysts have warned any conflict involving Tehran could threaten Gulf oil and gas exports through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow chokepoint bordering Iran through which 20 per cent of the world’s crude supplies pass.

Further fuel price rises would be uncomfortable for the Biden administration and vice-president Kamala Harris, who is running for the White House with a pledge to drive down the cost of everyday goods.

US petrol prices average about $3.40 a gallon, down about a third from their price in mid-2022, when a surge in crude markets after Russia invaded Ukraine pushed up fuel costs.

The White House began releasing oil from the SPR in 2021 — created in the wake of the Arab oil embargo in the early 1970s — ahead of the invasion in an attempt to keep down domestic petrol prices.

It released another 180mn barrels of oil from the reserve in 2022 after sanctions on Russia brought fears of supply disruptions.

The US has been buying back some of the oil but has 382mn barrels — about half of capacity — left in the SPR, enough to meet about 19 days of consumption, according to the US Energy Information Administration.

Hamm also accused the Biden administration of trying to restrict US oil and gas investment by pursuing “short-sighted” policies including curbs on some drilling and a pause on new liquefied natural gas plants, compromising energy security at a time of mounting geopolitical risk.

“It’s very important that we don’t crash this industry any further than the administration has crashed it already,” said Hamm, adding that he expected Harris to maintain curbs on the industry if she won the election in November.

A US official rejected Hamm’s criticisms of the Biden administration, saying the Washington played an active role in ensuring conflicts overseas had not damaged Americans.

“We’ve done this by accelerating the energy transition, on the one hand reducing fossil fuels demand in the process, and making strategic releases from the SPR,” the official said.

“People said this would break the market, but it didn’t. People then said we would have $100 oil this year, but we haven’t. People said we wouldn’t be able to fill up the SPR. But we are filling the SPR. We put a plan together in January of 2022 and we have stuck to it without deviation, despite all the dire predictions.”

BOSNIA and Herzegovina has been named as a top trending travel destination for 2025.

Described as a “less crowded alternative to Dubrovnik” by a team of travel experts at Wild Frontiers, Bosnia and Herzegovina harks back to when Brits enjoyed cheap travel to countries like Croatia.

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The tour operator revealed their top trending travel destinations for next year after they crunched the numbers on Google searches and holiday booking data.

While Kyrgyzstan in Asia nabbed the top spot, Europe’s Bosnia and Herzegovina took second place.

In 2023, the country saw a 17.3 per cent rise in visitors in the last year, and bookings to the Balkans, through Wild Frontiers, rose by 70 per cent over the last 12 months.

Even though Bosnia and Herzegovina has plenty to offer – from fascinating history, amazing nature and beaches with clear blue seas – the country often slips under the tourist radar.

A sentiment echoed by travel Blogger, Dan Flying Solo, who said: “Bosnia and Herzegovina remains a relatively off-the-beaten-path – and affordable – destination in Europe.

“After two deep dive visits, I’m convinced the country’s greatest asset is the mesmerising near-photoshopped lakes, the lush countryside, and the lofty hiking trails.

Before getting to grips with the country’s natural landscapes, most Brits are likely to touch down in its capital city of Sarajevo.

Sarajevo has some of the cheapest beers in Europe, with a pint costing £1.75.

There are plenty of places to grab a craft beer too, including Zlatna Ribica and Gastropub Vucko, both of which are popular among locals and tourists alike.

Just like the booze, grub is cheap too, with three-course meals for as little as £11.

The Bascarsija – the city’s oldest bazaar and the cultural centre of the city – is a great place to find traditional dishes like cevapi, flat breads filled with grilled meat, and burek, flaky pastries filled with cheese, spinach or even sour cherry for dessert.

The city’s Turkish influence can be seen in the bazaar, with traditional coffee, clothes and rugs among the many stalls.

Other attractions include the War Tunnel, or Tunnel of Hope, left over from the Bosnian war that was originally built in 1993 to get aid and humanitarian supplies into the city.

It’s one of many sites that help people learn about the fairly recent conflicts that took place in the area.

Where else is there to go?

Perhaps the most famous place in Bosnia is the town of Mostar, with its reconstructed Ottoman Empire bridge, Stari Most, one of the country’s most famous sites, spanning the Neretva River.

Every summer, brave people throw themselves off the bridge as part of an annual diving competition, with the men of the town also jumping from the bridge as a tradition.

Other places to visit include the town of Blagaj, not too far from Mostar, which has been compared to a fairy tale by Responsible Travel.

What’s it like to visit Bosnia and Herzegovina?

SOAK up the sun along the Dalmatian Coast for half the price of Croatia – by crossing into Bosnia and Herzegovina’s little-known share of the shoreline.

With its turquoise waters, pine forests and terracotta rooftops, the Dalmatian Coast is famously pretty.

But while the tourist hordes flock to Croatia for this scenery, you could enjoy it for less by going to the Bosnian beach town of Neum instead.

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This budget haven butts into Croatia in between Dubrovnik and Split, a quirk that can be traced back to 1699 when the city state of Dubrovnik, terrified of an attack by Venetians, gave a tiny tract of land to the Ottoman empire to give itself a buffer against Venice.

This means Bosnia and Herzegovina now has the world’s smallest coastline, after Monaco, at just 12 miles.

Graced with daytime highs of 25C in September and within easy distance of both Dubrovnik and Split, the only major difference is the cost.

Even in Neum’s largest and most swanky hotel, the Grand Hotel Neum, a last-minute long weekend this month starts at £49pp per night. That includes breakfast, spa access, a choice of four swimming pools and a private beach.

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Food and drink is much cheaper too.

You’d get change from a fiver for a couple of local beers and you can find Bosnian, Mediterranean and international dishes very reasonably priced.

The real crowd-pleaser is Ćcevapi, a popular Bosnian lunch to go.

Locals joke it’s the reason KFC never took off here.

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This simple yet filling meal consists of mini grilled meat kebabs and raw onion slices stuffed inside a warm pitta bread. Again, you would struggle to spend £5 on this beloved staple.

By Laura Sanders

Its highlights include a monastery, which was originally built for a Dervish cult.

However, for the more traditional holidaymakers who like to spend their getaways by the beach, there’s more than enough to enjoy.

Neum town is arguably the best place to visit the Bosnian seaside, with Beach Searcher praising its scenery and its waters.

They wrote; “Neum town is located in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and famous for its magnificent mountain scenery and turquoise waters of an incredible deep colour.

“It seems that nature created it for one purpose – to make your vacation unforgettable.”

Bosnia’s lakes are also another draw for holidaymakers, and among the standouts are Bilećko Lake, Boračko Lake and Perućac Lake.

The last of those has waters that are around 22C during the summer months, making it a lovely place to cool down on a hot day.

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What else do I need to know?

Both Ryanair and Wizz Air operate direct flights from the UK to Sarajevo, with flights starting from £15 for a one-way ticket.

Flights from the UK to Sarajevo take roughly two hours and 40 minutes.

Accommodation is also cheap, with overnight stays costing, on average £56 per night, according to the research from eurochange.

Sun Online Travel have found an overnight stay at the Pigeon Square Rooms, which is just 150 yards from the city centre, for £38 per night.

There are other options too, including a five-star hotel called Enjoy Apartments, which also costs £38 per night per room.

There are three local languages in Bosnia & Herzegovina, including Bosnian, Croatian, and Serbian – although English is likely to be spoken at most hotels, restaurants and tourist attractions.

The Convertible Mark (KM or BAM) is the country’s official currency, with £10 getting 23.43 KM/BAM.

Here’s another little-known holiday destination not far from Moldova, but with cheap flights and beer.

And we’ve recently revealed our favourite spots for an autumn break.

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GB News is seeking to use the courts to stop regulator Ofcom from being able to carry out sanctions over breaches of the UK broadcasting code by the media group.

The UK broadcaster, which is part-owned by hedge fund boss Paul Marshall, has applied to the High Court for “interim relief” to prevent Ofcom from taking steps in sanction proceedings.

The move is highly unusual in an ongoing and public sanctions process. Ofcom has rarely faced attempted injunctions, according to one person with knowledge of the situation. 

Details of the timing of the court case — which will be heard in the High Court in London on Thursday morning — were published on Wednesday afternoon.

GB News was in May found to have failed to preserve due impartiality in a live TV debate with then-prime minister Rishi Sunak — a breach that Ofcom said was “serious and repeated” and that would lead it to consider the imposition of a statutory sanction.

Ofcom received more than 500 complaints about the programme, including claims that it lacked due impartiality.

Ofcom has opened 19 investigations against the channel, and found it in breach 12 times.

The regulator’s chief Melanie Dawes told the FT this week that it was now “moving to sanctions on the most recent of those breaches”, given the build-up of code breaches in coverage by the UK broadcaster. However, no decision has yet been made to sanction the broadcaster.

Sanctions could typically start with a fine, Dawes said. Ofcom has been criticised by some media commentators as being toothless in the face of the repeated breaches of broadcasting rules by GB News, which have so far resulted in little more than stern warnings.  

Ofcom is contesting arguments by GB News that the regulator acted unlawfully by commencing and then making public its investigation, according to a person close to the matter. This would stop the UK media regulator from reaching a final decision on the imposition of sanctions. 

Central to the argument appears to be whether Sir Keir Starmer had agreed or was expected to agree to participate in a similar programme — which would indicate impartiality — and whether Ofcom’s move frustrated GB News’ efforts.

Ofcom claims that it is not arguable that it acted unlawfully by starting the investigation in public, and contends that GB News failed to schedule any linked and timely programme that might achieve the necessary impartiality.

The channel’s court application also asks that the judge grant confidentiality regarding certain correspondence relevant to the case. GB News declined to comment.

At the time of the Ofcom decision, GB News objected to the ruling and said the “threat to punish a news organisation with sanctions for enabling people to challenge their own prime minister strikes at the heart of democracy at a time when it could not be more vital”.

Ofcom declined to comment.

FOR many busy families, the dishwasher is an essential kitchen helper.

But you can make yours work even harder and more affordably with a few simple tricks.

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Here’s what you need to know . . . 

CHEAPER CLEAN: Dishwasher tablets are pricey so cut them in half if you have a smaller machine.

The reduced dose is usually still enough to get dishes sparkling.

And buy bigger packs to get the best value. For example, Sainsbury’s all-in-one dish-washer tablets 60-pack is £5.60, which breaks down to 9.3p per tablet, whereas a 30-pack is £3.10, equalling 10.3p each.

STAINS FOILED: Roll a sheet of aluminium foil into a ball and pop it in the cutlery basket. The foil reacts with the detergent to help get rid of dull stains on silverware, leaving it shiny and bright.

LEMON SQUEEZY: If you have squeezed the juice from half a lemon, you can use the rest of it to clean your dishwasher.

Just pop it in and run the machine on its normal cycle.

The acid cuts through limescale and soap build-up to help keep the machine clean and running efficiently.

ACID NOUS: You can also give your dishwasher a good clean by putting a cup of white vinegar in a dish on the top shelf of the machine and running a hot cycle.

GREEN CLEAN: Unless dishes are heavily soiled, the eco function of your dishwasher will leave your pots and dishes spotless.

This cycle uses less water, and at a lower temperature, helping to reduce your water and energy bills.

FULL HOUSE: Make sure your dishwasher is full so you don’t run it more than is necessary.

Cutting out just one cycle a week knocks £12 a year off energy bills, says the Energy Saving Trust.

• All prices on page correct at time of going to press. Deals and offers subject to availability.

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The chief executive of TotalEnergies has said the French oil and gas major will curb its investments in the UK and restructure its operations in the North Sea if the government increases a windfall tax as planned.

Patrick Pouyanné said the Labour government’s plans to raise the tax and remove investment allowances that enable companies to reduce their tax bills was even more problematic than the spectre of higher taxes in France.

“I’m taking this very seriously because clearly we’ll be very selective on any capex we spend in the UK and [are] clearly looking seriously at ways to restructure operations,” Pouyanné told an investor day in New York, referring to capital expenditure by the group.

Pouyanné is the latest executive in the sector to warn Labour’s plans will cut investment in the UK North Sea. Consultancy Wood Mackenzie last month said oil and gas production could halve by 2030, and critics of the government have said its plans will threaten the country’s energy security.

“I’m arguing with them, but they should copy [and] paste the Norwegian system which is maybe high fiscally but also has incentives to invest,” Pouyanné said. Norway’s system has incentives allowing companies to deduct capital costs and claim partial refunds when they fall into a loss.

The UK’s temporary energy profits levy was introduced by then chancellor Rishi Sunak in 2022 after Russia invaded Ukraine, and Labour has decided to extend it until 2030 even though oil prices have since eased.

The government is planning to raise the levy by 3 percentage points from November, which will take the overall tax rate on the sector to 78 per cent if the increase is confirmed in this month’s budget.

Labour wants to use proceeds from the tax to help fund investment in renewable energy including wind power, and has set up a new state-owned company, Great British Energy. Total, which has also invested in offshore wind farms off Scotland, is focused on gas production in the North Sea.

Pouyanné also confirmed Total was still exploring a secondary listing in New York, a move it said will allow it to tap US investors more nimbly although it will remain anchored in Paris.

He took a swipe at French plans that could hit companies with higher taxes, calling the proposals “unfortunate”. The newly-appointed government, led by Prime Minister Michel Barnier, this week said big groups would have to contribute to efforts to fix public finances.

But Pouyanné said the proposed measures to temporarily hit it and other companies with higher taxation would likely have little impact on Total because the group’s production stems from overseas.

Total on Wednesday also boosted its dividend for 2025 by 5 per cent and maintained share buybacks of $2bn a quarter, despite a looming supply glut in liquefied natural gas that could depress prices, especially from 2026.

BARGAIN-hunters are rushing to Lidl to stock up on “beautiful” seasonal homeware essentials scanning for just £4.

The seasonal leaf lamp is currently reduced to £3.99 at Lidl and comes with batteries already fitted in.

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A savvy shopper posted the bargain buy on the Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK Facebook group, writing: “Beautiful leaf lamp in Lidl reduced to £3.99.

“[They] had other leaf designs lamp’s… batteries already fitted in.”

Replying to a comment, the person revealed the found the savvy buy in Sheffield.

Fans of the seasonal essential buy flocked to the comment section.

One person simply said: “Need xxxx”

While another person added: “Cute”

A third poster revealed another design in the comments, saying: “This is the other one”, while showing another leaf lamp.

A fourth person added: “Think I need a trip to Lidl.”

The seasonal leaf lamp has dotted leaf design and orange light to give warmth and ambience.

Lidl has several seasonal homeware items in its “Middle of Lidl” section, including a light up toadstool lamp for £5.99, decorative mushrooms for £4.99, and an autumn wreath for £6.99.

However do bear in mind that when prices are reduced by this much it’s usually in order for stores to clear excess stock, so availability will vary from store to store.

It’s always best to phone ahead to your local shop to check what they have available to avoid disappointment.

You can find your nearest Lidl store using the locator tool on the website.

It always pays to compare prices so you know you’re getting the best deal.

Meanwhile, shoppers have gone wild over a £4 Sol De Janerio dupe at Lidl.

Bargain hunters have rushed to pick up their favourite fragrances at a fraction of the original £24 price.

It’s always a good idea to shop around to make sure you can find the best deals.

There are plenty of comparison websites out there that’ll check prices for you – so don’t be left paying more than you have to.

Most of them work by comparing the prices across hundreds of retailers.

Google Shopping is a tool that lets users search for and compare prices for products across the web. Simply type in keywords, or a product number, to bring up search results.

Price Spy logs the history of how much something costs from over 3,000 different retailers, including Argos, Amazon, eBay and supermarkets.

Once you select an individual product you can quickly compare which stores have the best price and which have it in stock.