Day News Recap: Russia escalates Ukraine strikes as wildfires, storms and Middle East tensions spread
Russia intensified its overnight bombardment of Ukrainian cities, killing 13 people and injuring 90, as the latest wave of strikes hit multiple areas and deepened fears over the coming winter. đź”—Volodymyr Zelensky warned Ukraine could enter winter with virtually no working thermal power plants after fresh Russian strikes killed four in the Kyiv region, while Kyiv also said its 40 day strike campaign inside Russia had hit oil and gas infrastructure at least 100 times. đź”— đź”—Ukraine also said Russia may deploy 30,000 to 50,000 North Korean troops on Russian territory to support the war effort, adding to concerns over... [Continue Reading]
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Trump highlights Clinton endorsement of his Gaza plan as the only viable option
President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social at 9 August 2026 at 17:51 BST: "Hillary Clinton: "The world may not like Trump's Gaza plan, but there is no alternative: If even I, an implacable opponent of the president, can accept this as the best option, then surely others can too?"https://www.ft.com/content/2472e584-758b-4a3f-83d1-9fba042a9312" Explanation: President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social at 9 August 2026 at 17:51 BST: Hillary Clinton: "The world may not like Trump's Gaza plan, but there is no alternative: If even I, an implacable opponent of the president, can accept this as the best option, then surely others can... [Continue Reading]
Day News Recap: Ukraine hit by deadly strikes as Hormuz tensions and regional shocks mount
Russian strikes killed at least six people across Ukraine, including four in the Kyiv region and a child in Brovary, as local authorities reported attacks in several areas while Kyiv kept up strikes on Russian logistics targets. đź”— đź”—Tensions around the Strait of Hormuz deepened after Iran set out demands it says the United States must meet before the waterway can fully reopen to shipping, while the UAE said an ADNOC tanker was struck by a missile and Gulf states condemned the attack. đź”— đź”—ADNOC later said 15 vessels had been attacked in the strait, with one fatality and 20... [Continue Reading]
Breakfast News Recap: Ukraine under fire as US tightens Russia pressure and global flashpoints widen
Russian strikes killed at least six people across several regions of Ukraine, including three in the Kyiv region and a child in Brovary district, as local authorities said more people were wounded and Kyiv kept up its own strikes on Russian logistics targets. 🔗 🔗In Washington, the US Senate passed a tougher sanctions bill aimed at Russia’s energy revenues, while the House vote was delayed, adding fresh pressure on a key source of funding for Moscow’s war effort. 🔗In Yemen, Houthi attacks in Marib province killed at least 10 people, including eight members of government forces and two civilians, as... [Continue Reading]
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US Senate passes Russia energy sanctions bill as House vote is delayed
The US Senate has passed a tougher sanctions package aimed at Russia's energy revenues, adding fresh pressure on a central source of funding for Moscow's war effort in Ukraine. The bill passed by 86 votes to 11 and now moves to the House of Representatives, where a vote is not expected until at least early September because of the congressional summer recess. The legislation is framed as a way to increase economic pressure on Russia while also targeting the maritime networks used to evade existing embargoes.The measure, called the Lindsey Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, would impose... [Continue Reading]
Wall Street closes sharply higher as Nvidia sparks a broad AI-led rally, gold and silver surge, oil slips
Executive summary: U.S. equities finished sharply higher in a broad risk-on session, led by Nvidia’s double-digit jump and strong gains across the Nasdaq, S&P 500 and Russell 2000. Tech, chips and megacap growth names outperformed, while crude oil and natural gas fell. Precious metals also surged, with gold, silver, palladium and platinum all posting outsized gains. The move points to a market that is rewarding AI exposure and easing energy costs at the same time, even as the size of the metal rally suggests a powerful macro and positioning-driven bid. [Continue Reading]
Day News Recap: Middle East tensions deepen as Yemen, Iran and Gaza dominate a volatile day
Yemen saw the deadliest fighting in this window, with Houthi missile and drone attacks on military sites in Marib and Hadramawt killing at least 58 members of the internationally recognised government forces, while a separate Houthi strike on government held Marib killed two civilians and injured 14 others. đź”— đź”—The fighting also fed fears of wider spillover, as reports said Saudi Arabia was being affected by the conflict and preparations were under way for a possible mine clearing operation in the Strait of Hormuz using uncrewed surface vehicles, underwater drones and explosive laden robots. đź”— đź”—Iran remained at the centre... [Continue Reading]
Europe closes higher as DAX leads, precious metals surge and natural gas slips
Executive summary: European equities finished higher, led by a sharp DAX advance, while precious metals posted outsized gains and natural gas fell. The move came alongside a firmer euro and pound, a softer dollar against the yuan, and a modest pullback in Brent crude, leaving the session defined by risk appetite in stocks and a powerful bid in metals. [Continue Reading]
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Wall Street Opens Sharply Higher as Tech, Metals and Small Caps Lead a Broad Risk Rally
Executive summary: U.S. markets opened with a powerful risk-on tone, led by a surge in Nasdaq-linked technology shares, AI and chip stocks, and a sharp jump in precious metals. The S&P 500, Dow and Russell 2000 all moved higher, while energy shares lagged as WTI crude and natural gas fell. Bitcoin and ether also advanced, adding to the broad-based bid across equities and alternative assets. [Continue Reading]
US July payrolls unexpectedly fall, raising questions over Fed policy path
The US economy unexpectedly shed jobs in July, according to the latest employment report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Nonfarm payrolls fell by 23,000 last month, while June figures were revised to show a 20,000 increase. The unemployment rate also eased to 4.1% from 4.2%, even as the labour force participation rate declined further.The report came in well below expectations. Economists had forecast payroll growth of 80,000, after June had previously been reported as a gain of 57,000. The latest revision and July decline point to a softer labour market than markets had anticipated.The data also reinforced the view... [Continue Reading]
Breakfast News Recap: Middle East tensions flare as Trump moves on tariffs and markets rally on tech and metals
Violence across the Middle East intensified, with Houthi attacks killing at least 58 Yemeni government troops in Marib and Hadramawt and wounding 11 civilians in Saudi Arabia’s Najran Province, including a four year old child with second degree burns. 🔗 🔗In Syria, at least two people were killed and 13 wounded when a bomb exploded inside a minibus in Jaramana near Damascus, while a separate blast in the same area was also reported to have killed and wounded several people. 🔗 🔗Regional tensions also deepened around the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran accused Donald Trump of “theatre diplomacy on loop”... [Continue Reading]
Europe Opens Higher as Metals Surge, DAX Leads, FTSE Flat, and FX Stays Cautious
Executive summary: European markets opened with a clear risk-on tone in continental equities, led by a near 2% jump in the DAX, while the FTSE 100 was essentially unchanged. The standout move was in precious metals, where gold, silver, platinum, and palladium all posted outsized gains. Natural gas fell, Brent was slightly softer, and major FX pairs were modestly lower against the dollar. The pattern points to a market leaning toward defensive commodities and selective equity strength, with Germany’s benchmark setting the pace. [Continue Reading]
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Tokyo closes higher as Nikkei extends rally, gold and silver surge while Korea lags sharply
Executive summary: Tokyo and broader Asia-Pacific trading ended mixed but with clear leadership from Japan and Australia, while South Korea sold off hard. The Nikkei 225 rose +2.9% and the Nikkei 225 ETF gained +3.2%, but the Kospi fell -5.1%. In commodities, gold, silver, platinum and palladium all posted outsized gains, while WTI crude and natural gas weakened. The yen also softened against the dollar, adding another layer to the regional cross-asset picture. [Continue Reading]
Iran accuses Trump of 'theatre diplomacy on loop' as Hormuz talks continue
Iran's parliament speaker has accused Donald Trump of using what he called "theatre diplomacy on loop" after the US president said planned strikes on Iran were cancelled and claimed a deal was close. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf made the remarks in a social media post on Thursday, saying Washington was switching between military threats and negotiation offers as a pressure tactic. He urged the US to acknowledge the facts and honour its commitments.Trump said on Saturday that he had called off a planned large-scale military attack on Iran, claiming that Tehran and other countries in the region had asked for the... [Continue Reading]
Netanyahu signals possible unilateral action as Iran war drags on
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has suggested that Israel may act alone as the war with Iran continues, even as Washington and Tehran appear close to an interim deal on the Strait of Hormuz. The remarks came during a state ceremony in West Jerusalem and were framed by Netanyahu as a matter of Israel's security. The comments add to signs of strain in the US-Israeli campaign against Iran and raise fresh questions about the next phase of the conflict.Netanyahu said he was determined to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and described the United States as Israel's greatest ally.... [Continue Reading]
Australian silicon maker to exit US market after new tariffs
Australia's only silicon manufacturer, Simcoa, says it will pull its business out of the United States on 14 August after a new tariff decision made sales there uneconomic. The company says the additional levy on its silicon exports has left it with no viable way to continue in the market. Simcoa has said it will instead look for alternative buyers in South-East Asia and India.The company's vice-president, David Miles, said the business had no choice but to leave the US market for good. He said Simcoa had a limited amount of stock already in warehouses in the United States, most... [Continue Reading]
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Miliband urges US to reopen Strait of Hormuz ahead of first one-to-one talks with Rubio
UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has called on the United States to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz as he travels to Washington for his first official one-to-one meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. He said free passage through the Gulf waterway was essential to ease cost-of-living pressures on British families. The talks are also expected to cover the war in Ukraine and what Miliband described as the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.Miliband said he was looking forward to his second meeting with Rubio, after the pair first met on the sidelines of a foreign ministers' summit in... [Continue Reading]
Trump warns Iran over Strait of Hormuz as deal may be near
US President Donald Trump has said a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz could come as soon as today or tomorrow, while warning that Iran would be hit very hard if negotiations fail. His comments came as the strategic waterway remained at the centre of talks involving the United States, Oman and Iran over traffic through the passage. The latest remarks add urgency to a dispute that has already unsettled global energy markets and shipping.Trump said negotiators had a very good day and told reporters in California that the strait would be open very soon, or Iran would face... [Continue Reading]
Argentina grain exports disrupted as maritime pilots strike over deregulation decree
Argentina's grain export system has been disrupted after maritime pilots walked off the job, preventing ships from entering and leaving key ports. The strike has affected more than 45 vessels, according to a business chamber representative, and has slowed commercial activity in one of the world's most important food-export corridors. The disruption is centred on ports along the Parana River, through which most of the country's soy, corn and wheat shipments move.The walkout began on Monday after the government published a decree on Friday that deregulates river navigation services. The decree was signed by President Javier Milei and says it... [Continue Reading]
Qatar says regional mediation with US and Iran is in advanced stage amid escalation fears
Qatar says efforts to reach a short-term resolution between the United States and Iran are now at an advanced stage, with draft language circulating through regional mediators. Foreign ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari said in Doha that Qatar is working with Oman and Pakistan to exchange ideas and proposals between Washington and Tehran. He said the aim is to avoid further escalation, reopen the Strait of Hormuz and reopen the door to diplomacy.Al Ansari said there are no direct US-Iran talks scheduled, but that mediation is continuing and that the parties remain in contact through intermediaries. He said the whole... [Continue Reading]
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BP reports four-year-high profits as Middle East war pushes up oil prices
BP has reported quarterly profits of $5.73bn, its highest in four years, after the war in the Middle East drove up oil prices. The oil company said Brent crude averaged $103.85 a barrel in the April-to-June period, compared with $67.88 in the same quarter a year earlier. The rise in crude prices has also fed through into higher petrol, diesel and household energy costs in many places.The profit figure was more than double the $2.35bn BP made in the same period last year. It was also the company's strongest quarterly result since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022.... [Continue Reading]
US stocks near record high as oil falls after Trump claims Iran talks are under way
US equities moved close to record highs on Monday after President Donald Trump said talks with Iran were under way, while Brent crude fell sharply on the same day. The market reaction came amid conflicting accounts from Washington and Tehran about the status of the communications. The moves added a fresh financial-market dimension to the wider dispute over the war on Iran.The S&P 500 rose 1.5% and finished just below its closing record of 7,620.90 set on 2 June. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 1.3% to a record high of 53,178.41, while the Nasdaq Composite climbed 2.1% and remained... [Continue Reading]
Pakistan-administered Kashmir election unrest deepens as second voting phase begins under heavy security
The second phase of regional voting in Pakistan-administered Kashmir began in Muzaffarabad on Sunday under heavy security, as protests, boycott calls and shutdowns continued to overshadow the election. Polling stations opened in the capital after two days of closures and empty streets, with paramilitary personnel and police deployed across the city. The vote is being held in three stages after weeks of unrest forced the Election Commission to split the process.The latest round follows a prolonged dispute over electoral reforms and representation, led by the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee, a local pressure group that authorities banned on 5... [Continue Reading]
Japan and US confirm rare joint intervention to support yen as officials signal more action
Japan and the United States have confirmed that they carried out a coordinated intervention in foreign exchange markets last week to support the yen. The move was aimed at stopping the currency from sliding to a fresh 40-year low, according to the supplied material. It is the first joint intervention by the two countries since 2011, making it a rare step in currency management.Japan's Ministry of Finance said the action took place on Friday and was intended to counter excessive volatility and disorderly movements in the yen. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also said the coordinated foreign exchange actions were... [Continue Reading]
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Dubai Property Market Faces Litmus Test as Nakheel Waterfront Investors Await Final Judicial Verdict
Hundreds of international and local investors who purchased land plots in Nakheel’s massive "Waterfront" project nearly two decades ago are holding their breath. Following the official cancellation of the project by the Dubai Land Department and its integration under Dubai Holding, a special judicial committee appointed by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has been tasked with resolving the liquidation and settling investor claims. ​Because the decisions of this specialized committee are legally binding and final, with no avenue for appeal, the upcoming rulings are being viewed as a critical turning point for the regulatory reputation of Dubai's... [Continue Reading]
The Mirage of the Umbrella: The Shifting Sands of the U.S.-Israel-GCC Alliance
As I sat in a recent debate at the historic Carlton Club in London, listening to Faisal Abbas, the Editor-in-Chief of Arab News, I felt a tangible shift in the room, not because a new fact had been revealed, but because an old illusion had finally lost its last breath. The old-world order has not merely changed, it has evaporated, leaving the Gulf to realize it is no longer watching a distant fire from the safety of marble towers and air-conditioned ministries, but is instead standing directly inside the smoke. The GCC today is caught in a lethal crossfire between... [Continue Reading]
The Glass Elevator to Nowhere: A World Trapped in a Chocolate Factory
As a journalist in my mid-fifties, I thought my skin had thickened to the point of being impenetrable. I have covered the rise and fall of regimes, the grinding gears of the Cold War's leftovers, and the digital revolutions that promised to unite us. I thought I had seen every trick in the political playbook. Then came Donald Trump’s 2026 foreign policy, and I realized I was not watching a statesman; I was watching a child play with a chemistry set he does not understand. The Willy Wonka of the West: Rule by Whim Walking into a press briefing lately... [Continue Reading]
When Deterrence Becomes Reality
Yesterday the war crossed a line! For years the Sejjil ballistic missile existed mostly as a symbol. A weapon paraded in military videos, discussed in defense briefings, whispered about in strategic circles as one of Iran’s most serious capabilities. A weapon that analysts described as deterrence, not something meant to be used. But on March 15, 2026, that line disappeared. Iran reportedly launched the Sejjil (also known as Ashoura) as part of what Tehran called the 54th wave of Operation True Promise 4, a massive strike package that also included the Fattah hypersonic missile and the Qadr ballistic missile system.... [Continue Reading]
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The Madness of Power, From Balfour to the Edge of World War Three
A Voice in the Wilderness of War: Who Still Dares to Speak Truth While Empires March There are moments in history when the world suddenly accelerates toward disaster, moments when anyone who has studied history can feel the temperature rising even before the explosions reach their peak. The current escalation in the Middle East is one of those moments. According to the facts we now see unfolding, the United States and Israel made the unilateral decision to attack Iran without the approval of the United Nations, without a global coalition mandate, and without the support of most of the international... [Continue Reading]
There Is Good in Every Bad
Power, Greed, Oil, and the Theater of Modern Geopolitics The Business Model of Power Donald Trump does not govern like a traditional politician. He governs like a negotiator who believes every geopolitical crisis is leverage, every war threat is a bargaining chip, and every market panic is an opportunity. When markets tremble, someone profits. The question is, who? Global markets react instantly to political tension. Gold rises when conflict looms. Oil spikes when instability threatens production. Stock markets collapse on fear, then rebound on reassurance. Volatility is not chaos, it is opportunity. Historically, gold has surged during major geopolitical crises,... [Continue Reading]
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