Hormuz Stalemate Drives Oil Realignment The U.S.-Iran conflict, now in its sixth month, has left the Strait of Hormuz effectively restricted, with tanker traffic slumping further this week and vessels increasingly operating in extended “dark mode” with AIS transponders off for days rather than hours. Asian refiners in South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and India have … Read more
Bitcoin Slips Below $63,000 as Oil and Yields Climb Bitcoin fell below $63,000, trading near $62,700–$62,800 and erasing recent gains, while spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded their first back-to-back outflows of August. WTI crude topped $82 per barrel and U.S. Treasury yields rose, including a 30-year auction at 5.22%, the highest since 2001. Risk assets faced … Read more
Tory funding collapse signals deeper realignment Recorded donations to the UK Conservative Party fell to £15 million in 2025, the lowest since 2012 and down sharply from £28.1 million the prior year, according to Electoral Commission accounts covered by UnHerd. This occurred in Kemi Badenoch’s first full year as leader after the 2024 election defeat. … Read more
Burnham’s justice credibility gap New UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has spoken out against early prison releases for serious sexual offenders, including cases linked to grooming gangs. Whistleblower Maggie Oliver, a former Greater Manchester Police detective, highlights the hypocrisy: as Mayor, Burnham oversaw reviews of catastrophic GMP failures that allowed widespread child sexual exploitation, yet … Read more
US CPI Slows, Rate-Hike Odds Fall July US CPI rose 0.1% month-over-month and 3.4% year-over-year, matching expectations and easing from June’s 3.5%. Core CPI increased 0.2% MoM, with the annual rate slowing to 2.5%, its lowest since February. Energy prices fell 1.5% MoM, driving much of the moderation, while SuperCore (core services ex-shelter) dropped to … Read more
Corrosion-resistant super steel for high-potential electrolysis Researchers at the University of Hong Kong have developed SS-H2, a stainless steel that resists corrosion at electrical potentials up to 1700 mV in chloride-rich environments, matching titanium performance in saltwater electrolyzers while costing far less. Published findings and patent progress highlight its sequential dual-passivation mechanism, which forms a … Read more
Oil Climbs as U.S.-Iran Hormuz Hopes Fade Crude prices advanced as prospects for a swift U.S.-Iran agreement to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz dimmed. Brent traded near $88 and WTI around $82 after Iran restated conditions for reopening and President Trump countered by demanding compensation for damages. Tanker traffic continues with some vessels disabling … Read more
AfD Surges to 42% Ahead of Saxony-Anhalt Vote A new Insa poll published on 10 August puts the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) at a record 42% in Saxony-Anhalt, 20 points ahead of the governing CDU on 22%, one month before the 6 September state election. Die Linke stands at 13%, SPD at 6%, with BSW, … Read more
NASA Advances Moon Base with Over 20 Planned Landings NASA is accelerating development of a sustained lunar outpost near the Moon’s South Pole through a series of commercial robotic missions. More than 20 landings are scheduled through 2029 under Phase I of the Moon Base architecture, involving partners including Blue Origin, Firefly Aerospace, Intuitive Machines, … Read more
Oil Prices Climb on Iran’s Hardened Hormuz Stance Crude oil prices rose at the start of the week after Iran stated it will keep the Strait of Hormuz closed until the United States meets six sweeping demands. These include withdrawal of U.S. forces from the region, a permanent peace deal, compensation for war damages, and … Read more