Data shows a decline in the number of ships - many carrying oil and gas - going through the waterway after attacks this week. Continue Reading »

Ndodana Mkhanyisi Tshuma left the country via Heathrow Airport on a British passport on Saturday. Continue Reading »

The Welsh singer was known for hits including Total Eclipse of the Heart and Holding on for a Hero. Continue Reading »

Rupert Lowe criticised the ban of handguns in the UK, saying it was "because there was a murder in Dunblane". Continue Reading »

Sir Stephen Timms says personal independence payments (Pip) in England and Wales need changing. Continue Reading »

Meta is upgrading its Muse Spark artificial intelligence model under the leadership of AI chief Alexandr Wang. Continue Reading »

Oil has rallied more than 7% this week as investors worry that exports through Hormuz could plunge as the U.S. and Iran fight for control of the strait. Continue Reading »

Home sales dropped in June month over month as mortgage rates remain stubbornly high. Prices hit an all-time high. Continue Reading »

Competition in the multitrillion-dollar market for retirement assets is fierce among managers like Goldman Sachs, BlackRock, Russell Investments and Mercer. Continue Reading »

Ohio tops CNBC's rankings for the first time in 2026, with the Buckeye State culminating a yearslong climb as the place to do business in America.  Continue Reading »

Par AFP © 2026 AFP La Cour de justice de la République a classé la plainte déposée par le maire de Nice Eric Ciotti à l'encontre du ministre des Transports, Philippe Tabarot, pour menace et injure publique, a-t-elle indiqué jeudi, confirmant une information du journal Nice-Matin. M. Ciotti avait dénoncé à la justice des propos proférés, selon lui, par M. Tabarot (LR), qui l'aurait menacé de le "faire disparaître" en lui "envoyant des Géorgiens", avait indiqué l'élu UDR sur X en juin.La commission des requêtes près la Cour de justice de la République (CJR) a procédé au classement "en l'état des seuls éléments contenus dans la plainte, qui n'est accompagnée d'aucune pièce qui soit de nature à conforter les allégations qu'elle contient" selon les termes de la décision, a précisé à l'AFP le parquet général près la Cour de cassation, qui fait office de ministère public auprès de la CJR.La Cour de justice de la République juge les membres du gouvernement pour des actes commis dans l'exercice de leurs fonctions.Le procureur de la République de Nice, Damien Martinelli, avait confirmé à l'AFP avoir reçu "un signalement" et affirmé rester "dans l'attente d'une plainte éventuelle pour ... Continue Reading »

Par AFP © 2026 AFP Les Bourses mondiales font le pari du rebond jeudi, portées par un retour de l'engouement pour les semi-conducteurs, après leur décrochage de la veille lié à la reprise des hostilités entre Washington et Téhéran.Dans les premiers échanges après l'ouverture, vers 13H30 GMT, le S&P 500 prenait 0,37%, le Nasdaq 0,56%. Le Dow Jones était stable (+0,04%).Seule Londres perdait 0,48% après avoir ouvert dans le vert. L'indice FTSE 100 étant fortement exposé aux prix de l'énergie, les majors pétrolières BP (-1,58%) et Shell (-1,02%) plombaient l'humeur. A Paris également, TotalEnergies perdait 0,95%, Eni glissait de 1,34% à Milan et Equinor cédait 0,86% à Oslo.Les tensions restent vives au Moyen-Orient: Washington a frappé l'Iran dans la nuit pour tenter de réduire le contrôle exercé par Téhéran sur le détroit d'Ormuz, tandis que l'armée iranienne a affirmé avoir lancé des représailles contre trois pays alliés de Washington dans le Golfe.Mais les investisseurs sont "moins pris de court cette fois-ci, cette évolution ayant été largement anticipée" après l'annonce de frappes à venir par le président américain Donald Trump mardi, souligne Andreas Lipkow, chez CMC Markets.La pression redescendait aussi sur les dettes d'Etat, au lendemain d'une nette hausse ... Continue Reading »

Par AFP © 2026 AFP La Bourse de New York a ouvert en petite hausse jeudi, quelque peu aidée par la progression de certains grands noms du secteur des semi-conducteurs, mais demeurant prudente face aux tensions toujours vives entre Washington et Téhéran.Dans les premiers échanges, le Dow Jones prenait 0,12%, l'indice Nasdaq progressait de 0,22% et l'indice élargi S&P 500 gagnait 0,16%.Nasdaq Continue Reading »

Par AFP Par Frédéric BOURIGAULT © 2026 AFP Cinq choses à savoir sur l'éclipse solaire du 12 août, qui sera notamment totale pour une partie de l'Espagne.. Qu'est-ce qu'une éclipse totale de soleil ?Lorsqu'une éclipse totale de soleil survient "la Lune s'interpose exactement entre la Terre et le Soleil, projetant son ombre sur une bande étroite de la surface terrestre", explique l'Association française d'astronomie. "Par une coïncidence remarquable - l'un des équilibres les plus originaux du Système solaire -, la Lune, pourtant 400 fois plus petite que le Soleil, est aussi 400 fois plus proche: leurs diamètres apparents sont identiques", ajoute l'AFA. Pendant plusieurs minutes, "la lumière du jour s'efface, révélant la couronne solaire", ajoute l'association.. Quel va être son parcours ?**L'éclipse totale du 12 août 2026 va démarrer en Russie, puis traverser l'hémisphère Nord et passer au-dessus du Groenland avant de traverser l'Océan Atlantique et atteindre l'Europe. Fichier vidéo Cette ... Continue Reading »

Par AFP © 2026 AFP Le régulateur de l'audiovisuel, l'Arcom, a mis en demeure CNews pour un reportage et un débat sur la campagne de Rachida Dati à Paris, à deux jours du second tour des municipales en mars, qui manquaient de "mesure" et d'"honnêteté", selon une décision publiée jeudi.Diffusées le 20 mars à partir de 21h05 sur la chaîne du groupe Canal+, ces émissions ont "donné lieu à l'expression de points de vue largement convergents", avec "des appréciations positives voire laudatives" sur la candidate de l'opposition de droite et du centre, et "de vives critiques à l'égard des autres", relève l'Arcom.L'autorité indépendante considère que le reportage grand format "Rachida Dati à la conquête de Paris" et les échanges qui ont suivi lors de l'émission "100% politique" "présentaient un manque de mesure et d'honnêteté dans les commentaires et présentations de la campagne, caractérisant un manquement de la chaîne à ses obligations".CNews, dans le giron du milliardaire conservateur Vincent Bolloré, est "mise en demeure de se conformer" à ses obligations à l'avenir.Dans l'échelle des interventions de l'Arcom auprès des chaînes, la mise en demeure, qui a valeur d'avertissement, précède toute sanction, notamment financière.Dans un communiqué, CNews a assuré qu'"il ... Continue Reading »

Thousands of migrants are awaiting repatriation in South Africa as the authorities intensify deportation operations Read Full Article at RT.com Continue Reading »

Nigeria’s anti-corruption agency is investigating a purported presidential council linked to allegations of forgery and impersonation Read Full Article at RT.com Continue Reading »

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis has expressed concern about NATO’s funding of Ukraine’s war effort against Russia Read Full Article at RT.com Continue Reading »

The WHO warns annual cancer cases could nearly double by 2050, with the disease expected to affect more than 90% of the global population Read Full Article at RT.com Continue Reading »

Russia positions itself not as a savior come to deliver Africa from its troubles, but as an equal partner Read Full Article at RT.com Continue Reading »

Официальный представитель МИД РФ напомнила о словах министра иностранных дел Швеции Марии Мальмер Стенергард, которая объявила, что по новым правилам шведского языка Kiev становится Kyjiv, Odessa - Odesa, Donbass - Donbas, Tjernobyl - Tjornoby Continue Reading »

Обвиняемый с соучастниками сбыл наркотическое вещество заказчику, приехав к частному дому в деревне Бакеево Continue Reading »

В бюджеты субъектов России поступило 170 млрд рублей Continue Reading »

В антитеррористической комиссии Свердловской области сообщили, что глава региона Денис Паслер не подписывал таких документов Continue Reading »

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Confused Trump Claims 'Islamic Republic of Japan' Shot at Carrier... (Top headline, 1st story, link) Related stories:Predicts his own violent death...Mistakes Zelensky for Putin...Yells at NATO leaders in public...Rages at Spain, Denmark... MOREIS HE ON AMBIEN? Continue Reading »

Predicts his own violent death... (Top headline, 2nd story, link) Related stories:Confused Trump Claims 'Islamic Republic of Japan' Shot at Carrier...Mistakes Zelensky for Putin...Yells at NATO leaders in public...Rages at Spain, Denmark... MOREIS HE ON AMBIEN? Continue Reading »

Mistakes Zelensky for Putin... (Top headline, 3rd story, link) Related stories:Confused Trump Claims 'Islamic Republic of Japan' Shot at Carrier...Predicts his own violent death...Yells at NATO leaders in public...Rages at Spain, Denmark... MOREIS HE ON AMBIEN? Continue Reading »

Yells at NATO leaders in public... (Top headline, 4th story, link) Related stories:Confused Trump Claims 'Islamic Republic of Japan' Shot at Carrier...Predicts his own violent death...Mistakes Zelensky for Putin...Rages at Spain, Denmark... MOREIS HE ON AMBIEN? Continue Reading »

Rages at Spain, Denmark... MORE (Top headline, 5th story, link) Related stories:Confused Trump Claims 'Islamic Republic of Japan' Shot at Carrier...Predicts his own violent death...Mistakes Zelensky for Putin...Yells at NATO leaders in public...IS HE ON AMBIEN? Continue Reading »

The joke candidate with a bin-shaped helmet is so far Farage's only challenger in the English constituency of Clacton. Continue Reading »

Marine Le Pen, convicted of embezzling EU funds, announces her plans to run in 2027 after winning an appeal. Continue Reading »

Iranians gather in sweltering heat for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s funeral in his hometown of Mashhad. Continue Reading »

Form guide on the final eight teams as they battle it out for the FIFA World Cup 2026 trophy in the United States. Continue Reading »

Democrats are scrambling to field a candidate as popular as Platner to clinch Maine in the midterms. Continue Reading »

The NATO summit in Turkey will bring Trump face to face with Giorgia Meloni, once dubbed Europe’s 'Trump whisperer,' after weeks of insults, accusations and an Italian decision to stop reacting to his provocations Continue Reading »

Syrian media reported blasts near Macron’s Damascus hotel during a landmark visit, after he reportedly left the site 15 minutes earlier; Reuters cited a security source saying explosive devices were involved Continue Reading »

In response to the government’s declaration that it would not recognize a ruling on the Second Authority, Justices Yitzhak Amit, Alex Stein and Ruth Ronen said elected officials and civil servants are all required to act according to law Continue Reading »

Dr. Aminah Knight said she wanted Muslim women and girls to enjoy a private Eid event without feeling singled out for modest swimwear, but a flyer saying ‘Muslims only’ triggered conservative outrage, Gov. Greg Abbott’s intervention and violent threats Continue Reading »

UAE-backed talks would seek to renew extra Israeli water supplies to Jordan, advance a regional desalination-for-solar project and ease strained ties between Jerusalem and Amman Continue Reading »

Graham Platner’s bid for the Senate inspired progressive Democrats. But the campaign, which he suspended Wednesday, was messy, disorganized and ultimately doomed by a steady drip of scandal. Continue Reading »

Mr. Platner’s withdrawal, which comes after a woman accused him of rape, creates deep uncertainty in a race that both parties see as crucial to their hopes of winning the Senate. Continue Reading »

The state Democratic Party has said it will pick a replacement through a nominating convention before a July 27 deadline. Candidates are already lining up. Continue Reading »

The swift exit of Graham Platner from the Maine Senate race followed Eric Swalwell’s similar exit from the California governor’s race, but Republicans have taken a different tack. Continue Reading »

Plus, what Meta’s new A.I. push means for your Instagram pictures. Continue Reading »

The Chinese upstart says it has trained high-performing AI models cheaply, without using the most advanced chips. Continue Reading »

DeepSeek, SoFi and more in the latest Market Talks covering Technology, Media and Telecom. Continue Reading »

DeepSeek is called “amazing and impressive” despite working with less-advanced chips. Continue Reading »

The LinkedIn co-founder is starting Manas AI with “The Emperor of All Maladies” author Siddhartha Mukherjee. Continue Reading »

Apps can add flexibility and freshness to your routine. Just try not to get injured. Continue Reading »

Israel allowed displaced Gazans to begin crossing a military zone that bisects the enclave after a deadlock over hostage releases was broken. Continue Reading »

Troubles at Vanke raise questions about the continued spread of the property crisis and whether the Chinese state will step in. Continue Reading »

Some of the women were held alone for extended periods and spent eight months in tunnels, an Israeli medical official said. Continue Reading »

The alliance mounted its first coordinated response to a suspected sabotage campaign against critical infrastructure after another cable was severed in the Baltic Sea. Continue Reading »

Residents of Goma reported gunfire and shelling after rebels overran Congolese troops. U.N. officials estimated that more than one million displaced people were now inside the city. Continue Reading »

He is best known for leading Maine through the pandemic. Continue Reading »

Graham Platner went down fighting. Advisers told him to focus on ‘gratitude.’ Continue Reading »

The party has until July 27 to replace Platner in the key battleground Senate race. Continue Reading »

The Maine Beer Company founder briefly ran for Senate last year before dropping his bid and endorsing Gov. Janet Mills in the race. Continue Reading »

Several potential successors have already signaled their interest in seeking the Democratic nomination for Maine Senate. Continue Reading »

He’s already unsuccessfully run for the seat but is ready to give it another shot. Continue Reading »

Republicans had welcomed Graham Platner as a foil to Collins, who is trying to win a sixth Senate term in a state that voted for Kamala Harris in 2024. Continue Reading »

No smoking guns have been found, but the Oversight Committee is likely to continue probing powerful associates of the late, convicted sex offender. Continue Reading »

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The progressive Democratic lawyer was key to bringing forward sexual misconduct allegations against former Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.). Continue Reading »

The office that produces the National Climate Assessment has been reconstituted, after the administration gutted it last year. Continue Reading »

The parents of James Woods called for Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Continue Reading »

The president pledged to ramp up attacks on Iran after saying earlier that the ceasefire between Washington and Tehran was “over.” Continue Reading »

A decade of Trump asking and Erdoğan delivering has made the Turkish president NATO’s strongest asset heading into a potentially volatile summit in Ankara. Continue Reading »

Let's go to the videotape! Continue Reading »

For the last 35 years, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo's day began the same way: He woke up at 5 a.m., kissed his wife goodbye, loaded his work van and drove off to pick up his construction crew for work in Houston, his family said. But on Tuesday, Salgado Araujo's day would not end as it always did. He would not come home to eat a hearty dinner prepared by his wife, then spend the rest of the evening on the porch listening to music in the house he had built for his family. Continue Reading »

The family of a Mexican man shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Houston on Tuesday is demanding answers from Trump administration officials. Lorenzo Salgado Araujo died at the hospital after the encounter with federal immigration officers, which took place just before 7 a.m. local time Tuesday. ICE attempted to pull over the man's vehicle as part of a targeted enforcement operation to take Salgado Araujo into custody, officials announced after the fatal shooting. Continue Reading »

Federal immigration authorities said a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer fatally shot an illegal alien from Mexico during a targeted enforcement operation in Houston on Tuesday after the man used his vehicle to try to run over an agent. Officers attempted to stop a vehicle driven by Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, whom the agency identified as an illegal immigrant from Mexico, as part of an operation to make an arrest. Continue Reading »

I spend a good part of my professional life as an expert witness, which means courts pay me to tell the difference between evidence and narrative. Judges want dates, corroboration, and contemporaneous accounts. What they do not want is a story that changes shape depending on who benefits from believing it. That is the standard I bring to Graham Platner, the Maine Senate candidate whose party spent a year deciding his conduct toward women was a footnote right up until it wasn't. Jenny Racicot says Platner let himself into her home uninvited in late 2021, drunk, and forced himself on her after she told him no. She has a date, a location, and, per Politico, text messages and people she confided in at the time, including her therapist and an ex-boyfriend. Platner denies it, calling the account "troubling, serious and false." Continue Reading »

Conventional wisdom regarding the war in Ukraine tends to swing like a pendulum, generally in tandem with the fortunes of the war. That means today's optimism regarding Ukraine's improved strategic prospects, while in many ways justified, is missing some balance. Continue Reading »

When things get dicey in Moscow, Vladimir Putin tends to drop out of sight for a while, retreating to one of his residences and canceling public events. Only his closest aides know how he spends his time during these absences, which can go on for days even in the middle of a national crisis. The Kremlin does its best to fill the vacant airtime on state TV with pretaped footage of the president, waiting for him to reemerge and declare that everything remains under his control. Continue Reading »

In the early morning hours of June 29, federal agents from the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security conducted a raid on home in Midlothian, Texas, in the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. Continue Reading »

Despite last-minute protests from lawyers for President Trump, a federal judge has ordered the court to release $5 million, plus interest, won by the writer E. Jean Carroll when a 2023 civil jury found Mr. Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation. The money had been held in a court-controlled bank account for three years, and Mr. Trump said in recent filings he wanted it to remain there. Continue Reading »

It has become something of a seasonal ritual. Every summer, Brussels launches a fresh propaganda offensive on Ukraine — and this year is no different. "The tide is turning", Commission President Ursula von der Leyen declared on social media a few weeks ago, claiming that Ukraine, with European and Nato help, has seized the initiative, while Russia has been forced onto the defensive. The same phrase has since been echoed verbatim by politicians and commentators across the transatlantic ecosystem, in what is clearly a coordinated narrative push. Meanwhile, we are told that the Russian economy is — once again — on the brink of collapse, and that even Putin's downfall may be imminent. Continue Reading »

"They grabbed me from behind and started punching me, hitting me with spades and machetes," says Daniel Uyirwoth Welo, one of four Red Cross volunteers injured when a crowd tried to open a coffin carrying someone who had died from Ebola. The 27-year-old and his colleagues were attempting to carry out a safe burial at a cemetery in Bunia, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, last month when they were attacked. The assault was triggered by rumours - circulating locally and online - that the coffin was empty. Continue Reading »

Costco is quietly discontinuing two Kirkland Signature craft beers, including an award-winning brew fans have called "one of the best lagers on the market." The move will end sales of the highly prized Kirkland Signature Helles Lager and Kirkland Signature Vintage Ale, according to Craft Business Daily (CBD). The beers were co-branded with Oregon-based craft brewery Deschutes Brewery. CEO Peter Skrbek announced the decision in an early July note to distributors, according to the outlet. Continue Reading »

It's hard to begrudge anyone the temptation to confront the president and his allies with their failures of judgment and resolve, which conspired to give us the disastrous memorandum of understanding with Iran in the first place. They deserve it. Last month, the remnants of the Iranian regime were "strong people, smart people," in Trump's estimation. "The coolest thing" about the MOU was that it showed how even the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps understands that "the way that we've done business with the US for 47 years is a mistake," JD Vance insisted. Today, the rump Islamic Republic is, according to Trump, a bunch of "scum" — "sick people," "vicious, violent people," "lying guys" who are observably "cuckoo." Continue Reading »

Graham Platner, the embattled Maine Democratic candidate running for U.S. Senate, announced Wednesday he is suspending his candidacy following allegations of sexual assault. Continue Reading »

Two years ago Democrats had one job: stop Donald Trump from returning to the White House. It was the only thing that mattered, but with breathtaking political malpractice, they imploded. Continue Reading »

Graham Platner finally relented to intense pressure, announcing he was bowing out of the Maine Senate race. Continue Reading »

A Vanderbilt University report has ruffled feathers in higher education with its conclusion that social justice politics, rather than knowledge, drives much of today's humanities scholarship. The "State of Scholarship" report faults contemporary history, philosophy, anthropology, music, sociology and literature studies for prioritizing liberal race and gender identity agendas over the "disinterested inquiry" that traditionally guides research. Continue Reading »

A new report on the state of humanities scholarship made waves in higher ed circles when it was released Friday, and has since drawn criticism from professors across the humanities. Commissioned by Vanderbilt University chancellor Daniel Diermeier and Washington University in St. Louis chancellor Andrew Martin, the "State of Scholarship" report finds fault with disciplines including anthropology, philosophy and history—not for their content but for the quality of their scholarship, which the report's authors argue is too often driven by political ideology rather than the pursuit of truth and knowledge. Continue Reading »

Every week, AllSides Roundtables connect members of the AllSides audience for guided discussions about our common issues, helping them see the full picture and understand the world better. Continue Reading »

AllSides analyzed under-covered and omitted stories across the political spectrum this week. Here’s what you may have missed. Continue Reading »

Most politicians and influencers understand that our brains love comfortability, and any hint of cognitive dissonance in voters’ minds could cost an entire election. So what happens when characters go off-script, ideologically evolve, or even just show a flaw? History answers this question perspicuously, but one needs only to glance at the media to observe ideological suffrage at the hands of human arrogance. Continue Reading »

AI Price War Breaks Out: Meta Unveils Paid AI Model For First Time, Will Be "Among Most Affordable Options" Shortly after a leaked Meta memo revealed the company was planning on putting an AI chip into production in September as it looks to double computing capacity to 14Gigawatts, the company also unveiled a version of its most advanced artificial intelligence model, Muse Spark 1.1, that includes a new paid tier for developers, marking the first time Meta has charged businesses for access to its models and providing a new revenue stream. It’ll be "among the most affordable options" on the market, Zuckerberg said in a Bloomberg interview ahead of the release. “Since this is not an open source model, this is I think the first time that we’re doing a real serious API,” Zuckerberg said, referring to the application programming interface used to access Meta’s AI. “And the pricing is going to be very aggressive and attractive” he added indicating that Meta hopes to capture market share by undercutting its competitors. The new model’s biggest improvement is in its agentic capabilities, the Meta CEO told Bloomberg. He hopes to piggyback on ... Continue Reading »

Qatar Halts Push To Ramp Up LNG Production After Hormuz Tanker Strikes Less than a month after Reuters reported that QatarEnergy was ready to resume LNG production ​at its Ras Laffan LNG plant "very quickly" ‌and expected to reach within a month full output of facilities unaffected by Iranian strikes, this morning Bloomberg reports that Qatar is pausing efforts to rapidly revive production at the world’s largest LNG facility, after an attack on one of its tankers in the Strait of Hormuz raised fears that transit through the crucial waterway is still too risky. According to the report, QatarEnergy officials held a series of meetings following the attack on Tuesday, with CEO Saad Al-Kaabi deciding to cease plans to increase output at the Ras Laffan complex. Operations will be kept at a minimum for safety reasons and the number of vessels scheduled to dock at the plant in the coming days will be reduced/ The pause is one of the most high-profile fallouts to date of the heightened tensions this week with attacks on a number of ships near Hormuz and the US striking Iran for two consecutive days. President Trump on Wednesday even ... Continue Reading »

Leaked Meta Memo Shows AI Capacity Doubling To 14 Gigawatts Meta shares fell 4.3% at Thursday's open after Reuters reported the contents of an internal memo laying out the next phase of the company's AI infrastructure program. The stock has clawed back part of the loss through the morning but stayed solidly red while the tape digested the same question it has been chewing on for nine days: is Meta the hyperscaler that just started exercising capex discipline, or the one that just committed to doubling? Three things to note from today's news. The first is silicon. Iris, Meta's in-house AI accelerator and one of four planned MTIA generations unveiled in March, enters production at TSMC in September after clearing bug validation in six weeks with no major issues - an unusually clean result for a program that has stumbled for more than half a decade. Broadcom is the design partner under an agreement extended through 2029, and Meta plans to ship a new chip roughly every six months through 2027, against an industry norm of annual-or-slower cadences. The chips are meant to augment, not replace, externally sourced GPUs - Meta ... Continue Reading »

US Existing Home Sales Unexpectedly Dropped In June, Just Off Record Lows After an ugly Spring selling season, existing home sales have rebounded in Q2 (so far) with expectations for another 1.0% MoM increase in June. However, that was not to be with US existing home sales tumbling 2.4% MoM in June (although May was revised up to a +3.7% MoM gain from +3.2%). That slowed the annual improvement in sales to +2.75% YoY... Overall, existing home sales SAAR remains just off record lows... “The back-and-forth in monthly home sales activity, driven by mild fluctuations in mortgage rates, shows how sensitive home buyers are to affordability conditions,” NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun said in a statement. But recent job gains will continue to provide support to the housing market, he added. NAR’s Housing Affordability Index, which measures whether typical families can qualify for a mortgage for a median-priced home, has improved somewhat from a year ago but is at its lowest since August 2025. Inventories of new homes for sale remain high (and are thus pressuring homebuilders to choke back on additional supply)... But, the inventory of existing homes for sale climbed 1.3% from a ... Continue Reading »

The Choice To Go Up Or Down The Escalation Ladder Now Lies With Iran By Michael Every of Rabobank “It ain't over till it's over, but..." The US hit Iran for a second night along Hormuz, in southern cities, near a nuclear site, and a railway bridge in the northwest. The message from VP Vance was to stop striking ships in Hormuz or get hit back harder. From Trump, it was that Iran are “liars” and “scum” and the MOU is “over,” repeating threats to reimpose the US blockade of Iranian oil --showing why few (save China) were keen to buy it with a temporary sanctions waiver that lapsed before shipments arrived -- and to hit electricity and desalination plants and/or take Kharg Island, it’s key oil facility. Even Axios, purveyor of ‘world peace(fire)’ headlines, is reporting the US is preparing for an extended confrontation --from 1-2 days to a month-- and that the ‘Battle of Hormuz’ may be about to begin. Trump did add negotiators could keep talking if they wanted to; and on Air Force One (the old one: that just gifted by Qatar was left in the UK, speaking to ... Continue Reading »

Bloom Energy Defends Supply Chain, Calls Hunterbrook Report "False And Misleading" Bloom Energy is responding forcefully against allegations made by short seller Hunterbrook Capital, rejecting the firm's claims about its accounting, supply chain and growth prospects a day after a report sent shares sharply lower. The clean energy company said Thursday that Hunterbrook's assertions regarding its financial reporting and access to critical raw materials are "false and misleading," according to a statement reported by Bloomberg. The response comes after Hunterbrook published an investigation on July 8 that questioned Bloom's independence from Chinese suppliers and argued that the company's long-term manufacturing ambitions may be constrained by global scandium availability. Hunterbrook disclosed that it stands to benefit if Bloom's shares decline through a short position. Bloom specifically defended its financial reporting, saying allegations concerning its accounting are contradicted by its audited financial statements. The company also disputed Hunterbrook's central thesis surrounding scandium oxide, the specialty material used in Bloom's solid oxide fuel cells. Bloom said it has sufficient scandium oxide supply to meet both current production needs and its existing customer backlog. It added that its scandium supply is not dependent on China, either for current ... Continue Reading »

Porsche Sales Tumble To Weakest In Six Years As Chinese Demand Plummets Days after Germany's top financial newspaper, Handelsblatt, reported that Porsche AG is planning more than 4,000 job cuts, the sports-car maker on Thursday revealed first-half sales figures that were the weakest in six years, with its China business falling off a cliff. For the January to June period, Porsche reported 122,306 vehicle deliveries across global markets, a 16% decline from the same period a year earlier. The first-half slump marked Porsche's weakest sales performance since 2020, with its top market, North America, seeing a 13% decline in vehicle sales, while China suffered an outright 32% decline. Softening luxury demand in the West and China's deepening slowdown are increasingly concerning for the high-end automaker. "With around 122,000 customer deliveries in the first half of 2026, we are below the same period last year but in line with our expectations," Matthias Becker, Member of the Executive Board for Sales and Marketing at Porsche AG, wrote in a statement. Porsche blamed the slowdown in North America on several issues: Among the sales regions, North America remains at the top with 37,712 deliveries. The decline of around ... Continue Reading »

Return To War: Iran Fires Ballistic Missiles At Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, After US Struck 170 Iranian Targets Just as the US nighttime strikes were significantly bigger than prior rounds in June, so has Iran's 'retaliation' been bigger - chiefly on Gulf states and American bases there. In the overnight and Thursday daytime hours, Iranian ballistic missiles and drones have targeted Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and even faraway Jordan. The country is reporting that it has intercepted several missiles, which targeted Muwaffaq Salti Air Base - jointly operated by US and Jordanian forces. Oil prices have persisted above prewar levels on Thursday. Social Media/UGC/Reuters "Jordan has intercepted eight Iranian missiles in its airspace after sirens sounded across the country, according to the armed forces," reports Al Jazeera. "Falling shrapnel did not cause any casualties or material damage, it added." Following the US bombing of the Islamic Republic for a second consecutive night, which came after Iranian forces sought to enforce its own shipping route and protocol on the Strait of Hormuz (which saw several international vessels attacked), Tehran has newly confirmed it in turn struck "US bases and strategic centers” in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar. In particular ... Continue Reading »

Canada Just Admitted Justin Trudeau's Climate Agenda Was A Scam Authored by Andrew Moran via LibertyNation.com, Former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau gave Canada a lost decade. A key contributor to the country’s stagnation was the Liberal government’s obsession with climate change and its ushering in of green energy policies that were disastrous for a nation rich in natural resources. To make Canada great again, Prime Minister Mark Carney is abandoning climate alarmism and embracing what made the country wealthy in the first place: crude oil. Canada Loves Oil Again On June 30, the prime minister published a 17-minute YouTube video, focused exclusively on his predecessor's climate agenda. He used words like "expensive" and "divisive" to describe Trudeau's environmental endeavors. Carney essentially admitted that Pierre Poilievre and the Conservatives were right. For right-wing political pundits, this was a rare win for the incumbent. Indeed, in a bid to resuscitate the ailing Canadian economy, Carney is trying to make the country fall back in love with fossil fuels – and appease Alberta – despite years of climate doomerism. Ottawa announced earlier this month a new West Coast pipeline that will ship up to one million barrels of crude ... Continue Reading »

'Slow Hire, No Fire' Economy Continues As Jobless Claims Remain Near Record Lows The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits for the first time fell to to 215k last week (versus 217k exp), remaining near multi-decade lows... California and Missouri saw the biggest increase in initial claims while New Jersey and Connecticut saw the largest decline... Continuing jobless claims ticked higher (highest since March) but remains well off cycle highs from Q4... Despite disappointing payrolls (though jobs are still being added, though at a slower pace)... ...jobless claims data suggests there is no labor market stress as the economy has morphed into 'slow hire, no fire' regime Tyler Durden Thu, 07/09/2026 - 08:37 Continue Reading »

Futures Rise, Oil Drops As Markets Ignore Latest Middle East Airstrikes Futures are higher (although off session highs), and oil erased overnight gains as the market moved past the latest Middle-East flare up which saw the US military strike 90 Iranian targets for a second day and Tehran retaliated against American allies in the Persian Gulf. And like during previous escalations, this time nobody believes it will last. As of 8:00am ET S&P 500 futures rose 0.2% and Nasdaq 100 contracts gained 0.6% as semiconductor stocks advanced in Asia, Europe and US premarket trading after SK Hynix drew strong demand for its offering of ADRs. Mag7 stocks are mixed, with META tumbling on a Reuters report the company has signed long-term contracts for memory, networking gear and flash storage, refuting the market's expectation that the company is starting to ease back on capex spending. The FTSE 100 lags and is down 0.8% as AstraZeneca shares slump 9% after its Wainua drug failed to prevent heart problems. . Cyclicals, ex-Energy, are rebounding led by Fins and Industrials. Momentum is poised for another strong day, this time with Beta. Brent traded near $79 ... Continue Reading »

SK Hynix's US Offering Reportedly Seven Times Oversubscribed The KOSPI struggled for direction overnight, erasing most of an opening rally that briefly pushed the South Korean main equity index up as much as 4.1%. The real strength was in memory stocks, with SK Hynix surging as much as 10% as investors piled back in. This move comes as Bloomberg reports the company's US ADR listing is more than seven times oversubscribed, underscoring strong institutional demand. The report said SK Hynix is selling 177.9 million American depositary receipts, with each ADR equal to one-tenth of a common share. Based on the memory giant's Wednesday close in Seoul, the offering could raise about $24.5 billion, putting it among one of the largest US debuts by a foreign company and just behind Alibaba Group's record $25 billion listing. Demand for the ADR listing has mostly come from global long-only funds, technology-focused investors, sovereign wealth funds, and Asia-focused funds, the report said, adding that Baillie Gifford, Coatue Management, and Situational Awareness Partners have indicated interest in buying $7 billion of the ADRs. Banks leading the deal stopped taking orders late Wednesday, with pricing slated for ... Continue Reading »

Biden Defender JB Pritzker Now Claims Trump Has 'Dementia' Authored by Luis Cornelio via Headline USA, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, one of President Joe Biden’s most vocal defenders when the former president faced questions about his mental acuity, is now claiming President Donald Trump has dementia. Pritzker made the remarks during a June 29 interview with CNN host Caitlin Collins while discussing Trump’s criticism of democratic socialism. Trump had argued that socialism represents a similar threat to the country than historical crises. “The man is continually suffering from dementia. I don’t think he really understands what he’s saying,” Pritzker stated, providing no evidence for his claim. Gov. JB Pritzker says he thinks President Trump has dementia. "I really think that there's something genuinely wrong with him," he says, while adding, "I'm not a doctor." pic.twitter.com/Y2vrFvScz8 — Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) July 1, 2026 Pritzker’s comments mark a stark contrast from how he defended Biden during the 2024 presidential campaign, when questions about the former president’s mental fitness intensified. Pritzker served as one of Biden’s fiercest campaign surrogates and even sat on his national advisory board. For instance, when Special Counsel Robert Hur raised concerns about Biden’s memory, Pritzker quickly went on the defensive, going as far as accusing Hur of being ... Continue Reading »

"We're Gonna Win Someday": Graham Platner Suspends His Senate Campaign Update: Graham Platner, the Democratic Party nominee for U.S. Senate in Maine, announced Wednesday that he's suspending his campaign. The move comes two days after Politico reported allegations of rape against him by a former girlfriend. He posted an emotional video explaining his decision. "And I just want to make it clear this is all false," Platner said. "The things that have been claimed did not happen; it's not real." He described the past few days as an ordeal no regular person should have to survive, a normal guy suddenly thrust into a spotlight he says he never wanted. He accused the media and the political establishment of skipping the investigation entirely and jumping straight to a verdict. "I learned about this through press inquiries with no time to truly respond, no time for investigations before a corporate media system and the political establishment got to act as judge, jury and executioner," he said. "Accusations are supposed to be the beginning of things, not the end." Platner claimed the allegations surfaced now for a specific reason. His official nomination locks in on July 13, ... Continue Reading »

Canada Just Unleashed Its Fastest-Growing Oil Boom In A Decade Who says price isn't a rationing mechanism? Rather than sink billions into long-term oil sands projects, Alberta energy companies are increasingly chasing the Clearwater formation, a conventional heavy oil field that allows producers to capitalize on rising crude prices far more quickly, according to Bloomberg. The surge in activity has been significant. Alberta approved 1,764 drilling licenses between Jan. 1 and June 12, the busiest start to a year since 2014. Roughly one-fifth of those permits were for Clearwater wells, marking the highest proportion ever recorded. The formation is increasingly changing how producers respond to higher oil prices. Traditional oil sands projects often require years of planning, construction, and billions of dollars before generating a single barrel of crude. Clearwater, by contrast, produces a similar heavy grade of oil using horizontal multilateral wells, eliminating the need for expensive steam-assisted extraction and allowing companies to ramp up output much faster. According to Tamarack Valley Energy CEO Brian Schmidt, the economics are hard to beat. "It doesn't take a whole bunch of capital to get started," he said, calling the play one with no equal ... Continue Reading »

Cocoa Prices Rally As Jefferies Warns Of "Perfect Storm" In West Africa Cocoa futures in New York have doubled since the start of March and have now climbed back toward levels not seen since late 2025, around $6,000 a ton, as Jefferies analysts warn that a "perfect storm's a-brewing" across West Africa, the world's top cocoa-farming region. Jefferies analyst Scott Marks wrote in a note on Tuesday that new weather concerns center on Ivory Coast and Ghana, the world's top cocoa-growing regions. He said that temperatures in both countries have been about 2F below five-year averages since March, while rainfall in June ran about 46% above average in Ivory Coast and 52% above average in Ghana. Excess rain increases the risk of black pod and brown rot.  Early surveys of Ivory Coast's 2026/27 crop point to below-average cherelle formation and poor pod development. Industry estimates now show around 1.7 to 1.8 million metric tons, down about 18% from roughly 2.2 million tons in 2025/26, the analyst noted. Global cocoa market snapshot still dire: A 2024/2025 estimated global cocoa surplus of ~48 thousand tons is now expected according to ICCO reports published May'26, below prior estimates ... Continue Reading »

Iran Hits Back, Launching Missiles On Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar - Ignoring Trump's Warning Of "Much Worse" Bombing Summary Iran retaliates: air defenses reportedly active over Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait. Trump threatens "it will get much worse" after Wednesday night US attack wave commences along Iran's coast. Trump tells NATO summit that Iran wants to assassinate him: "on every single one of their list." Iran threatens to reclose the Strait of Hormuz and suspended final talks with the US. The US earlier revoked an Iranian oil waiver & now signals readiness to restore a maritime blockade. Trump said the ceasefire is over and warned of fresh US strikes on Iran, probably "tonight". Oil jumps above $80 as fears of renewed conflict & return to Hormuz Strait closure intensifies. Strait of Hormuz traffic returns to normal by August 31? Yes 19% · No 82%View full market & trade on Polymarket *  *  * Iranian Retaliation: Air Defenses Active Over Bahrain, Kuwait Nearing 5am Tehran time, and there are incoming reports of Iranian retaliation against Gulf states, which it seems is set to become a predictable pattern - after hours ago the US launched fresh airstrikes on Iranian island and coastal areas near the Hormuz ... Continue Reading »

Europe's Utility Sector Is 'On The Brink Of A New Regime' Authored by Gregor Morris via BondVigilantes.com, Europe’s utilities sector is on the brink of a generational shift. After more than a decade of subdued demand, the system is being forced to modernize, rebuild and expand. Electrification, datacentres, renewable integration and ageing infrastructure are converging into what can only be described as unprecedented capital expenditure programmes across the sector.  Simplistically, the bullish narrative is a convergence of rising electricity demand, visible investment pipelines, increase in regulated investments and improving returns. However, the same forces driving growth are also set to reshape balance sheets, funding needs, and elevate execution risk. A step change in capital intensity The scale of investment required is extraordinary and though we have seen some large equity cheques, the vast majority of investment need will be funded by debt issuance. The European power system is expected to require €2–3 trillion of capex between 2026 and 2035, up to double the previous decade’s spend. According to Goldman Sachs, within this: €1.2–1.4 trillion is needed in power grids alone.   Significant incremental spend is required for backup gas capacity (~€200bn) and battery storage (~€35bn by 2030). Even over the next ... Continue Reading »

Study Finds Self-Driving Cars Crash More Often, But Cause Far Fewer Injuries Self-driving cars may be involved in more crashes than human drivers on a per-mile basis, but the evidence suggests those accidents are generally far less likely to result in serious injuries or fatalities, according to Aulsbrook Car & Truck Lawyers. A review of autonomous vehicle safety data found self-driving vehicles are involved in about 9.1 crashes per million miles traveled, compared with roughly 4.1 for human-driven vehicles. However, the report found autonomous vehicle crashes are typically much less severe, with significantly fewer injuries and no recorded fatalities in several major datasets. The contrast is especially clear in Austin, Texas, where about 12,000 traffic crashes occurred in 2025. Just 85 involved autonomous vehicles, resulting in eight injuries and no deaths. By comparison, crashes involving human drivers caused roughly 8,000 injuries and 99 fatalities. Several studies cited in the report reached similar conclusions. One analysis covering more than 7 million autonomous miles found self-driving systems reduced injury-related crashes by 85% compared with human drivers. Waymo separately reported major reductions in injury crashes, airbag deployments, and collisions involving pedestrians and cyclists when compared ... Continue Reading »

Trump To Delist Syria From Terror Designation, Boasts Of Putting 'Fantastic' Sharaa In Power Via Middle East Eye US President Donald Trump lavished rare praise on Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Wednesday, calling him "fantastic" and "highly respected", as the two leaders met on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey.  The meeting itself is a win for Sharaa, who was first introduced to Trump a little over a year ago in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, before finding himself in the Oval Office exchanging gifts with the US president by November. No Syrian leader - and certainly not one with Sharaa's past as a US-designated terrorist - had been in the White House in decades.  via Reuters Wednesday's opportunity arose because the Turks have been at the helm of Sharaa's rise to power since December 2024, as they are keen on a neighboring Syria that falls within their sphere of influence.  Trump's swift embrace of Sharaa has been one of the standout foreign policy moves of the past year. "He's done a really fantastic job as president. He's unified the country in a very short period of time. I'd say like a year and a half, about ... Continue Reading »