Risk events

Kazakhstan Extends Petroleum Export Ban Six Months as Hormuz Tensions Flare

Kazakhstan is growing more possessive of its petroleum products as a gasoline shortage tightens its grip in Russia and the US-Iran conflict reignites. Kazakh officials have established new police checkpoints on almost 60 roads along the country’s lengthy border with Russia to curb ‘gasoline tourism,’ according to local news reports. In addition, new restrictions have been introduced at border checkpoints, limiting trucks and cars to one crossing per day. In recent weeks, as gasoline shortages ha

Trump admin eases export controls for UAE; Warren blasts 'corrupt' provision

The Commerce Department will favorably review exports involving MGX, which used a stablecoin linked to President Trump's family for a $2B Binance investment.

Summer Heatwaves Are Rewriting the Rules for Britain's Power Grid

The energy grid operator has warned that the “extreme temperatures” from this week’s heatwave could hit power supplies on Thursday night, as households’ use of fans and air conditioner place a record strain on our electricity system. The National Energy System Operator (Neso) issued a rare overnight notice calling on energy companies to generate additional supplies to satisfy demand from cooling devices during what Britain’s third heatwave of the summer. It is Neso’s second warning in as many mo

Ukraine can soon build its own Patriots – but it could take years

Ukraine may soon possess a license the U.S. currently extends to only a handful of allies — but it could be years before Patriots protect Ukrainian cities.

+++ Ukraine War +++: Ukraine attacks Russian tankers in the Sea of ​​Azov

Russian oil production drops massively +++ Fire extinguished in Russian Ilski oil refinery +++ Russia probably thwarts attack on military air base in Rostow +++ The news blog.

Zelenskyy taps European allies to build Freya, a cheaper Patriot-alternative to Russia’s ballistic missiles

Ukraine will hold its first coalition meeting on a homegrown ballistic missile defense system in France “in the coming days.”

As bank earnings approach, a market anomaly emerges

The Financial Select Sector Index trades at roughly 15.5 times forward earnings — about a turn and a quarter cheaper than where it stood in 2024.

Oil’s Calm Is Over as Middle East Risks Return

Renewed U.S.-Iran strikes have revived the Middle East risk premium, lifting Brent above $76 as traffic through the Strait of Hormuz slows and supply disruption fears return. Friday, July 10, 2026 The return of the Middle Eastern geopolitical risk premium has lifted global oil prices by $4 per barrel this week, with ICE Brent set to settle above $76 per barrel. Renewed US-Iran strikes pushed traffic through the Strait of Hormuz back toward a near-standstill as market concerns about continued sup

Russian Fuel Disruptions Push Central Asia Into an Energy Crisis

Ukraine's sustained attacks on Russia's oil refineries immediately plunged Central Asian countries into energy chaos, highlighting years of short-term policy decisions that have left the region without a coordinated energy strategy and sufficient diversification to withstand major disruptions. Just this week, Ukrainian drones knocked the Omsk refinery -- one of Russia’s largest processing facilities, with an annual capacity of nearly 22 million tons of crude oil -- offline, forcing Central Asian

New authority: Will Germany remain a paradise for money launderers?

The EU's new anti-money laundering authority launched a year ago with high expectations, but is still in the middle of being set up. What is important in the fight against crime?

US Marines successfully test-fire new medium-range air defense system

U.S. Marines on Guam successfully fired the service's new Medium-Range Intercept Capability system during Exercise Valiant Shield.

The space race is on as China takes a big step toward rivaling SpaceX

A Chinese company demonstrated controlled recovery of a rocket’s bottom portion, which is critical in helping to drive down launch costs.

Health Minister Warken: “It gets emotional very quickly at the clinics”

Health Minister Nina Warken had to defend her austerity law until the last second. “The compromises are very good,” she says in an interview with the F.A.Z.: The financial gap has been closed and stable contribution rates are guaranteed.

+++ Iran War +++: According to Trump, the USA is ready for talks with Iran even after the end of the ceasefire

Mediator from Qatar apparently for talks in Iran +++ Reports: Israel warned Trump about Iranian murder plot +++ The news blog.

Nurses baffled by closed medicine tube to premature baby, inquest hears

An infusion tube delivering medicine to a premature baby at a Hong Kong public hospital was closed for unknown reasons shortly before her death three years ago, an inquest has heard. Two nurses testified at the Coroner’s Court on Friday about the circumstances of what Prince of Wales Hospital in Sha Tin acknowledged as a “serious untoward event” on June 13, 2023. Both witnesses said they had no idea why a three-way valve controlling the flow of medicine to the baby was closed, even though it had

UAE Oil Output Hits All-Time High, Doubling Pre-Crisis Levels

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) produced 4.1 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil in June, its highest output ever, according to estimates by the International Energy Agency. The UAE’s crude oil production jumped from 3.3 million bpd in May to 4.1 million bpd in June after the country left OPEC effective May 1, started raising output, and managed to sneak a lot of exports out of the Middle East even as the Strait of Hormuz was mostly blockaded for the first half of June. The crude oil produ

Fidji Simo: Top Open AI manager resigns

Fidji Simo came to the AI ​​company almost a year ago as a great hope. Why she is giving up her post now.

IEA Cuts Russia's Oil Production Forecast Due to Ukrainian Attacks

Russia's oil production in 2026 and 2027 is set to be lower than previously expected, due to intensified Ukrainian drone attacks on Russia's energy infrastructure, the International Energy Agency said in its monthly oil market report on Friday. Russia produced on average 9.2 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2025. The forecasts for this year and next, however, has been downgraded from previous projections as Ukraine continues to inflict damage on Russia's storage, refining, and transportation ass

IPO: China approves Shein IPO after lengthy review

The fast fashion retailer waited a year for approval from China. Shein could probably aim for a valuation of 40 to 50 billion dollars in the IPO.

The next frontier of AI: how ‘world models’ are simulating reality and virtual spaces

Artificial intelligence has spent years learning to generate words, images and videos. Now, the industry’s attention is shifting towards “world models” – AI systems designed to simulate how the physical or digital world changes over time. While the term was originally associated with physics simulations and robotics, a growing number of Chinese companies are applying the concept more broadly. The technology remains in its infancy, with little consensus on what a world model should ultimately...

The solution to the tanker problem the US military keeps finding in Pacific wargames

[Sponsored] Simulations consistently point to the vulnerability of larger refuelers concentrated at a handful of airfields.

U.S. Strikes Fail to Break Iran’s Grip on the Strait of Hormuz

The U.S. launched another major round of strikes across Iran this week, targeting roughly 90 military sites, including coastal radar installations, anti-ship missile batteries, drone launch positions, command networks and IRGC naval assets around Hormuz. Tehran responded within hours with missile and drone attacks against U.S. military facilities in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar while insisting it will continue enforcing its own navigation regime through the Strait. For Tehran, control of Hormuz is

Nord Stream Loses Landmark Insurance Case as War Exclusion Prevails

Politics, Geopolitics & Conflict A UK High Court ruling has ended Nord Stream AG’s attempt to recover $662 million in insurance claims from the September 2022 sabotage of the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline, with a judge ruling it a standard war-risk exclusion and relieving insurers of liability (Lloyd’s and Arch). The court also rejected Nord Stream AG’s argument that separate damage to one section of the pipeline had been caused by a ship’s anchor rather than explosives. This ruling establishes an

Oil Prices Rally on Renewed Hormuz Supply Risks

August WTI crude oil traded higher during the week ending July 10, with prices last at $71.84 through Thursday evening, up $3.38, or 4.94%. The contract posted a wide weekly range, climbing from a low of $67.82 to a high of $76.08 before pulling back late Thursday. The week's advance was driven by one dominant theme: growing concern over global oil supplies. Traders added a larger risk premium to crude prices as renewed geopolitical tensions in the Middle East raised questions about the security

Tanker transit through Strait of Hormuz plunges as US-Iran ceasefire fractures

The Strait of Hormuz faces a renewed plunge in maritime traffic after the United States ended its ceasefire with Iran, casting a shadow over a tentative commercial recovery, as analysts warn unaddressed differences in the framework agreement risk fuelling further escalation. Traffic volumes dropped again on Thursday, with only 14 vessels transiting the strait, down from 35 a day earlier, according to Veson Nautical, a maritime software and data provider. Real-time data from the vessel-tracking..

Schumann leaves: Christian Müller becomes sole boss of Schwarz Digits

Rolf Schumann is surprisingly leaving the Lidl Group's digital division after seven years. The previous co-boss Christian Müller will now be solely responsible for the expansion as a European cloud alternative.

Why India is turning to retired jets to sustain its depleted air force

India’s struggle to replenish its depleted fighter fleet has led one of the world’s largest defence spenders to seek spare parts from decommissioned aircraft. New Delhi recently secured nine retired British-built Jaguar ground-attack jets, which will not enter service with the Indian Air Force (IAF) but will be dismantled to help sustain its six operational Jaguar strike squadrons of about 120 aircraft. Analysts said the acquisition was a practical stopgap but also exposed a deeper weakness in..

IEA Warns Renewed U.S.-Iran Conflict Could Upend Oil Surplus Forecast

Despite the tentative recovery of oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz and the first build-up in global stocks since the war began, this week’s re-escalation of the U.S.-Iran hostilities could flip the outlook for an oil market surplus for next year, the International Energy Agency said on Friday. Oil prices have plunged since the United States and Iran signed the memorandum of understanding (MoU) in the middle of June, with North Sea Dated prices down by $31 per barrel in June to $68 a barrel

Why Payward chose Hong Kong to be its Asian stablecoin gateway

With its multi-currency advantages and regulatory clarity, Hong Kong has become a critical gateway connecting stablecoins – cryptocurrencies pegged to a stable asset like the US dollar – with traditional finance. Executives said this would help businesses cut costs, lower risks and support expansion into emerging markets. The city’s unique positioning stemmed from its century-long role as a gateway for international business, said Arjun Sethi, Co-CEO of Payward, the parent company of Kraken – a.

Germany's richest man takes on Big Tech

Dieter Schwarz made his fortune from supermarkets, becoming Germany's wealthiest person. Now he wants to take on Google, Microsoft and Amazon and an entire region stands to benefit.

Johor election: where winning isn’t enough for Malaysia’s Barisan Nasional

Voters in Malaysia’s southern state of Johor will cast their ballots on Saturday in a high-stakes election that is expected to bring Barisan Nasional (BN) back to power, exposing deeper cracks in Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s administration. BN is part of Anwar’s unity government but will go head to head against federal partner Pakatan Harapan (PH) in a state long regarded as a BN stronghold. The contest for Johor’s 56-seat assembly has put Anwar’s multi-ethnic party in an awkward position, but

+++ Ukraine War +++: Ongoing attacks on infrastructure: Energy Agency lowers forecast for Russia's oil production

Fire extinguished in Russian Ilski oil refinery +++ Russia probably thwarts terrorist act against military airfield in Rostow +++ Russia reports fires in other energy facilities +++ The news blog.

World oil demand set for first annual decline since 2020, IEA says

Renewed escalation in the U.S.-Iran war could complicate matters and further cloud the outlook, the IEA warned Friday.

Italy busts Russian spy ring collecting data on Ukrainian air defense vulnerabilities

Russia has told one of its spies in Europe to find out more about air defense capabilities Western nations are sending to Ukraine.

US opens door for Turkey’s return to F-35 stealth jet programme – but Israel’s not happy

The United States is set to resume military sales to Turkey, Nato’s second-largest military power, after President Donald Trump said sanctions imposed against Ankara over its procurement of Russian air defence systems seven years ago would soon be lifted. “We don’t want to sanction friends,” Trump told journalists at the Nato summit in the Turkish capital on Wednesday, while emphasising his “good chemistry” with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Trump further said he would soon take a final...

How AI is changing the nature of war and conflict

As US President Donald Trump flew home from a fractious Nato summit in Turkey, he was poised to resume the war with Iran, whose leaders he labelled “sick” and “scum”. Trump also complained about European leaders’ failure to spend enough on arms, support him in Iran and recognise the need for the US to take control of Greenland. The sense of rising global conflict has been palpable this week. What clearly showed at the summit of the transatlantic security alliance was confirmed by the latest...

EasyJet pops 13% as airline weighs $7.7 billion rival takeover bid from Apollo

A bidding war has broken out for budget carrier easyJet after Apollo and Castlelake have both submitted takeover offers.

Drone War: Drones set fire to Russian oil depots and refinery

The Russian military reports that 370 Ukrainian drones were shot down overnight. Oil facilities in the south of the country are still burning. Once again the Ukrainians are making sensitive needle pricks.

Bidding war breaks out for easyJet as Apollo tops rival private-equity group’s bid

A bidding war has broken out for EasyJet, the British low-cost airline, with the second American private-equity bid.

Meat consumption: The three biggest misconceptions about animal welfare

Animal welfare is debated emotionally but rarely understood. Veterinarian Nicole Kemper explains which myths distort the image of animal welfare - and why compassion alone is not enough.

Oil Prices Set for Weekly Gain as Hormuz Tensions Escalate

Crude oil prices were on course for a weekly gain today as hostilities between the United States and Iran flared up again earlier in the week. At the time of writing, Brent crude was trading at $76.60 per barrel, with West Texas Intermediate at $72.37 per barrel. The increase was quite modest compared to the price slide from the last four weeks, which brought benchmarks down to pre-war levels, and even lower. The modest rise suggests the market is still dominated by the perception of ample suppl

The situation at a glance: USA wants to talk to Iran despite attacks - Khamenei is buried

After mutual attacks between the USA and Iran, the search for a negotiated solution continues. The conflict overshadows the funeral of Iran's supreme leader. Is Tehran planning revenge?

Preventing heart attacks and the like: Why enough sleep is also important for the heart

Bad nights? In the long run, the heart suffers. Why lack of sleep increases the risk of cardiovascular disease - and how we can counteract it.

The radar system that Taiwan says tracked the PLA’s ballistic missile launch

Taiwan gained critical information about Beijing’s ballistic missile launch this week thanks to the island’s long-range early-warning radar system and intelligence sharing with Washington. The island’s AN/FPS-115 Pave Paws long-range early-warning radar detected the missile soon after it was launched from a nuclear-powered submarine in the South China Sea, the Liberty Times reported on Wednesday, quoting a senior Taiwanese official. The system tracked the missile’s trajectory during the initial.

‘Testing is now underway’: Zelenskyy confirms progress on major US defense deals

On the heels of a Patriot license pledge, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed progress on billion-dollar defense tech deals with the U.S.

Japan's Taisei, Fanuc develop AI warehouse that doubles space efficiency

Philippines looks to space for bird’s-eye view of South China Sea threats

The Philippines is preparing to create a military space centre by 2028, a move that could help Manila strengthen surveillance, communications and command across its archipelago and in contested areas of the South China Sea. But analysts said the ambition would be constrained by the technical, financial and manpower hurdles of turning space assets into military capability. Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief General Romeo Brawner Jnr said on Tuesday the initiative – which would enhance...

The Coming Power War That Will Define the AI Era

Every great economic era has been defined by a fight over a single resource. In the 19th century, it was coal, and the British Empire was built on top of it. In the 20th century, it was oil, and the modern Middle East and American postwar dominance were both shaped by who controlled the flow. In the early 21st century, semiconductors became the world’s most critical asset, sparking the rise of Taiwan, growing trade tensions with China, and the creation of several multi-trillion-dollar tech giant

New Fed task force members share Chairman Kevin Warsh's embrace of AI

The three members of a task force advising the Fed on artificial intelligence are strong proponents of the technology.

People Are Talking About Contango While Oil Markets Are Far From Recovered

While financial desks obsess over paper structures and Brent crude briefly flirted with contango, the broader market is missing the forest for the trees. Brent crude’s recent rebound from $71 to $79 a barrel is not merely a brief short-covering bounce; it is the first tremor of an underlying structural deficit. The financial side of the market has become completely decoupled from a complex, fragmenting physical reality. The real story isn't a long-term supply glut—it is an artificial, short-term