A US-sanctioned supertanker laden with Iranian oil appeared to be attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, with traffic through the waterway otherwise at a virtual standstill. The Yuri , carrying 2 million barrels of crude loaded from Kharg Island, re-appeared on ship-tracking platforms Kpler and Vortexa off Sirri Island earlier this week, after having stopped signaling its location for...
A US-sanctioned supertanker laden with Iranian oil appeared to be attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, with traffic through the waterway otherwise at a virtual standstill. The Yuri , carrying 2 million barrels of crude loaded from Kharg Island, re-appeared on ship-tracking platforms Kpler and Vortexa off Sirri Island earlier this week, after having stopped signaling its location for days. The tanker then began heading toward Hormuz late Thursday, and has just sailed past Larak Island. The progress of the very-large crude carrier suggests that Tehran is still keen to test Washington’s resolve to maintain its blockade of the strait. American forces intercepted two Iranian oil tankers earlier this week, while the US Central Command said in a social-media post that 33 vessels had been redirected since the start of its blockade. Iran has also been seeking to strengthen its grip on the strait, shooting at commercial ships and seizing at least two vessels . The double blockade has seen attempted transits plunge. A bulk carrier that delivered food to Iran was observed sailing near Yuri heading toward Hormuz on Thursday, but it then made a U-turn in the strait and is now heading back into the Persian Gulf. Several hours before, a container ship that had departed from Bandar Abbas, an Iranian port city in the strait, was seen sailing south into the Gulf of Oman. The vessel had entered the strait four days ago. Yuri was sanctioned by the US in 2024 for being involved in Iran’s petroleum exports. There were no contact details listed for the ship’s unidentified manager or owner on maritime database Equasis. Meanwhile, another US-sanctioned supertanker has reappeared on tracking platforms in the Strait of Malacca near Singapore, laden with crude and not indicating a clear destination. The Iranian-flagged Helm loaded from Kharg Island in late March and was estimated to have crossed the Strait of Hormuz in early April, with its transponder turned off. Bloomberg News ...
Victor Yang, Senior VP of Zhejiang Geely, discusses the business impact of geopolitics and automaker's outlook for growth. He speaks with Bloomberg's Stephen Engle on the sidelines of the annual Beijing Auto Show on "Bloomberg: The Asia Trade". (Source: Bloomberg)
Victor Yang, Senior VP of Zhejiang Geely, discusses the business impact of geopolitics and automaker's outlook for growth. He speaks with Bloomberg's Stephen Engle on the sidelines of the annual Beijing Auto Show on "Bloomberg: The Asia Trade". (Source: Bloomberg)
Charlotte MacInnes, who is suing Wilson for defamation, says social media post from Ramona Agruma-Wilson featuring animated character Dory, made her feel ‘awful’ Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast A rising star who is suing Rebel Wilson says she felt mocked by the Hollywood actor’s wife appearing to reference her test...
Charlotte MacInnes, who is suing Wilson for defamation, says social media post from Ramona Agruma-Wilson featuring animated character Dory, made her feel ‘awful’ Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast A rising star who is suing Rebel Wilson says she felt mocked by the Hollywood actor’s wife appearing to reference her testimony in a social media post. Charlotte MacInnes launched defamation proceedings against the Pitch Perfect star over social media posts that claimed she had made a sexual harassment complaint and retracted it to further her career. Continue reading...
As a career-spanning documentary hits cinemas and the band eye two nights at Knebworth, they revisit their path from pubs to stadiums – but how did they get through their crisis-filled 1990s? When I ask Iron Maiden bassist and founder Steve Harris about the fact his band have lasted for more than half a century, he sounds bewildered, as if he’s put something down then forgotten where he’s left it....
As a career-spanning documentary hits cinemas and the band eye two nights at Knebworth, they revisit their path from pubs to stadiums – but how did they get through their crisis-filled 1990s? When I ask Iron Maiden bassist and founder Steve Harris about the fact his band have lasted for more than half a century, he sounds bewildered, as if he’s put something down then forgotten where he’s left it. “It’s gone so quick. You go on tour for a few months and it seems to fly, but so much happens. Our whole career is an extension of that – for 50 years.” He’s looking back on how he steered one of the most influential – and deeply idiosyncratic – British bands in history. Catapulted to the premier league of 80s metal on the back of galloping, theatrical, multi-platinum LPs including The Number of the Beast, Powerslave and Seventh Son of a Seventh Son, Iron Maiden not only survived the mid-90s slump that befell many metal bands, but got even more heavy and ambitious. Continue reading...
Green groups say European Commission is ‘chief roadblock’ to its own plans, as report finds poor progress four years on Harmful compounds in children’s nappies and toxic “forever chemicals” in everyday products are among 14 hazardous substance groups hit by lengthy delays to EU pollution controls, according to report findings described by scientists as “extremely frustrating”. The European Commiss...
Green groups say European Commission is ‘chief roadblock’ to its own plans, as report finds poor progress four years on Harmful compounds in children’s nappies and toxic “forever chemicals” in everyday products are among 14 hazardous substance groups hit by lengthy delays to EU pollution controls, according to report findings described by scientists as “extremely frustrating”. The European Commission sought to push broad categories of dangerous substances off the market with a “restrictions roadmap” in April 2022 that was hailed at the time as the largest-ever ban of toxic chemicals. Continue reading...
The chances of that happening? Over 24 trillion to one I have played the lottery since I was 18. I always felt I was going to win big one day. When my children were born, I started using regular numbers based on their birthdays and birth weights. In June 2018, I was doing a client’s colour at my hair salon in Talgarth in mid-Wales, where I live. While we waited for the colour to take, I got my lot...
The chances of that happening? Over 24 trillion to one I have played the lottery since I was 18. I always felt I was going to win big one day. When my children were born, I started using regular numbers based on their birthdays and birth weights. In June 2018, I was doing a client’s colour at my hair salon in Talgarth in mid-Wales, where I live. While we waited for the colour to take, I got my lottery ticket and popped next door to the shop to check if I had won anything. The shop was busy. It’s a small town, and as a hairdresser I knew everyone in the queue, so we started chatting away. The woman behind the till scanned my ticket. She said, “I’ll have to give you the ticket back. I can’t pay it.” The person from the Post Office counter said, “I can pay up to £50,000 if he wants to come here.” She replied, “No, it’s more than that.” Everyone in the queue was asking, “What’s he won?” Continue reading...
We assembled a group of the continent’s leading thinkers to assess the threats: their warnings are stark, but the remedy is within reach Caught between Vladimir Putin’s Russia, Donald Trump’s US and Xi Jinping’s China, Europe appears in a state of profound crisis, the narrative about its future often filled with fatalism. There is a paradox, however. Despite rising nationalism, the climate crisis ...
We assembled a group of the continent’s leading thinkers to assess the threats: their warnings are stark, but the remedy is within reach Caught between Vladimir Putin’s Russia, Donald Trump’s US and Xi Jinping’s China, Europe appears in a state of profound crisis, the narrative about its future often filled with fatalism. There is a paradox, however. Despite rising nationalism, the climate crisis and the economic slowdown , few would take issue with the claim that Europe still has a great deal going for it. Asked to choose where in the world they would want to live, there is a good chance that most Europeans would still pick Europe over other continents. The news is not relentlessly negative either. While much of the political commentary in recent years has focused on the rise of far-right nationalism across the continent, its most prominent symbol, Hungary’s former autocrat Viktor Orbán, was ousted in a landslide election this month. Continue reading...
"Bloomberg: The Asia Trade" brings you everything you need to know to get ahead as the trading day begins in Asia. Bloomberg TV is live from Tokyo and Sydney with Shery Ahn and Haidi Stroud-Watts, getting insight and analysis from newsmakers and industry leaders on the biggest stories shaping global markets. (Source: Bloomberg)
"Bloomberg: The Asia Trade" brings you everything you need to know to get ahead as the trading day begins in Asia. Bloomberg TV is live from Tokyo and Sydney with Shery Ahn and Haidi Stroud-Watts, getting insight and analysis from newsmakers and industry leaders on the biggest stories shaping global markets. (Source: Bloomberg)
This is the forum for daily political discussion on Seeking Alpha. A new version is published every market day. Please don't leave political comments on other articles or posts on the site. The comments below are not regulated with the same rigor as the rest of the site, and this is an 'enter at your own risk' area as discussion can get very heated. If you can't stand the heat... you know what the...
This is the forum for daily political discussion on Seeking Alpha. A new version is published every market day. Please don't leave political comments on other articles or posts on the site. The comments below are not regulated with the same rigor as the rest of the site, and this is an 'enter at your own risk' area as discussion can get very heated. If you can't stand the heat... you know what they say... More on Today's Markets: Moderation Guidelines: We remove comments under the following categories: Personal attacks on another user account Anti-Vaxxer or covid related misinformation Stereotyping, prejudiced or racist language about individuals or the topic under discussion. Inciting violence messages, encouraging hate groups and political violence. Regardless of which side of the political divide you find yourself, please be courteous and don't direct abuse at other users. For any issue with regards to comments please email us at : moderation@seekingalpha.com. Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.
Swiss National Bank President Martin Schlegel said cutting borrowing costs below zero is a more significant move than a reduction above that level, according to an interview in Neue Zuercher Zeitung. “While we have repeatedly emphasized that the hurdles for reintroducing a negative interest rate are higher than those for a ‘normal’ rate cut in positive territory, we also say that if necessary, we ...
Swiss National Bank President Martin Schlegel said cutting borrowing costs below zero is a more significant move than a reduction above that level, according to an interview in Neue Zuercher Zeitung. “While we have repeatedly emphasized that the hurdles for reintroducing a negative interest rate are higher than those for a ‘normal’ rate cut in positive territory, we also say that if necessary, we will not hesitate to reintroduce a negative interest rate,” he was cited as saying, echoing earlier comments. The SNB’s policy rate has been at zero since June, with economists expecting officials to stay on hold through 2027. An account of the central bank’s March decision, published last week, revealed that officials agreed that they should stay on high alert about the strength of the franc and be especially ready to intervene in currency markers if needed. Faced with haven flows because of the Iran war, Swiss policymakers in early March announced a position of elevated readiness for interventions, something they have since reiterated several times. In the NZZ interview, Schlegel repeated that stance, but declined to say if the SNB had actually stepped into markets, instead referring to the next scheduled publication of the central bank’s tally in late June. “When we intervene in the foreign-exchange market, we do so for monetary policy reasons,” he said. “The aim is to prevent a rapid and excessive appreciation of the Swiss franc and thereby ensure price stability. The SNB has never sought to secure an unfair competitive advantage for the Swiss economy or to prevent an adjustment of the balance of payments.” SNB Outlook for Inflation, Growth Too Optimistic, Economists Say SNB Concluded It Should Stay on High Alert on Franc Strength Swiss Real Wages Jump Most in Almost Two Decades in Warning to SNB Turning to the Swiss banking sector, Schlegel commented on the government’s reform package that would force UBS Group AG to fully back its foreign subsidiaries, and would add a...
There is a war brewing between AI and consulting. Akin to an armies slow march towards the castle, a new technology is coming to dethrone the expert guessers of Mckinsey, Nielsen, Gartner, Publicis and the rest. Any consulting that involves analyzing people (think all of marketing, research, polling, etc.) will have to reckon with the technology of “synthetic audiences”. Synthetic audiences aim to...
There is a war brewing between AI and consulting. Akin to an armies slow march towards the castle, a new technology is coming to dethrone the expert guessers of Mckinsey, Nielsen, Gartner, Publicis and the rest. Any consulting that involves analyzing people (think all of marketing, research, polling, etc.) will have to reckon with the technology of “synthetic audiences”. Synthetic audiences aim to generate digital versions of people that can then be surveyed almost instantly and affordably, but not as accurately. Think Tamagochi but with people. By prompting AI with information about a person, we ask AI to get in their shoes, simulate the thoughts, behaviors, priorities and decisions of real world humans. We can also invent non-specific placeholder people or personas and survey them as though they are real. Various firms have already fielded products in these domains, including startups Electric Twin , Artificial Societies, and Aaru , and even the century-old Dentsu . What used to take 4 months to survey people, plus two months to create a nice PowerPoint presentation of findings at a total cost of thousands or even tens of thousands, now takes two minutes and costs only a few dollars. It may seem like I’ve picked my winner. But in this war of tribes, I’m a Romeo, caught between the two warring houses. I work for a large incumbent in this space. From 2023-2025 while working at the London headquarters of WPP , I built similar tools for numerous Fortune 500’s and advised many New York University researchers on the subject. Companies like WPP with head counts and revenues that rival the populations and GDP’s of small European nations need startups for their speed and high margins, while startups need our distribution. My advice has always been for unity between these tribes. Considering WPP is partnering with numerous startups, is working tirelessly in building our own tools and building deep connections with hyper scalers, it’s possible I mislead you with the war anal...