April 16, 2026

After eight weeks of uninterrupted increases, U.S. crude oil inventories finally recorded a decline, even despite a larger release of SPR stocks. Although financial markets are anxiously following reports from the Persian Gulf and hoping for a swift peace, the latest data brings some optimism, pointing to strong external demand and a dynamic increase in the U.S. role as a key exporter of the commodity. Even though the geopolitical situation remains tense, investors are hopefully looking for signs of de-escalation that could restore stability in the Strait of Hormuz region. Key EIA report data: Crude oil stocks: decline of … Read more

April 16, 2026

‘It broke our home’: family demands answers after death of man abandoned by US border agents | New York

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On 19 February, the second day of Ramadan, Mohamad Faisal Nurul Amin and his family gathered to pray before sunrise in their apartment on the outskirts of Buffalo, New York. After nearly a year of waiting, they believed their family would be together again. Amin’s father, Nurul Shah Alam, 56, was coming home. “For the first time since we arrived in America, I felt happy,” said Fatima Abdul Roshid, Shah Alam’s wife, speaking through an interpreter. “I thought my husband would be with our two sons and me for Ramadan.” In December 2024, Roshid and two of their sons moved … Read more

April 16, 2026

Donald Trump fires US Attorney-General Pam Bondi

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Donald Trump has fired US Attorney-General Pam Bondi. The US president said in a post on Truth Social that Ms Bondi was leaving the US government and “transitioning to a much needed and important new job in the private sector”. Deputy Attorney-General Todd Blanche would serve as acting attorney-general, he added. According to US media, the president had grown increasingly frustrated with Ms Bondi’s performance, especially over her handling of investigative files related to the late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. “Pam Bondi is a Great American Patriot and a loyal friend, who faithfully served as my Attorney General … Read more

April 15, 2026

U.S. says blockade of Iranian ports “fully implemented” as Trump weighs more talks with Iran

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Tracking data appears to show a number of Iran-linked ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz in the hours after the U.S. blockade of the waterway began on Monday. The U.S. military said its blockade would apply to “all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports,” but that it would “not impede freedom of navigation for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports.” One ship that crossed the strait after the blockade began on Monday – the Christianna – had previously been stopped at the Iranian port of Bandar Imam Khomeini, data shows. Another ship, the … Read more

April 15, 2026

‘Closer to a break than ever’: Can NATO survive if Trump pulls the US out? | NATO News

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Donald Trump’s disdain for NATO allies dates back to even before he became United States president the first time. From anger over their relatively low defence spending to — more recently — threats to take over Greenland, the territory of fellow NATO member Denmark, the American leader has long left the alliance on edge. But the decision of NATO allies not to join Trump’s war on Iran has deepened the fracture to unseen levels, say analysts. This week, Trump called their lack of support a stain on the alliance “that will never disappear”. Chancellor Friedrich Merz of Germany put it … Read more

April 15, 2026

Energy secretary says US headed ‘in wrong direction’

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Energy Secretary Chris Wright raised eyebrows today after saying the country “looks like we’re going in the wrong direction” in remarks hailing a new natural gas pipeline project. Speaking at a ground-breaking for a project that will transport natural gas from Pennsylvania into New York City and Long Island, Wright said President Donald Trump “is about driving down costs for Americans and driving up job opportunities and wages for Americans”. Moments later, Wright apparently misspoke as he said, “Just because it looks like we’re going in the wrong direction doesn’t mean that’s the direction we are going”. The Energy Department … Read more