News

The US 3-month Treasury auction on August 17th yielded a winning bid of 3.715%, compared to 3.74% previously.

U.S. Energy Secretary Wright: I will discuss with U.S. companies on Monday how to increase refinery capacity.

U.S. Energy Secretary Wright: Lower gasoline prices will come from increased refining capacity in the U.S. and globally.

The yield on 30-year UK government bonds rose 2 basis points to 5.81%, the highest level since May 18.

Iranian Foreign Ministry: Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bagaei said that the most important change in the region after the two wars imposed on Iran by the United States and Israel, especially after the most recent war, is that regional countries have concluded that the United States is an unreliable and untrustworthy partner.

According to Iran's Tasnim News Agency: The United States has once again sent spy balloons to fly over Erbil, Iraq.

Intel (INTC.O) rose more than 3%.

Market news: US financial services company Synchrony announced a corporate collaboration agreement with OpenAI. Synchrony will deploy GPT-5.6 Sol, Terra, and Luna models and will also launch the ChatGPT plugin.

Nike (NKE.N) shares fell 2.9%, hitting a near 12-year low.

Sources indicate that U.S. private equity firm General Atlantic has reportedly hired JPMorgan Chase to lead a new round of initial public offerings (IPOs). General Atlantic will also reportedly partner with Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley to advance the IPO, which could take place as early as this year.

U.S. House Speaker Boris Johnson: For 15 consecutive months, zero illegal immigrants have been allowed into our country. Thanks to Republican policies, America is safe and secure again, just as we promised.

Last week, US President Trump declared that he would declare the Strait of Hormuz "US territory" after defeating Iran. He had previously claimed US "ownership" of the waterway, despite parts of its waters belonging to Iranian and Omani territorial waters. Maritime law experts point out that claiming territory is far from easy. Professor Zhu Ya, a maritime law professor at City University London, stated that under US law, a presidential declaration or decree alone is insufficient to claim territory; constitutional requirements must also be met. Under international law, annexation violates the UN Charter, and territory, including waters, can only be acquired through agreement or cession. While occupying territory may give the occupying power control of the area, this act itself does not grant legal ownership. Professor Bohen, a shipping law professor at Swansea University, believes the possibility of claiming the Strait of Hormuz as US territory is extremely low. Under international law, this would only be possible if Iran agreed to cede its territorial waters of the strait to the US, a highly unlikely scenario. He speculates that a more realistic option might be a tripartite agreement between the US, Iran, and Oman to open the strait and impose passage fees, but this would also violate international law and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Zhu Ya emphasized that neither Iran nor Oman possesses absolute rights to the Strait of Hormuz; "freedom of navigation takes precedence"—this is a legal principle. The strait is not the property of either party, but sovereign territory, subject to the international maritime navigation regime. He added that military control does not equate to legal ownership.

According to the Jerusalem Post: Sources revealed that Israel and the United States have reached an agreement that, in the initial phase of Hamas' disarmament, the weapons transferred by Hamas will be destroyed by the International Stabilization Force led by U.S. Major General Jasper Jeffers, rather than being handed over to the proposed Palestinian Technical Bureaucratic Government (NCAG).

The Ukrainian Foreign Minister stated: "Ukraine has long warned European governments against any cooperation with Rosatom. We believe it is time to restart serious discussions regarding EU sanctions against Rosatom.

The Ukrainian Foreign Minister stated that Rosatom is not an ordinary energy company, but rather a tool for Russia to seek a monopoly in the global nuclear energy sector. Now, new evidence has surfaced proving that Rosatom is not a reliable partner.

Statoil: Will acquire 87.71% of the Class A shares of the Lackawanna Energy Centre for $940 million.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney: Canada's electricity demand is projected to double by 2050. Therefore, we must also double the capacity of the power grid.

Statoil: Acquires stake in a Pennsylvania gas-fired power plant from BlackRock's GIP for $940 million.

According to CNN: US Special Envoy Jared Kushner urged Netanyahu to move forward with the Trump-backed Gaza ceasefire plan, "and not create obstacles."

The NAHB real estate market index in August will be released in ten minutes.