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Rising Tensions Leave Ships Stranded in Key Oil Passage

Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz ⁠was closed for a fourth day on Tuesday, choking off a key artery accounting for about 20% of global oil and gas supply. Greece’s Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy, Vassilis Kikilias, has raised urgent concerns over an increasingly alarming situation in the Strait of Hormuz, where dozens of vessels remain stranded amid escalating conflict involving Iran. He emphasized the need to safeguard global shipping and protect seafarers as the strategic waterway—responsible for roughly 20% of global oil and gas flows—remains closed for a fourth consecutive day.  The closure has disrupted international trade routes and heightened anxiety across the maritime sector. Greek authorities have urged shipowners to exercise maximum caution and avoid high‑risk zones in the wider Persian Gulf region as tensions continue to rise. The prolonged shutdown underscores the vulnerability of global supply chains to geopolitical instability and highlights th...
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US Stock Futures Retreat as Tech Stocks Lose Steam


US stock futures inched lower on Tuesday as the previous day’s tech rally lost steam after a Samsung profit warning took the shine off the sector. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 futures fell 0.4% and roughly 0.6%, respectively, after both indexes closed with their best single-day gains since November. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures were down 0.4%.

Samsung’s update weighed on hopes for a rebound in the PC and mobile sector, a key market for its memory chips. The Korean company said it expects a 35% drop in fourth-quarter operating income, far short of estimates, as demand continues to lag.

Investors are currently focused on the December consumer inflation reading due Thursday and what it could mean for the chances of an easing in interest rates. But two Federal Reserve officials on Monday poured cold water on Wall Street’s already fading expectations that a cut could come in the next few months.

Meanwhile, oil prices rose over 2%, recouping some of Monday’s near 4% fall as investors weighed the impact of tensions in the Middle East and Saudi Arabia’s decision to cut crude prices.


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