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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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Stock Market Today: Futures Slide Amid Government Shutdown Fears and Sticky Inflation

                                         

U.S. stock futures took a hit on Friday as investors braced for a potential government shutdown and digested mixed inflation data. Futures tied to the S&P 500 dropped 1%, while Nasdaq futures plunged 1.3%, and Dow Jones Industrial Average futures fell around 0.5%.

The looming government shutdown, driven by the House of Representatives voting against a spending bill, has heightened concerns among investors. Additionally, the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge, the core Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) index, showed a slight month-over-month increase of 0.1% in November, indicating persistent inflationary pressures.

Key companies like Nvidia, AMD, and Broadcom faced significant pressure, while Tesla saw a 6% drop following a vehicle recall. Bitcoin prices also retreated nearly 10% amid record ETF outflows.

Investors remain cautious as they await further developments on both the political and economic fronts.



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