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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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Fed keeps interest rates unchanged, stocks rally



US stocks rose on Wednesday as the Federal Reserve voted to hold interest rates at their highest range in 22 years at the conclusion of its latest policy meeting.  The Federal Reserve decided to keep its benchmark interest rate in a range of 5.25%-5.50%, The Fed is waiting to see the impact of its previous rate hikes on the economy.

The S&P 500 was up more than 1.05% while the Dow ones Industrial Average  gained almost 0.7%. Meanwhile, the tech-heavy Nasdaq  rose about 1.6 %.with the S&P 500, the Dow Jones, and the Nasdaq all gaining more than 0.7%. Investors were relieved that the Fed did not signal any further tightening in the near term.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell said policy makers would proceed carefully although they were not yet confident financial conditions were restrictive enough to get inflation as low as the central bank would like.

Treasury yields edged lower, with the 10-year yield trading around 4.8%. Yields ticked lower earlier Wednesday after the US Treasury's quarterly refunding update revealed the Treasury will auction $112 billion in debt next week, roughly in line with Wall Street's expectations.


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