Oil prices surged on July 29, pushing Brent crude above $90 a barrel as renewed Middle East fighting and tighter U.S. inventories lifted global benchmarks. Brent futures settled at $90.74, up $6.65, or 7.9%. West Texas Intermediate gained $5.20, or 6.6%, to $84.46. Both contracts posted their strongest daily advances in several weeks. The contracts had already gained more than 20% during July as regional supply disruptions affected energy markets.
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UK solar capacity reached 22.8 gigawatts at the end of June 2026, extending a sharp rise in deployment. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero recorded about 2.076 million installations nationwide. Developers added 27,391 systems during June, contributing 132 megawatts. The latest monthly figures remain provisional and may change as more projects enter the official dataset. The capacity total covers rooftop arrays, commercial systems and large solar farms. It also sets a baseline before new plug-in solar rules take effect.
The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved a major national initiative on Friday to accelerate hydrocarbon discovery across Indian ocean basins. Official releases from the Press Information Bureau confirmed the approval of the ₹84,084 crore Samudra Manthan National Offshore Exploration Scheme. Implemented under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas through financial year 2030–31, the central sector program is structured to expand deepwater drilling, enhance energy security, and unlock untapped oil and gas resources within India’s Exclusive Economic Zone.
The monthly economic expansion was led primarily by a 1.0 per cent rise in the mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction sector, marking its second straight month of sector-wide growth. Increased production across Alberta bitumen sites and deferred routine spring maintenance enabled higher crude oil extraction volumes throughout May. Support activities for oil and gas extraction surged by 9.8 per cent, recording its seventh consecutive monthly expansion. Additionally, transportation and warehousing output grew by 0.3 per cent, supported by increased pipeline throughput carrying natural gas to export markets and higher domestic freight movements.
Precious metal values declined during Tuesday trading sessions as a stronger United States dollar increased purchasing costs for international buyers while financial institutions awaited the outcome of a critical central bank meeting. Spot gold values retreated 0.7 percent to reach $4,045.89 per ounce following a brief advance of up to 1 percent recorded during Monday sessions. United States gold futures contracts for August delivery experienced a downward adjustment of 0.8 percent to settle at $4,046.20 per ounce. Concurrently, broader precious metals experienced downward pressure as spot silver declined 2 percent to $57.23 per ounce, platinum dropped 0.9 percent to $1,605.93, and palladium slid 1.6 percent to $1,270.97.
Ethics Watchdogs Demand Total Ban on Official Crypto Holdings
Regarding enforcement, the oversight groups stated that ethics rules require independent administrative authority to remain effective beyond individual presidential terms. The organizations urged Congress to grant investigating authority to the Attorney General under an extended statute of limitations while allowing private actors and state attorneys general to pursue legal remedies against official misconduct. Virginia Canter, chief counsel and director of ethics and anti-corruption at Democracy Defenders Action, stated that ethics legislation without independent enforcement mechanisms functions as a green light for corruption, urging Congress
United Kingdom / RankWire.AI / –Private sector wage growth hits six year low in the United Kingdom as official earnings figures show regular pay in the private…
TANIMBAR ISLANDS, INDONESIA / RankWire.AI / – Indonesia expects the Abadi Masela LNG project to deliver about $37.8 billion in direct government revenue. Energy and Mineral…
CAIRO / RankWire.AI / – Egypt’s net international reserves reached a provisional $55.0723 billion at the end of June 2026. The total exceeded $55 billion for…
WASHINGTON / RankWire.AI / – U.S. President Donald Trump and Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi held conversations on broader economic and energy collaboration at the White…