US Masses Warplanes for the Middle East as Iran Nuclear Talks Yield Fragile Progress
The United States deployed dozens of combat aircraft toward the Middle East on February 17 — including F-22 Raptors and F-16 Fighting Falcons — as nuclear negotiations between Washington and Tehran concluded in Geneva with cautious optimism but no binding agreement. Open-source flight-tracking data compiled by aviation analysts showed 36 F-16s and 12 F-22 Raptors […]
When Economics Teach: Trading Houses Scramble As Venezuela Crude Oil Still Floats Unsold
Venezuelan crude is proving hard to sell at scale even after February 2026 US sanction relief because the marginal barrel is extra heavy, refinery constrained, and increasingly stranded in logistics. Trading houses authorized to market Venezuelan crude, including Vitol and Trafigura, are struggling to place volumes as US Gulf Coast refiners hit practical limits absorbing […]
Separatism Talks Hurt Alberta Pipeline Push
Alberta’s pipeline investment push is being hit by referendum-driven uncertainty that is reportedly stalling the province’s search for a major private investor to build a line to the West Coast, with separatism talk centered on a potential vote this fall. A Edmonton Sun columnist argument circulating in Alberta politics frames the risk as straightforward capital […]
Indonesia Studies Tin Export Ban in Push for Downstream Industry
Indonesia is studying a plan to ban tin exports as President Prabowo Subianto’s administration extends a resource nationalism strategy that has already transformed the country’s nickel sector. Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia announced the move Friday at the Indonesia Economic Outlook 2026 forum in Jakarta, telling an audience that included international agency representatives […]
Ontario Accelerates Kinross’ Great Bear, First Gold Target In 2029
Ontario has designated Kinross’ Great Bear Project for accelerated permitting under its “One Project, One Process” framework, with the province saying government review times will be reduced by 50% for the Red Lake district gold development. Energy and Mines Minister Stephen Lecce said the framework is intended to provide “certainty to investors and predictability to […]
Israel Preps For War With Iran That Could Break “Within Days”
Israel is preparing for a scenario in which war with Iran breaks out “within days,” according to two Israeli officials cited by Axios, even as some US sources argue the US may need more time. The Trump administration is reportedly closer to a major war with Iran than the public debate suggests, describing a likely […]
Meta Patent Would Allow AI to Keep Dead Users’ Social Media Accounts Running
Meta (Nasdaq: META) has secured a patent for artificial intelligence technology that would allow a large language model to continue operating a deceased person’s social media account — generating posts, answering direct messages, and simulating audio and video calls — drawing on data the person created while alive. The patent, first filed in 2023 and […]
US Finalizes Critical Minerals Price Floor System, Pushes Allies to Join Anti-China Bloc
The Trump administration has completed a price floor framework for critical minerals and is actively pitching it to allied governments, as Washington accelerates efforts to reduce Western dependence on China’s grip over resources essential to modern defense, technology, and energy infrastructure. Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg confirmed on February 18 that […]
China State Media Amplifies Tesla Failure In Unprecedented Musk Rebuke
China’s state media elevating a viral Tesla failure is a high-signal moment because it coincides with a sharp deterioration in Tesla’s China sales trajectory and rising competitive pressure from domestic EV makers. Earlier this month, a 2022 Tesla Model Y reportedly suffered a sudden and complete loss of propulsion on a highway in Zhejiang while […]
IAMGOLD Q4 2025 Profits Surge As Gold Price And Volumes Spike
IAMGOLD (TSX: IMG) delivered a revenue of $1.09 billion in Q4 2025 versus $469.9 million in Q4 2024. The lift pushes gross profit up to $593.6 million versus $130.9 million last year. Net earnings also rose to $406.6 million from $86.2 million a year earlier, translating to $0.70 earnings per share. Adjusted EBITDA came in […]