Saturday, 7 November 2026
362 stories · 12 beats · 4 signals
Signals
US forces hit an Iranian air-defence target on Qeshm Island on Friday. In and near the Strait of Hormuz, 11 ships were attacked in one week and 3 sank.
A blast hit the tanker Velos Sapphire on its way to Bahrain and killed 1 sailor. Adnoc, the UAE's state oil company, will sell India up to 4 million tonnes of gas over 10 years.
A barrel of oil was set for a 14% fall over the week, on hopes of a deal between the US and Iran. Saudi Aramco cut its December price to Asian buyers by $2 a barrel.
Pakistan cut petrol prices for the fifth time in a row, to 346 rupees a litre, down from 458.41 at the peak in April.
What is going on
Ships are still attacked, yet oil fell this week because traders expect a deal, and drivers in Pakistan pay less at the pump than at April's peak. The International Energy Agency says countries now build solar and wind mainly to need less fuel from abroad.
Where it is heading
The next test is the monthly oil reports from OPEC, the group of oil-producing countries, and the International Energy Agency, both due next week.
A common 16GB memory chip rose from $8.70 to $48 in a year, and Nvidia has asked TSMC, the company that makes its chips, to look at making memory. Thailand paused building on 49 data-centre projects.
CoreWeave, which rents out computers for AI, now pays more than 16% a year on one of its bonds. Microsoft plans to use fewer such firms.
About 40% of planned US data-centre capacity sits in states whose new governors promised a pause. About 100 protesters entered a data-centre building site in Amsterdam.
What is going on
AI companies need more memory chips, more borrowed money and more land than they can easily get, so each one costs them more. Firms like CoreWeave pay more to borrow, and the Bank of England says AI's demand for memory has raised what Britain pays for imports.
Where it is heading
The next test is the quarterly results of CoreWeave and Nebius, two firms that rent out computers for AI, due next week.
The European Commission, which enforces EU law, charged TikTok with failing to protect users' mental health. It says pressing 'not interested' does not stop the feed showing young users videos about sadness and body image.
Fox completed its $22 billion purchase of Roku, the menu many TVs use to find streaming apps. The US Justice Department let it through after Fox promised to keep rivals' shows on that menu for at least 3 years.
Progress Residential, a US landlord, pays $49.8 million over hidden fees and must now show the full monthly rent before tenants sign.
The UK competition watchdog is looking into ABP, an Irish meat giant, over its stake in the company that supplies Waitrose's beef.
Four US states made Perry Johnson, a US medical services company, pay $300,000 after a 2023 hack. It must now use two-step logins and encryption, or pay $9.7 million more.
What is going on
Regulators are making companies that control a feed, a TV menu, a rental or a supply chain accept limits or pay. The firms pay first, in fines and promises; the rules are aimed at protecting young users, tenants, patients and rival sellers.
Where it is heading
The next decision is the UK competition watchdog's, due by 27 December, on whether to open a deeper inquiry into ABP.
US employers added 165,000 jobs in October, but 339,000 more people worked part-time while wanting more hours. The average US job search reached 27.1 weeks, the longest since 2021.
The Bank of England expects UK private-sector pay to fall 0.5% next year once prices are counted. A food bank in Goole, a town in East Yorkshire, is closing after 16 years as donations fall.
About 6 in 10 US midterm voters were very concerned about the cost of health care, and four US states sued to delay Medicaid work rules due in January.
What is going on
More people have jobs, but more of the work is part-time, and pay is rising more slowly than prices. Households pay the gap, and so do the charities they give to, like the food bank in Goole.
Where it is heading
The next figure is October's US prices, due on Tuesday.
12 editions
World
The truth: The US struck Iran's Qeshm Island again on Friday and sent a third aircraft carrier towards the Gulf, while Qatar carried a plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Finance
The truth: US employers added 165,000 jobs in October, and traders moved their bets back toward a US rate rise in December.
Tech
The truth: Memory is so short that Nvidia has asked TSMC, the company that makes its chips, to consider competing with Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron.
Mind & body
The truth: The European Commission says TikTok's feed keeps serving young users videos about sadness and body image, and that pressing 'not interested' does not stop it.
Climate
The truth: The IEA says countries now build solar and wind mainly so they need less fuel from abroad, after the Iran war disrupted world energy markets.
Space
The truth: AST SpaceMobile already has rides booked for more than 100 satellites through 2028, yet it is paying Firefly $1.3 billion toward a rocket of its own.
Biotech
The truth: Novartis confirmed 9 tumour cases in children given Zolgensma after patient groups spoke out, and the FDA said on Friday it is investigating.
Money
The truth: UK house prices fell 0.6% in October because loans near 6% have thinned out buyers while record numbers of homes are for sale, Lloyds and Rightmove say.
Sports
The truth: Cricket Australia's 2018 inquiry looked only at one day in Cape Town, did not interview every player, and punished three men.
Gaming
The truth: Fox, a US media company with live sports and news, now owns Roku, the menu more than 100 million homes use to find shows on Netflix or YouTube.
Food
The truth: World food prices fell in October partly because importers bought less, and partly because wheat is stuck in Russia and Ukraine, where attacks on ships block exports.
Cyber
The truth: Japan is spending 10 billion yen to help hacked companies faster and to reach hackers' servers first, after a wave of breaches that included one at GMO its own staff had warned about.