Oil prices are rising for a fourth straight day as tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz slows amid the collapse of a short-lived US-Iran ceasefire. Brent crude is trading near $91.60 a barrel with fresh geopolitical risk premium returning to the energy complex. Russian rhetoric has also sharpened with state TV calling for nuclear-tipped Poseidon torpedoes to strike Britain and accusations that the UK is an accomplice of Ukrainian neo-Nazis. And in Asian markets the Nikkei finished at 65,251 while the Hang Seng is trading near 25,481. Gold is down 0.1% at $4,396 an ounce. Bitcoin is down 0.1% at $64,204. And finally in a human turn close to 100 members of the Australian Defence Force are now part of the search for missing hiker Lily Hooper as the effort in Nattai National Park enters its second week.

Condor Studio News · 1:00 AM Central · Aug 19, 2026.

And in Asian news the Nikkei closed near 65,258 after sliding -0.7%. Tokyo shares gave back some of yesterday's gains amid caution ahead of European and American sessions. The Hang Seng is trading near 25,533. Gold is down three-tenths of one percent at $4,400 an ounce. And finally, Queen Camilla has spoken for the first time of how difficult she found it to keep King Charles's cancer diagnosis private before the official announcement. In a video for Maggie's cancer charity the queen recalled her longing to let it out during a visit to one of the centres in 2024.

Condor Studio News · 12:00 AM Central · Aug 19, 2026.

Bitcoin remains flat at $64,289 with little movement overnight. And in Asian markets the Nikkei finished near 65,714 while the Hang Seng is trading near 25,509. President Trump has paused new tariffs on Canada saying several countries are now close to a deal. Oil is down slightly at $84.62. Gold is up marginally at $4,413. And finally an Iranian-born professor of psychology now living in Los Angeles has described months of US immigration detention as hell in a new essay. Maryam Tahmasebi her husband and their teenage son all lawful permanent residents since 2016 were detained in April after the State Department revoked their green cards solely because the husband is the son of a woman who served as spokesperson during the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis an event that occurred before he was born. She calls it bloodline punishment for acts nearly 50 years ago. The family had entered the US legally built academic careers and even tried voluntary self-deportation but remain in indefinite separate detention in Texas facilities. Lawyers say the government has shown no evidence of any threat or wrongdoing by the family itself. A federal judge has temporarily blocked their deportation while legal challenges continue.

Condor Studio News · 11:00 PM Central · Aug 18, 2026.

President Trump has paused a scheduled 50% tariff on Canadian goods for three days while announcing a new deal with Ottawa. The move eases immediate trade tensions north of the border. Chinese robotics giant Unitree soared in its stock market debut on the Shanghai Star exchange, adding fresh momentum to the mainland tech sector. The Nikkei closed near 65,724 after a modest pullback while the Hang Seng is trading near 25,471 with solid gains. Oil is at $84.75. Gold remains flat at $4,409. Bitcoin has moved to $64,293. And finally the war in Ukraine is forcing governments worldwide to bury internet cables, power grids and data centres as deep as 100 metres to shield them from drone strikes. New plasma-torch tunnelling machines that reach 27,000 degrees Celsius are speeding up the work, cutting through granite three metres at a time. Facilities like Italy's Trentino DataMine already sit 100 metres down in solid rock, offering natural cooling and protection from attacks, seismic events and electromagnetic interference.

Condor Studio News · 10:00 PM Central · Aug 18, 2026.

Governments around the world are racing to bury power grids, data centres and critical cables deep underground as new plasma-torch tunnelling technology promises faster and cheaper protection against drone strikes and geopolitical threats. Experts say the war in Ukraine has made underground infrastructure a permanent priority, from Italian data mines 100 metres deep in dolomite rock to deeper-buried subsea internet cables, though challenges around cost and flooding remain. The Nikkei finished near 66,053 after gaining 0.2%. The Hang Seng fell 0.6% to trade near 25,328. Oil is up 0.2% at $84.91 a barrel. Gold is up 0.2% at $4,408 an ounce. Bitcoin is down 0.2% at $64,377. And finally, the critical tech staying safe by going underground.

Condor Studio News · 9:00 PM Central · Aug 18, 2026.

The Nikkei finished near 65,932 after a -2.3% drop on renewed worries over global supply chains. And in Asian markets investors are pricing in higher costs for critical infrastructure as governments accelerate plans to bury power lines, data cables and chip facilities deep underground. The war in Ukraine has made underground placement a priority with new plasma-torch tunnelling technology promising to cut through rock far faster than traditional drills. This shift toward hardened logistics is expected to ripple into European and American markets with higher spending on resilient infrastructure now a permanent feature of defence planning. Gold is up 0.3% at $4,398 an ounce. Oil is up 0.3% at $84.76 a barrel. Bitcoin is down 0.3% at $64,496. And finally, the critical tech staying safe by going underground. The war in Ukraine has accelerated global interest in placing vital infrastructure below the surface to shield it from drone strikes and other attacks. New plasma-torch machines reaching 27,000 degrees Celsius are making tunnelling quicker and cheaper. Companies are now routing power cables, fibre optics, pipelines and even entire data centres deep underground with one Italian facility already 100 metres down in solid rock.

Condor Studio News · 8:00 PM Central · Aug 18, 2026.

Oil is unchanged at $84.50 as fresh worries about demand from China weigh on the energy complex. The rare drop in net profit at the country's biggest liquor maker Moutai is being read as a fresh warning sign for the world's second-largest economy and its appetite for fuel. And looking toward Asian markets the Nikkei finished trading near 67,461. Gold is down one-tenth of one percent at $4,383 an ounce. Bitcoin has edged higher to $64,705. And finally, the war in Ukraine has accelerated global interest in placing critical infrastructure underground to protect it from drone strikes and other attacks. New technologies such as EarthGrid’s plasma-torch rock-melting tunnel boring machine which reached 27,000°C and cut through 3 metres of granite in a January test promise to make tunnelling faster and cheaper than traditional methods. Companies are exploring underground routes for power cables, fibre optics, pipelines, freight systems and data centres.

Condor Studio News · 7:00 PM Central · Aug 18, 2026.

Tensions with Iran are rising after the United Arab Emirates reported two missiles launched from Iranian territory. Tehran says the Strait of Hormuz remains closed to shipping while President Trump said no talks are currently planned. The developments come as U.S. yields edged lower despite the worries. Fed Chair Kevin Warsh and Congress are watching any potential oil shock for its read-through to inflation and rates policy. After the U.S. close investors are looking toward Asian markets. Oil is unchanged at $84.48. Gold hit $4,387 an ounce. Bitcoin traded near $64,567. In Britain a new study finds that London's Ultra Low Emission Zone has led to better lung size and function among children. And finally in south-east London fifteen fire engines and roughly one hundred firefighters are battling a large blaze at the same recycling centre in Deptford that burned in June. The fire involves around fifty tonnes of household waste with thick smoke forcing locals to keep windows and doors closed and disrupting rail services into London Bridge.

Condor Studio News · 6:00 PM Central · Aug 18, 2026.

Gold is holding at $4,390 an ounce as metals stay in focus after the U.S. session. Industry data shows U.S. distillate inventories dropped another nearly three million barrels, pushing them twelve percent below the five-year average, while commercial crude stocks barely budged. Oil is unchanged at $84.42. Bitcoin sits at $64,547. And finally, three members of the same family have died after getting into difficulty while swimming in the sea off Shoreham-by-Sea in West Sussex. A teenage daughter and her parents drowned; a younger girl from the family was rescued and is in critical condition in hospital.

Condor Studio News · 5:00 PM Central · Aug 18, 2026.

Wall Street closed modestly lower with the S&P finishing at 7,691.76 as attention now turns squarely to tomorrow's release of the FOMC meeting minutes. America's growing debt pile will be the big focus as the global bond rout deepens with yields climbing, raising fresh questions about the sustainability of the artificial intelligence investment boom. Higher borrowing costs act as a direct headwind to the extreme duration of many AI-related projects that rely on distant future cash flows. Fed Chair Kevin Warsh and his colleagues will be watched closely for any signal on how persistent inflation and expanding U.S. debt could shape policy. The VIX finished the session at 15.84. Oil rose to $84.40 a barrel while gold pulled back to $4,387 an ounce and Bitcoin traded near $64,559. TikTok is exploring peer-to-peer payments via direct messages according to a new report. If rolled out the feature would tap the platform's existing TikTok Pay system already used in Southeast Asia. A federal judge nominated by President Trump to Florida's federal court has been swapped into his $10 bn defamation case against the BBC. And finally in a human turn a darts club has been revived for miners in Moranbah offering a break from camp life after the previous venue 200 kilometres north-east of Mackay closed a few years ago.

Condor Studio News · 4:00 PM Central · Aug 18, 2026.