Investors are watching a critical week of economic data with core PCE, preliminary GDP, consumer confidence and new home sales all due out as Treasury Secretary Bessent speaks tomorrow. The calendar could set the tone heading into the final stretch of summer trading. And in European news, CrossCountry has cancelled virtually all services across the UK after a major power cut disrupted the rail network with customers calling it the worst case scenario. Oil is steady at $87.06. Gold holds at $4,681. Bitcoin has edged higher to $76,805. And finally, a 62-year-old warehouse worker with bad knees says he simply cannot afford to wait eight more years for higher Social Security benefits, as JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon warns the bottom 20 percent of Americans have seen little real wage growth in decades.

Condor Studio News · 6:00 AM Central · Aug 23, 2026.

AMD investors are bracing for major news this week as Nvidia reports second-quarter earnings on Tuesday. While the results are not from AMD itself, analysts say a strong print from the AI chip leader could trigger a sharp rotation in sentiment and capital flows between the two rivals. That comes as the artificial intelligence spending boom continues to outrun Wall Street estimates with hyperscalers and infrastructure players ramping capital expenditure faster than consensus forecasts. And in global markets oil is unchanged at $87.06. Gold is unchanged at $4,681. Bitcoin has edged higher to $76,588. And finally, just four percent of Britons believe the onus is on the Prince of Wales to make the first move for peace when the Duke and Duchess of Sussex return to the UK, as Palace sources reveal a fresh bid by one of the King's most trusted aides to reunite the warring princes.

Condor Studio News · 5:00 AM Central · Aug 23, 2026.

Syria's foreign minister says security talks with Israel could resume despite a complete lack of trust between the two sides. And in European and Asian news this weekend, mayors across the UK are set to receive new powers over planning decisions under proposals from Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham. The changes would let mayors call in major housing and commercial schemes, direct councils on approvals, and fast-track construction on projects over 150 homes. Ten of the 14 devolved mayors from across parties back the plan aimed at hitting the government's 1.5 million new homes target. Tributes have been paid to two Cleveland police officers killed in a crash on the A66. Colleagues described PC Matthew Blades and PC Tom Clough as brave officers. Oil stood at $87.06 a barrel. Gold hit $4,681 an ounce. Bitcoin has climbed to $76,495 and Ethereum is up 1% at $2,415. And finally, just 4% of Britons believe the onus is on the Prince of Wales to make the first move toward peace with Harry and Meghan as the couple prepare to return to the UK, with Palace sources revealing a trusted aide is working behind the scenes to reunite the warring princes.

Condor Studio News · 4:00 AM Central · Aug 23, 2026.

Iran-linked hackers shut down a small UK power plant for four days in a July cyber attack, reports say. The government confirmed there was never any risk to the wider energy system or essential services. And in European news the EU's new Entry and Exit System border checks are being called pretty shambolic with long queues, missed flights and fingerprint failures hitting UK travellers this summer. Bitcoin sits at $76,070 while Ethereum trades at $2,391. Oil is unchanged at $87.06 and gold holds at $4,681. And finally a new poll reveals just four percent of Britons believe the onus is on the Prince of Wales to make the first move toward peace when the Duke and Duchess of Sussex return to the UK in the coming days as Palace sources detail a fresh bid by one of the King's most trusted aides to reunite the warring princes.

Condor Studio News · 3:00 AM Central · Aug 23, 2026.

A 17-year-old girl has been killed in a sword attack in Sweden with police now treating the incident as murder. Officers were called to the scene in the town of Vetlanda early this morning where the victim was found with fatal injuries. Two boys aged 12 and 17 were also injured while an 18-year-old suspect has been detained. Trade talks between the United States and Canada collapsed late Friday triggering new 50% US tariffs on roughly $20 bn of Canadian goods. President Trump said Canada wants the benefits of being a US state without being one while Prime Minister Mark Carney accused the US of launching a trade war and vowed dollar-for-dollar retaliation. And finally just 4% of Britons believe the onus is on the Prince of Wales to make the first move toward peace when the Duke and Duchess of Sussex return to the UK in the coming days. Palace sources say one of the King's most trusted aides has already begun efforts to reunite the warring princes.

Condor Studio News · 2:00 AM Central · Aug 23, 2026.

International authorities are closing in on the new world's most wanted narco kingpin. With Daniel Kinahan now behind bars, focus has shifted to Jos Leijdekkers, known as Chubby Jos, who is living like a king in a palm-fringed beach resort in Sierra Leone after fathering a baby with the president's daughter. Despite a Dutch court sentencing him in his absence to more than one hundred years in jail, the one-billion-dollar fugitive remains seemingly untouchable in West Africa. And in European news, Prime Minister Andy Burnham is expected to give England's devolved mayors new powers over local planning decisions. The changes would let mayors call in major applications, direct councils to approve or refuse them, and grant upfront permission for large-scale projects of more than one hundred fifty homes, commercial space over fifteen thousand square metres, or buildings thirty metres or taller. Ten of the fourteen devolved mayors across parties have backed the plan. Oil is at $87.06. Gold hit $4,681 an ounce. Bitcoin traded near $76,129 after a 0.7% drop. And finally — Revealed: Just 4% of Brits believe William should make the first move in peace talks with Harry - as Palace sources reveal bid by one of the King's most trusted aides to reunite the warring princes.

Condor Studio News · 1:00 AM Central · Aug 23, 2026.

And in Asian news a long-nosed fur seal found dead on South Australia's Limestone Coast has tested positive for the highly pathogenic H5 strain of bird flu, the first confirmed mammal fatality on the Australian mainland. The case follows mass die-offs of more than a thousand greater crested terns on offshore islands and a positive test in a little penguin on Kangaroo Island. Authorities had already flagged long-nosed fur seals and endangered Australian sea lions as facing very high risk. And in European and global weekend news the clock is ticking for what could become Greenwich Moon time as world powers prepare to vote in October on how to measure the passage of time on the Moon with even tiny differences threatening navigation and communications systems for future lunar missions. Oil is flat at $87.06. Gold is flat at $4,681. Bitcoin traded near $76,683 after a modest pullback and Ethereum has fallen to $2,386. And finally in a human turn Palace sources reveal a fresh bid by one of the King's most trusted aides to reunite the warring princes as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex prepare to return to the UK later this month.

Condor Studio News · 12:00 AM Central · Aug 23, 2026.

Bitcoin has moved to $76,950 after trimming a fraction of a percent since our last flash. Iran's new security chief has warned that any neighbours joining America's renewed economic pressure on Tehran will be treated as enemies, with explicit threats to target their interests and alternative oil-shipping routes out of the Gulf. The comments come as President Trump has escalated rhetoric around the Strait of Hormuz. Oil remains flat at $87.06. Gold stays unchanged at $4,681 an ounce. In Asian markets attention is turning toward next week's open with Walmart's Flipkart now delivering 1.1 to 1.2 million orders a day, nearly triple its November volume as it closes in on India's quick-commerce leaders two years after launch. And finally, Earl Spencer was happy to offer Prince Harry a home on the 13,000-acre Althorp estate but his nephew had his own plans.

Condor Studio News · 11:00 PM Central · Aug 22, 2026.

Victorian Labor has expanded on its election promise to open 10 new free public dental clinics if re-elected in November. Premier Ben Carroll and Health Minister Ingrid Stitt framed the move as both cost-of-living relief and a long-overdue fix for vulnerable residents facing unbearable pain and lengthy waiting lists. Standard Medicare does not cover dental care for most people, leaving a gap that has persisted for decades. A fur seal's death at Beachport in South Australia marks the first Australian mainland mammal fatality from the spreading H5 bird flu strain, with the minister warning of significant losses ahead. Oil remains flat at $87.06. Gold remains flat at $4,681. Bitcoin traded near $77,061. And finally, a One Nation MP has given a hat tip to Prime Minister Albanese for his rice factory rescue plan while federal Liberals flag a radical redesign of Victoria's appeals court system.

Condor Studio News · 10:00 PM Central · Aug 22, 2026.

Ukrainian long-range drone strikes are hitting deeper inside Russia, targeting oil refineries, Wildberries logistics hubs — the so-called Russian Amazon — grain ports and other economic targets. The campaign is turning shellshocked ordinary Russians against Putin's war, with potato prices up nearly 40%, fuel queues stretching for miles in Moscow, and nearly £9 billion in damage to Wildberries alone, pushing hundreds of thousands of suppliers toward bankruptcy. Russians are hoarding cash, with £21.3 billion more in circulation this year as pensioners hide money at home and the wealthy move funds to Central Asian brokerages. A leaked speech by senior state economist Andrei Klepach warning Putin the country cannot win this war of attrition and faces an explosive social crisis saw him promptly fired. Even some pro-Kremlin voices now call for negotiations. And in global weekend news, Iranian hackers are accused of shutting down a British power plant for four full days in an unprecedented cyber attack, forcing a complete closure while staff fought to restore systems. Oil remains unchanged at $87.06. Gold holds at $4,681. Bitcoin trades at $77,263. And finally, a teenage joyrider who posted TikTok videos of his high-speed police chases has been killed in a crash on Britain's A66 that claimed seven lives including two armed officers.

Condor Studio News · 9:00 PM Central · Aug 22, 2026.