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OceanPal Inc. (NASDAQ:SVRN) spiked 40.16% to $0.31 in after-hours trading on Wednesday.

The after-hours spike coincided with a wave of Securities and Exchange Commission Form 3 filings disclosing new insider ownership across multiple executive and director roles.

Sweeping Leadership Reset Triggers Market Reaction

SEC Form 3 filings — the required initial ownership disclosures under Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 — confirmed a major executive overhaul at OceanPal.

Chief Financial Officer Vasiliki Plousaki, Chief Accounting Officer Konstantina Tsakiri and Co-CEO Robert J. Perri filed on Tuesday, with Co-CEO Salvatore J. Ternullo, Secretary Margarita Veniou, and the directors filing on Wednesday.

According to the filing, Co-CEO Ternullo was granted 822,156 restricted stock units, with 25% vesting on Sept. 1 …

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American Bitcoin Corp. (NASDAQ:ABTC) co-founder Eric Trump celebrated on Wednesday after the company surpassed Galaxy Digital Inc. (NASDAQ:GLXY) in accumulating Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC).

‘Climbing The Ladder Faster’

Trump took pride in the achievement on X, adding, “No company is climbing the ladder faster. Up, up, up we go!”

As of this writing, American Bitcoin holds 6,899 BTC, worth $489 million, surpassing not only Galaxy but also other popular companies such as GameStop Corp. (NYSE:GME) and Gemini Space Station Inc. (NASDAQ:GEMI).

Michael Saylor’s Strategy Inc. (NASDAQ:MSTR) tops the list, with over $53 billion worth of Bitcoin on its balance sheet.

Full story available on Benzinga.com

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Long-awaited Alexa+ aims to get Britons re-engaging with their devices – but it may have its work cut out

“Commiserations, mate, Chelsea lost 3-0 in the Champions League last night against Paris Saint-Germain,” says Alexa as it attempts to break the news gently to an awaiting Blues fan. Such is the injection of personality and understanding that Amazon hopes will lead to Britons re-engaging with their millions of Alexa devices, restoring it to the cutting edge of voice assistants rather than resigned to being a glorified egg timer.

After its early access launch last year in the US, the long-awaited generative AI upgrade Alexa+ is finally making its debut in the UK, supporting eight years of existing devices strewn through more than half of UK households. With the UK being Amazon’s most engaged market and more than 40 accents to contend with across the UK and Ireland, the “next-generation ambient AI assistant” has its work cut out for it.

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Iran war has increased gas price, with effects on UK energy bills that could be avoided, Common Wealth says

Household energy bills could be reduced by up to £203 a year by stopping expensive fossil gas setting the price of energy in the UK, according to a report.

Under the existing system, gas – the most expensive form of electricity production in the UK system – set the price of energy 85% of the time in 2024 in the UK, even though it generates only about a quarter of Britain’s electricity.

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Cameo videos produced by the Reform UK leader were used to drum up interest in obscure memecoins

Nigel Farage has profited by producing Cameo videos that endorsed or provided support to cryptocurrencies which later collapsed in value.

The videos were discovered by the Guardian within a collection of more than 4,000 clips he has created on the Cameo platform, which allows public figures and celebrities to sell personalised recorded messages to members of the public.

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Changes revealed by Andy Burnham to support night-time economy follow rapid growth in ridership

Night buses will run to every borough in Greater Manchester as the city region expands its publicly controlled Bee Network.

The mayor, Andy Burnham, announced a number of new services alongside figures showing rapid growth in ridership since buses were taken back under public control in 2023.

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People struggle to cook and businesses bear brunt as closure of strait of Hormuz slows imports of liquefied petroleum gas

For four days, Maya Rani, 36, has been arriving each morning at a gas distributor’s office in Delhi, her six-month-old daughter in her lap, waiting for hours. And each day she returns home empty-handed, told that a cooking gas cylinder may not be available for at least another week. Around her, the queue keeps growing, people clutching forms and documents, hoping to secure a cylinder.

The flame in her kitchen began to fade last week and her husband, as he always does, took their 5kg cylinder to a local refiller. This time, there was nothing. The only option left was to apply for a government-subsidised supply, a process that has meant repeated visits, long waits and no certainty.

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US president claims Israel will not attack South Pars again – but threatens to destroy ‘extremely important and valuable’ site if Iran continues to attack gas facilities in Qatar

Donald Trump threatened to “massively blow up” the world’s largest gasfield after Israeli strikes on the Iranian site prompted Tehran to step up attacks on energy facilities across the Middle East.

Israel’s decision to target the South Pars gasfield on Wednesday marked a major escalation of the war, heightening fears of significant disruption to international energy supplies.

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As the war in the Middle East continues to escalate and oil prices surge amid uncertainty surrounding crude oil supply chains, investor Ross Gerber of Gerber Kawasaki, on Wednesday, urged people to switch to electric vehicles.

Thousands Of Dollars Saved

In a post on the social media platform X, Gerber touted EVs as a cost-effective solution to the ongoing gas price surge. “Just buy an EV and your cost of living will go down by thousands of dollars a year,” the investor said in the post. Gerber also shared that “driving a gas car” was up to “4-5 times more expensive” than driving an EV counterpart. “Lots of great EVs at a good prices online,” he said.

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Increased output from wind generation and batteries, and falling electricity contract prices, are expected to deliver lower energy bills

Power prices on Australia’s east coast are predicted to fall from July because of increased output from wind generation and batteries, and falling electricity contract prices, with potential savings up to $1,320 for some small businesses.

In a draft decision on Thursday, the Australia Energy Regulator (AER) proposed a price reduction for customers on standing electricity plans – known as the “default market offer” – of between 1.3% to 10.1% for residential customers, and between 8.5% and 21.2% for small businesses, depending on the region.

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Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) CEO Elon Musk has predicted that the automaker’s upcoming AI5 self-driving chip will match the capabilities of more expensive, powerful AI chipsets amid a push towards artificial intelligence.

AI5 Will Punch Far Above Its Weight

On Wednesday, user Phil Beisel compared the architecture of Tesla’s AI5 chip with NVIDIA Corp‘s (NASDAQ:NVDA) Blackwell chip, noting that Tesla’s “half reticle” design could give AI fabs a major boost if it can match the latter’s capabilities. “A reticle defines the imaging area of a lithography machine, fitting two chips per shot effectively doubles yield,” Beisel said.

Responding to Beisel, Musk shared his take on the matter. “AI5 will punch far above its weight,” he said, outlining that its capabilities were possible because Tesla aims to “make maximally effective use of every circuit.” Musk also said that while the upcoming chip could see applications in data centers, it’s “primarily optimized for AI edge compute in Optimus and Robotaxi.”

Musk then shared that despite the advancements, there was room for improvement. He said that a single AI6 chip could match a dual SoC AI5 within “the same half reticle and same process node.”

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Nigeria had largest increase in terrorism-related deaths, ranking fourth in global index behind Pakistan, Burkina Faso and Niger

Jihadist violence rose sharply in Nigeria and Democratic Republic of Congo last year, even as global deaths from terrorism dropped to their lowest level in a decade, according to a new report.

Nigeria recorded the largest increase in terrorism deaths globally in 2025, with fatalities rising by 46% from 513 in 2024 to 750, placing it fourth in the Global Terrorism Index, behind Pakistan, Burkina Faso and Niger.

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Banking lobby group says lenders are holding off changes as there is no widespread consumer demand for now

Shoppers will not be able to splash unlimited amounts on contactless cards despite the lifting of a £100 cap on payments as Britain’s banks held off on making changes.

The official limit on individual contactless transactions on credit and debit cards has been scrapped but the UK’s biggest high street and challenger banks have kept the £100 ceiling in place.

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Islamic regime is digging in for a protracted conflict as it seeks to ensure the US and Israel will not attack again

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Costco Wholesale Corp. (NASDAQ:COST) CEO Ron Vachris offered inflation-weary shoppers a rare bit of stability this week, saying the retailer’s iconic $1.50 hot dog and soda combo is not going up in price anytime soon.

Vachris Reassures Fans On Combo Price

In a video posted to Costco’s Instagram on Wednesday, Vachris sat in a Costco food court eating the quarter-pound all-beef hot dog and, before taking a bite, said, “$1.50, for this hot dog?”

Asked if the price was going up, he replied, “The hot dog price will not change as long as I’m around.” When prompted to describe it, he added, “Amazing. Amazing quality. Amazing value. That’s $1.50 well spent.”

Costco Defends A Near-Mythic Bargain

The reassurance matters because Costco has spent …

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Cheniere Energy Inc. (NYSE:LNG) shares are trending on Wednesday night.

LNG gained in after-hours trading, climbing 1.23% to $269.50 on Wednesday.

According to Benzinga Pro data, the stock of the Texas-based energy company closed the regular session at $266.22, up 5.85%.

Strike Sends Shockwaves Through LNG Markets

The surge in the stock follows missile strikes on Qatar’s Ras Laffan Industrial City, which produces about 20% of the world’s LNG, sending shockwaves through global energy markets.

The attack on Ras Laffan followed Israeli strikes on Iran’s largest natural gas plant …

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A brushtail possum was found peering out among the toy kangaroos and dingoes in a retail store in Hobart’s airport, delighting staff and customers

A passenger browsing in a gift shop in Hobart airport has stumbled across a remarkable discovery in the plush toy section.

A real living and breathing brushtail possum had decided to join its fluffy friends in the shelves of Lagardère AWPL gift shop on Wednesday morning.

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More than a dozen Victorian Labor sources, including ministers and factional powerbrokers, confirm move for leadership change

For weeks, Labor MPs have been quietly weighing the future of Jacinta Allan.

In hushed conversations in the corridors of parliament, MPs have cited her baggage – her time as Daniel Andrews’ deputy, her role in the cancelled Commonwealth Games and as the minister overseeing the Big Build at a time corruption allegedly was allowed to grow unfettered in the construction union. Even more damaging, some argue, has been her hesitation to act once the corruption was made public.

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The reported inquiry predates Joe Kent’s departure on Tuesday from his post as director of the national counter-terrorism center

The resignation of Joe Kent, a senior counter-terrorism official who spoke out against the US war in Iran, took a dramatic turn on Wednesday with a report that he is under investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) over an alleged leak of classified information.

The inquiry predates Kent’s departure on Tuesday from his post as director of the national counterterrorism center, where he had overseen the analysis of terrorist threats, according to Semafor and CBS News. The FBI declined to comment on the existence of any such investigation.

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Iran is still exporting millions of barrels of oil, with about 90 ships, including oil tankers, having crossed the strait of Hormuz since the beginning of the war with Iran, according to maritime and trade data platforms reports.

This is despite Iran saying it had closed the vital waterway to vessels from the US and its allies.

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The odds of the Iranian regime surviving the ongoing U.S. military offensive have surged sharply since the beginning of the month.

Chances Of Islamic Republic Holding Power Spike

Polygon (CRYPTO: POL)-based Polymarket now assigns a 73% probability that Iran’s current ruling system, led by the Supreme Leader and Guardian Council, will remain in power through June 30, up from 47% at the start of the month.

Over $377,000 has been staked on the outcome, which would resolve to “No” only if the Islamic Republic ceases to hold sovereign authority. Otherwise, it resolves to “Yes.”

Meanwhile, the odds that Mojtaba Khamenei loses his position as …

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Gia Lam should have been offered interpreter by medical team at Fairfield hospital, coroner’s court finds

A woman who died of sepsis three days after giving birth in western Sydney could have survived if her urinary tract infection (UTI) had been diagnosed, a coroner’s court has found.

It also found the woman, who was born in Vietnam, should have been offered interpreter services so she could communicate better with medical experts.

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Figma Inc. (NYSE:FIG) shares are trending on Wednesday night.

After-Hours Dip Extends a Brutal Session

Shares of the software company fell 0.24% to $25.20 in after-hours trading on Wednesday.

According to Benzinga Pro data, the stock had dropped 7.98% in the regular session to close at $25.26. The decline comes as investors react to a direct competitive challenge from Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL).

Google Stitch Enters the Design Arena

Figma is a cloud-based collaborative design platform widely used by product teams and UI/UX designers to build and prototype software interfaces.

Google Labs, an experimental division of Google and a subsidiary of Alphabet, unveiled a major update to its Stitch platform on …

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Hoskins, like Dennis an Olympic cyclist, was struck by his car in 2023. His return to Instagram included picture with caption ‘an absolute weapon’

Olympic cyclist Rohan Dennis, who 10 months ago was given a 17-month suspended sentence after his car fatally struck his wife, has returned to social media with a post describing a Porsche as an “absolute weapon”.

Melissa Hoskins, an acclaimed world and Olympic cyclist, died when she was struck by a car driven by her husband near their home at Medindie, in Adelaide’s inner north, in December 2023.

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Leading cryptocurrencies plunged alongside stocks on Wednesday as the Federal Reserve said the escalating Middle East conflict could push inflation higher.

Cryptocurrency 24-Hour Gains +/- Price (Recorded at 9:25 p.m. ET)
Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) -4.07% $70,979.99
Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH)
               		 -5.98% $2,189.10
XRP (CRYPTO: XRP)                          -4.10% $1.45
Solana (CRYPTO: SOL)                          -4.92% $90.04
Dogecoin (CRYPTO: DOGE)              -5.46% $0.09495

‘Extreme Fear’ Returns

Bitcoin dived below $71,000, reversing a rally that pushed it up to $76,000. Ethereum’s decline was steeper, pulling the second-largest cryptocurrency back to the $2,100 zone.

Shares of Strategy Inc. (NASDAQ:MSTR) and Coinbase Global Inc. (NASDAQ:COIN) closed down 6.47% and 3.78%, respectively.

Over $450 million was liquidated from the cryptocurrency market over the past 24 hours, with $380 million in bullish long bets alone wiped out, according to Coinglass data.

Open interest in Bitcoin futures dipped 3.75% in the last 24 hours. However, derivatives traders on Binance bought this dip, opening more long positions versus shorts.

“Extreme Fear” sentiment returned to the market after a brief reprieve, according to the Crypto Fear & Greed Index.

Top Gainers (24 Hours) 

Cryptocurrency (Market Cap>$100 M) Gains +/- Price (Recorded at 9:25 p.m. ET)
River (RIVER)     +18.64%     …

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Have you cancelled a holiday? Are you working from home more or taking fewer journeys? Tell us your experience

Global oil market prices have surged, with the US-Israel war on Iran disrupting key shipping routes. The strait of Hormuz, where as much as a fifth of global fuel supply travels through, has been closed due to the conflict.

Asia is deeply affected by the crisis, relying heavily on imported energy that passes through the strait.

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Rand Paul seemed immediately frustrated with Mullin as he opened the hearing. While he was speaking, he suggested that Mullin wasn’t listening to his remarks, during which he pushed Trump’s nominee on his vote against Paul’s amendment to stop all funding for refugee welfare programs.

“You decided to transfer the blame. You told the media that I was a ‘freaking snake’ and that you completely understood why I had been assaulted,” Paul said, referring to when he was attacked by a neighbor in Kentucky in 2017, which resulted in Paul breaking several ribs and developing pneumonia.

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U.S. ballistic missiles that have hit Iranian targets likely were fired from Persian Gulf countries that have taken the brunt of Iranian drone and missile attacks, although none has acknowledged allowing their land or airspace to be used to attack Iran.

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Independent committee to investigate safety standards and whether building practices contributed to worst residential fires in decades

Public hearings in Hong Kong begin on Thursday into a devastating fire that ripped through a housing complex last year, killing 168 people.

A judge-led independent committee will investigate whether fire safety standards were inadequate, if construction practices contributed to the fire, and if there were failures on the part of government officers or contractors.

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The detention of Dylan Lopez Contreras, 20, of Venezuela, a freshman in the Bronx, sparked national outrage

A New York high school student who was detained at an immigration courthouse in May last year, sparking national outrage, was released on Wednesday.

Dylan Lopez Contreras, 20, of Venezuela was a freshman at Ellis Prep academy, a Bronx public school dedicated exclusively to students who have recently arrived in the US. It was the first widely known instance of a public school student being arrested by federal immigration agents.

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Major U.S. indexes closed lower, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropping 1.6% to 46,225.15, the S&P 500 slipping 1.36% to 6,624.70, and the Nasdaq falling 1.46% to 22,152.42.

The Federal Reserve maintained interest rates at 3.50%–3.75% for the third consecutive meeting. Despite the unchanged rates, the Fed’s outlook suggested higher inflation and slightly increased economic growth in the future. The market’s reaction was muted, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq indices showing little movement. Investors are keeping a close eye on Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s upcoming remarks, particularly in light of recent oil price spikes.

These are the top stocks that gained the attention of retail traders and investors through the day:

Micron Technology Inc. (NASDAQ:MU)

Micron Technology’s stock closed with a slight increase of 0.01%, settling at $461.73. The stock reached an intraday high of $471.34 and a low of $458.30, with a 52-week range between $61.54 and $471.34. In the after-hours trading, the stock fell 4.43% to $441.28.

The semiconductor giant reported impressive second-quarter results, with revenue soaring to $23.86 billion, surpassing analyst expectations of $19.94 billion. The company’s adjusted earnings of $12.20 per share also exceeded forecasts. Micron’s strong performance reflects a 196% year-over-year revenue growth, with operating cash flow reaching $11.90 billion.

Micron Technology forecast third-quarter revenue of $33.5 billion (±$750 million) and adjusted EPS of $19.15 (±$0.40), …

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Lawmakers leave closed-door meeting after AG refuses to commit to honoring subpoena to testify under oath

Democrats on the House oversight committee walked out of a closed-door briefing from attorney general Pam Bondi about the Jeffrey Epstein files on Wednesday, leaving what California congressman Robert Garcia called “an outrageous fake hearing” after Bondi refused to commit to honoring a subpoena to testify under oath.

The committee voted to subpoena Bondi earlier this month, with five Republicans joining Democrats to demand that the attorney general answer questions about the justice department’s failure to properly release files from the federal investigations into Epstein.

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Anthony Albanese also announces new national fuel supply taskforce and urges motorists ‘only take what you need’

Australia’s competition watchdog is investigating major fuel suppliers including Ampol, BP, Mobile and Viva energy for alleged anti-competitive conduct amid growing shortages sparked by the Iran war.

Australian Competition and Consumer Commission boss Gina Cass-Gottlieb said on Thursday morning she was investigating reports about diesel availability to independent wholesalers and distributors in regional and rural Australia.

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Republicans block resolution to take up the measure, which Democrats vow to bring up ‘again and again and again’

Senate Republicans on Wednesday blocked a measure that aimed to reign in Donald Trump’s power to wage war against Iran without congressional authorization.

The 53-47 vote against taking up the measure fell almost completely along party lines, with no movement from earlier this month when Republicans blocked Democrats’ bid to limit Trump’s war-making power in the days after the joint US-Israeli strikes, known as Operation Epic Fury, began across Iran.

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CenTax warns bill under debate in parliament has ‘easily exploitable’ loopholes and will not prevent foreign interference

Political donations by companies should be banned to protect UK elections from foreign interference, a thinktank has warned.

In the first big overhaul of election funding in 26 years, ministers have pledged to “keep British democracy safe” by closing a loophole that allows individuals not eligible to vote in Britain to donate to political parties through UK-registered companies.

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Business secretary announces new ‘steel safeguards’ during visit to Tata’s Port Talbot plant

The UK is to double tariffs on Chinese and other foreign steel in a bid to save its remaining plants from collapse.

The new “steel safeguards” came weeks after bosses at Tata Steel in south Wales warned the government they had just two months to be saved.

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Research finds cockapoo, cavapoo and labradoodle dogs display more undesirable behaviours than breeds they derive from

The UK has oodles of doodles but a study might offer paws for thought: researchers have found some of these designer crossbreed dogs show more behavioural problems than the pure breeds from which they derive.

Crosses between poodles and other dog breeds have become increasingly popular in the UK, with research suggesting the trend is – at least in part – driven by the expectation such dogs will be hypoallergenic, healthy and good with children.

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Thousands of police prepare to deploy to South Korea’s capital ahead of K-pop’s most anticipated comeback

Seoul has stepped up security ahead of BTS’s huge comeback concert on Saturday, which more than a quarter of a million fans are expected to attend, with authorities raising the terror alert in the area and preparing to deploy thousands of police to the capital.

South Korean president Lee Jae Myung warned at a cabinet meeting this week that “the issue is safety” and urged heightened vigilance by the interior ministry and emergency services to prepare for every possibility. He described the concert as an important occasion to reaffirm the country’s global cultural standing.

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The Federal Reserve on Wednesday left interest rates unchanged amid mounting uncertainty over how the Iran war will impact the economy and in turn the central bank’s approach to monetary policy, raising questions over whether any rate cuts will occur this year.

The Fed’s monetary policy panel, known as the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), voted 11-1 to leave the benchmark federal funds rate unchanged at a range of 3.5% to 3.75%. It marked the second straight meeting with rates being held steady after three successive 25-basis-point cuts in September, October and December to end last year.

Policymakers released a summary of economic projections (SEP), which showed that the median projection for interest rates sees just one 25 basis point cut the rest of this year followed by a single cut of that size in 2027.  

“In our SEP, FOMC participants wrote down their individual assessments of an appropriate path for the federal funds rate under what each participant judges to be the most likely scenario for the economy,” Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said. “The median participant projects that the appropriate level of the federal funds rate will be 3.4% at the end of this year and 3.1% at the end of next year, unchanged from December.”

FEDERAL RESERVE HOLDS INTEREST RATES STEADY

“As is always the case, these individual forecasts are subject to uncertainty and they are not a committee plan or decision,” Powell added.

During the post-announcement press conference, Powell was asked what officials are seeing that led them to project a cut despite higher forecasts for both inflation and unchanged projections for the unemployment rate and economic growth. 

The SEP showed policymakers projected that the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) index – the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge – will be 2.7% at the end of this year, well above the central bank’s 2% target. That’s up from 2.4% in the Fed’s prior projection in December.

Core PCE, which excludes volatile measurements of food and energy, was also revised up to 2.7% at the end of this year. The previous projection had it at 2.5%.

FED’S FAVORED INFLATION GAUGE REMAINED STUBBORNLY HIGH IN JANUARY AS CONSUMER PRICE PRESSURES PERSIST

“There are 19 people, and so 19 reasons, 19 individual submissions,” Powell said. “If you notice, the median didn’t change, but there was actually a meaningful amount of movement toward fewer cuts by people, so four or five people went from two cuts to one cut.”

“Essentially, the forecast is that we will be making some progress on inflation, not as much as we had hoped, but some progress on inflation,” Powell said. “It should come as we start to see in the middle of the year progress on tariffs going through once and then tariff inflation coming down. We should be seeing that.”

“And you know, the rate forecast is conditional on the performance of the economy, so if we don’t see that progress, then you won’t see the rate cut,” he explained.

FED OFFICIALS CLOSELY MONITOR IRAN CONFLICT FOR POTENTIAL INFLATION IMPACT

The market responded to the Fed’s projection by pulling back expectations surrounding interest rate cuts this year, which were previously expected to begin as early as June.

The CME FedWatch tool showed an 89.2% probability that rates will remain at their current level following the Fed’s June meeting in the wake of today’s announcement. That’s up from 79.5% yesterday, 62.8% a week ago and 37.8% last month – while the tool also now shows a 3.8% chance of a 25 basis point hike in June, up from zero a month ago.

The market now sees it being more likely than not that the Fed will leave rates unchanged through the end of this year. 

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The CME FedWatch tool shows a 51.3% chance of rates being at their current range after the Fed’s December meeting – up from 23.5% a week ago and 4.9% last month. 

Probabilities for December show a 35.7% chance of one 25 basis point reduction by then, while the odds of a second cut between now and then have fallen to 9.5% from 32.5% a month ago.

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Admission came during questioning at Senate intelligence committee worldwide threats hearing

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has started buying location data on Americans, FBI director Kash Patel said under oath at the Senate intelligence committee worldwide threats hearing on Wednesday.

Patel’s admission came in response to a question from the senator Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat who is a longtime opponent of the warrantless surveillance of Americans. Wyden told Patel that his predecessor, Christopher Wray, testified in 2023 that the FBI did not at that time purchase location data derived from internet advertising, although he acknowledged that it had done so in the past.

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Mayor of London says returning to EU now more desirable because of economic instability caused by Donald Trump

Labour should go into the next general election promising to rejoin the EU, Sadiq Khan has said.

The mayor of London has repeatedly made the case for joining the customs union and single market, but went much further on Wednesday night by suggesting the party should promise full membership at next ballot.

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Exclusive: Republican congresswoman started negotiations with Saudi Arabia without informing the White House

White House officials have grown increasingly frustrated with Republican congresswoman Nancy Mace, accusing her of complicating efforts to evacuate Americans stranded in the Middle East by attempting to conduct her own rescue missions, according to people familiar with the matter.

The irritation with Mace has been building for days after she traveled to the region to try and transport US citizens across international borders and engaged with foreign governments without informing the state department, which has been coordinating evacuation flights.

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Corporation welcomes three-year settlement as it continues to push for government to take on all of service’s costs

The BBC World Service will be given increased government funding as part of a three-year deal after ministers concluded it was needed to counter the rise of global disinformation.

The Guardian understands that Yvette Cooper, the foreign secretary, has agreed an additional £11m a year for the next three years on the government’s grant to the service.

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China’s $7 trillion consumer market was once a reliable growth engine for Western brands, but as competition intensifies and trends move at digital speed, success if no longer a given. Still, they haven’t given up. Global companies are now turning to private equity partners to navigate a market that is less forgiving than before, but will that be enough to stay competitive?

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Sergey Brin gives $25m on top of $20m he’s already given to Super Pac trying to blocking state’s proposed 5% wealth tax

A Google founder has more than doubled his financial contribution to the fight against a proposed wealth tax in California. New filings with the state show that former Alphabet president Sergey Brin donated $25m to a Super Pac dedicated to blocking the tax on top of $20m he had already given.

Brin is not alone among Google’s top brass in upping his financial stake in the campaign against the ballot proposal. The company’s former CEO Eric Schmidt donated $1.02m, adding to a previous $2m contribution.

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The Trump administration defended the Pentagon’s move to blacklist Anthropic, arguing the decision was both legal and justified.

The Trump administration argued in a court filing that Anthropic’s First Amendment claims are “unlikely to succeed,” saying the government’s actions were driven by contract issues and national security considerations rather than any form of retaliatory conduct.

“It was only when Anthropic refused to release the restrictions on the use of its products — which refusal is conduct, not protected speech — that the President directed all federal agencies to terminate their business relationships with Anthropic,” the court document stated.

 “Seeking judicial review does not change our longstanding commitment to harnessing AI to protect our national security, but …

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Grubhub is launching New Jersey’s first-ever commercial drone-powered food delivery service, the company announced last Wednesday.

The service, which will run for three months as a test program, will operate out of Green Brook Township, located one hour southwest of New York City. 

The food ordering marketplace will partner with autonomous drone company Dexa to deliver meals directly from a local Wonder food hall operated by its parent company. These Wonder facilities function as high-tech kitchens where staff assemble and finish dishes pre-prepared by its numerous restaurant brand partners, helping streamline the ordering process.

The drone service is expected to deliver food faster than traditional methods and comes at no additional cost beyond standard delivery and service fees, the Chicago-based company said.

AMAZON LAUNCHES 1-HOUR AND 3-HOUR DELIVERY OPTIONS WITH NEW TIERED PRICING STRUCTURE FOR CUSTOMERS

“This service is a glimpse into the future of how autonomous technology will help restaurants and retailers serve customers at a completely new level,” CEO of Dexa Beth Flippo said in a statement. 

Customers can use the Grubhub app to order from the local Wonder location, which offers 15 different restaurant concepts prepared in a single location, and can specifically opt for drone delivery.

AMAZON EXPANDS SAME-DAY DELIVERY SERVICE TO INCLUDE PERISHABLE FOOD ITEMS IN OVER 1,000 CITIES

Dexa’s AI-operated drone, the DE-2020, will then take off and fly along approved paths designed to prioritize safety while minimizing noise and other community disruptions. 

Once it reaches the customer, instead of landing, it will safely lower the order to the ground using a controlled tether system.

The drone company’s flight crews will also verify that the food is correctly packaged and secured before taking off, Grubhub said.

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Through the Grubhub platform, diners can also monitor food delivery using real-time GPS tracking and arrival notifications.  

After the three-month trial at Green Brook, Grubhub will then evaluate the program’s success and consider expanding the service to other nearby restaurants. 

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Swarmer Inc (NASDAQ:SWMR) shares are facing selling pressure in Wednesday’s after-hours session amid continued post-IPO volatility.

Swarmer Announces Closing Of IPO

Drone autonomy software company Swarmer made its public debut on the Nasdaq on Tuesday, soaring more than 500%. The stock saw continued momentum on Wednesday, closing the session up another 77% at $55.

Shares are pulling back in after-hours on Wednesday, likely due to profit-taking following the remarkable two-day surge. Swarmer announced late Wednesday …

Full story available on Benzinga.com

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Metropolitan police say men were arrested and detained as part of an investigation into alleged surveillance of locations

Two men have been charged with spying for Iran over alleged surveillance of the Jewish community in London, police said.

Nematollah Shahsavani, 40, a dual Iranian and British national, and Alireza Farasati, 22, an Iranian national, have both been charged with engaging in contact likely to assist a foreign intelligence service between 9 July and 15 August last year.

Continue reading…

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Argentina’s once thriving wine industry is facing its worst crisis in more than 15 years, with record-low domestic consumption, dwindling exports and low-yielding crops.

Against this sobering reality, hundreds of wine enthusiasts still gathered last week in Mendoza, the heart of Argentina’s wine region, to celebrate the annual National Wine Harvest Festival. Attendees watched dance performances, enjoyed live music and voted for the new queen of the Vendimia festival.

The festival was marking its 90th year as domestic wine consumption in Argentina plummeted to an all-time low of 15.7 liters (4.1 gallons) per person in 2025, according to the National Institute of Viticulture, or INV. Compare that to 1970, when Argentines consumed as much as 90 liters (24 gallons) per person annually.

Furthermore, 1,100 vineyards have shut down across the country and 3,276 hectares (8,095 acres) of grape production have vanished.

Fabián Ruggieri, president of the Argentine Wine Corp trade group, attributes the drop largely to a “sharp decline in purchasing power” that began in 2023. This trend, he said, is most acute among middle- and low-income consumers who traditionally consumed wine on a daily basis.

For Federico Gambetta, director of the Altos Las Hormigas winery, a medium-sized winery in Mendoza, the crisis is exacerbated by a shift in consumption patterns.

“People no longer consume wine en masse,” said Gambetta, noting that consumers now seek “coherence” and a sense of purpose behind their purchase.

While older generations favored high-alcohol, full-bodied wines, younger consumers prioritize other attributes, such as “approachability, freshness and lightness” — qualities typically found in white wines and rosés.

One of Gambetta’s red wines — Malbec Los Amantes 2022 — was recently ranked 41st among the world’s 100 best wines. Yet, he notes that starting in 2010 his winery began to modify its wine — once defined by a traditional, heavier profile — to appeal to a new generation of consumers seeking lighter styles.

“Everything has mutated,” Gambetta said. “If you’re not dynamic, you’re lost.”

The U.S. is experiencing a similar shift as the older wine-focused demographic ages out and younger adults fail to fill the gap. A report by Silicon Valley Bank found that millennial and Gen Z drinkers are spread across more categories and drinking less overall, particularly those under 29.

The international market offers little relief. As the world’s 11th largest wine exporter, Argentina saw its exports fall to 193 million liters (51 million gallons) in 2025 — a 6.8% year-on-year decline and the lowest volume since 2004, according to INV.

Ruggieri notes that exports are being hampered by financing issues, high logistics costs and a lack of competitiveness resulting from external tariffs. While its neighbor and wine competitor Chile enjoys free trade agreements with over 60 economies — often reaching markets like China with tariff rates close to zero — Argentina faces tariffs between 10% and 20% in most markets.

Local producers like Gabriel Dvoskin, owner of the 10-hectare Canopus winery that produces approximately 50,000 bottles of wine each year, also struggles with inflation.

Dvoskin, who exports to 15 countries, with the U.S. as his main market, acknowledges that Argentina’s high production costs and rampant inflation place his wines at a disadvantage compared with international competitors.

“Our inflation makes us a bit expensive,” Dvoskin said. “My equivalent in France has a much lower cost for dry inputs — bottles, corks, etc. — than I do.”

For Gambetta, the current crisis reinforces a key lesson for the industry: product quality is non-negotiable.

“Right now, everything is very delicate, and one wrong step can bankrupt you,” Gambetta said.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com

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College Republicans have sued the University of Florida’s president on free speech grounds over the school’s decision to deactivate its chapter after being notified that at least one member engaged in an antisemitic act.

The University of Florida College Republicans filed the lawsuit Monday in federal court against interim president Donald Landry, asking a judge to stop the enforcement of the school’s decision and to restore access to facilities on the Gainesville campus.

“The University of Florida punitively deactivated and shut down the UFCR, in response to alleged viewpoints expressed by a member of UFCR, and in an effort to silence the club and chill its future speech,” the group said in its lawsuit.

UF spokeswoman Cynthia Roldan Hernandez said in an email that the university doesn’t comment on pending litigation.

Officials at the University of Florida said over the weekend that they had been informed by the Florida Federation of College Republicans that the federation had disbanded the Gainesville campus’ chapter after determining that some members had “engaged in a pattern of conduct that violated its rules and values, including a recent antisemitic gesture.”

When the Florida Federation of College Republicans is ready, the university will assist with reactivating the campus chapter under new student leadership, UF officials said in a statement.

The deactivation wasn’t based on any university policy or rule, and it was only based on a member’s expression of a viewpoint “which was alleged to be antisemitic,” the lawsuit said.

The university also didn’t provide the College Republicans with adequate notice and didn’t give the chapter an opportunity to explain its side of the story, according to the lawsuit.

The deactivation effort at the University of Florida campus marks the second time this month that a public university in Florida has taken action against a Republican group accused of being involved in racist or antisemitic behavior.

Earlier this month, Florida International University in Miami launched an investigation into a group chat started by an official with the Miami-Dade chapter of the Republican Party that included violently racist slurs, antisemitic comments and misogynistic language. The chat involved students and several top conservative leaders at Florida International University.

Last fall, New York’s Republican State Committee suspended a Young Republican organization following the release of a group chat that included jokes about rape and flippant commentary on gas chambers.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com

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