Professional Fighters League (PFL) continues its Summer Series later TONIGHT (Fri., July 31, 2026) as PFL New York goes down from inside UBS Arena in Elmont, New York. Headlining the event will be a Lightweight ***** le fight as division kingpin, Usman Nurmagomedov, defends the strap against Archie Colgan.
Nurmagomedov (21-0) is looking to lock down his second-ever ***** le defense, with his first coming against Alfie Davis earlier this year, submitting him via triangle choke at PFL Dubai (see it again here). As for Colgan, he is undefeated (13-0) and is 2-0 under PFL's banner. Prior to that, Colgan had racked up a record of 7-0 under Bellator MMA's banner.
Many readers check in before, during and after the fights to share their thoughts on all of the action, as the main card kicks off at 7 p.m. ET on the ESPN App and ESPN2. Feel free to leave a comment (or several) about the bouts and chat with all the other Maniacs during the show — it's always a lot of fun!
In the co-main event, striking superstar, Dakota Ditcheva, returns after a rare year-long layoff in an effort to improve on her mint record of (15-0, 10-0 PFL), taking on long-time combat veteran, Denise Kielholtz, in a women's Flyweight (cough, squash) match. The two were set to throw down at PFL Dubai earlier this year, but the bout had to be rescheduled after Ditcheva withdrew with an injury (more details here).
155 lbs.: Usman Nurmagomedov vs. Archie Colgan – Nurmagomedov wins via first-round knockout
125 lbs.: Dakota Ditcheva vs. Denise Kielholtz -Ditcheva wins via unanimous decision – HIGHLIGHTS!
155 lbs.: Amru Magomedov vs. Angel Alvarez – Magomedov wins via second round TKO
205 lbs.: Moustapha Diakhate vs. Zacharia Nishimwe – Diakhate via first-round TKO
135 lbs.: Raufeon Stots vs. Lazaro Dayron – Dayron wins via split-decision
135 lbs.: Sean Gauci vs. Alan Begosso – Gauci wins via unanimous decision
170 lbs.: Jonathan Piersma vs. Omar El Dafrawy – Dafrawy wins via unanimous decision
125 lbs.: Montana De La Rosa vs. Tatiana Postarnakova- Postarnakova wins via split-decision
155 lbs.: Chamy Delva vs. Levan Khabalaev – Khabalaev wins via first-round TKO

#decision

Blackstone Inc. (NYSE:BX) just posted one of its stronger quarters in years. Profit available to shareholders jumped 26% to $1.52 a share, beating estimates that were clustered around $1.33 to $1.35. Total ******* ets under management grew 11% to $1.35 trillion, and revenue jumped 36% to $5.04 billion. Nine of the firm's ten best-performing investments right now are tied to artificial intelligence. Yet Blackstone's stock is down about 20% so far this year as of July 23, roughly in line with its peers.
Part of the answer is that not every number was strong. Base management fees, one of the metrics ******* ysts watch most closely, came in lighter than expected. The private credit business, which lends money to companies rather than owning them outright, had its second straight quarter of falling profit, down 6% to $373 million. That business also saw its flagship retail fund pull in just $1 billion from wealthy individual investors this quarter, down sharply from $1.9 billion last quarter and $3.7 billion a year ago, as some retail investors grew nervous about private credit generally and pulled money out. President Jon Gray of Blackstone said withdrawal requests have "slowed materially" so far in the current quarter, which is a positive sign, but the pullback itself was real.
This makes you wonder: Is Blackstone Inc. (NYSE: BX)'s AI-driven growth fast enough to keep the whole firm doing well even when other parts are struggling, or is the market right to be cautious?
Blackstone's AI bet goes back to 2021, when it took data center operator QTS private for $10 billion. This quarter, it struck new deals tied to Google's AI chips, Broadcom chip financing, and Anthropic compute, and sold a data center portfolio for $8 billion and a battery storage company for $7 billion. Infrastructure financing is a real fee engine now too, a record $321 million in transaction fees this quarter, nearly double last year. Gray argues Blackstone Inc. (NYSE:BX) deserves a higher valuation than it gets: almost no debt, a dividend yield near 4%, and tech-like growth at a discount to tech multiples. Data center leasing has scaled from 1 gigawatt in 2024 to 2 in 2025 to a pace of at least 7 this year, built on signed contracts with creditworthy clients rather than speculative building. The firm is also expanding abroad, joining a $16 billion Kuwait pipeline deal and planning a new Dubai office.
READ NEXT: 33 Stocks That Should Double in 3 Years and Cathie Wood 2026 Portfolio: 10 Best Stocks to Buy.

#blackstone #data #private

Noni Madueke is ramping up preparations for his first full pre-season with **** nal.
According to Simon Collings, the 23-year-old winger, who joined **** nal for an initial £48.5m last summer, is heading to Dubai for the second phase of his summer break, combining warm-weather relaxation with an intensive personal conditioning programme before reporting for club duty.
Madueke was granted an extended summer break following his participation at the 2026 World Cup, where he helped England secure a third-place finish in the United States.
Rather than easing back into action, Madueke has chosen to dedicate the final part of his break to high-intensity preparation in the Middle East.
Dubai has long been a favoured destination for Premier League stars seeking elite personal training during the off-season.

#arsenal #season #personal #according

Dubai United 'fully support' Andrea Pirlo and insist the Italian tactician is 'fully committed' to the Club after failing to get the Italy job.
The former midfielder was Paolo Maldini's favourite candidate to become Italy's new head coach after the ex-Azzurri technical director failed to secure agreements with either Carlo Ancelotti or Pep Guardiola.
Political protests over Pirlo's role as a brand ambassador for a Russian betting company eventually led to the ex-midfielder not getting the job, while Maldini and Leonardo resigned, feeling that their decision-making autonomy was no longer present.
Pirlo's Club Dubai United have now released an official statement on the Italian tactician's future, confirming their full trust in him: "Over the past few days there has been significant speculation in the media regarding Andrea Pirlo's future, including a number of reports that do not reflect the facts," the Club said.

#Dubai #pirlo

By Jonathan Saul, Parisa Hafezi, Timour Azhari and Chen Aizhu
LONDON/DUBAI, July 28 (Reuters) - China has held direct talks with Yemen's Houthi movement to enable its tankers to sail through the southern Red Sea without being attacked after the Iran-aligned militia ‌pledged to prevent access to Saudi ports, six sources with knowledge of the matter have said.
The Houthis declared their blockade ‌on July 20, opening a new front against the U.S. and its allies in the Iran war and expanding attacks on tankers carrying energy and other supplies to markets beyond the Middle East.
Beijing has asked the Houthis directly to promise safe passage for its tankers, according to the sources, who included a senior Iranian official.
China was among the first countries to contact the Houthis directly about transits through Bab el-Mandeb, the strait at the southern end of the Red Sea with Yemen on its eastern bank, said the sources, who declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter.

#tankers

DUBAI, July 28 (Reuters) - Iran has proposed to Oman a temporary arrangement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz ‌under which one direction of traffic would pass through Iranian ‌waters and part of the opposite route would also be in Iranian waters, Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi told state television on Tuesday.
Gharibabadi said Tehran rejected an Omani proposal for an equal division of transit routes between the two countries, saying such a plan did ‌not address Tehran's security ⁠concerns until long-term regional stability is achieved.
He said the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed if Muscat ⁠rejected Iran's proposal, adding that Tehran had never recognised the southern route along Oman's coast.
Gharibabadi also said Tehran had made it clear to Muscat that it no longer recognised the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS), ‌arguing that this pathway roughly in the middle of the waterway lies mostly within Omani waters and runs contrary to Iran's need to monitor transiting vessels after being attacked by the U.S. and Israel in late February.
The TSS, adopted by the International Maritime ‌Organization, is currently unusable due to the risk of mines and has been replaced with Iran's northern route and Oman's southern route.

#route #tehran #muscat #TRAFFIC

Mamadi Diakite is the new member of Dubai, announced the club on social media. After a season with Baskonia, the former NCAA champion with Florida Gators and NBA champion with Milwaukee Bucks has decided on a new destination and signed a multi-year contract with the Dubai team.
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Mamadi Diakite is the new member of Dubai,

#Dubai

Italy will appoint legendary midfielder Andrea Pirlo as the country's new manager, according to local reports.
Pirlo was a key part of Italy's 2006 World Cup-winning side and played for Inter Milan, AC Milan and Juventus in a gloried playing career. He also coached Juventus, as well as Sampdoria and Turkish side Fatih Karagumruk, before his current role in charge of Dubai United.
Pirlo will sign a four-year contract, taking him to the 2030 World Cup, Italian publication La Repubblica reported.
Italian ⁠football is facing one of its deepest crises in decades, and the ⁠appointment of a new national team coach is seen as the first step in a wider effort to ‌rebuild a youth development and talent pathway system that has deteriorated ‌significantly in a country where football remains a national obsession.
Gennaro Gattuso resigned as Italy head coach in April after the four-time world champions failed to qualify for a third World Cup in a row.

#juventus #four

Love Island: All Stars winners Molly Smith and Tom Clare have tied the knot.
The couple, who won the first series of the spin-off edition in 2024, announced on Instagram they were "just married" alongside a photo of them kissing while flower petals floated around them.
Molly, 32, wore a white short-sleeved mini dress with a matching pillbox hat and netted veil for the occassion, while Tom, 26, wore a black suit and tie.
They announced their engagement in September last year after Tom proposed in Dubai in front of the luxury hotel, Burj Al Arab, with a host of candles and flowers.
The Love Island stars got engaged last year in Dubai [Getty Images]

#Dubai #stars #announced #year

Our ***** ysts just identified a stock with the potential to be the next Nvidia. Tell us how you invest and we'll show you why it's our #1 pick. Tap here.
Swatch Group reported stronger first-half sales as demand improved across its watch brands and shoppers lined up for its Royal Pop pocket watch collaboration with Audemars Piguet. Sales rose 8.5% at constant exchange rates to CHF 3.12 billion (about $3.8 billion), helped by a sharp acceleration in May and June. But operating profit fell to CHF 52 million, badly missing expectations, as currency effects and production costs weighed. The watches are moving again. The margins, less so.
Swatch Group, owner of Omega, Longines, Tissot, Breguet and Swatch, reported first-half net sales of CHF 3.12 billion. At constant exchange rates, sales rose 8.5% from a year earlier. On a reported basis, growth was much weaker because the strong Swiss franc dragged on results.
The company said sales momentum improved sharply in the second quarter, especially in May and June. Demand was helped by strength across price segments and regions, including the US, Europe, ***** an, South Korea and China.
A major highlight was the Royal Pop, a pocket watch made with Audemars Piguet. The launch triggered long lines in cities including New York, London, Barcelona and Dubai, with demand so strong that Swatch had to close some stores and limit queues.

#swatch #sales #reported

DUBAI, July 21 (Reuters) - The level of "interaction" with Iran's Supreme Leader is increasing day by day, Iranian President Masoud ‌Pezeshkian said in a video clip published on state media ‌on Tuesday.
His remarks follow months of speculation about the health of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not been seen in public since the airstrike that killed his father and predecessor, Ali Khamenei, at the start of the Iran war.
"The interaction level with our dear Supreme Leader is increasing ‌day by day and ⁠should increase so that we can solve our problems with his guidance," Pezeshkian said in the clip.
Mojtaba ⁠Khamenei suffered severe facial and leg injuries in the February 28 attack, three people close to his inner circle told Reuters in April.
Khamenei has issued written statements since his appointment as Iran's third supreme leader by ‌a clerical body on March 8, but no new image or voice recording has accompanied them.

#leader

Dubai: UAE left-arm pacer Muhammad Rohid believes the ILT20 has transformed the landscape for local cricketers by creating a clear pathway from domestic cricket to the professional stage.

Rohid's rise gathered fresh momentum when MI Emirates secured his services for $140,000 at the league's first-ever player auction ahead of Season 4. The deal made him the fifth-most expensive signing of the auction and underlined the growing confidence franchises have in homegrown UAE talent.

For Rohid, however, the significance extends beyond the financial reward.

"The biggest thing the ILT20 has done is create a clear pathway for UAE players," Rohid said. "Young cricketers can now see that if you perform well, opportunities will come, whether it's with a franchise or the national team. That's incredibly inspiring, and I hope my journey encourages more youngsters to believe they can achieve their dreams."

The left-arm seamer credits MI Emirates for accelerating his development through exposure to some of the world's leading T20 players. One of the defining moments of his campaign came in Qualifier 2, when he was told just 10 minutes before the toss that he would be playing. Rohid responded with an impressive spell of 2 for 19, dismissing Brandon McMullen and Liam Livingstone under pressure.

"The biggest lesson I learnt was to stay ready because opportunities can come at any moment," he said. "The environment taught me to trust my preparation, stay calm under pressure and back my skills."

Sharing the dressing room with stars such as Kieron Pollard, Nicholas Pooran, Romario Shepherd, Fazalhaq Farooqi and Shakib Al Hasan also proved invaluable.

"Watching how they prepare, train and handle pressure taught me a lot. They were always willing to share advice, and Dubai: UAE left-arm pacer Muhammad Rohid believes the ILT20 has transformed the landscape for local cricketers by creating a clear pathway from domestic cricket to the professional stage.

Rohid's rise gathered fresh momentum when MI Emirates secured his services for USD 140,000 at the league's first-ever player auction ahead of Season 4. The deal made him the fifth-most expensive signing of the auction and underlined the growing confidence franchises have in homegrown UAE talent.

For Rohid, however, the significance extends beyond the financial reward.

"The biggest thing the ILT20 has done is create a clear pathway for UAE players," Rohid said. "Young cricketers can now see that if you perform well, opportunities will come, whether it's with a franchise or the national team. That's incredibly inspiring, and I hope my journey encourages more youngsters to believe they can achieve their dreams."

The left-arm seamer credits MI Emirates for accelerating his development through exposure to some of the world's leading T20 players. One of the defining moments of his campaign came in Qualifier 2, when he was told just 10 minutes before the toss that he would be playing. Rohid responde

By Nayera Abdallah, Eman Abouhassira and Timour Azhari
DUBAI/RIYADH, July 20 (Reuters) - Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis said on Monday they would impose a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia, opening a potential new front against the United States in its war with Iran and raising the threat to global energy supplies and trade beyond the Gulf.
The escalation comes after one of the deadliest periods in the war for U.S. troops. The ‌Pentagon on Monday identified two U.S. soldiers who were killed when Iran attacked an American base in Jordan on Friday, while they also said they had found unidentified remains that could be those of a third soldier ‌reported as missing in action. Separately, a fourth service member was killed in northern Iraq during the "controlled detonation of unexploded ordnance from a downed Iranian one-way attack drone."
After the Houthis announced their blockade, the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said in a statement that it would respond to them with force, and also that it began implementing protection measures for its ships moving through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a key export route for Saudi oil after the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
The Houthis made their announcement despite signs that Tehran and Washington want to resume diplomacy to halt a worsening cycle of attacks that has all but wrecked a fragile interim agreement signed last month. Iran's Foreign Ministry said mediators had presented "proposals" to Tehran, signalling that diplomatic contacts remain active, but gave no details.

By Nayera Abdallah and Timour Azhari
DUBAI, July 20 (Reuters) - Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis said on Monday they were imposing a naval blockade on Saudi ‌Arabia, drawing a warning from the Saudi-led coalition that it would respond "firmly", ‌in a move that threatens to disrupt global energy supplies beyond the Gulf.
The Houthis' armed forces in a statement said they were declaring "a maritime embargo against the criminal Saudi enemy, based on the equation of 'an eye for an eye', effective immediately".
They said the decision was in response to what they called "an unjust and oppressive siege" imposed on Yemen by the Saudis. ‌A full closure of the ⁠Bab el-Mandeb strait, the southern gateway to the Red Sea, would halt Saudi oil exports to Asia and could reduce global ⁠oil supply by 7%.
The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen vowed to respond to the threat to its commercial ships with firmness.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The United States conducted a new round of airstrikes early Monday targeting Iran after announcing the death of another American service member, hitting around a northwestern city believed to be home to underground missile bases. Iran responded by launching an attack targeting Bahrain, the home of the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet, and Kuwait.
The latest attacks again showed how, step by step, the U.S. and Iran have inched closer to all-out war as last month's interim deal meant to permanently end the fighting has crumbled and shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz has largely stalled. Both sides have targeted civilian infrastructure relied on by millions of people.
Meanwhile, benchmark Brent crude rose Monday above $90 a barrel, further fueling a global energy crisis sparked by the conflict. An average gallon of regular gasoline in the U.S. also rose to $4, a key metric for Americans that puts more pressure on their wallets ahead of midterm elections this fall.
The U.S. military said the service member was killed in Iraq on Saturday during the "controlled detonation" of a downed Iranian drone.
"We hit them very hard again tonight," U.S. President Donald Trump said. "And we did that in honor of the" soldiers killed, he said.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The United States announced another death of a service member as it launched more airstrikes at Iran on Sunday in response to the killing of U.S. troops, and Iran fired missiles toward Jordan that risked widening the conflict into neighboring Israel.
Step by step, the U.S. and Iran have returned closer to all-out war as last month's interim deal meant to permanently end the fighting has crumbled and shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz has largely stalled. Both sides have targeted civilian infrastructure relied on by millions of people.
The U.S. military said the service member was killed in Iraq on Saturday during the "controlled detonation" of a downed Iranian drone.
Earlier, the military said its strikes targeted Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard to retaliate for Friday's killing of troops in Jordan. One service member was missing after that attack, and the military's new statement said "unidentified remains" were found Sunday and were being examined. Since the war began, 17 U.S. service members have been killed.
The renewed exchanges of fire, now in their second week, have seen the U.S. target bridges, water desalination plants and electrical facilities in Iran. Tehran has hit U.S.-allied countries throughout the Middle East.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The U.S. military launched airstrikes Sunday targeting Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard to retaliate for the killing of American troops in Jordan, further widening crossfire between the nations as an interim deal seeking an end to their war has collapsed.
The strikes are part of a weeklong campaign that began with a struggle over control of the Strait of Hormuz and has seen Iran strike U.S.-allied countries across the Middle East.
The U.S. has targeted bridges, electrical facilities and other targets in Iran, and Tehran has retaliated by hitting power and desalination plants in Kuwait, threatening daily life in that small, oil-rich desert nation. Iran also has stepped up its threats to further expand the strikes, drawing a warning overnight from the United Arab Emirates.
Kuwait and Bahrain again activated air defenses Sunday morning as they warned of incoming Iranian drones and missiles.
The U.S. military's Central Command in its statement also said it hit "Iranian military coastal surveillance and air defense facilities, maritime capabilities and missile and drone storage sites." It also said for the first time it specifically targeting the Guard, a key power base in Iran's theocracy that controls its ballistic missile **** nal.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The United States and Iran exchanged strikes aimed at infrastructure and military targets on Saturday as their battle over the Strait of Hormuz intensified.
The region has endured days of back-and-forth attacks in a conflict increasingly focused on control of the strait. The collapse of an interim ceasefire leaves no clear end in sight for the war that the U.S. and Israel began more than four months ago.
The U.S. Central Command said late Friday it had launched its seventh straight night of attacks aimed at degrading Iran's military. Early Saturday it said the strikes had hit "surveillance sites, military logistics infrastructure, underground weapons storage, and maritime capabilities."
Kuwait said Saturday it was intercepting Iranian missiles and drones, and air sirens sounded in Bahrain according to the government there.
Iranian officials say recent U.S. strikes have killed dozens of people and wounded hundreds, with new casualties reported Friday, when the U.S. military also acknowledged more injured service members.

By Parisa Hafezi, Samia Nakhoul and Jonathan Saul
DUBAI, July 16 (Reuters) - Iran has asked Yemen's Houthi movement to stand ready to close the Red Sea oil route if the United States strikes Iranian power infrastructure, three sources told Reuters on Thursday, posing a potent new threat to global energy supplies.
The idea has been discussed ‌within the Islamic Republic's leadership, and the message has been conveyed to Iran's Houthi allies, two senior Iranian sources and a regional source familiar with the matter said, ‌speaking on condition of anonymity.
The sources said the Houthis had been informed recently of Tehran's request, which has not been previously reported.
They did not give further details on how it had been conveyed or whether it was after U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to attack Iranian power infrastructure on Tuesday.

By Enas Alashray, Tala Ramadan and Yomna Ehab
CAIRO/DUBAI, July 15 (Reuters) - The U.S. launched two waves of attacks on Iran's coastal defenses and missile sites on Wednesday after reimposing a naval blockade of its ports, while Iran struck back by targeting U.S. military sites in neighboring countries in what it called an "existential war" with America.
The latest escalation comes days after a ‌fragile truce collapsed, raising the specter of a return to full-scale war, with Iran once again threatening to shut off more regional energy exports.
Hostilities have intensified since Iran said late on Saturday ‌it had closed the Strait of Hormuz. Military operations are also keeping ships from transiting the vital artery, which carried about a fifth of global oil and gas shipments before the war. Brent crude oil, the international benchmark, closed at a one-month high of $84.95 a barrel on Wednesday.
U.S. Central Command said the military had attacked coastal defense systems and cruise missile storage and launch sites on Iran's Greater Tunb Island starting around 6:00 a.m. EDT (1000 GMT), then launched a second wave of strikes against multiple cities nine hours later.

This article was originally published on ETFTrends.com.
Missiles and drones disrupted skies over Dubai in late February, following U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran. Private aviation executive Jonny Dodge watched his phone light up nonstop. His firm, YourSky, flies much of the emirate's crypto elite, giving him a front-row seat to the panic.
Missile strikes near Dubai triggered a wave of crypto executive evacuations in February.
The UAE's on-chain crypto value hit $56 billion in 2024-2025, up 33% year over year.
Founders are splitting operations across Dubai, Hong Kong and Singapore instead of leaving.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who as ruler of Qatar transformed the tiny Persian Gulf nation into a global player in diplomacy, media and investment, and then shattered tradition by voluntarily turning over power to his son, has died, state media reported. He was 74.
The state-run Qatar News Agency reported his death. It offered no cause.
Sheikh Hamad, who stepped down in June 2013 after 18 years as emir, was the architect of energy-rich Qatar's stunning ambitions that turned it from a backwater into an international crossroads in less than a generation. Qatar owns the Harrod's department store in London and founded the powerful Al Jazeera satellite news network.
Qatar's political reach today stretches from North Africa to Afghanistan and it hosted the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the world's most-watched soccer event. Sheikh Hamad, though long out of power, received thunderous applause from Qataris attending its opening match.
But Qatar's rise under Sheikh Hamad also rankled regional and Western allies with its independent-minded policymaking, including its close ties to Shiite powerhouse Iran, the Palestinian militant Hamas group and Egypt's outlawed Muslim Brotherhood.

Drake strongly believes that Conor McGregor will win his first professional MMA fight in almost five years, as the rap icon placed a massive $1 million bet on the Irishman to beat Max Holloway in the main event of UFC 329.
"THE MAC IS BACK?!?!?? The proper twelve drinking, tailored suit wearing, Lambo Yacht riding man with the Dubai tan that once had both belts in both hands… Say less stake," Drake posted on Instagram.
Based on his screenshot, Drake will earn a $1.85 million profit if McGregor wins tomorrow. The five-time Grammy Award winner has made a habit of making seven-figure bets on high-profile sporting events such as the NBA Finals, World Cup, and the Super Bowl.
However, most of his bets have lost, which has given life to the infamous "Drake Curse." McGregor's last win in the Octagon was on January 18, 2020, against Donald Cerrone at UFC 246. On the other hand, Holloway's last victory was against Dustin Poirier at UFC 318 last July 20, 2025.
MORE:Conor McGregor accused of HGH, anabolic steroids use while outside drug testing pool

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Mysterious, unclaimed airstrikes that hit Iran after the U.S. said it finished its attacks have again raised questions of who else may be targeting the Islamic Republic.
The strikes Thursday, just as Iran prepared to bury the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, hit areas across southern Iran. The country's theocracy hasn't directly blamed anyone, though one lawmaker warned the United Arab Emirates about allegedly providing support to the U.S. campaign against Iran.
Gulf Arab states, which Iran has targeted repeatedly since the war began Feb. 28, did not immediately respond to requests for comment Friday about the strikes. The attacks come as those Gulf nations and the U.S. insist that the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for world energy markets, must be open and free to ships to transit.
Iran says the strait must now be under its sole control and that vessels should begin to pay fees to Tehran — even though the world for decades has considered it an international waterway. About a fifth of all traded oil and natural gas passed through the strait before the war began.
Iran's grip on the strait during the conflict led to an global energy crisis, though oil prices have sharply dropped since wartime highs of $120 a barrel.

The electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOL) market is a tough one to invest in because it's in such an early stage. While there are multiple companies involved in the ***** e and trying to convince investors they're the real deals, it's difficult, if not impossible, to predict which, if any, will lead the market in the next five to 10 years.
Joby Aviation (NYSE: JOBY) is one of the promising players in the industry, and that's evident with its sizable valuation. Its market cap is nearly $9 billion -- more than double that of rival Archer Aviation. But investors have grown bearish about Joby's stock of late, as it's down more than 30% since the beginning of the year. Trading at around $9, investors may be torn about where the eVTOL stock will be headed from here on out: is it more likely to get to $15 or $5 this year?
Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »
Joby's stock had been rising prior to the start of this year on the hope that its air taxis would soon commence operating activities. While that's still a possibility, it's notable that the stock began to go into a free fall in late January after Joby announced it was raising about $1.2 billion from the issue of common stock and convertible notes, raising flags over the unprofitable company's need to raise cash -- an issue that's likely to persist over the long haul.
While Joby has been showcasing its air taxi with test flights in New York City and Dubai, investors are still left waiting for approval from regulators, which would surely be the catalyst that lifts the stock higher. Joby has previously stated it expects to commence U.S. operations at some point this year. If that ends up happening, that could be what's needed for the stock to rally once more.

Visa Inc. (NYSE:V) ranks among the best fintech stocks to buy as digital payments volume surges. On June 30, Piper Sandler began coverage of Visa Inc. (NYSE:V) with an Overweight rating and a $394 price target. The firm initiated a review of the payments and consumer finance division (which includes Visa) with a "selectively constructive" outlook. According to Piper Sandler, Overweight-rated equities provide "durable" network utilization, consumer engagement, credit management, capital returns, business leverage, or earnings "scaling into share appreciation without requiring broad multiple expansion."
Piper Sandler also noted that although projected earnings "remain resilient across much of our coverage," valuation adjustment in the category "has been broad."
Furthermore, on June 25, Visa Inc. (NYSE:V) introduced Visa Destinations, a mobile travel platform currently available in 10 cities, including Paris, London, and Dubai.
The platform gives Visa cardholders access to customized travel experiences, tour guides, and suggestions in the food, entertainment, cultural, hospitality, wellness, shopping, and transportation areas.
Visa Inc. (NYSE:V) is a payment technology company operating in the United States and internationally. It operates VisaNet, a transaction-processing network that handles the clearing, authorization, and settlement of payments. The company offers its services under various brands, including PLUS, Visa, V PAY, Visa Electron, and Interlink.

Previously, we reported that Abu Dhabi's flagship crude, Murban crude, has rapidly risen to prominence, with Murban crude futures having rapidly evolved from a regional benchmark into a primary global pricing standard. Known for its high API gravity and low sulfur content, Murban serves as a globally recognized energy benchmark traded on the ICE Futures Abu Dhabi (IFAD) exchange. By offering continuous screen-trading, deep liquidity and the removal of destination restrictions, Murban has bypassed older, restricted benchmarks like Platts Dubai, introducing unprecedented transparency and price discovery to Middle Eastern crude.
However, the Middle East conflict has upended oil market dynamics, giving Asian refiners a distinctive advantage.
The Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. (ADNOC) is now transitioning the Official Selling Prices (OSPs) for its three offshore crude grades--Upper Zakum, Das, and Umm Lulu--from a differential against Murban futures to a differential against the Dubai benchmark. This change will apply to prompt cargoes loading two months ahead, while the flagship Murban crude remains tied to Murban futures.
ADNOC's decision to price its offshore crude grades against the Dubai benchmark instead of Murban corrects a structural economic distortion that has penalized buyers for years. Murban is a premium, light-sweet crude grade, whereas the offshore grades—Upper Zakum, Das, and Umm Lulu—are medium-sour barrels, yielding completely different product slates.
During the height of the U.S.-Iran conflict, extreme market backwardation and sudden premium demand for light ends caused front-month Murban futures on the IFAD exchange to surge. Because Upper Zakum and Das were priced as a differential pegged directly to Murban, these medium-sour barrels became artificially and prohibitively expensive for Asian refiners, completely detached from their actual physical market fundamentals. By shifting the offshore grades to a Dubai-linked formula—the undisputed global baseline for medium-sour crude—ADNOC is realigning these crudes with their true physical peers, such as Oman and Qatar's Al-Shaheen.

This week, new data from Statusphere reveals a shift in how micro-influencer content is being treated and how AI is changing the way brands are using that content. This week, Klaviyo said its AI solution is closing the traditional gap between digital marketing and customer service.
And lastly, Packsize said this week that it wrapped up an agreement to acquire the packaging business of Panotec, thereby significantly growing its business.
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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iranian state television claimed this week that a foreign ship got stuck in the Strait of Hormuz after ignoring instructions to use a route laid out by the Islamic Republic's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.
But the ship is tied to Iran — and seems to have been in the strait for months.
The vessel, based on its shape, reported location and other details, is the container ship Arista, reportedly flying a false flag linking it to the island nation of Comoros. That ship was known last year as the Panama-flagged Gauja, which the U.S. Treasury included in sanctions targeting what it described as a network that had been "generating tens of billions of dollars in profit" for Iran's ruling elite.
Here's a closer look.
Iranian state television aired on-screen alerts Wednesday about what it described as a foreign ship that got stuck ignoring the commands of the Guard's navy.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A ship ran aground in the Strait of Hormuz while using a route not approved by Iran, state television in Tehran reported Wednesday. The vessel was identified as a foreign container ship, with no other details.
The report appeared aimed at underlining Tehran's claims to control the strait, which the world has long considered an international waterway. It saw a fifth of all oil and natural gas pass through it in peacetime.
Iran has used its ability to choke off the waterway as a key source of leverage since the war began, disrupting global markets for energy and other critical goods.
The report came as U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law, were in Doha, Qatar, for talks over reaching a permanent end to the Iran war. Iran's top negotiator, Kazem Gharibabadi, traveled to Qatar with a team as well.
Technical talks between diplomats began Wednesday in Qatar, said two regional officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door discussions. Negotiators aim to nail down specifics to pave the way for top leaders to seal an agreement, though differences over the strait and Lebanon loom large.